Can i mix my Labs/Haps with community fish?

[HybridGS]

In my 260L tank i have 6 Yellow labs and 3 Electric Blue Haps.

Instead of making a all Malawi set up, could i mix them with some community fish instead?

I was thinking...

6 labs
3 haps
2 raphael cats
1 synodontis
1 pink convict
1 firemouth
10 tiger barbs
1 red tail black shark

The reason i ask is other 'nice' Malawi cichlids are not always available around here (usually just ugly hybrids with sunken bellys), and when they are, they are extremely expensive, plus my tank is running at neutral hardness and the africans have been breeding like rabbits in it.

Would this set up work?

 

[kamikaziechameleon]

You could blend those fish but I think a 55 or 75 gallon tank is to small. I would require a 6ft tank to keep that stock list without conflict. but if you do it right you might get away with it.

Intro the least aggressive fish to the tank first, every 6-12 hours add all fish of the same type at the same time, add the labs all at once, then wait a bit and add the next fish. Got it. I've found this prevents that issue of tiger barbs being treated like feeders. If they are acclimated they can react to the more aggressive fish just fine. Capish?

 

[HybridGS]

Thanks for the info

Shall i leave out the Firemouth? i already have the pink con in with them (i had to take it out of my Red Devil tank because she was breeding with it) and the catfish have just been moved across.

So all i would be adding is..

Tiger Barbs (how many?)
Red Tail Black Shark

I think the tank is around 75 gallons its the same size as the jewel vision 260 (bow frotned etc)

 

[HybridGS]

ttt