Mbuna tankmates?
- Thread starter Christophercanary
- Start date
Anything is possible. I think chances are increased in a larger tank with bigger footprint.
fish have their own personalities.
fish have their own personalities.
A full grown male Red Zebra or Yellow Lab should be able to hold their own against most adult Demasoni.
I had a 6 ft tank that held at least 5 generations of de-masoni (no other species), from small fry to aged adults, it was a striking tank.
The tank always seemed to maintain a population of about 100 (give or take) as the old fading ones died, they were constantly being replaced by vibrantly colored juvies.
The tank always seemed to maintain a population of about 100 (give or take) as the old fading ones died, they were constantly being replaced by vibrantly colored juvies.
I started with a 36" tank and 9 demasoni with 3 yellow labs. I decided if 12 works why not 9. HA!!
In 9 months all heck broke loose and I had my first experience with bloat.
I treated and most recovered so I went to 12 demasoni as a single species tank. I struggled with removing rejected males and never enough females. Constantly raising fry to get females.
They can be kept with other mbuna but 12 seems to be a good minimum in a 55G. The other my fish and the demasoni themselves die of bloat IMO...caused by harassment if you can't achieve the balance. I have kept 20 in a 72" tank with other fish and 15 in my 75G and I find the larger tanks more forgiving, but no matter what size...large groups and 3 males max.
In 9 months all heck broke loose and I had my first experience with bloat.
I treated and most recovered so I went to 12 demasoni as a single species tank. I struggled with removing rejected males and never enough females. Constantly raising fry to get females.
They can be kept with other mbuna but 12 seems to be a good minimum in a 55G. The other my fish and the demasoni themselves die of bloat IMO...caused by harassment if you can't achieve the balance. I have kept 20 in a 72" tank with other fish and 15 in my 75G and I find the larger tanks more forgiving, but no matter what size...large groups and 3 males max.
Yikes... bloat is my main fear when it comes to my fish... I skip a day of feeding once every 5 days to prevent it.
Well I plan on upgrading my 29gal to a 50gal once my labs and zebras get bigger (not knowing how long it will take for them to reach full size). I'm still trying to figure out if I should add more fish, and if so what kinds (to help with aggression).
You seem like a person with quite a bit of experience... what do you think?
Also, I only plan on getting the species of fish that I already have, if I decide to add more fish
sounds insane bro I definitely plan on getting to that point some day... the color must have been ridiculous
If you want to keep the demasoni I would get a 55G or larger (48" x 12") and I would get 12 after removing extra males. I would also do either the red zebras or yellow labs but not both and do 1m:4f for whichever of those you choose.
I would get the tank right now. Unless the fish are less than 1.5" (including the tail) they are breeding and need the room to manage aggression regardless of size.
So you mean 12 Demasoni along with either red zebras or yellow labs? How many fish in total should I have for the 55g (to overcrowd and help with the aggression).
If one of the species is demasoni then 17 fish. 3m:9f demasoni (if they let you have 3 males) and 1m:4f either estherae or caeruleus.
