50G Tanganyika Planted Riparium

[hydrophyte]

Sorry, I'm close enough that they deliver to our LFSs, and it's less than a 2 hour drive to get my own stuff, so I don't know their shipping policy. Btw Koralias can in no way replicate what a wavebox can do. Imagine watching a 2" high wave rythmically rocking back and forth the length of the tank, lapping up on a rocky beach with the Goby Cichlids playing in the "surge zone" as they do in the wild. Priceless.

I'll email them to ask about shipping. Now that I think of it I should probably start out with a group of juvenile fish, so those adults that they list now would not be the best choice.

A wavebook would be neat, but waves would just wash the gravel out of those riparium planters. And I wouldn't trust this sketchy tank and its 3/16" glass with lots of waves. Plus I don't have three-hundred bucks laying around.

 

[hydrophyte]

I have a good idea for an additional fish to add to this tank. There is quite a bit of open water space up in the front of the tank and I have thought that it might look best if I could include some kind of schooling fish. One idea that I had earlier for the fish stocking was to use a group of Cyprichromis, and then call it good. These active fish get to be several inches long however and this 36" is rather short for them. They are also rather delicate. While snooping around I encountered this fish that I had never heard of before...

Google: Lamprichthys tanganicanus
Lamprichthys tanganicanus - Google Search

This is a killi that occurs in open water habitats in Lake Tanganyika and it's gorgeous. It looks something like a rainbow. However, L. tanganicanus also gets to be rather big, to 6", and it would be better suited to a bigger tank.

While looking around some more on the Internet I saw some descriptions of using this fish as a Tanganyika tank dither and something of a stand-in for the less hardy, larger-growing and hard-to-find L. tanganicanus...

Google: Oryzias wowerae
oryzias wowerae - Google Search

O. wowerae is not from Africa at all, but it makes sense to use it in a Tanganyika setup. The area in Sulawesi where it originates has karst (limestone) topography and streams with high dissolved mineral content and probably few underwater plants.

I should be able to track down a group of these, then if I can just add one Tanganyika cichlid that will use the rocky areas in the tank this setup will be complete.

 

[SubRosa]

Aplocheilichthys pumilus is a smaller species of Killie native to the lake.

 

[hydrophyte]

Aplocheilichthys pumilus is a smaller species of Killie native to the lake.

Hey thanks!

 

[hydrophyte]

Aplocheilichthys pumilus is a smaller species of Killie native to the lake.

I am researching that fish. Can you suggest any possible sources? I found one old Aquabid auction and I emailed the seller.

I imagine that this fish lives in quiet bays and the mouths of streams with marginal vegetation. This tank could be a great representation of that! Do you know of any Tanganyika cichlids that use that kind of habitat? I remember learning about a couple of Malawi cichlids (can't remember the names) that live in those areas.

 

[hydrophyte]

What about this cichlid?...

Google: Triglachromis otostigma
https://www.google.com/search?q=Tri...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

It sure looks cool. I really like brown fish.

This fish is described as using "muddy bottom" habitats. Maybe this would include vegetated bays and put it near the habitats of that kill.

 

[hydrophyte]

The Asclepias Mexican milkweed is blooming! This plant flowers readily in the riparium if you give it light.

 

[hydrophyte]

Here are a couple more shots of that Asclepias bloom.

 

[hydrophyte]

My Tanganyika plans for this setup might have been thwarted. I recently found out about potential availability of these two species...

Etroplus canarensis Canara chromide pearlspot
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/etroplus-canarensis/

Mesonoemacheilus triangularis batik loach
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/mesonoemacheilus-triangularis

...both from the same source. I have had it in my head to put together a Western Ghats setup and these are such cool fish. I could probably put one or two of the chromides and a little group of the loaches in this setup. There are proabably a number of smaller Indian barbs that I could also use for a more or less representative combination.

 

[hydrophyte]

Here it is with the gold Asclepias grown up quite tall.

Here's a specimen shot of the Asclepias. I like the look of this plant, but I'm going to cut it back to reduce the shade and give the shorter riparium plants a chance to grow up.