Changing around the 20 gallon

[blue2fyre]

Ok so now my multis are breeding. Which is kind of cool but basically now they just hate everything. They attack anything that comes near their side of the tank. I knew this might end up being a problem. For the most part the calvus and hap stay on the right side but when I come into the room they come over to the left side (shell pit) to see if I'll feed them. There they get a beat down from the multis which doesn't seem to phase them but it's hard to watch. I'm learning a lot with this tank and I'm beginning to understand more that Tangs need a lot of floor space!
This morning I removed the multis (except one I can't catch) and put them in a holding tank. I want to see if I like the tank without the multis. I'm thinking I will. The downside is I can't keep a 4th tank up and running forever. The multis will most likely be rehomed since they've been kind of boring. No one yell at me! I just don't think shell dwellers are my thing.
With the multi gone I can do some better aqua scaping, my banished calvus can have some more space as will my hap. Plus I can add some more plants! I think this will work out a bit better.
So 20 long stock:
3 white calvus (very small but growing)
1 electric blue hap (will be moved once large enough)
3 dwarf platies(that seem totally oblivious to everything)

I'm not sure if I can/should add anything else. Nothing that will breed so I can avoid aggression in a small space. Maybe a single of some Tang species? Not sure yet.
For now I'll just let things settle down.
Suggestions?

 

[justinf67]

The calvus do grow too large for the 20, right? I know they grow slowly, so its possible to keep them there for a while...

I think I read in another thread that u have syno petricola with ur mbuna, could be someone else, lol, I get confused... I LOVE my petricola, the only thing I hate is that in my mbuna tank, I have so many rocks and crevices, I see them, but they are in and out... If u put them in the 20, u would get much cooler floor activity. Plus, its a tang tank, so less rocks, more open space. U'd get to see them scurrying all over... Makes me want to setup a tank for my synos, lol.

For the record, I kept a couple gold occies in a 5 gallon for about a month. they didnt really do it for me either. Although, one killed the other 2 and the last one just disappeared, I think he jumped, as I didnt have a top on it at the time... They were ballsy little dudes, as he would attack my finger, lol, but just didnt do it for me...

 

[blue2fyre]

Yeah I figure I have about 2-3 years before my calvus outgrow the 20 gallon. Especially considering that it's a 20 long. They are really small right now. Just over an inch. Though I know breeders around here that keep pairs in a similar sized tank.

I am getting some more petricola. Perhaps I'll put them in the 20 gallon to grow. I love mine in my mbuna tank but they are so active I think they would be unhappy in the 20 after a while.

 

[justinf67]

I dont think they would be unhappy. They stay pretty small. Up to u, but it would def add to the activity in the tank

 

[blue2fyre]

Small update

The smallest white calvus no longer is hiding all the time and no longer has his stress colors. He's also eating which is fantastic. The fish are all much more comfortable without the multis. There is still one male in there that I just cannot catch. He was kicked out of the colony. But since I removed the rest of the colony I figured he would go back to living in the shells. Nope he sleeps beside them and hides in the plants.

At the end of the month I'm picking up 5 baby syno petricola and hopefully some more plants. Should add a lot of activity.