Praecox with tangs?

[J. H.]

In short, everyone in my tank is giving me compatibility problems (why can't al fish grow at the same speed?) and I am looking into getting rid of everyone in my 55 except my M. Praecox, Dwarf Neon Rainbows. Can I put two pairs of tang rockdwellers?

 

[Barbs and Barbels]

A pair of julies would be a good start. Do some research on a lamprologus before choosing one because of their habit of colonizing. They tend to take over a tank if you allow the fry to stay with the parents too long.

 

[J. H.]

If the only other thing in with them is the rainbows, do I care if they take over the tank? What if I went with 13 Praecox and a colony of N. Pulcher?

 

[deeda]

I keep M. praecox with my 'Lamprologus' caudopunctatus 'red fin' and they get along just fine.

I would not keep M. praecox with N. pulcher as I find the pulcher get a bit aggressive when spawning and they may nip or kill the praecox.

 

[J. H.]

Julies, Caudopuncs and shellies only, then?

 

[deeda]

I thought you wanted to keep the M. praecox in this tank also?

 

[J. H.]

I meant the only cichlids. I traded in my angel and two panchax, and the only thing that they had and I wanted were 3 M. fluviatus, so they are in there now, too. I think I want to put some of my rapidly growing guppy fry in there...they need to go somewhere...
Anyway, i think I will do rainbows + shellies + guppies. Will that work? Should I start a new thread?

 

[Barbs and Barbels]

You could try some leleupi though they may get to large in comparison to your rainbows. How much risk are you willing to assume? I don't think calvus would bother them but there are no guarantees. If you had a larger rainbow species I would think better of the whole idea. Praecox compared to a boesmani are small and not nearly as tough.

 

[J. H.]

the guy I would buy from only has black calvus and J transcriptus right now any of these good? how many can/should I get? I like breeding pairs of cichlids, one would be enough for me

 

[Barbs and Barbels]

Any breeding pair of substrate spawning cichlids will be aggressive. I would go with the julies and call it a day. Give them rock work on the bottom and they will stay close to it. The rainbows will stay toward the top and middle water so should be fine. The calvus, IME, will cover more of the tank and be more of a danger to the praecox. The up side of calvus is they are extreme slow growers which will buy you time if you get small ones.