# Need Help Stocking 80gal Tank



## Riser179 (Oct 17, 2008)

Hi all, I have an 80gal tank that has fully cycled and is stocked as follows with advice from the LFS. All are juvies.

1 Yellow Lab
1 Ps. Demasoni
1 Mel. Aurutus
1 Hap. Ahli
2 Taiwan Red Reef
1 Lethrinops Intermedius
1 Aul. Red Top Lwanda
1 Aul. Benga Yellow Peacock
2 Rubbernose Plecos 2 1/2"
1 Syno. Eupterus

There are plenty of hiding spots (see pic below) and they all get along well except for the demasoni who chases the Red reefs & Peacocks sporadically. I would like to have an all male show tank but I don't want them killing each other as they get older.

Is the mix I have ok ? I wank to add more fish topping off at about 15 or 16 cichlids. I would appreciate any help/advice since I think from what I've read that I'm going to have a problem as these guys mature.

I should mention I am running a Fluval 405 & a Magnum 350 canister filters.
Ammonia & Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10, Ph 8.0, Gh 8, Kh 7.

Thanks :thumb:


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## fellowes (Sep 18, 2008)

The Mel. Aurutus will give you trouble later when grown. They breed with everything and are very aggressive. If you want your Haps, and Peacocks to be colorful I would suggest taking that fish back to your LFS. As for them killing each other when older, that wont be a problem as long as there are no female present.


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## Riser179 (Oct 17, 2008)

Thanks for the reply fellowes :thumb:

I don't plan on having any females and was looking to add another 3 or 4 more fishes to hopefully get me to an "overstocked" position that would hopefully curb aggression. Will the Aurutus still be trouble ?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Auratus are one of the most predictable mbuna in the hobby. A male can cause far too much stress for the peacocks and haps. It's not something I would risk.

Are you growing your fish out and ascertaining that they are males before adding them, or are you putting them in the tank and figuring it out later? (If there is any risk of a female being in the tank, your odds for auratus problems will increase considerably, and they are already pretty high!)


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I would get rid of the auratus for sure and probably the demasoni too, especially since it's already pestering the red reef and peacocks. Mbuna (except for yellow labs & maybe acei) are all pretty much to aggressive for peacocks. They cause stress which keeps the peacocks from coloring up to their full potential and enough stress can even make them sick.

Love your tank :thumb: . What kind of background is that? I think I'd try to get some male acei for a tall tank like that and see how they do. If they pester anybody trade them back in :lol:


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## Riser179 (Oct 17, 2008)

Thanks Dewdrop ! The background is the Aquaterra Slimline. It was easy to install and gives the tank some depth without taking up a lot of room.


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## TrashmanNYC (Dec 10, 2007)

Riser179 said:


> The background is the Aquaterra Slimline. .


where did you pick it up?


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## Riser179 (Oct 17, 2008)

I purchased it at my local dealer. Here is the link to all the dealers, http://www.aquaterra-intl.com/dealers.html

There are a lot of different designs to choose from and they all look great !


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## RolandtheHeadless (Oct 21, 2008)

You do have a beauty of a tank there.

I found Melanochromis sp. far too nasty for a community tank. I once had to send a big auratus bye-bye down the toilet for the good of his tankmates. Just couldn't find a store or other fish-keeper willing to take him.

I also found H. ahli (or whatever they're calling it these days) to be aggressive. I had a big beautiful male, but he chased anything that moved.

I know there are peacock fans out there, but I didn't find them very interesting. Beautiful fish, but they just seem to hang there in the mid-level water. I kept my tank pretty crowded, so maybe things were just too stressful for them.

If you want your fish to breed in this tank, be aware that most Synodontis are very adept at picking off the fry at night.

I used to keep tanks crowded with a few specimens of just about everything that caught my fancy. But I won't try it that way again. Most fish hang out in schools, and I don't think you see the full range of their behavior when you keep just a few. You won't like this advice, but if I were you I'd probably get rid of most of those and start over. Maybe get 12-18 young demasoni and half a dozen yellow Labs, assuming you like these fish. (Your current specimens probably won't fit in with the new arrivals.)

Then I'd probably get 12-15 dither fish, maybe rainbows, giant danios, or you might even try Congo Tetras. I had a dozen Congos once, and would buy them again in a heartbeat if I could find any that measured up to the ones I had twenty years ago. Beautiful, active fish. They can be a bit skittish, and I'm not sure how well they'd work with demasonis. Most of your fish inhabit the rocks and lower zone of the tank, so you could use something to live in the upper zones, I think.

Roland


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## TrashmanNYC (Dec 10, 2007)

Riser179 said:


> I purchased it at my local dealer. Here is the link to all the dealers, http://www.aquaterra-intl.com/dealers.html
> 
> There are a lot of different designs to choose from and they all look great !


Thanks, how did you work it with the filter intakes, etc...?


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## Riser179 (Oct 17, 2008)

Hi Roland...thanks for the input.

This is my first crack at the hobby again after a 12 year hiatus. I liked the mixed male showtank at my LFS so I tought I'd try it out. From what I have been reading you are right, the Aurutus and probably the Demasoni are going to be trouble. I am trying to overstock the tank to try to disperse the aggresion. i hope it works. :-? I need to add a few more fish and was considering Acei since they tend to stay at the top of the tank.

I have an 80gal tank. How many fish do you think I can safely put in it ?. I have a Fluval 403 and a Magnum 350 for filtration. All my water paramaters are perfect.


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## Riser179 (Oct 17, 2008)

Hi Roland...thanks for the input.

This is my first crack at the hobby again after a 12 year hiatus. I liked the mixed male showtank at my LFS so I tought I'd try it out. From what I have been reading you are right, the Aurutus and probably the Demasoni are going to be trouble. I am trying to overstock the tank to try to disperse the aggresion. I hope it works. :-? I need to add a few more fish and was considering Acei since they tend to stay at the top of the tank.

I have an 80gal tank. How many fish do you think I can safely put in it ? I have a Fluval 403 and a Magnum 350 for filtration. All my water paramaters are perfect.


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## Riser179 (Oct 17, 2008)

Trashman,

The Slimline is only 1" thick so filters And heaters were not a problem they just go in front of the background. If you go with the biggers backgrounds like the Malawi or Canyon rock you have drill them to allow for water to flow in for the filter intakes. From what I can tell it's not a problem and the instructions on the wbsite are quite detailed. If my tank was deeper I would have gone for the "3D" look. My next 200gal will definitely have a Malawi background.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

If you're going all male, I would decide if you want to do mbuna or peacock/haps. Going by what you already have the most of and what you are talking about getting rid of, it looks like you're going the peacock/hap route. Even though yellow labs are mbuna, it should be fine since they are usually pretty mellow. An acei would be another mbuna that should be ok.


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