# Am I fully stocked?



## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

*Am I fully stocked? [video added]*

So I have a 45 Gallon tank 36 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 23 3/4.

I'm running a fluval 305 canister filter.

It is currently stocked with:

2 - Mel Auratus 
1 looks like this








The other like this








So I think 1 is "turning" into a male but i could be wrong as when I originally got them in August they looked exactly the same.

2 - Elongatus Mpanga (1m 1f)
2 - Ruby Red Zebras (dunno the sexes)
2 - Perlmutts (1m 1f)
2 - Kenyi Cichlids 1m 1f
1 - Goby
1 - White Socolofi

The Socolofi runs things as he is the largest

I'd really like to get some demasoni or possibly some gold compressiceps.

I know I have Malawi and tanganyika mixed together already which I understand is frowned upon by some but hey if they are happy, so am I 

So I'm thinking I'm already fully stocked. Any opinions?

Here is a video


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## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

Kenyi.... Better add some females, WHen the male gets big He will Kill everything in the tank


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## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

Chromey said:


> Kenyi.... Better add some females, WHen the male gets big He will Kill everything in the tank


Really?

The Socolofi is the largest right now, almost 3 inches and also the most aggressive.


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## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

Im sure a few more will chime in shortly... They are a Pain in the AZZ


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## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

It's hard to say if the Kenyi will go nuts. LOL I had a pair in a 30G with a couple other fish and they were ok but you never know. If he becomes the dominant fish in the tank then you could have problems. A couple of those guys will get to a decent size and you could have problems. I would probably have a larger filter or add an HOB.


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## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

Tbird said:


> It's hard to say if the Kenyi will go nuts. LOL I had a pair in a 30G with a couple other fish and they were ok but you never know. If he becomes the dominant fish in the tank then you could have problems. A couple of those guys will get to a decent size and you could have problems. I would probably have a larger filter or add an HOB.


What is an HOB ? Hang on the back?

The fluval 305 is supposed to be good up to 100 Gallons.....


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

The Kenyi will be a handful, but he'll be relative "child's play" compared to those Auratus - they're going to be a _real _handful as they mature... (they're mean SOAB's: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_auratus.php)

As for stocking? I'd say you're pretty much maxed-out with what you have right now - both in terms of available swimming space and also in terms of filtration

Personally? I certainly wouldn't add any Demasoni to the existing mix - not unless you're actively looking to recreate Armageddon in a glass bowl! I quote:

"First and foremost, a minimum of twelve should be kept in any size tank to help disperse aggression. This not only keeps a single male from being dominant over all others, it helps females and sub-dominant males from being chased to exhaustion (and death) by getting "lost in the crowd". A small group of 5 or 6 simply will not work, as the dominant male will systematically kill off each tank mate until only he remains. Male to female ratio is unimportant when they're kept in groups of this size, which is a bonus, because accurately determining their gender can be a futile task. It's very important not to house these fish with similarly colored species (e.g., Cynotilapia afra or Metrialclima lombardoi)."
Source: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_demasoni.php


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

You should consider redoing your stock list. 7 species will most likely not work in a 45 gallon, that is reserved for much larger tanks. I would advise going with 2-3 species max. Look at 55 gallon cookie cutter on cichlid forum website for an idea of what a 55 gallon can and cannot do and that should help you in figuring out what to do with your 45 gallon. Best of luck.


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## dynamite07 (Oct 16, 2010)

Man I remember being in this situation with my 30 gallon tank. All is well until two try to get dominant. I had 1 Rusty, 1 Tangerine Tiger, 2 Yellow Labs, 1 Chitamba Petro and 1 Perlmutt with a bushy nose pleco. All was well for about a year and one day the Rusty and Chitamba went nuts. I even had 5 cichlid stones in there. I sold the Rusty and 2 Yellow Labs. I added a trio of N. Brichardi and moved the rest of the stock from my 30 to 75 gallon.
It's really a shoot and miss. Some people get lucky and are able to pull it off. I honestly think you 'might' be pushing it but as long as you have enough hiding places it might be okay. Also if you change the caves around once in awhile it'll pay off as well. I wouldn't add anything more though.


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## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

Well I wouldn't mind getting the white socolofi out of there as he seems to be the pest right now but I think I'll try to keep it going for now.

Here is a video that shows my rock formation. I usually change it up every 2 weeks when i vacuum the tank.






ps I added the music to get rid of my horrible commentary


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## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

fuhreakz said:


> What is an HOB ? Hang on the back?
> 
> The fluval 305 is supposed to be good up to 100 Gallons.....


yes HOB is Hang off back.

Unless they have changed, I believe the 3 series is around 70 G and the 4 series 405 is 100 G. Like most other things, I would count the rating as less then advertised. That's in pristine conditions with minimal bioload that it would handle the advertised tank. Using the HOB, lets you use the canister for more bio filtration and the HOB for more mechanical. It's so much easier to clean the HOB and you can do that with your weekly water changes pretty quickly.



fuhreakz said:


> Well I wouldn't mind getting the white socolofi out of there as he seems to be the pest right now but I think I'll try to keep it going for now.
> 
> Here is a video that shows my rock formation. I usually change it up every 2 weeks when i vacuum the tank.
> 
> ...


If it is somewhat peaceful in your tank, leave the Socofoli in there. If you take him out, the second in command will just take over. And that may end up being worse the what you originally had. if he is pretty bad now with beating up on other fish then take him out and hope that the next one in charge is a little less pushy. LOL

Nice tank!! Just make sure that the stacked rock is fairly secure. Once they get bigger and start chasing each other, its surprising what can be moved! What kind of plants are those? i like the colour of your Zebras. How big are they?


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## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

Tbird said:


> yes HOB is Hang off back.
> 
> Using the HOB, lets you use the canister for more bio filtration and the HOB for more mechanical.
> 
> Nice tank!! Just make sure that the stacked rock is fairly secure. Once they get bigger and start chasing each other, its surprising what can be moved! What kind of plants are those? i like the colour of your Zebras. How big are they?


Yah, right now he'll be staying in there. Its not too bad, he doesn't really beat up on anyone, just chases. It honestly looks like he does it for fun more than anything. They all swim together in the current most of the time, then later on he'll just decide to chase some around.

As for the HOB filter, since I have the canister already, would I want to get one capable of 45 gallons or less? Is there such a thing as over filtration?

The zebras are about 2 inches in length.


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## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

fuhreakz said:


> Yah, right now he'll be staying in there. Its not too bad, he doesn't really beat up on anyone, just chases. It honestly looks like he does it for fun more than anything. They all swim together in the current most of the time, then later on he'll just decide to chase some around.
> 
> As for the HOB filter, since I have the canister already, would I want to get one capable of 45 gallons or less? Is there such a thing as over filtration?
> 
> The zebras are about 2 inches in length.


That's cool. Just keep an eye on that. If he chases one fish in particular, keep an eye on the one getting chased. That causes stress and can be enough to kill a fish if it is a constant and repetitive thing.

I would go with an AC 70 or Emperor 280. These are filters that you can use if you upgrade. If taken care of filters can last a very long time!! if you have read some threads on here there are a few people that have had the same filter forever!!


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## dynamite07 (Oct 16, 2010)

I checked out the link on youtube. Your tank looks great! If aggression becomes a problem you can always get one of those breeder nets that use suction cups to attach to your glass from the inside. These are cheap usually under $10. You can put your most aggressive fish in there for a few days as a "time out." I've had success doing this in the past. I find changing the rock work around right before reintroducing works the best long term. You don't have to redo it.


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## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

dynamite07 said:


> I checked out the link on youtube. Your tank looks great! If aggression becomes a problem you can always get one of those breeder nets that use suction cups to attach to your glass from the inside. These are cheap usually under $10. You can put your most aggressive fish in there for a few days as a "time out." I've had success doing this in the past. I find changing the rock work around right before reintroducing works the best long term. You don't have to redo it.


Thanks dynamite07!


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

The auratus will definitly become the aggressor in your tank but mainly to like species...species with horizantal lines... As for your Socolofi, yeah he's chasing just to keep things in check...mine breaks up fights when they get out of hand...even against my red top zebra which is twice his size.

If one of your Auratus becomes the dominate character in the tank switch things up or remove him for a couple days and the order generally changes. I've done it a couple times with mine. I've currently got 40-45 cichlids in a 180 gallon, some need attitude adjustments now and then but no real harm is ever done.


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## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks for the response. I'm noticing that my auratus still hasn't fully changed it's colours to the dark bodied male. I wonder if its because the socolofi is the doomanent male in the tank. I guess only time will tell. 

On another not, my male perlmutt is trying to get the female to mate. He keeps doing this vibrating dance in front of her but she doesn't seem to give f***. Lol


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