All Male Peacock Tank

[spitz006]

If I set up an all male peacock tank, and I don't include any OB or hybrid species or line-bred species, what will my tank look like? It's a 90 gallon. Will it be boring if I just only keep wild type aulonocaras? Will it be colorful or will it just be like a couple blue fish and a bunch of subdued non dominant males?

Thanks in advance, can't seem to find any photos on google of anyone doing this.

 

[DJRansome]

You need 12 fish that look nothing alike for a successful all-male tank and there are not 12 aulonocara that look nothing alike. There is no reason (if you are willing to do the work and take the time for the necessary trial and error) that you cannot have a colorful all-male tank if you include both haps and aulonocara.

Chances are that #12 and maybe even #11 may not be brilliant, but the rest should color fairly well with the right mix.

 

[spitz006]

So you would suggest throwing in smaller peaceful haps into the mix. What about like, tanganyikans too? Or even west africans or whatever. As long as I stay away from mbuna?

Or should I just go with a bunch of mbuna and more aggressive fish? I just want the most colorful display possible while keeping no hybrids, just wild-type fish.

 

[DJRansome]

I would not mix Tangs or most other lakes and bodies of water. Some have success with a male xxx.

I feel like I've said this before, forgive any repetition. IMO peacocks are not as brilliant as mbuna on their best day. But there is more variety among haps and peacocks. So variety or individual brilliance?

There is not going to be a much more colorful tank than a Labidochromis caeruleus species tank.

 

[spitz006]

I would not mix Tangs or most other lakes and bodies of water. Some have success with a male xxx.

I feel like I've said this before, forgive any repetition. IMO peacocks are not as brilliant as mbuna on their best day. But there is more variety among haps and peacocks. So variety or individual brilliance?

There is not going to be a much more colorful tank than a Labidochromis caeruleus species tank.

got any pics of your tanks? I feel like your 125 is the perfect example of peaceful hap tank, and your 75 is a perfect example of a mbuna tank

 

[DJRansome]

I would not call any tank with demasoni in it a perfect example of a mbuna tank, LOL. And I do have one ancient Cynotilapia in there that refuses to die. No pics...I hate cleaning the algae to the extent necessary to get good pics, as well as getting out the special flash rigs to freeze the action.

My 125G has mixed gender so 3m:9f each of the borleyi, stuartgranti and latifasciata. You don't want the drab females, but I find mixed gender much more relaxed. Borleyi are not the most peaceful haps, but they are a favorite.

I do need to replenish all my tanks...between moving in 2017 and covid (no annual fish auctions) the numbers are low at this time.