Cichlid-Forum

What many of us do is buy 2X the amount of females we want to end up with. So if you want 4 females, buy 8 unsexed juveniles.

DJRansome wrote:What many of us do is buy 2X the amount of females we want to end up with. So if you want 4 females, buy 8 unsexed juveniles.

So then, when I initially stock my tank, I'm going to have 38 fish total. That seems crazy to me. Is that really how things work in mbuna world?

1:4 acei... buy 8 unsexed juveniles
1:4 yellow labs... buy 8 unsexed juveniles
1:4 rusties... buy 8 unsexed juveniles
1:7 maingano... buy 14 unsexed juveniles

You can do less. Some like to avoid having to buy more in a year to grow out additional females. Buying large numbers of fish saves on online shipping. But if you buy 5 of each now you can tinker with the male/female mix in a year as issues arise.

DJRansome wrote:You can do less. Some like to avoid having to buy more in a year to grow out additional females. Buying large numbers of fish saves on online shipping. But if you buy 5 of each now you can tinker with the male/female mix in a year as issues arise.

But during that first year, before I start "tinkering" with the m:f mix, isn't 38 fish too many? I know the juvies are small, but still.....

I think you will be fine. But like I said, if you want to start with less and buy fish again later, you certainly can.

When I bought the msobo I ordered 8 they delivered 4 and I think I have 3m:1f. It has been a rocky ride, but damage has been minimal. I will be buying 8 again to try to get more females.

The labs mature at 1.5" so you may be tinkering with them sooner than the others.

DJRansome wrote:I think you will be fine. But like I said, if you want to start with less and buy fish again later, you certainly can.

When I bought the msobo I ordered 8 they delivered 4 and I think I have 3m:1f. It has been a rocky ride, but damage has been minimal. I will be buying 8 again to try to get more females.

The labs mature at 1.5" so you may be tinkering with them sooner than the others.

Why did they only deliver 4? If it was an error, they should've immediately shipped you 4 more, free of charge. If they only had 4 available, they should've cleared it with you before shipping them in the first place.

They only had 4 and did not realize it when I placed the order. They did clear it with me. My point was just that it's not the end of the world if you don't get 4 females initially as long as you know what to look for and how to cope with problems as they arise. BUT I prefer to get more to start and remove as opposed to getting less to start and then having to grow out more down the road.