[SpeedFreak]

Ok first the tank is going to be 48 inches long and 24inches high and will be 24inches deep to the back wall. however after i build up the back of the tank it should be around 18inches because i plan to take it out 6 inches so i can make a lot of caves. it will be 120g and then 90 with the wall out so i imagine it will hold around 105G. There will be ample amounts of hiding places with a sandy bottom.
i decided on 5 species and i would like 1 male 3females of each group. totaling 20 fish.

Labidochromis Caeruleus(yellow labs)
Labidochromis Chisumulae(white)
Labeotropheus Fuelleborni(SO marbled)
Melanochromis Cyaneorhabdos(blk w/blue horizontal stripes)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei"(Blue/Purple w/ yellowish fins)

I figured that i should have ample space for all of them and they're all fairly nice fish from what i read. i figured the bully of the tank would most likely be the Acei male. i am concearned about the yellow labs and the chisumulae cross breeding does anyone think that will be a problem??? Please i want everyones feedback on what i picked and what i should be careful of or what problems i could run into.
Thanks Shawn

 

[jhunbj]

I don't see any problem with your list if ur not going to breed this fish. I'm not sure if the labidochromis species will cross breed but from what I read they probably will. I'd add a group of Synodontis Petricola and instead of the Lab. Chisumulae, I'd replace it with rusty cichlid or Ps. Socolofi(Albino) or M. Callainos. Make it 5 fish/species. I guarantee u that the Acei is not going to be the bully......Lab. Fuelleborni gets my vote on that.lol

 

[DJRansome]

I would not mix the labs, and I think I would stock one less species. Regardless of the gallons, if you are ending up with 48" by 18" then it's like a 75G tank footprint. Acei are large and Fuelleborni are large AND aggressive.

 

[SpeedFreak]

hey thanks for the advice and quick reply!!!!! :thumb:

i checked out everything you had to say and this is what i came up with and i have some questions for you...
I did want to have them all breed if possible. i know that sometimes they wont but i figured with this mix of fish and as much space as there getting they should all be fine, happy, and healthy. as far as your idea to make it 6species and add the synodontis petricola. well i couldnt fine an article on them i found one on the sy. multipunctatus which is a cat so i'm imagining that the petricola is a catfish as well but just different. anyway i dont like the multipunctatus for the fact of how they spawn and kill your brood.. i am stillinterested in the other fish your talking about if you can help me find it. as far as swapping the one out with the ps socolofi(which seems to me a yellow lab but blue) would be an idea. i didnt see anything for an albino one but i'd imagine it would still have the black stripe and the body would just be white??? if you have a pic i'd like to see it i couldnt find one. if that would stop the chromis from breeding and giving me hybrids i would def do it. you mention rusty cichlids and i'm guessing thats just a nickname for the ps socolofi. as far as the m callainos i originally looked at them but then decided i'd rather have the acei because there going to be a blue purplish from what i hear and will look a lot better in my opionion. its sucks because i cant find a really good picture of the acei either...lol ok well thanks for the help and i look forward to hearing back from you about the synodontis petricola. i do plan on adding some sort of bottom cleaner(like a plecos/cory cat or something) but i havent started looking into seeing what i could put with my cichlids. i figured i'd pick the ones i want and then see what i can put in there to help clean up the tank.

 

[SpeedFreak]

ok then i def wont mix the labs. would you recommend less fish all together or just less species and more of the same species???

 

[DMWave45]

The rusty cichlids that were refered to are Iodotropheus Sprengerae. Great looking, peaceful fish. As for plecos, most everyone has had decent sucess with bristlenose.

 

[jhunbj]

Ok check out this list for ur 120G. Most of the fish on your list is included. :thumb:

5 L. Fuelleborni, 8 YL, 8 Rusty(Iodotropheus sprengerae), 6 M. Cyaneorhabdos, 5 Ps. Acei and a group of Synodontis Petricola.

or

6 L. Fuelleborni, 12 YL, 6 Ps. Acei, 8 M. Cyaneorhabdos and a group of S. Petricola

Just make sure u have a good amount of filtration in ur tank and u don't have to worry about the S. Petricola intervening with ur fish spawning.

Here's a pic of my Ps. Acei: (the fish at the bottom is Ps. Acei "Ngara")

Just google each fish to find out more info or check the profiles section. :thumb:

 

[dougS]

For synodontis petricola, take a look at planetcatfish: http://planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=857

 

[SpeedFreak]

thanks for the clarification on the rustys i was able to look them up. there nice but there coloring doesnt seem to be to much different from the acei. if you had to pick the acei or rustys which would you prefer.(personality and everything else included). the yellow labs are locked in now along with the fuelleborni. i looked upthe lab chisumulae and found some really nice pics with a lot of black in them and really like them more but its just not worth it if they're going to breed and give me hybrids.
also kinda mixing it up someone told me that the demasoni were some of the coolest and best personality fish and do great with the yellow labs but i would have to get 12 of them. what do you all think of them? i was told and from the article on them that there some of the more entertaining fish. i'm starting to think more now of this set up

YL, fuelleborni, demasoni, acei, rustythen i was wondering what you all thing about the bristlenose compared to the regular plecos?
as far as the synodontis petricola goes whats the benefit to having them?
jhunbj why do you think i should have 32 fish???lol :roll: if i had to play with numbers and if you agree i would say i have to have 12 damasoni like i was told and then i could do 6YL 4fuelleborni 4acei and 6rustys which would end up at your 32 andthen it wouldnt be even so it would mix it up. plus with the rustys and demasonis being small i figure there should be more of them. well let me know what you think. and thanks for the catfish site that helped make sense of them for the most part

 

[jhunbj]

then i was wondering what you all thing about the bristlenose compared to the regular plecos?
as far as the synodontis petricola goes whats the benefit to having them?
jhunbj why do you think i should have 32 fish???lol :roll: if i had to play with numbers and if you agree i would say i have to have 12 damasoni like i was told and then i could do 6YL 4fuelleborni 4acei and 6rustys which would end up at your 32 andthen it wouldnt be even so it would mix it up. plus with the rustys and demasonis being small i figure there should be more of them. well let me know what you think. and thanks for the catfish site that helped make sense of them for the most part

Bristlenose pleco does not grow as big as the regular pleco and they are really good at eating the algae in ur tank. You should thank me for suggesting just 32 fish...if that is my tank I'd probably end up with more than 32 fish :lol: My Syno. Petri. clean up the left over foods and they r fun to watch during feeding time. All the fish on ur list I already have... :lol: :lol: :lol: except for the Lab. Fuelleborni, but I have Labeotropheus Trewavasae. The last time I look the acei & rusty look really different...u sure its a rusty and acei ur comparing? I'd pick the Acei. From your list I'll just add 3 more Ps. Dems , 2 more YL and 2 more rusty. Now thats more than 32 fish. :lol:

Here is a pic of my rusty:

 

[DMWave45]

I would have to say that acei and rusties look almost nothing alike really, especially when they grow up. I like them both so I'd say it's jsut your preference.

 

[billr]

my rusties have the most personality in my tank,and my fish list is almost like yours.rustys,yel. lab & sp. acei. my acie's are the most laid back, and one of my rusty's is holding

 

[SpeedFreak]

ok well then i think i got my list. i'm just worried about adding to many because i dont want to crowd them and i feel like i have to give each one a cave and everything but i've seen pictures of other peoples tanks and that really doesnt seem to be the case at all. i guess its better to get more and i'll probably get them very young from a local breeder and then as they get older if i just want a certain amount i can get rid of the extra malesor something. also i read that if you get them young they do a lot better with each other. as far as the catfish they do look cool i just dont know if i want them messing with my broods...lol but i guess i dont have to worry to much about that. well then
6 yellow labs
6 acei
6 fulleborni
12 demasoni
8 rusties

as far as the rusties and acei go it hink its just a combination of people taking bad pics, labeling them wrong and this crappy govt computer. i found some pics of them that look very different and then some that are similar and some looked completely different almost. i guess i'll just find a good breeder that has some nice looking rusties and aceis... thanks for the help everyone

 

[SpeedFreak]

ok well then i think i got my list. i'm just worried about adding to many because i dont want to crowd them and i feel like i have to give each one a cave and everything but i've seen pictures of other peoples tanks and that really doesnt seem to be the case at all. i guess its better to get more and i'll probably get them very young from a local breeder and then as they get older if i just want a certain amount i can get rid of the extra malesor something. also i read that if you get them young they do a lot better with each other. as far as the catfish they do look cool i just dont know if i want them messing with my broods...lol but i guess i dont have to worry to much about that. well then
6 yellow labs
6 acei
6 fulleborni
12 demasoni
8 rusties

as far as the rusties and acei go it hink its just a combination of people taking bad pics, labeling them wrong and this crappy govt computer. i found some pics of them that look very different and then some that are similar and some looked completely different almost. i guess i'll just find a good breeder that has some nice looking rusties and aceis... thanks for the help everyone

 

[DJRansome]

Up the Demasoni by 3 to 15 as jhunbj suggested, you would not want less than 15 in that tank.

 

[SpeedFreak]

ok thanks. why do you say that though? is the tank to small? i'm just curious and askingthe logic behind not questioning your judgement... thanks in advance

 

[DJRansome]

If you have too few Demasoni to "fill and crowd" the available space with their kind (they tend to ignore the presence of other species) then one by one the alpha fish or fishes in your group will single out the weakest male and continuously chase it until it sickens and dies.

If you "fill the space and crowd" them, and this takes more fish for bigger tanks, then there are so many Demasoni darting around that they lose track of the single one they want to pick on and start chasing someone else. So the aggression is spread and no one dies.

 

[SpeedFreak]

ok thanks a lot man then 15 it is. i'll just add them all slow to the tank so i dont over load it and spike the nitrite levels. do i have to add all the demasoni at the same time or could i add like 5 5 5?

 

[gbleeker]

Add them all at the same time - just make sure your tank is ready first. If you add 5, 5 and 5.. you will risk them all dying 1 at a time before you get the new 5 in.

 

[SpeedFreak]

ok thanks. this is kind of the same question but different.... i was told not to overload the tank. should i just add like a species a week? or something or would you recommend putting all 4o some fish in at the same time