[bentech]

Hi everyone !! i just set up a new 55 gallon tank for african cichlids. i'v put crushed coral gravel (about 60 pounds) and i put alot of piled lava rock with hole in the middle and common gray rock (about 80 pound) i have a 200 watt heater, a fluval 305 canister filter and a air pump.
I have alerady 4 yellow lab, 2 red zebra, 1 demasoni and 1 Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos.
I use to have 2 demasoni but one just die a few days ago. So, i dont know if they are male or female beacose they are still baby, i want to put other Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos (2 or 3 other) i have enough of yellow lab and for the demasoni, i dont want any others. i read that they need to be 10 or more beacose they are too much agressive, so i dont want to take all the space with 1 species. for the red zebra, some said that the female are orange and male are light blue, and other said that both male and female are orange ?? Who is right. i'd like to have some nice light blue cichlids, any suggestion for the next addition in my tank ??

 

[master chi]

If put in your stocking position I would let go of either the dem or maingano and then match the husbandry requirements with the kept species .

As far as the red zebras. the metriaclima estherea comes in multiple color variants the most common coloration in the hobby is red males and red females . However ,In the wild it's said to be more common to see blue males. I read somewhere that red males are 1% of the population
and blotch variety being 0.1%.

Between the estherea,labs, and say mainganos(melanochromis cy). that is 3 species which is the suggested stocking for 55 gal. Sounds like a nice stock list for newbies actually!

If you keep the demasoni you should get a heck of a lot more than 1 to 10. try starting out with 15 plus. that is what I have learned,Mostly through this forum I might add. also keep in mind that the demasoni don't get very big. Having 12 or more in the end will be fine in a 55.

 

[DJRansome]

I agree with the three species. Note that labs and red zebras will crossbreed so don't save fry from either. And given the choice between demasoni and maingano...I think demasoni have a better chance of success in a 55G given experience reported recently by readers. So my stocking would be:
12 Pseudotropheus demasoni
5 Labidochromis caeruleus
1m:4f Metriaclima estherae

 

[bentech]

thanks !!

12 demasoni, 5 yellow labs and 5 estherae is not too much for a 55 gallons tank ???
I also want to know if i should upgrade to a bigger filter ??
I decided to go with mbunas because of the nice colors of thoses fish but the second reason is that i want them to breed. I dont care about crossbreeding because i dont want to sell or give the baby. It's sad to say, but the baby will end in my Oscar and venustus bellys !! So i have to choose my population so i can have lots of baby.

 

[DJRansome]

That stocking should work. Demasoni are dwarf...about half the size of "regular" mbuna. Don't let the demasoni count go under 12 though...buy some extras initially in case you have to remove extra males.

The gph of your filter is 260. I'd want something closer to 400 gph.

 

[bentech]

if i dont want to put demasoni, can i put a fews Iodotropheus sprengerae ??

 

[dielikemoviestars]

Yes, but you may experience some aggression from your RZ's with those Rusties. Rusties and YL's are both much calmer than most mbuna.

 

[bentech]

Ok tanks !! So if i keep 5 yellow lab, 4-5 red zebra, 5 rusty that should be a good set-up for a 55 gallons tank. I also aleready have 1 demasoni and 1 maingano,can i keep thems or i should give them to someone ???

 

[master chi]

Ok tanks !! So if i keep 5 yellow lab, 4-5 red zebra, 5 rusty that should be a good set-up for a 55 gallons tank. I also aleready have 1 demasoni and 1 maingano,can i keep thems or i should give them to someone ???

you would be best off ridding yourself of the two extra species but like ransome I would suggest demasoni over maingano rusties would be a great substitute however.