Getting started… What to do?

[JerryJ]

Hi everybody,
I have a 75 gallon tank and I want to keep African cichlids. I am dithering over whether to get Tanganyikans, peacocks, or even relatively peaceful Mbuna. I think I’m aware of the pros and cons of various options, but I thought maybe I could get some advice from experienced folks on how to get started in this? If I want a tank that will be fun, relatively relaxing, and not drive me crazy because the fish outgrew the tank or started killing each other, what’s a good way to go? Thanks for any help you can provide!
Jerry

 

[AquaStudent]

Hey Jerry! Welcome to the hobby! The options are endless!

You’ve done your research and is the only one that can say what’s right for you. I don’t think you can go wrong though. Mbuna in a 75 will give you a lot of activity to watch. You be able to have a few different varieties of breeding colonies if that’s the direction you want to go. You could do a group of male peacocks for a large variety of color. I have found that Tanganyikans have some of the most unique fish body shapes.

Is there an aesthetic/aquascape or specific fish personality you’d like to explore?

 

[JerryJ]

Thanks, AquaStudent! I know I have to decide for myself, but I appreciate the chance to discuss it.

I've kept angelfish and discus, and I'm attracted to cichlids because there's always something interesting going on in a cichlid tank. Even with relatively docile species, the relationships between the fish are always evolving. I enjoy fish that are a bit complicated...the question is whether some types of African cichlids may go too far in that direction, and drive me crazy.

From what I've read, to keep things peaceful with most African species, it's best to have all males, or one male to several females. However, I think with most Mbuna, it's hard to tell the boys from the girls. So you're likely to wind up with about a 50/50 mix, which sounds like the worst configuration. If the fish turn homicidal, it will stop being fun.

A male peacock tank would be gorgeous, and simpler in the sense of not needing a lot of rockwork (I don't care too much about an aesthetic aquascape). I accept that the subdominant males will probably not show full color. Again, I'd prefer not to deal with murderous fish, so it's a question of how likely it is that the "boss" fish will take things too far. I've gotten the impression that OBs tend to be more aggressive than pure peacocks/haps; is that correct?

The other option is a Tanganyikan tank, and I'm probably leaning in that direction. In a 75, can I put more than 2 Julidochromis? Can I also have 1 or 2 leleupis, or would that invite too much aggression? I would probably want a couple of calvus, and either some Synodontis catfish or a colony of shell dwellers. A school of Cyprichromis might also be appealing, but if I want to keep things really simple, I might just substitute some rainbowfish.

Let me know if I seem to be thinking in a reasonable direction!

 

[AquaStudent]

I’m not experienced enough with Peacock cichlids other than the ones I kept were less difficult to deal with than my mbuna. There are species of mbuna that are sexually dimorphic like the Chindongo saluosi that make it much easier to distinguish males from females. There are usually noticeable differences between adult mbuna anyway and you should be able to tell the difference at maturity.

There are some fantastic Tanganyikan fish keepers on the forums. MarkK and D DrEgg can provide more specific advice but Tangs sound like a great path forward. I am not sure if mixing multiple Julis can cause crossbreeding. My gut says that’s not a good idea but please confer with the actual experts. The body shapes of Julis and colors of Lelupi would make for a fun aquarium.

 

[JerryJ]

I've just become aware of saluosi Malawi cichlids, so it's interesting you mentioned them. Since the males and females are both colorful yet different, I could see myself going in that direction. As usual, the decision centers on the aggression question. I assume I'd want more females than males, which is fine. But how many of each? How many males can I put in a 75, with a bunch of females, to have a reasonable chance at the males coexisting sufficiently well? I saw a video where there were more males than females in a tank smaller than mine, and it was said things were working out fine. But other sources say you can put only one male in a 75. And what if I want to add one other relatively peaceful mbuna species...can that work?