60 Gallon African Cichlid Tank

[HBLiquidPulse]

I'm setting up an African cichlid tank. I've had mixed malawis before.. but its been a few years. I'm thinking I'll get about 6 Electric yellows. Likely 2 males 4 females. I'd like to hear suggestions on tankmates that would meld well with the yellows as well as ideas on what catfish go well in these sorts of tanks. Would that gender ratio be decent? I would like to increase my chances of breeding as much as possible. I'm also thinking about putting some catfish in. I've kept corys and plecos before.. What are everyones thoughts on catfish that fit in well with cichlid tanks.

Any thoughts apreciated. Thanks

[HBLiquidPulse]

Common guys and girls. I'm interested to hear about any experience youv had with similar types of settups or stock youv had particular success keeping together

[smidey]

there are many africans you can keep with yellows, yellows generally keep to themselves & are also usually left alone by other aggro fish. i have, in the past had red zebras, peacocks, cobalt blues, red empress, giraffes, fryeri & tropheus with them. you will need to consider how the others will get on rather than how the yellows will cope i believe, what have you got for ideas so far?

[trace&steve]

we have yellows 1x male and 3x females you should probably stick with 1x male per group of females we have had 2x males in the past and didnt end up so good :oops:

so anyway we have a 700 litre tank with electric yellows - electric blues -venustus giraffes - boreyli - livingstonii's - auratus - red empress - ob marble aulonocara's

they all get along just dont mix other species aulonocara's in the same tank generally one male of one species per tank and you'l be right

we have a range of fry sized from 1-4 cm in electric blue - electric yellows -aulonocara baenschi - dogtooth afra's - red empress if your interesting in growing them up

[HBLiquidPulse]

traceandsteve. That sounds like nice stock. Have you had success posting the north island before? If you have I'd love some electric blue and red empress.

[trace&steve]

yes we have sent lots and havent lost any i make sure i pack them 100% its $35 including over night courier polybox heatpad and bags full of air and newspaper packed around the bags

how many were you wanting??

traceandsteve. That sounds like nice stock. Have you had success posting the north island before? If you have I'd love some electric blue and red empress.

[ryanjury]

Yellows tend to go well in any sort of ratio especially in big tanks like the one you are mentioning they are quite peaceful for africans..

I have fry of a whole heap of africans if you are interested just send me a pm

[Morcs]

What about 6 electric yellows and 6 demisoni? both are nice fish. will produce a nice contrast with each other, and readily available.

[ryanjury]

What about 6 electric yellows and 6 demisoni? both are nice fish. will produce a nice contrast with each other, and readily available.

6 Dems would be a bad start you would most likely end up with 1.. Start out with 12 min more if you can afford it and in a 60gal you would definately have the room for more.

[firenzenz]

As above E yellows are a great additon to any tank because as Smidey has said they are great at ignoring tankmates and doing their own thing.

Its up to what your after.

I still go for the concept of building such a tank from ground up.

If you can Start with juvies of fish and grow them up then you chance for harmony is greatly increased.

although in a 200l tank I would tend to avoid mixing too many genus's as Tracy and Steve can do in 700l.

Particularly the larger mbuna( red and blue zebras, bumblebees, auratus) and larger haps( Nimbochromis) as you will encounter probs down the track.

Fry I have that i think would work in that setup are:

E yellows, Copadichromis Azureus, Chilumba peacock, ruby red peacock, Red empress, a few left of young Baenschi and Electras. Jacobfreibergi fry -2 females holding so a little ways away

I don't know Afras that well but suspect they would be much like Dems.

As for catfish.

Common Bn's or GBA will do OK if not too much competiition for territory from mbunas.

I be tempted to go one show syno. I have one 18cm Angelicus in a male peacock tank and I love her.

Or a group of smaller syno's like petricola or Multipunctata(cuckoo)-I have some juvies of these( cuckoo) also.

Fancy plecs can be Ok depending on tankmates.

I be looking at things like the bigger blue phantoms that are around, hypostumus cochliodon,Hemiancistrus Sabaj. Magnums, Goldies, gold nuggets, or a established panaque like Royal or Bruno( not the smaller one (panagolus). All these are fine if the rockwork isn't a combat zone and all would require some wood in the tank.