TROPHEUS TANK
- Thread starter andy1985
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If you want to keep tropheus they are best kept species only. Maybe a bristlenose pleco, or goby cichlids. That's it. You have never kept these fish before and they are notoriously hard to keep alive, so give yourself all the advantages. Here is something I posted on another forum about tropheus and petros (and you'll want to follow up reading this by researching them even more):
Tropheus and Petrochromis are indeed fish that are native to Lake Tanganyika. They are both herbivores, meaning in the wild they eat primarily algae and micro-organisms that are in the algae (also called aufwuchs). These fish get a bad rap for being hard to keep, but any experienced fish keeper shouldn't have problems keeping them alive and breeding if you follow some basic rules. Tropheus are smaller, cheaper, and easier to keep than Petrochromis. Tropheus get about 6" long full grown. Petrochromis vary in size, but are generally larger than Tropheus. If you decide to get some I would recommend reading as much as possible about the care of them before you buy any. I would also recommend starting with Tropheus. Get as many as you can afford and no less than 12 (more is better). Get F1s (first generation from Wild Caught parents), they are easier to keep. Try to get a ratio of 1 male to 5 females (or at most 1 male to 2 females). They are fairly territorial and males get very defensive when they breed. You will want to get the largest tank you can and lots of filtration and water movement. They prefer very clean, well oxygenated water. The smallest tank that you want to keep them in is 75 gallons. They do best by themselves in a species only tank (no other kinds of fish in with them). The water temp should be 78 to 82 degrees. They like hard alkaline water (7.8+ Ph). Check your nitrates weekly (or more often) and do water changes to keep them below 20ppm. Feed them a high quality spirulina algae flake. Buy some metronidizole before you get the fish. Sometimes they get a disease called bloat, metronidizole can help cure this if administered early on. So, hopefully you will read some more on them and then get involved in the ultimate fish keeping experience. Good luck with Petros and Tropheus!
Tropheus and Petrochromis are indeed fish that are native to Lake Tanganyika. They are both herbivores, meaning in the wild they eat primarily algae and micro-organisms that are in the algae (also called aufwuchs). These fish get a bad rap for being hard to keep, but any experienced fish keeper shouldn't have problems keeping them alive and breeding if you follow some basic rules. Tropheus are smaller, cheaper, and easier to keep than Petrochromis. Tropheus get about 6" long full grown. Petrochromis vary in size, but are generally larger than Tropheus. If you decide to get some I would recommend reading as much as possible about the care of them before you buy any. I would also recommend starting with Tropheus. Get as many as you can afford and no less than 12 (more is better). Get F1s (first generation from Wild Caught parents), they are easier to keep. Try to get a ratio of 1 male to 5 females (or at most 1 male to 2 females). They are fairly territorial and males get very defensive when they breed. You will want to get the largest tank you can and lots of filtration and water movement. They prefer very clean, well oxygenated water. The smallest tank that you want to keep them in is 75 gallons. They do best by themselves in a species only tank (no other kinds of fish in with them). The water temp should be 78 to 82 degrees. They like hard alkaline water (7.8+ Ph). Check your nitrates weekly (or more often) and do water changes to keep them below 20ppm. Feed them a high quality spirulina algae flake. Buy some metronidizole before you get the fish. Sometimes they get a disease called bloat, metronidizole can help cure this if administered early on. So, hopefully you will read some more on them and then get involved in the ultimate fish keeping experience. Good luck with Petros and Tropheus!
+1 on this. Also, their water requirements are totally opposite. Flagtails are from SA (some of the world's softest water) and do best in soft acidic water. Tropheus are from the hardest most alkaline lake in the world (that fish live in). So, again, these fish would not be a good mix.
I never understand why people want to keep tropheus and the most asked question is "What can I mix them with?". Tropheus come in all the colors of the rainbow, they are lively, they use the entire water column, fairly easy to breed, and yet every noob wants to know what else they can put in the tank with them.
Species only is like a rule of thumb. Pick a variant you like and get as many as you can afford. Don't get 3 of one color and 6 of another and 5 of one more and expect success. Just pick one variant and buy as many as you can afford (12 minimum).
My honest to god advice is to save yourself some money and put the tropheus lust on hold for now. Wait until you are truly ready to get a large tank and dedicate it only to tropheus. To do it right is going to cost you about $2500. If you don't have the space or you can't give up that special fish that's in the tank where you want to put your tropheus, or you want to mix and match continents and lakes and species, then you aren't ready.
Believe me man, I do everything I am supposed to for my trophs and I still get deaths, and have to spend days changing water and dosing them with Metro/epsom salt battling bloat. And I don't make any mistakes like mixing them with other fish, and feeding them crazy stuff, or slacking on the water changes, or being cheap on the filters, etc, etc. The point is that even doing everything right they aren't easy to keep, so if you start out doing everything wrong you won't have any luck, you'll be angry you blew a ton of money on a bunch of fish, and now you have one mean fish in a huge tank (if any make it), plus they killed your prize flag tail....
If you do decide to get some check out this website: trophs.com
You'll find a lot of good information there. I would actually get a membership (it's free) and read as much as you can before you even sell the flagtail in preparation of buying tropheus. Tons of good stuff there, and if you actually do your homework and research the fish, when you ask the members questions there are a ton of really knowledgeable people who can help you with the bumps in the road you'll hit along the way.
Good luck
trophs.com is a great resource. I have a book by Ad Konings that has a lot of information about Lake Tanganyika, and it wasn't that expensive. It's his Back to Nature book on the lake. Good luck man.
This is my third time with tropheus in the last ten years. They have always been in a 90 gallon or larger, in numbers from 21-30. Only one variety at a time and nothing but tropheus in there. In each go around I never lost an adult. I just sold them when I wanted to move on to something else.
Why not add other non tropheus? Many say because of diet or water parameters. Those are factors but I think the biggest reason is compatibility with the other fish. They have enough trouble getting along with each other, never mind other breeds of fish. The tropheus are hyper, they might hog all the food so you feed more and the tropheus eat more and you have problems. Or other fish pick on the tropheus - more stress and so on. I agree with all of the advice given before my post.
If you cannot dedicate a 90 gallon or bigger to just tropheus then don't do it.
Why not add other non tropheus? Many say because of diet or water parameters. Those are factors but I think the biggest reason is compatibility with the other fish. They have enough trouble getting along with each other, never mind other breeds of fish. The tropheus are hyper, they might hog all the food so you feed more and the tropheus eat more and you have problems. Or other fish pick on the tropheus - more stress and so on. I agree with all of the advice given before my post.
If you cannot dedicate a 90 gallon or bigger to just tropheus then don't do it.
Eretmodus Cyanostictus and/or Marksmithi make great companions. Each essentially ignore the other.
Synodontis make great companions as well.
I've also seen a number of videos and read a number of threads by experienced keepers that clown loaches make great companions.
All 3 of those are bottom dwelling species. However, it's important to keep in mind that in a troph tank having a lot of food on the bottom may be a sign of overfeeding. These guys are voracious eaters and food rarely gets down there before it's inhaled by the swarm.
Just some options.
Personal experience wise, Corydoras do NOT do well. The trophs nip at the fins to no end.
I've read that bristlenose plecs get nipped to death as well.
Synodontis make great companions as well.
I've also seen a number of videos and read a number of threads by experienced keepers that clown loaches make great companions.
All 3 of those are bottom dwelling species. However, it's important to keep in mind that in a troph tank having a lot of food on the bottom may be a sign of overfeeding. These guys are voracious eaters and food rarely gets down there before it's inhaled by the swarm.
Just some options.
Personal experience wise, Corydoras do NOT do well. The trophs nip at the fins to no end.
I've read that bristlenose plecs get nipped to death as well.
