comments on setup

[tetrin]

i decided to convert my 29g to a SA tank. the fish that i have currently are-
3 angels (1 to be removed if 2 pair up)
2 bolivian rams (can't tell if its a pair, but looks as if both are males)
2 kribs (definitely a pair, hasn't spawned yet) (not SA, but oh well... )

the fish are all from my 40g, which is going through some major changes. the only problem i can foresee is the kribs or angels pairing off and cornering the other fish. please let me know if the issue can be resolved with careful aquascaping (the tank already has a background) to break up the line of sight. please let me know if i'll be running into some potential problems.
this is the tank, sans the malawians (don't have new pix yet)-

 

[tetrin]

no critiques!
wow, i'm getting better at choosing fish...

 

[jrp1588]

I don't know about the fish, but the tank looks fantastic

 

[severum mama]

The tank looks beautiful, but of course I have to open my big mouth and point out that both angels and Bolivian rams prefer planted tanks (real or fake). I'm not sure about kribs.

Honestly, I think you may run into problems if either your kribs or rams spawn. I've heard that kribs become very aggressive when spawning. My rams (also in a 29 gallon) are surprisingly territorial with each other, so I could imagine that aggression possibly extending to other species if they were ever to spawn. Basically, I don't think that the tank is large enough for those species to claim territories, but of course YMMV. I would personally choose either the kribs or the rams for the 29 and rehome the other species, if you can. Then I would choose a pretty school of tetras or corys instead- JMO. Good luck, I would love to hear how it turns out.

Any chance of updated 75 gallon pics???

 

[Jchillin]

no critiques!
wow, i'm getting better at choosing fish...

I didn't get a chance until now

I agree with Sev on the planted part of the equation. Your tank as is great for Africans but the SA fish can really do better with some plants. This will take care of the "line of sight" issue.

In regard to aggression...the Angels and Rams will probably ignore each other once paired. I don't know about the Kribs but you know you can check "The Krib" for that info.

 

[gheitman]

Kribs can get very territorial when spawning. They will try and drive the other fish away if they can. I wouldn't recommend keeping a spawning pair together with the other fish you have.

Angelfish can get the same way to a certain extent. When they lay eggs they will keep all other fish at a safe distance. I agree with the other recommendations of a planted tank. Angelfish definitely prefer a planted tank and so will most other South American species AFAIK.

 

[tetrin]

turns out i'm not that good after all ...
thanks for the tips guys, advice duly noted.

i don't have a lot of light over that tank, so planting is really limited to just vals right now.
i transferred the kribs and the rams back to the 40g. the main reason behind the shift was lowering the bioload on the 40, so that i could get rid of the AC300 (a lot of co2 outgassing, further corroborated by gene).
but as a compromise, i shifted my rogue rainbow shark to the 29g. the guy was driving my SAEs crazy with some high-powered chasing. he/she never had a problem with the angels.

sev, i'm getting a big shipment on wednesday. and the algae is just starting to spread in the tank (which, unlike my 40g, i love to have). i'll post after the new inhabitants get a little more comfy...

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Sounds like a similar problem for me. My rainbow shark drives the CAE's all over the place, especially if they get near his/her layer, which is the hollow log.

 

[Menagerie]

I have kribs in a 50 gal community tank with apistos and rams I should say USED to have apistos. The kribs decided to spawn and ruled the tank. I never saw any bodies, but I'm sure the stress from the kribs was no good. My juvie ram is still with us. My community dwarf cichlid tank is now a krib tank (moose, if you are reading this, I am referring to those kribs you rescued and I stupidly told you I would give them a good home!).
There are numerous plants that are low light, let me dig up a link for you.

 

[Menagerie]

This thread is over a year old, but I refer to it often: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=20641&highlight=

 

[tetrin]

the kribs have happily relocated to their old overturned pot in the 40g. they did protect the territory with a great deal of vigor in the past, but i never saw any spawning happen. they even did the quivering dance, with no swarm of babies emerging.
but i think that was due to the presence of more boisterous fish like the clown loaches, angels and the shark. now that everyone has been relocated to other tanks (the rams really don't bother anyone, they mind their own business), i'm hoping to see some babies .
the rest of the fish are harlequins (stay on top) and my algae-cleaning crew. so i'm hoping that noone will be harmed.

menagerie, thanks for the link. but right now, its more of a cash-shortage, rather than choice-shortage.
again, thanks for all the help.