Stocking method for all-male Malawi tank

[Ben Broadfoot]

I'm looking to setup my first Malawi Cichlid tank.

I've had community tanks, Discus & Geophagus tanks, and am currently running a marine aquarium. The marine aquarium is fun because it's a little tricky at first, but you do end up with a small number of small fish in a tank. I'm looking forward to some larger fish (these still won't be large fish) because I saw my Discus more as pets than decorations, and I reckon my little boy (20m.o.) will love the larger fish. So I'm keen to have a crack at an all male Malawi tank.

My Dad's storing an empty tank that's roughly 150*45*50cm (~340 litres / 90 US gallons) with a few canister filters that I can use, which I thought I'd start with (I'll check their capacity first). Having some experience with them I much prefer sumps, but this tank isn't drilled and is free. I guess I could have a crack at drilling.

Anyway, my real question is that I've read some advice that I'm trying to reconcile:

1. Introduce all of your fish at the same time, as juveniles, to manage aggression.
2. For all-male tanks, add a bunch of juveniles for every single male you're trying to find, and later remove all but the most dominant male of that species.

If I did this, I'd be adding a lot of fish (they would be small at the time) at the same time. At least five times the amount that I'd end up with I think.

Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

[none]

Most commonly people simply buy sub-adult to adult males for a Malawi male display. I've never heard of anyone doing the second option you raise above - seems expensive, time consuming and requiring a lot of tanks if you are looking at species such as various Aulonocara, Protomelas etc., that look similar as juveniles and females.. If you want to buy small fish and grow them up that's another option but you will end up with some females. Providing large males of compatible species are added within reasonable proximity to each other this will help eliminate well established territories. Tank decorations / rocks should also be moved around before new fish are added and hiding spots (floating ag pipe) added in case of a bullied fish. I sell many large display males on a weekly basis and have many customers with all male tanks that add their fish as sub-adults / adults with success following the above advice.

[Buccal]

Yep that's about right,, the fish you take back back to shops can be traded for food.

Many will be colorless females and possibly runts,,,,, these semi-aggressive species tolerate each other much better grown up together.

Best way to do this for ease, is to have substrate only and no rocks or ornaments,,,, as soon as you've selected and extracted and happy with your male chosen stock, you can then add in the rock work.    They grow fast, so it's not painstaking.

Make sure the water surface is always churning and a KH GH of minimum 8,,,, 9-11 being best.

 

If you can be bothered, plug some developmental pics up as you go, either way, have fun mate . 

[Ben Broadfoot]

Thanks guys, it seems like there are a few quite different methods!

none - what's a "reasonable proximity?" Days, weeks, or months?

Buccal - I guess I should comfirm that the shop is happy to take them back first.

[none]

24 minutes ago, Ben Broadfoot said:

 

none - what's a "reasonable proximity?" Days, weeks, or months?

 

I have customers whom have added adult males over months with success whilst adhering to the above advice. That is with fish like Protomelas spp, Aulonocara spp, Labidichromis, Placidochromis spp etc., It depends on what species you are looking at though. If you are leaning towards the more aggressive mbuna for example I would recommend adding young males just starting to colour in as close proximity as possible to one another. Cheers