# Mixing Lakes



## RFan (Aug 4, 2014)

I have an opportunity to buy a 120g tank (60 x 18 x 24) at a good price. Before I do it, I'm trying to figure out what I'd put in it. I have an mbuna tank and an all male hap-peacock tank. With this new tank, I'd really like to mix it up. If it can work, I'd like to have 2 groups of mbuna (cynotilapia and metraclima or psuedotropheus); 2 groups of vics; and a group of calvuses or compressiceps along with a large school of cyps.

Has anyone tried something like this in a 100g+ tank? I think that the mbuna and vics can work together as I've seen others mix the 2. My biggest concern is with the tangs b/c I've never kept them before. My wife loves the calvus/compressiceps, but people have told me that it won't work in a mixed-lake tank. Has anyone ever tried it? I'm optimistic about the cyps b/c this is a relatively tall tank, and my understanding is that they swim at the top. In my experience, mbuna tend to hang out in the bottom half of the tank.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

It really isn't a great mix at all. The Vics and Mbuna could be fine, depending on species selection. Altolamprologus won't like the activity level, and won't thrive in the least, so the calvus/comps are out, and I wouldn't keep the Cyps in with Mbuna either. I'd suggest going one direction, or the other, or getting two tanks.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I tried the vics and mbuna, vics and haps/peacocks and Tang and haps/peacocks. They each has a good long trial...one-two years. Long story short I have since separated the lakes.

Survive versus thrive and colors/activity were poor. Having seen the fish in a "lake" environment versus the mix I would not mix.

Cyps swim at the top but sleep on the bottom. They are also pretty dull fish if unhappy, and they are more delicate than the other fish on your list.

I'd do Tangs in the new tank and try the Vics in your existing tanks...you can always remove the Vics if they don't work out.


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## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

I agree I think you're all over the map there, I just don't see this working out long term.

I usually keep my vics with malawi fish and have done so for about 20 years. I think they work well with smaller haps like peacocks and protomelas. Mbuna can sometimes be a bit much but if you choose milder species like labidochromis it can work well. Again it all depends on which species you mix because there is a wide range of aggression in Vics. Right now I have a 110 gallon with three species of Vics and a peacock species.

I usually keep the tangs away from the other types of fish.


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## JP_92 (Aug 2, 2013)

I've tried vics with mbuna... they never seem to color up well. Still have my Rock Krib left out of a few different vics.


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Mixing fish isn't as easy as making blanket comments on whether a certain Lake is ok to mix with another Lake.

There are Victorians that are far too aggressive for many Malawians... such as many of the Pundamilia nyererei... I wouldn't keep them with many Haps or Aulonocara... my nyererei kept such fish as Maylandia sp. "Chilumba", Pseudotropheus flavus and WC Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos as subdominant species.

Then there are those Victorians that can be kept with only the more peaceful Aulonocara and Haps...

Really the bottom line is Generalizations don't work, except for this one. :wink:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Specifics on the ones I've tried:
Pundamilia nyererei with peaceful haps and peacocks...not aggressive but didn't color up well, pale.
Pundamilia nyererei with mbuna including demasoni...subdominant and didn't color up well, dark. Females declined after a number of years.
Astatotilapia latifasciata with peaceful haps and peacocks...aggressive, caused other haps to color down
Flameback with peaceful haps and peacocks...not aggressive but didn't color up well, pale.
Calvus with peaceful haps and peacocks...afraid to move around the tank much.
Leleupi with peaceful haps and peacocks...always hiding.
Tret with peaceful haps and peacocks...poor color, always hiding.
Brevis with Cynotilapia sp hara...Brevis declined.

Individual fish do vary, but I'd recommend not mixing lakes unless you don't mind experimenting.


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## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

rennsport2011 said:


> There are Victorians that are far too aggressive for many Malawians... such as many of the Pundamilia nyererei... I wouldn't keep them with many Haps or Aulonocara... my nyererei kept such fish as Maylandia sp. "Chilumba", Pseudotropheus flavus and WC Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos as subdominant species.


Wish I could find a male like that, mine (past and present) never showed anywhere near that type of aggression. Meanest Vic I've ever had was A. nubila.


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## RFan (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks to everyone for the input. Depending on what's available at the online retailer that I use, I may try to mix a couple of vic species with some of the more peaceful mbunas. I have enough tank space to experiment a little.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

As rennsport2011 says, the Vics vary quite a bit in their aggressiveness. So choosing them based on availability may leave you with some that are almost guaranteed to fail. The ones mentioned in this post have worked for others, at least on occasion.


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## RFan (Aug 4, 2014)

I'll check back in once I've identified my stock list and see what people think.


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