feedback on my stocklist

[r1dermon]

this will be my first full blown african cichlid tank. all will be housed in a 75g tank with sand substrate. a fluval 404 and rena xp2 will provide filtration, as well as a vortex diatom filter for water polishing when necessary.

im waiting to hear back from my landscape guy on the lace, tufa, and honeycomb limestone, but im thinking 3 big sections of perforated rock to envelop the left, center, and right sides of the tank. a possible small mount of river stones off center to break up the substrate and divide the front sections into sand-sifter, and shell dweller territory.

before i bothered to research african cichlids, i had a 75g tank with crushed marble substrate, and random concrete blocks from home depot for coverage. i bought about 20 "asst cichlids" from one of the big boxed fish stores and called it a day. i was dissatisfied tbh.

my objectives with this tank is to recreate a semi biotopic tank, where multiple genus types can thrive and breed simultaneously in harmony without affecting each other in aggression, or eating habits.

so, without further adieu, the stocklist for my tanganyikan cichlid tank.

75g
fluval 404
rena xp2
single 48" light strip with a T12 in it right now
300w hagen heater

stocklist (tentative)

12 Cyprichromis leptosoma
4-6 (eventual pair) Eretmodus cyanostictus
4-6 (eventual pair)Julidochromis ornatus
4-6 (eventual pair)Chalinochromis brichardi
3 Lamprologus occelatus
2 Neolamprologus brevis
6 Xenotilapia ochrogenys


any mismatches you see in there? the only questionmark for me is the X. ochro's, as i've heard they're pretty darn aggressive, and im worried them and the brichardi's might have a problem with each other...but i really want a sand sifter, and i REALLY want xeno's.

any input is appreciated.

 

[shellies215]

Honestly, that is way to many species to work well in a 75. How about :
12 cyprichromis
julidochromis pair
1 shellsweller species
xeno's
4 altolamprologus
This way you get cyps for open top water, julis in the rocks, shellies and sand sifters on the bottom, and in my experiance if you get altolamps while they are small they will pretty much stay out of everyone elses way.

 

[Mokujin22]

Yeah man. From the aggression I've seen paired Tangs deal, that stock list would be better suited for a 125.

Xenos will require a lot of room - more like sand over the whole footprint of the 75. Unfortunately, that would leave no room for the rocks or shells. If you left out the xenos, you may be able to pull it off is you scaped the rocks and shells right. You're going to have to eliminate either the rock dwellers or the xenos imo.

I would also stick to one type of shell dweller as you'd need tons of shells in order to support breeding colonies of both brevis and occies in a 75 (most likely the whole footprint of the tank). Tons of shells = less room for rocks and open sand.

 

[r1dermon]

so xeno's and shellies cannot coexist in a 75g? i know shellies require relatively little space assuming plenty of shells are available...even if i broke up the tank with some type of rock barrier, maybe 2/3rds for xeno's and 1/3rd for shellies? fill the rear of the tank with rocks maybe about 2/3 across and add a single rock dweller, and then the 12 cyps at the top? still too much going on?

 

[Mokujin22]

Nah, shellies and xenos would probably be ok. I just think trying to do rock dwellers, shellies and sandsifters would require more footprint than a 75 can provide. Personally, I'd try to do two out of the three.

You can always give it a shot. If you did, stick with one pair of altos or julies (with one pile of rocks at one far end) and a pair of shellies with a pile of shells at the other far end. Leave the center open with sand. That may work, but I think that adult xenos will be cramped with what is effectively an 18" x 30"- 36" territory (and may beat on each other).

Not saying you can't, just saying that I wouldn't.

Good luck and post pics of the setup once you get it running.