Thanks for the reply Ned.
I'm thinking 16 mbuna and perhaps 5 of the scavenger fish would be my maximum (I figured petricola as they are so much smaller than cuckoos, I want to keep a small group as I know they will only come out and show off in a small shoal, keeping cuckoos before, I found 5 an ideal size as the original 3, 1 was picked on a great deal, upping the number diffused this). If you feel this is too many, perhaps just a solitary angelicus or featherfin?
I'm glad your yellow labs are good quality, I've seen too many with no black on the fins, brown bars on the body and some very obviously 1st gen hybrids with something else (broader in the nose, maybe orange zebra crosses?).
As to the fourth choice of mbuna for the tank, just something that won't be confused with any of the previous choices, color or family wise, hence pondering the labeotropheus, cynotilapia or pseudotropheus(maylandia/metriaclima/patatoe/potato...
) and thinking to myself that that choice would be a 'see them and know they are the ones to own. I've kept a large male and 2 female red top labeotropheus before and the male was an excellent 'peacekeeper' in the tank, his sheer bulk intimidating and keeping the peace among more scrappy smaller fish. I saw you had some red tops and I know they have a very attractive OB female, so that's high on my list but then again, I'm a _ for the BB (why I love zebra chilumba) so perhaps a cynotilapia is the way to go, I know they are a far smaller fish.
My principal concern is ensuring the fish are definitely sexed. I'd like to get the fish at a size where this is established, don't want to be losing fish as the males come to adulthood and wipe each other out/females come under too much pressure and no hiding spots in a small tank with a male in either corner... I'm not good at sexing small yellow labs or juvenile vics and wouldn't have a clue with maingano either, Im happy to buy larger fish if you are more confident in sexing them larger? Up to you.
I do want to introduce them either all at once or in two waves to avoid new introductions getting liquidated. Perhaps I do the yellow labs and Pundamilia first then the melanochromis and mysterious fourth choice in a second wave?
Thanks
Tristan
PS
***I know a 4ft would have been ideal, however I picked this tank up in a sale and it fit in the space in my old house well... I'll be in the market for a BIG tank in a couple of years (I'm after a huge mbuna tank featuring the aggressives, Metriaclima "Zebra Chilumba" Mphanga - the one with the solid racoon mask and black in the dorsal, unlike the maison reef or Luwino variants, Melanochromis chipoake, Tropheops etc)... But that's a couple of years off for now, we already have the 65gal and, as yet not set up 40gal breeder for the bedroom and a 30gal (wife's tank) for the other side of the living room) and the missus will kill me if I get another tank, especially the large one I want... curse this addiction!
***