Lake Tanganika (sp?) tank... suggestions?

[Heady]

I have a 20 gallon tank with black sand, rocks, live java moss, plastic red ludwiga and other plastic plants. Filtration: a Biowheel 170. Beautiful!

I have 3 ocellated shelldwellers and 2 guppies in there. I really love those shelldwellers - they're so cute and fun too! - but would like another mid- or top- water fish to round out my tank. I would prefer another Lake Tanganyika fish, but it has to be small enough as an adult to be happy in this tank, and has to be able to tolerate the Lake Tanganyika salts & high pH (8.2).

Does anyone have suggestions?

(I asked this question over on the cichlid board but am not sure if someone on this board might be able to help also.)

[ChilDawg]

The ocellatuses may not ake too kindly to having anything else in the tank should they start to breed in large numbers. Maybe adding a few more ocellati and many many more shells might be the most appropriate way to go.

Rainbowfish might be your best bet for a top-dwelling fish with little aggression.

[Heady]

Thanks for the suggestion, I have a lot of shells in there already. I'm a little touchy about adding more ocellati, just because the bigger one kind of picks on the littler ones as it is. But I would be interested in adding something peaceful that swims in the middle/upper regions. Other suggestions?

[ChilDawg]

Rainbows would be good. I have seen them in non-schools even though I read that they are supposed to be kept in them.

I cannot, for the life of me, think of a peaceful upper-reaches Tanganyikan which doesn't school and wouldn't snack on your guppies.

[ChilDawg]

Heady, this is intended to be respectful, not argumentative. I intend to deliver info with this post, so please take it in that spirit:

Actually, to reduce intraspecific aggression, adding more of the same species works because the bully has to watch his back much more than if he only had two to pick on. I understand your concern, but this could conceivably minimize aggression. I think any Malawian cichlid-keeper or any Tiger barb-keeper would back me up on this.

[Heady]

Thanks ChilDawg, I was wondering if there was some kind of... like certain square footage the ocellatus prefers. Are they like my subdivision - everyone wants a quarter acre? :)

(... i.e. sq. inches?)

[ChilDawg]

Hmm...I think that they would not mind a quarter of an acre a piece, but I am stumped as to square inchage for each of them. Anyone else want to answer?