Caudopunctatus "Red Fin"

[MFM]

Hello everyone!
I've recently acquired 5 Neolamprologous Caudopunctatus "Red Fin" and they are being housed in a 30 gallon tank. I'm new to this fish, mainly to African cichlids as a whole, and I've really enjoying watching them for the past few days and look forward to attempting to breed them. The tank currently houses a baby Starlight Bushynose pleco which is helping keep the tank clean, having cleaned almost half of the back of the tank in a few days. These sure are feisty little fish, as they attacked my hand while I was cleaning the tank only a day after they were introduced. Below are a few (iPhone) pictures of their tank and if you have any ideas on decor, please comment below! I do plan on adding a few more larger rocks in the near future to help break up the areas of the tank and there are three shells buried in the sand, although I've read there prefer rocks to breed on.

 

[Longmayitreign]

Never kept caudopunks but if they breed then you will want some flat stacked rocks so that the fry can hide in the crevices at night. Although a better thing to do would be getting a different tank for the fry or getting a breeder box/net for them.
Idk about the pleco it might eat the fry.

 

[MFM]

Never kept caudopunks but if they breed then you will want some flat stacked rocks so that the fry can hide in the crevices at night. Although a better thing to do would be getting a different tank for the fry or getting a breeder box/net for them.
Idk about the pleco it might eat the fry.

Sounds like a good idea! I think I have some slate I can throw in the tank for them. I also have a breeder net which will come in handy when needed. The pleco isn't permanent, just too small for my 75g currently so its in the 30 for now.

 

[deeda]

Nice fish!! I kept them for about five years and just had a few muffin snail shells and some piles of rocks in the tank and they mostly spawned in the rocks. The babies will utilize the shells occasionally to hide. I never had problems with the adults eating the babies. I kept no other fish with them.

 

[The Morning]

Great fish to keep. Enjoy.

 

[MFM]

Nice fish!! I kept them for about five years and just had a few muffin snail shells and some piles of rocks in the tank and they mostly spawned in the rocks. The babies will utilize the shells occasionally to hide. I never had problems with the adults eating the babies. I kept no other fish with them.

Awesome! Looking forward to watching them!

 

[DJRansome]

Mine also ignored the shells and spawned between 2 rocks. I have heard they will eat the fry if it is time to spawn again and the previous group have not left.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

Might be worth it to go out and add some fake plants by the rocks to increase the available hiding areas for the fry. And as for the pleco I wouldn't worry too much about it. They tend to leave free swimming fry alone for the most part, only time I ever had them eat fry was when they would settle at the bottom to sleep at night but as long as they have someplace to hide where the pleco can't reach they should be safe.

 

[MFM]

Might be worth it to go out and add some fake plants by the rocks to increase the available hiding areas for the fry. And as for the pleco I wouldn't worry too much about it. They tend to leave free swimming fry alone for the most part, only time I ever had them eat fry was when they would settle at the bottom to sleep at night but as long as they have someplace to hide where the pleco can't reach they should be safe.

Yeah that sounds like a good idea! The tank has had a very plain scape from the recent fish so I’ll mix it up a little and provide some pictures. Thanks!

 

[Magnus_Bane]

Yeah that sounds like a good idea! The tank has had a very plain scape from the recent fish so I’ll mix it up a little and provide some pictures. Thanks!

Np, always happy to help. Can't wait to see how the tank is going to look. Never had any neolamps but always wanted to get a tank full of em, just not certain what kind I want tho.