[ironspider]

So my significant other wants a strawberry cichid, not sure where she saw it but she really wants it. I havent even researched where or if I can get it.

I have a 4ft 55g tank stocked with mbuna's. I'm overstocked now due to the crazy breeding of the rusties but I plan on giving some of the rusties to the LFS. Also in the tank are cobalt blue, yellow lab, yellow tail acei, one demasoni. I did successfully keep a non mbuna (can't remember the name) for a while before getting bored with them and rehoming.

Can I be successful with the strawberry?

 

[DJRansome]

I would expect the answer to be no. If you really want to try, an OB peacock might work better since it is half mbuna. But hybrids like the strawberry can also be more aggressive than other peacocks so if you happen to get one with an aggressive personality...

The next problem is adding one fish. You want to add at least 3 fish to an established tank.

Get a very mature, large individual. This usually has a better chance if the tank is very large and the haps and peacocks are already very mature and mbuna are added as juveniles.

 

[ironspider]

So we found a couple strawberries and an OB at the LFS, the OB is absolutely gorgeous.

First though, I had to remove some Rusties that was a chore in itself. I've never removed a healthy fish from the tank, they can be quite elusive. I ended up having to take ALL the rocks out and the fake plants. This process of chasing the Rusties around really put all the fish is a state of panic, we felt really bad about doing this, you could feel the terror they were experiencing. Anyway, I got four Rusties out and gave them to the LFS.

An hour and a half later I get back to introduce the new fish and everyone seems fine. But shortly after the introduction of the new guys some changes started happening. I always had two dominant Cobalts, but one has been hiding most of the time as of late, but now both are this super bright baby blue color and chasing everyone around, not just the new guys. Even the lone Demasoni that has been drab has colored up a bit. There is definitely more activity in what has been a very boring tank lately. All they did was hide when we came by, hopefully the addition of these will liven up the tank.

 

[ironspider]

Now a couple weeks since the introduction of the strawberries and the OB. There has been a lot of aggression as of late, not directed toward any specific fish, but very aggressive, mainly the two cobalt blues. The smaller strawberry is mostly hiding, the OB is doing great. However, the larger strawberry had a very difficult time, lost all color, developed black spots on lips and elsewhere and one eye looks weird. No direct aggression towards this fish but it's definitely in bad shape. Last night I moved it to a little ten gallon that I have with some little fish (danos I think), it seems to swim around more but I'm not expecting good things to come. Plus I have no end game, can I reintroduce this fish into the 55 if it gets better? And older maybe?

Yes, this was against advice, but the GF wanted pink fish and I have to keep her happy.

 

[jcover]

Personally, I believe if you add the fish back in, you will have to continue to do this cycle of taking the fish out from time to time. You're better off rehoming the fish that are getting stressed out, or rehoming your dominant fish. Probably best to get rid of the stressed peacocks.