Tanganyikan Info

[Lexi_D]

I'm comparing Tanganyikan Cichlids and Lake Malawi Cichlids (mainly Mbunas) to see which ones I'd rather keep. My mom said that maybe towards spring we could get a second tank for my 3rd floor room :) and want to be ready (I'd like to try out cichlids :grinyes:) Here's a base of what I want to know:


Minimum tank size
Habitat (what kinds of things I should aquascape with?)
Are there any types of fish that I shouldn't put together?
Most aggressive species
Least aggressive species
How many females per male fish can I put in?



Thanks, everyone!

-Lexi

[tarheels910]

You could go as simple as a 10 gallon with a colony of Shelldwellers to a 200 gallon with a colony of Frontosas.

[Lexi_D]

Ok, anything else I should know? ;)

[tarheels910]

What kind of fish do you want to keep?

[johnlarson66]

I'm comparing Tanganyikan Cichlids and Lake Malawi Cichlids (mainly Mbunas) to see which ones I'd rather keep. My mom said that maybe towards spring we could get a second tank for my 3rd floor room :) and want to be ready (I'd like to try out cichlids :grinyes:) Here's a base of what I want to know:


Minimum tank size
Habitat (what kinds of things I should aquascape with?)
Are there any types of fish that I shouldn't put together?
Most aggressive species
Least aggressive species
How many females per male fish can I put in?



Thanks, everyone!

-Lexi

I have both.

I like the Tangs, because not that many other people have them, plus I have been keeping Malawi for a while.

With the tangs, I bought them all at the same time and they were to young to sex. I have not had any losses.

[Lexi_D]

I don't know what kind of fish I'd like... I just was wondering if there was anything tha t I needed to know about them in general.

So far, I'm liking the Mbunas better; I realize how aggressive they are, but I like their colors better and I've learned more about them so far.

[x0x0x0]

Actually you can find Tanganyikans that are just as colorful as mbunas. I started out with mbunas and later graduated to Tanganyikans. I got tired of the mbunas. Yes they're colorful but they don't have the crazy specializations that tanganyikans have.. ie Altolamprologus Compressiceps Sumbu for example.

In your situation Mbuna might be better. They're very hardy (if you get them from good stock) and are more forgiving than tangs.

* Minimum tank size: 10 gallons for a pair of shelldwellers like N. Multi or N. brevis for Mbuna at least have a 3-4 foot tank. For this size, you should keep the less aggressive species like Rusty cichlids, Labs and Saulosi.. However it's better to have a larger floor space than it is to have height space.

* Habitat (what kinds of things I should aquascape with?) Use eggcrates on the bottom of your tank then stones or rocks. Most Mbunas and even some tangs like julies, like caves, crevices and the rocks. That is where they stake their territories.

* Are there any types of fish that I shouldn't put together? Try not to mix Malawis and Tanganyikans esp if you get wild caught species. In general (in general people!) Don't mix Mbunas with Utakas, Peacocks, Haps or Chisawasawa

* Most aggressive species: Most Mbunas are aggressive.. especially Melanochromis species. ie Auratus, chipokae, johanni, etc. Tanganyikans: trets are really aggressive and so are brichardis.. but there's too many to name so narrow down what you'd like to know

* Least aggressive species: again there's many variables to this and there's a lot to choose from.

* How many females per male fish can I put in?" In General for mbunas 1 male for every 3-4 females is the rule. Same goes for most peacocks and haps. For Tanganyikans it varies because a few of them like to pair up such as Julidochromis, Shell dwellers, Altolamprologus species.. etc.

[Lexi_D]

Thanks for the info!

[jpappy789]

I really adivse going to duboisi.com if you need some good advice on tangs. They helped me a lot with my tank options. Cichlid-forum.com is always a good site as well.

:)

I really hope you choose tangs, great fish with great personalities!

[gazella]

i've been on tang cichlids team for a while.. and i can tell you that:
-tanganyikas are more colorful and graceful cichlids..with more sutil and elegant colors and more debeloped finnage.
-some small tanganyikas can be more agressive than larger species. even can take as their territory a whole tank.
-tanganyikas have more advances breeding behaviors than most cichlids
-they have more diversity forms and sizes than the mbunas..and peakcocks that look all the same..haps have a little more diversity in shapes..but all the females are ulgy..
-in the great lake you can find from the smallest to the largest cichlid.
- a well executed tank will be more full of life with fish in the open water, in the middle or rocks and in the sand.
-in a tang tank you can keep killies, eels, and catfish.

[jpappy789]

i've been on tang cichlids team for a while.. and i can tell you that:
-tanganyikas are more colorful and graceful cichlids..with more sutil and elegant colors and more debeloped finnage.
-some small tanganyikas can be more agressive than larger species. even can take as their territory a whole tank.
-tanganyikas have more advances breeding behaviors than most cichlids
-they have more diversity forms and sizes than the mbunas..and peakcocks that look all the same..haps have a little more diversity in shapes..but all the females are ulgy..
-in the great lake you can find from the smallest to the largest cichlid.
- a well executed tank will be more full of life with fish in the open water, in the middle or rocks and in the sand.
-in a tang tank you can keep killies, eels, and catfish.

That is a very very good point gazelle! There are so many different niches in Lake Tanganyika (sand sifter, shell dweller, rock/cave dweller, open water, ect.) that the best Tang community tank has a different species for each. Although it is still important to look at individual combatabilities, this is key, at least imo, to a happy tang tank! :)