A fresh approach

[dixar]

I'm thinking of getting a 90 gallon tank, and I'm torn between a long tank and a corner bow front. Planning on a sand base, and I'm aiming for an African cichlid setup. I'm thinking of four demasoni's, four yellow lab cichlids, one green sevrum, and maybe one or two bubble bees to round it out. What are your thoughts on this setup, and which tank style do you think would work better for me?

[bolt9x]

I really hope you're kidding about the severum, those guys can get pretty aggressive. A longer tank is the way to go if you're planning on keeping Malawis - they need space to get away from each other. Corner tanks can work, but length is key in my opinion.

[oakleyride]

To create a solid environment for your Malawis, consider stacking rocks about three-quarters of the way up and leaving a 6-inch gap at the front. This setup will provide ample hiding spots for fish that need a quick escape.

I agree with bolt9x, the severum just won't work - it's a South American cichlid and not compatible with your Malawis. As for the bubble bees, I'd advise against them, they can get quite large and ugly. Instead, you might want to look into L. fullerborni or one of the "hap" species - they could be a good fit for your tank.

[dixar]

I'm still learning about all the different species, could you guys break down what L. Fullerborni and the "hap" species are for me? I'm guessing they're types of cichlids, but I'm not really sure.

[oakleyride]

So you're new to the lingo, no worries. A lot of African cichlids are sold by their scientific names, it's just the way it is. L. fullerborni is a type of Malawi Mbuna, the L stands for Labeotropheus, it's a pretty common one. Haps, on the other hand, are a bit of a generic term, it covers a lot of the free swimming and sand dwelling Malawi cichlids. If you check out your local fish store, you'll probably see some of the more common Haps like blue tursio cichlids, electric blue, and VC-10. If you want to see some of the different types, just Google haplochromis, it'll give you an idea of what's out there.

[dixar]

I really appreciate all the help I've been getting on this, I just have one more thing I'm wondering about. I know the demasoni's and yellow labs I'm planning to get only get up to about five inches, so I was thinking it might be okay to find one bigger fish to be the main dominant fish in the tank. I had originally thought the sevrum would be that fish, but since you guys said that's not a good idea, do you think it's okay to add one bigger fish, and if so, can you recommend any?

[oakleyride]

You're looking for a bigger fish to be the tank's dominant one, right. Color-wise, what's your preference. Some of the Haplochromis species I mentioned earlier can grow up to that size. You might want to check out the ones I mentioned before, or look into Malawi eye biters - don't worry, they're not as aggressive as the name suggests. Deep water haps could be an option too, or if you're feeling adventurous, Chilotilapia rhoadesii is one of my personal favorites.

[dixar]

Green would be awesome, I think that would look really nice in my tank.

[oakleyride]

Finding a large, green African cichlid can be a bit of a challenge. One of the closest matches I can think of is the Korvobochromis venustus, although they tend to shift more towards blue as they mature, they do display some nice green hues. You can check out more info on them here, http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/nimbochromis-venustus/

[dixar]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate all the help, it looks awesome.