# how many in a 150 gallon?



## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

I set up two 150 gallon tanks at work today. How many fish should I put in each. I need the tanks to be bright and busy - so I will overstock.

Here are my thoughts - I think I will put a dozen demasoni in each, 6 yellow labs in each, 6 red zebra in each. I think I want to then add peacocks and haps to each tank - how many should I add? I know this a general question - but give me some ideas.

Thanks


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## bma57 (Sep 16, 2007)

You may want to rethink mixing labs and M. estherae (red zebra). I don't say that because I'm an expert... I say it because I have both myself and have been told repeatedly that it is a high crossbreeding risk. I haven't had any hybrids yet, but it seems to be the general consensus around here that they shouldn't be in the same tank.

I think you may also want to increase your demasoni numbers. Although I've never kept them myself, the common wisdom here seems to be that keeping them in groups of 16 to 20 keeps aggression in check better.

Congratulations. I wish my office would give me an assignment like that!


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

bma57 said:


> You may want to rethink mixing labs and M. estherae (red zebra). I don't say that because I'm an expert... I say it because I have both myself and have been told repeatedly that it is a high crossbreeding risk. I haven't had any hybrids yet, but it seems to be the general consensus around here that they shouldn't be in the same tank.
> 
> I think you may also want to increase your demasoni numbers. Although I've never kept them myself, the common wisdom here seems to be that keeping them in groups of 16 to 20 keeps aggression in check better.
> 
> Congratulations. I wish my office would give me an assignment like that!


Thanks for your thoughts. I don't care about cross breeding with these tanks. I may put the yellow labs in one tank and the red zebra in the other though. I may do a large group of demasoni. I have kept demasoni before - a dozen would be fine.

What about keeping some frontosa in one tank - will they do okay with the malawi and how many frontosa should be kept together?


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

> some frontosa in one tank - will they do okay


 An adult Frontosa is over a foot long and could chomp down Demasoni like popcorn at a long movie. Same thing with certain haps. Also Demasoni could possible terrorize the more docile peacocks which don't do well with more aggressive mbuna.

As far as ideas, I think it would be cool to have one tank with larger haps and then do the other with all different type of Mbuna, or maybe an all male malawi show tank.


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

I'm with xalow put the red zebras and demasoni (any compatable mbuna) in one tank and put the labs in with a combo of haps and peacocks in the other tank.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What are the footprints of these tanks? I wouldn't mix the mbuna and peacocks either. One mbuna tank, everything else in the other tank.


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## gaqua (Apr 11, 2008)

I would look at getting a large number of Acei. They swim in schools and use the top portion of the tank. At least 8 or so. They also get fairly big and are fairly docile, you can mix yellow labs and Acei with peacocks if you want usually.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

The tanks are 72" by 18". That sounds good. I will do a mbuna tank and the other tank I will do peacocks, haps and yellow labs.

Thanks for the input.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

My 125G has 72 x 18 footprint and I like my mbuna mix. Shoot for 20 Demasoni though. A school of six Synodontis Multipunctatus will add interest, action and control the fry for you.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

What stinks is I sold off all my yellow labs and demasoni about 2 weeks ago because I had no where to put them as I got ready to move.

I bought what I thought was a lot of fish tonight, split them up into the 2 tanks and they barely make a dent. I need a lot more.

Can I keep 2 male fryeri in a 150 together? I got one and he looks stunning - and am thinking of adding another.


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## danhoy (Feb 10, 2008)

If your who I think you are I have offspring of some of your fish emptyhead. I think my wife meet you and traded a ballast for some demasoni and yellows. If so give me a email and I'll tryy and help. I have over 50 dems and 30 yellows I'm planning to take to the auction. Would be more than glad to help.
[email protected]


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

danhoy said:


> If your who I think you are I have offspring of some of your fish emptyhead. I think my wife meet you and traded a ballast for some demasoni and yellows. If so give me a email and I'll tryy and help. I have over 50 dems and 30 yellows I'm planning to take to the auction. Would be more than glad to help.
> [email protected]


That would be great - I will send you an email. Glad to hear that the fish are doing well.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Here is the stocking so far. I really need to add more but just have not had enough time. Tank one is kind of becoming a mixed bag. I added some catfish that I thought would swim in all levels to make the tank more active. I think I need to buy some larger groups of something to have a schooling effect in these tanks.

Tank one - 
1 A. baenschi
2 unknown peacocks 
1 S. fryeri
12 yellow labs
2 acei
1 venestus
3 fronts
3 irredescent sharks
1 sturgeon
3 spotted pictus catfish

Tank two -
40 demasoni juvies
4 red zebra
25? different mbuna
10 giant danios


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## bac3492 (Jul 25, 2008)

i wouldnt have bothered with the danios. I dont see the point in dither fish when you have room for more Mbuna!

What are the different mbuna?

I would get more acei, id get rid of the irredescent sharks, sturgeon and pictus catfish and do a group of syno's in each tank. 1 genus in one tank and another genus in the other. With all that breeding between your mbuna i bet you will see some catfish babies here and there.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

bac3492 said:


> i wouldnt have bothered with the danios. I dont see the point in dither fish when you have room for more Mbuna!
> 
> What are the different mbuna?
> 
> I would get more acei, id get rid of the irredescent sharks, sturgeon and pictus catfish and do a group of syno's in each tank. 1 genus in one tank and another genus in the other. With all that breeding between your mbuna i bet you will see some catfish babies here and there.


The dither fish worked. The tank is 29" high and the danios are schooling at the top of the tank and are drawing the mbuna up from the bottom of the tank. I'm very pleased with the affect of the dithers and they were only $1.68 each.

I don't have the time or energy to figure out all the different mbuna - I just got anything that looked good from the local stores - a male kenyi, a female aruatus, 3 electric blue johanni, some blue cobalts?, a pearlmutt? - whatever - they are in there.

I would love to get more acei when I find them - they also are swimming at the top of the tank.

My experience with the synos is that they generally don't leave the bottom of the tank either, the pictus and irredescent sharks swim all over the tank. I will remove the sharks at some point though and I may add more pictus. The sturgeon is a really cool fish that I wanted to try out - it will not work long term - but for now it is a cool addition.

I love synos, but I'm not sure that I want any in these tanks - we'll see.

Thanks for your thoughts.


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Another question. The mbuna tank is doing well - the giant danios are working great to make the tank active, but in the other tank - almost all of the fish are staying near the bottom. I just added 7 more acei for a total of 9. When there were 2, they swam at the top, now all 9 are at the bottom. I will watch them - maybe this will change as they get more comfortable. So, my question is this - is there a fish I can put that will school near the top of the tank, as the giant danios are doing, that will do okay with the peacocks, acei, yellow labs? I think a school of 6 bala sharks would look cool. Any thoughts?


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Well - I removed all the catfish and the sturgeon died. So now I just have cichlids and the giant danios. I picked up 40 demasoni juvies and put them in the mbuna tank. I also put 20 yellow lab juvies in the peacock/hap tank. I also found a couple more peacocks.

These tanks are going to be very heavily stocked when all these fish are mature. The mbuna tank has 80-85 fish in it (including the 16 danios) and the other tank has 50-55 fish (including 12 danios).


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