# Cichlid Compatibility Help



## AT91 (Feb 22, 2014)

Hi, 

New to Cichlids. 

I got a 45 Gal FW, i got a Rainbow Shark that is super aggressive with a few barbs. I recently added a small EBJD (i think its a male) , Yellow Belly Albert? (thats what the store called it, and its a male) and a Grey Female zebra convict. 

Just wondering how you think they would all do together?

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Why are you randomly mixing fish like this? It's not a good idea. Those fish are really not compatible. You should gut your tank, pick a direction to go in, and go in that direction. If you want cichlids, cichlid-forum.com is the best place to go for advice. 

In a 45 gal you could go Mbuna (medium size group of Ps. Saulosi), or you could go planted (group of barbs, angelfish, pair of kribensis) or you could go Tanganyikan community, or all sorts of other things. You have to pick a theme for your tank and go with it. You can't mix random fish like this, and any store that's letting you do it is run by morons, IMO.


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

Stay clear of convicts, when you want to stock your tank check the adult size of the fish you like then determine how many will go in the tank you have.


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## AT91 (Feb 22, 2014)

ok thanks. gives me something to think about.


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## shotokan (Sep 21, 2013)

AT91 said:


> ok thanks. gives me something to think about.


mistersprinkles : is correct keep the sharks out, they get to big, and especially red tail sharks, and get nasty, stick with a mild mbuna tank, like *acei, labs*, or and *rustys, *nice colour contrast, and being the most mild, or go with mentioned *saulosi or damasoni,* set-up, males and a few females, *do your reasearch, **and get levels of aggression same, and you will have less problems, trial and error, if the stores are telling you this they just want to push out certain fish. if your wanting some fry i breed acei tanzania intungi, nice schooling mbuna.*


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

shotokan said:


> mistersprinkles : is correct keep the sharks out, they get to big, and especially red tail sharks, and get nasty, stick with a mild mbuna tank, like *acei, labs*, or and *rustys, *nice colour contrast, and being the most mild, or go with mentioned *saulosi or damasoni,* set-up, males and a few females, *do your reasearch, **and get levels of aggression same, and you will have less problems, trial and error, if the stores are telling you this they just want to push out certain fish. if your wanting some fry i breed acei tanzania intungi, nice schooling mbuna.*


*

Acei, labs and rusties (especially Acei), are too big for a 45gal tank. Demasoni would not fit in sufficient numbers to diffuse aggression. Minimum 55gal for all those species. The demasoni because of temperment, not size. Saulosi are just about one of the only Mbuna that would work long term in a standard 45 IMO. Yellow labs would work too but they'd be cramped.*


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## shotokan (Sep 21, 2013)

mistersprinkles said:


> Acei, labs and rusties (especially Acei), are too big for a 45gal tank. Demasoni would not fit in sufficient numbers to diffuse aggression. Minimum 55gal for all those species. The demasoni because of temperment, not size. Saulosi are just about one of the only Mbuna that would work long term in a standard 45 IMO. Yellow labs would work too but they'd be cramped.


never said to have all 3 mention in the same tank, 55 would be good for 10 to 12 mbuna, demasoni, by it self small group, i talking 1 male 2 females, is what i meant


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

shotokan said:


> never said to have all 3 mention in the same tank, 55 would be good for 10 to 12 mbuna, demasoni, by it self small group, i talking 1 male 2 females, is what i meant


You can't keep 1 male and 2 female demasoni. They'll kill eachother. You need to keep them in a group of 18 minimum. You can put 10-12 Mbuna in a 55 but none of them should be Demasoni. Otherwise you CAN have a heavily stocked tank if you wish with 18-20 demasoni Lots and lots of water changes and lots of filtration would be required but it's not unmanageable.


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## shotokan (Sep 21, 2013)

mistersprinkles said:


> You can't keep 1 male and 2 female demasoni. They'll kill eachother. You need to keep them in a group of 18 minimum. You can put 10-12 Mbuna in a 55 but none of them should be Demasoni. Otherwise you CAN have a heavily stocked tank if you wish with 18-20 demasoni Lots and lots of water changes and lots of filtration would be required but it's not unmanageable.


demosoni 18 to 20 find a bit high, not that aggressive, and don't get very big agree none should be damosoni, never said damosoni can be put with others, i have done 12 demosoni by them selves in a 55 gallon no issues.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

shotokan said:


> demosoni 18 to 20 find a bit high, not that aggressive, and don't get very big agree none should be damosoni, never said damosoni can be put with others, i have done 12 demosoni by them selves in a 55 gallon no issues.


How old are your demasoni? Are they fully grown? Having 12 with no issues is very unusual. Usually they kill eachother off if there aren't enough of them to diffuse aggression. On cichlid forum, the experts suggest 18 or so as the minimum number.

It's ok to mix Demasoni with other fish as they tend to keep to themselves. With a large enough tank, it's not uncommon to mix yellow labs with demasoni. The labs being in a much smaller group.


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## shotokan (Sep 21, 2013)

mistersprinkles said:


> How old are your demasoni? Are they fully grown? Having 12 with no issues is very unusual. Usually they kill eachother off if there aren't enough of them to diffuse aggression. On cichlid forum, the experts suggest 18 or so as the minimum number.
> 
> It's ok to mix Demasoni with other fish as they tend to keep to themselves. With a large enough tank, it's not uncommon to mix yellow labs with demasoni. The labs being in a much smaller group.


my yellow labs are albino i keep with acei , in 65 gallon tall, and demosoni i kept in the past by them selves 12 of them in a 55 gallon, with open rock work, landscape, as bridges no issues, and were full grown, i breed both albino labs and acei tanzania, they only breed with each other


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

shotokan said:


> my yellow labs are albino i keep with acei , in 65 gallon tall, and demosoni i kept in the past by them selves 12 of them in a 55 gallon, with open rock work, landscape, as bridges no issues, and were full grown, i breed both albino labs and acei tanzania, they only breed with each other


It's very unusual for 12 demasoni not to kill eachother. You lucked out.


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## shotokan (Sep 21, 2013)

mistersprinkles said:


> It's very unusual for 12 demasoni not to kill eachother. You lucked out.


 i use differ fish in there with them, like dainos , no problems, its not so much the number of fish , but how you landscap, i find just as important, sure the more fish, less aggression, but limited to what size tank your using.


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