hairyfil Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Hi all, I'm new to the board and new to the NZ fish scene. Back in Scotland I had various tanks over the years. Starting with the standard 20 gallon tank of misc tropical fish. Upgrading to a larger tank with Oscars then finally to a large marine tank. I came to NZ in 2008 and only now getting around to starting up a tank again. Planning stage at the moment, planning to buy mid year, stocking July/August onwards. I've got very limited space and have agreement from the boss that I can fit in a narrow tall tank such as the AR620T. I'd like to keep Lake Malawi Cichlids and I'm looking for guidance as to which, readily available in NZ, fishes I should be looking to stock this 130ltr tank with. Torn between the idea of a mixed community tank (selection for compatible breeds will be crucial but I need help here) or to go with a single breed. e.g. I love the look of the Blue Dolphin Malawi but I suspect it would be too big for a 130ltr tank. Also, I've heard conflicting info about stocking levels with Cichlids - i.e. dense stock to avoid territorial behaviour, add ALL the fish at the same time to avoid any individual/group staking a territory. This is contrary to what I've learned over the years - build up bio load slowly, keep stocking levels to low/modest levels etc. more daft questions to follow :-) cheers Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 welcome aboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Also, I've heard conflicting info about stocking levels with Cichlids - i.e. dense stock to avoid territorial behaviour, add ALL the fish at the same time to avoid any individual/group staking a territory. This is contrary to what I've learned over the years - build up bio load slowly, keep stocking levels to low/modest levels etc. Hi Phil. I started only a few months ago with yellows, Demasoni, Tropheops, and also added some Eyebiters in as well. I avoided some aggression issues by stocking with young fish. Electric yellows and Demasoni seam to be the stock standard beginner setup, but im sure the more experienced guys on here can point you in the direction of other groupings. Also see here http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/quick_reference_list.php for cookie cutter setups as well. One advantage of fish less cycling is the ability to stock all you aggressive fish at once. cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Hi and welcome Unfortunately there aren't many malawis suitable for a 620T they just don't have much footprint for terriotories. You could do a colony of yellows in there and maybe a colony of dems but I think you would be pushing it for them, again you could try some peacocks but they would probably outgrow it as well You can generally add fish at different times in a malawi tank providing you are adding different fish, and you do a rearrange of the rockwork at the same time. Ie you could add some electric yellows and then add some peacocks, fish don't tend to be as aggressive towards fish from different groups because they aren't seen as a big threat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy-fish Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Welcome aboard Phil :thup: Glad to hear you've seen the light and decided to stock africans! :slfg: In general, africans are best kept in a longer/wider tank than narrow/tall. The larger the footprint of the tank the easier it is to gain tank harmony as it allows for the males of each species to establish individual territories. Sorry to say, but an AR620T is probably not going to cut it for africans. If you can upsize the tank then I agree with hamster, dems and yellows are a great way to get started with africans and their contrasting colours are stunning! You also avoid the drab looking female issue you get with alot of other species as both males and females are basically the same with a few minor variances. If you do go this route, I would suggest buying them as fry/juveys and allow them to grow out together and I would recommend no less than 12 dems with 20 being a good sized colony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyfil Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Assume that I'm stuck with the 620T - believe me it took a lot of persuading and measuring to figure out we could fit that in :-) With that assumption - what's my best bet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy-fish Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Assume that I'm stuck with the 620T - believe me it took a lot of persuading and measuring to figure out we could fit that in :-) With that assumption - what's my best bet? With some decent rock work you may get away with a colony of dems as long as you don't end up with too many males but it really is pushing it. What about some apistos, a school of tetra and a fancy plec or two? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 welcome aboard Dor 130L I would say yellow lab + demasoni combination is a good start. :bounce: :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinox Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Welcome :thup: im jsut starting out with my first cichlid collection also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyfil Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Thanks guys/gals. Looks like the yellow labs & dems coming out as the recommendation - so I'll go and do my reading/research on these. Need to figure out groupings - singles/pairs/shoals etc. I assume I can mix in something like a bristlenose cat into the mix or a plec (mind you my plecs in the past got larger than a 620T would accomodate) any dward plec varieties. I swear my last plec was getting out in the middle of the night & helping itself to veggies in the fridge it was getting so big :-) cheers Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 welcome phil lots of good advice on here. I recommend you research thoroughly your stocking for an aquarium this small. From memory the 620s are 620hx380dx750h and although they are 100l+ all the volume comes from the height which is of no use to cichlids. They are very territorial and in a tank that small there is no room for territories and if you stock with mbuna(dems and yellows) these are rock dwelling fish so you will have alot of empty space in your tank unless you stack the rocks pretty high. If you go for a big rock pile it will take away what limited space you already have. The dems and yellows will work if you get them as juvies but they will outgrow this tank, if you consider that you need at least 15 dems to control aggressin and if you want a colony of yellows 1m 4f thats gonna be 20 odd fish that reach around 10cm as adults. You may get away with a 1m 4f yellow lab colony but but it will be hit or miss. This is just my opinion, not saying it def won't work but chances are high it won't the tank is to small. Have you thought about angels i think the do ok in tall narrow tanks. Like i said, I'm not an expert and this is just my opinion. I setup my first cichlid tank in a 4fter and stocked it with fish that would get to big, 6mnths later i had to upgrade to a 5fter, should have gone for a 6fter in hindsight. With cichlids you can never go to big with a tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy-fish Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 welcome phil lots of good advice on here. I recommend you research thoroughly your stocking for an aquarium this small. From memory the 620s are 620hx380dx750h and although they are 100l+ all the volume comes from the height which is of no use to cichlids. They are very territorial and in a tank that small there is no room for territories and if you stock with mbuna(dems and yellows) these are rock dwelling fish so you will have alot of empty space in your tank unless you stack the rocks pretty high. If you go for a big rock pile it will take away what limited space you already have. The dems and yellows will work if you get them as juvies but they will outgrow this tank, if you consider that you need at least 15 dems to control aggressin and if you want a colony of yellows 1m 4f thats gonna be 20 odd fish that reach around 10cm as adults. You may get away with a 1m 4f yellow lab colony but but it will be hit or miss. This is just my opinion, not saying it def won't work but chances are high it won't the tank is to small. Have you thought about angels i think the do ok in tall narrow tanks. Like i said, I'm not an expert and this is just my opinion. I setup my first cichlid tank in a 4fter and stocked it with fish that would get to big, 6mnths later i had to upgrade to a 5fter, should have gone for a 6fter in hindsight. With cichlids you can never go to big with a tank +1 well said nudge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I agree with all of the above.. I wouldn't recommend dems/yellows for that sized tank they will outgrow it unless you are very lucky, I have read suggestions of cramming dems into small tanks to curb aggression but it is no something I have tried or would recommend. Yellows you might get away with but again they get quite big too, not overly aggressive though. Maybe you could try some tangs? A nice pair of jullies (start out with a group and thin them out) or leleupi or even some shellies might be cool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyfil Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Jullies? Shellies? Only tangs I know of are Marine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Tangs are another type of cichlid, african but not from lake malawi, they are from a lake called tanganyika. You might get a pair of kribensis in that tank, they are a riverine cichlid cool colours and i think they stay fairly small. I've never kept them so will let someone else chime in who has experience with them. Apistos could be another one to look at as someone else suggested previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Jullies? Shellies? Only tangs I know of are Marine. Sorry wasn't much help with those ones.. Jullies http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=julidochromis&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=649&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=DiRoT8DkOIbKmQXLveDnCA Shellies http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=julidochromis&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=649&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=DiRoT8DkOIbKmQXLveDnCA#um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=lamprologus+ocellatus&oq=lamprologus&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=24276l26290l0l27276l11l11l0l2l2l1l717l4789l3-1.3.4.1l9l0&gs_l=img.3.0.0l10.24276l26290l0l27277l11l11l0l2l2l1l717l4789l3-1j3j4j1l9l0.frgbld.&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=d3224be6cadb4367&biw=1366&bih=649 Leleupi http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=julidochromis&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=649&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=DiRoT8DkOIbKmQXLveDnCA#um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=leleupi&oq=leleupi&aq=f&aqi=g5g-S5&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=13388l14998l2l15203l7l7l0l1l1l0l598l2708l2-1.0.3.2l6l0&gs_l=img.3..0l5j0i24l5.13388l14998l2l15203l7l7l0l1l1l0l598l2708l2-1j0j3j2l6l0.frgbld.&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=d3224be6cadb4367&biw=1366&bih=649 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyfil Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Ah i was aware of the other lakes but with my marine background I couldn't get Tang straight in my head re. cichlids :-) I'll check up on those other options & also thanks for having patience with me & posting links for Jullies & Shellies. The help & advice is very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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