# Stocking a new 200L tank



## cumbrianewbie

Hi there,

I'm new to the site and looking for some advice.

I have just setup a new 200 Litre, 1 metre long tank. It has crushed coral substrate and slate pieces as the decoration, which have been arranged to create a few small caves. I have put an Ecco Pro 300 canister filter on there, which should be more than adequate for the tank. At the moment, the only inhabitants are two small bristlenose catfish that are helping it to cycle fully.

What I really need is some stocking advice.

I have spent weeks researching different species and looking at compatibility. To be perfectly honest, I am more confused now than I was before I started :-?

What I really want is a group of African Cichlids, with a nice range of colours. Ideally, I want small groups that are blue, yellow, red and purple ish. Maybe three groups of four fish, or four groups of three.

I like the look of the following:

Pseudotropheus Acei
Aulonacara Firefish
Pseudotropheus elongatus mpanga
Melanochromis Johannii
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Melanochromis Maingano
Aulonacara Hansbaenschi
Pseudotropheus Salousi
Pseudotropheus Williamsi blue lip
Red head severum

I realise that if I get Pseudotropheus Salousi to start with, that covers both the yellow and blue colours.

My favourites are probably the Johannii and Maingano, but some things I've read have suggested they are difficult to find tank mates for. Should I just get three or four types of Pseudotropheus, as I suppose they could co-exist easily ?

Wow, I'm really confused again now !!

Any advice will be gratefully received thanks :thumb:


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## Deeda

What are the exact dimensions of your tank, that is length x width x height?


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## cumbrianewbie

Hi, it's approx 1030 x 470 x 620


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## cumbrianewbie

Don't worry, I read all the advice saying you should buy a longer, rather than taller tank if you wanted to keep Cichlids !


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## DJRansome

If this is a 39" tank I would keep one species of dwarf mbuna in the tank. Or maybe a peaceful peacock, but not the firefish.


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## Michael_M

A group of Pseudotropheus Salousi would be very striking and covers both blue and yellow like you mentioned. Alot of the others you listed get too big and/or aggressive for the tank size unfortunately.

If you had to have a little more variety I'd recommend Salousi + iodotropheus sprengerae. Which gives you blue/black, yellow and orange/purple. Neither get very big and are fairly docile by mbuna standards.


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## cumbrianewbie

Thanks for that. I've just really picked a list of fish I liked the look of while researching possible stock, but have no real idea about compatibility etc.

I've had a look at the iodotropheus mentioned on the profile section. Not sure i would have picked it myself as I couldn't work out what colour it was - looks different in every pic !

I will see if there is anywhere local that stock them.


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## Michael_M

They are a quite striking fish, though there are alot of poor images of them on the internet. The males are orange/lavender and when in breeding dress go a brighter orange/lighter lavender. The females tend to look quite bland online, but have not found this to be the case with my own. My girls are a distinct orange/purple the only difference being the orange is less bold and the purple has a bit more brown in it. The girls were a little bit more drab when they were smaller but grew to be quite nice in their own right.


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## cumbrianewbie

Thanks Michael, I think you have done a decent job of selling them to me now.

If I do find somewhere that stocks them I will go ahead and buy some. Put them in with some Saulosi. Any advice as to numbers and ratios ?

I was thinking a dozen fish would be about right for a 200L tank. Half a dozen of each ? Max two males per species ?


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## Deeda

cumbrianewbie said:


> Hi, it's approx 1030 x 470 x 620


I'm assuming these measurements are in millimeters and not centimeters, correct?


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## cumbrianewbie

Oh yeah, otherwise I would need a new house for a tank that big !!


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## DJRansome

It's a small tank...usually we suggest 48" minimum for mbuna. If you want to try two species, I would not do more than 1m:4f of each.


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## cumbrianewbie

Yeah, I was always looking at the smaller species anyway for this tank.

I am looking at 10 - 12 fish as a maximum. I certainly don't see the filtration being a problem with that big 300L Eheim canister attached.

The only problem I can forsee is trying to only get the one male per species, when they can be almost impossible to sex as juveniles. It might well be a case of pot luck then maybe trading some later on if needed :thumb:


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## DJRansome

A common practice is to buy 2X as many as you need in females and then rehome extra males as they mature.


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