Sunken stomachs    6/22/11
Hello. My name is Jennifer, and after searching your website I decided to write for some advice. I have a 92 gallon bow front tank with 15 assorted Mbunas/Peacocks/Haps and 2 Plecos (a standard LFS variety and a Royal Pleco). The cichlids are all juvenile (4-6 months old). Everyone seems to be very happy and healthy. They all are growing nicely. All tank parameters are good and temp is 78. I have both a mechanical and biological filter and do a 25-30% water change weekly.
<What sort of nitrate accumulation do you measure here?>
I noticed a few weeks ago that my Carolina Swallowtail and my Blue Ram <? are these common names for Aulonocaras? Am unfamiliar. The last isn't a/the dwarf from S. America I hope/trust>
were developing sunken bellies. I wasn't surprised since they are the two smallest fish in the tank and the swallowtail hides all the time to the point I've never seen it eat and am surprised it's still alive. The Ram is a very good eater though. In the last week I've noticed that all the fish seem to be developing a sunken belly including my most dominant fish who eat the best. I feed a carnivorous/herbivorous sinking mini Cichlid pellet twice a day and rotate between sinking discs/sinking algae pellets/peas once every couple days. I try not to overfeed them and up until now they've been fat and happy. Now they're skinny and happy. The only other thing I've noticed is every once in a while one of the fish will scratch on a rock.
<Not necessarily indicative of anything>
They don't seem to repeat it and it's maybe one fish once a week. I was thinking they weren't getting enough food because of the mini pellet, but don't want to overlook an actual problem.
<I'd be adding other foods, substituting for this diet. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/afcichfdgfaqs.htm>
Wouldn't I have more aggression if it was an underfeeding problem?
<Likely a bit of both; along with possibly an influence of water quality (temperature and nitrogenous et al. accumulation)>
I was thinking of treating with Praziquantel and then feeding Metronidazole soaked food to kind of cover the parasite basis.
<I would NOT do this. Where would such parasites have come from/vectored?>
I did recently lose my other Blue Ram to what looked like a growth on his gills. It started small and then grew to the point he couldn't really open his mouth to eat. Otherwise he was a very fat and happy fish and tried to eat even up to the day he died (he did not have a sunken belly). Any help would be appreciated and I would love for you to tell me to feed them more.
Thanks so much.
<Do please read through our section on African Cichlids:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlvstkind2.htm
Scroll down... Need to know the species involved here (usually Mbuna don't really mix well w/ Peacocks, Haplochromines/Utakas...) and the issue re NO3, decor... Bob Fenner>

bald patches, but not sores...    5/16/11
Hi!
Love the site, I browse it every time I have a question.
<Ah good>
On my issue tho, after a few minutes of searching I didn't find anything matching my fishes symptoms.
I have a female turquoise peacock cichlid (she is in a 6' 120 gal Malawi all peacock/hap tank). She was bought as a male for an all male tank, but turned out to be female.
<I have kept, and currently have Aulonocaras as well>
I realise she is likely stressed as one of two females in an all male tank (I've tried to rehome them without success) but I don't think that is the cause of her symptoms as the other female looks fine.
She has bare patches of skin on her body, where it looks like she has rubbed her scales off. She doesn't flash any more than any of the other fish, so I don't think its caused by excessive flashing. The patches are not red, bounded by red, or rubbed raw thru to tissue. She is skinny, but not so's anyone not "fishy" would notice.
<Mmm>
She eats well and swims fine. She's not as active as the others, but I figure it's because she needs to hide a bit for a break from her tank mates.
<The third "strike"... some one/s is/are bothering this fish here. That its missing scales, is skinny, and "needs to hide" calls for re-moving this fish to elsewhere>
I've had her for over a year now and after a few parasite treatments in the beginning I kinda gave up on it, thinking it was just some weird thing she did at night. However, a year later, I have another fish who is skinny, tho again, not so much that anyone but an aquarist would notice. No bare patches tho. I have noticed a bit of flashing, and one or two instances of head shaking over a few weeks time. This causes me to rethink the worms/parasites issue, unsuccessfully treated previously. I also read that it might be fish tuberculosis. I see now I should have pursued it further back then.
Your thoughts please? It's so hard to diagnose fish. Also, whatever she has, being in the tank a year leads me to believe that, even tho they show no symptoms, the other fish all have to be infected as well?
pat...
<Pat, what you so well describe is very common in keeping these types of fishes... the "odd fish out" trends to poor condition, behavior and ultimately perishes. This is NOT an infection, nor pathogenic at all, but a social phenomenon... The only real solution is to move such "Beta" fishes, keep them apart from the "Alpha" ones. Bob Fenner>
Re: bald patches, but not sores...  5/16/2011
Thanks very much for your reply, Bob - its a relief that its not parasitic/infectious and endangering the whole tank.
I will keep on trying to rehome her, and in the meantime, pick up a smaller tank that I can relocate her to.
<Yes>
WEBSITE PROBLEM: Not sure if you know or not, but when I visited your site today, it was reported as an "attack page" and its very difficult to use it, and I'm sure newcomers would simply quit.
<Yes, thank you... we are "working on this" feverishly.>
<<Is one of the rotating banner ads... we're trying to isolate/determine which...>>
thanks again
pat...
<Cheers, BobF>

German Red Peacock, sexing, growth/beh.    3/18/11
Hello,
<Nicole>
I've searched all over and asked a few forums, stumbled upon your website and hoping that you might be able to help me figure this out!
Basically, I recently purchased about 20 German Red Peacocks. They seem to be in great health after their cross country trip, but I am at a total loss at figuring out if I got what I asked for - three females or so to every male.
<This is about right. You want at least two to one F:M ratio>
They average about two inches, to two and a half inches in length.
They are all brown. Some are occasionally, a lighter brown. Some I do notice the dorsal fin has maybe a small line of color. Since I'm almost legally blind, I wont swear to that though.
Any help that you can offer as to sexing them?
<Give them a bit of time to settle in, perhaps grow a bit. You'll very likely be able to sex them w/in a month>
I don't want to try "venting" them until they have had a few more weeks of settling in, and even then, I'm not sure if I would be able to tell.
<I agree; and would NOT do this>
Also, do you happen to know anything about the growth rate of these guys?
<Mmm, yes... Aulonocaras can grow quite quickly given frequent feeding, large volumes and good water quality (mainly change-outs... to limit metabolite build-up, which has a negative effect on growth)... Yours are likely only a few months old. They can alternatively be stunted by the opposite conditions>
I mean, I know five inches is about full maturity, I guess I'm just wondering about how long I should expect to get them there under good conditions.
<Another year perhaps... these Cichlids grow more slowly with age, size>
I do have them crowded for now - 20 in a 60 gallon tank. I would split them into two groups / two aquariums of equal size if I could sex them!
<Again, just a bit of patience here>
Any help would sure be appreciated. Also, just wanted to say thanks so much for all your time, energy and efforts with supporting this hobby by providing good, sound information!
Nicole
<We are very glad to share w/ you, others. Bob Fenner>

African cichlids, diversity, sys.s    1/30/11
Hey guys.
First I want to thank you for all your help. I always feel fish stores will say anything to make a sale
<Certainly true in some cases.>
and it's always good to know you guys will say the exact requirements necessary for any situation.
<We will try, at least!>
Well I have been trying a few different situations and due to my tap water (@ 7.6) I feel the best option for me would be to have African cichlids, being a cheaper and easier choice to maintain.
<I'm worried you're still talking about "African cichlids" as opposed to Mbuna, Tanganyikans, West Africans, etc. Africa is a vast continent and cichlids from different regions have substantially different requirements.
Mbuna are the colourful, rock-dwelling cichlids from Lake Malawi, and yes, they can be good aquarium fish. But their hyper-aggression makes them difficult in many ways. Often, you'll find other Malawian cichlids better bets, such as Aulonocara, as well as cichlids of Lake Tanganyika, which are altogether less aggressive, and include some charming, colourful species.>
I have a 55 gallon and so far I have 2 mono sebae and a yellow back puffer with black spots. Only recently I learned that the older they get the more I need to add salt until eventually they will do better in a marine environment. (correct me if I'm wrong)
<Monodactylus sebae and Tetraodon nigroviridis certainly need brackish water, and yes, they can be kept in marine aquaria.>
So I was going to return the fish and get African cichlids. I wasn't sure if I had to make sure I get them all from the same lake in Africa, or I could get them from any one as long as the care requirements are close to one another.
<No! Malawians and Tanganyikans mix very poorly. The one exception is Tropheus from Lake Tanganyika that do best with Mbuna from Malawi, assuming a big enough tank. Otherwise, DO NOT MIX different Rift Valley species.>
Also my pH being at 7.6, I don't know if I should try raising it or just make sure I acclimate them all properly.
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
>
Also, if I do go with the Africans would sand be better than aquarium gravel and should I be adding anything to keep or even raise the pH high?
<There is an argument for using a crushed coral / coral sand substrate, but that works best with undergravel filters. If your water is hard already, and the carbonate hardness is 8-10 degrees KH upwards, then go ahead and choose whatever substrate you like. Since cichlids like to dig, a soft, non-abrasive substrate is best. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: African cichlids   1/30/11
I apologize about that last email I accidentally sent it before I was done.
<Oops!>
What I meant to ask was peacocks with peacocks?
<Not if you want hybrids, no. Keep a single species. Most of the Aulonocara work best in a harem unless you have a gigantic tank -- i.e., 200+ gallons.
Instead, stick to a single male and two or more females. Combine with some other type of cichlid if you want, preferably one that stays close to the rocks. Mary Bailey has written a bunch of articles about stocking Malawian cichlids including Aulonocara. Have a read. She's one of the best-known cichlid writers in the world!
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/StkgLkMalawiTksArtBailey.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/MalawiPeacocksAulonocaraMaryB.htm
Aulonocara mix extremely well with non-Mbuna Malawians of various types.>
Or Tropheus with Tropheus?
<Again, a single species of Tropheus is best, and ideally a single geographical variant within that species, since the fun of Tropheus is the countless subspecies and races. They are Tanganyikans, but very aggressive, so either kept on their own (by far the best approach because of their extremely specific dietary requirements) or with smallish, herbivorous
Mbuna able to handle themselves.>
Or any Lake T cichlids with Lake T cichlids?
<On the whole yes, Tanganyikans are kept on their own, except for Tropheus spp. as mentioned above. Mixing Tanganyikans is generally straightforward provided you keep pairs from different genera, i.e., a pair of Julidochromis, a pair of Lamprologus, and so on. Although pairs of Tanganyikans are often extremely aggressive towards conspecifics and closely related species, they usually ignore very different species. There are some exceptions like Cyprichromis and Cyphotilapia that are gregarious and best kept in groups.>
Also should I be adding any type of lake salt if I get these cichlids?
<Again, read where you were directed last time around.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
There is a full run-down of the "Rift Valley salt mix", and once you've established your water chemistry, you'll be able to decide whether hardening the water is important.>
Hope I'm not being a pain.
<Nope, but there's a tip jar on the front page; feel free to buy me a beer!>
Thanks, Ben
<Cheers, Neale.>

Peacock Cichlids Breeding
Peacock Cichlids in a Mixed Cichlid Community, 1/16/11
Hello Crew, I have a couple of questions regarding interbreeding of my peacocks, I currently have a 125 gal tank which holds:
Protomelas taeniolatus
1 male
2 female
Aulonocara lwanda
1 male
2 females
Aulonocara koningsi - (Regal Blue)
1 male
2 female
My question is what are the odds that they will interbreed?
< The Aulonocara females will spawn with the dominant male in the tank. The dominant male will have the best territory so will attract most of the females.>
I know its possible since they are from the same family but they are of a different in color and not quiet the same fin shape. The reason I like to keep females with the males to try to keep them colored up and in a more natural environment. I also want to add a Aulonocara baenschi male to the mix and remove the two empress females. They are the worse holders I have run across, about 2 days after spawning they spit/swallow the eggs, longest I have ever seen them hold is maybe 1 1/2 weeks. Is this normal for this fish or are these 2 just bad holders?
< Young fish get better with age. Make sure they are properly conditioned and have a place to hide when holding.>
This is my first mixed cichlid tank and I have done some research online about it but I was wondering if there are any old fish keeping hints/tricks from the old pros that might be useful to keep these happy, healthy and breeding with the right kind? Paul
< The best way to keep peacocks is in a species only tank. It is very difficult to tell the females apart and they will cross. You can keep the blue peacocks in a Mbuna tank but the yellow colored peacocks will not do well in a mixed community.-Chuck>

Peacock cichlid, repro.    7/27/10
Dear Sir/Madam,
<Hello,>
I have a question about my African cichlid - peacock.
<Aulonocara sp.>
She is pregnant and I have isolated her in a fishnet.
<Mouthbrooding cichlids should NEVER be put in a fish net!>
Last night one of the fry came out and this morning there were 4 of them but now they have all disappeared. I wonder why and where have they gone???
<She ate them.>
She is still in the net and not eating and on her own so no other fish can eat them either unless she has eaten them herself???
<Yes. This fish will be severely stressed in a net. Let her out!>
Could you pls help me out here. I have bred cichlids before but something like this has never happened. I have a 200 litre tank and the water is clean and ph is balanced, checked for ammonia etc and is all as per guidelines.
<Good.>
I appreciate your help and thanks in advance.
Kind Regards,
Sunny
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Peacock cichlid, breeding  7/28/10
Hi Neale,
Thanks very much for your prompt reply.
<Happy to help.>
I really appreciate it and have let the fish out.
<Cool.>
In your advice should this happen again, should I setup another tank for the pregnant mum??
<If you want to breed Aulonocara, then ideally, yes. Move the incubating female to another aquarium at least 20 gallons in size. Ensure good water quality and the right water chemistry. Add a few plants for security, whether fake or live. If you aren't using live plants, there's no need for a light. A flower pot will work well as a "cave". The fry start feeding about 3-4 weeks after spawning. They will take brine shrimp nauplii plus finely powdered flake food. Even when she is no longer brooding them, the mothers do not usually harass or eat the fry. I'd fatten her up for a couple of weeks before moving her back to the main aquarium. During that period you might want to confine the fry to a breeding trap, and then set them loose once the female has been removed.>
Many Thanks,
Sunny
<Cheers, Neale.>

Aulonocara stuartgranti "red shoulder" x yellow Labidochromis
Malawi Cichlids Maybe Crossed    3/21/10
Hello all, I have used this GREAT site many years, and now I have a question, that I would like an answer or thought on please. I have 1 female 4 inch Aulonocara stuartgranti " red shoulder" and a 2.5 inch, possible male juv. " it has egg spots on anal fin, reddish orange on shoulder and body has silvery blue tint recently". I also keep 1 male yellow Labidochromis 3.75 inch and 2 females.
Currently in a 37 gallon corner tank. They will go to a 75 gallon in a few weeks. Water is ph 8.2, dGH 15dkh, kh15+dkh, am.0, nitrite 0, and nitrate 10 or less. Female Aulonocara has been holding eggs three days, not eating as expected and only allowing male Labidochromis near her cave a " 6 inch clay pot". Additionally, the male Labidochromis is guarding area in front of cave. I have searched the web for this particular cross/hybrid with no
results. Has anyone heard of this cross, and what are the odds of this happening? I wont be selling/trading any resulting fry...but do plan on raising them to keep. Thanks for any thoughts or replies.
< An Aulonocara was crossed with a blotched Ps. zebra to produce the mottled peacock that is in the hobby today. It is possible to have a cross but I haven't heard of this one before. The yellow lab is just guarding a territory. It is possible that the young male was able to breed with a willing female. You will just have to wait to find out what really happened.-Chuck>

Peacock cichlid Stocking A Malawi Peacock Cichlid Tank  03/15/2008 Hello all and thanks for what you do. Wondering if you could suggest stocking level of an all peacock tank in a 90 gallon. Thank you. <In the wild they only get about 3" TL, but they get much larger in the aquarium. If you go with the blue varieties then you could go with about a dozen. The yellow ones are not as combative and will get pushed around by the more dominant blue varieties.-Chuck>

Set-up for 85g African Cichlid tank, Chuck referral 7/14/07 Hey Guys, <Cody> I recently got a good price on a new aquarium. The tank is about 85 gallons with dimensions 60" X 18" X 19". It is an acrylic tank in very good condition ($75 for tank, stand, and accessories). Anyway I had a few questions about setting up, I've never had to deal with an aquarium this large. <Okay> Firstly, I'm currently keeping a set of African Peacock cichlids in a 29 gallon. Just one male and 3 females, they are all about a year and half old (Male is ~4"). I've always wanted to set up more of a show tank with many colorful males to brighten up my tank. I know that in bigger tanks you can keep enough fish to disperse the alpha male's aggression enough so that no one fish suffers too much. My question is whether I should try and keep only males in my new 85 gallon tank, or if I should try and have a female from each species also. I've read that it can create problems in a tank if not every male has a female of his species in the tank; and also that it can be better just to keep only males. I don't know why this would be true, but I would appreciate any thoughts you had on the matter. <Mmm, well... you can mix the sexes more easily as you state in a larger volume... But the Aulonocaras will cross-breed if mixed species-wise... And I will mention for others use here that mixing other African cichlid groups, Lake's cichlids can be a poor idea...> Secondly, I've been doing a little research trying to find some compatible fish. From what I understand most of the Aulonocaras will be pretty much alright together. I'm looking for a good mix of colors, and the fish that have struck my eye so far are: -Aulonocara sp. German Red -Aulonocara sp. Regal -Aulonocara Stuartgranti ngara -Aulonocara Baenschi (Currently in my 29g) From my reading, all these fish should end up pretty close to the same size and have relatively similar temperaments. I'm sure I could fill my tank with pretty Peacock cichlids, but I was also interested in some of the other Malawi species. <Danger!> I know the most of the Mbuna are too rough to keep with Peacocks, but I was sort of interested in some of the Haps. I have no experience with Haps however. I do know they tend to be a little larger and more aggressive. What I don't know if which Haps are just too mean to keep with the Peacocks I'm looking at. <Some are likely fine...> Some of the Haps that sound like reasonable tank mates to me are listed below, I would be obliged if you could tell me which ones might actually work out. -Copadichromis Borleyi (red & yellow morphs) -Protomelas Taeniolatus (Red Empress) -Sciaenochromis Fryeri (Electric Blue Ahli) -Otopharynx lithobates -Crytocara Moorii (Blue Dolphin) <Yikes... Chuck!> I also like the look of several of the Nimbochromis Haps. However I know they're pretty serious predators that basically feed on juvenile Aulonocaras, but maybe? I know I don't have room for too many Haps because they are larger, so maybe you recommend one or two that might be the best tank mates. On the same note, what would be the best kind of algae eater for a tank with this kind of personality? I know common Plecos do okay in most tanks, but maybe something from Malawi would be better suited? <Mmm, am a fan of Mochokids here... though not specialized algae eaters per se> Thirdly, I obviously have my eye on several interesting species to fill my tank up with. But how many bodies do I actually want in my tank I was sort of thinking about 13 or 14 individuals averaging about 6 inches or so, more for the Haps. Basically for total inches of fish I wanted to be in the 80"-85" area, does that sound about right? Should I overcrowd more than that? Is that like grossly overcrowding them and they'll all die from stress? If you have any experience or advice, especially in this matter I would appreciate it. Lastly, I had just a couple of questions about tank design. Right now I'm planning on some kind of sand to bump up the pH a little bit. Maybe sand with crushed coral or something along those lines. I'm going to build a central cave system for the center of the tank, either out of round river stones or maybe some shale. Either way plenty of rocky hiding places. On both ends of the tank I was going to put tall plants (either real or plastic) with buried airstones in there somewhere. I know all of that is really just preference for me as long as they have lots of hidey holes and some aeration. But my real question was about filtration. Should I settle for something that hangs on the side for my chemical and biological filtration, or have I finally graduated to a tank that is actually going to need some kind of external canister filter for my fish to really be happy and clean. If I go the canister route I know there are plenty of FAQs to guide me through that process, <I do like good canister filters myself with these sorts of set-ups, size systems... Eheims are what I use... though many African Cichlid people use more "nitrogenous cycling" means...> but I've been trying to find one that discusses the relative merits of drilling your aquarium for a canister. Is it worth it? <Not IMO> Should I build an overflow box? <Mmm, no... just use the gear, plumbing that comes with the unit/s to hang over the side> Should I get a canister and then just run PVC over the back of my aquarium? I appreciate that one of you guys took the time to read all of this, even if you only answer a fraction of what I asked I'm sure it will help me out a ton. The tank is for my new house at school in College Station. So I won't be putting cichlids in my tank until late August at the earliest. But I wanted to get the water set up and cycling as soon as possible so I could save my cichlids some pain and anguish when the time comes for them to settle in. Cody "I'm gonna have a pretty freaking cool tank here pretty soon" E. P.S. From what I've picked up from your site, responses to emails like this are simply posted on the daily's FAQ page. Is it possible to send me an email reply at this sending address? Searching through your website every day is interesting for sure. But I don't have access to a computer every day and would hate to miss any reply you send (if any at all). Thanks for any help you can give me. :-) <We respond directly to all as well as post, unless otherwise requested. Am referring your query to Chuck Rambo here... as he knows much more re this group. Bob Fenner>

Re: Set-up for 85g African Cichlid tank, Chuck referral  -- 07/14/07 Hey Guys, <Cody> I recently got a good price on a new aquarium. The tank is about 85 gallons with dimensions 60" X 18" X 19". It is an acrylic tank in very good condition ($75 for tank, stand, and accessories). Anyway I had a few questions about setting up, I've never had to deal with an aquarium this large. <Okay> Firstly, I'm currently keeping a set of African Peacock cichlids in a 29 gallon. Just one male and 3 females, they are all about a year and half old (Male is ~4"). I've always wanted to set up more of a show tank with many colorful males to brighten up my tank. I know that in bigger tanks you can keep enough fish to disperse the alpha male's aggression enough so that no one fish suffers too much. My question is whether I should try and keep only males in my new 85 gallon tank, or if I should try and have a female from each species? < Females are very difficult to tell apart. The dominant male in the tank will be breeding with all the other females regardless of species. Also I've read that it can create problems in a tank if not every male has a female of his species in the tank; and also that it can be better just to keep only males. I don't know why this would be true, but I would appreciate any thoughts you had on the matter. <Mmm, well... you can mix the sexes more easily as you state in a larger volume... But the Aulonocaras will cross-breed if mixed species-wise... And I will mention for others use here that mixing other African cichlid groups, Lake's cichlids can be a poor idea...> Secondly, I've been doing a little research trying to find some compatible fish. From what I understand most of the Aulonocaras will be pretty much alright together. I'm looking for a good mix of colors, and the fish that have struck my eye so far are: -Aulonocara sp. German Red -Aulonocara sp. Regal -Aulonocara Stuartgranti ngara -Aulonocara Baenschi (Currently in my 29g) From my reading, all these fish should end up pretty close to the same size and have relatively similar temperaments. I'm sure I could fill my tank with pretty Peacock cichlids, but I was also interested in some of the other Malawi species. <Danger!> < The yellow peacocks, (Baenschi) are relatively docile and do not do well in a mixed Malawi community set up. Any of the blue types are OK as long as they are the dominant species. I know the most of the Mbuna are too rough to keep with Peacocks, but I was sort of interested in some of the Haps. I have no experience with Haps however. I do know they tend to be a little larger and more aggressive. What I don't know if which Haps are just too mean to keep with the Peacocks I'm looking at. <Some are likely fine...> Some of the Haps that sound like reasonable tank mates to me are listed below, I would be obliged if you could tell me which ones might actually work out. -Copadichromis Borleyi (red & yellow morphs) -Protomelas Taeniolatus (Red Empress) -Sciaenochromis Fryeri (Electric Blue Ahi) -Otopharynx lithobates -Cyrtocara Moorii (Blue Dolphin) <Yikes... Chuck!> < All would work OK as long as they were all the same size. Keep in mind that spawning cichlids do become very aggressive when guarding territories for breeding.> I also like the look of several of the Nimbochromis Haps. However I know they're pretty serious predators that basically feed on juvenile Aulonocaras, but maybe? < They will eat anything that they can catch and swallow.> I know I don't have room for too many Haps because they are larger, so maybe you recommend one or two that might be the best tank mates. <The C. moorii and C. borleyi have attractive females so they would be my first choice.> On the same note, what would be the best kind of algae eater for a tank with this kind of personality? I know common Plecos do okay in most tanks, but maybe something from Malawi would be better suited? <Mmm, am a fan of Mochokids here... though not specialized algae eaters per se> < In the wild the mbuna do a pretty good job of keeping the algae off the rocks. In the aquarium look for one of the typical standard Florida Plecos that are well armored but will have to live with a few torn fins.> Thirdly, I obviously have my eye on several interesting species to fill my tank up with. But how many bodies do I actually want in my tank I was sort of thinking about 13 or 14 individuals averaging about 6 inches or so, more for the Haps. Basically for total inches of fish I wanted to be in the 80"-85" area, does that sound about right? Should I overcrowd more than that? < I have a personal preference for crowding Malawi tanks. I have very good filters and do large weekly water changes. Keep the nitrates under 25 ppm with water changes. If this is not possible then you need to reduce the bioload or do ore water changes.> Is that like grossly overcrowding them and they'll all die from stress? If you have any experience or advice, especially in this matter I would appreciate it. < Your best bet is to buy your fish young all at the same time and let them grow up together and establish a pecking order. then things are mostly settled when they are grown.> Lastly, I had just a couple of questions about tank design. Right now I'm planning on some kind of sand to bump up the pH a little bit. Maybe sand with crushed coral or something along those lines. I'm going to build a central cave system for the center of the tank, either out of round river stones or maybe some shale. Either way plenty of rocky hiding places. On both ends of the tank I was going to put tall plants (either real or plastic) with buried airstones in there somewhere. I know all of that is really just preference for me as long as they have lots of hidey holes and some aeration. But my real question was about filtration. Should I settle for something that hangs on the side for my chemical and biological filtration, or have I finally graduated to a tank that is actually going to need some kind of external canister filter for my fish to really be happy and clean. If I go the canister route I know there are plenty of FAQs to guide me through that process, <I do like good canister filters myself with these sorts of set-ups, size systems... Eheims are what I use... though many African Cichlid people use more "nitrogenous cycling" means...> < I prefer a hang on filter that is easy to service.-Chuck> but I've been trying to find one that discusses the relative merits of drilling your aquarium for a canister. Is it worth it? <Not IMO> Should I build an overflow box? <Mmm, no... just use the gear, plumbing that comes with the unit/s to hang over the side> Should I get a canister and then just run PVC over the back of my aquarium? I appreciate that one of you guys took the time to read all of this, even if you only answer a fraction of what I asked I'm sure it will help me out a ton. The tank is for my new house at school in College Station. So I won't be putting cichlids in my tank until late August at the earliest. But I wanted to get the water set up and cycling as soon as possible so I could save my cichlids some pain and anguish when the time comes for them to settle in. Cody "I'm gonna have a pretty freaking cool tank here pretty soon" E. P.S. From what I've picked up from your site, responses to emails like this are simply posted on the daily's FAQ page. Is it possible to send me an email reply at this sending address? Searching through your website every day is interesting for sure. But I don't have access to a computer every day and would hate to miss any reply you send (if any at all). Thanks for any help you can give me. :-) <We respond directly to all as well as post, unless otherwise requested. Am referring your query to Chuck Rambo here... as he knows much more re this group. Bob Fenner>

Giving Up On Salt Water For The Easy Cichlid Tank -- 06/16/07 It's been a long, long while since I've needed to ask y'all a question! Briefly, I'm tearing down the reef, and, wondered if the live sand bed could be rinsed, and, left in place for some African Cichlids...Aulonocara nyassae (SP?) Species will be probable for the future! < Welcome to the world of cichlids. No problem. Just make sure the organics are gone and add Bio-Spira for FW .-Chuck> Thanks, Your friend, Stormbringer

Male Peacock Cichlid Disguised As A Female  -- 5/13/07 I had purchased a "pair of peacocks" they were  ultimately a pair, I moved them to a 40 gallon with others and the female  now looks like the male how did this happen? They are exactly alike as they  were not all this time. Same size and everything they looked like a pair  and he/she looked very much like a female for a long time. Can you answer  this for me   thank you   kit <In the wild, dominant males chase other males away and allow females into his territory to feed and spawn. Some males don't develop any male coloration until they get too big and too old and can't hide it any longer. This happens to many aquarists. I once knew an aquarist that had seventeen adult females and one adult male for a large breeding colony. The only problem is that they would not breed. Eventually I convinced him to remove the dominant male. As soon as he did that another male showed up from one of the females. Eventually he ended up with four females and fourteen males. I currently have a Flavescent Peacock female that is looking more like a male every day. It happens to the best of us.-Chuck.>

Uarus With Peacocks -- 4/13/07 Hey guys, I was wondering if I could put a captive bred "Uaru" with mild mannered peacocks?  The article on this fish on your site states that  captive species can tolerate broader ranges of pH and hardness.  My pH is  about 7.9 and not sure what hardness is but I do have aragonite and crushed  coral as substrate.  I know South American and African mixes aren't  recommended but will this fish at least survive in these water conditions? Thanks, Jason < It is true that captive raised fish are more tolerant of a wider range of water conditions. They should survive but the Uaru may not thrive.-Chuck>

Red Peacock Cichlid Hides In Cave  - 03/20/07   I have a beautiful Rubescens Peacock that I cannot figure out whether he may be ill or just acting differently than the other fish in my aquarium.  He is around 4 inches, he eats well, and has no visible signs of disease, But He spends 85% of his time hiding in the lowest cave in my rock pile.  He only seems to come out when it is time to eat. He has not attempted to breed with his harem of females that are in the tank with him.  At first I thought it may be bloat, but his feces is normal and he is still eating.  He has not lost any of his spunk when he does come out.  I was worried that maybe he was being bullied but he is by far the largest in the tank, other than the females I purchased with him in a group there is no one else near his size, most of the rest are not even showing color.  All of my water parameters are perfect, the nitrates usually run around 25ppm, but with them being so close I tend not to worry about it because that reading is normally the day before my regular water change.  Is it possible this is just his nature to be more shy and secluded?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank You. < Peacock cichlids from Lake Malawi are normally found in caves in the wild. They cannot compete with other more aggressive cichlids so stay in caves or come out at night.-Chuck> Blue peacock ? -- 03/18/07 Hi, I have a blue peacock cichlid, (so am told) he has a yellow stripe on the top, he is turning black (but then on another day doesn't look so black) I have been searching for information on this and have not been able to find anything, I was told that they can do that when they get mad is that true and if it is could this be a health issue? Thanks, Meg <Possibly... Search the Net, Library under the term "Aulonocara"... much written, available. Bob Fenner>

Peacock Cichlid Female Died After Breeding  6/3/06 Pregnant Aulonocara died  - could it be Mycobacteriosis? <Usually after breeding females become stressed and are weak. I think more likely your fish died from bloat, which is an internal protozoal infection.-Chuck>

Re: Imported Loricariid death/s  6/5/06 Bob,  off the record.. I got this Aulonocara from Cichlid Exchange in Portland.  My LFS orders from them (when they can't get stock from African Northwest in Seattle).  I'm furious after this Aulonocara and recently receiving a special order King Tiger Pleco from them last month with a severe case of sunken belly (take a look at the photo attached). >Did you bring this up with them?< > >I returned the dead Pleco and talked to the manager of the fish department.  He's worked there for years but was only recently promoted to manager when the previous manager graduated with his PHD in Marine Biology and left to pursue a career in environmental ecology.  He has a lot to learn now that he's in charge of inventory and ordering and appreciates that I take time to do research and share it with him.  He hasn't placed an order with Cichlid Exchange since I got this Pleco with sunken belly and explained to him these are wild caught, not captive bred Plecos and that's the reason he's been having so many recent Pleco losses.  I told him what happened with my Aulonocara and my concern that the breeder's facility might have an outbreak of mycobacteriosis or some other serious bacterial problem.  He said after hearing this he doesn't plan on ordering from them again.  He has had a number of recent Aulonocara losses and some were large expensive fish.   He thought the problem might be with the Aulonocara species in general and had even considered discontinuing stocking them.  Do you know any reputable breeders/distributors you would recommend for Cichlids and exotic Plecos?  He could use some help now, especially after receiving a shipment of saltwater with cyanide poisoning (? I know nothing about saltwater) that forced him to shut down half his tanks for a week.<< <Am referring this question of supply to our most able Cichlid expert, Chuck Rambo. Bob Fenner> Re: Pregnant Aulonocara died - could it be Mycobacteriosis? Finding A Source For Plecos and Cichlids 6/5/06 Dear Bob,/Cindy A few comments concerning this email. 1) Pregnant Aulonocara I know the cichlid exchange has been getting in many wild Aulonocara species direct from Lake Malawi. After getting this email I am sure that the fish was not pregnant and indeed died of Malawi Bloat. The stress of being shipped half way around the world takes its toll on many of the fish but especially the females for some reason. I don't know the area Cindy is in but it appears to be the NW area of the US where the water is usually very soft and somewhat acidic. Her tank may be set up for Malawi fish but I wonder if the store itself was set up for wild fish. Captive bred fish are much hardier than wild fish when it comes to water conditions and pH. I suspect that the store was not experienced enough to handle wild fish and did not modify the water as needed. Not ordering these wild fish would probably be a good move for the store, the fish, and their customers. Tank bred species would be better but stores and customers are reluctant to wait while these fish grow and color up.  2) Hollow Bellied Pleco That was really bad. I would recommend that Cindy contact the Cichlid Exchange herself at their website and send along her photo to back up her story. It is true that they are wild fish but that particular fish should not have been sent out. The trouble is, that the suppliers that have good Plecos are very expensive because they hold on to their Plecos for awhile and the Plecos die on them. They make up for the losses by passing the additional costs on to the price of the living Plecos. Many times these prices are too high for many retail customers to buy.  3) Finding A Source For Plecos and Cichlids. If you are interested in Aulonocara species then there really is no better source than the Cichlid Exchange. The owner is one of the most renown experts on this field in the entire world. Next time I would recommend that you order captive bred fry and grow them up. They are the best and are usually as good or better than wild fish without all the problems that wild fish come with. The wild Plecos are a crap shoot. I see these Plecos all the time at my local wholesaler. Some come in with nice full bellies while others right next to them are skeletons. Apparently when an order is placed it may take three weeks for the collectors to get enough Plecos to fill a box. At day one the first Pleco is caught and placed in a container. It stays their until enough Plecos are caught to fill the box. It has not been fed and so lives off its reserves. The recently caught fish look great. The first ones caught resemble the ones in Cindy's photo. There are many good Plecos from vendors at aquabid.com. But the pricing and shipping may make a purchase cost prohibitive.----- <Thanks much for these insights Chuck. Will post/share. BobF>