[rpshilling]

Hey all,

I am looking to stock my 55 gallon tank. I have looked at the cookie cutter sheet and like the chart for the smaller less aggressive mbuna's. However, are there other species in which the females are more colorful? What species would those be?

Ideas are welcome to suggest other species I should look at buying. Planning on purchasing3 different species with 8 juvies, preferably 3 males and 5 females for each species, then weeding out the troublemakers.

Thanks

 

[mattawan_cichlid]

Sounds like a good idea, a lot of mbuna females are the same colors as the males, so you would be set with a lot of different fish. Yellow labs and Acei and Rusties are among the most peaceful mbuna if that was what you were looking for. :fish: :fish:

 

[GTZ]

Sounds like you're off to a good start.
To maximize colors with 3 species, Ps. saulosi are a good start as the male(s) is a nice blue and females are yellow. Red zebras (Met. Estherae) add red/orange and perhaps Rusties (Iodotropheus sprengerae) for a rusty/blue.
Another tank option is 1 species with 12-15 Ps. demasoni, yellow labs are a popular tankmate.

 

[GTZ]

Also Maingano (Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos) although they can get feisty.

 

[DJRansome]

You may have trouble keeping three males of each species in a 55G. And if they don't fight, the sub-dominant ones may not color up. Of course, maybe the other two males are the "troublemakers" to which you refer. :thumb:

How about Cynotilapia sp. hara, Saulosi and Rusties?

 

[rpshilling]

Sounds like a good idea, a lot of mbuna females are the same colors as the males, so you would be set with a lot of different fish. Yellow labs and Acei and Rusties are among the most peaceful mbuna if that was what you were looking for. :fish: :fish:

Yea I have had Yellow Labs before. They were alright. I want to try some new fish.

Sounds like you're off to a good start.
To maximize colors with 3 species, Ps. saulosi are a good start as the male(s) is a nice blue and females are yellow. Red zebras (Met. Estherae) add red/orange and perhaps Rusties (Iodotropheus sprengerae) for a rusty/blue.
Another tank option is 1 species with 12-15 Ps. demasoni, yellow labs are a popular tankmate.

I will look into the Ps. Saulosi and the Red Zebras, the Rusties were already on my list.

You may have trouble keeping three males of each species in a 55G. And if they don't fight, the sub-dominant ones may not color up. Of course, maybe the other two males are the "troublemakers" to which you refer. :thumb:

How about Cynotilapia sp. hara, Saulosi and Rusties?

If they don't color up that means I would have to take a male out right?

 

[DJRansome]

You would not have to take the male out if he is not causing trouble. But if he is not colored up it sort of defeats the purpose of having the extra males, right?

 

[rpshilling]

What do you all think of this combination? Like I stated before, probably 8 juvies of each.

Pseudotropheus elongatus
Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
Iodotropheus sprengerae

Are the Psu. elongatus too aggressive?