[Stickzula]

I have receiently upgraded from a 45g hex to a 55g. I have had the following list in the hex for about 8 months and everyone is peaceful and doing well.
Yellow Lab 2m\2f
Maingano 1m\3f
Raphaiel catfish 4x unknown sex
Rubberlip Pleco 2x also unknown sex

The Labs are all adults and have spawned twice. The Mainganos are still a bit small, about 2.75", and have not spawned.

I would like to expand my stock list to include more malawians and I would like everyones thoughts.

First I intend to trade my smaller male lab in for another female, because there is some aggression between the two male labs.

Second, I am considering getting one more female maingano.

For new tank mates I was thinking a group of 5-6 Acei. I am also considering adding a group of 4 blue zebras 1m\3f to diversify the color.

The cookie cutter reccommendations seem to limit the 55g to 3 makawi species. would I be pushing it too much to add the acei and zebras?

I do not necessarily need to move the catfish to the 55, but I plan to put in a pair of rubberlip or bristleenose plecos.

As I said, the labs and mainganos have been living peacefully in the hex for the past 8 months so I am not worried about aggression on their parts.

Any help and opinions are welcome. Thanks!

 

[Gibbs]

A good mate of mine has done exactly what you are talking about doing.
He has five of each species maingano, yellow labs, acei and blue cobalts with a ratio of 1M/4F.
although his are still quite young he has no problems at all

 

[cichlidaholic]

I don't see any problems with that stock list.

You are referring to M. callainos as the "blue zebra", right?

Why not try to find the black acei so you won't have so much blue?

Kim

 

[Stickzula]

You are referring to M. callainos as the "blue zebra", right?

I actually meant Metriaclima estherae (Blue), for the orange females. I guess I should have said red zebra "blue". I could go with regular red zebra, but I like the looks of the blue male. I was thinking of salousi, but I think that the females are too yellow and not as nice looking as the labs that I already have.

Why not try to find the black acei so you won't have so much blue?

Blue is my wife's favorite color and I like the contrast of the yellow tail acei.

 

[cichlidaholic]

I wouldn't house the red zebras with the Yellow labs because of a risk of crossbreeding, but if you don't care anything about distributing fry, it's not a problem.

The blue males are nice, I agree. :thumb:

Kim