55 gallon Tanganikan Setup

[nterry]

Hi,

I am looking at a tang. setup. The fish I want:

12 cyprochromis
4 brevis
4 occelatus gold
4 julie transcriptus + maybe one more small rock dweler
4 E. Decampsi

I know that seems like a lot. Partly I'm listing everything I want to check compatability issues. Ideally, I would like to have pairs of everthing (except the cryprochromis), but I don't know how to get a pair at LFS without buying 4 and hopefully rescuing whoever is tossed out of their territory.

Aquascaping: several small rock piles on the back and sand all over. 1/2 to 3/4 of the tank with shells, leaving a small open area with no shells for the decampsi.

What do you think?

[Coler]

I'm no expert on anything but particularly not on tangs, however it looks good to me and I think your strategy of taking 4 and hoping for a pair is sound.

It will be a beautiful set-up; I insist on seeing pics as it gets going !

[toddnbecka]

Mixing 2 types of shelldwellers in a 4' tank isn't a good idea, and the descampi will likely claim half the tank as territory. I'd suggest shells one one end, a fair-size rock pile in the middle, and open sand on the other side of the rocks.

[trigger9]

How about a Calvus or a Gold Head. They are awesome additions.

[BumbleFish]

Lose the Cyps. They will NOT be happy in a 55g.

Frankly, shell dwellers are great fish, and IMO a tank should focus on them if you keep them. The transcriptus will make them miserable. Multifaciatus could work, but then again, the multi's will eventually conquer the aquarium because of their incredible colony defense behavior.

I would suggest the J Transcriptus, with some Neo Leluepi, pick a compressed cichlid you like, like Black or white Calvus, Gold head Comps, etc, then add 6 Syno Petricola and an albino Ancistrus and your tank will great.

Mixing shellies as mentioned is a bad idea, as is adding fish that are fry predators (Julidochromes), or predators in general. Altos will eat shellies, for instance.

Good luck with it. I have a tank 55g with ~10 Leleupi, 4 Black Calvus, 2 J Ornatus, 7 Syno P and 3 cyps (of the original 9). The Ornatus started at 4 but the boss kicked 2 out. The Leleupi started with 4 and have bred a lot. The Calvus are big enough now to eat the broods that come now.

Everyone in there has been happy for 4 years except the cyps. Poor guys. They are exceptionally fragile fish that really need larger tanks to shine behviorally as well as happily. Cyps will refuse to breed or show breeding behavior in tanks shallower than 28". A 55g is too shallow.

Conversely, you could try Paracyps with shellies and Syno Ps. These species do not ecologically overlap, are quite peaceful and might make for an interesting project. Always include an ancistrus to keep the glass clear in anytank!

Take your time and enjoy.

BF

Here's one of my Black Calvus Males. He's about 5 years old and 5.5" TL.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/BumbleFish/Calvus02.jpg

[toddnbecka]

I have a 55 that houses a colony of multi's, a spawning pair of buescheri (and some young ones) along with a group of Synodontis lucipinnis. The multi's aren't a problem, simply because I sell off the breeding-size juvies as they mature. The buescheri may help control their numbers to some small extent, but essentially they're the same sort of fish as Julies's. Not quite as prolific, so they don't overcrowd the tank, but in most respects the same general behavior.

[jpappy789]

lose the cyps for sure...they need more space than 55 gallons and are quite expensive and fragile

lose the decampsi too

choose one of the shellies, and get a pair...then get a pair of the julies...you will have fry in no time! Believe me, my 55 is getting out of hand quickly and I need to find some new homes for the little buggers!