I've just set up my 220g tank for my group of 8 Kigoma frontosa. I'm needing some advice on good tank mates for them. Any help would be appreciated.
Frontosa tankmates suggestions.
- Thread starter freak78
- Start date
I've personally never kept cyphos, but I know that
neutrino
is someone who can offer up some excellent advice about this species.
neutrino
is someone who can offer up some excellent advice about this species.
How big are your Kigoma at this point? Are they wild? Is there something you have in mind?
There are a lot of possibilities. Depends somewhat on whether you want to stay in the same lake, same continent, or doesn't matter. Generally what you want are fish that aren't so small as to be easily eaten and not fin nippers, hyper active, or overly aggressive. Cyphotilapia vary in temperament, so some people get away with exceptions, like small Tanganyikans (neolamps, for example). It means odd combinations can work sometimes, but what works for some doesn't work for everyone.
I'd rule out tropheus, mbuna, and larger, aggressive new worlds-- some people attempt them with mbuna or trophs, but they're on the overactive side for fronts and tend to nip the long fins fronts develop. Aunonocara are hit and miss. I've seen (or had) some haps work, they can also be hit or miss according to species or individuals. I've seen altolamps work. Placidochromis phenochilus have worked for some. I bred O. lithobates "Zimbabwe Rock" for a while and kept some with my kaps at times, and they worked for me. I've seen some Tanganyikan featherfins work.
Like I say, lot of possibilities. Some usually work, some are hit and miss, some are a bad idea.
There are a lot of possibilities. Depends somewhat on whether you want to stay in the same lake, same continent, or doesn't matter. Generally what you want are fish that aren't so small as to be easily eaten and not fin nippers, hyper active, or overly aggressive. Cyphotilapia vary in temperament, so some people get away with exceptions, like small Tanganyikans (neolamps, for example). It means odd combinations can work sometimes, but what works for some doesn't work for everyone.
I'd rule out tropheus, mbuna, and larger, aggressive new worlds-- some people attempt them with mbuna or trophs, but they're on the overactive side for fronts and tend to nip the long fins fronts develop. Aunonocara are hit and miss. I've seen (or had) some haps work, they can also be hit or miss according to species or individuals. I've seen altolamps work. Placidochromis phenochilus have worked for some. I bred O. lithobates "Zimbabwe Rock" for a while and kept some with my kaps at times, and they worked for me. I've seen some Tanganyikan featherfins work.
Like I say, lot of possibilities. Some usually work, some are hit and miss, some are a bad idea.
When I kept fronts years ago, I used adult "unswallowable" sized Cyprichromis species as tank mates. They tended to act in the same manner as dither fish in comforting the fronts, and were in most cases much too fast to be captured (also inhabiting different areas of the water column). Slow moving Lamprologus calvus types also worked.
At first I tried other Africans (ones mentioned above) and found they were all much too aggressive and stressed out the fronts, as were most any new world cichlids.
At first I tried other Africans (ones mentioned above) and found they were all much too aggressive and stressed out the fronts, as were most any new world cichlids.
A local breeder kept a group of his Mpimbwe with Neolamprologus leleupi, which seemed to work out for several years. They were swallowable size, but I guess fast enough with enough rock work to disappear in that they survived. His Mpimbwe were also pretty laid back.
Glad to see you are getting some excellent first hand advice from neutrino & duanes.
Glad to see you are getting some excellent first hand advice from neutrino & duanes.
Not wild can mean less tendency to eat smaller fish, but individual fronts (or groups) can vary, making them a little unpredictable in that respect. Fronts don't really need the 'liquid concrete' water conditions some people think they do. Mine do well with moderate hardness, pH in the mid 7s or slightly above, including a few from an F1 kapampa group that are now near 13 years old. A lot of temperamentally compatible fish will work in these conditions.
