# Help me stock my new 55g



## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

I want to do an african cichlid tank. Following is the list of the newest fish my LFS has this week, but I know they have other stuff as well, and they'll order just about anything you want, so if you suggest a different species they will either have it or can get it. My petsmart has decent fish too (unlike the other chain, which is like a fish morgue) so stuff they carry is good too.

Tetra - Flame
Barb - Rosy Longfin
Botia - Clown Loach
Gourami - Opaline
Knife - Black Ghost
Tetra - Bloodfin Glass
Tetra - Blue Flame
Gourami - Gold
Tetra - Neon
Cich - Cobalt Blue
Cich - Electric Blue
Cich - Electric Yellow Solid
Cich - Parrot Purple Heart
Cich - Parrot Blood Red
Cich - Venustus
Cich - Yellow Tail Violet
Cich - Flower Horn Warrior
Cich - Oscar Lemon
Cich - Peacock OB
Crab - Patriot

I guess sand should be the substrate (is TMS all right?) and lots of rocks and caves for decor. I'll probably get some anubias and tie them to rocks as well. Anything else I should know?


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

A 55 isn't the ideal size for African cichlids, but you do have some workable options. If you want a very active, colorful display 12-15 demasoni and 5-6 electric yellow Lab's would be good. 
There are also a few smaller species of peacocks that would work as a breeding group or an all-male display, but they don't mix well with most mbuna. 
Pool filter sand is an inexpensive option that's easy to keep clean, or if you want a black substrate you can probably find Black Diamond (or the same thing under another brand name) blasting grit. It's actually coal slag, not sand, but works and acts the same except there won't be a month of diatoms when you start the tank.


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

Get the oscar if you want that to be the only fish in the tank, otherwise don't. 

Your best bet is to research dwarf cichlids like julidochromis, for instance. And there are nuances even with dwarf cichlids that you will want to understand before you acquire them. For instance, you generally need 6 juveniles to be able to pair at least two of them off. The other 4 will have to be rehomed then. But, if you rearrange the tank, you can break the pair bond.

They are not beginner fish, so educate yourself before you buy anything.


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## lmb (Nov 1, 2011)

No, don't get the Oscar. One alone needs at least a 75+ gallon tank. 

And a 55 gallon is not suitable for a colony of African cichlids either.

The knife won't do as well.

The other fish may be able to fit, but they are not all compatible.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The only cichlid on that list that is close to suitable is the electric yellow solid if it is a labichromis caereleus. Though the yellow-tailed blue could be P. acei and that might also work. Both can be kept in a 55, but only as a harem. You buy a bunch of small one and return extra males as they get chewed up. Make sure you can do this before buying any. Post pics of any fish you can't identify. Get lots and lots of hiding places. Rocks are cheap.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

I don't want an Oscar. :lol: In fact, I gave two to the LFS because they came with the last second-hand tank I bought. I was really just hoping for smallish and colorful but I already have a nice community tank so I don't want to just replicate that.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Where are you located. There are lots of great fish that you never see in stores. A local club is the quickest way to connect to a lot of them.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

Middle of nowhere, Texas. Halfway between Austin and Dallas (and a long drive from either)


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Texas cichlid association is mostly around dallas. I'm surprised there isn't a forum. But it may be worth the drive to go the Spring Workshop and auction if you are at all interested in cichlids. http://www.texascichlid.org/


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

toddnbecka said:


> A 55 isn't the ideal size for African cichlids, but you do have some workable options. If you want a very active, colorful display 12-15 demasoni and 5-6 electric yellow Lab's would be good.


If this will work, I like this option. I wanted some yellow labs, but didn't know about the demasoni's because I've never seen them. If you guys think that will work, I'm going to ask if my LFS can order some. Thanks!


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

You can do an oscar in a 55 gallon tank if you know what you are doing and it isn't narrow. Oscars are a pain though.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

So I got some yellow labs. They're about 3.5 inches long. Will wait to see what the consensus is on the demasonis, as they'll have to order them anyway. What about the electric blues? Those are a no no? They looked tiny at the store, but of course that never means anything. They also had a tank just labeled "Africans" for like $2 a piece with no picking allowed (which I HATE!!) with a bunch of different fish. That's probably a recipe for disaster huh?


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## P.senegalus (Aug 18, 2011)

If you can't pick the ones you want from the $2 tank, I wouldn't buy them.


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## kay-bee (Dec 6, 2006)

phlyergirl said:


> ...What about the electric blues? Those are a no no?..


Depends on what kind of "electric blue's" they are (that's a common name shared by more than one species). 

If by "electric blue" they mean Electric Blue Johanni (Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos) then those may work. They are black/blue horizontally striped fish.

If, on the other hand, they are Electric Blue Haps (Sciaenochromis fryeri, sometimes erroneously called. S. ahli) then no, those get too large for a 55gal. Males are a shiny metallic blue.



phlyergirl said:


> ....didn't know about the demasoni's because I've never seen them...Will wait to see what the consensus is on the demasonis....


Demasoni's are very aggressive toward their own kind, so if you're considering them you'll need a colony of them (12-15 like toddnbecka suggested), though a single demasoni in a tank with other mbuna's which do not resemble it will work. They're generally smaller than most other mbuna's, maxing out at 3" to 4".

Pseudotropheus demasoni:


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

The "electric blues" they had were striped.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Melanochromis are mean, mean, fish, but you can keep a bunch of them in a 55 for a while. But don't keep a few, you will end up with only one alive.


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

phlyergirl said:


> If this will work, I like this option. I wanted some yellow labs, but didn't know about the demasoni's because I've never seen them. If you guys think that will work, I'm going to ask if my LFS can order some. Thanks!


That combo will work, provided you have enough filtration and do regular water changes to keep up with the heavy stocking. I'd run 2 aquaclear 70's on the tank and change at least 20 gallons of water weekly. 
Are these the blue striped fish you saw?
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwcichlidsmmb&1325448606
I have a group of 5 in a 75 with a dozen or so ruby red peacocks. They seem to be doing well enough together so far, about 6 months now, though most mbuna don't usually mix well with peacocks. They'd probably work well enough with electric yellow Lab's too.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

toddnbecka said:


> That combo will work, provided you have enough filtration and do regular water changes to keep up with the heavy stocking. I'd run 2 aquaclear 70's on the tank and change at least 20 gallons of water weekly.
> Are these the blue striped fish you saw?
> http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwcichlidsmmb&1325448606
> I have a group of 5 in a 75 with a dozen or so ruby red peacocks. They seem to be doing well enough together so far, about 6 months now, though most mbuna don't usually mix well with peacocks. They'd probably work well enough with electric yellow Lab's too.


I was going to do an AquaClear 70 and a Penguin 350 (what the tank came with) I usually do 50% a week WC on all my tanks.

That fish doesn't look like the one I saw today. The stripes were vertical, not horizontal, medium blue and darker.

Appreciate your help guys. Cichlids make me feel like a noob again.


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

Vertical blue stripes are usually zebra's, one of the most common and aggressive mbuna. 
Here's a link to a FL fish farm, you should be able to find just about any species you'd want for a reasonable price there. 
http://www.consolidatedff.com/index.php
They do have some demasoni (group of 4) currently listed on aquabid, but you'd definitely want/need more than that anyway, so might as well contact them if you're interested.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Shelldwellers!...... You will get some shellies.... You will get some shellies..... You will get some shellies....

When I snap my fingers, you will get some sheldwellers!

(Just my shellie spam )


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

Thanks for your help on this guys  I started with 6 juvenile (1.5") demasoni and 4 good sized labs. One of the labs died.  The demasoni are doing great, though, and growing. I just added four more 3" demasoni and two small labs to make it 10 and 5. I'm going to get 2-5 more demasoni just didn't want to add them all in at once and overwhelm my biofilter. When I just had 6 they hid all the time. Now I actually see them :lol: and I'm starting to really enjoy this tank. I'm doing 50-60% water changes every week but I think with the stocking up I'm going to do it every five days.


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