I may be thinking about turning a 20 gallon long tank I have into a cichlid tank...
I want colorful cichlids and want to keep it only Malawi or Tanganyikan!
I want colorful cichlids and want to keep it only Malawi or Tanganyikan!
Malawi or Tanganyikan tank?
- Thread starter Oddball~
- Start date
I inherited,
so to speak a Malawi tank, wanted to add Tang's, however took direction from a good source and decided against it.
I did have an empty tank though, and added some Brichardi (Tang's) and Zebra Obliquidens, (For Lack of they're real name/breed as pure ZO were NEVER exported, and are now endangered). Most of them were labelled, within the breed at the time, because of they're colour, however they are still Victorian Hap's, and should be treated as so).
I'd have to vote for Malawi though....everytime!!!
so to speak a Malawi tank, wanted to add Tang's, however took direction from a good source and decided against it.
I did have an empty tank though, and added some Brichardi (Tang's) and Zebra Obliquidens, (For Lack of they're real name/breed as pure ZO were NEVER exported, and are now endangered). Most of them were labelled, within the breed at the time, because of they're colour, however they are still Victorian Hap's, and should be treated as so).
I'd have to vote for Malawi though....everytime!!!
A 20 gallon is too small for any Malawi fish... so that rules that out!
I reccommend some Tangynikan shelldwellers, they are smaller and can fit a little colony in a 20 gallon. I'm not sure about julies or brichardi or lelupi are any of those, since they are a little more aggressive. But you might get a pair in a 20.
HTH
-Diana
I reccommend some Tangynikan shelldwellers, they are smaller and can fit a little colony in a 20 gallon. I'm not sure about julies or brichardi or lelupi are any of those, since they are a little more aggressive. But you might get a pair in a 20.
HTH
-Diana
I'd say Tanganyikan over malawan every time... with your 20 your choices of species is pretty good. Pretty much any shelldweller, and many of the rock dwellers will also work.
I have heard shelldwellers and juli's can work together in the same tank. Maybe a pair of small, non-agresive julis, and a couple pairs of shellies (don't mix different species in the same tank, they will hybridize). Make one corner a mimi reef, and the juli's should stick to that area. The brevis shellies have very small territories (6-10in).
I asked the same Q on shelldwellers.com and they said that in a 20long you could have 3 or four pairs of brevis (absolute smallest territory of any cichlid). They suggested low "rock walls" between territories, once they are established, would lesson aggresion.
You could also keep a colony (dominant male, several females, and several generations of offspring) of multis in a 20g long. This would need to be a species tank, as multis would act as a pack to defend the territory(in this case the entire tank) against intruders.I hear they dig more (which i count as a plus) and have a more colonial lifestyle than brevis.
You could also keep a colony (dominant male, several females, and several generations of offspring) of multis in a 20g long. This would need to be a species tank, as multis would act as a pack to defend the territory(in this case the entire tank) against intruders.I hear they dig more (which i count as a plus) and have a more colonial lifestyle than brevis.
mooman said:
you can set it up how you want but if those two species are introduced at the same time it will not work. Be carefull which shelldweller species you go with because some wont except another male, especially in a new set up.
"You could also keep a colony (dominant male, several females, and several generations of offspring) of multis in a 20g long. This would need to be a species tank, as multis would act as a pack to defend the territory(in this case the entire tank) against intruders.I hear they dig more (which i count as a plus) and have a more colonial lifestyle than brevis."
Multis? Got any pics??? How many could I keep?
Multis? Got any pics??? How many could I keep?