new to the community and seeking assistance

[kalorex]

I'm really excited about getting into African cichlids - been keeping Americans for a while now (sevs, Texas, dempseys, apistos) but the itch has been there for a bit. My Americans will be moving to the kitchen soon and I'm hoping to order my new 6x2x2 tank next week.

I've already got the lights, starters, and T5 tubes. I ordered an Ex1200 yesterday, but was thinking of getting two - my main concern is that two Ex1200s might not be enough for a 6-foot African tank, so I'd love some opinions on that.

For substrate, I was thinking of using the Cichlid mix and then occasionally buffering with bicarbonate of soda as needed - really like the look of black moon sand, though, so I'm torn.

Stocking is where I'm really struggling - I've made a list of fish I like, and I'm sure you'll all have a good laugh at me because it's completely wrong. I don't mind looking silly before I've started, though - I want to get this right. I'm really drawn to rarer cichlids with strong, standout colours - possibly F1, good-quality fish. Any recommendations for online retailers that sell healthy fish would be a big help.

Here are the fish I find attractive - I know I'll need to do more research (feel free to shoot me down).

Pseudotropheus Saulosi - love the Coflake Red
Sciaenochromis fryeri - that Blue Ice is stunning
Neolamprologus brichardi - the Princess of Burundi is beautiful, but could I really keep it?
Red peacock cichlid
Melanochromis "Tangazo cyaneorhabdos"
Yellow lab
Aulonocara sp Calico Peacock Cichlid

Help me out, experts.

[fluxon4]

I think mixing Tangs, the brichardi, and lake malawi cichlids could work since they all have similar water parameters, but personally I'd stick to fish from one lake. I've heard N. brichardi can be quite aggressive, especially when breeding.

[kalorex]

What's really worrying me is I don't want to mix fish that are gonna clash. I've heard some of these African cichlids can be right nasty to each other, especially when they're breeding. I liked the idea of the Neolamprologus brichardi, it's a stunning fish, but if it's gonna cause trouble then I'll have to give it a miss. I don't want to be responsible for stressing them out or worse, killing them off.

[fluxon4]

Not much help on the Tanganyika side, I'm a Malawi guy myself, but from what I know, most Malawis have a similar diet, don't quote me on that, hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Having said that, a 6x2x2 tank full of Malawis would be an awesome sight.

[kalorex]

I'm hoping for an impressive setup. Big rocks and black sand are the way to go for me. Journal will be started once the tank's on its way.

[florin8]

If you just get one Brichardi, it'll probably be alright. Breeding pairs are what you want to steer clear of, as anything that's not a Brichardi will be in for a rough time when they're spawning.

[kalorex]

If you just get one Brichardi, it'll probably be alright. Breeding pairs are what you want to steer clear of, as anything that's not a Brichardi will be in for a rough time when they're spawning.

Honestly, I'm still a bit iffy about my list. I mean, I'm used to dealing with feisty SA cichlids like dempseys and Texas, but this is a whole new ball game for me. I've been doing my research, but there's nothing like getting advice from people who've been in the trenches.

[dynamo7]

Not entirely sold on that stock list, if I'm being honest. You've got a mix of Haps, Peacocks, Dwarf Mbuna, and a Tang - it's a bit of a lake mashup, which isn't really my thing.

The Fryeri can be a right handful, especially when it comes to Aulonocara males - they've been known to get a bit aggressive and dominate. Just something to keep in mind when you're planning your stocking ratio.

Ultimately, it's your tank, so you do you - just hope you're happy with the choices you make.

[kalorex]

Honestly, I appreciate your input, I really do. I'm still trying to grasp the difference between aggression and fluffnut, as well as size. From what I've gathered, haps tend to prefer open water and are considered more predatory, but then I hear that mbuna can bully them mercilessly. There are also some that don't get along with their own kind or any fish that resembles them - it's all a bit overwhelming, to be honest.

I'm finding it challenging to keep track of the various types of fish, what with all the long names and classifications - mbuna, peacock, hap, tang, tropheus, vic, and so on. I'm eager to learn, but I don't want to take any unnecessary risks that could harm my fish. I'm here to learn, and I'm taking it one step at a time.

Regarding the stocking ratio, I'm still unsure. I've seen that a 1:3 male-to-female ratio is often recommended, but I came across an online retailer that sells fish in batches of four, with two males and two females of each variety. Is this acceptable, or should I specifically request one male to three females for each type of fish?

[kalorex]

I'm really struggling to tell which ones are mbuna and which aren't, I mean I know some of the names sound similar but I'm just not sure what's what, it's all a bit confusing. I've got a list of fish I like the look of but I don't want to end up with a tank full of incompatible fish, I've read that some of these fish can be quite aggressive and I don't want to take any risks.