Tanganyikan setup

[mar_att1]

i've taken a bit of a break from posting cos i was getting too confused as to what i will fill my 60 gal tank with and i think i confused you guys as well lol. i am now determined and focused on Tanganyikans as the water i have is quite alkaline and hard and it is best for african cichlids. i am also very interested in cichlids that remain small and have thus opted for Tangs.
now i am currently setting up my tank with sand and rocks. However i am very concerned about the temperament of the fishes i plan to put in. i am interested in:

Neolamprologus Brichardi
Yellow/Black Calvus
Lelelupi
julies (maybe dickfeldi)
Synodontis multipunctatus
Bristlenose Pleco
Lamprologus ocellatus

i really want to put in a shell dweller and was focusing on lamprologus ocellatus as it is agressive and can thus defend itself with the others. i wont put the calvus if it poses as a threat.

thanks guys!!!

 

[krap101]

if you get a few brichardi and they breed, their monsters... with teeth. i dont have any experience with any others (but i got a bristlenose in with them)

 

[toddnbecka]

First, that's too many substrate spawners for the tank. What are the dimensions?
A pair of brichardi, or any closely related species, will take over the whole tank over time. As the fry grow, they help protect the smaller fry from successive spawns, expanding the colony size and territory as it grows. Eventually, the whole tank will be their territory. They are best kept in a species tank.
Leleupi will attack female shellies to get to their eggs/fry, often with fatal results for the shellie.
The dickfeldi are a larger, more aggressive Julie, ornatus or transcriptus would be better for a community.
Calvus are fry predators, but relatively peaceful toward adults/juvies of other species.

 

[triazole]

that's a good point there TB. maybe some cyprichromis/paracyprichromis to fill the top?

 

[toddnbecka]

Cyp's are active, open-water fish. The jumbo species are too aggressive for a tank less than 6' long. The smaller species will work in a 4' tank. Paracyp's are more rock-oriented. They like tall, vertical or slightly sloped surfaces, with caves up off the bottom. Both Cyp's and Paracyp's are mouth brooders, so there wouldn't be competition w/substrate spawners for territory. Cyp's are best kept in groups of 10 or more, mostly females.
I have 2m/6f Paracyp's +18 fry in a 55, with a colony of multi's, 1m/2f +36 fry. I recently added 5 buescheri juvies, growing out to end up w/a pair, hoping they will control the multi population. The shellies don't take over the tank like the brichardi, and spawns are MUCH smaller, but they will stll become overcrowded if left go too long.

 

[mar_att1]

thanks for pointing out the aggression of the brichardi, i'll look into the cyps instead then.