How many groups?

[gcaligan]

I'm in the process of starting over with my tank, and I could use a little help. I'm re-stocking my 180, and I'm trying to figure out what I can put in it and where I can get them. I'm shooting for a Hap / Peacock breeding groups tank. The problem is there's too many fish I like, and I know I have to limit myself. So I figured I'd list what I have and what I would like to have, and maybe you guys can be the voice of reason and help me choose.

I have:
6x 2" Rostratus
6x 2" Super red empress
6x 2" Lithobates red top
1x 2" Cyrtocara moorii
6x 2" peacocks (not sure what- had to mix ngara, mamelela, and blue dorsal groups when treating illness and not sure who the survivors are.)

I really like:
Cyrtocara moorii
VC-10's
Any Nimobochromis group

I also like:
Buccochromis nototaenia
chilotilapia rhoadesii
Aulonacara sp. Ruby reds, Ngara, Blue dorsals, and Benga

I'm thinking I could complete the group of moorii without causing much trouble, but not sure about adding a group of Nimbo or VC-10's.... or both.
Anyone have any advice?
Anyone have extra juveniles of any of these three they would be willing to part with?

 

[Tony]

Hey Geoff,

Sound like my kind of tank! I currently have 5 groups in my 180:

-Fossochromis rostratus
-Nyassochromis broadzulu
-Protomelas spilonotus - Mara Rocks
-Placidochromis sp. "electra blue"
-Aulonocara jacobfreibergi

All fish are adult size, but not full grown. My Fossie males are only about 9"-10" and the spilonotus are only about 8".

The Fossochromis alpha (2 males) has already started to rule the tank, though the other groups still continue to spawn (except for the spilonotus - too small and oppressed by the fossie, me thinks).

I think that I'll eventually have to drop a group - likely the Placidochromis as they are the weakest/least aggressive in the tank.

All that being said -

I definitely wouldn't add a group of Nimbochromis. Love them and all, but they mean SOBs... especially when trying to breed. They will turn a somewhat pleasant tank into a war zone. Same goes with any large Buccochromis... very destructive fish.

Chilotilapia rhoaesii are nice, but you may have some conspecific issues between them and the red empress.

I think you can get away with filling out the moori group - they get big, but grow slow and are not all that aggressive.

My VC-10s never got really big - I grew them out from small fish, but lost them around 7" with my tank wipe over the summer. They were not all that aggressive, but in with larger, more assertive fish, so I can't be sure of their temperament as breeding adults. I know that they get big though. I'd either do them -or- the C. moori. I think that both would be too much big fish for the tank with both groups.

As for the peacock, get rid of your single males, lose the unidentified females and get a single group of 6 or so (or build out one of your groups). I don't know what blue dorsal females look like, but the difference between Ngara and mamelela (Lemon Jake?) are significant and you should be easy to tell.

Like my tank, you may have to drop a group eventually, but it will be a while as your guys will take some time to get up there.

I'm very excited to see another one of these tanks in the club!

Keep us posted.

 

[gcaligan]

Thanks for the advice, Tony. Some of your other posts helped inspire my plan, so I appreciate you chiming in.

I was already leaning towards the moorii and the VC-10's, but I was hoping to do both rather than one or the other. I'm not the smartest guy in the world, and I learn more from personal mistakes, so I may have to try it.

As much as I would like to have a group of Venustus, I figured they might be a bad mix. Who knows, maybe I'll get a group anyway and keep em in another tank.

What do you think about keeping a couple random stags in the same tank with breeding groups? I have a 3-4" blue ahli, as well as some tangs (brichardi and leleupi) and synodonts currently in other tanks. For that matter, would a solo male Venustus be as destructive as a group?

And this is why I need someone else to be the voice of reason. Otherwise I'd try to put every fish in the lake in one tank. And when that doesn't work, I'd end up with a million tanks, and before you know it I'm on that show "Hoarders."

 

[verbal]

And this is why I need someone else to be the voice of reason. Otherwise I'd try to put every fish in the lake in one tank. And when that doesn't work, I'd end up with a million tanks, and before you know it I'm on that show "Hoarders."

You came to the wrong place for a voice of reason on this issue

OTOH You did come to a great place for fish advice

 

[Tony]

Thanks for the kind words, Geoff. You see multiple breeding groups of mbuna pretty often because it's a bit more a sure thing. Peacocks and haps have a reputation for cross-breeding. While there is some validity to it, stocking it properly and watching your fish will minimize chances.

You can certainly try to add both the vc-10s and the moori. Your fish are small right now and will take a while to fill up the tank. P milomo is one of my favorite fish. Worst case scenario, you get rid of a group down the road or upgrade to a 180 - neither option so bad. I'll bet an adult group of P milomo would fetch some decent coin (they're reasonably slow growers).

Regarding random single males, it's been my experience that they will completely kill the dynamics in the tank. Once they mature, a lack of females of their own kind will not stop them from breeding (or trying to). S fryeri and the random other male peacocks will breed with your peacock females or perhaps bully the correct male from breeding. Because of this factor, you won't ever be able to confidently raise fry.

A single male venustus will inevitable run the tank as they grow faster and are more aggressive than rostratus. I have a friend who had these two hybridize.

So long as they can hang, aggression-wise, your random Tangs would be fine in there.