# My new 55g tank - What to put in?



## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Firstly hello I'm new to all of this so excuse any stupid questions. A friend of mine who keeps fish has got me into this new hobby.

Last weekend I managed to get my hands on a 190L Aqua one Royal 90 tank which I decided I would like to keep Malawi Cichlids in. The Question is what though? I have browsed these forums for days but still don't really know what to do.

I originally thought Mbuna as the guy that owned the tank before said he had 30 Mbuna in at some point, but after looking at this forum I am really temped with a Peacock / Hap tank. Bear in mind that even though its a 190L its a 3 foot bow front that's quite high so I don't know if that would effect the size and amount of peacocks I could put in???

Anyway here are some picks of my blank canvas

Filling


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## GaFishMan1181 (Dec 17, 2008)

a small group of male peacocks would work nicely in that tank. I dont have any recommendations as to specfic species but i do know people have done male peacocks in a tank that size. Your going to want to pick some of the smaller peacocks that are not aggressive. Also you need to pick some that do not look alot alike. I'm not sure the exact number but i would guesstimate 6-7.

another option would be a species only mbuna tank. you could do 15 demasoni or 3m12f saulosi.

btw your tank is looking awsome already!


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks, I spent ages messing with those rocks and was surprised how quickly the water cleared after adding with the fine substrate I have. I think I am erring on the side of Peacocks do the smaller ones look just as colourful as some of the larger aggressive ones?


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## davespeed3 (Mar 29, 2009)

Nice tank! simple but effective :wink: I'd go with the smaller male Peacocks, you can usually identify males at around 2'', avoid the hybrid ones as these are crossed with Mbuna and can be aggressive. Likewise I'd avoid the big open water Haps such as VC10's, Blue Dolphins, Malawi eye-biter, Livingstones Cichlid etc as many reach 8ins to well over a foot long.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Ok, sounds good, so I need to check if my local fish stop stoks sub adult peacocks so I can tell if there male is that correct? Also would I be able to mix with maybe 3 labs as it seems a cichlid tank needs them like a marine needs clowns  Or is this not a good idea?


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

No advice, but just wanted to say the tank looks gorgeous! Love the rock layout!


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

iplaywithemotions said:


> No advice, but just wanted to say the tank looks gorgeous! Love the rock layout!


Thanks, I spent I while looking for them at my local beach, the cooking them in the oven and a lot of scrubbing etc. I know people advise against it but you just cant get rocks like them in a fish shop.


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## davespeed3 (Mar 29, 2009)

By all means check out the local fish places but don't discount the online adds like aquarist-classifieds or even e-bay, I've got some really nice fish that way from hobbyists who actually care for their fish and can provide you with males. The lfs generally stock really small fry, I have a job identifying species let alone sex! but you get lucky sometimes. Another source is the actual importers, theres one in Bournemouth.


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

jdt199 said:


> Ok, sounds good, so I need to check if my local fish stop stoks sub adult peacocks so I can tell if there male is that correct? Also would I be able to mix with maybe 3 labs as it seems a cichlid tank needs them like a marine needs clowns  Or is this not a good idea?


Sure, Yellow labs get along fine with peacocks and I agree every tank need yellow labs


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## kodyboy (Dec 9, 2007)

I would do six labs and five or six male peacocks. That should work OK.


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## Deviate (Mar 23, 2009)

That's a really cool looking tank. It should look amazing with a nice group of peacocks.

What's the current lighting setup? Looks like you might want a little more towards the front, that way when the fish are near the glass, they're not in shadow. Typically an issue with bow fronts, but it looks like you can eliminate that.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Cheers all for the advice I think I am decided now to get 6 or so Male peacocks and a few labs. Now just have to pick some species.



> By all means check out the local fish places but don't discount the online adds like aquarist-classifieds or even e-bay


I had not even thought about getting them online. Do they tend to come in good condition after the journey? And also is the the consensus that I need to buy sub adults so I can be sure of sex to avoid faffing about waiting for them to grow enough and starting again if there female?


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

> What's the current lighting setup? Looks like you might want a little more towards the front, that way when the fish are near the glass, they're not in shadow. Typically an issue with bow fronts, but it looks like you can eliminate that.


The current lighting is just two 20W T8s I have moved the light further forward and you are right! Nice one.


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## padlock 08 (Jul 31, 2008)

its very easy to tell the males from females from 2" as the females are dull, the males are the complete opposite, feed them a krill/shrimp based diet

my stock would be (all males):
A. Jacobfriebergi 'Red Empress'
A. Baenschi
A. Korneliae
A. Nyassae
A. sp. Iwanda
6 Labidochromis Caeruleus

or a Ps. Saulosi colony, just 'cos i'm a Mbuna nut :lol:

Hope All Goes well and Your Tank is Fantastic =D> , Paul


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

padlock 08 said:


> my stock would be (all males):
> A. Jacobfriebergi 'Red Empress'
> A. Baenschi
> A. Korneliae
> ...


Thanks for the stocklist, just what I was after. I don't suppose anyone knows where I can get peacocks online in the UK? Its hard to find many in local shops? Also should I look at any of the Haps as well as peacocks?


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## GaFishMan1181 (Dec 17, 2008)

haps will get too big for your tank. stick with the peacocks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Since it appears to be a corner tank, it will not have the territory a rectangle with the same gallons will have. What is the length of the two back sides?

I think I'd stick with the 6 small, timid male peacocks another poster recommended.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

DJRansome said:


> Since it appears to be a corner tank, it will not have the territory a rectangle with the same gallons will have. What is the length of the two back sides?
> 
> I think I'd stick with the 6 small, timid male peacocks another poster recommended.


Its not a corner tank its a bow front. Its 3ft in length but very tall, and reasonably deep. That's where the volume is coming from.

It seems I should stick with peacocks and Labs only so I will concentrate on that


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## davespeed3 (Mar 29, 2009)

''Thanks for the stocklist, just what I was after. I don't suppose anyone knows where I can get peacocks online in the UK? Its hard to find many in local shops? Also should I look at any of the Haps as well as peacocks?''

Have a look on e-bay for aulonocara, there's a guy who breeds a few different varieties, he has excellent feedback and a good reputation


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

davespeed3 said:


> Have a look on e-bay for aulonocara, there's a guy who breeds a few different varieties, he has excellent feedback and a good reputation


I checked that out and they look good. He seems to sell in groups of 4? I always thought when stocking aulonocara you shouldn't add more that one of each type to reduce aggression. Also are breeders usually able to supply males rather than "unknown"? I guess it depends on the size but most I have seen are advertised at 5-6cm and I would have thought you could sex them at that size.


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## davespeed3 (Mar 29, 2009)

Yea thats the guy, in Bridlington. He also advertises on aquarist classifieds and has larger fish (so males can be identified) for sale and will mix and match.
You could try the Reptilarium in Bournemouth ( formerly Tropical Fish World) they have a large range of adult fish, that way you can see what you're getting...if you're buying take your own buckets/strong bags :wink: :roll:


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## JayUK (Jun 20, 2009)

Just read your post , try these all the fish they stock are A1 its my lfs www.wildwoods.co.uk .

Was in there a few days ago . lots of choice for peacocks hope that helps and v nice tank hope it goes well , jay


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

My tank is still cycling but I may have to re-think stocking. Someone told me that 3ft long may not be a big enough footprint for Aulonocara even though its 190L of volume. What are you views on stock small male peacocks?

Do you think I should rethink and go for a mbuna setup?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

With a 36" inch tank, regardless of gallons, I'd stock a single species of dwarf mbuna, or a trio of small, peaceful peacocks like baenschi.

I have a 36" rectangle, a 36" bowfront is unlikely to provide the same amount of fish territory since the sides may be less than 12" and the back may be smaller than 36".

(My Maleri are still juvies, I expect my trio to be unhappy in the 36" tank soon.)


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

OK I think I have now made my mind up to go for a Mbuna tank even though I would have loved an all male peacock tank, I'd be worring too much.

I'd rather not stock a single species as I'm new to the hobby and would like the freedom to choose a few different species if needed. So based on my tank pics what fish do you think I should stock? Yellow Labs are a given I think.

Also based on my tank pics how should I change my aquascaping for Mbuna? I want to keep the large rock in the middle and try to keep it quite natural if possible.


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## harveyb27 (Dec 15, 2008)

I think your on the right track with the rock work...

You will need more rocks IMO though. I would add more rocks and stack against the back. As the tank is "reasonably deep" having lots of rocks stacked high at the back and sloping towards the front would add a lot of depth. Keep the rockwork simple in respects to how you stack them so it looks more natural. A "rock pile" rather than "rock structures". The difference being you add the rocks randomly, though its a good idea to put the largest rocks at the back and bottom. Adding the odd large rock at the front will create depth.

In a 3 foot tank i would stick with dwarf mbuna...

You mentioned saulosi, which i think would look amazing in your tank.

I just found this site which sells your tank:http://www.onlineaquariumstore.com/acatalog/Aqua_One_The_royal_90_bow_front_aquarium.html

If its the same tank then the dimensions are: 90x42x70cm

Thats 16inches deep which is good for a 3 footer. A larger 4 or 5 foot tank would have depths of 20-24 inches. As there is not a significant increase in depth, the main factor is length. To be honest the height of the tank will not matter with mbuna.

I would make this a species tank or possibly add just two species. plus synos.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Yeah thats the tank. It's is pretty deep so I'll try finding more rocks. If I coose to get saulosi would I have an issue keeping them with labs as I heard that I may have issues with them interbreeding?


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## harveyb27 (Dec 15, 2008)

*** not kept them before, but if you have been advised by someone who says they may interbreed, then take it into consideration.

One trick you could perform is only have female labs. The yellow female saulosi will not breed with female labs because its impossible lol though the males will! If you ever see any of the labs holding then you know for sure that they are holding hybrids. Which leaves you with one safe option of flushing all fry they are holding before they reach a stage where they may be free swimming. If you do not want to do this then try some rusties (only reach about 4 inches) or maybe an albino mbuna.

The labs and saulosi females look too much alike so you may want to mention th point of having both species in the same tank.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

With a bowfront tank, the middle will have a larger depth measurement than the sides.

Is the 42cm/16" in the middle or at the sides?

It would be nice to have unlimited choice of species, but unfortunately the tank you chose is giving you the limits.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

The 16" is at the sides so its pretty deep.

I have finally decided on a stock list. Here it is. I have also found a mail order breeder to purchase them off so I will let you know how it goes. Here's my final stock list

12 Pseudotropheus Demasoni
5 Yellow Labs
3 Acei (yellow fin)

What do you reckon? Hopefully there will be enough Dem's to curb any aggression there.

ill post some picks of the latest set-up when I add the fish


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## JayUK (Jun 20, 2009)

with demasoni they can be quite aggressive , acei and labs Are fairly peaceful for mbuna , personally i'd go for saulosi or cyn afra haras nice colours and not so aggressive but ultimately the choice is yours . Hope it goes well .


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Due to the 36" length I would not have added the acei. But they will take about 8 months to mature if you bought young fish so you can decide later.


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## Stussi613 (May 8, 2009)

jdt199 said:


> Thanks for the stocklist, just what I was after. I don't suppose anyone knows where I can get peacocks online in the UK? Its hard to find many in local shops? Also should I look at any of the Haps as well as peacocks?


A quick search turned up a bunch of cichlids for sale on the sun website, one name in bournemouth keeps coming up, it may be the importer referenced by the earlier post from the user in southampton.

http://southampton.local.thesun.co.uk/s ... d_cichlid/

Good luck with your current stock list, I had the same thing in a 60G and as most of the frequent users here know...it went to **** on me pretty quickly. I would think you need more rock work than what you posted earlier, breaks in the line of site without a large of open space might help you the most.

For what it's worth, I'm going with a species tank of saulosi after the advice of many of the users on here with more experience than me, including DJRansome who was bang on with his ideas.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks for your help guys. I spotted the acei could get a little large but I hope to get a larger tank in future so hopefully they wont get too big too fast. the look like great fish and I hope they will give the tank some balance. I notice a few other forum members kept acei with dems so I hope it work out well. Ill keep you posted. Stussi613 you have me worried now, but then I know a couple of people who have my stock and seem to be doing OK, but there's no guarantees with this I guess.


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## JayUK (Jun 20, 2009)

Dont worry too much about the acei , *** kept several over the years and they very rarely grow above 4.5ins in aquarium's in my experience . I cant speak for everyone but have to say ill be keeping them again , they really are nice fish to keep .


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## Stussi613 (May 8, 2009)

jdt199 said:


> Stussi613 you have me worried now, but then I know a couple of people who have my stock and seem to be doing OK, but there's no guarantees with this I guess.


I sincerely believe that my problems were caused when my fish hit sexual maturity and the suspected daddy terrorized the tank to no end as a result. Since I removed him I haven't lost any further fish. My advice was more around your rock work as I had similar structure i.e. with big open spaces in the front, though not in a bowfront tank. A member of my local aquarium society who has years experience keeping demasoni looked at the setup without knowing any of my woe's and said he thought I might have trouble because there were too many "lines of sight". My rock work will be decidedly different next week when my 50lbs of lace rock comes into my LFS and I change the rock work completely, although I will be changing to a species only saulosi set up with 3 males and 9 females.

Don't be scared, but do consult with many of the experts on here to save yourself from losing money and fish...


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks for the reassurance. When I took those pics of the tank I had set it up for peacocks, but have since decided it's slightly too small for peacocks so decided to stock Mbuna. I have added more rocks since but could probably do with more. I checked out your posts, Stussi613, regarding the difficulties you had and noticed that although you had many rocks in your tank, not many of the caves were private caves (i.e. with a back to them). I don't know if this could have been an issue? I have packed some lava rock behind some of the caves I made to seal them off. I hope this will help things.

I could still do with more rock though. I'll try and add more over the next few weeks.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Well the day has finally arrived. My fish are here. Came on mail order from a great breeder in Lancashire.

If anyone is worried about mail order in the UK then deal with this guy and you will change your mind. The service was excellent and he was very helpful throughout the whole process. The fish came on time and very well packaged. And to top it all off they are top quality fish. Thanks Mal.

By the way heres where I got them from for reference.
http://www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail100_61294.php

Anyway here is some pic's of the arrival

Box of fish individually double bagged all looking healthy..... Phew








Floating To acclimitatise








Waiting to be released


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Ill post some proper pics shortly


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Here is my effort at some aquarium photography, with my new fish. There such quality fish. Great looking too and there only Juveniles.

Tank Shots


















Dems



























Acei and Dems


















Acei









Labs


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

Gorgeous! Nice selection of fish, the colors compliment each other so well!


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## Kaosone (Jun 29, 2009)




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## JayUK (Jun 20, 2009)

Nice looking set-up fish look great , dont want to criticise but think you need few more rocks but very nice , the acei will look fantastic when they mature but then im bias cos i love them :fish:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Agree it looks great, very artistic and I love that big rock. But for mbuna, it needs more rocks and I shudder to say it, smaller ones. The larger the number of nooks and crannies, the better for mbuna. I guess you'll have to give that big rock to me, LOL!


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## JayUK (Jun 20, 2009)

LOL...DJ...i was going to make that request myself , beat me to it !! , its not to everyone's taste but i find natural slate placed virtically.....as opposed to horizontal.....then laid against smaller rocks works brilliantly to stack, and is very effective at building depth , also extremely stable too , and dont look too bad either . Anyway its an idea could be worth a try .


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I really don't like slate in general unless it is in thick chunks. But the julies like it horizontal...they like the underside of a big flat rock to lay their eggs. I have achieved this in my tank with rocks other than slate...but just to convey the concept, think slate.


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## jdt199 (Jun 17, 2009)

Yeah I am on the lookout for more rocks and will gradually add some. The fish are doing really well at the moment and getting on fine, but I guess it's when they reach sexual maturity that the fireworks begin!

They have been feeding well on the Spirulina flake I got of the guy who sold me the fish. II have to say, I really like the Acei. The shoal really well together, which is strange because I thought it would be the Labs which do that but it seems they do their own thing while the Acei are always knockin' about together.


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## JayUK (Jun 20, 2009)

Glad they seem to be getting along ok at the moment , but yep afraid in typical mbuna fashion as they grow so do their personalitys and ego's , so you will have a few "hair pulling days" hence the importance of more hiding places to escape . 
Acei shoal in their hundreds and are 1 of the few mbuna that do well together with the occasional squabble but in general its never serious , the labs rarely shoal and like mine will spread out here there and everywhere but that makes for a nice spread of colour . As for the dems its 1 species *** never kept so cant comment . 
At the moment *** 3 rustys which are supposed to be the most peaceful of mbuna but the large male terrorises everything and digs , when apparently they dont dig , goes to show each fish is totally diffrent so you never know what to expect .


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