Hiiii!!! i need some advice!!!

[Gothyc_samurai]

you may have seen my post around about the 84 gallon tank.. well... ive decided to keep africans!!!

now.. i know a bit about malawis, like you need to add a few at a time and a crowd reduces aggression, etc. ok

i was thinking so start off with red empress then add a few yellow labidochromis,
(juvs)
what do you think?

also, while im here, can jewels be kept with malawis?
because the place where i work, (LFS) has got the best quality malawis ive EVER seen, and theyre not cheap ill tell you!!
just wondered, thanks

would a frontosa go in a 84? even if its afemale i dont miond

 

[Gothyc_samurai]

dimensions are 4 X 2 X 2

 

[Honda12]

You can mix frontosas with malawi haps and peacocks but I wouldn't suggest mixing a front with any Mbuna cause they would probably rip it apart. If you go the hap and peacock route with the front I wouldn't suggest adding a jewel to that tank. If you want a jewel I would just go with an mbuna tank. This is just my opinon but in the end it is all up to you.

 

[Gothyc_samurai]

thanks for yur newly welcomed information

 

[rweedon]

I have always tried to stock an african tank in one big blow maybe I have been doing something wrong but it seems to work very well at least for me! And my customers have had a lot of success!!!

 

[SinisterKisses]

Quite the range of fish you're interested in. As suggested, Mbuna shouldn't be kept with haps, peacocks, or fronts...they a much more aggressive, quick, always on the move fish, that will generally harass the slower moving, more relaxed fronts and peacocks eventually to death - that, and mbuna are food hogs, so the slower fish don't get the chance to get the food they need. Also, they have different tank decor needs. Mbuna are a rock fish, they need LOTS of rocks and caves to be happy. Peacocks and haps are more of a open space type fish, and while they do like some rockwork, they like open space more. Frontosa, on the other hand, are Lake Tang fish. That right off the bat, means to me they shouldn't be mixed with peacocks/haps, or mbuna. Different water conditions, and often different dietary needs. Also, Fronts can get huge, and a full grown front will eat anything it can fit into its mouth - which can include small tankmates. Frontosa are also a VERY slow, docile fish, which often can be spooked easily, promting very quick bursts in which they have little control. Its fairly common for a scared front to slam head first into a rock, doing extensive damage. Therefore, you should avoid using any sharp objects in their tank. And finally, Frontosa are very much a colony fish, they need to be kept in a large colony of their own kind (7 or more members) to be truly happy and healthy. Keeping a single frontosa in a Malawi setup (of any kind) would be cruel.

Basically, I suggest you pick either Malawi Mbuna, Malawi peacocks and Haps, or Lake Tang fish for your tank, rather than mixing fish that just aren't compatable.

 

[Honda12]

Sinisterkisses is right for the most part. But I have a frontosa in with my malawi haps and he does quite fine. They pretty much all have the same water requierments they just come from differen't lakes. IMO fronts do better in groups but if your going to have one just keep only one or a big group. I have had my frontosa for years with differen't haps. He doesn't get picked on and sometimes he does the picking. He's fat and healthy and doesn't have any problems being whith malawi haps. Plus I see peoples tanks with fronts and malwai's mixed all the time so if you want one go for it.

 

[jimk]

I think one frontosa with a red empress and a bunch of labidochromis would work fine. You could even add other peacocks with different coloration then the empress.

 

[fsc46]

keep the front out of that mix IMO. besides the tank is to small for it anyway. They can reach 16" in length.

 

[Scotty]

you may have seen my post around about the 84 gallon tank.. well... ive decided to keep africans!!!

now.. i know a bit about malawis, like you need to add a few at a time and a crowd reduces aggression, etc. ok

i was thinking so start off with red empress then add a few yellow labidochromis,
(juvs)
what do you think?

also, while im here, can jewels be kept with malawis?
because the place where i work, (LFS) has got the best quality malawis ive EVER seen, and theyre not cheap ill tell you!!
just wondered, thanks

would a frontosa go in a 84? even if its afemale i dont miond

I would suggest you look at only Malawi's, especially if you can get great quality fish. The ideal is wild caughts and then F1 fish. The mbuna give you great colour variations just like the peacock's. Some of the haps are quite happy being in with mbuna. Just make sure they are a little bigger when put into the tank. Moorii, blue dolphin, fit in very well with mbuna so do some Capidochromis and Placidochromis species. Put lots of rocks in to create enough caves as they will defend a cave to the death if too many dominant males.
Great choice for this tank. Post some pics once you have it established.