Help with 300g Peacock/Hap set up

[chiroken]

Hello all. I’m in the process of getting myself ready to set up a 300 gallon (8’ x 24”D x 31.5”H) tank with a 140 gallon sump. I am planning on having it a peacock/hap tank. I’ve had fish for 30 years, the past 5 I’ve very successfully run a 90g mbuna and a 55g mixed peacock/mbuna (3 sunshine peacocks, 1 s. fryeri, yellow labs and demasonis).

I would appreciate anyone’s actual experience with the questions I have. I’m trying to do my due diligence; however, it seems I keep ready the same repeated contradictory statements. Actual experience is what I need!!!

My dilemmas are:

1) male only or mixed group?

I will most likely order several groups of fish as juveniles for a couple of reasons. First, I can’t get the best coloured/varied fish locally. Second, I can afford $7-8/fish versus $30-45 in the store. Thirdly, growing them out together in my mbuna experience has allowed the fish to more easily acclimate to each other as adults. Fourthly, I love raising animals from young to adults.

If I order 4-6 of each group I will get males and females and some fish will need to be removed. I would love to be able to keep more of the original fish by keeping some of the females as well. I am aware of the hybridization debate, not really wanting to start it up again here.

Will a mixed male/female tank create MORE or LESS aggression? In a mixed tank, with a male be distracted by the females or be more aggressive to other fish because of the females?

2) only 1 colour type or not?

I continuously read only 1 colour type per tank or else war will break out yet I regularly see tanks on youtube that house 2 or 3 of the same male peacocks? I’ve personally seen a couple of 6’ tanks with more than 1 of the same fish. Which is it?

3) Tank setup

This is a big one for me. I got lots of river rock structure built up for my mbuna tanks but contradictory info on peacock/hap tanks. For both all male and mixed male/female tanks I read either sparse rocks without cave structures or cave structures for a tired male to hide (all male tank) or a harassed female to hide. Again, lots of youtube tanks with minimal rocks with the males all swimming around peacefully in the open water. I’ve read use rocks to break line of sight rather than create cave structures. How high in the water column to the rocks need to reach to break line of site (this tank will be 32” tall) Which way is best???

4) Target number of fish?

I'd like to end up with peacocks as well as some haps that might end up 8 inches. Filtration shouldn't be an issue with the sump.

My apologies for the lengthy post, I'm researching tons but don't feel I'm getting all that well educated.

 

[P.A.NativesBPM]

I know you said actual experience, and I have none with haps or peacocks, but I can help with a few things. First of all, getting juvenile fish can almost guarantee a few of each sex. I would personally keep the females so you can witness the breeding. Yes, this will make the males fairly territorial and defensive of his harem, but in your tank you have plenty of room for territory! As for tank setup, I'd keep lots of open water space, but to maximize territory options, I'd build up a sort of square box, and about 16" up in the tank, a few flat rocks. This is like another area of bottom space for territory and the space below could serve as a hiding place. The rest of the tank, I would put in one large rock or a pile of rocks per male, so they all have some real estate.


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[Metriacliman]

If you want different species you should stick with all male. That way there is no chance of hybridization.

 

[ice blue]

I personally like the mixed tanks but you will end up with thousands of fry

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[P.A.NativesBPM]

If you want different species you should stick with all male. That way there is no chance of hybridization.

As long as the OP is responsible with the fry I see no problem with hybrid fish. People just need to be told what they are buying. I feel that you would lose a significant amount of the joy of fish keeping with an all male tank.


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[Metriacliman]

I would definitely prefer a mixed species tank. I just don't enjoy culling fry/giving them to people. Once they are out of your hands you don't know what people will do.

 

[Brooks74]

One issue with mixing peacocks is almost all the females pretty much look identical and the males will breed with whomever will let them and you will surely end up with some hybrids.Also imo haps grow alot slower than mbunas some take a few years to mature which is why i usually spend the extra money and get sexed males, You can have same colored fish but it advised to get fish that dont look alike to cut down on fighting and to insure they all color up.With your tank size though you can probably keep a few of the same fish without much trouble.

 

[Fish on Fire]

You can keep anything you want from the hap, peacock, and mbuna family in there. Heck, a pair of emperors wouldn't be out of the question with that size of a tank. Go crazy.

 

[Metriacliman]

You can keep anything you want from the hap, peacock, and mbuna family in there. Heck, a pair of emperors wouldn't be out of the question with that size of a tank. Go crazy.

I disagree. If you put 10 of 1 species, then 15 of another, all hell would break loose.
You have to have fish that look different. However, you might be able to put a small breeding group of mbuna in.

 

[Fish on Fire]

I disagree. If you put 10 of 1 species, then 15 of another, all hell would break loose.
You have to have fish that look different. However, you might be able to put a small breeding group of mbuna in.

In a tank of that size dealing with fish that will be an average of 6-9" full grown, he has a lot of room for trial and error.