40g H stocking, substrate and decorations

[blue_ram]

I accidentally purchased an african cichlid (long story). I had no place to keep him so I dropped him into a 10g with some danios for a few days while I set up his own 10g until I decided what to do about him. I also have a 20g planted tank but couldn't put him in there because the PH is way too low.

Anyway, I got a bad case of sticker shock looking for a 30g + tank and stand. The tanks are reasonable, but the stands are outrageous. Pet Supermarket had a closeout on 20g stands (perfecto majesty) and I was going to put the cichlid in his own 20 g. They had a 40g with stand for $129 so I got that for the cichlid. It is not a 40 breeder and has the similar dimensions to a 38 or 45 (36 x 12 inch x ? Height ) .

The cichlid appears to be a blue peacock, but since he is only 1.5 inches, he has very little coloring, only a slight trace of blue at the frotn edge of the dorsal fin. He lo0ks almost exactly like the female picture on liveaquaria.com blue peacock profile.

The width of the 40g is the same as the 20g so my question is which is better for all my fish. The 20 g is slightly overstocked, but planted and with schooling tetras and cory's and otos to keep it clean. Would the cichlid be ok in the 20g with 2 females? Would the better choice to be to plant the 40 and put all my tetra's. blue rams, cory's and otos in it and put the cichlid with a few mates in the 20, or leave the 20 and set the 40 up as an african cichlid tank? If I do the 40, what is compatible with a blue peacock? I have read that you cannot mix mbuna's with peacocks, nor can you mix male peacocks of the same species. I have also read that haps will mix as well as yellow labs, but am confused because yellow labs are mbuna. I had thought of putting caves on each side and keeping the middle open with a few plants to keep them separate.

I do not trust the fish stores because they put all the cichlids in one tank and label them misc african cichlids and have no idea what any of them are. They mostly look like yellow labs and zebras in the misc african cichlids.

I know these fish get to be 4-6 inches and really need a 55g to thrive, but a bigger tank is totally out of the question right now.

Anyway, please bear in mind that I need to consider all of my fish and larger schools for the teras and cory's would be very beneficial for them, possibly more so than the bigger tank for the cichlid.

 

[blue_ram]

I forgot to ask about the substrate and decorations. I bought 20 lbs of eco complete african cichlid mix and planned on using pool filter sand on half the tank and the eco complete on the other half. I have about 15 lbs of rainbow rock and slate to create plan to use pvc to create camouflaged safe caves. Do the peacocks require caves?

 

[SinisterKisses]

Sorry, but a 3ft. tall is much too small for almost all Malawi cichlids. You really need to just return the fish to the store if you can't afford to set up a proper-sized tank for it. Pictures will allow for proper identification, but simply going on what most stores stock commonly, your fish might likely be a S. fryeri, a hap.

Needless to say, a 20gal is absolutely out of the question.

 

[blue_ram]

The tank is 3 feet wide, 12 inches deep and 20 inches tall.

The store will not take the fish back. I have either keep him or flush him. So I will do the best I can for him which will probably be way much better than his fate if I was able to take him back.

He looks exactly like the female in this picture Tropical Fish for Freshwater Aquariums: Blue Peacock Cichlid

I also matched him up to blue peacocks at Big Al's in Tamarac (what an awesome fish store) yesterday.

He fanned out a nest in the gravel last night.

 

[SinisterKisses]

That's not true at all. You can find a new home for him with someone else.

At lot of fish start off looking like that picture. "Blue Peacock" could mean about half of the peacock species. That site is a TERRIBLE reference.

 

[blue_ram]

If I gave him back to the fish store they would not put him in their tanks and I have not been able to find a small store that would quarantine him. I do not know anybody who could take care of him and I will not give him to some stranger on the Internet. Even if I had a place to put him, I would end up sleeping on the couch for a few weeks because the gf has gotten attached to him and he is part of the family now for better or worse.

He has some nice blue coming out at the base of his tail and the front of his dorsal fin and the rear of the dorsal fin points up so I know he is a male. The bars and the big eyes indicate that he definitely is a peacock of some sort.

The species referred to as a blue peacock at live aquaria is "Aulonocara nyassae " see ... Aulonocara nyassae, Emperor cichlid: aquarium

Others call "Aulonocara stuartgranti" Blue Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara stuartgranti) a blue peacock and "Aulonocara hansbaenschi" Aulonocara hansbaenschi, Aulonocara Fort Maguire: aquarium is also sometiems referred to as a blue peacock. Also "Aulonocara maylandi kandeensis" Aulonocara maylandi kandeensis, Blue orchid aulonocara: aquarium

So we are looking at a 3 to 4 inch cichlid according to fishbase. Since fish sometimes grow bigger in a tank than in the wild and hybrids often are bigger than either of the parent species, the 4-6 inch range appears to be a consensus for unidentified peacock.

For now he is happy in the 10 gallon all by himself. he comes out of his house and flares his fins at me when I come by and he absolutely loves bloodworms.

I know ultimately he will need to be with a few tankmates in at least a 40 breeder but that is not possible right now. The 40g I have is only 1 foot longer than the 20g and they are the same width with the 40 being taller. The tetras, rams and cory's would be much better off in the 40 and the peacock cichlid will take awhile to outgrow the 20 at which point I may have more room for a larger tank for him. My danios and white clouds in the 10g could also go in the 40g since none of the tetras like the top of the tank. So do I make 25 fish really happy and a 1 african cichlid comfortable or do I make 1 african cichlid really happy and 25 fish comfortable.

 

[SinisterKisses]

That's clearly up to you, since you're doing it your way anyway.

 

[blue_ram]

That's clearly up to you, since you're doing it your way anyway.

Ultimately all our own decisions are up to us, it is helpful input, suggestions and advice which influences the decisions we make. Our views are always biased based upon our experiences and beliefs. If I had asked the same question in the charcin or cory forum, the advice would be different than in this one.

Irregardless of which tank I ultimately put the african cichlid in, I am still seeking advice on how to make his life as comfy as possible as well as making all my fish comfy. Substrate, water parameters food, environment etc....

 

[Mercury]

If you can't afford a new tank for it, keep it in a plastic tub or barrel with good filtration. Of course, you probably won't want to keep it in there, but it could be fine for however long you need to keep it in there.

 

[blue_ram]

If you can't afford a new tank for it, keep it in a plastic tub or barrel with good filtration. Of course, you probably won't want to keep it in there, but it could be fine for however long you need to keep it in there.

It is not just a matter of cost, but space as well. Gotta leave some space in the house for the kids.

I have an aquaclear 30 (150gph), eco complete cichlid gravel and a bunch of rocks for him so the environment will be made perfect for him, just a smaller tank than would be ideal. I do not think the 20 will be too small for a 1 inch cichlid right now especialy with appropriate substrate and good filtration.

I am pretty sure he is a peacock, but I guess in a few months I will be able to know for sure

Will the eco complete gravel be okay or should I put in sand. Since I am in South Florida 1 mile from the beach with unlimited access to crushed coral sand and most likely the same sand they sell in the stores for $20 a bag, can I use some beach sand if carefully boiled and cleaned?

 

[TabMorte]

Big Als will take him if you take him there BTW.

 

[blue_ram]

Big Als will take him if you take him there BTW.

The Big Als in Tamarac, FL? Awesome store! That might be an option. (maybe not)

I went there today because two of the 3 long fin white clouds I bought on saturday died in an established tank with immaculate water. I brought them back to Big Als along with the third one that was still alive and their so called 5 day guarantee only includes half the cost of the fish as store credit and they gave me a hassle about returning the third one saying they take donations. I will not deal with a store which does not stand behind their products

 

[Kephren01]

I haven't read all the threads (too much to read). As far as the fish, crappy situation, try craigslist and see if someone will take him (at least I'd try that before I left him to die).

As far as the tank, check craigslist. I have never been a fan of craigslist however, I found a nice 72 Gal oceanview (or oceanic, whatever they are) tank with stand and canopy for $300. They guy had it filled so I could see that it did not leak. I bought that from him and it is great. The cheapest I've seen that setup around me is for $650+.

Just an idea, it worked out great for me.
Good luck

ps. cichlids are pretty cool, if you can swing a tank i'd hold on to him I got into them by "mistake" and I love them

 

[blue_ram]

Eventually I will have room for a 55g, but for the next 6 months or so I have absolutely no room, unless I get rid of a few children. Right now he is barely 1.5 inches long, I guess technically still a fry and seems very content in his 10g. Will have the 20g ready for him this weekend and if he grows too quickly and outgrows it, then I will have to give him up. I kinda like him, he watches me do the dishes in the kitchen. They seem so much smarter and more attentive then the other fish.