# Setting up a 6ft 125 as an All Male Malawi



## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Hey All,

I'll have some pictures of the setup, tank, etc soon. I lost my camera battery charger, so I'm having a hard time getting the pictures off of it. 

In the meantime, however, I'd like to get some feedback on my stock list. This is the best group of experts around, so it would be good to know sooner rather than later if I'm making any major mistakes. I'm aiming for a mostly Peacock / Hap tank, but I do have a few mbuna.

I currently have one male of each species:

- Hap Insignis
- Protomelas Taiwan Reef
- Fryeri (Hap Ahli)
- Copadichromis Azureus
- Mdoka Peacock (sim. to Ngara)
- Ruby Red Peacock 
- Sunshine Peacock (Baenschi I believe)
- Flavescent Peacock
- Jacobfriebergi Peacock (Sold as an Orange Jacob)
- Yellow Lab
- Rusty Cichlid

I also have 3 BN plecos and two yoyo loaches.

What do you all think? Is this a good combination? Should I add more to the list, take anything out? What do you all think?


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Almost forgot to mention, but I also got a small Astatotilapia Calliptera from my LFS for free (buy two get one free deal, and they were out of peacocks). What I can find online about them is that they are horribly aggressive to one another, but I can't find any info on how aggressive they might be with peacocks. If you think he'll be too much in here, then let me know and I can always trade him out the next time they get another order of something interesting in.


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

> What do you all think? Is this a good combination? Should I add more to the list, take anything out? What do you all think?


I think you can have more in a 6ft tank.

Some of the more peaceful haps would be fine with your peacocks: Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania", Placidochromis electra, Tramitichromis sp. "Intermedius" (or a true Tramitichromis if you could find them), Otopharynx lithobates all come to mind as working well with what you have. I think the Fryeri will be more hyper than any of them.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Ahh, lithobates, I'm way ahead of you. I already got one of those as well. That's what I get for giving you the stock list from memory. 

So most of these fish end up being 6-7inch fish. What's a good rule of thumb for peacocks and haps? How many should I go with?

Is this too few? I do like the combination now, but I don't want to understock and have aggression problems.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

On another note Goofboy, what's the name of the hap you have in your signature? I remember seeing it in another thread. Absolutely stunning fish. Care to send one my way?


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

> On another note Goofboy, what's the name of the hap you have in your signature? I remember seeing it in another thread. Absolutely stunning fish. Care to send one my way?


You mean him?










Protomelas sp. "Spilonotus Tanzania" (Liuli), yeah - he would work too, good luck finding a single male though.

Guess I am the ultimate Liuli salesperson, I really don't know why more people don't have them.

I have switched up my 90 to all male a couple of weeks ago and he (@6.5in) is in there with some 2.5-3.0in Peacocks and is no problem at all.

I have 14 little Liuli guys growing out right now - ~1.25in . But alas, I don't ship.

Before you ask, in my all male I have:

Haps:
Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania" (6.5in)
Protomelas sp. "Spilonotus Tanzania" (Liuli) (6.0in)
Otopharynx lithobates (Z-Rock) (4.5in)
Tramitichromis sp. "Intermedius" (4.5in)
Copadichromis Trewavasae Mloto Likoma (3.0in)
Placidochromis Electra (2.0+in growing out in a 40br but will be moved in time)

Mbuna:
Labidochromis caeruleus (Yellow Lab) (3.5in)

Peacocks:
Aulonocara "German Red" (2.5in)
Aulonocara baenschi (3.0in)
Aulonocara stuartgranti (Chiloelo) - Red Shoulder (2.5in)
Aulonocara stuartgranti (Ngara) - Flametail (2.5in)
Aulonocara sp. "Walteri" (3.0in)

Syndo's:
Synodontis eupterus (3.5in-5.0in range)


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## FishAreFriends (Dec 23, 2004)

Liulis are very nice fish. They more commonly now days go by ingsignus. I actually had and bred these guys about two years ago and just recently sold my colony a few months back. Great fish i must say.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Ok, now for some of the pictures I promised:

Here's the space the tank was going while we were still in the remodel process:









Here's the same space with the paint and floor finished:









And here's the tank all set up with water in it:









Now, for some of the inhabitants:

Rusty









Lithobates









Flavescent Peacock









Taiwan Reef Hap









Fryeri









Mdoka Peacock









Jacobfriebergi 









Benga Yellow and the Afra Cobue I picked up









Yellow Lab









So as a recap, my current stocklist is:

1 male of each of the following:

- Hap Insignis
- Protomelas Taiwan Reef
- Lithobates
- Fryeri (Hap Ahli)
- Astatotilapia Calliptera (Anyone know how aggressive these are to nonspecifics?)
- Copadichromis Azureus
- Mdoka Peacock (sim. to Ngara)
- Ruby Red Peacock
- Sunshine Peacock (Baenschi I believe)
- Flavescent Peacock
- Jacobfriebergi Peacock (Sold as an Orange Jacob)
- Yellow Lab
- Rusty Cichlid
- Orange top Afra Cobue (I'm prepared to remove him if he starts tearing things up, but I couldn't resist)

I also have 3 BN plecos and two yoyo loaches.

So what do you all think of the stocklist? Is this enough or should I add anything else? The local LFS has:

- Acei
- Blue Regal Peacocks
- Lwanda Peacocks
- Bicolor Peacocks
- Something labeled "clown peacock" that looks very mbuna-ish

In addition, I'm currently filtering with two Rena XP filters. One is an XP3, and another is the XP2 that I previously had on my 45. Yesterday was my first of the biweekly 30% water changes. I've heard of lots of folks who do 50% weekly water changes, but that seems like overkill in a 125, especially since the fish are so small now.

For those of you with other all-male hap tanks, what kind of water change frequency do you use?

Thanks in advance for all of your help guys.


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

Sweet - :drooling:.

I think you can add a few more, easier to do it now and take out any trouble makers than later and try to add one or two after these guys have been together for a while.



> For those of you with other all-male hap tanks, what kind of water change frequency do you use?


I aways do weekly 50% WC in my Malawi tank - with the python it is not extra work.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Goofboy, apparently it's just the two of us in this conversation. Thanks for the great feedback so far though.

I'm thinking of picking up a Blue Regal Peacock and a Lwanda. Anyone else have any thoughts? Is two more enough? Anything else I should definitely try to pick up to add to the stock?


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

A. Calliptera will be fine in your tank. The ones that I had mixed very well in my 75g. They have about the same temperament as "red emperess."


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## nickinsmokerise (Jun 22, 2008)

i have a couple lwanda's in my all-male tank. They add a nice darkness with the light fins to contrast and get along with everybody. One of my favorite fish!


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## Hthundar (Apr 10, 2009)

GoofBoy said:


>


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

*Hthundar* - Updated as he has grown a bit and lengthened since that last one was taken...


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## Hthundar (Apr 10, 2009)

Wow thanks for the update.

That is definitely one of the coolest fish I have ever seen.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Since it's been a year or so and I've made a few changes, I thought you might all like to see some more pictures.

The stocklist has changed a bit, when fish I'd bought grew up and turned out to be something other than what I thought I purchased, as well as one or two casualties and a few additions. Here's what I have in there now:

- Fryeri
- Lithobates
- Cop. Azureus
- Red Shoulder (bought as Mdoka)
- Lwanda (bought as Flavescent)
- Blue Regal
- Orange Jacobfriebergi
- Yellow Lab
- Astatotilapia Calliptera
- Eureka Red
- Sunshine Peacock
- Ruby Red Peacock (x2)
- Afra Cobue
- Labidochromis Hongi

I've also changed my lighting, and I have two dual T5 units with a 10k and 18k bulb in each.

Full Tank:









My Big Lwanda:









Afra Cobue









Sunshine









Fryeri









Orange Jake









Yellow Lab









Blue Regal









Some randoms with my Cop. Azureus in back









Red Shoulder









Lithobates









If you want to see the full size pictures, you can check them out here: http://picasaweb.google.com/mhenrichs48/125Malawi


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

Also forgot to mention that there was a move to a new house in the middle there (hence, the couple of casualties). Moving a big tank is no fun.


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## LKO316 (Aug 31, 2009)

Awesome fishes you got. May i ask you where 'd you get them from? I 've been looking for this kind of quality peacocks around for awhile.


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## Sheribobbins (Jan 13, 2010)

Is your Lawanda very aggressive? Mine is about 4.75'' and he chases everyone in my tank!! I am slowly stocking the tank so I figure he won't be much of an issue but just curious to see how others act?


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

He's definitely one of the more aggressive fish in the tank. Just like any Jake, he'll be slightly more aggressive than your average peacock. I added him at 2" with a large batch of other small fish, and he hasn't been too terrible.

It's not too uncommon for the dominant guy in the tank to harass any new additions. The best bet is to add new fish in large enough quantities that the aggression gets spread around. I've heard that you get the best results in an all male tank if you start everyone out as Juveniles at the same time.


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## TheBanker (Jun 14, 2008)

nice suprise with the lwanda, one of my favorite peacocks.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

My dad came to visit and brought his camera again, so here are a few more pictures. Let me know what you think. (I didn't realize until after the pics had been taken that my glass was dusty)

Astatotilapia Calliptera









Red Shoulder (with Fryeri & Ruby Red)









Lithobates 









Fryeri









Lwanda (I had two and chose to get rid of the bigger one, this guy colored up within two weeks)

















Blue Regal (really coming into his color)









Labidochromis Hongi (Are they typically this purple, or is that just because he's been bickering with the Cobue?)









A random tank shot


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

LKO316 said:


> Awesome fishes you got. May i ask you where 'd you get them from? I 've been looking for this kind of quality peacocks around for awhile.


I picked all of these up from two different local fish stores. The trick is to get them very young and then raise them on clean water and good food. The other side benefit is that I didn't pay more than $12 for any fish but the Cobue (he was $15).

...and the down side is that you occasionally end up with a bad one or a female. It's a huge work in progress, but that's half the fun.


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## nauTik (Mar 18, 2009)

beautiful fish keep up the good work :thumb:


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