Stocking an ALL Madagascar tank????

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Ghage

Ghage

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 25, 2009
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I'm looking to stock an all Madagascar tank. I currently have 4 tanks that are reserved for SA/CA Cichlids, a 180, 110, 55, and planted 46. I'm looking to start a 90 gallon Madagascar tank and want some advise on stocking it. I was thinking about the following, please let me know what you think.

A pair of Paratilapia Bleekeri
A Pair of Paretroplus Dambabe
1 Paretroplus Maculatus
1 Paretroplus Maromandia
1 Paretroplus Menarambo
 
Ghage;3482907; said:
I'm looking to stock an all Madagascar tank. I currently have 4 tanks that are reserved for SA/CA Cichlids, a 180, 110, 55, and planted 46. I'm looking to start a 90 gallon Madagascar tank and want some advise on stocking it. I was thinking about the following, please let me know what you think.

A pair of Paratilapia Bleekeri
A Pair of Paretroplus Dambabe
1 Paretroplus Maculatus
1 Paretroplus Maromandia
1 Paretroplus Menarambo
Click to expand...

I don't know man. Sounds like a time bomb to me. Bleekeri get huge and are one of the more aggressive madagascars. I think a pair of them would be all you could fit in there. Even then, good luck getting them to get along. All of the paretroplus are very aggressive to other paretroplus. I just don't see any way of them getting along and in my opinion you are trying to get way to many different fish in there. Plus several of those can hybridize which would be a huge no no for fish that are extinct in the wild.

I think you would be much better of with the 180 for a madgascar tank. Even then I would stock it differently. Go with a group of one of either Maculatus or Menarambo. I would have at least 6-8 of them to keep the aggression down. Maybe one Bleekeri and them a group of 6-8 nourissati lamena. You might have to remove fish if the lamena breed though.

Madagascars need more space then most cichlids. More so then SA cichlids even. Would you put that many big SA cichlids in a 90g?
 
Paretroplus maromanida isn't even in the hobby LOL..


Nice list though. I can't say if they will get a long or not though...
 
Most of the paretroplus you listed get a foot long. And they are very aggressive, with buck teeth to do the shredding. I have heard of people keeping groups of Pe. menerambo in 150 gallon tanks only to have a male kill of the rest of them. My 5 macs are about 5" and were in a 85 wide (48" x 24"). They needed an upgrade about an inch ago. Might be becuase of the small group, but the aggression was there.
 
the issue with either paratilapia in the tank would be aggression IMO, if anything I'd try to stay away from a having a pair
 
Yeah I really like the flamebacks as well. I think Im going to go with either fulus or nyereri, just not sure which. Anyone try mixing them with cyprichromis or anything? Also, how many to a 75 gallon tank 4 feet?
 
I think the bleekeri's would love you for putting them into a tank full of Cyp's! The Cyp's definetly wouldn't as they are picked off one by one in the wee morning hours. All paratilapines are crepescular feeders. Back in the early 90's when they first came on the scene I put the group I received from Paul into a large tank with a huge shoal of breeder Bedotia and slowly but surely the bedotia dwindled down. Bedotia gaeyi can get easily 5" with long term care. Needless to say the Paratilapines were very happy! Males of the small spotted variants for me maxed out around 10 excluding tail
 
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