Help me stock my 75 Tang

[thedavidzoo]

I just recently introduced my self on this forum.
Now I'm looking for suggestions for stocking my "new" Tang tank. I am making the transition from a generic, run-off-the mill Petsmart stocking list to my new found obsession: Lake Tanganyika. I completely redid the tank with slate and sand. I have 2 filters, PH around 8, temp usually at 80.
Hardness around 144ppm or 7.9dH or 8.4 grains/gal according to my city supply.

So far I have 2 Julidochromis transcriptus from same source, sexes yet unknown, one seems to be adult, other juvie. I wonder what flavor they are. I've looked at many pics but none have shown the pretty concentric circles of white in the tail. Please see pics, give me thoughts on these.

So, I'd like to build up the tank around the Julie pair and my bristlenose pair (that have reproduced like crazy) that I can't ditch. I want "colorful", nothing too aggressive, nothing too big. If fish spawn that would be awesome, if not that's ok too.

If you could start fresh, what would your list look like?

Here are the usual suspects I am interested in. Please let me know what you think will work together, how many, in what order, etc. OR suggest a totally new list.

my 2 Julies
1m3f A. calvus (black or yellow)
6 or so N. multies
8 or so Cyprichromis leptosoma
2 Chalinochromis brichardi
1 Eretmodus cyanostictus
??

Eventually, down the road, would a small eel fit in (my son's wish), or is that asking for disaster with the multies?

Whew, thanks!

 

[toddnbecka]

Julies are the Gombe variant, have been reclassified if I remember correctly (not actually a transcriptus.) They are small, but more conspecific-aggressive than most other Julies.
A pair or trio of multi's would be enough to start, they'll spread out as the fry grow and mature.
I'd go with a small variety of leptosoma, jumbo Cyp's need at least a 6' tank. Paracyp's would also work, though they're more of a rockdweller (like Julies) than an open-water fish.
Mastacembelus plagiostoma, either a single or a sexed pair, would be the best bet for an eel. They will eat substrate-spawner eggs, but won't kill female multi's to get to the eggs like the more commonly available elipsifer. They also ignore fry, unlike elipsifers, though the calvus will have those covered anyway. Should cut down on the BN population explosion though.

 

[Tony]

Three groups of rock dwellers and a group of shellies is too many fish for the footprint of a 75 imo.

Cyp leptosoma are some of the smallest Cyps, but can be pretty aggressive. Do either them or the Paracyps as the females look very similar (they won't interbreed, but just look the same).

 

[minifoot77]

i still have a quad of f1 yellow calvus for sale if you are interested

Posted via mobile.capitalcichlids.org

 

[Charlutz]

Todd, I disagree on the julies. I think they are marlieri, but not the gombe, which have more of a blotch pattern and not the checkerboard I see there. Gombes are also more white than yellow tinted.

For the cyps, I'd try and get the numbers up to around 20. I've had less luck with smaller numbers as the dominant male needs to spread his aggression around, otherwise the subs will stress out and eventually die.

To the OP, it sounds like you've seen the tangs you are interested in, but make sure you see them live before you buy. You want a lot of color, but tangs are not particularly colorful and the pics you see in books or online can be misleading. The flash brings out a lot more color than you see everyday, especially in cyps and featherfins. Even if you don't want to breed, IMO it's better to set the tank up in terms of scaping and stocking selection because tangs are much more interesting and colorful when they are in breeding mode or defending territory. Good luck!

 

[thedavidzoo]

I'm looking at the smaller cyps. I have 3 hatchetfish in there at the moment and a few zebra danios that like to hang at the surface. So, that might be a problem with the cyps??? Should I "clear out" the upper layer of the tank first?

Is my setup (pic) ok in terms of rock work, sand, open water and future shells?
So, with Julies and calvus, no other rock dwellers. One goby later maybe?
Should multies go in before calvus? I love my remaining corys (dummies) but I think they are limiting my shell/sand stocking list right now, or?

What about a Ophthalmotilapia? Are there small ones that might work? I was liking the ventralis for the color, until I saw it got 6"...

Also, Xenotilapia bathyphilus, or something.??? Are they all too big?

Sorry for my million questions. Thanks again.

 

[toddnbecka]

Todd, I disagree on the julies. I think they are marlieri, but not the gombe, which have more of a blotch pattern and not the checkerboard I see there. Gombes are also more white than yellow tinted.

You may be right about that, It's been a few years since I've kept either marlieri or Gombe's. Size is different too, the Gombe's max out around 3", females are larger than males, while the marlieri grow to about 4".

I have a dozen young O. ventralis orange caps in my 220, but the guy I got them from said they'd be alright in a 75.

 

[Tony]

Todd - you have any pics of your 220? I'd love to see some.

I think that some featherfins are alright in a 75, but I've heard from a bunch of folks that they sort of need to be the "star of the tank/top of the food chain," in order to be healthy/color up, right?

My O. nasuta are in with Cyps, Callos and a pair of comps in the 125 - a bigger tank with nothing with too much (inter-species) aggression. So I haven't tried the 75 scenario, but won't breeding marlieri crush some of the more mild-mannered feather fins?

 

[longstocking]

For someone new to tangs I wouldn't try feather fins in a 75 ... especially ventralis.

The Julies... they are Marlieri. No doubt, probably from Burundi area.

Your Julies will terrorize feather fins or sand sifters in this size of tank. Not a good idea.

Stick with things like:

Calvus
Cyps
L. hecqui
Leleupi

Like charlie said the amount of cyps does make a difference. He thinks 20... I'd say 15. The current fish might or might not be a problem... it's actually the cyps that will fair better.

 

[thedavidzoo]

So do you recommend L. hecqui over multies? Why or why not?

I've read that the leleupi are kind of agressive? Is a single one ok? I think I'd rather have the calvus if I am limited to 2 groups/pairs of rockdwellers.

 

[longstocking]

Because of the Julies. Those particular julies do not play well with most shellies.

 

[thedavidzoo]

Alos, read an old post and came across Callochomis pleurospilus. Would these be an option in my 75? Would they have to be instead of a shell dweller, or would they be fine hanging out in the rest of the sand and not bother the shellies?

 

[Tony]

Alos, read an old post and came across Callochomis pleurospilus. Would these be an option in my 75? Would they have to be instead of a shell dweller, or would they be fine hanging out in the rest of the sand and not bother the shellies?

Those are the ones I have. They are in the 125 now and really terrific at killing each other.

 

[thedavidzoo]

Well, those may just be out. Would they be better if there was only one male to a few females? Do they bother anyone else in the tank?
I got this particular fish idea from your old 75 gal post when you were trying to set up. What did you eventually stick in there? WHat worked, didn't work?
These Callochromis look cool though.

 

[Tony]

From what I hear, they need a lot of open sand to themselves and need to be in a large very lopsided M/F group. I had the remnants of my original group in the 75 when they were growing out, with the intention of switching things up to a 125 eventually.

I started with 10 initially, dropped down to 2, got another 6 and now I have 4 again. Probably not going to re-up. Good times.

I tore the 75 down and replaced it with the 125. If I still had it up and wanted to keep it non-Tropheus Tangs, I'd do Cyps and two pairs of rock dwellers or Cyps and an more mild sand sifter (a Xenotilapia or Enantiopis kilesa are both pretty cool). I could be wrong, but don't really think that any sand sifters would do well as adults with breeding pairs of rock dwelling Tangs to compete with (other than Altolamps - which other than eating fry, sort of keep to themselves).

 

[longstocking]

With problem is the Julies... they won't play nice with the callochromis in this size of tank.

 

[thedavidzoo]

Ok, so I've been reading up on the whole marlieri/transcriptus/gombe thing. I agree I have marlieri, but could they be the "gombe" dwarf variety? Besides eventual size is there any other way to know? I do believe the one I have is full grown and about 3". I don't know the sex.

Also, is the dwarf just as "aggressive" as the regular marlieri?

 

[longstocking]

You don't have the dwarf. You have the regular marlieri.

The gombe are less aggressive than the ones you have.

 

[thedavidzoo]

Ok, wishful thinking here.

Now if both julies turn out to be females, will I have aggression issues to the extent of a bonded pair? 2 males would be a "no-go" I assume. So far they are fine together with everyone, although one of my corys was mysteriously missing an eye the other morning.

If I start stocking my tank (i.e. multies, calvus, cypro) in the hopes of these julies being peaceful, I guess I could switch them out for a julie that will play nice if I start having problems.

The L. hecqui seems interesting, but I'd prefer not to go that big and aggressive with a shelldweller...

 

[toddnbecka]

Cories don't mix with Africans, that's one reason Synodontis petricola/lucipinnis are so popular.
Female Julies are bigger and usually meaner than the males IME. Not sure how 2 females in a 75 would play out, but I tried growing out a group in a 29 to get a pair twice, and ended up with 1 each time. Ironically, they were opposite sexes, and when I moved the male into a 55 that the female had been living in for almost a year they paired off and spawned.