hey everyone, I normally keep South American cichlids but I have an empty tank so I want to try something a little different and I was thinking doing a tang tank. the tank I'm looking at is a 50g with the base measurements of 36"x18" so I know I'm pretty limited. I'm pretty sure I would like to have some shell dwellers in this tank. I'm flip flopping between just taking it easy and turning it into a multifaciatus species tank or try to do something more community style. I am worried if I go with multis I might get bored of it and they are so small I cant really put anything else in there with them or they will get eaten so I'm kind of stuck. my other though process was that I might be able to get some lamprologus stappersi, which are a little bigger, and try to add in a couple other smaller cichlids. I'm pretty open to suggestions.
50g Tanganyikan stocking, new to africans!
- Thread starter jamntoast
- Start date
Hello jamntoast,
i would go with a small group or pair of smaller shell dwellers like multifasciatus, similis, ocellatus or stappersi
+ a pair of other not too aggressive lamprologus like leleupi or Julidochromis transcriptus.
Other combinations might also work.
Im currently trying my luck keeping a pair of full grown N. helianthus with 5 juvenile Telmatochromis dhonti in a 60 x 60 cm (approx 24" x 24").
i would go with a small group or pair of smaller shell dwellers like multifasciatus, similis, ocellatus or stappersi
+ a pair of other not too aggressive lamprologus like leleupi or Julidochromis transcriptus.
Other combinations might also work.
Im currently trying my luck keeping a pair of full grown N. helianthus with 5 juvenile Telmatochromis dhonti in a 60 x 60 cm (approx 24" x 24").
that's basically what I was thinking. those julido. transcriptus are very nice, I wasn't sure if most julidochromis get too big for multis or stappari. I would love to included those in this setup. great suggestion. I was thinking also maybe a brichardi type, not so much into the yellow of leleupi but something like that would be cool
The cichlids of the brichardi-group are all too aggressive for a community tank of this size. The would overtake the whole tank very easily.
I would see helianthus and facicula as the least aggressive of the group. Even my T. dhonti can barely hold their caves against the pair of helianthus. I see no chance for any of the smaller shell dweller against a member of the brichardi-group.
edit: all Paracyprichromis would fit in that tank
I would see helianthus and facicula as the least aggressive of the group. Even my T. dhonti can barely hold their caves against the pair of helianthus. I see no chance for any of the smaller shell dweller against a member of the brichardi-group.
edit: all Paracyprichromis would fit in that tank
thanks for the quick responses, i have a few more questions about a couple species.
i was also looking at n cylindricus, i was thinking that might be a good mix given that the shellies stick to the shells and cylindricus would be sticking close to rocks so it might be easy to keep them in their own areas and they wont get in each others way.
Another species i think is neat is tanganicodus irsacae, how might that species fit in here?
my last question, whats your opinion on calvus in a tank like this assuming its a mix of shellies and some of the species mentioned
i was also looking at n cylindricus, i was thinking that might be a good mix given that the shellies stick to the shells and cylindricus would be sticking close to rocks so it might be easy to keep them in their own areas and they wont get in each others way.
Another species i think is neat is tanganicodus irsacae, how might that species fit in here?
my last question, whats your opinion on calvus in a tank like this assuming its a mix of shellies and some of the species mentioned
I never tried to keep cylindricus in such small tank. Here you might face the problem of possible big intraspecific aggression. The can be a real pain in the ass towards their own kind.
Though it might work with good harmonising pair and a lot of possibilities to hide. But i would not try it.
Never kept Tanganicodus. But heard a lot of stories of them killing each other in much larger tanks.
Altolamprologus calvus or A. compressiceps as a pair works fine. The might eat some fry of the other tank inhabitants but they are not very aggressive an will only defend their cave or shell. My calvus only show a little bit of intraspecific aggression but till now no aggression towards other species.
Though it might work with good harmonising pair and a lot of possibilities to hide. But i would not try it.
Never kept Tanganicodus. But heard a lot of stories of them killing each other in much larger tanks.
Altolamprologus calvus or A. compressiceps as a pair works fine. The might eat some fry of the other tank inhabitants but they are not very aggressive an will only defend their cave or shell. My calvus only show a little bit of intraspecific aggression but till now no aggression towards other species.
ok so calvus or compressiceps should be good, that's cool. as for the cylindricus and tanganicodus its a gamble. i would keep just a single tanganicodus, i did read they are pretty aggressive to specifics. sucks that that cylindricus might be so agro, i might try it anyway and see how it goes but we'll see i guess.
so stocking right now I'm leaning to the l. stappari maybe like 3 males and 6 females, prob an a. calvus, hopefully a small julidochromis species, and I'm still looking into paracyprichromis.
as for substrate i normally just use pool filter sand. is it necessary to have the crushed coral substrate or something. my ph out the tap is about 7.4. i was thinking i would use a mix of crushed coral and pfs, but if i don't need it obvs i wouldn't bother
so stocking right now I'm leaning to the l. stappari maybe like 3 males and 6 females, prob an a. calvus, hopefully a small julidochromis species, and I'm still looking into paracyprichromis.
as for substrate i normally just use pool filter sand. is it necessary to have the crushed coral substrate or something. my ph out the tap is about 7.4. i was thinking i would use a mix of crushed coral and pfs, but if i don't need it obvs i wouldn't bother
With a 50 breeder, you have lots of options. I used to breed tropheus in 50's. I bred lots of other tanganyikans in much smaller tanks (10s, 20 longs, 29s, and 30s. Even bred frontosas in a 75. Just stay away from the super aggressive tanganikan cichlids. Never liked community tanks for tangs. Most I ever kept was two species together.
That is one of the keys for succesfully keeping tanganikans.
Not more than two species in small tanks. In big tanks maybe three to four species. And dont mix anything with too different levels of robustness.
Reffering to the Paracyprichromis: This species lives in larger groups an should not be kept with too aggressive species. If you want to keep them, i would suggest a group of minimum 6 individuals in single species tank or together with some more peacefull cichlids like Altolamprologus, or some small shell dwellers.
