I most likely will be gettin a 55-gallon stand tank off craig's list with gravel and filter and all the stuff you need for the tank soon, i just have to get contact with the owner. Id like to go ahead and start asking you guys on some good idea's on stocking because ive found it may take a few days to figure out what im gonna stock it with. Ok so of course Scooter my Acei mbuna will be going in, for his tankmates (check on Aqadvisor-stocking is fine) Im thinking i want a Albino Rainbow shark, 1 Peacock eel. Im not sure what else i want i have a few species im looking toward. I was looking into the African Brown Knifefish, maybe another peacock eel, and i also am open to suggestion's. If i could fit another cichlid in there that would be able to seal off teritory then i may add one. Im basing this off my aunt's 55 gallon which contains 2 cichlids, 2 rainbow sharks a silver tipped shark a synodotis species and i belive a pleco.
55-gallon
- Thread starter Fishman1995
- Start date
*Yawn*
As per usual with your slightly crazy stocking proposals, this won't work.
Fishman, we've already explained that you can't house anything other than mbunas with mbunas unless you get a compatible species of synodontis. Your above list is ridiculous for many reasons...
ALL THE FISH ABOVE REQUIRE VASTLY DIFFERENT WATER PARAMETERS.
Aqadvisor is NOT a means of researching. Just because you can "fit it in" doesn't mean it'll work.
So what's wrong with the above fish in relation to your acei?
Rainbow sharks: Require soft, acid water (though work at neutral), which is FAR OFF the hard, alkaline water required by your acei.
Peacock eels: Require soft, acid water (though work at neutral), which is FAR OFF the hard, alkaline water required by your acei.
African Brown Knife fish: Require soft, acid water (though work at neutral), which is FAR OFF the hard, alkaline water required by your acei.
You can't just shove a load if INCOMPATIBLE species of fish into a tank because they'll fit.
Sorry if I sound snappy but I'm getting bored of saying the same thing over and over again. You need to RESEARCH YOUR FISH and start listening or you'll end up making expensive mistakes.
Either devote the tank entirely to a MBUNA-ONLY tank or get rid of your acei. The choice is simple.
As per usual with your slightly crazy stocking proposals, this won't work.
Fishman, we've already explained that you can't house anything other than mbunas with mbunas unless you get a compatible species of synodontis. Your above list is ridiculous for many reasons...
ALL THE FISH ABOVE REQUIRE VASTLY DIFFERENT WATER PARAMETERS.
Aqadvisor is NOT a means of researching. Just because you can "fit it in" doesn't mean it'll work.
So what's wrong with the above fish in relation to your acei?
Rainbow sharks: Require soft, acid water (though work at neutral), which is FAR OFF the hard, alkaline water required by your acei.
Peacock eels: Require soft, acid water (though work at neutral), which is FAR OFF the hard, alkaline water required by your acei.
African Brown Knife fish: Require soft, acid water (though work at neutral), which is FAR OFF the hard, alkaline water required by your acei.
You can't just shove a load if INCOMPATIBLE species of fish into a tank because they'll fit.
Sorry if I sound snappy but I'm getting bored of saying the same thing over and over again. You need to RESEARCH YOUR FISH and start listening or you'll end up making expensive mistakes.
Either devote the tank entirely to a MBUNA-ONLY tank or get rid of your acei. The choice is simple.
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I did research them and aquadvisor warns you of incompatible parameters and guess what...it said it was fine. My moms friends fish have lived like this for going on 3 years and there fine. Im tired of hearing from you that the parameters arent right when the site you gave me gives me a PH to set it at that works for the fish. Go put in 1 Pseudotropheus Acei, 2 Rainbow sharks, 1 African Brown knife and tell me what it says. Then put in Pseudotropheus acei and Eclipse catifsh and look at the warning it tells you, says incompatible parameters, wanna know why it doesnt do that with the others, Cause they can be kept together. Im sorry if i sound like ive snapped again cause i havent, im just trying to figure out whos right, a site everyone here trust's or some people who keep fish, its a very hard descion of who to go with. I also am basing this off my moms friends tank who is going fine.
If you'd actually read what I put, I was comparing them to you ACEI. The fish you listed, as I said, require soft acid water, and would theoretically work, even if the rainbow might get a bit aggressive. But they WOULD NOT work with your acei which requires hard alkaline water.
And after well over 15 years experience in keeping, breeding and researching fish, I think I know what I'm talking about. Thanks for doubting my experience.
And after well over 15 years experience in keeping, breeding and researching fish, I think I know what I'm talking about. Thanks for doubting my experience.
Just because it's working, short term, for one person, doesn't mean the fish are happy and healthy.
It's a much better idea to stick to the parameters the fish are kept at in the wild. It helps to lessen the effects of disease and can even lessen aggression, which is often brought on by stress in unsuitable parameters. Not to mention colours are much much stronger, you'd see some gorgeous colours off your acei.
It's a much better idea to stick to the parameters the fish are kept at in the wild. It helps to lessen the effects of disease and can even lessen aggression, which is often brought on by stress in unsuitable parameters. Not to mention colours are much much stronger, you'd see some gorgeous colours off your acei.
And id like to add im not trying to lash out at you, and yes i like a big variety 
and i know my acei may get a lil testy, but i know africans can be with Rainbow sharks for absolute sure ive seen them in tanks together, one just yesterday. A red zebra with a Redtailed shark a rainbowshark and 2 plecos, though i wouldnt mix the 2 shark species i would mix a cichlid and 1 of those species, and 1 Brown Knife shouldnt be that much issue, i mean really look at wha aqadvisor said, now if it told me i had to keep it within a .2 range like 7.8-8.0 i wouldnt try it.
and i know my acei may get a lil testy, but i know africans can be with Rainbow sharks for absolute sure ive seen them in tanks together, one just yesterday. A red zebra with a Redtailed shark a rainbowshark and 2 plecos, though i wouldnt mix the 2 shark species i would mix a cichlid and 1 of those species, and 1 Brown Knife shouldnt be that much issue, i mean really look at wha aqadvisor said, now if it told me i had to keep it within a .2 range like 7.8-8.0 i wouldnt try it.
That tank stocking is very strange, 2 plecos? 2 sharks? But I won't try to give advice to someone who's not here to give more details.
In answer to your above question, when I was much younger and just starting out, like you I often put quite a few incompatible fish together, including an lake malawi cichlid (a hybrid of some form, we're talking 14 years ago now!). Needless to say it didn't work.
Really, all I'm interested in here is the well-being and happiness of your fish. Would you not rather than your fish were happy in conditions they've evolved over thousands, if not millions of years to live in, than be forced to adapt to conditions that aren't favourable in a short space of time?
Look, ultimately, it's up to you. I just can't see this working but I can't tell you what not to buy. All I can do is give advice based on what I know.
Sorry if the above got a bit heated. I just get very passionate about this subject, and didn't mean to offend anyone.
In answer to your above question, when I was much younger and just starting out, like you I often put quite a few incompatible fish together, including an lake malawi cichlid (a hybrid of some form, we're talking 14 years ago now!). Needless to say it didn't work.
Really, all I'm interested in here is the well-being and happiness of your fish. Would you not rather than your fish were happy in conditions they've evolved over thousands, if not millions of years to live in, than be forced to adapt to conditions that aren't favourable in a short space of time?
Look, ultimately, it's up to you. I just can't see this working but I can't tell you what not to buy. All I can do is give advice based on what I know.
Sorry if the above got a bit heated. I just get very passionate about this subject, and didn't mean to offend anyone.
He's much darker and his yellow has gotten brighter. How do i sex him cause i dont know if its a boy or girl i just assume. And yes it would be better to have him in a mbuna setup but my moms friend has her convinced its not gonna work so i dont have much to work with here. so im doing something that can work.
There's a much slimmer chance of that set-up working than a mbuna working. Sounds like your mom's friend may need to do a bit of reading up, mbuna tanks are gorgeous and when done properly are quite easy to keep. Here are a few off the net:
http://www.cichlids.com/uploads/tx_usercichlids/user_pics/7907/fish_t_961dab7491.jpg
Here's a 55gallon:
http://www.backalleyvintage.com/b/55G/011209fts.jpg
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/images/thumbimg/650/7228_2.jpg
And if you look on Age of Aquariums - Tropical Fish on the "your tanks" section, many stunning mbunas are listed there.
I don't understand how she's convinced your mom a mbuna tank "wouldn't work". What's her reasoning?
Another option if you want cichlids that are more compatible with the stocking you want is return the acei and get some kribensis? They'd work much better and are very colourful and have great personalities.
http://www.cichlids.com/uploads/tx_usercichlids/user_pics/7907/fish_t_961dab7491.jpg
Here's a 55gallon:
http://www.backalleyvintage.com/b/55G/011209fts.jpg
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/images/thumbimg/650/7228_2.jpg
And if you look on Age of Aquariums - Tropical Fish on the "your tanks" section, many stunning mbunas are listed there.
I don't understand how she's convinced your mom a mbuna tank "wouldn't work". What's her reasoning?
Another option if you want cichlids that are more compatible with the stocking you want is return the acei and get some kribensis? They'd work much better and are very colourful and have great personalities.