# stocking help



## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

i have a 40 gallon tank that i would like to setup for some cichlids... I have looked and i really like the yellow labs and demosoni. Are these 2fish compatible together? Can anyone suggest a 3rd breed that is compatible? If so how many could live comfortably in a 40g? Also, i have learned that cichlid tanks have mostly rock in them. Is there a certain type of rock i should be looking for? Thanx in advance.


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## Tristan (Aug 15, 2011)

IMO In a 40 gallon tank you would be best to stick to one species or the other, and especially not three. Is it a 40 Gallon breeder tank? I would recommend finding a quality strain of Saulosi. You could put maybe 15 of these guys in say 3-4 males and the rest females. The tank would have the same aesthetics as mixing labs and demasoni for the most part as the males resemble Demasoni (vertical barring wont be as nice or exaggerated on the Saulosi males) and the females are yellow. 

If you put a nice coral or sand substrate and used lace rock the tank would look awesome. Just make sure to use double the filtration for a 40 gallon tank. I always like to use two filters that are just above the capacity of the tank, this case if something happens to one filter the other can handle it still. 

Demasoni and Labs will work for the short term in a 40 gallon but I wouldn't recommend it in the long run as Demasoni are too aggressive and labs are too large. I currently have a ton of fry of both species as well as some Afra Cobue in a 50 gallon tank, but I will be moving them up to a 6 footer come summer.


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

thank you very much for the info. after reading up about them a bit I think I am going to start looking for some saulosi's.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

whatever rocks will make the most caves is what I strive for.


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

Well... I went and got my saulosi fry tonight, they seem to be doing quite well...


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## newforestrob (Jan 21, 2011)

I see they made it okay,I was feeding them NLS grow by the way,and crushed omega veggie flake


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

*juvie male starting to get some colour *

well some of the juvies are starting to colour up, so far I count 5 males- whic means that I will be looking for a new home for 2 (so far)


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

They look like top quality fish and your photo skills are very good.

The Saulosi are one of my favourite mbuna.
--
Paul


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

I love the 'river rock' look with a sand substrate - I ran with that in a 65G and also still in a 20G long. 

Just be a ~little~ careful, as your cichlids grow they'll likely start to sift/move the sand around to create their own caves. There's a pretty decent probability that the rocks will then start to move & roll around... and you don't need me to tell you that they're heavy... and glass isn't all ~that~ strong...

Any chance of spoiling us with a full tank shot?


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

you mean caves like this? lol









here is a full tank shot... the tank is somewhat scratched from the previous owner 
















these 2 pics are from about a month ago... the tank looks the same- but the fish are growing fast. I may go back and replace these rocks with a whole bunch of smaller ones.


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## newforestrob (Jan 21, 2011)

looks good,great job,I"m glad they went to a good home,all the best,Rob


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

Windowlicka said:


> I love the 'river rock' look with a sand substrate - I ran with that in a 65G and also still in a 20G long.
> 
> Just be a ~little~ careful, as your cichlids grow they'll likely start to sift/move the sand around to create their own caves. There's a pretty decent probability that the rocks will then start to move & roll around... and you don't need me to tell you that they're heavy... and glass isn't all ~that~ strong...
> 
> Any chance of spoiling us with a full tank shot?


You should always place your rocks on the glass or egg crate and never on the sand. That way even if the fish move the sand around there is no chance of the rocks falling and breaking the glass.
--
Paul


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Your point is true, Y2K, but I meant the sides of the tank. Eggcrate or not, stacked, rounded river-rock rolls when the underlying rocks are disturbed. Unless the eggcrate lines the sides of the tank too, then the viewing panels are still at risk. 

Epoxy might be a fix, but some granites are so smooth that I'm not sure I'd trust that for good long-term adhesion. That's why I removed those rocks from my 65G - before I ran out of luck on problem-free rockslides!

PS: tank looks great - shame about the scratches tho'!


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

Thanks for the advice guys... Ya the scratches suck... Id like to get my hands on a 65 g soon, so hopefully i wont have to deal with them too much longer


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

Well, i went out today, and bought a gold spotted pleco to clean up algea, he is about twice the size of the other fish...and the minute i cut him loose, all the other fish ganged up on him. So i went back to the lfs, and bought another one, plus an upside down catfish, and 3 clown loaches... Hopefully this will spread out the agression a bit. I will also move around the rocks a bit and kill the light for a bit when i let them go.... Pics coming soon


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

gold spotted pleco
















upside down cat trying to hide from all the bullies..
















clown loach


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

here are some recent pics of the tank... I have changed a few things around, and the dominant male has really colored up since my last update.


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

more recent pics


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

I recently added some pearlmutt labs to the tank... 
















juvie female pearlmutt








female saulosi
I was wondering though... by added 6 pearlmutts to the same tank, did I just seriously reduce the chance of either species breeding??


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## cichlidspiro (May 11, 2011)

Hey I have been following your updates 
Nice job with your tank
And thanks for those 5 saulosi There Doug great even though they all turned out to be males haha

Any way to answer your question 
in my opinion NO, because if a male wants to breed he will chase most of the fish into a corner ( even in my 125g)
And then he will breed with the female in his cave or pit and once and a while he will come out and chase again.
I have a female holding for 2 days now and there are 7-8 males in my small 30g tall( temporary) and 4-5 females 
And still one make managed to get the job done


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

thanks for the feedback spiro... sorry they all turned out to be males, as time progressed I started noticing more and more males in my tank as well... I finally got them thinned out and now have 2 males to 6 females. the pearlmutts I got young, and out of 5 of them, 4 turned out to be male. if the last one develops an egg spot I will be very dissapointed. I will say though.. considering how many males there are... they are relatively peaceful towards each other


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## cichlidspiro (May 11, 2011)

If they have egg spots it does not mean they are males

I had a female acei with more egg spots then the male 

What did you do with your extra male saulosis 


Cheers 
Spiro


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

I posted an ad in the buy and sell section and someone picked them up


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