tank population help

[fish ninja]

I have a 46 gallon bow front tank with 2 marineland 400 emperors for filtration . I want to put 4-5 yellow labs in the tank and had a few questions.


1.Would 4-5 pseudo lombardoi or psuedo socolofi work out with the labs? and if so which would be a better fit?


2. Is there a schooling dither fish that would work with these fish or should I just stick with the cichlids?

[The Wedge]

Powder Blues' or Kenyiis' would be nice. However, I'd probably consider that 4 Labs and 4 Kenyii's are going to be crowded in a 46 gallon bow front in a year or two. IMHO Powder Blues' would be the prettiest mix (I really dig 'm). They are hardy and kind compared to some of the other Pseudos...Like the Dems :) I am in the process of moving my mbuna from a 30 to a 90 and am going to put shellies in the 30. I have heard that a 30 to 55 gallon will work for a stint but it is not a permanent solution. Sounds like it will be a nice set up. Cheers

[angelcakes]

hello and welcome to the forum..............:19:

[Kuli_Loach]

I agree with the powder blues. Some other possibilities are like Red Zebras and also even Auturus if you only keep like 2 of them in there. Since labs are the less aggressive of the Mbuna, you may be able to keep even a few peacocks with them if you monitor well.

[Fishguy2727]

I wouldn't do any auratus, even one can make life miserable for other mbunas, especially labs and especially in a 46. I think red zebras or OB zebras could bring a nice color balance.

That stocking working out depends on a lot more than tank size. The rockwork, filtration, water change schedule, etc. can all greatly affect whether or not that tank would work for fish listed.

[RainMan]

Do the powder blue socolofi with the labs. Those are a good combo.

I wouldn't do kenyi or auratus... many people have aggression issues those two. Of course, there are the few that don't. Red zebras are hit or miss... They can get really big and aggressive fast. I wouldn't do peacocks with mbuna (ever). This is rarely a good choice.

I would stick with 2 species... blue and yellow look great in a tank. Both of those fish (labs and socolofi), have really beautiful coloration. You won't need anything else.

Be considerate of the territorial issues when you do your decorations. You should try to keep at least 2 distinct rock piles with many hiding places. Unfortunately in a bow front... you are lacking a lot of area. Maybe work your way from a rear corner to a front corner... and leave the opposite corners open for swimming room?

Like fishguy said... you'll need to keep up with waterchanges weekly and have good filtration. Make sure you have a good master test kit. You'll want to keep a close eye on your nitrates.

Welcome to the forum!

[fish ninja]

Sounds like the consensus is for powder blues. As michigan wolverine fans the blue and yellow fish will be especially loved by my family.Nitpick this setup if you guys see something wrong.

4-yellow labs
4-powder blues
2-emperor 400 filters
tap water conditions-PH8.9 hardness 9 dh
water temp 78
Tank has 2 very distinct rocky areas with caves seperated by a beautiful piece of wood with many holes and hiding areas that extends the height of the tank. I know wood might not be the best thing but I have it from a former tank and love the piece.

[RainMan]

If you don't already have the filters.. then I would go with the AquaClear 70's... much better filtration and media options. But, if you already have the Emperor 400's, then they are plenty.

Wood will soften your water and lower your pH slightly. But, at 8.9 from the tap.. that might not be a problem for you. Plus weathered wood has less affect. Are you sure your pH is at 8.9? That is really alkaline.. even for Malawi. That's closer to lake Tang. if IIRC.

Lastly, get some Seachems cichlid salts to maintain the right hardness and trace elements.

You have any pics? You should post up.

[The Wedge]

Sounds great...I bought all the rock for my 90 for like 26 bucks...it was like $ 0.25 a pound. I used black lava rock that I purchased at a Rustic Rock place for home decoration. I am going to add my rock as I add fish. Some people bury clay flower pots for the caves. Anubias are sturdy enough if you want to add plants for your Africans. Get some cichlid lake salt and I used coral sand that helps the buffering capacity. As the Rain Maker said...stay away from drift wood :)

[fish ninja]

Yeah RainMan, In my area we are blessed with tap water that is well suited to rift lake cichlids.I will post pictures when my wife returns from visiting her family in about a week,she has our camera.

A couple other details about setting up the tank to get your guys opinion on.
1.I was planning to put the labs in first as I believe them to be less aggressive and thought it best if they established themselves first.Or would it be best to put all in at once?

2.As far as bacterial filtration the store I go to will let you purchase a new sponge filter and replace it with the used one from one of there tanks giving you live colonies of established bacteria.

Getting really excited about this, the fish store I go to is a 1.5 hour drive from my house and the soonest I can go is early next week.I have a little time to finalize my plans.

[The Wedge]

Just make sure your tank is cycled first...or only start with a few fish if you are not doing a fishless cycle if there is room in the back for a bag of ceramic bio media in addition to the (mechanical filtration) sponge...I would use it. I'm not sure if a sponge will truly colonize that well...it is mainly for mechanical filtration not biological filtration...It should help cycling but something like 3 oz. of bio-spira would work better (depending on its S & H). Just make sure it is cold when you get it and put it in a cooler for the 1.5 hour drive...you can also order this stuff from Florida via the web that is supposedly the best flora...I'll have to see what it's called. PEACE

[RainMan]

Add them all at once... this is the best way to stop aggression with cichlids(mbuna). Don't give any of them the home court advantage.

Oooh... that's a hike. Do you have your tank cycled now? How long has it been setup?

Be really... really.... careful about acclimating your new fish. Petstores usually keep their fish in a neutral ph of around 7.0-7.4ish. So, that will be a big jump for them all at once. I would call your lfs (local fish store) and ask them what their water parameters are.

[fish ninja]

The tank is not yet cycled. it has been running for two weeks. Its lone occupant is a Betta my son bought a week ago. The betta will be moving to a5.5 gallon my son is working on in his room soon. The store I go to serves a huge area with people coming from 4-5 hours away and bringing fish home, They have a process of packing the fish that allows this. You can see the store at Preusspets.com . I will check with the store on the PH of there tanks. The store claims if you get one of the used sponges you can completely cycle in about 24 hours, much like Bio-Spira. I have considered just leaving my sons betta in the tank and do a good old-fashioned cycle like I am used to before moving him out, as I have tried neither Bio-spira nor the sponge. I would be absolutely crushed if I put these fish in harms way if the sponge or bio-spira doesn't work.

[RainMan]

The sponge sounds like a great idea... I wish more lfs did something like that. biospira works good from what I hear. With the combination of the two and having your tank going for a few weeks with a fish in it... I imagine you would have better odds than most. But, if you keep an eye on your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily... and correct with water changes, you will be okay. Cichlids, for the most part, are rather hardy.

Have you read our fishless cycle? It's a sticky in the beginners section.

[fish ninja]

The fishless cycle sticky sounds like a good idea, But I will probably pick up a sponge early next week. I am starting to get some nitrite in the tank, hopefully this is a good sign.I agree that more IFS should do this instead of pushing worthless Cycle on customers, that is why I drive so far to get to a very good store.

[The Wedge]

Yeah, that Preuss Pets looks jacked up...all 22,000 square feet of fish store. I am sure they have some knowledgeable peeps. The more of my friends Powder Blues' that I see...the more I want some myself.

[Fishguy2727]

There is an article on fishless cycling and mbunas in my blog just to give a little more information. Also check out the one on New Life Spectrum.