# How many Hap SP.44 in a 30 gal?



## ChuckRum (Sep 11, 2010)

just getting into african cichlids so not too familiar with them. found a guy on kijiji sellingem at 2", two for 15$, is this a good price? im dedicating my entire 30 gal to just that species. id like a nice colony, and i hear you need atleast 6 together anyways. what is the max you think i can keep my 30 gal?


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## dynamite07 (Oct 16, 2010)

It depends on the male/female ratio. I had 6 in a 25 gallon but the dominant male eventually killed the other male. The other 4 were females. Try going 1 male and 3 females. That's my experience in a similar tank size. I'm sure at the store they'll tell you 8 is fine. In that case try 2 males and 6 females...


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

*hap.44*

From my experience you will need at least a 75 gallon tank as the males get to about 5" and the females about 3.5". These fish can be very aggressive and need a large tank. Good luck.


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## carbonlist (Nov 8, 2009)

I have kept lots of Hap44 before. You'll enjoy their nice colours and they're always active. I also recommend 1 male and 3-5 females. However, the price is a little steep. You can usually find local breeders selling 1.5-2" at 2-3$ a piece. Note this price was a year ago. It may have gone up but I highly doubt it.


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## MattyB (Dec 8, 2010)

I would consider Haplochromis sp. "Ruby Green" instead. Similar colouration, but smaller and more peaceful fish. It is a much more rare fish, but it would be worth it considering the size of the tank.

Like the others have said, the 44 is aggressive and will most likely take the tank apart. I have 3 in a 125 and one of the males is getting beat on, while the other male is very wary of the dominant male. This is with 6 females in the tank.


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

I wouldn't get any africans for a 30g, its not nearly big enough unless you are getting shell dwellers. I would seriously consider getting a 75G+ tank since most africans besides shellies grow 5"+. Africans are generally pretty aggressive fish and are beautiful if and ONLY if they are properly taken care of. One can spend hundreds on bringing in a beautiful colony of wild caught african cichlids but they will not show off their best colouration in bad conditions. I would suggest spending a lot more time on cichlid-forum's library to discover the many different species of african cichlids as well as what they need to live happily. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/


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## TJM (Dec 23, 2009)

Philip.Chan.92 said:


> I wouldn't get any africans for a 30g, its not nearly big enough unless you are getting shell dwellers. I would seriously consider getting a 75G+ tank since most africans besides shellies grow 5"+. Africans are generally pretty aggressive fish and are beautiful if and ONLY if they are properly taken care of. One can spend hundreds on bringing in a beautiful colony of wild caught african cichlids but they will not show off their best colouration in bad conditions. I would suggest spending a lot more time on cichlid-forum's library to discover the many different species of african cichlids as well as what they need to live happily. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/


+1 Agreed.


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## MattyB (Dec 8, 2010)

anything less then a 55 gallon is less then ideal for Africans, however not everyone has the funds to afford such a tank. 

I know some people will cite cruelty to the fish and that they will not be as pretty in a smaller tank, but the fact is that nothing can replicate how they lived in the wild and probably any type of captivity could be construed as cruelty.


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

If one does not have the funds to afford a sufficiently large tank for the fish they wish to have, then they should not get those fish. We cannot replicate how they lived in the wild, but we can do our best to replicate their homes in the wild. These fish are more than capable of thriving in an aquarium, the fact they readily breed and demonstrate behaviours that they do in the wild, means that we are doing a sufficient job in providing a suitable habitat for them.


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## Darkside (Sep 14, 2009)

There are some smaller mouthbrooders that work well in a 30 gallon setup. You could try some ruby greens or one of the Pseudocrenilabrus species. If that's not your thing than many Tanganyikans are comfortable in a 30 gallon. A pair of Altos and some julies would make a nice setup.


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## Darkside (Sep 14, 2009)

MattyB said:


> anything less then a 55 gallon is less then ideal for Africans, however not everyone has the funds to afford such a tank.
> 
> I know some people will cite cruelty to the fish and that they will not be as pretty in a smaller tank, but the fact is that nothing can replicate how they lived in the wild and probably any type of captivity could be construed as cruelty.


There are many Africans that are at home in smaller setups. Its just that most cichlids from Malawi are not, barring a few smaller more gentle species.


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## garryism (Nov 2, 2010)

i kept a quad of sp44 (1m/3f) in a 30gal for around 6 months. got 3 batches of fry during that time.

near the end of 6 months, the male went all crazy and killed 2 of the females in 2 days, just because they didn't show interest in him at the moment. 

the male would only get really aggressive when he wanted to spawn, but he would get into some seriously big fights (and would win) with the likes of fish that were twice his size! there would be times that you'd think the fish he was fighting were trying to jump out of the tank! 

anyway, i eventually moved the remaining pair into a 29gal along with their 1.5 - 1.75" juvies.

i eventually sold off the juvies for only $30 (around 28 of them). 

at the size of 1.75" there were two dominant males in the batch that you could distinctly identify. they were already aggressive and already eager to spawn, doing the shake wherever they could. LOL!

since then, i've placed the pair in a 55gal with a few other fish. i've also introduced another adult female that was given to me. they've been in there for a month... so we'll see if the females start holding again... and whether or not i suffer from more fish fatalities.

overall, if you decide on keeping a single species tank you should be fine. if not, the only thing i'd watch for is when the male wants to spawn. you could end up losing other fish... or even the sp44 females.


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## ChuckRum (Sep 11, 2010)

hey guys thanks for all the input, sorry i forgot about this thread .
my 30 gal is down right now anyways as i needed it as a temporary set up for a baby reptile. anyways, my new african that i want instead are brichardis. i saw my buddy had a colony of them, they look so nice, and they act like saltwater fish.


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