Astatotilapia latifasciata

[klrk5k]

im looking to dedicate a 135 gallon tto Astatotilapia latifasciata.what are some good numbers,they will be the only species besides a pair of calvus that will be moved when i get a stand for my 55.any advice will be greatly appreciated

[DragonGT83]

well that tanks plenty big enough, probaly about 6M 14F will do, leaves some room for some nice malawi peacocks or something

[Matt V]

or for that matter, with that species, you can go ahead and add another Victorian species if you wanted to.

[StructureGuy]

klrk5k,

I keep several single species tanks myself, but I gotta ask. Why would you want to dedicate a tank that big to a single species that isn't that big?

Start with maybe 50 juveniles. As they grow, thin out the males to a ratio of 1M:3F and settle on somewhere around 30'ish fish. I just hope those multiple males can live together okay.

Good luck.
Kevin

[RustyNut]

Wow I dunno about that... That would worl out to like 7-8 males in about 1296 Sq.In. of territory... That seems like too many to me... I think I would cut that down closer to 5-6 males and possible up the ratio to 1M4F to offset. (Also that many males will probably mean only 1-2 will spawn and the rest will be "dithers" for the alpha...)

I think I like Matt's Idea best though... Why not do two species of VICs in there? That way you could shoot for like 15 of each and only three conspecific males of each species to the tank.

[klrk5k]

ha for some reason i thought they got pretty big..well suggestions for another species of vics i really like the ones that are all black and have red fins but there name is slipping my mind at the moment.thanks for the quick comments and advice

[Matt V]

Well, I don't think 30 is too many for a 135. The males should hit about 5-6". I would stock a 135 like Kevin suggested without a second thought, but I'm a fan of the way way over stocked tank.

The fish you're asking could be an Astatotilapia nubilus. They're a good canidate for most agressive Victorian cichlid. A few years ago, I had a trio. The male killed the females quickly and then started offing the mbuna that were in the tank with him. Then he went to the LFS.

Or you could be thinking of a Pundamila nyererei. They'd be a good candidate for latifasciata tankmates.

[RustyNut]

No matt, I had no problem with the 30 fish total, just thought I would reduce the number of males from 7-8.... seeing as how only one is going to be ALPHA and most are just going to be chase toys for the most dominant 2 - 3 males....That was why I said to maybe go with 1M4F instead of the 1M3F ratio suggested by Kevin.

8 males in that area doesn't really provide enough territories for conspecifics... However by dividing that into two species there is ample room provided the each species doesn;t see each other as threats/competitors.

Pundamila nyrererei is a great alternative to Nubilis!

I'd say a 135 could handle around 35 cichlids plus thier cleaner crew if you wanted some cats or whatever.

[StructureGuy]

I agree with you guys, but I was trying to stick with the question as asked. I think that a tank that size would work out better as a two or three species tank than it will as a single species tank. All my single species tanks are 55 gallon.

My Astatotilapia latifasciata grew to only 5" or 5 1/2" long. They are pretty elongated so that's not as bulky a fish as a Metriaclima type. 30 is a lot of fish but I assumed he would have to play it by ear a bit and find out for himself what worked out the best as they grew.

The point of overcrowding is to stop any fish from maintaining territory (not that it actually works to perfection or anything). My latifasciata have never even attempted to hold any territory at all in my 180 gallon tank. That doesn't mean they aren't territorial, it's just my experience. But I have no experience with a single species victorian tank of 135 gallons or larger. That's why I said I hope they all get along. Like I said, I mostly agree with Rusty and Matt.

Kevin