# People posting about stock list queries.



## fancy diver (Mar 21, 2009)

Listen, like my lfs owner said anything can work or not. I think there are a few ground rules to know. Dont mix continents(I have a leporinus w/ my mbunas. works) Dont mix lakes(My tretocephalus chills almost too well in my hap/peacock tank/ Jul transcriptus is a little nippy but mostly to female peacocks for whatever reason). The reason Im making this post is that it sounds like people are returning fish because they heard this fish is nasty or wont work w/ other more loved fish. While I believe in the ground rules (i.e rowding/mixing/landscaping/male female ratio) I also think certain rules are bendable sometimes. So hold on to those random oddballs, it just makes it more interesting unless they are unhealthy due to conditions, brutalizing others or being brutalized. Do the homework before buying your fish.

I love these dudes!


----------



## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

ummmmm.... Yay. Would you like a pulpit?


----------



## fancy diver (Mar 21, 2009)

Is that some sort of new wet/dry filter?


----------



## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

fancy diver said:


> Is that some sort of new wet/dry filter?


 :lol:


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

fancy diver said:


> Listen, like my lfs owner said anything can work or not. I think there are a few ground rules to know. Dont mix continents(I have a leporinus w/ my mbunas. works) Dont mix lakes(My tretocephalus chills almost too well in my hap/peacock tank/ Jul transcriptus is a little nippy but mostly to female peacocks for whatever reason). The reason Im making this post is that it sounds like people are returning fish because they heard this fish is nasty or wont work w/ other more loved fish. While I believe in the ground rules (i.e rowding/mixing/landscaping/male female ratio) I also think certain rules are bendable sometimes. So hold on to those random oddballs, it just makes it more interesting unless they are unhealthy due to conditions, brutalizing others or being brutalized. Do the homework before buying your fish.
> 
> I love these dudes!


Indeed, do the homework before buying your fish.

The reason that generalizations are called what they are, is they are generally true.

Mixing lakes is a generalization that isn't understood, or explained well most of the time. A single Tang substrate spawner usually isn't a big problem. A spawning pair of trets is going to be... most of the time.

Putting auratus, or lombardoi or chipokae in a tank, will most often lead to aggression issues, but not always...

There are a bunch more...

Why do forums go on generalizations?

Because it is mostly filled with newer hobbyists, looking to start off with the highest probability of success. The advice, and generalizations are given to promote the highest probabilty of success. We want people to enjoy their new hobby, and stay in it, promote the growth of the hobby.

Sure, many things will work occasionally that shouldn't, but let's talk about those that most often work, to assist in a good experience for the newer hobbyist.


----------



## jjleetest (Mar 12, 2009)

lol i have lombardi, auratus, and chipoke in my tank atm...no probs at all. most fish just know their places in the pecking order and don't try to move up


----------



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I have leporinus, auratus, & kenyi (not to mention many other species) in my 55g. tank too but shouldn't I also tell you how many auratus I had to go through to get a male that kinda behaves...for the time being. I'm one of those "do as I say and not as I do" people  My tank is a mess, *generally* speaking, but I've read & experienced enough to know it. I also know the trouble to look for and to be prepared for. New people might not know or be prepared to deal with those things. I think Fogelhund said it great.


----------



## gmaschke (Aug 23, 2008)

Can I keep a piranha with my prized guppy collection............?


----------



## fancy diver (Mar 21, 2009)

just keep the piranha well fed and it shouldnt be an issue. :lol: But definately add a buttikofferi


----------



## fancy diver (Mar 21, 2009)

i will say that getting rid of my dominant male vc-10 was one of the best things I did. He was so rediculous. Upon inquiring about these dudes, People found them to be pretty nasty. upon getting rid of him the crown was passed to my insignis yellow belly, who for the longest time was not coloring up(thought for months was a lady). He colored up within 2 days and is so much less of a nasty dominant male than mr vc10. This also triggered others to color up w/ the removal of the vc10 male. This struck a good balance in my tank.


----------



## gmaschke (Aug 23, 2008)

fancy diver said:


> i will say that getting rid of my dominant male vc-10 was one of the best things I did. He was so rediculous. Upon inquiring about these dudes, People found them to be pretty nasty. upon getting rid of him the crown was passed to my insignis yellow belly, who for the longest time was not coloring up(thought for months was a lady). He colored up within 2 days and is so much less of a nasty dominant male than mr vc10. This also triggered others to color up w/ the removal of the vc10 male. This struck a good balance in my tank.


That is the idea in general, when forced, many species will cohabitate w/o obvious consequence even if you are told its not a good idea. The fact that they survived w/o obvious injuries or bullying doesn't mean its working. When fish are happy that means its working I know you will always have a dominat male and females if you ahave them in your tank as well, but they shouldn't be terrified to show some fin and a lil color. The stress not noticed also will lead to illness being a common place in a tank.

If your fish are happy and colored up then it its working if not it isn't. I colud keep an aligator and a cat in a cage if it were big enough but that doesn't mean that cat will be relaxed and happy


----------



## eallstun (Mar 29, 2009)

I am pretty amateur compared to most people on this sight but will throw my two cents in. I just put my 55 gal. up. I had Cichlids once before and the first thing I found out then was how hard it is to add any fish into an established Afr. Cichlid tank. So this time I decided against much advice to put a fair number of fish in all at once. Not knowing what the aquarium I use would have in stock (about an hour drive each way), I went and trusted a young man helping me. He acted as if he knew what he was doing. He helped me pick out:

2 Pseud Saulosi
2 Pseud Estherae (Red Zebra)
2 Lab Caeruleus (Yellow Lab)
2 Mel. Johanni (Electric Blue Johanni)
2 Altolamp. Calvus
2 Syndontis Multipunctatus

Of course first thing I do upon returning home is start researching what I have. Find out the Calvus are pretty much incompatable with eerything else in the tank. I am however happy to report that after 3 weeks they are all doing quite well. One of the Yellow labs (Male) is acting very odd though.

One Calvus and 1 Johanni share the dominant role.

But the point is first it is so hard to research before purchasing. Especially if you want to purchase them all at once. This does seem to be working for me. Second if you get help at the store that does not really know what he is doing it is very difficult to really research before purchasing.

Have the rest of you been adding fish as you find what you want? This would have been preferrable except I worried about adding fish with some very bad experiences adding fish to an existing Cichlid tank.

Thanks and I learn a lot from reading these posts.

Ed


----------



## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Just a few things:

Synodontis multipunctatus prefer groups. Adding another two would be preferable. (you'll see them more and enjoy them more.)

Labs also prefer groups, so adding a few more would be good. You're pretty close to being fully stocked, however.

You will have hybridization issues in this tank. Your mulipunctatus will help with fry control, but you shouldn't plan on distributing fry from this tank.

Yes, I find it difficult to add fish to an established African tank. There are some threads on ways to make it easier, including changing rocks, adding with lights out, always adding fish in groups, etc.

You might call your LFS before going again and ask for a listing of all the Africans they have on hand. You can research before you go. You might also want to deal with someone other than the individual who sold you this group . . .


----------



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Great advice Hollyfish2000 :thumb: though I don't think Ed is that close to being fully stocked.

Ed, these fish, the mbuna, aren't pairing fish but harem breeders, meaning they like having 3-4 females for every male (not as important with the yellow labs however they do like to be in a "group". If you aren't trying for an all male tank, I'd suggest returning the calvus (or better yet, getting another tank for them & some other compatible fish). There probably won't be trouble with them until the mbuna reach adulthood, but then at the least I'd think the calvus would be very uncomfortable. I'd pick 3 of the species you already have and get more of them to try to get a balance of one male & 3-4 females per the 3 species. Then I would call it fully stocked. I would keep & consider the syno. freebies and not included in the 3 species but like hollyfish said, get 2-3 more of those too.

I started researching mbuna a little before I bought any, enough to know my water was good for them anyway :lol: . I could also tell that there were many many many that I liked the looks of & thought the best way to get that was to go for an all male tank. I bought my first fish in sets of threes (3 fish per species) thinking I should get a male out of the 3 and I'd return females as they became apparent. I got lucky in that the salesperson didn't sell me anything that wasn't compatible but as soon as I had a female holding I got so excited about the idea of babies that the plan of an all male tank flew out the window :lol:

This post is the perfect example of what I was saying in my earlier post. I think the advice given Ed is good advice but is my tank stocked like that  nooooooo


----------



## eallstun (Mar 29, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. I do like the mbunas. One of my Johanni is just gorgeous. Looks very much like the picture on your profile. One thing I amlearning is never listen to the fish store dudes. I was going to purchase 3 of each and 1 less species. A different fish store guy told me to just purchase 1 of each type. So I comnpromised at two of each. Too bad I did not see this site first. It is very helpful. Will fish stores take fish back in exchange? For example can I take the calvus back? They were pretty expensive ($35 each.) I would like to add two more Johanni. I think a group is somehow more interesting anyway.

Thanks
Ed


----------



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

It depends on the store. You'd have to ask to see.


----------

