Stocking 100 gallon mbuna

[GermanDude]

Hi,
My 100 gallon is occupied by a 7 inch severum, some swordtails, three blue gouramis and a reticulated algea eater at the moment.
I will move them to my new 75 gallon, that was supposed to become home of about 20 mbunas and make the 100 g become a lake malawi tank.
It's 60 long by 20 wide by 20 high.

Which option would you choose?

3/7 yellow labs
3/7 powder blue cichlids
0/5 red zebras

OR

1/5 yellow labs
1/5 powder blue cichlids
1/5 red zebras
1/5 mainganos ?

There will be two rocky areas at each side,
partly reaching the water surface,
providing some caves and crevices, and some open space between them.
Is it true the bigger one species group, the more "peaceful" they are, because the males are busy with each other and don't chase their females that much?

I am concerned the red zebra male would just kill the other males, because they are notorious for being pretty rough fish.
And I know red zebra females are more aggressive than the other females.
But I like the contrasting orange, bright blue and electric yellow.

What do you think about it?
Thanks in advance, have a nice weekend!

 

[AnthonyFish20]

I like mainganos you can have all those fish together if you want. But Id go with stock 2.

 

[james99]

I would swap either the labs or zebras with something else, these 2 tend to cross breed easier than most. Maybe swap one for a vertical barred species?

 

[RD.]

stock # 2, leave any resulting fry in the tank to be eaten

 

[GermanDude]

Thank you all!

I don't want to raise any fry and I know about the easy crossbreeding of red zebras and yellow labs.
All but the red zebras are just territorial when they are preparing to spawn, aren't they?

I am a total mbuna beginner and don't want to risk the male red zebra to kill the yellow lab male.
Maybe Option 2 minus 1 male red zebra fits the bill better?

 

[Zanzag]

Why not option 2 but leave out all yellow labs or all red zebra? Less likelihood of xbreeding

 

[GermanDude]

Because I like yellow and orange.
I am ok with crossbreeding, because I won't give the offspring to anybody else.

 

[RD.]

I am a total mbuna beginner and don't want to risk the male red zebra to kill the yellow lab male.
Maybe Option 2 minus 1 male red zebra fits the bill better?

Yes, option 2 minus male red zebra. There is always a risk of a hyper dominant male mbuna killing a less dom male, even among male yellow labs. So if you want to remove some of that risk, don't add a male red zebra.

 

[AnthonyFish20]

Why not option 2 but leave out all yellow labs or all red zebra? Less likelihood of xbreeding

Stop with the inbreeding BS it happens the fish are fine as longs he tells people they are hybrids or leaves them in his tank they are fine.

 

[james99]

Stop with the inbreeding BS it happens the fish are fine as longs he tells people they are hybrids or leaves them in his tank they are fine.

What if the person he is honest with isn't as honest and passes them off as pure? A tank is only so big an holding on to a bunch of fish for their entire life could end up taking up more space than the op has.