# Demasoni keep dying



## Thewood45 (Jul 19, 2011)

So I set up a 29 gallon Demasoni only tank with a spare 29 gallon I had sitting around. Yes the tank is cycled and the water is perfect (5ppm Nitrate is only reading) I put 12 Demasoni in the tank 1 week ago and every 2 days I find a dead one. They are very small and young, all about 1 inch, a few of them are maybe 1.5 inches. So are young Demasoni hard to keep or is someone killing them every couple of days? Your thoughts?

thanks in advance,

Eric

P.S. There are no other tank mates, just the Demasoni


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## Super Turtleman (May 21, 2007)

I'd say either they're killing each other or there is something wrong with your parameters. Do the dead fish look like they've been bullied (torn fins)? Normally 1" dems should be ok in there for atleast a while, but you never know with individual personalities.


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## jaymore1 (Dec 18, 2010)

IME a 29g is to small for demasoni. I keep mine in a 55g and i wish they were in a 6ft tank to be honest. I had a problem with bloat, caused by stressed fish which caused me to lose quite a few. If u really want to keep demasoni succesfully u need a bigger tank IMO.


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## mokujin22 (Jan 19, 2010)

1" demasoni should be fine in a 29 for a little while. There is something wrong with the water.

I'm sure you know it already, but you will eventually need a larger tank. I've tried demasoni in a 29 gallon tank before - no bueno. They don't work in a 40B either. I lost many in each tank....

Got them in a 75 now (though a 55 is generally considered fine).


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

id go with what others have suggested. A. a larger tank and B. more water changes as u find dead ones. its hard to deal with but you should be able to find them locally from a club or on craigslist. thats my two cents on the issue. hope it works out. Also try some tangs for that 29. i know dwarf cichlids will do better in such a small enviornment. *** got neo. pulcher in my 25 tall and they breed like rabbits. very nice tank to look at plus u get plenty of offspring to sell off. GL in your choices!


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## Thewood45 (Jul 19, 2011)

So if this continues were they keep dying I'm not going to buy any more, and I'm going to go with something else. So my question is if there are a few Dems that make it and I put some "nice" smaller cichlids in my tank will these terrorize them or will they be OK? I'm thinking Rusty's, Yellow labs, or something like that.


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## jaymore1 (Dec 18, 2010)

A 29g tank is to small for rustys and labs as well, and if u leave the dems in their u r asking for more problems. Get a 48in tank and u will have more options if u are truly set on mbuna.


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## Thewood45 (Jul 19, 2011)

Already have a 4ft mbuna tank. Just have this extra 29 gallon up and running, trying to figure out what to do with it


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## Thewood45 (Jul 19, 2011)

Any ideas on what I can do with a very nice 29 gallon tank? This tank is very nice with river rock and drift wood. It has a black background with black gravel. The Dems just sit at the bottom of the tank all day and when I come up to the tank run into the rock work. I would like something active....I'm thinkin....

pair of rainbows...

pair of cons....

etc.etc.etc.

I would like something common, so I'm not looking around for months and/or spending a ton of shipping money online

thanks in advance.

Eric


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Kribensis. Dwarf species that are colorful and have big personalities, and they'll breed like crazy in the right conditions. You could also check out Apistogramma species.


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## Thewood45 (Jul 19, 2011)

Hey guys-

Can I please get some ideas for common fish that can be used as dithers for Dems?

thanks again.

Eric


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Many people mix demasoni and yellow labs with success, but I don't know if you're looking for cichlids or not. If not, I would think you wouldn't want to try anything less hardy than barbs or the larger tetra species (like congo). Even then, I don't give them very good odds of thriving with the dems.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The best dithers for demasoni are more demasoni.


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## Thewood45 (Jul 19, 2011)

OK so I decided I'm not going to do Demasoni in the 29 gallon. Of the 12 there are only 3 remaining. I decided for now I'm going to do Yellow labs. I threw In 6 small labs today. Here is my question>>>>>Will the dominate Demasoni kill the labs like he killed the other Demasoni or will I be OK? So far when the labs go into his territory he is scared, I have a feeling this has to do with the labs being bigger then him. Advice please and quick?

Thanks,

Eric


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## Breaking aka jav (Aug 2, 2011)

they should be fine..


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## Thewood45 (Jul 19, 2011)

Thanks, I'll take my chances and leave all of them in there and will see what happens.

later,

Eric


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The demasoni will continue to kill each other until there is one, and then peace will be achieved.


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