# New 55 Gallon Mbuna Tank - Stocking Question



## tehSAC (Oct 25, 2015)

In the past I had a well established 55 gal mbuna tank. It was my first tank and actually produced some fry along the way. Due to circumstances I couldn't avoid, I had to sell my tank and my mbuna's. Thankfully I am now able to get back into the hobby and establish another well established healthy tank. My last tank I had 3 Red Zebras, 5 Yellow Labs, and 12 Pseudotropheus demasoni, plus a Bristlenose Pleco.

Because of limitations of where I can keep my new tank, I'm limited to 55 gallon or smaller. Of course I know the bigger the better that is why I plan on purchasing a 55 gal tank. I also know I want to keep as many fish as possible, so I will be going with 2 hang on the back filters, and a powerhead within the tank to move the water around. I thought about a canister filter, but I think I will stick with the hang on backs. For substrate I am planning on pool filter sand, and for aquascaping some Pukani or Texas Holey rock. Maybe go with some random boulders/rocks I can find around in my creek bed. I haven't fully decided on that. Providing plenty of hiding spots will be a must of course.

Now when it comes to stocking I'm up in the air. My 8 yr old daughter and wife wants color and movement, heck so do I. Here is what I am thinking:

3 - Red Zebra's
3 - Yellow Lab's
3 - Pseudotropheus sp. "acei"
1 - Cobalt Blue Zebra
1 - Pseudotropheus demasoni
1 - Melanochromis chipokae
1 - Cynotilapia afra
1- Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
1 - Pseudotropheus crabro
1 - P. steveni (Taiwan Reef)
1 - Bristlenose Pleco

Now i know i have a peacock in that list but I'm hoping with the amount of filtration, rocks and stocking the mbuna's will stay away from him.

So give me your thoughts please. Thanks and I'm excited to be back in the hobby again.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Protomelas steveni is a hap and he may be too big for a 55G. Mbuna like chipokae may be too aggressive for a hap to color up to his best.

For a one-of-each kind of tank the typical plan is all-male because those are colorful. Females in the tank (unless there are plenty for each male) can make males aggressive, damaging both themselves and the females.

Also ideally there are no look-alikes to minimize the chance look-alike males will compete.

I'd shoot for 10 individuals that mature <= 6" for all-male in a 55G. Don't count the pleco. Have you read the All Male article in the Cichlid-forum Library?

I have never found extra filtration or rocks to help manage aggression.

Crabro is likely too big/aggressive for a 55G under any circumstances.


----------



## tehSAC (Oct 25, 2015)

Okay let me re-do this then:

6 - Red Zebra's
3 - Yellow Lab's
1 - Pseudotropheus sp. "acei"
1 - Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
1 - Cynotilapia afra
1 - Cobalt Blue Zebra
1 - Pseudotropheus demasoni
1 - Bristlenose Pleco


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The six zebras and three yellow lab males are going to be look-alikes (and likely to fight or lose color).

Or if you are thinking of having 1m:5f and 1m:2f yellow labs and 5 additional males, I would expect the single males to fight over the females since there are not "plenty" for each male.

Read this to be forewarned about the challenges and how to prepare for an all-male tank:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/a ... malawi.php


----------



## tehSAC (Oct 25, 2015)

My wife really wants fry again and we had luck with our red zebras. If I went with 4 of those and a 10 other single fish what would you recommend?


----------



## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

IMO, if you want the Red zebras, and you want the fry to be from the Red zebras, I would not get the Yellow Labs and the Cobalt Blue. They would compete with the Red zebra for the females


----------



## tehSAC (Oct 25, 2015)

Would that be the case if I just had one of the Labs and one of the Cobalts?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

IMO any of the single males will spawn with the red zebra females. So not a good idea to save fry.

For saving fry I'd do:
1m:4f red zebra (Metriaclima estherae)
1m:4f Labidochromis hongi
1m:4f Pseudotropheus flavus (for the yellow barred look of the crabro)


----------



## tehSAC (Oct 25, 2015)

Honestly I don't care about fry. If it happens cool, if not I'm okay with it. Honestly I want something like this. I've loved this setup.






However id love to incorporate a demasoni in there somewhere. Just loved having those guys before.


----------



## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

tehSAC said:


> Would that be the case if I just had one of the Labs and one of the Cobalts?


If they were both males, then fine. My concern is with the females, not the "Possible Hybrid fry". With so few zebra females, the Yellow Lab, Red Zebra, and Cobalt Blue males will "hound" the females to death.

So either get all males, or enough females for all.


----------



## tehSAC (Oct 25, 2015)

Gotcha. Well I need to get my tank and setup before I can really get into stocking I guess.

Here is another question I have. Thinking last night about having 2 hang on back filters kinda gave me the willies. I want to provide optimal filtration for my tank so I started researching canisters. I think I'm leaning that way for filtration. Something like a fluval 306 or 406, plus a power head for more "flow" deeper in the tank. Thoughts?


----------



## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Well, tough question. IMO, canisters are the way to go. They are more efficent, but......I had a canister mishap 25 years ago, and it still haunts me to this day. One of my hoses popped off my canister one night and pumped 75 gals of water onto my dinning room floor. Destroyed the carpet, and warpped the floor. Cost me lots of money to repair, including bribes for my wife to let me continue with more fish tanks.

I now have hang-on-canisters. 3 Magnum 250s and a "Mighty-Max" hang-on wetdry. I am planning on getting 2 more Magnum 250s for my up-coming 75gal.

PS--I have not used the Fluvals.


----------



## tehSAC (Oct 25, 2015)

Overall I would like to keep 15-20 fish. We have been looking online and I wanted to get an opinion on this final list.

5 - Red Zebra's
3 - Yellow Lab's
3 - Rusty's
1 - Pseudotropheus sp. "acei"
5 - Pseudotropheus demasoni
1 - Blueberry OB Zebra


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Similar to feedback you have already received. I'd do 1m:4f zebras, labs and rusties. Don't save fry.


----------

