Lake Tang Questions

[SkoolzofFish]

Hello,
I recently have taken a stab at Lake Tangs and am addicted to these lil guys. I have 4 tanks designated to them currently and am about to set up a 220 once I make the background and possibly a 125-180 later. So here are my questions;

I have 7 Neolamprologus tretocephalus. 6 fry and one 3 inch fish. Info I have on them says they are pretty peaceful looking when young but become cold killers as adults. I was gonna put them in the 220 but I can’t even catch the 3inch one I have in my 40 gallon and don’t want to risk them picking off my other fish. Does anyone have any experience with full grown adults? Are they that bad or is it just case by case fish? I’m thinking about not taking risk and just putting them in with a colony of Frontosas. Has anyone tried that also?

Are all synodontis not good to put in tank if you want your cichlids to breed? Don’t know if small synodontis like Petricola will leave bigger cichlids alone or whether they all will attack fry and lay their own. Again, I want to know before I put hard to catch fish in 220 with lots of hiding spots.

The tangs I plan on putting in 220 are as follows, (any thoughts on what might not work in long run):

Callochromis Burundi
Cyprichromis Leptosoma
Paracyprichromis Nigriponnis
Neolamprologus Buesheri
Neolamprologus Leleupi
Neolamprologus Brichardi
Neolamprologus Cylindricus
Black Calvus
Redfin Calvus
Lamprologus Gold Occelates
Lamprologus Multi
Julidichromis Malieri
Julidichromis Ornatus
Chalindichromis Brichardi
Xenotilapia Blue

Note, I know you’re not suppose to mix Julies but I figured mixing 2 totally different looking Julies would deter any cross breeding. Plus they pair months before they breed so I can separate pair before they do the nasty.

 

[longstocking]

What you want to do with the tank just isn't possible. You have all rock dwellers half of which can cross breed. Just because they look different doesn't mean they won't cross or pair off together.

The best way to put together a Tang tank is to pick a favorite tang fish and then add more fish around that fish. So what is the fish you must have in this tank?

Also what is the foot print of this tank?

Trets are just mean... I would suggest to not put them in this tank unless all you want in this tank in the long run is them. A single you might get away with.

 

[SkoolzofFish]

Lake Tang Tank

Go ahead and kill my dream

Seriously tho, thanks for the feedback.

I may just do one kind of shelly, Gold Occ., one calvus and one Julie. What else can crossbreed on the list?

The tank is 6 x 2 x 2 1/2.

 

[crazyclowntang]

Go ahead and kill my dream

Just make sure the fish are male, and you can have them all in one tank

 

[longstocking]

Callochromis Burundi
Cyprichromis Leptosoma
Paracyprichromis Nigriponnis
Neolamprologus Buesheri
Neolamprologus Leleupi ... can cross with Cylindricus
Neolamprologus Brichardi ... they will eventually take over the entire tank.
Neolamprologus Cylindricus ... Can cross with leleupi
Black Calvus ...Can cross with any other type of calvus or comp.
Redfin Calvus ... can cross with any calvus or comp
Lamprologus Gold Occelates ... does not get along with leleupi or Julidochromis malieri
Lamprologus Multi
Julidichromis Malieri .. can cross with any other type of Juli
Julidichromis Ornatus ... can cross with any other type of Julie.
Chalindichromis Brichardi ... closely related to julidochromis... can cross with them.
Xenotilapia Blue ... too docile with the rest of the tank mates.

Tangs are not like malawi ... in that with malawi you can do all males. Not a good idea with tangs they will get big and mean and won't show very good color if was an all male tank.

You second idea is getting better...

You could do soemthing like this :

12 Cyprichromis
8 Parayprichromis
6 Calvus
6 Ocellatus
6 Julidochomis ornatus

You could probably throw in Callochromis or Gobies.... if you wanted something to sift the sand.

Make sure you stick with the smaller Julidochromis or they won't get along with your shellies.


These are just some ideas as you relaly have endless possibilities in a nice large tank....

What is the one fish you must have in this tank?

 

[SkoolzofFish]

Lake Tangs

What is the one fish you must have in this tank?

I honestly don't know. I have 4 tanks with different lake tangs and I like them all. Best I probably would say its between Leleupi or Julidichromis. I like the Leleupi's because they were the first Tangs I had to spawn but I also like the Julidichromis alot. I have Malieri and Transcriptus in two separate tanks and I like the Malieri color better but the transcriptus are more rambunctious and lively. The calvus are also so majestic looking and for some reason remind me of african masks. I guess it would have to be J. Malieri.

I thought with larger tanks and more hiding you'd get fewer aggression issues? In one of my tanks I have Leleupi, Cylindricus, 1 female brichardi, Chalindichromis and 1 small frontosa. None are full grown but the Leleupi and Cyclindricus don't care for one another and the female brichardi helps the female leleupie chase away other fish from the Leleupi fry (tho I think its just because they have close terrritory and worked a truce). But I do know that things change when fish become full grown.

Decisions, decisions

 

[dogofwar]

I've kept leleupi and brichardi-types together in the past...without them interbreeding.

A tank like Sarah described would be amazing.

I'd bet that you could add more cyps and paracyps (one type of eac but a larger colony)

Matt

 

[McFluffrichromis]

Are all synodontis not good to put in tank if you want your cichlids to breed? Don’t know if small synodontis like Petricola will leave bigger cichlids alone or whether they all will attack fry and lay their own. Again, I want to know before I put hard to catch fish in 220 with lots of hiding spots.

I have 6 petricola in my 180 with my frontosas and my frontosa are always holding. When I watch, the petricola could give a dam when the Frontosa are spawning. They are Syndodontis Petricola and I can not speak for spawning with any other egg layers. I would imagine the Petricola would eat those eggs..

Your welcome to come and check out my tang tanks any time. My 180 has 7 Wild Moba Frontosa, 7 Clown Loaches, 1 Gold Face Comp, 6 Petricola, I am adding 6 more Petricola this weekend, 1 Phantom Green Pleco, and 1 Regular Pleco. Its a great tank. I keep the light low.

I have a 55g with Leleupi and Brichardi and they breed all the time and do not cross breed. Its a fun tank. The Brichardi have new babies what feels like every week. lol