Can I Do This Stock?

[pumh]

hi, so i have a 30 gallon with some fish right now but I'm getting rid of hem so i was wondering if i can do an african cichlid tank? before you yell at me that its way to small, i understand but i have some more mellow (for a cichlid), smaller african cichlids, and have researched up a lot. i've heard it would be okay to put some labs in so hears the stocking i was thinking.

5-6 Yellow labs

and possibly a group of one of these species with the labs
Melanochromis auratus
Cynotilapia "Purple Lion" (Lupingu)
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Pseudotropheus acei
Iodotropheus sprengerae
Pseudotropheus socolofi


im open to any other idea too though. oh yeah and for water parameters i have then running for Africans so no worries there!


pumh

 

[james41683]

what are the dimensions of the tank? out of all of those species i would do a single species group (1m3f) of labs,Iodotropheus sprengerae, or the cynotalipia. people have had some luck keeping labs like this, but theres also the chance of it not working. auratus are way too aggressive and need something around 75 gallons and 1m7f, demasoni have to be in groups of 12 or more to work and it would be alittle cramped and acei get to 7 inches and need lots of swimming space. another fish that might work would be salousi. they are dwarf and the males and females have different colors.

 

[pumh]

okay thats what i was thinking abput the acei,auratus,demasoni but never hurts to put too many suggestions haha, yes i've heard about the salousi i forgot to put them on there could i do 4 labs and 4 salousi or 4 labs and 4 socolofi? sorry if these are noobish question but it will be my first african tank, well aside from my ten gallon shellie tank. im pretty sure that its just the basic thirty measurements (36x12x16).

EDIT:i forgot to ask earlier because i know it never hurts to ask, but malawi cichlids cant hybridize with anything outside of their own genus like CA's can correct?

 

[JMatthew]

For the most part, even if they could hybridize from a genetics stand point it is not likely simply because of the mechanics behind it. Most of the Mawalians you may look at are mouth brooders, while the majority of the the CAs are egg layers. They simply wouldn't know what to do with eachother.

 

[james41683]

i would think 8 fish would be too many, like i said ive heard good and bad stories from people who kept a quad of labs in a 30 gallon tank. you may be able to squeeze in a trio of the smaller syno cats, but as for cichlids i wouldnt try it.