What Should I Do?

[AquaBarb]

Yes your right a few are mbuna's. Yellow labs are one of the more peaceful specie.

Ive not a clue which are not as peaceful. Mr T will know

 

[FishGuest5123]

@Russjw I’m walking in the dark here and know nothing about Cichlids. I read one thing and think I get it and then the next article makes my brain explode. I may be asking you some questions. I don’t want to do this wrong. I plan to do get the things I need slowly and make my stocking list as I move along. I’ll have you and @Colin_T take a look as I move along. Can you add one group and add others as you move along or will the first group tear the new group up? This kind of feels like when I set up my betta sorority. I know you need lots of caves and rocks to block lines of view like you do in a betta sorority.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Yes your right a few are mbuna's. Yellow labs are one of the more peaceful specie.

Ive not a clue which are not as peaceful. Mr T will know

We’re going to need a lot of hand holding. Lol!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I think a Cichlid tank would be cool!

 

[Colin_T]

Mbuna are generally the most aggressive cichlids in Lake Malawi. There are a few peaceful species like the electric yellow, but any of the zebras are just pure agro.

If you have a Mbuna tank, you generally have all males and buy them all at the same time. Buy little ones and shove them all in together and leave it at that. Once they settle in and establish their territories, you don't add any new fish or they bash them.

The peacock cichlids (Aulonocara species) are much nicer and more peaceful, and I think they have better colours. Then there are Lake Tanganyikan cichlids, many of which are in between peacocks and mbuna for aggression. However, there are some very peaceful Tanganyikan cichlids (Cyathopharynx and Ophthalmotilapia species) and some of them are really nicely coloured.

 

[AquaBarb]

Mbuna are generally the most aggressive cichlids in Lake Malawi. There are a few peaceful species like the electric yellow, but any of the zebras are just pure agro.

If you have a Mbuna tank, you generally have all males and buy them all at the same time. Buy little ones and shove them all in together and leave it at that. Once they settle in and establish their territories, you don't add any new fish or they bash them.

The peacock cichlids (Aulonocara species) are much nicer and more peaceful, and I think they have better colours. Then there are Lake Tanganyikan cichlids, many of which are in between peacocks and mbuna for aggression. However, there are some very peaceful Tanganyikan cichlids (Cyathopharynx and Ophthalmotilapia species) and some of them are really nicely coloured.

What are Haps like Colin? Temperment wise

 

[AquaBarb]

@Russjw I’m walking in the dark here and know nothing about Cichlids. I read one thing and think I get it and then the next article makes my brain explode. I may be asking you some questions. I don’t want to do this wrong. I plan to do get the things I need slowly and make my stocking list as I move along. I’ll have you and @Colin_T take a look as I move along. Can you add one group and add others as you move along or will the first group tear the new group up? This kind of feels like when I set up my betta sorority. I know you need lots of caves and rocks to block lines of view like you do in a betta sorority.

Im with your here, total new ball game for me too. Ill be interested to see how you get on

Ive not got my tank yet (waiting for things to get back to normal)

But excited to get started...i mean look how beautiful they are

 

[Colin_T]

Haplochromis species are generally much more peaceful than Mbuna, but they are predators and have big mouths, and they will eat smaller tank mates.

 

[FishGuest5123]

So @Colin_T, what should we go for? Can I add any just a species at a time?

 

[Colin_T]

If you plan on setting up a Rift Lake tank, you need to cycle it first because of the high pH (usually around 7.6-8.5). Once the tank is cycled, add all the fish at the same time so they all have to find territories together and none have a hometown advantage.

Your best bet is to look online and visit shops that sell Rift Lake cichlids, then make a list of what you like and post it here. We can go through the list and make suggestions on suitable combinations.

Rift Lake cichlids need hard water and unless your GH is above 300ppm, you will need to add some mineral salt to increase the GH. You can buy Rift Lake water conditioners and these are formulated to provide all the necessary minerals that naturally occur in Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. You simply add however many teaspoons of the mineral salts to the water and allow it to mix for 24 hours before using it in the tank.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Ouch! Adding them all at once can be quite expensive. I may have to consider something else. My budget won’t allow me to do that. . Thank you so much for your help. Going away a little bummed.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ouch! Adding them all at once can be quite expensive. I may have to consider something else. My budget won’t allow me to do that. . Thank you so much for your help. Going away a little bummed.

Yep, that is what I was thinking to.

How about a nice big schooling fish tank? Like 20-30 neon tetras, 20-30 rummy nose tetras, Cory cats, plecos, shrimp, etc.

55 gallons is a lot to work with.

 

[Metalhead88]

Idk how attached you are to each tank, but I'd keep the larger tank and get rid of one or 2 of the smaller.

I've found that I spend similar amounts of time per tank regardless of size.

 

[Fishmanic]

Do it gradually. Set up the tank. Adds shells, caves and rocks the first month. Wait a few more months till you increase your budget for the stocking while you do research on which fish would work best. Start cycling your tank for 4 to 6 more weeks. Then buy all the fish at once and add them to your tank. In a total of 4 to 6 months you will have a great african cichlid tank.

 

[Colin_T]

A lot of people buy the fish over time and keep them in separate tanks, and when they have them all, they move them into the big tank. That way they can collect fish over whatever time frame, and introduce them all at the same time.

It also depends on what fish you get. If you have peacocks, you can put them in first and add other fishes after. But if you have something bigger or aggressive, and it is established in the tank, it might eat or bash anything new you add.