Advise Please

[seb421]

Hello all, a bit about me, im from Horwich in Bolton Lancs, im 25 this year ride motorbikes, curently ride a Honda Firestorm which is my main hobby.

i have a dog, have had two previous dog's who past on with old age now have a #105###sue? (think thats how its spelt) she's full of charator and a brill pooch/
have had a number of guinna pig's over the years, budgies, cokkatoo's and other types of birds, and i currently have a bearded draggon who's about 5 now, hes got a belly now, he doesnt come out the tank as much in winter with the floors being cold (laminate wood) in summer he ventures out in the garden and the house.

i used to have a 200 L tank with cold water fish the oldest living being koi at about 14 years

looking now to get another tank with the girlfriend, allways wanted a tropical tank and currently have some disposable cash so plan to get a nice tank for the room and some prity fish

i have just orderd these two books off amazon and waiting for them in the post.

i have been looking at a Juwel Rio 180 as this is about the largest tank i can put in the room with out it being to overpowering. found one here for £274 < Clicky! >

done a bit of reaserch and watched a few nice dvd's downloaded curtsey of the pirate bay and the fish i would like to stock ate the African Lake Malawi Cichlids, i have found a uk online seller here < Clicky! > are all the Lake Malawi fish compatable with each other? and are the lake Malawi fish compatable with the Tanganyikan Cichlids? i particulay like the Cyphotilapia Frontosa and if posible would like to place it with the Malawi's, See Below.

How many Fish would you recomend for the 180L tank?

any advice any one can give me would be brilliant, thanks in advance, seb.

(ps i do intend to cycle the tank for a number of weeks before just thowing fish in like most idiots)


here are some of the smaller types i like


these are some that i realy like, how many and what can be placed together in a Rio 180? and without out of control aggression in the tank (tank size 180L)

Acei, Yellow Tail Acei

Saulosi

Elongatus Mpanga, Elongate Mpanga, Mpanga elongatus

Zebra long pelvic

Pseudotropheus Demasoni

MElongatus mbenji yellow tail

Socolofi, Powder Blue Cichlid, Pindani

Cobalt, Cobalt Blue.

Kribensis, Purple Cichlid

Electric Yellow, Yellow Lab, Lemon Yellow

Elongatus Mpanga, Elongate Mpanga, Mpanga elongatus

Jewel Cichlid

thanks guy's

 

[MikeO]

The Frontosa are not suitable for your tank - it is too small.

You could put a couple in, but they would need to be rehomed when they got too big. They can grow to 16 inches. I wanted some for my 4ft 260l tank, but soon realised that it was a bad idea.

I am sure someone will be able to advise on the compatability of the rest of your list.

 

[seb421]

The Frontosa are not suitable for your tank - it is too small.

You could put a couple in, but they would need to be rehomed when they got too big. They can grow to 16 inches. I wanted some for my 4ft 260l tank, but soon realised that it was a bad idea.

I am sure someone will be able to advise on the compatability of the rest of your list.

thanks for reply its okay got some advise here >> CLICKY

 

[star4]

Frontosa is a definate no in that size tank, Jewel cichlids can be extreemly agressive if you end up with a pair and will kill all the other fish in the tank, so I would recommend only 1 (or not bother) the others I cant comment on as I have never kept.

 

[emmettbaby]

If you get an electric yellow, I would advise that you get only that kind of cichlid. They are one of the "nicer" species and any other type of cichlid might bully them. That's the reason my electric yellow died. If you get an electric yellow, they like lots of hiding places and you may not see them as much as you would other species of cichlid.

 

[HappyGeorge]

Ok lets try and help you out I am a fellow biker (Honda Blackbird) and someone who is relatively new but also fairly well read (and of course opinionated) on fish keeping. I am currently the proud owner of a tank that has been running for 6 months and has breeding pairs of Labidochromis Perlmutt, Hongi Island red top, Cynotolapia Afra Red top and Yellow Labs, along with some Malawi Haps and recently a couple of irrisistable tangs in there, so I will make the bold claim that there can't be too much wrong in my tank.

Firstly the books - good choice I started with both of those Christmas last year and for a couple of months I digested them and dipped into them whenever I got 5 minutes.

The Tank - I started looking at a Juwel 180 tank and ended up with a Rena Aqualife 450, which I picked up as an ex display model, with lots of extras, a started kit, heaters, thermometers, and 2 filters both fluvals an fX5 and a U4 for under £450 in the end. So look around and consider 2nd hand or ex-display. If you go for something with built in filters you may need to consider additional filtration as you should be aiming at 10 times turnover. As stated I have an FX5 a U4 and also a powerhead, Newave 5500.

The Rocks - Lots and lots of them, if your in the UK then go for ragstone that should add some to hardness of water, ragstone can normally be brought from garden centres, its the ubiquitous rockery stone, my tank has that and river cobbles in it. The stuff in your photo on the other forum looks like slate, if it is it's completely useless from a hardness point of view as is stuff like granite and perbeck. I have seen some nice set ups with slate, but I have seen some crummy ones too that look just too regimented and planned. They also have sharp edges that is not great for fast moving cichlids.

The Fish - Every person will have a different view and a horror story to back it up but as yet i haven't lost a fish (ok I lost one baby Afra that I think made a power play on his Dad and came a very poor 2nd). I have from day one had a Blue Moori in with my Mbuna with no incidents, I now also have a Nimbochromis Venustus and a Nimbochromis Livingstonii in there too this is a link to some recent photosl]my stocking list on top of the Haps is

4 Labidochromis perlmutt - one breeding pair.
5 Labidochromis caeruleus - one breeding pair
3 Hongis Red Island - getting it on but not seen any holding yet.
1 Pseudotropheus Crabro
1 Pseudotropheus demasoni
3 Pseudotropheus socolofi
2 adult Cynotilapia afra "red top" and approx 20 juves, sold 25 last week and one adult male who was being bullied by the dominant male.
6 Syno multis

In addition the LFS I used for all my stock is now buying my baby Afra off me for a couple of quid a time, on last visit I ended up coming home with the Livingstonii and a Tropheus moori orange bemba and another Tropheus that is Black with tiny bright blue spots (ashamed to say I can't remember the name), these are both Tangs, but are in a display tank in the LFS entirely happily. So I seem to be doing all the things that can be risky.

I was advised that the Crabro and Demasoni should be kept in single specimens and they are very feisty so can see how more than one may be trouble.

I think with enough hiding places and regular moving around of rocks to disturb territory there shouldn't be any problems, I would avoid the Frontosa they are going to be too big.
As for sticking with single species to avoid aggression, well thats your choice but seems pretty dull to me, and inter species aggression is more of an issue with many Cichlids, in my tank the only aggression was between the 2 male afras, he half heartedly chases anything else that lloks at him funny but not with any feeling.

In closing I wouldn't do anything different or change any of my stock. Im happy and they're obviously happy.

Heres a link [url="to my tank set up"]to my tank set up[/url] if your interested or Pm if anything specific.

Good Luck keep us posted.

 

[MikeO]

If you get an electric yellow, I would advise that you get only that kind of cichlid. They are one of the "nicer" species and any other type of cichlid might bully them. That's the reason my electric yellow died. If you get an electric yellow, they like lots of hiding places and you may not see them as much as you would other species of cichlid.

There is no reason why they cant go with other types. I keep yellow labs and have many other different breeds and they do not get bullied at all. I havent ever heard anyone suggest keeping these as a species only tank before? They should not be kept as just one fish though, they need to live in groups of a min 4 or 5.

 

[synodontismultipunctatus]

for your 200 litre i strongly reccommend against the open water varieties and the larger tanganyikans...


as i always suggest lake malawi mbuna, they are the smallest rift lake cichlids and will be ok in your 200 litra as an absolute minimum
you would want to keep about 12-18 cichlids in there...

some mbuna i like that are good alternatives to larger open water ones

P. Demasoni
P. elongatus mpanga (as you said up there somewhere.. i keep thees fish , beautiful)
P. elongatus chewere
P. elongatus sp neon spot
P. flavus
P. lombardi
P. cobalt blue zebra
P. red zebra
P. magpie zebra
P. crabro
P. socolofi
C. afra (red tops / albinos)
M. johanni
M. auratus
M. experatus
M. chipokae
L. caruleus

and as they guy above said and as my name suggests ... synodontis multipunctatus... they are brilliant african scavengers that preffer groups
thease are all mbuna malawi cichlids and are all very colourful, i reccomend a tank with these sorts of fish

generaly stay away from the open waters (cytocara/ alunocara/ haplochromis etc.. ) as they get way too big for your tank im afraid

good luck