Lake Malawi Species • Help with choosing next species please !

[Idech]

I just got my 75 gallons so I will be adding new fish ! Right now I have 4 white tail Acei, 3 yellow labs and 4 Demasoni (I know you like them in bigger groups here but I don’t want more of them). All juvies, 2-3 inches.

Which of these fish would be less agressive/more peaceful ? They also need to have as much red or orange as possible as my tank needs these colors.

I want to add 2 groups of 3 or 4 each. Which ones would you choose ?

- Metriaclima greishakey
- cynotilapia sp. lion (Mara rocks)
- labeotropheus fuelleborni (chinyankwazi island) orange
- labeotrotropheus trewavasae (chilumba, red). Only 2 females available, 4 inches. Maybe I should eliminate this one.
- labidochromis perlmutt (Higga reef)
- Metriaclima zebra (Ob red)
- Metriaclima aurora

and, from Lake Victoria :
- Astatolilapia latifasciata


Thanks !

[DJRansome]

I don't have any recommendations that fit your criteria. Maybe others will chime in.

[Fogelhund]

Nothing is really going to be all that red/orange from that group, though there will be hints of it. Most of the choices aren't overly suited to a 75 gallon, or get too big. I've kept fuelleborni in a 4ft 90 gallon well, so I might try them in this instance. I'm not really sure what Labeotropheus fuelleborni (chinyankwazi island) orange is though. The males are typically blue, and a nice blue at that, with Orange OB females. I know that some males are OB, with a slight orange flush to them.. nice colour overall. http://malawi.si/Malawi/Mbuna/Labeotrop ... nd%27.html

I know you don't want more demasoni, but odds are you will end up with just one this way. Your call.

[Idech]

Nothing is really going to be all that red/orange from that group, though there will be hints of it. Most of the choices aren't overly suited to a 75 gallon, or get too big. I've kept fuelleborni in a 4ft 90 gallon well, so I might try them in this instance. I'm not really sure what Labeotropheus fuelleborni (chinyankwazi island) orange is though. The males are typically blue, and a nice blue at that, with Orange OB females. I know that some males are OB, with a slight orange flush to them.. nice colour overall. http://malawi.si/Malawi/Mbuna/Labeotrop ... nd%27.html

I know you don't want more demasoni, but odds are you will end up with just one this way. Your call.

I won’t let them kill each other. They will be rehomed if need be.

You think 5-6 inches is too big for a 75 gallons ? What about the Greyshakei, they would be my first choice.

[Fogelhund]

Nothing is really going to be all that red/orange from that group, though there will be hints of it. Most of the choices aren't overly suited to a 75 gallon, or get too big. I've kept fuelleborni in a 4ft 90 gallon well, so I might try them in this instance. I'm not really sure what Labeotropheus fuelleborni (chinyankwazi island) orange is though. The males are typically blue, and a nice blue at that, with Orange OB females. I know that some males are OB, with a slight orange flush to them.. nice colour overall. http://malawi.si/Malawi/Mbuna/Labeotrop ... nd%27.html

I know you don't want more demasoni, but odds are you will end up with just one this way. Your call.

I won’t let them kill each other. They will be rehomed if need be.

You think 5-6 inches is too big for a 75 gallons ? What about the Greyshakei, they would be my first choice.

It's not so much of a letting them, or not letting them kill each other. They chase each other to the point of stress, and one by one, bloat, and die... and once it starts, you can't stop it, nor will moving them help.

Labeotropheus can grow to 7", and are a thick bodied fish... it's a decent size. I just got rid of some greshakei that came with a tank I bought. The males were 7". and these are a pretty aggressive fish, that I wouldn't personally keep in a 4ft tank.

[Idech]

Nothing is really going to be all that red/orange from that group, though there will be hints of it. Most of the choices aren't overly suited to a 75 gallon, or get too big. I've kept fuelleborni in a 4ft 90 gallon well, so I might try them in this instance. I'm not really sure what Labeotropheus fuelleborni (chinyankwazi island) orange is though. The males are typically blue, and a nice blue at that, with Orange OB females. I know that some males are OB, with a slight orange flush to them.. nice colour overall. http://malawi.si/Malawi/Mbuna/Labeotrop ... nd%27.html

I know you don't want more demasoni, but odds are you will end up with just one this way. Your call.

I won’t let them kill each other. They will be rehomed if need be.

You think 5-6 inches is too big for a 75 gallons ? What about the Greyshakei, they would be my first choice.

It's not so much of a letting them, or not letting them kill each other. They chase each other to the point of stress, and one by one, bloat, and die... and once it starts, you can't stop it, nor will moving them help.

Labeotropheus can grow to 7", and are a thick bodied fish... it's a decent size. I just got rid of some greshakei that came with a tank I bought. The males were 7". and these are a pretty aggressive fish, that I wouldn't personally keep in a 4ft tank.

Thank you. What if I only kept the dominant Demasoni male and rehomed the other 3. Would that work ?

[Fogelhund]

Yes, keeping just one demasoni is always a decent option.

[Idech]

Yes, keeping just one demasoni is always a decent option.

Great, thank you !

[Smeagol]

Yes, keeping just one demasoni is always a decent option.

That's interesting. I didn't think it was ever a good idea to keep just 1 of a species (but I'm new to cichlids, so what do I know). Is there any drawback to having a single? Will it still show its colors well, or will it be dull? Will it be shy and hide all the time?

[DJRansome]

If you don't want to save fry from the tank, and the rest of the fish in the tank are mixed gender and there are lots of females, it can work.

[Fogelhund]

Yes, keeping just one demasoni is always a decent option.

That's interesting. I didn't think it was ever a good idea to keep just 1 of a species (but I'm new to cichlids, so what do I know). Is there any drawback to having a single? Will it still show its colors well, or will it be dull? Will it be shy and hide all the time?

With a fish like C. demasoni, it's colour is pretty much what it is all the time. Maybe a little brighter, or not... but even females look nice. The dangers are cross breeding, and that's pretty much it. If your other fish have enough males and females, chances are that crossbreeding won't happen. If they are different enough, you'd notice something wrong in the fry right away. If you have a female demasoni, it gets pretty easy... don't raise any babies, if they spawn. They won't be shy at all, anymore that other individuals of that species would.

[Idech]

So I got 10 more fish and my tank is now fully overstocked and there will be no more additions to it unless some are rehomed.

Here’s what’s in the tank

Caeruleus labidochromis 2m:2f ?
Pseudotropheus acei Ngara 1m:2f
Demasoni 3m:1f ?
Labeotropheus fuelleborni 1m:2f
Cynotilapia sp. Lion 1m:3f
Astatotilapia latifasciata 1m:3f

Here is a picture of the tank