Hmmmm -- Suggestions for stocking a 40 breeder?

[hollyfish2000]

I may be getting a hankering to restock my 40 gallon breeder. Current stock: pair of rainbow cichlids, 10 marbled hatchets, 12 galaxy rasboras, 2 albino BN plecos and 6 sterbai cories.

Tank has black sand substrate with rocks, driftwood and silk plants to hide the equipment. I don't want to do a planted tank.

Options:

Keep all stock except the rainbows and swap for another new world cichlid? (no to angels, rams, apistos) Suggestions for new world that would fit in here?

Go in completely different direction -- shellies? ????

Especially offer me suggestions if you have the stock to sell me . . .

 

[verbal]

If you go with a peaceful new world cichlid, you will probably have to swap out the galaxy rasboras.

If you wanted to go another direction, a 40 breeder could be a good tank for a couple of smaller or more peaceful mbuna species.

 

[hollyfish2000]

I can move the rasboras to another tank (if I can catch them)!. No mbunas . . .

Am particularly curious about new world cichlids that would work in this size tank (some of you guys have some interesting ones I heard you talk about).

 

[George]

Good idea to stay away from Mbuna. Do not let these Rift Lake people corrupt you. Resist the dark side.

George

 

[jonclark96]

Holly:

I would go for a pair of cryptoheros for your tank. Sajica or nanoluteus would both be nice, although you may prefer the sajica as the nanos are similar in coloring to your rainbows.

You could also remove the heater and do a harem of one of the gymnogeophagus species. Some of them are really beautiful. I don't have any of the above for trade, but I know that Jeff Rapps has all of them on his current list. Jeff has some really nice fish.

 

[hollyfish2000]

Already have a peacock tank!!

 

[minifoot77]

Holly:

I would go for a pair of cryptoheros for your tank. Sajica or nanoluteus would both be nice, although you may prefer the sajica as the nanos are similar in coloring to your rainbows.

You could also remove the heater and do a harem of one of the gymnogeophagus species. Some of them are really beautiful. I don't have any of the above for trade, but I know that Jeff Rapps has all of them on his current list. Jeff has some really nice fish.

these are not peacocks....

 

[mscichlid]

A pair of either one of these: Biotecus, Crenicara, Dicrossus, Microgeophagus, Nannacara, and Taeniacara; Pelvicachromis are good choices for that size tank.

 

[hollyfish2000]

Good idea to stay away from Mbuna. Do not let these Rift Lake people corrupt you. Resist the dark side.

George

I was responding to this with my peacock comment.

Cryptoheros sounds interesting. Are they a pairing fish?

 

[hollyfish2000]

I checked it out, the sajica sounds exactly right for me. Anyone in our club breeding them? Otherwise, Jeff Rapp sounds good.

 

[MonteSS]

I would highly reccomend Australoheros Oblongum. (fish in my Avatar). They are mellow and beautiful. Males max at 6".

ToddnBecka here has babies for sale.

I have pretty Honduran Red Point babies for sale. They are similar to the Sajica and Cutteri but more colorfull

I also have Nicaraguense babies.

Either should work with you rainbows.

...Bill

....Bill

 

[MonteSS]

delete

 

[toddnbecka]

I have loads of oblongums ready to pair off, and several proven pairs of cutteri as well. Either would fit well in a 40 breeder. The cutteri would be more likely to successfully raise some fry in a community tank IME, the oblongums are too mellow to defend their brood.

 

[hollyfish2000]

toddnbecka -- I like mellow!

The australoheros oblongum sounds very interesting. Would yours look at pretty as MonteSS's avatar? Would a pair in a 40 work with existing stock (excluding rainbows)? Can you sex them at this point for me to get a m-f?

 

[MonteSS]

I guarantee you will love the Oblongum. Great pair bond too.

....Bill

 

[toddnbecka]

Their appearance varies according to mood and background/substrate color, but my breeding pair are almost always showing great. The black substrate will definitely bring out their pattern/colors.
They are mostly sexable, no guarantee that a random m/f will pair up though.

 

[hollyfish2000]

Is the kind of thing where I should get a group and wait for a pair to form?


will they eat my galaxy rasboras??

 

[MonteSS]

They call these guys Chameleon Cichlids. Here he is in one of his "blonder" moods.

....Bill

 

[hollyfish2000]

Oh, pretty. Sort of rainbow cichild-ish, but something different.

 

[toddnbecka]

My breeding pair usually show darker, likely because they're still bonded. Juvies or unpaired fish are more variable IME, sometimes they do look quite similar to rainbows.
Here's a pic of the male from last year, not too long before the current brood was spawned:

The pair is in the 125 now, and he really shows a lot of black, particularly along the bottom. Different lighting also highlights different aspects of their appearance. The camera flash was used in this pic:

Previous batch of juvies, good view of the red in the tail: