# Help me stock my office tank!



## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

I recently bought another 55g (48"w) tank that I planned on bringing home soon,..but found out earlier that I am going to have to keep it in my office due to space limitations,..which I'm actually happy about the idea of an aquarium in my office to look at during the day. I was worried about asking the boss but surprisingly he seemed excited about the idea,..so..

I have Demasoni and Yellow-Labs in my home 55g,..so I definitely want to do something different with this one. 
My TOP choice for one species is Cyno sp. Hara (White Top)..and the second species is between Metr sp Msobo (may get too big) and (Yellow Top) Lab sp Mbamba possibly. Any suggestions for tank mates with sp Hara?..and numbers and m/fm ratios?

Also, any thoughts or suggestions on maintaining a tank at work..when I'm only here Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00? I was thinking of a timed feeder,..lighting timer etc.

Here is a pic of the empty setup. I found the tank, stand, light, heater and canister filter for $175.00, so I couldn't pass it up. The filter is a Sunsun HW-302,..which I hadn't heard of but have since read about..and is from China..and actually gets some good reviews. Does anyone have any experience with these? It looks very well made and the media tray setup is great but I have yet to run it.


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

Fish don't need to be feed everyday so I think they would be ok with skipping Saturday and Sunday feedings. My bigger concern would be water changes. For cichlids most would agree that weekly water changes are preferred. Is your boss going to be ok with that? I know when I do my water changes at home it can get messy and wet.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

I thought about that..but that seems like a long time without feeding..but I'm sure you are right. Good question,..yes, the water changes etc. are no problem. We are a commercial Glass contractor so our office/warehouse setup is perfect. A hose can reach my office with no problem.


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## Austinite (Jul 27, 2013)

I'm so jealous, I would LOVE to have a tank in my office! They'd never allow it....and it's a long way to a sink....

I don't feed my fish every day so it would be no big deal to skip Sat & Sun.


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

I agree with the feeding or no feeding on Sat-Sun. I would definitely get a timer for the lighting though. That is so exciting to have an aquarium in the office, too.


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

Ramseydog14 said:


> I thought about that..but that seems like a long time without feeding..but I'm sure you are right. Good question,..yes, the water changes etc. are no problem. We are a commercial Glass contractor so our office/warehouse setup is perfect. A hose can reach my office with no problem.


Nice your lucky. They won't even let us have a beta bowl in my office...


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Nice pickup! I don't have an office, but if I did, I'd build a large enclosure and house a crocodile monitor to intimidate anyone who came in. But a 55 is nice too 

Metriaclima estherae
Iodotropheus sprengerae 
Pseudotropheus sp. Polit
Labidochromis caeruleus Nkhata Bay
Metriaclima so. Membe deep


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## Elrato (Jan 20, 2014)

I have this exact tank & stand design in my office except its a 75 gal, have had it setup for years & never fed on sat/sun & they are fine

the only downside to this tank @ the office is coming on the weekedns to clean it or staying after work to clean it, other than that evreyone at my office loves it


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback guys! Good to know that I won't have to worry about a feeding timer. I painted the back of the tank black yesterday,..will be picking up the sand later today and collecting and scrubbing rocks tonight. Hopefully I can fill the tank and start cycling (seeding) by end of week. I am planning on seeding the canister filter with media from my home tank filter cartriges and then leaving another 2 used cartridge in the running tank, along with using some sand from existing tank. Will this be enough to get the new tank ready?..or will it help at all or be necessary to bring in buckets of the water from my home tank?..or is the seeding I mentioned enough? I also plan on using "Stability" Seachum bacteria builder which has helped on my previous to startups.

For the stock list,..I plan on ordering fish from a site sponsor (most likely) initials D.R.A.F...and they don't appear to have sp Hara right now. I really like the Msobo deep, due to the great male and female colors,..so 1 species will likely be these guys. I also see a Cyno that I haven't seen before and really like. Is anyone familiar with Cynotilapia sp. ''Lion'' Lupingu ''Purple''? They have these..and I think they would make a great combo with the Msobo. Will these 2 species be all I should do in a 55g (48")?..or would a small group of a 3rd species (like Rusties or White-Labs) be okay to add also.

Any other thoughts on stocking combos for an office tank,..using species similar to the ones I've mentioned?

Thanks again for the help folks!


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## shelbynjakesdad (Mar 13, 2013)

Ramseydog14 said:


> My TOP choice for one species is Cyno sp. Hara (White Top)..and the second species is between Metr sp Msobo (may get too big) and (Yellow Top) Lab sp Mbamba possibly. Any suggestions for tank mates with sp Hara?..and numbers and m/fm ratios?


I stock Hara, Msobo, and rusties (Iodotropheus sprengerae) in my 55 gallon. I like the mix, lots of contrast. I've heard that Msobo do better in larger tanks, but I haven't had any problems so far at all. My fish are about 3.5" right now, hopefully they don't turn on me and start causing problems when they get a little bigger. I stock the Msobo 1M/6F and the Hara 1M/4F. I'm still unsure about a few of the sex of my rusties (I have 8 ), but I have not seen any aggression, so for now, I'm just watching them.

You will need more filtration. I've had one of those SunSun 302's before and it's a nice filter for the price, but definitely not enough for a fully stocked 55 gallon mbuna tank. Don't worry about bringing any water, it carries very little bacteria.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

shelbynjakesdad said:


> Ramseydog14 said:
> 
> 
> > My TOP choice for one species is Cyno sp. Hara (White Top)..and the second species is between Metr sp Msobo (may get too big) and (Yellow Top) Lab sp Mbamba possibly. Any suggestions for tank mates with sp Hara?..and numbers and m/fm ratios?
> ...


Perfect info SnJD, thanks! I think that's the route I will go then Msobo and the Cyno Lion I mentioned,..with the Rusties as a 3rd. The only problem I foresee is getting the m/fm ratios right, when I'm ordering unsexed juvies. So, rehousing and reordering etc. really won't be an easy option. Where did you get your fish,..locally or mail order?


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## shelbynjakesdad (Mar 13, 2013)

I have a LFS about 3 miles from my house that specializes in African cichlids. I bought 10 young Msobo (males just starting to show some blue), I tried to pick out ALL females and still ended up with only 5 females and 5 males... so yeah, it can be tough. For my Hara, I bought 12 juvies since they cannot be sexed at all when young. I ended up with 8M /4F! Luckily, my LFS gladly takes the males back in for trade since they usually have people wanting the "prettier" fish.

The Msobo females can be territorial, which makes it tough to add more later. I added 3 more juveniles to my population later on (I wanted more than 5 females) and they had a rough time fitting in... but eventually made it. 2 of them turned out to be male, so that's how I finally landed on 6F total. If I were doing it over, I think I'd buy like 15 juveniles (trying to pick females) - that way I'd have enough the first time around and could pick the ones I wanted to keep (some are nicer looking than others). If you cannot easily rehome them like I can, then it will be a little tougher.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

The vendor you're looking at has sexable Msobo and that Cynotilapia but you'll end up spending a pretty penny.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Yes..Iggy I noticed that also ;-) I want to make sure I do this particular tank right, so I plan to spend some $$ on the fish, just don't know about spending that much (unless I can talk the boss into paying and writing it off as a "business expense",..which isn't a bad idea actually). I may have to just order and hope for the best..then maybe rehome and mix and match with my home tank,..who knows. Can't wait!


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

I have the Cyno purple lupingu and when young, they are very drab....brownish black. They are starting to color up now but not sure if it's the black sand but hard to see their blue/purple color unless the light hits them just right. I have them with red zebras and white labs in my 55-gallons.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

NJmomie said:


> I have the Cyno purple lupingu and when young, they are very drab....brownish black. They are starting to color up now but not sure if it's the black sand but hard to see their blue/purple color unless the light hits them just right. I have them with red zebras and white labs in my 55-gallons.


The Cyno Afra Yellow-Blaze that I have in my other tank did the same,..and now are incredible looking. In a matter of a week or two went from drab brown little fish with yellow fins to purple,.lavender, with bright yellow fins and tops of heads. They literally change colors instantly with their mood. I'm hoping the Lupinga do the same. I'd say your black sand may be are making them look even darker when they are young.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Well, to update this thread..I now have the tank running and just added the first 2 fish a few minutes ago. I did all of the water testing this morning and all was good to go, so I went out at lunch and picked up 1 small Metr Red Zebra and a "blue-eyed" pleco,..which is really cool looking. I have (16) fish coming fedex on Friday from one of the site sponsors, so I wanted to make sure by adding these 2 first. The Red Zebra must think he's in heaven with the run of the tank, coming from a pet store tank.

Here is the stock list I decided to go with..(all 1" - 1.5")

(6) Cyno sp Hara (white top)
(6) Lab sp Mbamba
(4) Psuedotropheus sp 'cherry red' Red Zebra

Here is the tank currently,..any thoughts on the stocklist?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I'd change the quantity of each species to 10 of each or at least 8. Maybe add some more rocks.

Should be a cool tank with the species you selected. What happened to the eBay fish?


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> I'd change the quantity of each species to 10 of each or at least 8. Maybe add some more rocks.
> 
> Should be a cool tank with the species you selected. What happened to the eBay fish?


Thanks Iggy,..I will be adding some more rocks, but the $ was getting close to $200 so I had to leave it at that for now. I am sure I will add to them before too long.

The good ole e-bay fish are doing well in their own 30 gallon at home. They are actually great looking little fish,..but still no way to know exactly what they are. The more I look at pictures of really small Hongi, the more I think that's what they are. I did find another species in the profiles section here called Cynotilapia Aurifrons - Nkhata Bay,..which is very similar to the name given in the e-bay add,...wonder if they could that? The only picture I can find is the one in the profiles sect, but that doesn't help. Are you familiar at all with these? (or anyone)


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

Nice..and +1 on what Iggy says about more rocks. If possible, pick them up from a local landscaping place...much cheaper that way or better yet, find some drainage ditches on the highway. There are usually rocks there...LOL


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Okay, for an update on the office tank. The fish arrived yesterday morning (a day early)..from a site sponsor. One of the Red Zebra didn't make it unfortunately but the rest looked great, adjusted immediately to the new home. Here are a couple of pics of the new boys. I did add some additional rocks but still don't have them exactly the way I want yet.
The sp Hara and Lab (Yellow Fin) Mbamba look great and the Red Zebra (sp Cherry Red) really set off the color,..so I'm really happy with the stocking choices.


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

New arrivals look great in the tank! Pretty sweet to have that look at in the office all day! Jealous.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

hose91 said:


> New arrivals look great in the tank! Pretty sweet to have that look at in the office all day! Jealous.


No doubt..I'm really enjoying it, thanks! So far I'm really surprised and impressed at how well they have colored up and are as active as can be..some already doing the breeding dance. With the Hara and Mbamba..I think I can tell already which ones are the males..and even which ones will likely be dominant.

Does anyone have any thoughts on a good basic every day flake food for these? I bought Omega One (Natural Protein Formula) Super Color Flakes,..but wasn't sure if this was something to feed all the time or just occasionally. I also have Cobalt Cichlid Flakes with Probiotics...which I have always used at home. Would this be better for an every day food?..wondering because the Omega One is completely bright pink,...while the Cobalt has a variety of green, blue, pink etc. flakes. ..or does it make no difference?


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

I will update this thread one last time with a picture..after adding some more rockwork. The fish all survived my vacation (coworker fed them for me)..and are doing great. I must say the Red Zebra (sp Cherry Red)..that BGA (site sponsor) sells are awesome looking fish. A couple of them are the brightest fire orange-red that you can imagine,..which goes well with the colors of the Hara and Lab sp Mbamba. I'm very happy with the way the tank is turning out,..and really loving having in the office to help pass the day ;-)


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

Nice rockwork....I like the additions. You can even go higher on one side to give a more lopsided look (for some reason, that looks better in a tank). I also used BGA and have to agree with you, their red zebras are very nice. This tank will look even more beautiful in about 6 months when the fish get bigger and take up more room. Please make sure you send us an updated picture at that time....


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

NJmomie said:


> Nice rockwork....I like the additions. You can even go higher on one side to give a more lopsided look (for some reason, that looks better in a tank). I also used BGA and have to agree with you, their red zebras are very nice. This tank will look even more beautiful in about 6 months when the fish get bigger and take up more room. Please make sure you send us an updated picture at that time....


Thanks for the nice comments..and I agree on adding rocks higher on one side. Probably on the right side,..the biggest rock on the left, which I really like,..doesn't have a flat spot on it at all. It slopes away on all sides, so not a good one to stack on top of.


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## xyzoptics (Dec 2, 2013)

Awesome tank! Definitely jealous, I'd love to have a tank like that at work!


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## Bikeman48088 (Nov 13, 2013)

Hapguy63 said:


> Ramseydog14 said:
> 
> 
> > I thought about that..but that seems like a long time without feeding..but I'm sure you are right. Good question,..yes, the water changes etc. are no problem. We are a commercial Glass contractor so our office/warehouse setup is perfect. A hose can reach my office with no problem.
> ...


I have a 7000 square foot building with lots of open space that I can put anything in. It's good to be king.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Here are a few new pics..as these little guys are really starting to color up (still 1" - 1.5"). I know a lot of people here really like the Hara and no doubt I'm really happy with them, but I don't see a lot of mention of Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba" in posts. I have 6 of them in this tank and I must say they are awesome! Great looking fish with lots of color and personality. The profile on this site shows they get 3.5" long,..which is great for a lot of the smaller tanks that a lot of people ask stocking questions about. Just wondering why these aren't more common?..or more commonly recommended in the stocking advice questions. Seems like they would be a great,..less aggressive alternative to Demasoni (which I also have and love). Are they a fairly new species?..


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

I had forgotten about this thread..and then ran back across it, so I thought I'd update it with a couple of new pictures.
(This tank is impossible to get a decent picture of with all of the glare from my windows). The tank has changed a lot and the fish have definitely grown a lot.



here is the dominant male Hara,..which is turning into an awesome looking guy. Has the most perfect eggspots,..looks like a rack of billiard-balls


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## TTUhouston (Jul 22, 2013)

Love the update pictures! Can you post an updated picture of the Mbamba? I always like the growing pictures. I find you can keep it as a fish journal and that is what I do. I can always go back 4 months and see what the fish looked like before and get an idea for how fast they grow that way. Each post is timestamped which helps a lot.

I am jealous of that Hara. How do the females look? Are they boring colored?


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

TTUhouston said:


> Love the update pictures! Can you post an updated picture of the Mbamba? I always like the growing pictures. I find you can keep it as a fish journal and that is what I do. I can always go back 4 months and see what the fish looked like before and get an idea for how fast they grow that way. Each post is timestamped which helps a lot.
> 
> I am jealous of that Hara. How do the females look? Are they boring colored?


Sorry I'm just replying back TTUhouston,..I just saw your post. No, the female Hara are really good looking (imo) for females,..they are a solid deep bluish gray with light colored bellies. It's one of the main reasons I like this species so much.

The Lab Mbamba males are really cool looking. The females..not so much. Here is a decent new picture of my dominant male. He is really hard to get a good picture of. He's a little camera shy,..really quick, and he colors up and down in an instant.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

I made a few changes to this tank recently that have really made a nice difference. I replaced one of the 2 T5 Full-Daylight bulbs with a Actintic Blue high output bulb..rearranged some rocks..and replaced one of the HOB filters with a Sun-Sun 302 canister loaded with new filter pads, bio-balls and ceramic rings. I like the new look a lot and the water quality and flow is much better. Let me know what you think. I have gone back and forth recently on replacing the Red Zebras with a group of 4 small Yellow-Labs I have growing out in a tank at home. Any opinions on this? I like the looks of both..but like the Yellow-Labs personality much better. Here is an updated pic..


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

That would give you 2 species of Labidochromis....
Different enough I suppose. Doesn't sound like you're saving fry. Zebras too much?
I like the rock layout.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

You are right,..I didn't even think about that. Like I said..I've gone back and forth on the Red Zebra. I like them..the bright orange/red is great..but the males are so aggressive with the breeding that they just wear the females out. I removed the one super dominant male, which helped,..leaving only one (Red) male and two females (after starting with 5) but now he is getting just as bad. He's not violent and doesn't mess with any other species, just constantly chasing the females,..which gets on my nerves.

I had thought about possibly replacing them with a small group of Salousi from another tank. How do you think that would work? Would a male Salousi have problems with Hara or Mbamba males. My guess is the Mbamba males are too similar and may not work.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Has the male zebra killed any females? You'll want more females than 2. Which sucks, I know. Finding sexed female mbuna can be difficult sometimes.

I think Saulosi are too similar to your Lab Mbamba. But it could work. Or just add female Saulosi. If they carry, don't save the fry.


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

No, this male hasn't actually killed any but one is currently holding..and he just keeps after her. This male is gorgeous..a Red male from Dave's and he is really chilled out compared to the one I got rid of...still a nymphomaniac though! My thought was that if another one of the females dies..then I will just get rid of them altogether. They are beautiful though

I have 4 very small Salousi (tank born and raised) and a subdominant male I could move from the 29g. I wonder if the subdominant male would stay colored down yellow..like he does now if he were moved into this 55g? That would be interesting to watch. If it doesn't work out with the Red Zebra..I may try it.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Well you have the luxury of moving the male Saulosi back home if need be.

More female Zebras! Or just sell them off...


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