What predator hap do you suggest?

[RD.]

IME placidochromis are not effective at fry control. Mine certainly were not, not fast enough for most small fry. I would get at least 3 syno multi's, they do better in large groups, but 3 would work. A single predatory hap will work, but not if the fry can hide while growing. Small fry are like caviar to a Russian, which is why I suspect that you have to many small nooks and crannies for the fry to hide in. All good if you are wanting fry to survive, not so good if you do not want to have fry in your display tank. My main display tank had large massive granite boulders, lots of caves etc, but too open for fry to last long. It worked well as I did not want fry in that tank.

 

[RD.]

The problem with Nimbos is they can be outright nasty to smaller, and/or less agggro species. . It can work great, or not at all. Been there, done that.

 

[Santiago 210]

idk because if my fish ever spawned i would probably give them away to a local fish store

I don't really have a local fish shop, I live in a remote Mexican beach town. Have to plan very carefully here.

 

[Santiago 210]

The problem with Nimbos is they can be outright nasty to smaller, and/or less agggro species. . It can work great, or not at all. Been there, done that.

Many of them get to about a foot long, would they eat mature mbunas and dragon bloods? Would a single nimbo kill or torment all my somewhat easy going placidochromis? I realize many individual fish have different temperaments.
I just remembered seeing a exochromis many years ago. Anyone have any of them? Would that be a option?
I appreciate everyone's help. Thanks

 

[RD.]

Many of them get to about a foot long, would they eat mature mbunas and dragon bloods? Would a single nimbo kill or torment all my somewhat easy going placidochromis? I realize many individual fish have different temperaments.
I just remembered seeing a exochromis many years ago. Anyone have any of them? Would that be a option?
I appreciate everyone's help. Thanks

Yes, adult Nimbos can kill/eat L. caeruleus mbuna. I have seen it done. A single Nimbo can torment everything in its path. I have owned a number of Nimbo venustrus that became hyper dominant in a tank full of mature haps. Eventually I found one that would work, but it took a few years, and several tries. If your current stock of Africans work, your best bet would be a group of synos. No hierarchy issues, the cats will stick to themselves mostly, but will be good at evening hunts of your fry. You still might have to open up the rock work a bit to force the fry out into the open. Most predatory haps are only going to work if/when the fry venture out into the open, as the vast majority are open water predators - they won't suck fry out of the cracks & small holes.

 

[DJRansome]

Best to get the fry when spit, for which Synodontis is ideal. You asked about geting just one or two synodontis, along with a predator hap. Could it be that you just want a predator hap? ?

 

[RD.]

Best to get the fry when spit, for which Synodontis is ideal. You asked about geting just one or two synodontis, along with a predator hap. Could it be that you just want a predator hap? ?

Agreed. Get them gone from the get go!

I kept and bred a large group of wild caught S. lucipinnis years ago, even among that group of cats not a single fry ever survived. Neither did any of the C. moorii fry that were produced over the years in that tank, which was pretty much a monthly event among my female moorii. When released, the fry were swarmed and eaten before the female haps knew what had happened.

 

[Santiago 210]

Best to get the fry when spit, for which Synodontis is ideal. You asked about geting just one or two synodontis, along with a predator hap. Could it be that you just want a predator hap? ?

I think the look would be nice as a predator is different look from my others. Synodontis would be nice also, I just didn't want a whole bunch of 6 inch catfish running around, bio load concerns, I am retired and travel a lot.

 

[RD.]

Retired, travel a lot, and live in a remote Mexican beach town. I wish I had your problems amigo. lol

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[nzeng1111]

I think the look would be nice as a predator is different look from my others. Synodontis would be nice also, I just didn't want a whole bunch of 6 inch catfish running around, bio load concerns, I am retired and travel a lot.

Seems fun traveling a lot. A single smallish Tanganyikan neolamprologus like fasciatus, sexfasciatus, or tretocephalus should fit the bill for you. At 6" they arent big enough to threaten your stock nor do they have the aggression of a larger hap by themselves. All of them can be take relatively large prey including fish an inch long