Contemplating New Tanganyika Setup

[sutherland]

Adding to my African Cichlid obsession, considering starting up a 20G Tanganyika single specie (Lamprologus multifasciatus) small community tank (no more than 6).

The components considered:
Filter: Rena XP1 - (I've been pleasantly pleased with the XP3 on my 37G Mbuna) or an AC50 HOB

Heater: Stealth (of course..there is no other).

Substrate: Aragonite (for Buffering and Behavior)

Shells: About 30...

Would 6 be enough, can they be "stacked" to an extent like Mbuna? First experience with Tanganyika Cichlids.

 

[Ullopincrate]

I'd say you are probably good with 6. I dont' think they are very aggressive.

 

[Cichlidsanders]

Great Idea! I could do this with my old 20 Gallon, anyone here know a good place to get Tanganyika shell dwellers near Phoenix or Salt Lake City.
my LFS doesn't have anything but mbuna cichlids.

 

[MalawiTango]

sounds like a plan. My Occies love bulldozing in the sand and giving each other dirty looks. Put the shells in groups of 5 and put a large rock in between shell groups to provide a visual barrier.

 

[sutherland]

Great Idea! I could do this with my old 20 Gallon, anyone here know a good place to get Tanganyika shell dwellers near Phoenix or Salt Lake City.
my LFS doesn't have anything but mbuna cichlids.

Every now and then my LFS will stock Occies. Multis....a little harder to come by. Perhaps try Aquabid?

 

[sutherland]

sounds like a plan. My Occies love bulldozing in the sand and giving each other dirty looks. Put the shells in groups of 5 and put a large rock in between shell groups to provide a visual barrier.

That sounds like a great idea! I started pricing out tanks today..but you know the drill. I came in looking for a 20, and started considering much, much bigger.

 

[willtang3000]

Maybe you want to stick with the more gentle types of filtration such as air driven sponge filters if you want to save the fry.

 

[Ullopincrate]

Keep us posted.

 

[meanbestorque]

On the filtration side, you'll be fine with a single AC50 on a 20G. That's my setup for my GSP growout and that guy produces a lot of waste.

 

[sutherland]

Keep us posted.

This will be a new tank, but the cycling will be much faster because of existing media/substrate/filtration will be used. Right now, I have one of my existing Penguins on my 37G Malawi tank running in conjunction with my new XP3. Once the canister's media is established, I'll bump the penguin over to the new tank and run it in conjunction with the AC50.