Any large Frontosa tanks out there?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
So, my tank is 8'x30"x30" and 375 gallons with a rear center overflow. How many fish should I add in the beginning, how many will I end up with so it's a healthy, unstressed community when they're all grown up. Keeping saltwater for years, I've learned to understock and leave room for territory, feeding, and a balance for optimum health.

Also, what am I looking money wise on my initial investment of fish? Appreciate your help!
 
If you're going Zaire fronts expect about $35 a fish for 1-2" F1's you can get Burundi for WAY cheaper, theres a local guy here that sells them for $3 each. I would go 15-20 fish if you buy small so that you can sell off any extra males when they mature to keep the fighting to a minimum and hopefully end up with 10-15 fish. I only have 10 in my 500 and it does not look empty at all. You can also pick up some fish to raise along with them to keep things lively and add some diversity. Like altolamprologus calvus/compressiceps, featherfins (stunning fish) like cyathopharynx faoi or Ophthalmotilapia boops or even some lamprologus species like lelueipi or nkambae if you have some rocky structures for them to hide in away from the predator fronts :) Pretty much keep your saltwater mindset when dealing with frontosa and lake Tanganyika fish!
 
I really like the Lupota the best. I'm not wanting to breed them either, so adding other fish like you suggested would be great!
 
There are some beautiful calvus out there, love them too! If not breeding Cyps, how many of these should I add?
 
I've got a large trickle filter being built, probably hold 25-30 gallons of bio balls. Wondering if adding a large Filstar or Eheim would be wise to help filter the water in addition to the bio balls?
 
Honestly you shouldn't need it assuming the wet/dry is large enough and has filter socks or some sort of mechanical filtration. I'm currently looking at replacing my bio balls with marine pure bio bricks or brightwell bricks. Highly efficient, easy to clean and takes far less room than bio balls. They are also made with aragon items to help buffer the water.
 
I've got the marine pure balls in a 12"x24" tall reactor on my 1100 gallon salty system, they didn't do anything for nitrate reduction, but I've never run them in a trickle filter. They do clog easy too, even with sponge in front of them.
 
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