90g all male Haps and Peacocks potential stock list

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stalefish83

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 26, 2015
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Eugene, OR
I recently picked up a roughly 90 gallon aquarium, I say "roughly" because the dimensions are a bit odd. It's 60" long by mostly 12" wide, because a sump style filter is built into the aquarium. It's actually 18" wide but most of the back section of the tank is the filter. So it's 18" on both ends and 12" along most of the middle of the tank.

This will be an all male hap/peacock tank with some catfish and maybe a couple mild Mbuna. here is what I'm thinking of stocking:

Aulonocara "peacocks":

Eureka
Hueseri Midnight (Wild caught)
Maisoni Chitimba Bay
Maleri Rubin Red
OB

"Haps":

Copadichromis borleyi "Namalenje"
Copadichromis borleyi "Red Fin"
Copadichromis trewavasae
Copadichromis virginalis “Yellow Blaze”
Cyrtocara moorii “Blue dolphin”

Mbuna:

Yellow Lab
Acei

Catfish:

Synodontis either multipunctatus or lucipinnis* x5

For the haps and peacocks, these are all available at the Wet Spot in Portland and according to their website the peacocks at least are sexed as males and all between 2 inches and 3.5 inches.

I'll post a pic of the scape in a few, it'll be mostly open with two piles of rocks.

Anybody see anything in here that wouldn't work or have any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
The Hueseri probably won't color up, the copadichromis probably won't like each other much, especially the 2 borelyi.
 
Thanks james99 james99

Are you saying the Hueseri won't color because they are more mild and will end up subservient? Or because it's a wild caught?

For the borelyi, would you recommend choosing one, and seeing if the others get along? Or would I be best to choose one copa bringing the haps down to just 2: copa and moori?
 
The hueseri are just timid. To different copidachromis might work, one borelyi and one of the others. Just have some way to split them up if it doesn't work.
 
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I agree choose one borleyi. Remember one of each species and no look alikes.

The trewavasae can also be timid so with medium aggressive fish in there like jacobfreibergi...you might want to skip those.

You can combine some Copadichromis but the borleyi is medium aggression and the trewavasae is not. I have no experience with the virginalis.
 
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Thanks DJRansome DJRansome I really appreciate being able to benefit from the kindness of experienced fish keepers. I've been on fish forums ever since I started keeping fish about 8 years ago and have been saved from so many potential disasters.

I'm also seeing that Rusty's are "peaceful" and only get to be about 4". Would they be too timid for a Jake? Or would being a different species nullify aggression from the peacock?

I'm hoping to get a few "peaceful" mbunas, but with the somewhat bare scape I'm not wanting more than 3 or 4 if I can find that many.

If it'll work in the long run, I may start with a few of each mbuna first (yellow lab, acei, rusy, etc) then choose the best as they age and re-home the rest. Then get sexed male peacocks and haps later since the wet spot has sexed fish at a reasonable price. Would that be a bad idea to let Mbuna (even "peaceful" ones) get established before introducing new fish?

I've heard that when attempting to mix mbunas with haps/peacocks you want the mbunas to start with a size disadvantage. If this is true, would it also be true for the "peaceful" ones?

Thanks again!

EDIT: I know mixing mbunas with haps/peacocks can be a hot-button issue, so let's have at it :)
 
I would still wait to add mbuna. I had a huge acei that would fight and sometimes win against an 8" venestus. I'm in the process of removing my acei. Even peaceful mbuna can be pretty mean.
 
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I had 3 strawberry/ firefish peacock ,all females, in with my yellow labs, and blue pseudo trophus. The only cause of concern were the 3 peacocks. They would chase each other all day long.
Now I got one in each tank . They all have laid eggs, without getting fertilized. So much for hybrids.
I have mixed male and female yellow lab mbuna. It's gotten pretty peaceful after the boys, all figured out who is the boss.
 
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I would only consider yellow labs, but a group is OK. Truthfully after I had them in there for a while...I decided I didn't like the yellow labs with the peacocks and haps and I took them out. I have heard rumours that experienced fish keepers have success if they let the haps/peacocks get huge and then add baby mbuna...even some aggressive ones. I am skeptical, but I have never tried it. Since I didn't even like yellow labs, I figure why go there.
 
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