Peacock fantasy land

[Overawed]

Why is it becoming common to sport a male only Peacock tank? I have two friends that want to do this. Has anyone done it or are doing it here? What are your experiences? I am thinking that the male aulons would eventually kill each other. That has been my experience : my Red Eureka killed a Benga and a Sunshine :( before I figured it out.

[Boilermaker]

Overawed, the 125 was mostly peacock males a couple haps and tangs.
It worked well for awhile, and then I added that one fish (females) too many that upset the whole balance, and I kept thinning and thinning and thinning etc... kinda like my hair :lol: .
The tankmates all have good Chi once again, but almost all the originals are gone :( .
I think it was the females and the maturing of the males that did it. but I wonder if you stocked them really heavy if it would work like you do with Mbuna :wink:

[Overawed]

Hmmm, that is a good point. My Peacocks were stocked in with a bunch of Mbuna, but the Red Eureka made damn sure the other two would not make it. There was no female present either. I am just trying to tally info together to tell my friends, I don't want them spending 40 bucks per fish just to have them die. Plus, if they set up the right kind of community with breeders, I can then trade with them. Its all part of my evil plan :twisted: for everyone to bred different strands of aulons.

[Boilermaker]

I hear ya, I like your idea of everyone having a diff. strain of aulos.
If your friends are anything like me they will get bored with the all male tank and get back into breeding. Man all those male Aulonocara sure makes for a good lookin tank though. I really had a hard time parting with mine.

[NyassaeMan]

I have tried the all male Aul. tanks. Especially for growing out and getting good male breeding stock. The dominant male will usually have the best color while he is in the tank......epecially in tanks 4 ft or less.

The real set-back to an all male tank is you lose one of the most interesting characteristics of African cichlids (IMO).......thier mating and brooding behavior.

Also , IMO , an all male tank or a super species tank is almost too much to look at. With so much color diversity and activity it can be hard to get the eyes to focus. :? When you have a tank with just a few genus/species but larger colonies the viewer immediately recognizes the "colony family" activity.

Of course there are so many species the only real answer is to do a few colonies per tank and buy a couple of dozen tanks :lol:

[SGypsyMermaid]

spoken like a true fishaholic--hi nyassae--i like your thinking, as usual. 8)