# thinning part 2?



## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

So I've Posted before I want to thin out just a few fish,but if I do is it going to be a problem adding a few other females that are probablyt going to be smaller ??I am planning losing about 5m adding 3f and losing my jewels.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No problem adding smaller fish. They won't solve any aggression problems until they are breeding age though.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Can I keep 1 maingano if its female? And can I keep at least 2 my red ob zebra with 1 red zebra?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Without the whole list, it's hard to say. One maingano female would not cause aggression, but the other males will breed with her. The 2 OB zebra will breed (or fight) with the red zebra. So if you want to keep no fry...pretty much anything will work as long as you have extra females.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Oh gosh. I thoght u could see the list. Ok here we go. 75gaL 2maingano 4 yellow tail acei,4 red fin, 6 red zebra,3 of those red ob, 4 yellow lab, 3 jewell, 1 metramiclama??? Not sure. What I want to do is lose 2 jewels,,,_an I keep 1?.I think I'm gonna lose 3 zebras,not necessarily all just red, 1 red fin, 1 maingano. Thatl leave me with 1maing, 3 zebra,but a mix of the ob zebra,, 2m 2f yell tail acei,, 2m 2f yell labs,, 1m 2f red fin,, 1 metrilicama, not sure the common name..oh I have 2 syno upside down catfish I'm keeping..


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

To rephrase your question, you want to know if these will work.



B.Roberson said:


> 1maingano female
> 3 zebra,but a mix of the ob zebra,,
> 2m 2f yell tail acei,
> 2m 2f yell labs,
> ...


We still don't know what the red fin is. Not many mbuna are likely to work as a trio and the ones I can think of called red fin would likely be a problem.

1 metriaclima is the same genus as the zebras...OB zebra and red zebra are also metriaclima. If you add up all the metriaclima and you have 1m:4f it could work but don't save fry.

The common name upside down catfish can apply to a bunch of different synodontis, some that work with mbuna and some not so much. For Synodontis, I like to recommend a group of 5-6 multipunctatus, petricola or lucipinnis.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Yes that list would be accurate to what I want. The red fin,,, gosh I can't find anything similar but they are the exact body style of labs and zebra, brown with a slightly yellow tail with subtle virticle stripes in the body.. let me check the catfish. They were recommended for my cichlid tank, kinda striped ,not bristlenose.. they are short and stubby, but they are deffinitly synos. So 3 zebras and 3 of those red fin is what worries u? I really want the zed ob zebras, I could lose the maybe all but 1 red fin.....they are cool.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Let's take a different view. With medium aggression mbuna, you could stock 4 males and 16 females in the tank.

You have 4 males just with the labs and acei.

If you keep just one of anything, you want to be sure it's a female because you need more females.

Are the red OB zebras all males?


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

It appears I have 3m 3f combined zebra. Yes 2m 2f acei, 2m 2f labs, and I confirmed the ( redfin ) are tropheus.I specifically went back to the store and verified. So 2m 2f of those. 1 auratus. Thanks for your help :dancing:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd lose the auratus and all the tropheus.

Tropheus are a little like demasoni in that they get bloat easily, and do best in a large group...even a species tank.

I would not have more than one male Metriaclima in any 48" tank.

Since you are really struggling with removing fish, and no one is dying yet...maybe just remove the jewels and see how things go.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

And I was kinda thinking the same. I just don't want anyone do die you know??? I'm gonna lose the jewells, 1 maingano and see what happens ..I :roll: I think I'm stressful to much waiting for something bad to happen when it hasn't yet...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

At least now you know what to look for. :thumb:


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Do you think I could add 1 cobalt zebra or 1 ice blue ( metrilaclima greshakei)? After removing my jewels and maingano??


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No, I don't think so. Not without removing females.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Hi DJ. Females of what?? All females of all? Hey I was gonna ask, you still have a 125, 2,75 running? Wow! A lot of beautiful fish!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You have about 6 males and 9 females. IME the females are already at risk. If you want to add two more species, it seems like you really want variety so an all-male tank seems the best solution. I'd remove all females.

Yes, the tanks in my signature are my show tanks. I also have a fry tank with 2 batches of fry from Lethrinops Mbasi. A plant tank with a couple of Cynotilapia waiting to go to the LFS. A 20G with Synodontis lucipinnis and three colored Pundamilia nyererei on their way to the LFS. And finally, a 10G with Synodontis lucipinnis and one Astatotilapia latifasciata destined for the LFS.

Too many!


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Alot of fish! Lol well no I want to keep my yellow labs, my acei, my zebras, and 1 maingano if I could, _____ no red fin?? That's why I thought a cobalt ..


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Ok. I'm getting it. No more metrilaclima as all my zebra are. Oh can I keep my auratus!?


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

So I've been thinning my tank to try and get a GOOD balance, I'm down to 19 in my 75 gal all mbuna. A lttle chasing still,I'm going to thin out a few more red zebra to curb aggression.my question, I read a lot of you have tiger barbs,, can I add a small school of them to my tank? Will that help with chasing and such of my mbuna?? How many could I add? If any ,.. 75 gal my fish are 3"max now .


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## ranchialex (Dec 4, 2011)

I can only speak to my present experience: I've got 6 tiger barbs in my tank that's mostly mbuna, including a 4" and several 3"ers. They leave each other alone, so far. I'd prefer to be rid of the barbs, but my wife likes them. I anticipate as things grow out (including dolphins and acei) they'll get eaten, which I'm fine with.

I'd say there's a moderate amount of chasing in my tank - the barbs are simply not part of it. But chasing is tolerable aggression imo, we're not talking about injuries, just games of catch. My tank has lots of hiding options, some of the chases last a good 5 seconds before the chaser relents. It's not a problem for me at this stage. Straight up fighting would concern me more.

It makes sense that barbs would be good dithers, but my mbuna are more concerned with the other mbuna.


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## Fatal (Jan 15, 2012)

Cichlids are generally faster then any Tetra species. Putting a school of tiger barbs can work out and other times wont, if the Cichlids decide to chase them the barbs will eventually die of stress. I wouldn't risk it. 19 fish is already a lot for a 75gal. I would stick to maybe 15 Cichlids and leave it at that.


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

19 fish is easily done in a 75. i mean i got 17 in my 55.

Depends on the type fish and the male to female ratios and the aqua-scape/maintenance of the tank.

Give the barbs the flick, the mbuna will kill them. Maybe not today or even this year... but chances are eventually they will die. And chances are they won't help aggression any anyway, what fish and what ratios you got?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Nodalizer said:


> Depends on the type fish and the male to female ratios.


 :thumb:

I think this is where we left off:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Thread were merged. Let's keep this one going rather than start a new one, thanks.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Ok.thanks people =D> yeah didn't mean to start a good thread. Ok, no barbs, I just get excited at the thought of new fish,lol. Ill leave it alone for now and just watcxh em grow.... its all good :thumb:


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

So just to verify,, I could remove all my females? Of each specie I have? Labs,acei,zebra,redfin,,and keep just the males, I could keep say for instance, 2m zebra, 2m labs, 2m acei, 2 m redfin, 1m maingano, 1 auratus, and add matbe 2 more species??? Could I? Could I? Just hypothetically speaking.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

One male of each if you are removing females.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Dang. That's not enough fish left in the tank then....


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You only need a dozen with all-male. If you remove females and duplicates, you could add a couple more mbuna males as long as they look completely different from the ones you have and each other.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Ok. Can I get an idea than if I rid my females,, and when I say that I take them to my lfs, its literally 5 min,,,and they enjoy taking them, they don't get the fish from where I get mine in town obviously,.. so 1 acei, 1 zebra, 1 lab, 1 maingano, 1 redfin. 1 auratus, 1orange black zebra??? Please? And what could I put with that? Mine are 3" maybe. I would like 10-12 fish, I think that's. A good #


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