shiftyfox said:
DJRansome said:
Recently an experienced Member stated with regard to mbuna and referring to a 50" tank filled with rock that ratio did not matter. I cannot corroborate, I never tried it.
Interesting, so with a large enough tank with mix gender Mbuna the golden rule 1M 4F could be broken and potentially work meaning more colourful males in the tank and potentially less aggression towards the females if the males are keeping each other busy?
So with certain Mbuna species and a large enough tank could you do a 3:3 ratio with 3 species in 75G
It really isn't a golden rule anywhere, although it's been a recommendation for
beginners here for years, as it does make things easier for people just starting out. In the case I had responded to, that is being referenced here, it was a 3:3 ratio, rather more species, in a tank larger than a 75, with trios and quads. Plenty of rockwork too.
https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/vie ... 9&t=451415
Would 3:3 of three species in a 75 gallon work out with mbuna... probably not, and note, only the dominant males would be fully coloured anyway. You might have one most dominant species, and that types males would probably be the top species in the tank, to the detriment of the other species. Certainly, you could do two species, with 4:4 or 5:5... assuming the two species were fairly equal, or at least sufficiently different that they won't bug each other.
The challenge with golden rules, is that there is no singular sets of rules that work everytime... but the purpose for this at this website, is to make things easier (and less complicated) for beginners. Those of us who have kept fish for decades, know that there are exceptions, and that even golden rules don't always work out.