opinions on ideal stocking levels

[caddox]

I've recently started with Mbuna, juveniles for now, and they seem to be getting along pretty well. I've got a 260Lt tank, so I'm curious to know what people think is a decent number of fish for this species. I've got a mix of yellow labs and demasoni, which I know can be a bit of a gamble aggression-wise, but so far so good. Lots of rocks and hidey holes seem to be doing the trick.

[coltin]

Young Mbuna can get along just fine when they're still small. However, things tend to change once they've matured and start breeding - that's usually when the territorial disputes kick in.

What are your tank dimensions - length, width, and height?

Also, how often do you change the water in your 260Lt tank? What kind of filtration system are you using? And just to confirm, you've got Yellow Lab and Demasoni in there, right?

[caddox]

Young Mbuna can get along just fine when they're still small. However, things tend to change once they've matured and start breeding - that's usually when the territorial disputes kick in.

What are your tank dimensions - length, width, and height?

Also, how often do you change the water in your 260Lt tank? What kind of filtration system are you using? And just to confirm, you've got Yellow Lab and Demasoni in there, right?

Maylandia Red zebra - 4 of them, Labidochromis caeruleus - 4, Melanochromis auratus - 4, Pseudotropheus socolofi Albino Snow white - 4, Pseudotropheus cobalt blue - 4 and Pseudotropheus demasoni - 10. They're roughly 3cm at the moment.

Tank size is 121x46x64 cm - it's bow front, so slightly wider in the middle. I'm running three filters - 1 internal and 2 All Pond Solutions external (2 EFX and 1 EFX). On paper, that's over 3000lt ph water filtration.

I've only had the fish a few days, so I've only done one water change - 25%. I plan to do two per week, 25% and 50%. Considering moving some of the Demasoni on, might be a bit too many.

[coltin]

I think you've got a lot of fish in there. I'd be careful with those M. auratus, they can turn nasty when they grow up. Demasoni are already known for being feisty, so I'm not surprised you're thinking of rehoming some. With that many fish, you'll need to keep a close eye on water quality and make sure those filters are keeping up.

[caddox]

Young Mbuna can get along just fine when they're still small. However, things tend to change once they've matured and start breeding - that's usually when the territorial disputes kick in.

What are your tank dimensions - length, width, and height?

Also, how often do you change the water in your 260Lt tank? What kind of filtration system are you using? And just to confirm, you've got Yellow Lab and Demasoni in there, right?

Thanks, I've already seen some aggression from the auratus, they're definitely getting feisty. Considering replacing the demasoni, although it's hard to let them go, with some rusty cichlids. This would help bring the stock levels down a bit.