[eoconnor]

Hi, I am going to convert my all male 5 foot tank into a normal malawi breeding set up. The dimensions are 5 foot x 22 inches by 24 inches. About 10 males will be removed. I'm planning on the following:

3 C. Moori (reverse trio)
1m/3f Red Empress
1m/2f Al. Stuartgranti
1m/2f Al. Baenshi
1m/1f O Lithobates
1m/3f Taiwan Reef
5 Yellow Labs
4 Ps. Acei (ngara)
4 M. Greshaki

I realize that O. Lithobates is not a pairing fish, but the other females I had died of bloat.

Will the two peacocks be okay together. Would a Jacob be better with the Stuart? Or all three together be better?

Cheers,
Eric

 

[MalawiLover]

It is never a good idea to have more than one peacock species in a tank if you are going to have females. Since they all look so similar, the males will breed with any of them. Also, with females involved the less doninant males will likely never really color up nicely.

The same is said about mixing peacocks with mbuna. The boisterous mbuna will over shadow the peacocks and you likely won't get full color there either. Plus the most dominant male (in your mix thats likely to be either the moori or the greshaki) will try prevent any one else from breeding.

 

[eoconnor]

I have to say that the Baenshi and the Red Empress are more aggressive than the Greshaki and yellow labs have ever been. Ad Konigs writes that multiple peacock species can be kept together in one tank if you keep females and no more than one type from one of four groups.

 

[copasetic]

Ad Konigs writes that multiple peacock species can be kept together in one tank if you keep females and no more than one type from one of four groups.

In which book?

 

[eoconnor]

I'll check and get back to you, I'll quote exactly what he says so it's not 'interepreted'

 

[eoconnor]

In Back to Nature 2nd edition published 2003[/i]

Konigs writes

"It is recommended that only one male per species is kept in the same aquarium..."
"It is possible , however, to keep different species together provided these are chosen from the different groups into which the genus can be subdivided...these groups are A. Jacobfreibergi with all its geographical races; the Chitande type Aulonocara; the blue and/or yellow colored Aulonocara (A Stuartgranti types); and the sand dwelling Aulonocara. Only one geographical race per group should be kept in a single aquarium. In a community tank one could therefore house for instance A. jacobfreibergi, A. ethelwynnae, A stuartgranti, and A. rostratum without fear of hybridization between these species. When, however the blue colored Chilumba Aulonocara is kept together with the yellow colored Usisya Aulonocara one can expect hybrids between these two variants"

He also says that "Species of this (Aulonocara) group should only be housed with mbuna such as Labeotropheus, Petrotilapia, Metriaclima, and Tropheops."

so i guess i can't keep a baenschi with a stuart but a jacob and a stuart in a 5 footer could be okay...

 

[copasetic]

in my experience even in all male tanks any peacocks that look similar will not work.. They will submit to each other and it makes it very hard to even kept track of who is who.. and a submitting male is very stressed making it easy to set in disease. if you are going for 2 breeding groups keep your colors different as well as genus to help improve odds of success. Which variant of stuartgranti is it that you currently have? Some females in stuarts are dark some are light.. that could help with 2 groups of peacocks if you went for different females looks all together, will at least help you know who you are stripping!

 

[eoconnor]

Its a Hansbaenschi red shoulder. The females i have are a little lighter in color then the A. Baenschi females who also show more barring typically. The jacob female i have has eggspots, which are lacking in the other females i have. So I guess I can tell all 3 types of female apart, I was thinking the Baenschi would be okay, because the stuart has no yellow at all...but then again, the yellow labs will be yellow so maybe the stuart and the jacob could be the answer.

 

[Malawi Mac]

In Back to Nature 2nd edition published 2003[/i]

He also says that "Species of this (Aulonocara) group should only be housed with mbuna such as Labeotropheus, Petrotilapia, Metriaclima, and Tropheops."

I don't have my copy of the book handy, but I believe he says that you should NOT keep species of the Aulonocara group with mbuna from the above-referenced genera.

 

[eoconnor]

sorry i don't know i misread that you are right mac

 

[copasetic]

ya i did not think ads would say something that wouldn't work!!

 

[eoconnor]

i'll let you know if it works...ime yellow labs, acei, and greshaki are pretty mellow for mbuna. My Baenschi is particularly nasty though.