[Gregory D]

I have been reading and have research that some peacocks are real peaceful fish is it possible for me have sum peaceful peacocks and rusties together?

 

[Similis]

The only problem I can see is with diet. One or both are going to suffer.
Rusties being Herbivores and Peacocks being Omnivores it might be hard to feed the proper diet
to both. New Life Spectrum appears to limit this problem but I am still a bit sceptical.

 

[JoelRHale]

Diet wouldn't be my first concern. I have about 20 rustles (supposed to be peaceful) in with maingano (supposed to be pretty aggressive) and I can tell you that some of the rustles are considerably more aggressive. The alpha male aims most of his aggression to the submales but some of the larger females can be really nasty to the maingano. Nothing serious but you'd expect it to be the other way around. I would look into slightly more aggressive peacocks just for a little extra peace of mind.

I have a few labs and zebra (all male so no threat of interbreed) which are omnivores in there too and a healthy diet of mainly greens and then some meat flakes every 3 days keeps everyone happy with no signs of bloat.

 

[Fogelhund]

It really depends on which peacocks you are talking about, and the tank size.

With commercial high quality pellets, the dietary issues are a thing of the past.

 

[Gregory D]

Well I am keeping a 55 gallon I want 4 rusties and probably 4 peacocks....I read in the Lake Malawi Pet guide that Rusties were non aggressive.......smh I want to mix the tank with mbuna and peacocks how can I do that?

 

[Gregory D]

It really depends on which peacocks you are talking about, and the tank size.

With commercial high quality pellets, the dietary issues are a thing of the past.

mbamba bay cichlids and in a 55 gallon

 

[Fogelhund]

Dimensions are more important than volume with cichlids. Is this a 4' long tank?

Which peacocks specifically? There are many types, some would be too passive for this tank, some would be too aggressive.

There are also a number of different cichlids that come from Mbamba Bay. Do you know which yours are? Are they Labidochromis? Check the species profiles above.

 

[Gregory D]

Yes its a 4 foot long tank.......

I want a max of 15 or 17 fish

4- rusties 1m 3f
4 - red shoulder

and 7 more of anything else

also I have a pleco as well....IM just trying to find a good mix of colorful cichlids

 

[Fogelhund]

Red shoulders would be a good choice. I would add in maybe a group of Ps. saulosi to the mix, for some blue barred, and yellow fish.

 

[Gregory D]

I want to have 17 or 18 fish totally in my 55 gallon....

4- Rusty Cichlid
4-Cynotilapia afra
4-Red Shoulder Peacocks
possibly 3- tropheops (Red Fin)
1- Pseudotropheus sp (Red top)
1-Labidochromis sp (Mbamba Bay)

and my 3 inch. common pleco.....

How does that order sound in a 55 gallon?

 

[brinkles]

I'd avoid the singles, myself, and add some syno cats.

 

[DJRansome]

I'd avoid the singles, myself, and add some syno cats.

+ 1
Also tossing the tropheops in there may not be an ideal addition. Too many species and tropheops is aggressive.

I'd go for 15 fish and do 1m:4f each of the first 3 species on your list.

 

[Fogelhund]

Agree with the previous two posts. Which afra did you want?

 

[Gregory D]

Agree with the previous two posts. Which afra did you want?

Cynotilapia Afra is the one I want...

 

[Gregory D]

I'd avoid the singles, myself, and add some syno cats.

+ 1
Also tossing the tropheops in there may not be an ideal addition. Too many species and tropheops is aggressive.

I'd go for 15 fish and do 1m:4f each of the first 3 species on your list.

So what about my pleco I already have you think that may work?

 

[Fogelhund]

There are many afra variants..and it does make a bit of a difference as to which you choose.

The pleco will be fine for a bit, but they do grow to 18"+... a bristlenose pleco is a better choice in my opinion.

 

[Gregory D]

So no single anything unless I do an all male tank? is that correct

 

[Fogelhund]

So no single anything unless I do an all male tank? is that correct

yes

 

[Gregory D]

So should I just go the peacock only route I spoke to a guy today at the LFS and he said that mbuna and peacocks wont mix well....

He said mbuna are too aggressive for peacocks.....and he also said that I could overstock the tank as high as 25....

I am hearing too many different things.......smh

 

[Fogelhund]

Ignore the guy at the LFS, you've got people here who have decades of experience. The afra may very well be too aggressive for the peacock, but you haven't yet listed which one you are looking at.