Switching to African Cichlids

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dre205

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 6, 2010
88
0
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Georgia
hey all,



i have been keeping central and south american cichlids for a while now and they are starting to become boring. most of them get to big for home aquariums and are too agressive. im thinking of switching over to african cichlids. i understand that they need different water chemistry and all and i got all that covered. my tank size is a 55. my ph is going to be around 8.0 to 7.5. let me know if this is a bad idea. ive heard that africans are far more agressive than their american cusins. i just love their coloration and how active they are. its fun to see them biker over food during feeding time. i want to start out with a pair of electric yellow labs ( hopefully i will get a male and female). i have an idea of what to put with them but im not sure so can you guys give me some ideas as in compatible tankmates( perferably other cichlids. thanks for your time. sorry for the grammar, i was kinda in a rush lol :)
 
Congrats on deciding to go with africans :) I love my mbuna. First of all, unlike SA/CA cichlid, africans do not form pairs. They are harem breeders. So it's best to get 1 male per 3-4 females. The more females the better in most cases. So for a 55 gallon I would look into getting 3 species with similar temperaments.
A great begginner set up is:
1m/4f Yellow labs
1m/4f Rusty cichlid (Iodotropheus sprengera)
1m/4f Pseudotropheus acei

Now the above aren't too picky about gender ratios so you have a little bit of leeway.
You could also replace the Ps. Acei with any type of cynotilapia species. There are many to choose from and the males are stunning.

Another favorite 55 gallon set up is the classic demasoni?yellow lab combo.

This is one of my favorite set ups!

12+ Pseudotropheus demasoni
6-7 Yellow labs

Now demasoni are dwarf mbuna and only get to be 3-4" long. The reason they are stocked so densely is they are MEAN little fish and very aggressive with one another. By stocking higher numbers of them it keep the aggression spread out so you don't end up with only one.
 
most of them get too big for home aquariums? i dont think so. mayne if you have a 10g.

the only cichlids that are way too big for most people are dovis and p bass
 
Many south amercian cichlids and central american cichlids get too big for a 55 gallon since it's only 12" wide.
 
ash54876;4007791; said:
Congrats on deciding to go with africans :) I love my mbuna. First of all, unlike SA/CA cichlid, africans do not form pairs. They are harem breeders. So it's best to get 1 male per 3-4 females. The more females the better in most cases. So for a 55 gallon I would look into getting 3 species with similar temperaments.
A great begginner set up is:
1m/4f Yellow labs
1m/4f Rusty cichlid (Iodotropheus sprengera)
1m/4f Pseudotropheus acei

Now the above aren't too picky about gender ratios so you have a little bit of leeway.
You could also replace the Ps. Acei with any type of cynotilapia species. There are many to choose from and the males are stunning.

Another favorite 55 gallon set up is the classic demasoni?yellow lab combo.

This is one of my favorite set ups!

12+ Pseudotropheus demasoni
6-7 Yellow labs

Now demasoni are dwarf mbuna and only get to be 3-4" long. The reason they are stocked so densely is they are MEAN little fish and very aggressive with one another. By stocking higher numbers of them it keep the aggression spread out so you don't end up with only one.
Click to expand...



Yes i like the first setup i will have to get some rocks for my 55 so they can hide in. where is the best place to find slate or rocks that they will enjoy. i am trying to avoid artificial ortaments. the only thing fake i want in the tank are plants. any sugestions?
 
Texas Holy rock is a nice, natural place for cichlids, although, it can get a bit pricey since most people charge by the pound.

1.jpg_5ef92f6b5f.jpg


Not my tank.
 
wow thats a beautiful tank but to me it looks more like a saltwater tank lol i want a more freshwater look with mostly rock or slate
 
dre205;4009890; said:
wow thats a beautiful tank but to me it looks more like a saltwater tank lol i want a more freshwater look with mostly rock or slate
Click to expand...
You can always buy some black slate, or any other color for that mater, and build your own little caves.
 
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