54 GALLON CORNER TANK : CICHLIDS?

[Brian Bivens]

So, I have been given a 54 gallon corner tank, it measures 38x28(2 sides)x20. It is a good sized tank, and I was thinking of doing a cichlid tank, with my pair of brichardi's, and some of my other favorite cichlids (my wifes dad breads johani's, and jacob frabergei, labs, zebs. etc...)

what do you think, and what would you stock it with?

I plan on moving my brichardi over, and giving lots of rocks and caves and a crushed coral substrate.

[Squawkbert]

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n_brichardi.php

Maybe not a good idea... according to linked article, you're OK on tank size, but the mix has to be chosen carefully.

[Brian Bivens]

It's funny, I have read that too, but my father in law has kept these fish in a bunch of different cichlid tanks with many different malawi, victorian and tankganyikan cichlids.

His experience isn't that they are aggressive, as much as they protect their fry from the other fish.

[elementkid65]

i believe they are the opposite of agressive mine were getting pushed around by yellow labs

[jm1212]

you may just want to keep it a brichardi tank, and let them do the stocking for you

with brichardi, after the offspring grow up, they help the parents raise other batches of fry. its pretty cool to watch acctually.

[tarheels910]

Yea, I wouldnt mix the Brichardi and mbuna. Maybe do a tanganyikan tank with some Shelldwellers, your Brichardi, and a Calvus.

[Brian Bivens]

So here is what I am thinking,

My pair of Brichardi (Neolamprologus Brichardi),
A Calvus (Altolamprologus Calvis)
A Gold Sexfasciatus (Neolamprologus Sexfasciatus)
A Tropheus Duboisii
A Neolamprologus Leleupi

These are all less than six inches, all Tanganyikan, and will leave room for the brichardi to breed, what do you think.

[tarheels910]

So here is what I am thinking,

My pair of Brichardi (Neolamprologus Brichardi),
A Calvus (Altolamprologus Calvis)
A Gold Sexfasciatus (Neolamprologus Sexfasciatus)
A Tropheus Duboisii
A Neolamprologus Leleupi

These are all less than six inches, all Tanganyikan, and will leave room for the brichardi to breed, what do you think.

The tank is too small for the Duboisii. The breeding Brichardi will torment the other tank mates.

[jtburf]

See if it works, if the are killing eachother then 1 death usually solves the problem.


JK, but seriouscly do waht you want to do but I suggest go for it.

But the calvus can swallow pretty much anything.

[tarheels910]

See if it works, if the are killing eachother then 1 death usually solves the problem.


JK, but seriouscly do waht you want to do but I suggest go for it.

But the calvus can swallow pretty much anything.

Calvus stay pretty small, you are thinking of Compressiceps.

That is a terrible mix IMO. You are going to have so many territorial problems. Why not do the Brichardis, some Calvus, and some Julies.

[Brian Bivens]

I was at my LFS the other day, and they have two different tanks, filled with full grown tanganyikan and Malawi cichlids. No problems at all. I asked them, and they said the trick was putting them all in at once as juvies. Then don't mess with it.

I am going to try it, and let you know how it goes.

[x0x0x0]

I see it this way, either your duboisi will terrorize everything or your brichardi will start killing off your fish one by one. That's what my brichardis have done. Eventually i ended up with a pair that ruled a 60 gallon tank. I had to relocate them to another tank. Brichardis might be small, but they will go for fish much larger than themselves. This is just my experience.

I'd rather not have to go through losing expensive fish again though. just my 2 cents.

Plus honestly you shouldn't be keeping duboisi as a single...but do what you want, maybe you'll have a different experience. Update us.

[Brian Bivens]

no I am not keeping any tanganyikan besides the brichardi... I am going to keep brichardi with Johanni and jacobfriebergi.

I am putting them in at about an inch in length, and they are all free for me. My family is a cichlid breeding family. I have my pick of lots of different kinds of cichlids.

[Brian Bivens]

not that I am looking to kill of the fish or anything.. I am hoping for a peaceful community.

I just want to do it for myself, to see how it goes. if need be, I will by another tank for the brichardi...

My original plan was to get a 29 and combine all my community fish into that, then get a 15 for the brichardi.

this tank is a gift and I am going to try my best to set up a cichlid tank.

[tarheels910]

no I am not keeping any tanganyikan besides the brichardi... I am going to keep brichardi with Johanni and jacobfriebergi.

I am putting them in at about an inch in length, and they are all free for me. My family is a cichlid breeding family. I have my pick of lots of different kinds of cichlids.

Terrible mix. Peacocks, Mbuna, and Tanganyikans dont go together.

[cav]

Terrible mix. Peacocks, Mbuna, and Tanganyikans dont go together.

I dont fully agree with this. I have the following fish in my tank:

1 Neolamprologus leleupi (Tanganyika)
1 Pictus Cat (Colombia, South America)
1 Melanochromis johannii (Malawi)
1 Neolamprologus pulcher "daffodil" (Tanganyika)
1 Lamprologus brevis (Tanganyika)
2 Synodontis multipunctatus (Tanganyika)
1 Pseudotropheus crabro (Malawi)
1 Melanochromis joanjohnsonae(Female)(Malawi)
1 Pseudotropheus sp. Daktari (Malawi)
1 Melanochromis auratus (Malawi)
1 Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Chewere" (Malawi)
1 Pseudotropheus socolofi (Malawi)
1 Albino Pseudotropheus estherae (Malawi)
1 Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan" (Hap)(Malawi)

All been in together as juvies for about 2 years and show very little aggression (apart from the Lamprologus brevis who insists on nipping my hand whenever I'm cleaning my tank). Yes there is the occasional chase and I have caught my daktari and zebra lip locking but other than that they all get on fine. The tank is a 50 gallon with internal filter (600lph) and an external filter (600lph) and lots of hiding places.

[johnp2152]

^I agree with you buddy I have a mixed tank as well. Unless your fish are caught in the wild (which they shouldent be) you can mix africans as long as you have plenty of hiding places and good filtration and feed them regulary. They are agressive fish by nature so they will ocassionally fight, its just what they do. I have kept african tanks for over 10 years had many many diff. species of fish all were mixed together Malawi and Tanganyikan.
Sunshine Peack. breeding Pair
Red Peacock.
elect. yellow
Frontosa
Rainbow Moorii breeding Pair
Blue dolphin
Pictus cat
Brichardi


http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l287/johnp2152/PC040069.jpg

[cav]

Nice tank john

[tarheels910]

There is a huge difference here. Im not aiming towards the Tanganyikans but the Mbuna/Peacock mix. Neither of your tanks have this combo. (Except Johns, but they are Yellow Labs (Peaceful)). The Mbuna will be way too aggressive for the Aulonocara.

[Brian Bivens]

yes beautiful. I will be posting pics as it goes. The thing I love about fishkeeping is, everyone does things differently, and the hobby has survived many worse things than my many mistakes (and everyone else's...) we all figure out what works, and what doesn't, we throw out (methods, not fish)...

Thanks again for the feedback. I will be looking for more soon!

[cav]

There is a huge difference here. Im not aiming towards the Tanganyikans but the Mbuna/Peacock mix. Neither of your tanks have this combo. (Except Johns, but they are Yellow Labs (Peaceful)). The Mbuna will be way too aggressive for the Aulonocara.

Sorry dude, how is the saltwater endevour going?

[tarheels910]

Sorry dude, how is the saltwater endevour going?

No need to be sorry.

Its starting okay. Im having a neighbor bring over some more salt right now and then everything is going into the tank.

[cav]

No need to be sorry.

Its starting okay. Im having a neighbor bring over some more salt right now and then everything is going into the tank.

Bring on the pics bud

[Brian Bivens]

Ok, just a quick question, this is tank has turned out to be a 44 Pentagon tank (22x22x24)... I am pretty sure this size would keep me from mixing the cichlids as I before thought.

Do you think there would still be a good mix of Tanganyikan fish I could put into the tank with my brichardi, or should I just make this tank my community tank, and breed the brichardi in my 20 long?