# bad mix, advice needed



## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Tropheus Moliro
Kribensis Cichlid
red fined borleyhi
red zebra
bumble bee
acei
jewel 
auratus

The Moliro is extremely aggressive, but he is to small to hurt anything right now. Recommendations, my others seem to get along somewhat.

By the way I'm new to africans but love the look for fresh water, so don't worry about offending I need to learn.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

I have a plecostomus that is probably still returnable. Is there pretty much no chance that it will survive an african tank?


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Tank dimensions?


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

48" long 12.5" deep 24" tall

It looks huge until that you see its only 12.5" deep.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

By the way so far the cichlids all chase each other around but they seam confused by the pleco and leave it alone.


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## AlmightyJoshaeus (May 2, 2013)

Return the tropheus promptly...they will cause all sorts of problems if not kept in 12+ groups minimum.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Pretty much figured that, to bad they are really cool looking


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Tropheus Moliro likes a larger species tank
Kribensis Cichlid ok
red fined borleyhi too big
red zebra ok
bumble bee too big and aggressive
acei too big
jewel ok
auratustoo aggressive

The three that are OK in a 55G may not be OK together. Are you trying for an all-male tank?


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

I'm trying for a no unauthorized breeding tank.  I didn't want any mates pairing off.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Yeah my kribensis is a tank cleaner he eats all the slop the other fish give off when they feed on pellets.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

So far my bumble bee is a player, he only shows aggression when challenged. Is this normal bumble bee behavior? He is kinda my buddy, I cant get rid of him until he is a problem.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Does anyone give fish back to the store once the get "to big"


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It's not so much "when they get too big" because once they start breeding at around 3" they will be too aggressive. If he is your buddy now you are going to be OK giving him back later when you are even more attached?

If the bumblebee has to stay no matter what I'd do 1m:7f in the tank and nothing else and see what happens.

If you want mixed gender mbuna, think in terms of 3 species with 1m:4f of each (bumblebee, auratus and acei excluded).


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Good advice so far. It's sad, but starting over is probably a best bet. Reseaarch, decide what you really want, and stock accordingly. So many people play the :wait and see" game, and then leave the hobby because of dead/sick fish from all the aggression.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Tropheus Moliro - remove
Kribensis Cichlid
red fined borleyhi
red zebra
bumble bee - remove when a problem
acei
jewel 
auratus - remove

add

1m/2-3female yellow labs? They sound to be about the best behaved africans


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

So far the moliro and auratus are the only problem. I'm going to maybe base my tank around the yellow labs and another appropriate species and remove everything else as they become a problem. Does this sound good? What are the best species to mix with yellow labs, it would be nice to have something with a deep blue like the acei's and maybe less aggressive like the labs.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you add yellow lab females and keep the males until they become a problem, I'd get enough yellow lab females for each male and don't save fry. So 1m:4f yellow labs plus 4f yellow labs for the acei and 4f yellow labs for the red zebra, etc. You can see the problem.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

yeah, i see what you are saying. Most of my fish are to small to be sexed at this point, my bumble bee has the spots on his anal fin so I'm pretty sure he is a male.  ACEI and red zebra no idea yet. I found out that I live next to a really large African fish farm, what are the odds of that , anyways they seem to be exceptionally knowledgeable and take fish back from customers. Hello fish farm goodbye petsmart.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Oh, I'm pretty sure my red fined borleyhi is a male since he looked great at the LFS and then has shown absolutely no colors in my tank. When I put the female yellow labs in the tank all of a sudden he is crazy with color.

Next move is probably to remove the bumble bee since the borleyhi is much cooler looking and I already have enough yellow.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

I really need to find a new home for my removals or I think I'm going to have a bloodbath. So far in my utility tank.

moliro
auratus
and two breading pairs of convicts

I'm pretty sure nobody will take convicts, but the moliro is probably wanted.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Actually I kind of dig my moliro. Is it possible to have maybe two moliro's in a 20G?


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Well so far the removal of the bad actors has been a boon to my tank, everybody seems to be getting along and there is much more "open swimming" in my tank. There use to be a major battle over my pleco food and now they all seem to be able to eat off the same algea wafer without fighting. who knew


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

I think I might need to buy some more Kribensis Cichlid's lots of character, zero attitude, they are pretty dang cool.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Number one recommendation to new aquarium hobbyists don't buy auratus.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Two things to know/research at this point. Egg spots are not helpful in determining gender. I'm not sure how kribs will do with Malawi longer term so you might want to post a question on that in the Victorian forum.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

So far the krib just does his own thing and nobody bugs him, right now my tank has achieved piece on earth.  I think just remove problem fish.


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