Confused and weary...

[bubblecandy]

I'm being told by my LFS that I could either add more fish to my tank (29g) or buy a danio, as a dither fish, to help lower the aggression I have in my tank. I feel like that is a bad idea because I don't always know what I'm buying for the store esp. at Petco. I go to Skiptons which is closest to me. Dude suggested stocking my tank with about 10 fish, Do you think that is good advice?

I have the 10g for the convict because he was being harrassed by a female c. borleyi continuous and now I feel like he's being punished b'cause he alone now and all I was trying to do is help him.

Little stocking help pls, thanks.

 

[bubblecandy]

I'v been reading up on Pseudotropheus demasoni. Cute. But I hear these guys are treatcherous. What do ya'll think of 'em and I seen one that looks similar to the demasoni but not quite. It was labeled sex-a-fi something like that -facitus whatever. So I was wondering what exactly that one was. I thought it was something like the kenyi but I can't find much info on it. What is the scientific name for the kenyi.

 

[Exevious]

the cichlids will eat your danio...
I had danios in the begining... 3 with some tetras. He terrorized everything in the tank for nine months. So finally after dozens of fish, include other danios it was down to him and my orange algae eater again. I started with cichlids, he was gone 2 days later.

I only recommend danios in groups of 6 or more in larger community tanks.
Small fish will be eaten by ciclids.... Sometimes larger cichlids with eat smaller cichlids.

I kept my red-eyed tetra with my labs when they were young, those tetra are larger.. about 1.5 inches.
But I wouldnt recommend it with adult cichlids.

 

[Exevious]

PS. That Kenyi needs to come out of the 10g.

And he will need more space than the 29g.
Kenyi are pretty aggressive cichlids. Most of my reading recommends at least 30g of territory for a kenyi.

 

[LongTime]

Take the convict back. (Read the sticky on mixing New World and Africans.) Don't add anything else to the 29. You are, IMO, crowded as it is.

 

[straitjacket]

You've reached your stocking limit and can safely say you've gone a bit over to boot. I think the con will be fine in the 10gl by himself till he hits about 4". Then he'll need a minimum of 20gls to himself.
Any mbuna should be in the 29gl to "overcrowd" and for no better reason than a 10gl is simply too small for an mbuna. The 29 will eventually be too small and you'll have to move up to at least a 40gl tank for the fish you have. All the fish you have reach at least 5" and some, including the jewel, kenyi, zebra and C. borleyi will reach at least 6".
P. demasoni do get much too aggressive for anything smaller than a standard 55gl. They may be small but make up for their size by being extra pugnacious.
A 29gl would be a good size tank for a breeding trio or quartet of smaller/calmer mbuna such as yellow labs or rusties, not so much for some of the larger more aggressive species.

 

[bubblecandy]

You'll probably wanna reach out and choke me after I tell you I just purchased 4 baby Pseudotropheus crabros but! I am only keeping one.

You've reached your stocking limit and can safely say you've gone a bit over to boot. .

I figured as much. I had this feeling that I didn't know what I was getting into. And People at LFS are helping me to get into more trouble.

Thing is the convict is named after my brother-in-law who is still in Iraq. So I will not be getting rid of him. JD I believe is gonna have to go. I just can't house him . Baby Kenyi is about a half an inch or just under (together with dempsey which is twice his size) Maybe I can ge a bigger tank before he gets too big (wishful thinking).

I now see why you guys stress researching fish before buying. A lesson learned.

 

[straitjacket]

You can keep the con just fine. If you do get that 55 you can move that con up to the 29. Then everyone will be happy!

You'll probably wanna reach out and choke me after I tell you I just purchased 4 baby Pseudotropheus crabros but! I am only keeping one.

Ok, no choking but a quick smack upside the head might do some good *laughingc . Just kidding . I'm not a smacking type...more of a fist flailing shouter. *ALL*
But seriously, P. crabro might be one of the worst choices for that overstocked 29 gallon tank.
They get big and are reputed to have a nasty disposition, but I believe this is a misunderstanding as most of the time P. crabro are crammed into tanks that only seem like they're big enough when this is not so to the territorial nature of the fish itself. Big fish want big territories afterall. In large tanks they turn into animals which are, despite much of the literature, quite docile and mild tempered.
I've kept these before and I'm telling you now, they grow like weeds to some considerabe sizes. It's not uncommon for them to reach 8" during their first year to 18months. Mine shot right up to 6" in 4-6 months, the dominant male reaching 6" quicker than anyone. They're sexually mature at around 4" and at that time will begin to chase eachother incessantly. I can't tell you how many times I've had to black the lights out for a week due to breeding related aggression or leave the glass top off the tank for fear of it shattering by the way these monsters would constantly ram themselves or another fish into it. I've found that single specimens don't take much interest in their tankmates in large enough tanks but in a 29 (or anything smaller than 75gls for that matter), male or female can become aggressive enough to start knocking tankmates off one by one.
They're a very awesome fish to keep but one must be responsible enough to keep them appropriately. I'd recommend a minimum tank size of 55gls (even though bigger is always better) and sincerely hope you can get it asap or otherwise. These guys are alot of fun and are very rewarding when you realize how you've grown a scrawny looking just-like-any-other mbuna into this 8", thick, chameleon-like and majestic looking beast that will drench you if you dare feed it over an open tank. *BOUNCINGS

For your reading/viewing pleasure ;
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=845
http://www.gcca.net/fom/Pseudotropheus_crabro.htm
http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/Cichlidae/Pseudotropheus_crabro.htm
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_crabro.php
http://www.tropheus.info/riftlakes/cichlids/pseudotropheus_crabo_e.html

 

[bubblecandy]

LoL. Thanks, I think I need a slap upside the head. This post has really exposed me to different aspects of cichlid keeping as simple as these posting were. It's nice to reach out to people who actually know what they are talking about.

Cichlids are amazing fish, I am completely addicted but I need to do much more research. BTW would anybody be insterested in a baby dempsey and some P.Crabros?

 

[bubblecandy]

I'll be away but back on Tuesday. If anyone is interested in the fish. Laterz