FishProfiles.com Message Forums

That's why I recommended a non-jumbo Cyp - they'll top out at around 3", maybe 4" for males.

Didn't know a thing about the petricolas though except they're group fish, glad to be checked on that one!

Last edited by LittleMousling at 05-Feb-2005 20:04

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

LittleMousling is right, thats the best thing you can do - think about all the fish you like, and which could work for you. Thats the beauty of the joy of Tangs - there are so many species who will go together in a little community, it can make the final choice difficult!

Be careful with the syno's - they are a favourite of mine, but most species get too big for a 3' tank. If you are fortunate enough to be able to get S.petricola, they would be great - but if you wanted four of the little guys, three small rockdwellers would be max stock I think. Do you like any of the Julidochromis? Or Calvus perhaps?

x

Could I have, say, four synondontis in the 30, along with a trio of leleupis (which I also like), and that would be all? Or are the leleupis too aggressive for a 30 (which is 3 feet long).

Not the foggiest re: Synos, but the leleupi would be just fine. They're too aggressive for shellies but not real dangers to each other, and they're fairly small fish.

EDIT: And I'd say planning ahead and thinking about the best setup for you and for the fish is rather entirely the opposite of flake-ness.

Last edited by LittleMousling at 08-Feb-2005 16:47

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Thanks for the input! That's why I love this board -- it's incredibly helpful to hear everyone else's experience/opinions before I go charging out to do something I regret later.

While I haven't made up my mind for sure, I'm starting to wonder whether I should skip the cyps until I get a larger tank.

Even if I could fit a few in a 55, it sounds like it's a less-than-ideal size for them, and besides, there are a lot of other fish out there that would make me happy.

Maybe just synodontis?

I could also play musical tanks -- I have an empty 55 and an empty 20 long, plus a 30 that I need to move pearl gouramis out of because they're fighting. Maybe I'll try them in the 55 and if that gives them enough territory, I'll try a smaller tang setup in the 30, and make the 20 long shelldwellers, as I was originally planning to do.

(I know, I know -- I sound like a real ditz who can't make up her mind. But I really want some Tangs! And the question is whether to make it one large setup or two smaller ones.)

Could I have, say, four synondontis in the 30, along with a trio of leleupis (which I also like), and that would be all? Or are the leleupis too aggressive for a 30 (which is 3 feet long).

Thanks, and sorry if I sound like a complete flake. It's just not that often that I have free tank space (one is an unused rearing tank, the other a tank my stepson has no room for) and I want to do something neat with them both.

Well, I doubt we're going to come to much of an accord. Guess it's LMuha's decision at this point!

Last edited by LittleMousling at 07-Feb-2005 09:14

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

I'm sure 'cruelty' doesn't come into it, LittleMousling.

A trio is the smallest recommended number for these fish, one male a two females. For a four foot tank I would certainly suggest no more than six fish.

I personally would say a dozen fish would be an ideal number to see their group behaviour and for their natural comfort level within the confines of a tank. However, in a 55g, this isn't practical.

Certainly, in the wild, cyprichromis schools in huge numbers. How many of us can say we house our fish in the numbers they would be together in the wild? None, if any, I suspect.

Last edited by malaikah at 07-Feb-2005 03:58

A trio, for a schooler? The males' territories aren't that big, especially with a larger group keeping territorial conflicts spread out. I'd much prefer to see plenty of them, since they school in the thousands in Lake Tang - I know I don't feel like I have enough, and I have ten. A trio seems just plain cruel.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

A 4' tank would be a minimum size for them, but for a trio, rather than twelve fish - and whether a 4" fish or slightly larger, twelve of these fish in a 4' is too many! The jumbo's reach around 6", with the smaller variants reaching around 4.5" for the males.

Hmm, I'm intruiged by the 130 size - maybe that's for jumbos? They can easily hit 7", so they definitely do need a good bit of space.
4' is the most common size I've heard, though; for non-jumbos, it's considered by nearly everyone to be a good size. I have Utintas (non-jumbo) in my 125, and while they do school, they're not Zebra Danios by any means, and they don't tend to use the whole 6'.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

I've been doing some reading, and the authors have different opinions on cyps (the small ones). One book says a 4-foot tank is the minimum size for them. Another says the minimum size is 130 gallons -- am not sure how long that is, but it's obviously longer than 4 feet.

All very confusing!

I have an empty 55, and it's crying out to be filled. I'm thinking about a Tanganyikan community tank.

I came across the following suggested stocking list on a reputable cichlid site, and like the combo, which includes many of the fish I've been coveting (leptosomas, julis and synodontis):

-- 12 Cyprichromis leptosoma
-- 3 Julidichromis regani
-- 6 Xenotilapia ochrygenys
-- 6 Tanganicodus irsacae - 6
-- 4 to 6 Synodontis petricola

What do you guys think? Is it a good combo? Too many fish for a 55?

With the Cyp growing to around 5" long, I wouldn't advise putting twelve of these fish into a four foot tank. While they need more depth than most top-dwellers, as active swimmers, four feet isn't a lot of length for them - and with a dozen it will be too crowded for both swimming and territory concerns.

Edit: P.s, With the petricola, six is too many with the other stock you are hoping to add - half that many would be good, four at a push. They do like the company of friends though.

x

Last edited by malaikah at 05-Feb-2005 19:57

it's four feet long.

How long is the 55?

Hmm ... I'd say fishless cycle, then add the shellies and Cyps first, unless you go with an Altolamp species as a rockdweller, in which case they should go in right from the start as well.
The rockdwellers and Synos can come later, to keep them from being excessively territorial with new cyps and multis.

Sounds like it's going to be a lovely tank! You're sure to have lots of fun with it.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

If I went with that setup (whicyh I really like, by the way) what order should I add them in?

If you replaced the Xenos with a shellie IMO the whole tank would work MUCH better. The Xenos are the ones causing trouble in that setup.

One example of a setup that ought to work quite well would be:
-6 multis (soon to be a colony; I chose multis because they defend their fry better from intruders than other species. You could still go with a different species, but it could necessitate a fry tank)
-12 C. leptosoma (not jumbo) (GREAT choices BTW, I loooooove my Cyps)
-6 or so Syno. whatever it was
-One or two rockdwellers. This is largely up to you but good choices IMO include the smaller/friendlier Julies as previously mentioned, Altolamprologus species, Chalinochromis, and N. caudopunctatus. That's by no means a comprehensive list, of course! I'd avoid Leleupi (harasses shellies to no end), brichardi and relations (Brichardi Death Squad), and the previously mentioned large piscivores.

HTH!

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Leptosomas and synodontis!

And, could any shelldwellers go in there as a replacement for any of the aforementioned fish?

I have two empty tanks -- a 55 and a 20 long which I was prepping for shelldwellers. But with a little fancy shuffling, I could make the 55 a Tang community tank, and put some misbehaving pearls in the 20 long -- but only if I can work some version of shelldweller into the 55, because I really want some ...

Thanks!

Last edited by lmuha at 04-Feb-2005 20:39

Cichlid-forum, eh? I should warn you they've been meaning to overhaul the Tang recs for some time now and they can't necessarily be trusted.

-- 12 Cyprichromis leptosoma - GREAT, just not jumbos.
-- 3 Julidichromis regani - Safer to get a smaller species, or a calmer one. Perhaps ornatus, dickfeldi, or transcriptus (not gombe)? And you can get 6 to pair off.
-- 6 Xenotilapia ochrygenys - if the rockwork is minimal to give them plenty of sand space, but a 55 cuts it close.
-- 6 Tanganicodus irsacae - these guys would mean more rockwork, which cuts into the sandspace, which is a problem.
-- 4 to 6 Synodontis petricola - I'm not a Syno person, I can't speak for or against them.


Can I ask which of the species you want best? That may help in reworking the list.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!