[fermentedhiker]

I'm finally making progress on getting my 125 up and running. The plan is for a harem of Otter Point Jakes, along with a trio of Synodontis lucipinnis. Originally I was planning on a large school of Lake Inle Danios for dither and just because I think they have a subtle beauty. At the moment they are proving hard to find. Originally I was considering some others so I'm reviewing that list to see if another choice might be better. To be clear I'm not concerned about keeping things strictly from the same region.

Madagascar Rainbow
Dwarf praecox rainbow
Celebes rainbow(too timid?)
Lake Tanganyika Killi(more of a shaoler than schooling and pricey)

Thoughts? Any others I should consider?

 

[PlantedRich]

125 is a nice size and I run one planted with Africans. I like the aulonocara bunch and in the larger size tank I find I can add several fish who might not work in smaller. I like to give them space rather than go with the standard "overcrowd" advise. So that leaves me thinking you have quite a large group of fish which might work, even mbuna. Depending what you want and how the tank is set, I might try some yellow labs for the more gentle action and they are not big enough to bother the prize folks. I love the yellow colors with the blues.
For a larger but gentle type, how about:
Placidochromis electra (Undu) Deep water haps?
Cichlid Profiles

 

[fermentedhiker]

I hadn't really considered adding another sizable hap. You're right yellow labs could work(about the only mbuna that would). I was even considering a couple Orange chromides I have in another tank that would be better without them. But I'm really looking for something that'll school/shoal and generate some activity. Hence the danios or rainbows. Barilius bakeri or Barilius canarensis are also ones I was considering.

 

[PlantedRich]

Actually I find lots of the nfo on African cichlids is not what I find in my tanks. I find many of the mbuna work with the larger open water fish as the two don't really want the same things. Mbuna love the rocks full time and the open water folks only go there to hide. I often read they can't be kept together but the same folks seem to think the fish need to be crowded???
In my tanks, I don't crowd fish as I don't see ghettos working very well for people so I don't expect it to work for fish. I give them space to act natural and it seems to work much better.
I've had insignus, hap ahli, azureus, hongi, yellow labs and several others through this tank at times. With space, they eat, live and breed and leave the others alone. Each type does it own thing.

 

[Clear Water]

Lake Inle Danios would be great dither fish. I had about 7 of them and down to one after a couple years. I to have not had lot of luck finding them. One thing that could be problem with them is they will out compete others for food very active. My ac tank is going to be all male. I hate the aggressive of cichlids but there beauty is not to ignore.

 

[fermentedhiker]

Still having trouble finding Lake Inle Danios So I've been mulling over some other options again.

Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi
Melanotaenia trifasciata( get kind of big at 6" )
Melanotaenia praecox(I've heard rumors that existing captive strains are not very hardy)(also have seen some say that it doesn't like brightly lit tanks)
Bedotia geayi
Denison Barb
Lamprichthys tanganicanus

The hunt continues

 

[The Dude1]

If you're not wanting other cichlids I think some Rainbows would be the best bet. Once the Venustus and Borleyi are moved into my bigger tank, I'm going to do Bosemani, Millennium or Incissus Rainbows, Turquoise, and maybe Trifasciatus (yellow). I've seen them mixed with Africans and it's an amazing combo.

 

[fermentedhiker]

I've been leaning that way. Cyprochromis is about the only cichlid I think that would fit since I'm going for a harem of Jakes and wouldn't want another centerpiece type fish. What I did notice about cyprochromis in watching videos was that they were very loose shoalers. I know most fish don't school tightly like say rummynose tetras but it would be nice if they were at least moderately tight.

 

[The Dude1]

My Lemon Jake is by far the most aggressive fish in my tank. They may not do well with Cyps unless it's a big tank. Cyps also need larger groups. Lastly I've heard cyps are rarely colored like you see on the internet. Rainbows would look nicer in my opinion. Sorry just read you had a 125 6 foot tank. I think you could do either one in a tank that size.

 

[fermentedhiker]

Thanks yeah I'm leaning toward either a dozen of praecox or yellows or 6 of each. Mulling over the different look the tank will have with either grouping.

Alternatively I have a school of tiger barbs in another tank that I really should break down at some point and they would probably be very happy to go from a 40B to a 125

 

[PlantedRich]

I find tiger barbs to be a real pest with my nicer fish. They tend to develop fin nippng to an art that drives the haps/ peacocks to get really nasty and turn on them.

 

[fermentedhiker]

I find tiger barbs to be a real pest with my nicer fish. They tend to develop fin nippng to an art that drives the haps/ peacocks to get really nasty and turn on them.

Yeah that can happen. Although I usually find that with red tailed sharks(picking fights they can't win). I haven't ever had trouble with tiger barbs as long as I keep them in sufficient numbers(no less than 9).

I got a quad of jakes today(1m/3f) about 1.5". I added some furcatus rainbows to help calm them down from another tank I'm thinking of breaking down. I wonder if the blue eyes can stay with the jakes permanently since they are really crustacean predators and not accomplished fish hunters or if they turn on them once they get big enough?

 

[The Dude1]

I don't know about the smaller Rainbows. I decided to go a different way. I'm doing some more peaceful mbuna for action and color. I had 3 Yellow Labidochromis in my 150 and I'm growing out 3 Acei. They are super energetic so I think it will work well. I'm going to use the 75 as a more general "leftover" African tank. Right now I've got a Lemon Jake, Eureka Red, Dragon Blood, Red Shoulder peacocks. I've also got a Venustus, Taiwan Reef, Brichardi, 3 Frontosa, Red Fin Borleyi, optopharynx lithobates, 3 Gold Head Compressiseps, 2 Caudopunctatus in addition to the Labs and I'll add the Acei. I will rehome the Caudopunctatus eventually due to their size. There is ALOT of action and no issues to speak of currently. The Sunshine Peacock and a Gold Head Compressiseps turned up dead the same morning about a month ago.