# How's my stock list?



## Guest (Mar 23, 2008)

How's my stock list? They're in a 265g tank. Personally I think it would work out fine but if any of you see any possible future issues let me know.

All fish are males unless I say otherwise
Protomelas sp. 'Steveni Taiwan' Taiwanee Reef
Protomelas spilonotus Mara Rocks x 2
Protomelas sp. 'Spilonotus Tanzania' Liuli
Otopharynx lithobates Zimbawe Rocks
Mchenga conophoros Otter Point x 2
Lethrinops sp. 'Green Chest(/Face)' Manda x 1 male x 1 female
Aulonocara stuartgranti Ungi
Aulonocara stuartgranti Maulana
Aulonocara stuartgranti Ngara
Aulonocara baenschi Benga
Dimidiochromis compressiceps
Neolamprologus sexfasciatus 'Gold' unsexed
Protomelas steveni Mlowe Tiger female
and a Albino Bushy Nose Pleco male

Fish currently housed but will be taken out soon:
Aulonocara stuartgranti Cobue
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "Swallowtail Jake"

Future Fish:
Protomelas steveni Mlowe Tiger (more males and females)
Tyrannochromis nigriventer (one male, maybe a female or two...currently they are growing out in a 29g)
Exochochromis anagenys (just one male)
Lichnochromis acuticeps (few males, few females...)

I think given the size of the tank (265g) and the 7ft-L by 2ft-W by 2.5ft (30")-T dimensions it will work out fine... I'd figure I'd see what you guys think though so I can make any changes, etc.

~Ed


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## Guest (Mar 24, 2008)

Anyone?


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Mchenga conophoros?... do you mean _Copadichromis conophoros_?

A lot of males and not enough females is the primary problem I see.

You seem to be sitting on the fence of an all male tank. Unfortunately, you have to commit to one, or the females you add will not last.

If you were going with breeding groups, I wouldn't keep so many species. Even though it is a large tank, there's likely to be hybridization issues with many of the species. If you decide to keep _Tyrannochromis nigriventer_, three females would be the minimum I would suggest.

It's a fantastic tank, I'd eliminate any and all females to increase the odds of success, or go with about 6 to 8 species and add breeding groups. Keep the species as different in appearance as possible and you'll likely be fine.


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2008)

Copadichromis conophoros was the former name for Mchenga conophoros. It's in Ad's new book, and I think he made that new genus back in 2006. But yeah I did mean that. Cool fish by the way.

I am willing to make changes, but why would (if I decide to only keep one) a T. nigriventer need 3 females. Currently they're only 1.5" so I'm not immediately worried about them.

If any do hybridize I'd be prepared to strip the fry and then feed them to the fish or my calvus'.

Which ones do you think might cause problems though? The Protomelas sp. fish?

~Ed


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Marduk said:


> Copadichromis conophoros was the former name for Mchenga conophoros. It's in Ad's new book, and I think he made that new genus back in 2006.


I need to get that new book. 

_T. nigriventer_ can be pretty aggressive to their females, a trio of females will help keep the male from being a bully.

Certainly hybridization issues are possible between Protomelas species but the other problem is housing males of any species without females, but keeping some females of other species. The males without females will likely try to spawn with whichever females are available. This would leave the 6 or 8 females you do have, to fight off the advances of the 18 or so males.


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2008)

Currently I was considering of eventually getting two female sulphurheads eventually, or taking the lesser dominant male out.

I'm only likely getting the Lichnochromis group going first since it seems more likely I'll be seeing them available sooner than the Protomelas steveni Mlowe which I haven't seen available since November...

Overall what do you think of the list? And would you consider understocked, well stocked or overstocked in that size tank? (I've never stocked a tank close to this size so I'm not sure how many exactly I can fit in)

~Ed


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2008)

Oh, and I was considering after all the species were all established to add a Sciaenochromis fryeri Maleri Island.


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

I think the stock list is fine if there are no females in there. I also think it would be fine with fewer species kept in groups.

As it is now, with a few females of varying species here and there, I think you're going to have problems down the line.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2008)

What would be a good synodontis species to have in the tank? I was thinking one or two Synodontis decorus, but now I'm thinking of Synodontis njassae/nyassae or decorus, or both, or a completely different species.

What do you think would be a good species to have? And I don't want any parasitic brooders...or rather no Tanganyikan cats (lucipinnis, petricola, multipunctatus, etc)

Let me know what you think.

~Ed


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Only _Syno. multipunctatus_ are parasitic brooders. The jury is still out on _Syno. lucipinnis_ but it's believed they aren't. _Syno. petricola_ would be a great choice although with their small size, they may get lost in a tank so large. If you can find a trio of _Syno. decorus_, they'd look pretty spectacular at full size in there.

You may also like _Synodontis angelicus_; a beautiful cat and almost 10 inches full grown.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2008)

Out of curiosity, you have seen my tank pictures right Joea?

And how big to decorus get max? I've heard many different max lengths from 7" max length to other sources saying 14" max length...


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Marduk said:


> Out of curiosity, you have seen my tank pictures right Joea?


Don't think so.

I've never kept _Syno. decorus_ but most of what I've read say around 10 inches.

The thing with some cats in captivity, is that they can live a tremendously long time (a friend has a _Syno. multipunctatus_ that is well into its 20's!), so their size is often based on adults that may still have a bit of growing to do. I don't think fish ever stop growing, the growth rate just slows as they age so that it's practically immeasurable.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2008)

Joea said:


> Marduk said:
> 
> 
> > Out of curiosity, you have seen my tank pictures right Joea?
> ...


I guess that's true about the growth. My LFS in their cichlid display tank have a pitiful looking very old Protomelas spinolotus Mara Rocks in the tank, and it's well over a foot...probably 13-14".

Here's a link to my post with the most recent tank pictures:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... 26#1132226

~Ed

Edit:
Oh, and here's my only good shot of one of my male F1 Mchenga conophoros Otter Point:


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## aaxxeell (Jul 28, 2007)

whoa a Tyrannochromis nigriventer...
those get big and nasty, wouldnt it be better to keep fish of similar size?
if you wanna cool blue predator fish get a S.fryeri


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2008)

aaxxeell said:


> whoa a Tyrannochromis nigriventer...
> those get big and nasty, wouldnt it be better to keep fish of similar size?
> if you wanna cool blue predator fish get a S.fryeri


All my fish are going to get close to that size.

From my understanding T. nigriventer is actually pretty laid back, they don't really bother anybody if they can't fit them in their mouths. Plus I'm raising mine on pellet food, so hopefully that way they will never have eaten a fish and hopefully won't too. By the time my fry get full size all of my current fish will be adults.

And I actually do want to get a S. fryeri eventually. Not yet though, because I'd rather have it last since they tend to be psychos when they're juveniles.

Thanks for your concern though. That's why I didn't get any of the wildcaught T. nigriventers that were available, because I feared that they have been eating fish in the wild and I did not want them (with their history of being piscivores in the wild) in the tank at their already adult size.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2008)

Update:
Dave recently got more Mchenga conophoros in stock, and I'm going to order two females from him for my two males.

Also, I'm going to be getting an Adult male Exochochromis anagenys later this week..

And a small 2-3" and a 5" Synodontis decorus.

And Joea, I agree and disagree with what you said about the interbreeding issues. On the one hand, I agree that by limiting the tank to only a couple breeding groups would be best, but on the other the size of the tank in my opinion should limit it, and the peacocks I have I doubt would even try to breed with any of the way larger haps without getting beat up by the male haps when they try...

I am however thinking of taking some of the peacocks out... Particularly the stuartgranti ones. I may just keep one A. koningsi or A. stuartgranti Ungi, one A. ngara, and one A. baenschi...making it only a max of three peacocks in the tank.

Let me know what your think.

Oh, and did you see my tank shows? If so what do you think of it?

~Ed


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## aaxxeell (Jul 28, 2007)

ok cool, sounds like you got it sorted then :thumb: 
just keep an eye on your smaller fish just in case, even wussy frontosas have been know to eat 6inch fish... if something can fit in a predators mouth, they'll have a go...

post some pics when your done :wink:


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2008)

aaxxeell said:


> ok cool, sounds like you got it sorted then :thumb:
> just keep an eye on your smaller fish just in case, even wussy frontosas have been know to eat 6inch fish... if something can fit in a predators mouth, they'll have a go...
> 
> post some pics when your done :wink:


I agree about the frontosa part. The fish with the largest mouth in my tank would be the T. nigriventer, and according to Ad Konings they have been seen with at a max (so far recorded) 3" mbuna in their stomaches, and in captivity I have only heard of 4" fish getting partially eaten (as the story goes, the Tyrannochromis nigriventer couldn't fit all of it in its mouth, but after a couple hours of chewing it eventually ate it all).

I think my fish will end up fine and safe. By the time my T. nigriventers reach a large enough size to eat say 3" fish all of my current ones should be full grown adults by then.

~Ed


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## Guest (May 18, 2008)

What about this _planned_ stocklist?

b.g. = breeding group (at least 2 males and at least 2 females)

b.g. Tyrannochromis nigriventer
trio Aulonocara jacobfreibergi Hongi Island
trio Aulonocara stuartgranti Ngara
b.g. Mchenga conophoros Otter Point
b.g. Lichnochromis acuticeps
pair Exochochromis anagenys
pair (maybe) Protomelas spinolotus Mara Rocks
trio/b.g. Protomelas steveni Mlowe (ONLY if they get imported again)

Singles:
S. fryeri Marleri Island
(maybe) Buccochromis sp.
(maybe...may give him a female down the line) Fossorochromis rostratus
Otopharynx lithobates Zimbawe Rocks male
Dimidiochromis compressiceps half blind male

Others:
2-3 Synodontis decorus
2-5 Albino Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

Unsure:
Lethrinops sp. "Green Face/Chest" Manda pair...I may sell these two or move them to another tank...

What do you guys think?

~Ed


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## Guest (May 21, 2008)

Anyone?


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Avoid "pairs"; Malawi cichlids don't pair well and you may end up with a dead female. Keeping two males of any species is never a good idea and two male T. nigriventer is asking for trouble. It's also advisable to keep three or more female T. nigriventer with a single male as I pointed out earlier.

Don't let the size of the tank give you a false sense of security, these fish will behave how they behave despite the added room. They may have more areas to retreat to but they're instinctive nature won't change. Care should still be taken when considering groups and species, regardless of the size of tank. A dominant Peacock will gladly cross with a larger hap if the male hap is sub-dominant, I've seen many occasions where the unlikeliest of fish is the king of the tank. If your single males that you want to add remain in a subordinate position, you're probably correct in your assumption.

Adjust some of the group numbers and I think your choice of species is fine. :thumb:


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

Joea said:


> Avoid "pairs"; Malawi cichlids don't pair well and you may end up with a dead female. Keeping two males of any species is never a good idea and two male T. nigriventer is asking for trouble. It's also advisable to keep three or more female T. nigriventer with a single male as I pointed out earlier.
> 
> Don't let the size of the tank give you a false sense of security, these fish will behave how they behave despite the added room. They may have more areas to retreat to but they're instinctive nature won't change. Care should still be taken when considering groups and species, regardless of the size of tank. A dominant Peacock will gladly cross with a larger hap if the male hap is sub-dominant, I've seen many occasions where the unlikeliest of fish is the king of the tank. If your single males that you want to add remain in a subordinate position, you're probably correct in your assumption.
> 
> Adjust some of the group numbers and I think your choice of species is fine. :thumb:


I know that Malawis don't pair, but from what I've seen with my sulphurhead males they don't spar that much at all and pretty much leave each other alone, and I've heard of people keeping just one male and female together before without any problems. Besides, if any problems do occur, sulphurheads are typically readily available so I could always get more.

With the Exochochromis, from what I am thinking and what others it shouldn't be a problem but is nonetheless iffy. I really don't think that either the sulphurheads or the exochochromis will be so aggressive to the point of killing the females but I do agree that they may be a little aggressive towards them. I can't make all the fish happy of course though, so I'm going to try the two species with just a pair (not pair as in monogamous, which you already pointed out (and what I knew as well) that Malawi cichlids don't pair) and see what happens.

With the Tyrannochromis, I was told I could try it and it likely would work if I had enough females but that they probably would fight a lot. I'm not sure what I will do with them just yet. Originally I planned after all ten of mine hit a good size to put in the tank, to put them in and eventually pick out the males and females and try a ratio of maybe 2 males and 3-5 females for a couple months.

One thing I was concerned about though was the peacock females. Do you think I should add them to the tank, or would they probably end up being snacks for the Lichnochromis, Exochochromis, and Tyrannochromis?

~Ed


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Marduk said:


> One thing I was concerned about though was the peacock females. Do you think I should add them to the tank, or would they probably end up being snacks for the Lichnochromis, Exochochromis, and Tyrannochromis?
> 
> ~Ed


The Lichnochromis shouldn't be a threat, but the rule _"if it can fit in the fishes mouth..."_ always applies. A full grown peacock isn't likely to be eaten by the fish listed, but I wouldn't add any juveniles if you have full-grown, or close to full-grown predators.


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