malawi_luver Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 ok well from what i remember i am getting 3 55 gallon tanks to help me spread out my tanks a bit so i want to know what i can do... 1st tank... i want to have my maylandia estherae blue/red fry grow out in there... and all my fry... 2nd... I want a hap tank for show... Moorii, Venustus, Placidochromis Phenocilus Peacocks, Labs, and others... 3rd... i want as a mbuna tank... Elongatus Mpanga, Estherae, Socofoli, and others now what do you think i should do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 For a starter you can scrap the idea of keeping full grown moorii & venustus in a 55 gallon tank. I suspect this 'hap show tank' will be all males, which in itself can be a real challenge in a 55. It can be done with the smaller less aggressive haps, but even then you can end up with a few males that never reach their full potential of color. It basically boils down to the individual personality of each male, and it may involve swapping a few males in & out until you find a mix that will work. As far as mbuna in a 55, if you plan on breeding these fish, you'd be best to keep it to 2-3 species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_luver Posted December 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 i am thinking of getting a 75 or a 90 for the haps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_luver Posted December 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 i am now getting a 75 for haps and i was thinking that i want only Moorii in the i will have 1m 5f if i can and i may also add some venustus adn get a larger tank in the future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 1 male and 4-5 females would work in a 75, but they would be better off in a 6 ft tank when fully mature. In a 75, I would leave the venustus out of the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_luver Posted December 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 yes i hope when fully mature theyll go in the 125 when i get it plus what do you think about some front juvies in there too... 2 inches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_luver Posted December 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 or some Labs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 I've been reading your previous threads on CF, and to be honest, I don't think you know what you want. A recent example: I also got a Question about moorii in a 75... if i take about 5 moorii like you did and put them in a 75 with the fish in my list you think theyll have a hard time breeding? Placidochromis Electra 1m 4f Red Empress (forgot Genus) 1m 4f Taiwan Reefs 1m 4f 5 male peacocks...5m Some Baby fronts... You think this combo will let the cytrocara moorii breed theyll be within 4-5 inches... 25 haps/peacocks AND some frontosa in a 75 gallon? How long do you suppose that mix will work? The best chance to having C. moorii breed in a 75, is to keep it a species tank. If you want a large selection of haps in one tank, then save your money by getting smaller (ie cheap) fry tanks, and get a 125 to begin with. Even then, the chance of those haps & peacocks cross breeding is still a potential, and the fronts may one day grow up & eat anything small enough to fit in their mouths. I think you need to decide whether you want a breeding set up, or an all male show tank, and then go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_luver Posted December 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 i want a breeding tank but dont want it to take 10000 years for them to breed from when they come to fry i am probably going to be purchasing them when there at around 4-5inches... y cant i put yellow labs in their... i know that you them but :bang1: i want the blue/yellow combo nation... :thumbs: . I think i could keep 6 moorii and around 6 labs... If i get a 75 gallon it costs 250... with glass top and nothing else i have the rest here... 90 gallon 360$ 125 gallon 520$ i have 700 dollars to spend and i also would like to get fish... and on this budget i think i could get the 125 but the filter... Via Aqua 330 ... would be plenty good but that costs another 140$... and then the sand and the decor.... That would hit the mark... but wuth a 75 gallon i could just breed them with the labs and thatll be good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cichlidkid Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 hmm i got my 90 gallon from a discus breeder named donny with a glass top for 180 dollars. I could pm you his number if you are interested it is in calgary though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 (edited) A C. moorii & L. caeruleus combo is one I've always wanted to try. The two species make a great color combo, and their aggression level is very similar. I know people with this mix, but they have them in a 125. Can it be done in a 75, yes, but as the dom male moorii matures he may find the 4ft length a bit restrictive, and the females may find the size of the 75 doesn't offer them enough room to escape his advances. Ideally a 125 would be best for haps like moorii, but I'm sure many people have kept them in 75's. My advice would be to try a keep the rock work to a minimum, with large caves, and smooth rocks. If the rocks are placed so that there are a few "line of sight" breaks in the tank, the females will feel more secure. The labs would prefer numerous smaller caves, but they will adapt to whatever you supply them with. Edited December 5, 2004 by RD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_luver Posted December 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 (edited) So what if i break this down... 75 galon 48x18x20 ViaAqua Canister Filter 2x Penguin 100s (movement) 3-6 Cyrtocara Moorii ? Labidochromis Caeruleus Sand River Rocks How many Yellow Labs could i have? Edited December 5, 2004 by malawi_luver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 If you're going to use HOB filters for mechanical filtration, I'd just slap 2 AC 500's on that tank & be done with it. Two AC 500's would provide more than enough mechanical as well as bio filtration for a tank that size. The only problem would be making sure your filter medium is established with bacteria. (if you are buying semi adult fish) moorii - if buying known sexes & semi mature fish, 1 male & 4 females. labs - 1 male, 4-6 females, or if unsexed juvies, 8 labs, and remove any extra males down the road if/when needed. With the proper rock work, & a bit of luck, that should work out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_luver Posted December 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 What do you think the best way of sexing is of labs except the venting way because i think the lfs may not vent them for me...? :beer: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Venting is the only way to be 100% certain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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