# Stocking???



## tsalvageboy (May 21, 2007)

I have been reading through your forum and it seems that Mbuna do better if over stocked. 

I over filter my 70 gallon tank with 2 penguin 330 Bio-wheel power filters and 1 Viva Aqua submersible pump (puts out about 315 gph, with sponge filter). The tank is decorated with about 55 lbs of lace rock, and some fake plants.

I want a couple bottom feeders but besides them; how many cichlids do you think i can fit comfortably in the tank?

My stocking plan is not finished but i was thinking something like:

Yellow labs
Cyrtocara moorii
Psuedotropheus sp. Acei
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Pseudotropheus zebra
Pseudotropheus lombardoi
+a few assorted pea****************s


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2007)

Thats a good start, but Yellow labs and Peaco-cks especially are alot less aggressive than the others on your list. I'd cross them off or take off atleast the Demasoni. Demasoni do best in large groups (around 12+), so if you had them, you would really only have room for them, plus maybe another group of 5-6 or another type. 

What are the dimensions of the tank? 

I'd choose about 4-5 types and have 5 each. Try to choose species that are around the same temperament. If you like the P. lombardoi and the zebras, then I'd choose 3 other groups that have around the same temperament, like Johannis, Cynotilapia afra (although some of these may resemble the zebras), Pseudotropheus flavus, and Pseudotropheus socolofi.

C. moorii gets too large for a 70g IMO. 

Some people recommend against mixing different Pseudotropheus species, but I think if they don't resemble each other too much (like P. socolofi and P. flavus) then they would be fine to keep together.

On the other hand, if you like the Yellow Labs, Peaco-cks and Acei better, then choose another type or 2 to group with them like Rusty Cichlids (Iodotropheus sprengerae) and/or Red Zebras (they are aggressive, but not extremely IMO). Metriaclima sp. Aurora might be fine with them as well.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Don't keep similar looking Pseudos together. You can keep the labs with demasoni, but don't put Pseudotropheus lombardoi with either. Choose either Pseudotropheus zebra with Pseudotropheus lombardoi or Labs, demasoni, and Acei. The first group is larger and more aggressive than the second. I would limit it to 2 or three types of Mbuna (no less than 6 of each) and either one kind of pea**************** or a collection of assorted male pea****************s. You don't have to start at full capacity, the fish will breed and fill the tank up with fry, even if you don't take out holding mothers (or strip them). Lombardoi are esp. prolific.


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

The tank will look better if you stick to only 3 types of fih but hae more of them


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

Y Labs and Demasoni is a popular mix. Stay with that but in large numbers, demasoni at least 20, Labs 12 and you should be fine. The others on that list will be in an all out war with each other, and the Acei and Peac*cks will get their asses handed to them. Peac*cks and Mbuna shouldnt be in the same tank. Mbuna are just too fiesty. This is all presuming that you have 4' tank.


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## kay-bee (Dec 6, 2006)

For a little clarification, the mbuna belonging the zebra complex (cited as 'pseudotropheus zebra' and 'pseudotropheus lombardoi' in this thread) have since been recategorized as metriaclima (or alternatively maylandia). 

The metriaclima genus are typically very dominant fish and will increase the overall aggression level in the tank (especially if selecting m. lombardoi, also known as 'kenyi').

You could go with a group (5-7) yellow labs, a similar sized group of pseudotropheus sp. acei and a single demasoni (the demasoni is a mostly conspecific aggressive species and one with the above mix should be much trouble).

Alternatively, yellow labs with acei and pea****************s should work as well.


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