# African cichlids Stocking for 75 gallon (would this work)



## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Would this work?? I haven't got the tank yet I'm picking it up tomorrow it is a 75 gallon and it's a at least 4 1/2 to 5 foot length I will put the dementions up as soon as I can but I was wondering if this could possible work...

4 yellow labs 
3 acei 
4 otopharynx 
1 maybe 2 blue dolphins

I'm up for any other suggestions specifically tank mates that would work with my yellow labs that I currently have I want to have some more decent sized African cichlids but not too big that they would be un happy in a 75 gal


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

On the surface, the species look OK. The Otopharynx females do not look great though. With so few of each species, you ratio of male to female maybe too low.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd skip the dolphins (9" fish) as too large for a 48" tank. But I'd be fine with 1m:4f of the rest, and even another species. Maybe a red peacock.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Please post the dimensions when you get them. A 75 that's not the standard 48x18" footprint would be a custom tank.

tanker- I recently got some Othopharynx Lithobates 'Zimbawe Rock' and the females(2.5" or so) carry a nice, faint yellow blaze. Curious to see what it will look like as they grow.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Okay thank you for the feedback!! And yeah it might be sad but I think I will have to pass on the blue dolphins I don't think it would be fair to have just 1 when they like being in groups and exspecially with more mbuna.

And yes this tank it a 48"/18"

Is there any other mbuna that can get to 6" or even a little bigger preferable a red or dark orange 
Also how well would pictus catfish do in this tank


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

How would jewels do in this tank


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

A single jewel might be OK but also may not color up well as a single.

The red peacock is likely the closest thing to red you will get...1 red male and 4 silver/brown females.

Ideally, you want to keep fish that mature at <= 6" in a 48" tank.

Other mbuna (other than yellow labs and acei) may be too aggressive for the Oto...they tend to be timid and not color up well in the presence of species more aggressive than they are.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Thank you again for the response 
So how bout this

4 yellow labs 1m/3f
6 yellow tail acei ? M/F 
1 red jewel 
And 3 albino socolofi or maybe 3 Red Top Ndumbi 
And maybe a pleco


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

I also love the bumble bee cichlids but I know they tend to be very aggressive same with the Elongatus Jewel Spot


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

So each group you have or intend to keep, needs to be large enough- several females to each male. Socolofi is aggressive. Red Top Ndumbi has been reported from other members as complete psychos. Crabo get very large and aggressive. No reason to have 1 Jewel.

I would do an Elongatus type in the 75. But start with a large number of juveniles.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Okay good to know haha and would the Elongatus get along with acei and yellow labs???
And how many jewels would be a good number?? Also what would be a large number of elongatus? 8 
2-yellow labs 
4- jewels 
4 acei 
And 7 or 8 elongatus????


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Actually 4 jewels can spawn and possibly be too aggressive with the Africans. Thus the suggestion if you ARE going to have jewels, maybe have just one.

1m:4f would be the minimum for Malawi. The more aggressive types like elongatus you could consider 1m:7f but remember females are drab.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I should have wrote 'skip the jewel.' Sorry for the confusion.

If you want to end up with around 4 females you need to start with 8 or more. But there is no guarantee. For some of the more aggressive fish, it's best to start with 12 to 15 to reach a manageable ratio. You do not want just 2 of anything.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

I'm sorry I feel like I caused the confusion...

So I know I'm going to have yellow labs because I already have 2 
And I know I want acei 
And I know I would love to have 1 jewel because their my personal favorite

But what's one more mbuna that's not a demasoni because I've had problems with them in the past not because of aggression but health and looking back at it it was proboally the place I got them all my fish died and the 2 yellow labs I got from another store have never had any sort of problems


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Nothing wrong with the elongatus if you like them.

Do 7 of each, 1m:6f.


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## syackoski (Apr 29, 2017)

I have 5 Synodontis nigriventris (upside down catfish) in my all male cichlid tank. They seem to be ignored by the cichlids but at times try to touch the cichlids with their feelers.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

How about 
Labs 
Acei 
Maingano
and white top Afras (Hara)????


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It would work. I found the body color of the acei and the hara to be similar...I wanted more contrast between species. But you would not have a significant hybrid risk if you stock plenty of females/male of each species.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Awesome i think that will do it i decided to leave out the Jewel just to much of a pain for 1 single fish 
and btw thank you so much ransom you have a huge help 
5 of each sound good to you or more maingano or Afras because of their aggression??


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

unless you think i could do better then the white tops?? 
im up for any suggestions


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd do 1m:7f on the maingano. The hara are not aggressive.

When I swapped something out...the acei were the ones to go. You could do rusties or the albino socolofi instead.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Okay will do!!!

And are there different strains of Haras like a more orange one???


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

There is only one hara. Females are blue.

There are many zebroides and Cobue has a male with yellow orange markings, but zebroides females are drab.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Oh that's intersecting I would love to have some more orange because I have mostly white labs? 
I feel like I have too much blue 
Would peacocks do well in a mbuna tank I've heard no


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

For mbuna, lose the labs and go with the estherae.

For peacocks, I would not mix any mbuna other than yellow labs and/or acei. But remember, peacock females are drab. So lose the maingano and the Cynotilapia (hara, cobue, or other).


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Okay one more question

How would like 5 or 6 petricolas do with all the mbuna
5-labs 
5-acei
7-maingano 
6-petricola


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Fine. You don't need to count them as a species (meaning you can have one more mbuna species, or increase the size of the groups).


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

Would Saulosi be a good fit or would they fight with the maingano


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you did white labs then the saulosi would fit nicely.


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## JSchmidt13 (Mar 11, 2017)

So what's up with the ob and the marmalade Labeotropheus fuelleborni
Would they do well in this tank set up or are they too aggressive/Big

5-labs 
4 acei 
7-maingano 
6-petricola


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

They would be OK...stock 1m:7f. Make sure you like the looks of the females. Also up the number for your acei 1m:4f and maingano 1m:7f...and you only need 5 petricola (really lucipinnis, but often sold as petricola).


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