New 55 gallon Cichlid setup...
 

Hi everyone. Its been kind of busy lately and have not been on here much but I wanted to share my new tank with everyone. I have had the cichlids since December in a 30 gallon and upgraded them this weekend to the 55 they seem to be loveing the extra room. Currently there are 3M/4F L. caeruleus (Yellow Lab) , 1M/3F P. cyaneorhabdos (Maingano)
Here is a full tank shot:
http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/r...lidTank004.jpg
And here is the video:
http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/r...lidTank008.jpg

I like the tank...looks good.

Just one thing I would recommend though is add about 3 more female P. cyaneorhabdos (Maingano). The male can get rather aggressive when he is in breeding mode.

Labs I would add more females as well because you have 3 males, I would aim for 3 Females per male.

I also would not add anything else to the tank except maybe 2-3 Bristlenose plecos or a couple of synodontis multipunctus.

Thanks Tazman I am going to be tradeing two of the male labs for either different fish or female labs at the LFS when he gets in some females, and the Maingano I will have to pick up when I go to South Carolina for a fish club meeting as I can not get them local but I am also trying to decide for sure if I am going to keep them as I have read they are more aggesive than the labs which I did not know when I bought them at the last fish club meeting. I am thinking about trading the Maingano for some Acei, and adding 1M/3F German Red Peacock as I have read that all of these are mellow as far as cichlids go. ; )

Acei - yes
Peacocks - no

Also perhaps look at Otopharynx lithobates (this would give you the blue fish instead of the mags) or cynotilapia as replacements for the P. cyaneorhabdos also. Both would do well with yellow labs.

Peacocks do not do well with Mbuna (the yellow labs), they prefer being with their own as they are peaceful compared to more active mbuna.

Ok thank you very much. If I do the Acei and the labs could I add some other cichlid that has a good anount of red in it?

I would perhaps look at getting some Metriaclima estherae (Red Zebra) probably just one fish though. There are not really any red cichlids as such...the only ones really are man made selective bred.

I wouldn't do red Zebras with Yellow Labs. Either/or. From what I've seen Red Zebras aren't actually all that red really. More of an orange color.

Correct they are more orange but as I mentioned there are no red cichlids.

I had read that the red zebras were more aggresive than the labs.

Your tank looks nice ..cograts on the upgrade..these cichlids sure are trickey :-D