Stocking 180g and 55g tanks

[gcaligan]

I'm getting ready to buy some fish, and I just wanted some feedback on the selections I'm considering. I currently have a hodgepodge of full-grown fish from different lakes all living together peacefully (venustus, tropheus, hap obliquidens, yellow lab, and others). I just finished cycling my new 180g, and I would like to make that an all Malawi tank. I would then make the 55g an all Tanganyikan tank. I don't have much experience with the Tangs in particular so any advice would be appreciated. All new fish will be un-sexed juveniles. Advice on integrating new fish with existing adults would be nice too.

180 Malawi
2-3 Venustus
2-3 Buccochromis Nototaenia
3-4 Fire Haps
3-4 Taiwan Reef or Tangerine Tigers
3-4 Chilotilapia rhoadesii
3-4 Aulo Ngara
3-4 Aulo Ruby Red
3-4 Aulo Sunshine or marmela "tangerine"
2-3 blue ahli
2-3 Yellow labs
Already have: 1 adult male Aulo Swallowtail, 1 adult female Venustus, 1 adult yellow fin borleyii, 1 adult yellow lab, and 1 medium ahli

55g Tanganyika
2-3 Juli transcriptus
2-3 Inkfin calvus
2-3 neolamp lelupi
3-4 cypri leptosoma
Already have: 1 adult tropheus duboisi and 1 adult lamp brichardi

 

[Brooks74]

Im no expert but from what I have researched for my own tank I would think that is too many fish for a 180 once they mature, especially if you are planning to mix males and females.I would probably grow out the juvies in the 180 and weed out the females and keep it all male .

 

[J.Lake]

get more cyps for your tang tank. I had 30 in my 180 it was quite the site. It made the other fish super comfy. My goby cichlid would only come out when the cyps were relaxed.

 

[gcaligan]

Im no expert but from what I have researched for my own tank I would think that is too many fish for a 180 once they mature, especially if you are planning to mix males and females.I would probably grow out the juvies in the 180 and weed out the females and keep it all male .

That's one of the things I'm concerned about. Is over-stocking only applicable for all male tanks? What do you think is a reasonable number of fish for breeding groups? And which of the ones I listed would you cut out?

 

[gcaligan]

get more cyps for your tang tank. I had 30 in my 180 it was quite the site. It made the other fish super comfy. My goby cichlid would only come out when the cyps were relaxed.

I'm planning to put the Tangs in a 55g. How many cyps do you think that would accommodate?

 

[shellies215]

I would say to do 12-15 cyps or none at all. They do much better in larger groups, mostly female.

 

[Brooks74]

I am stocking my 125 as a all male hap/peacock tank I have never done a breeding hap/peacock tank I was thinking the 180 might be too small because of the Nototaenia and Rhoadesii being capable of getting over 12 inches and Venustus around 10 inches. I was thinking it might not be enough room for that many larger fish to move around comfortably .