GouramiGirl1221

There are several 75 gallon tanks on Criagslist in my area, and I'm doing my best to get my hands on one. If I can, it will have a semi-instant cycle from all the seeded media from my other tanks, so I'll be able to add fish very shortly after setting it up. With a tank this large I'd love to try my hand at cichlids. I haven't really made up my mind which lake I want to do yet, but I've got a couple of favorite fish picked out (I know that they couldn't all live together because they're from different lakes). I've looked at the cookie cutter setups, and I'm not completely committed to any of them, and the genus/species names kind of confuse me since I'm only semi-familiar with the common names and not at all with the scientific. Anyway, some suggestions of how to work in these fish in either a Malawi or Tanganyika setup would be greatly appreciated.

Malawi fish:
Electric Yellow Labs
Demasoni Cichlid
Moorei Cichlid
Red Zebra African Cichlid

Tanganyika fish:
Tropheus Duboisi Cichlid
Leleupi Cichlid
Tretocephalus Cichlid

Angela_96

The Moorei Cichlids are from Tanganyika and woulld not be compatable with the malawis. Also I wouldn't mix species of different aggression levels, the yellow labs and demansoni are not good together. The demasoni have nasty attitudes and will beat up on the labs. You also have to put at least 6 or more demasoni's in one tank to spread out the aggression.

Maybe instead of the demasoni's put yellow tail acei's they work together well. Or a fish from the Cynatilapia Afra group (actually if you put the acei w/ the labs, red zebra you can still put the Afras in).

The cichlild forum profiles have both names listed to help you sort the fish out.

GouramiGirl1221

I've decided to go with Malawi cichlids. I've been kind of mixing and matching with the cookie cutter setups, but some of the fish that I really like aren't in them, so I wanted to see what you guys thought.

Yellow Labs (5?)
Yellow tail Acei (5?)
Red Zebras (3?)
Cobalt Blue Zebras (3?)
Blue Johanni Cichlid (3?)
Peacock Cichlids (3?)
Electric Blue Cichlid (1?)
Keni Cichlid (1?)

I know I can't have all of those, but I thought I'd let you guys pick it apart. I've probably got groups that are too large/small and some fish that won't work together. Thanks in advance for any help!

Angela_96

The blue johanni has a major attitude, its from the mel species, major aggression levels. THe kenyi cichilds are great if you don't get the cobalt blues, and red zebras (they are all met species) Also you wouldn't want to mix the cobalt blues w/ the red zebras for the purpose of getting hybrid fry from that.

Peacocks have mixed outcomes being mixed w/ mbuna, they are submissive and will let a mbuna pick on it to death. I have my hongi's in w/ my peacocks that is the only mbuna that gets along w/ the peacocks that I have.

You would also want to stay away from getting 1 of a species, they will cause mahaim in the tank, inturpt breeding, pick fights, etc

I am not a fan of the electric blue as well, they don't do good w/ mbunas.

If it were me picking I would go w/ the acei, labs, red zebras, and maybe ad an afra species group.

The aceis have other colors, the ngara? sp they are really pretty if you don't want the purple with yellow tail.
Also in the labs you can go with yellow labs, or hongi red tops, or other species.

I never realized there were so many pretty breds out there until I started really searching, you may want to just look on aquabid under mbuna to see whats really out there. My hongi's are really pretty! I got them off aquabid I am happy w/ that species pick, my yellow lab breeders ship out monday its so hard to sell them because every petstore down here has them.

Kenyi's are a wonderful species, but just as the mel species (all those cichlids) they are not good begainner cichilds, they are violent at times. My kenyi breeding group has been raised in my tank along w/ yellow labs, and now psuedo flavus I have been lucky they all get along so well.

GouramiGirl1221

See, I told you I mixed things that shouldn't be!

I've pretty well got my heart set on the yellow labs and the acei. Would it make a difference if I got the blue or red zebras as long as I picked one or the other? I like the look of the blues better, but if that's going to wreak havoc then I can live with the reds.

I'll definitely check out aquabid and see what's up there. I've been mostly looking on liveaquaria and cichlidforum. I know there are a ton, which is what makes it hard...I feel so overwhelmed! But, at least I've got two or three breeds that I know right off to keep the tank cycled...assuming that it's cycled lol. It's off craigslist, so it may or may not be.

Angela_96

Those three are great choices! Personally I like the cobalt blues, but as long as you pick either the blues or reds one or the other you are fine.