Mbuna and "Controlled Crowding"

I have 14 juvenile mbuna (2" - 3.5") and a pleco in a 37Gal tank.

I have an Eclipse hood with an integrated filter and a biowheel. I'm
packing my own cartridges with carbon and zeolite. The filtration
seems more than adequate, as I only feed them twice a week and do
weekly 50% water changes. Nitrates range from 15 to 35.

There's an airstone in a piece of uptake tubing for extra aeration.
I'm thinking of getting a submersible filter.

The fish are doing very well, and the LFS will take them back as they
outgrow the tank. They're all brightly colored pseudotropheus spp.
and yellow labs, so I don't think the store will have any problems
selling them.

The substrate's pea-sized gravel. Is it important for these guys to
have real rocks? I've heard some horror stories of mbuna tipping
rocks through the sides or bottom of the tank, so I'm reluctant to
give them anything heavy.

There are several plastic structures (they look like big rusty
"gratings" standing on edge) and five small clay flower pots. The
fish like all the hiding places, but there's quite a bit of chasing
going on -- even more since I added the flower pots. I'm starting to
see some torn fins. Would the fish get along better if I pulled the
ornaments and flower pots out of the tank?

I have no interest in breeding the fish. I'm nowhere near the density
of the tanks at the LFS, and I can add more filtration. What's the
best way to use the crowding to my advantage to minimize aggression?

"Rick Koch" wrote in message
om...
I have 14 juvenile mbuna (2" - 3.5") and a pleco in a 37Gal tank.

I have an Eclipse hood with an integrated filter and a biowheel. I'm
packing my own cartridges with carbon and zeolite. The filtration
seems more than adequate, as I only feed them twice a week and do
weekly 50% water changes. Nitrates range from 15 to 35.

There's an airstone in a piece of uptake tubing for extra aeration.
I'm thinking of getting a submersible filter.

The fish are doing very well, and the LFS will take them back as they
outgrow the tank. They're all brightly colored pseudotropheus spp.
and yellow labs, so I don't think the store will have any problems
selling them.

The substrate's pea-sized gravel. Is it important for these guys to
have real rocks? I've heard some horror stories of mbuna tipping
rocks through the sides or bottom of the tank, so I'm reluctant to
give them anything heavy.

There are several plastic structures (they look like big rusty
"gratings" standing on edge) and five small clay flower pots. The
fish like all the hiding places, but there's quite a bit of chasing
going on -- even more since I added the flower pots. I'm starting to
see some torn fins. Would the fish get along better if I pulled the
ornaments and flower pots out of the tank?

I have no interest in breeding the fish. I'm nowhere near the density
of the tanks at the LFS, and I can add more filtration. What's the
best way to use the crowding to my advantage to minimize aggression?

IMHO with the pots and the grates in there you have given your fish real
territory to fight over. If you want to minimize aggresion you shoud either
remove or make sure there are enough hiding places for all of your fish. Or
you could take out what you already have that could minimize aggresion also.
Just remeber that is my opinion and only based on something that I read
somewhere I haven't had a real bad problem with Aggersion.