Mpimbwe Frontosa What do i do?????

[drieckenberg]

Hey all,
I could use any info I could get on these fish and Labidochromis Caeruleus. I know they both like hard water and high ph. So how do I obtain this enviroment for them. Types of rocks, Chemicals, Filters and such. I want to know the best for them and want to make a perfect enviroment for both of them. I have 2 female and 1 male fronts and 4 Labidochromis Caeruleus in my tank now. I have a 30 g tank and want a 155 g to 200 g. Looking for one of those now. The new tank will be the tank I want to use for my main tank and the 30 for the babys and a 10 g for a hospital tank. If anyone can give me tips or the most info they can give me it would be a big help. Oh yeah and how can i tell a male from a female in Labidochromis

 

[KingOfTheDeep]

i suggest posting that in the cichlid forum

 

[liv2padl]

in my opinion, caeruleus and frontosa do not belong in the same tank. C. frontosa is a lethargic and slow-moving fish. In the wild, frontosa live in large groups called colonies. In the aquarium, they should also be kept in larger groups, although they can be kept successfully in groups as small as four individuals (1 male:3 females). You'll have the best luck keeping only one adult male, and if your colony is larger, a second, subdominant male who will eventually replace the alpha-male. If you're growing your Fronts up, the "best" method is to acquire 12-15 individuals (all unrelated and from the same race) and put them in a tank of their own. this is a shy species and in my experience, don't do well in tanks with more active Africans such as those from Malawi. moreover, frontosa are predators and while they will not harm larger, active fish in your aquarium their dietary requirements are different from Malawi vegetarians. water chemistry for Tanganyikans and Malawi cichlids is different as well. for the former, a pH of 8.5-9.4 is optimum, with a hardness of 240-320 ppm.
Labidochromis caeruleus, as with most Malawi cichlids, do best in water with a pH of 7.7-8.6 and hardness of 160-280 ppm.