Decided on mainly Malawi Predator Haps please help me add to list

[Wharf]

So for my 180 gallon uniquarium I have secured some full grown adult male haps at a LFS that imports Africans. They all have wonderful color in the display.

Dimidiochromis strigatus

"sunset hap...almost a D. comp haha" ~ 6-7inches
Nimbochromis venustus

~ 6-7inches
Placidochromis milomo

"super vc-10" ~ 6-7inches
Protomelas sp. "spilonotus tanzania" ~ 6-7inches
Aulonocara baenschi

~ 5inches
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "Eureka"

~6 inches
These are all being saved for me

Now I am going to add these when I find them
Chilotilapia rhoadesii

male
Fossorochromis rostratus

male
Synodontis Polli adult x 5 who cares


What else could I put in this tank from Malawi (not interested in mbuna)? I considered the infamous Malawi Barracuda...I know where I can get a decent one, but that might not go over well. I considered a "Malawi Gar" they are a little bit better tempered. Any suggestions are welcome...plus what number I should end up with? Six of the fish on my list will end up around 12inches..ish.

 

[Steve_C]

All great choices so far, I have pretty much all those as well in my 240 hap tank. A few for you to add to the list that are "must haves" IMO in any really nice pred hap tank..

Champsochromis caeruleus (aka Trout cichlid or Champ)
Copadichromis Borleyi Kadango (aka red fin borleyi)
Cyrtocara moorii (aka blue dolphin)
Nimbochromis livingstonii
Placidochromis Phenochilus

Also a Buccochromis is a great fish, I have been looking for one myself but haven't found yet in a big enough size.

Those are a few off the top of my head that I think are great species.

Far as a number you can overstock haps pretty well just like with mbuna. I don't have an actual count but in my 6x2x30" 240 I have around 35'ish mostly haps, some peacocks and few mbuna and everyone gets along pretty well for the most part. And some are pretty large like my 11" eye biter and 11" champ. Long as it's filtered well you can stock pretty heavily.

 

[Wharf]

All great choices so far, I have pretty much all those as well in my 240 hap tank. A few for you to add to the list that are "must haves" IMO in any really nice pred hap tank..

Champsochromis caeruleus (aka Trout cichlid or Champ)
Copadichromis Borleyi Kadango (aka red fin borleyi)
Cyrtocara moorii (aka blue dolphin)
Nimbochromis livingstonii
Placidochromis Phenochilus

Also a Buccochromis is a great fish, I have been looking for one myself but haven't found yet in a big enough size.

Those are a few off the top of my head that I think are great species.

Far as a number you can overstock haps pretty well just like with mbuna. I don't have an actual count but in my 6x2x30" 240 I have around 35'ish mostly haps, some peacocks and few mbuna and everyone gets along pretty well for the most part. And some are pretty large like my 11" eye biter and 11" champ. Long as it's filtered well you can stock pretty heavily.

I have had Borleyi before, will the Livingstoni and Venutus work out together? The Champ seems like an awesome fish I will definately check that out. I am a big fan of the P. Phenocilus"Starfire" myself. I might add some sturdy peacocks like a Red-Top Rwanda, I already have a Jake, but really did Otter Points, and Lemons too. Yeah I was thinking maybe around 20 adult Males and some Synos. Thanks for you input man!

 

[Steve_C]

Yep the Venustus and Livingstonii will be fine together I have both in mine and they get along great. Usually in larger tanks like we are talking about (large by cichlid standards) aggression isn't too much of an issue between similar looking species. It would be in a 75-90g but in a 180 like you're stocking you can get away with it.

Another sturdy peacock would be a dragonblood. I have two in with my haps they can hold their own really well.

Also might want to look for a nice Fryeri they have some great color for a hap tank with the nice white down the head and bright metallic blue body. They can be a bit docile though. I have one now that does well in mine but he's actually the third fryeri I tried, the first two were too timid and had to be removed.

 

[duanes]

I found with Fossorochromis, a 150 gallon tank was only large enough for a pair, at full growth. Once my male reached maturity, he would only tolerate his chosen female in that size tank, and became lethally aggressive with any other similar shaped cichlid, and especially similar bluish colored individuals.
In a similar sized tank I had good luck with Nimnochromis, even multiple males.

 

[Wharf]

I found with Fossorochromis, a 150 gallon tank was only large enough for a pair, at full growth. Once my male reached maturity, he would only tolerate his chosen female in that size tank, and became lethally aggressive with any other similar shaped cichlid, and especially similar bluish colored individuals.
In a similar sized tank I had good luck with Nimnochromis, even multiple males.

My goal is to have no females in the tank...My tank will be sexist. Whenever I have had a all male peackock/hap tank in the past and tried to add some non-sexed sub-adult fish that happened to be female...that was when aggression sky-rocketed and war broke out. I think that just keeping female haps out help mitigate some aggression. After raising a colony or two of Tropheus....Hap aggression is totally manageable haha.

Beautiful fish btw...I want me a Rostratus

 

[Steve_C]

Fosso's are a great species. The above pic is the nice male Fosso I had (upper right fish) but I lost him last year I have another one now but he's still only about 4" and Fosso's don't start coloring up till almost 6" range. When they do color up they get a really cool white that looks as if it's peppered all over their head which is great looking.

All male as you mentioned is the best way to go. Mine are mostly all males, I do have a few female mbuna but the male haps tend to leave them alone for the most part.

 

[Wharf]

Here's a quick shabby vid of what I have so far
Copadichromis azureus

Dimidiochromis strigatus

Nimbochromis venustus

Placidochromis milomo

"super vc-10"
Protomelas sp. "spilonotus tanzania"
Protomelas taeniolatus(Likoma Is.)
Aulonocara baenschi

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "Eureka"

Aulonocara sp. "Lwanda"

 

[markstrimaran]

Labitrouphus Caeruleus " yellow lab mbuna"
1 male 10 females, for prey.

 

[Steve_C]

Fish all look really good. The spilonotus is gonna be a real stunner!