[Desi<3]

Hi, Im kind of new to cichlids so Im trying my hardest to get it right. So I figure I should use all of my resources (this forum & my very good cichlid people at the LFS). Im am asking here first.
Could i mix demasoni and peacocks?
My stock list right now is
2 red eureka
1 benga yellow
1 albino peacock
1 featherfin cat

would the demasoni be too aggressive for this set up?

 

[Rift485]

Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I know that's probably not what you'd want to hear but the Demasoni would likely just me too much for the milder Peacocks. Only way you'd have a chance would be if the Peacocks were much larger, say 4" to 1", but even then it would probably only work temporarily.

 

[Cobotis]

Depends on how big your tank is....

 

[Desi<3]

uuum OK well I just really want something very pretty to go with them.
Something with a different body shape and colors.
I liked their stripes and blue on blue.
And my S. fryeri has taken over the tank. (forgot about him when i was saying them above! oops)
So now Im buting $25 - 40 Peacocks to keep up w/ his size and aggression. Funny thing was that the LFS (I now call it the 'Stupid LFS')said he wouldnt be aggressive!
My Benga yellow is bigger that he is but get picked on! Talk about effed up! :lol:
So can you guys give me somebody that will go well and I can breed ok with the other fishies I have?

 

[Desi<3]

A 75gall
Im dieing to up grade!

 

[NarakuAulonocara]

For different shape/color

You could add yellow labs or P. acei for color

For shape you could add clown loaches or silver dollars (I find them to be good dither fish for peacocks and they can adapt to harder pH water )

 

[Desi<3]

for me yellow labs are just a litttle to common and p. acei need to be kept in groups and all around im just not sure about them!
If I have to special order that is cool. My main LFS could special order me the world if i asked them to.
I need something breath taking and rare!

 

[DJRansome]

The highest odds of success with peacocks are keeping them alone. The next highest odds are keeping them with haps. Among mbuna, yellow labs with peacocks have a high success ratio. More rambunctious mbuna are likely to cause the peacocks to mute their colors, be stressed and have trouble competing for food.

Have you looked through the hap profiles for haps that are 6" or less at maturity?

 

[Desi<3]

i have a little bit but not much

 

[vmayers]

If you are looking for something with a different body shape and would like to stick with peacocks you could try Aulonocara rostratum.

 

[hollyfish2000]

You say you have two "red eureka." If they are both male, you have to remove one. If one is a female, you're going to have hybrid peacocks before long.

You really have three basic Malawi options:

A male peacock/hap tank, which is quite beautiful and fun to stock.
A peacock tank with males and females, which limits your color and number of different peacocks to avoid cross-breeding
A mbuna tank

You really need to decide and then stock accordingly . . .

 

[Desi<3]

I understand the red eureka thing. Im still in the growing out process with them both (on the 2" side) I am waiting to see which one colors up first and I will keep that one and return the other one for a differen peacock species.
Now I have a question! could I keep a couple females in a 40gal? Would it worked if I put the male in when I wanted them to breed? Im going to guess not but I want other people to tell me no first! aaah the fun of keeping cichlids.
I also have a yellow calvus in with them. I know several people who keep them w/ their peacocks and they get along fine. The two species dont even notice eachother!
Only 2 of my peacocks are getting some color (the benga yellow and the albino).
I am also going to start adding more males more often. What other species would go well with the current ones I have (I like the Aulonocara rubescens but have no idea on the aggression level).
The guy at my LFS keeps trying to get me to get the red shoulder (would that work?)
I dont want any haps as of right now. They dont really bring that much color and some are to aggressive while others are to shy. I think I will go all male peacock (and my calvus and featherfin cat, the last hap i had beat the **** out of him)

 

[hollyfish2000]

You get check aggression level of all the peacocks on the profiles page. Ruby reds are not terribly aggressive and a particular favorite of mine. I do not have trouble between my Eureka Red and my Ruby Red, but it might depend on the coloring of the them . . .

My red shoulder is very pretty and not aggressive, and he won't look like the ones you already have in the tank, so he could be a good choice

There are several "haps" that I would recommend (don't bring color ???). Two nice peaceful haps that won't look like your existing stock:

Otopharynx lithobates
Copadichromis mloto ivory head

 

[Desi<3]

IMO I dont think they are not all as colorful as the peacocks and most mbuna but i will check out the ones you said!

 

[Rift485]

Peacocks can basically be put into two aggression categories:

Jacobfreibergi (usually more aggressive)

and

Not Jacobfreibergi. (usually less aggressive)

Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but special consideration needs to be utilized when building a tank with a Jake species compared to one without, so at this point any non Jake species would theoretically work out just as well as any other non Jake to add to your tank!

 

[Dave]

One should place Lwandas in the Jake category. Though this species is not yet described, it behaves like a Jake.

 

[bcb680]

Not too sure about rare, but some Hap. sp. 44 might be good in there. Mine hold their own against the nastiest Mbuna and the males can be quite striking.

 

[Desi<3]

bcb680, because they hold their own against mbuna wouldnt they be a little too aggressive for my peacocks?

 

[bcb680]

oh yeah..sorry...the title of the thread made me think you were looking for something to put with demasoni. my bad

 

[Desi<3]

Oh OK I was confused for a second! :lol:
I was trying to figure out what that had to do w/ peacocks!