Stocking my new tank for Malawi community

[Gill Passman]

Hi everyone,

I have a 47.5UK gall which is around 55 US gall tank currently cycling. I
have coral sand as the substrate with ocean rock decor forming a number of
caves. The pump/filter is an external fluval 304 - most likely before I add
any fish I will put in a mature external fluval 4 which is hanging around in
one of our other tanks. I've got around 4 plants in there (couldn't resist)
that my LFS says are least likely to get eaten...but if they do, they do.
Tank has been up another week and I am looking at least another 1-2 weeks
before adding any fish.

I've spent the last 3 months or so researching this tank and hope that the
environment will be OK for them - not done any water tests yet but we have a
high pH and water hardness here. My community tank tests at 7.5pH and that
includes driftwood which would raise this - local pH is nearer 8.

I've also spent the last 3 months or so trying to decide what to put in this
tank and the time is getting close but I'm still not 100% sure on what I am
doing so would welcome your advice....there is a pretty good Malawi guy at
my local LFS and they are extending their stock but I don't want to be
entirely led by them.....although I do recognise that the info he is going
to give me is going to be good.....

At the present time - numbers not confirmed but I'm only looking at one male
per so many females - the fish that catch my fancy are:-

Aulonacara jacobfreibergi - Peacock cichlid
Yellow Labs
Pseudotropheus elongatus
Maylandia lombardoi
Maylandia zebra

Do any of these sound like a good mix? and if yes, what ratio of male to
female bearing in mind the size of the tank? Or can you suggest any others?

Plus whenever I suggest to the "Malawi Specialist" at the LFS that I want
the Zebra's he seems very negative - is he trying to tell me something?

I also would probably be adding a Plec to deal with any algae if necessary
but will watch this space first...

Any help/hints/advice would be very welcome...I want to make sure I get this
right....

Plus I want to leave space for any additional fish in the future - I'm an
addict but don't want to cause any overcrowding problems for my existing
fish by suddenly taking a fancy to some new breed but I also heard it's not
a good idea to add fish at a later date - opinions please..,.

[Sue]

> Aulonacara jacobfreibergi - Peacock cichlid
> Yellow Labs
> Pseudotropheus elongatus
> Maylandia lombardoi
> Maylandia zebra
>
> Do any of these sound like a good mix? and if yes, what ratio of male to
> female bearing in mind the size of the tank? Or can you suggest any
> others?

I wouldn't mix Aulonacara with mbuna - the dietary requirements are very
different and if the mbuna eat the aulonacaras higher protein foods they
will become ill.

http://www.malawimayhem.com/ may be of help.

[NetMax]

"Sue" > wrote in message
...
>> Aulonacara jacobfreibergi - Peacock cichlid
>> Yellow Labs
>> Pseudotropheus elongatus
>> Maylandia lombardoi
>> Maylandia zebra
>>
>> Do any of these sound like a good mix? and if yes, what ratio of male
>> to
>> female bearing in mind the size of the tank? Or can you suggest any
>> others?
>
> I wouldn't mix Aulonacara with mbuna - the dietary requirements are
> very different and if the mbuna eat the aulonacaras higher protein
> foods they will become ill.
>
> http://www.malawimayhem.com/ may be of help.


When I've mixed mbuna and ataka (like Aulonacara) I've just moved them
over to more of a veggie diet. I found that it worked well and filled
large tanks nicely.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Glenn S.]

Gill Passman wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I have a 47.5UK gall which is around 55 US gall tank currently cycling. I
> have coral sand as the substrate with ocean rock decor forming a number of
> caves. The pump/filter is an external fluval 304 - most likely before I add
> any fish I will put in a mature external fluval 4 which is hanging around in
> one of our other tanks. I've got around 4 plants in there (couldn't resist)
> that my LFS says are least likely to get eaten...but if they do, they do.
> Tank has been up another week and I am looking at least another 1-2 weeks
> before adding any fish.
>

I could never understand this. How do you get ammonia introduced into
the tank if you have no 'starter' fish? Ammonia is needed to start the
nitrogen cycle. You should have one or two fish in the tank to start
cycling the filter. IMHO

--
G.D.Smith
Harpers Ferry, WV

FOR SALE: 2003 Swee****er 22' Pontoon Boat
http://icanhelp56.homestead.com/gs_pontoon01.html

FOR SALE: 1999 Fleetwood Mallard 37' Travel Trailer
http://icanhelp56.homestead.com/Mallard001.html

[Tommi Jensen]

> I've spent the last 3 months or so researching this tank and hope that the
> environment will be OK for them - not done any water tests yet but we have a
Persistent, thorough, great! :)

> I've also spent the last 3 months or so trying to decide what to put in this
> tank and the time is getting close but I'm still not 100% sure on what I am
> doing so would welcome your advice....there is a pretty good Malawi guy at
> my local LFS and they are extending their stock but I don't want to be
> entirely led by them.....although I do recognise that the info he is going
> to give me is going to be good.....
The aquarist hobby is based heavily on personal experience and
preference (and a dab of superstition). getting others opinion is always
a good way of making your own.

mind you, this below is but -my- personal opinions, and others might be
strongly opposed to them.

> At the present time - numbers not confirmed but I'm only looking at one male
> per so many females - the fish that catch my fancy are:-
>
> Aulonacara jacobfreibergi - Peacock cichlid
> Yellow Labs
> Pseudotropheus elongatus
> Maylandia lombardoi
> Maylandia zebra
From what I've understood, Auloncara's will be bullied by mbuna's, and
as elongatus are supposedly one of the more aggressive mbuna, I don't
think it'd thrive.

In larger tanks, with `peaceful' versions of mbuna (lab. caeruleus e.g.)
you might have better chances of success.

> Do any of these sound like a good mix? and if yes, what ratio of male to
> female bearing in mind the size of the tank? Or can you suggest any others?

Male to several females helps spread agression towards potential mates
onto several females, decreasing the chance of severe stress or worse.

Same goes for general tankmates, as long as it's not biologically
unsafe/unstable and they have enough caves, it's almost "the more the
merrier"

> Plus whenever I suggest to the "Malawi Specialist" at the LFS that I want
> the Zebra's he seems very negative - is he trying to tell me something?
>
> I also would probably be adding a Plec to deal with any algae if necessary
> but will watch this space first...
Plecos are nice, you might want to take a look at Synodontis njassae
(native catfish) as well.


> Any help/hints/advice would be very welcome...I want to make sure I get this
> right....
-personally- I'd go with a bigger canister filter, possibly even one of
the `cheapskate' ones, like LAC/Jebo 809 with a filter capacity of
~3G(12.5L), or an internal blue sponge end-filter (DIY with a powerhead).


> Plus I want to leave space for any additional fish in the future - I'm an
> addict but don't want to cause any overcrowding problems for my existing
> fish by suddenly taking a fancy to some new breed but I also heard it's not
> a good idea to add fish at a later date - opinions please..,.
undercrowding can be a problem, as mbuna are highly territorial, in many
cases, it's been worse than overcrowding (fights, stress, being shy etc).


hth

[Larry Blanchard]

In article >,
says...
> I could never understand this. How do you get ammonia introduced into
> the tank if you have no 'starter' fish? Ammonia is needed to start the
> nitrogen cycle. You should have one or two fish in the tank to start
> cycling the filter. IMHO
>

1. Go to local grocery.

2. Find the cleaning supplies aisle.

3. Voila! Ammonia!

Anybody got a sticker:

"No fish were harmed in cycling this tank."

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

[Gill Passman]

"Larry Blanchard" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> says...
> > I could never understand this. How do you get ammonia introduced into
> > the tank if you have no 'starter' fish? Ammonia is needed to start the
> > nitrogen cycle. You should have one or two fish in the tank to start
> > cycling the filter. IMHO
> >
>
> 1. Go to local grocery.
>
> 2. Find the cleaning supplies aisle.
>
> 3. Voila! Ammonia!
>
> Anybody got a sticker:
>
> "No fish were harmed in cycling this tank."
>
> --
> Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

The idea here is to put in a filter that is already mature at the same time
as adding the fish - in this instance it is a Fluval 4. Not an option open
to most but I just happen to have one hanging about in one of the other
tanks in addition to the External. This should help with the load while
waiting for the External to cycle. Already done this on another tank which
was successful.

I did consider putting in some Platys to cycle the tank but couldn't bring
myself to chose which ones I would take from the Community Tank to do this
and possibly condemn. Plus, I wasn't sure how I would get them out again
with the number of hiding places in the new tank - and if I couldn't get
them out again I worried that maybe this would also condemn them. The
bottom line is if I have an alternative I think it is better to take it but
understand the options I have don't necessarily apply to everyone.

[[email protected]]

On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 21:49:21 -0000, "Gill Passman"
<gillspamattaylorpassmanspam.co.uk> wrote:


>I did consider putting in some Platys to cycle the tank but couldn't bring
>myself to chose which ones I would take from the Community Tank to do this
>and possibly condemn.

If you have another mature tank use some of the gravel to "seed" the
new tank. Use as much "dirty" gravel as you can spare from the old
tank. That's what I did for years and I had fifty tanks of Malawi and
Tanganyika Cichlids. Another method is to add some "natural" ammonia
:)

Steve

[Gill Passman]

"Sue" > wrote in message
...
> > Aulonacara jacobfreibergi - Peacock cichlid
> > Yellow Labs
> > Pseudotropheus elongatus
> > Maylandia lombardoi
> > Maylandia zebra
> >
> > Do any of these sound like a good mix? and if yes, what ratio of male to
> > female bearing in mind the size of the tank? Or can you suggest any
> > others?
>
> I wouldn't mix Aulonacara with mbuna - the dietary requirements are very
> different and if the mbuna eat the aulonacaras higher protein foods they
> will become ill.
>
> http://www.malawimayhem.com/ may be of help.
>
>
Thanks for the info/link. Spent most of the afternoon taking a look and
getting more ideas together....shopping list is getting started :-)

[JG]

I agree with NetMax. Though I dont' keep any Aulonacara in my Malawian tank
I do keep a very juvenile trio of Protomelas taeniolatus and have kept
Otopharynx lithobates. I feed the entire tank on a diet of Omega One Veggie
and Supper Veggie Flakes; also including some cichlid pellets. I stay away
from crustaceans, bloodworms, etc., for the same reason NetMax doesn't.


"NetMax" > wrote in message
...
> "Sue" > wrote in message
> ...
>>> Aulonacara jacobfreibergi - Peacock cichlid
>>> Yellow Labs
>>> Pseudotropheus elongatus
>>> Maylandia lombardoi
>>> Maylandia zebra
>>>
>>> Do any of these sound like a good mix? and if yes, what ratio of male to
>>> female bearing in mind the size of the tank? Or can you suggest any
>>> others?
>>
>> I wouldn't mix Aulonacara with mbuna - the dietary requirements are very
>> different and if the mbuna eat the aulonacaras higher protein foods they
>> will become ill.
>>
>> http://www.malawimayhem.com/ may be of help.
>
>
> When I've mixed mbuna and ataka (like Aulonacara) I've just moved them
> over to more of a veggie diet. I found that it worked well and filled
> large tanks nicely.
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>

[Gill Passman]

"Gill Passman" <gillspamattaylorpassmanspam.co.uk> wrote in message
.. .
> Hi everyone,
>
> I have a 47.5UK gall which is around 55 US gall tank currently cycling. I
> have coral sand as the substrate with ocean rock decor forming a number of
> caves. The pump/filter is an external fluval 304 - most likely before I
add
> any fish I will put in a mature external fluval 4 which is hanging around
in
> one of our other tanks. I've got around 4 plants in there (couldn't
resist)
> that my LFS says are least likely to get eaten...but if they do, they do.
> Tank has been up another week and I am looking at least another 1-2 weeks
> before adding any fish.
>
> I've spent the last 3 months or so researching this tank and hope that the
> environment will be OK for them - not done any water tests yet but we have
a
> high pH and water hardness here. My community tank tests at 7.5pH and that
> includes driftwood which would raise this - local pH is nearer 8.
>
> I've also spent the last 3 months or so trying to decide what to put in
this
> tank and the time is getting close but I'm still not 100% sure on what I
am
> doing so would welcome your advice....there is a pretty good Malawi guy at
> my local LFS and they are extending their stock but I don't want to be
> entirely led by them.....although I do recognise that the info he is going
> to give me is going to be good.....
>
> At the present time - numbers not confirmed but I'm only looking at one
male
> per so many females - the fish that catch my fancy are:-
>
> Aulonacara jacobfreibergi - Peacock cichlid
> Yellow Labs
> Pseudotropheus elongatus
> Maylandia lombardoi
> Maylandia zebra
>
> Do any of these sound like a good mix? and if yes, what ratio of male to
> female bearing in mind the size of the tank? Or can you suggest any
others?
>
> Plus whenever I suggest to the "Malawi Specialist" at the LFS that I want
> the Zebra's he seems very negative - is he trying to tell me something?
>
> I also would probably be adding a Plec to deal with any algae if necessary
> but will watch this space first...
>
> Any help/hints/advice would be very welcome...I want to make sure I get
this
> right....
>
> Plus I want to leave space for any additional fish in the future - I'm an
> addict but don't want to cause any overcrowding problems for my existing
> fish by suddenly taking a fancy to some new breed but I also heard it's
not
> a good idea to add fish at a later date - opinions please..,.
>
>
Taken the plunge - and have just acquired 4 Juv Yellow Labs. Have added some
substrate from one of the established tanks and will be moving some filter
medium (if not an entire filter) over later tonight or in the morning...3 of
them are swimming together all the time but the other seems to be a bit of a
loner but at the moment doesn't appear distressed....they are darting in and
out of the caves and for now seem very happy.

Now to choose their companions to add in a couple of weeks and lots of water
tests in the meanwhile......taking on board everyone's comments and advice -
thanks...

Very excited....