# Coverting 150 Tang tank to 150 Malawi,



## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

I've had a 150 Frontosa and Calvus tank for the last 2 years and let's just say Fronts weren't for me. They were big and beautiful but boring. The Alto's were great but kept close to shells and females always.

This time I looking for more active fish. I've had mbuna before and always loved them. This time I'm thinking maybe peacocks, haps , mbuna etc...Not looking for Tang's just Malawi.

My main thing is that it's my main show tank in living room so it needs to have lots of color and be active. Also there is little kids running around and they can't be skittish. I would like to have less aggressive species and more of a happy communal tank. I keep thinking colorful peacocks but I don't want it to be just peacocks.

Any ideas or opinions would be great, I'm having trouble getting started this time.

HELP?


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## scooter31707 (Aug 24, 2012)

Well you have plenty of options with a good size tank like yours. I don't recommend mixing mbuna with peacocks/haps, but people do it and have no trouble at all, it's all about what you want. I started out with a 125 gallon and could not decide which africans I wanted, mbuna or peacocks/haps. I decided to go with an all male peacocks/haps tank and I love the colors but I wanted mbuna also. So I decided to get another 125 and now I have both. what I am saying is do what you like and it's going to be trail and error. You might like the colors of an all male tank or you might like the breeding behaviors and fast swimming through the rocks of the mbuna. I know your pain. Good luck!!


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

I think I will primarily focus on creating a Peacock Tank. Do I really need to watch for what type of peacocks I mix? Is it only the males that color up with peacocks? I've always liked the red empress, ruby red, sunshine peacocks etc... Is there some rules I should be aware of when mixing peacocks?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The males are the most colorful and if you decide on a male only tank, the general rule is to not buy fish that are similarly colored.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Breeding groups of mbuna will give far more activity than male haps and peacocks. I think you could keep 5 species, and yellow labs/acei would be good choices for two of them.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

brinkles said:


> Breeding groups of mbuna will give far more activity than male haps and peacocks. I think you could keep 5 species, and yellow labs/acei would be good choices for two of them.


I started out with labs and similar species back in a day. Kind of looking for something more impressive or uncommon.


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## scooter31707 (Aug 24, 2012)

Peacocks/Haps are the most colorful but only the males and you cannot mix similar color fish. Agreed with Brinkles that mbuna are way more active. Honestly I look at my mbuna more than my all male tank and they are about 5 feet from each other. There are plenty impressive mbunas out there. The only problem I kind of ran into was trying to find 25-30 peacocks/haps that did not look alike and that was a difficult task, plus what works for one might not for the other. It took me about 4-5 months and alot of money swapping out fish due to bullying or getting picked on.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

That's what I'm worried about most. I don't want to be swapping fish and dealing with aggression issues this time. I would rather have a plan. Might rethink mbunq again, peacocks or so bright and colorful though


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## johnnymarko (May 30, 2014)

I'm (almost) done with the perfect mix in my peacock/hap tank...started all with all juvies and I've actually liked the swapping out of aggressive, female, or non-colorful fish and finding that perfect balance.
Of course, I'm lucky to have a good relationship with the LFS owner who lets me bring back fish that aren't working for a small discount. It's made it a lot easier.

I do have a few mbuna in there...it all depends on the fish if it will work or not. I've had some that didn't but even more that do get along with my peacocks and haps...it's been all about trial and error.


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## scooter31707 (Aug 24, 2012)

honestly IMO, I love the mbunas they have personality and their behaviors are very nice to watch, you can get the male and females on some species the same color which makes a beautiful tank. I want you to look at this potential mbuna stocklist and research the fish and see what you think about having color in your tank.

Msobo- 1m/6f
White Labs- 1m/5-6f
White Top Hara- 1m/5-6f
Williamsi North Blue Lips- 1m/6f
Elongatus Chailosi- 1m/5-6f


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

Deeda said:


> The males are the most colorful and if you decide on a male only tank, the general rule is to not buy fish that are similarly colored.


SO I ended up going all male peacocks. I was able to get off to a good start and was able to get all F1's. Here is what I have so far. Hopefully I can get at least double the amount

Aulonocara baenschi 
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi"Eureka"
Electric blue fryeri
Aulonocara sp. Strawberry
Aulonocara hansbaenschi, Red Shoulder
Haplochromis nyerei
Protomelas taeniolatus (Red Empress)
Aulonocara Maylandi (sulfur head)
OB Peacock
Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan( Taiwan Reef)" 
Copadichromis borleyi (Green)
Aulonocara sp. (Dragon Blood)
Aulonocara sp.(Firefish orange)


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## johnnymarko (May 30, 2014)

PICS! PICS!


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

All F1s? 5 of these are not even natural fish. A few of those others are endangered or hard to get imported.

What is a Green Borleyi like?


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

You mean the OB's? Yes I know they aren't. Yes I know they are hard to get but I met a big peacock breeder in montreal. Gotl lucky.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

sorry from phone


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

lucky777*** said:


> lucky777*** said:
> 
> 
> > You mean the OB's, sp.'s? I knew some of them weren't. Yes I know they are hard to get but I met a big peacock breeder in Montreal. Got lucky. Which ones are endangered? I had no idea.


quote]


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

You mean the OB's, sp.'s? I knew some of them weren't. Yes I know they are hard to get but I met a big peacock breeder in montreal. Got lucky. Which ones are endangered?I had no idea.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

Made mistake, here is the actual list. Anyone know the real name for a "cherry top"? That's all the breeder wrote down.

Aulonocara baenschi 
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi"Eureka" orange
Electric blue fryeri
Aulonocara sp. Strawberry
Aulonocara hansbaenschi, Red Shoulder
Haplochromis nyerei
Protomelas taeniolatus (Red Empress)
Aulonocara Maylandi (sulfur head)
OB Peacock
Protomelas sp. ( Taiwan Reef) 
Copadichromis borleyi (Green)
Aulonocara sp. (Dragon Blood)
Aulonocara sp.(Firefish orange)
Cherry Top
Sunshine Peacock


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

"Cherry Top"... is this a hybrid "Peacock" or a Hap?

Sounds like a name the guy made up. No actual hits on Google at all.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

noki said:


> "Cherry Top"... is this a hybrid "Peacock" or a Hap?
> 
> Sounds like a name the guy made up. No actual hits on Google at all.


That's what I was asking above, can't find it anywhere. The breeder was a she actually. 48 tanks of Peacocks and haps.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

johnnymarko said:


> PICS! PICS!


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Well, you do have fish that have colored up quite a bit... on the other hand it is kinda disturbing that the breeder seems to make up names. What did she say was F1?

Don't see a real Aulonocara Maylandi (sulfur head)... seems closer to Protomelas spilonatus, but is probably a hybrid. They have a hybrid called "Apache" they sell.
The yellow bodied one with the blue head is a Aulonocara X Hap hybrid. Maybe he is supposed to be the Green Borleyi?
There is a similar Hap to the Sulfur head one that is bluer with the same markings... not sure what he is supposed to be but looks like a hybrid.
The "Nyerei" ... a Victorian hap, looks more like a regular Obliquidens/ sp. 44/thickskin ... a more common fish with confusing names.

There are two male yellow peacocks, so I assume they are called the Baenschi and Sunshine.
There is a Jacobfreibergi Eureka
Is that the Red Shoulder Peacocks behind the rocks, lots of blue? Couldn't tell if he was a pure Red Shoulder but he was colorful.
There is a little Fryeri, light blue.
I see the Red Empress and Taiwan Protomelas


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

noki said:


> Well, you do have fish that have colored up quite a bit... on the other hand it is kinda disturbing that the breeder seems to make up names. What did she say was F1?
> 
> Don't see a real Aulonocara Maylandi (sulfur head)... seems closer to Protomelas spilonatus, but is probably a hybrid. They have a hybrid called "Apache" they sell.
> The yellow bodied one with the blue head is a Aulonocara X Hap hybrid. Maybe he is supposed to be the Green Borleyi?
> ...


Your right that it does look more like Protomelas spilonatus. The one with the blue head is actually more green in person and is supposed to be Borleyi. I'm also pretty sure the little hap is a Nyerei since it's much more red on top and not on the belly at all like pics I found on google. The one behind the rocks is the blue regal.

At this point I'm not sure what is supposed to be F1's. I don't know about the nicknames but she was extremely French and there was some trouble with communication. All I had was a sheet with hand written names and the prices I paid. This is my first time keeping peacocks and haps, to tell you the truth I'm having trouble identifying which ones are which. If you can identify and tell me what time in video that would be great.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

People keeping saying they are hybrid's and I know some are, but aren't the borleyi and others with better colors not Line Bred instead of hybrid?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

There is no Borleyi in the video. There is no such name as a Green Borleyi, it is just made up.

I'll try to ID some from video

at :09 there is an orange "peacock" hybrid, the common names don't mean a whole lot so I don't know what she called him, also the Sulfur Head hybrid (not A. maylandi), and the blue headed hybrid (this is no way a Borleyi green or not)

at :15 the Taiwan Reef, not a great example

at :27 is some bluish Hap, could be hybrid, have no idea which fish that would be on the list

at :35 the Red Empress, not sure if pure F1, but seems like a colorful fish

at :52 Eureka, a line bred fish

at 2:35 Fryeri

the smaller yellowish one with the reddish on tail is the Victorian. Victorians are hard to know for sure, since so many of the fish in the hobby are questionably ID in the first place and fish get mixed. They are rarely imported at all unfortunately, because of political and environmental situations.

the "peacock" hybrids are hard to ID since the names are so vague, and used with no consistency.

you also have a Tanganyikan Julidochromis Marlieri type hiding in the rocks.


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

noki said:


> There is no Borleyi in the video. There is no such name as a Green Borleyi, it is just made up.
> 
> I'll try to ID some from video
> 
> ...


Thanks for the help :thumb: Could it not just be a yellow Borleyi that looks slightly green?

I wondered if anyone would notice the Juli, my wife loved him so much that when I shut down my Tang she made promise to keep him. Happy wife happy  life


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

Picked up new fish this week again, straight from Germany. Pics coming soon. Best quality I've seen in person ever.

- Orange peacock
- Venustus
- Blue neon stuartgranti
- Eureka red red
- Red red peacock
- Dragon blood albinos
- Molimo big lips
- Maylandia Apache
- Red shoulder (hasbenschi)
- Borleyi red fins
- Compressiceps (Malawi Biter)


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)

Here is a much more accurate list

Aulonocara baenschi 
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi"Eureka" orange
Sciaenochromis fryeri (Electric Blue)
Aulonocara sp. Strawberry
Aulonocara sp. Orange
Aulonocara stuartgranti (Red Shoulder)
Haplochromis Nyerei
Protomelas taeniolatus (Red Empress)
Protomelas spilonatus (sulfur head)
Protomelas sp. ( Taiwan Reef) 
Copadichromis sp. tanzania yellow fins
Aulonocara sp. (Dragon Blood)
Aulonocara sp.(Firefish)
Sunshine Peacock
Orange peacock
Nimbochromis venustus
Blue neon stuartgranti
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi"Eureka" Double red
Aulonocara (Rubescens) Double Red
Dragon blood albinos
Placidochromis milomo (big lips)
Aulonocara Maylandi Apache
Aulonocara stuartgranti (Red Shoulder) Habenschi
Copadichromis borleyi (Kadango)Red fin


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## lucky777*** (Dec 5, 2005)




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