So i posted this topic on another forum and not one responded. So here it goes; i purchased a new tank and trying to figure out what to do.... i have a 75 with all my fish in it right now and a 55 cycling.. basic fish are 3 blk calvus, 4 ocetallus golds, 1 pulcher (tangs)..., 1 yellow lab, 2 lab hongi, 1 red zebra, 1 Sciaenochromis fryeri (malawi). just wondering what would you do have so many ideas (species calvus, 55 shellie tank......) just thought one or two thoughts might help me decide. thanks for all who reply
just your thoughts.
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Hi and welcome aboard, jlynch76.:wave:
Your stocking list seems to be a mix of Tangs and Malawis. I would advise against it particularly that they are from different origin and have different requirements. Moreover, Malawians tends to be more boisterous than Tangs.
If you still don't have catfish, you can try the Synodontis species.:thumbsup: Synodontis petricola, multipunctatus and eupterus are the few ones I would suggest.
Multipunctatus' breeding method may work on Malawian mouthbrooders. I've never tried that but one article done by a fellow Filipino in a magazine tried it and claimed that the cuckoo catfish used Malawi mouthbrooders for breeding purposes. The Malawians were never aware of the fact that the fry could be catfish more than their own species. If it works for him, it may probably work for you. With the yellow labs, it probably will. But you have to deal with the compatibility issue first between the Tangs and Malawians.
By the way, I'll move this topic to the Cichlids section.
Good luck with the fishkeeping.:thumbsup:
Your stocking list seems to be a mix of Tangs and Malawis. I would advise against it particularly that they are from different origin and have different requirements. Moreover, Malawians tends to be more boisterous than Tangs.
If you still don't have catfish, you can try the Synodontis species.:thumbsup: Synodontis petricola, multipunctatus and eupterus are the few ones I would suggest.
Multipunctatus' breeding method may work on Malawian mouthbrooders. I've never tried that but one article done by a fellow Filipino in a magazine tried it and claimed that the cuckoo catfish used Malawi mouthbrooders for breeding purposes. The Malawians were never aware of the fact that the fry could be catfish more than their own species. If it works for him, it may probably work for you. With the yellow labs, it probably will. But you have to deal with the compatibility issue first between the Tangs and Malawians.By the way, I'll move this topic to the Cichlids section.
Good luck with the fishkeeping.:thumbsup:
Thanks I know about the mix, I moved and had to recycle my other 55 so there mixed for now. the only ones not taking the mix are the golds the female is just to small for the malawis especially the red zebra. I will check that cat fish out though thanks again.
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Never too bad to try.:thumbsup: They're great especially in Rift Valley tanks. Plecs are also suitable but the only thing that ticks me off is it's too unnatural that plecs and Rift Valley cichlids would mixed. Not to mention, plecs like soft water better. Synos on the other hand, can readily handle higher pH the Tangs would even need.
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Watch your stocking levels!! These fish are going to get quite large, and especially with having them mixed, more aggressive as they mature. The more decoration you can get into that tank the better. A healthy African cichlid tank has more decoration than fish.
One idea for a catfish that is cool and won't get overly large is the upsidedown cat: http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Synodontis_nigriventris.php
One idea for a catfish that is cool and won't get overly large is the upsidedown cat: http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Synodontis_nigriventris.php
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Thank you for sharing the photos Bolty, lovely aquarium! One of the cats looks like a pictus catfish? Oh, and how do you stack your rocks like that? I'd love to decorate with rocks but don't have a clue how to go about doing it.l
I just worry about putting any kind of bottom feeder in with the cichlids because of the nature of the cichlids. Especially since I bought them all at the same time and now if I add anything new they are going to be territorial about it.
Re: the upside down catfish, Dawn - I have seen them, are they okay with cichids?
I just worry about putting any kind of bottom feeder in with the cichlids because of the nature of the cichlids. Especially since I bought them all at the same time and now if I add anything new they are going to be territorial about it.
Re: the upside down catfish, Dawn - I have seen them, are they okay with cichids?
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Yes, the upside down catfish are the best cats to put with cichlids. Not only are they compatible with aggression levels (the cichlids tend to leave them alone) but they also require the same water params... come from the same habitat/environment.
Be careful with a pictus with African cichlids... pictus prefer softer water, cichlids prefer harder water. Pictus also have a different temperment, and stress much much easier than the upside down cats and other synadontis species. Pictus are prone to ick, synadontis are quite hardy. As the cichlids mature, if they harrass or pick on the pictus, it doesn't have much of a chance.
The upside down cats are also one of the smallest species in the synadontis list, so won't get too large when full grown.
Be careful with a pictus with African cichlids... pictus prefer softer water, cichlids prefer harder water. Pictus also have a different temperment, and stress much much easier than the upside down cats and other synadontis species. Pictus are prone to ick, synadontis are quite hardy. As the cichlids mature, if they harrass or pick on the pictus, it doesn't have much of a chance.
The upside down cats are also one of the smallest species in the synadontis list, so won't get too large when full grown.
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most true upside down cats are riverine in orgin and thus not acclimated to the harder rift lake waters, be careful adding them to rift tanks, if you want a cute/small syno get some petricolasbettababy said:
bettababy said:
That's a direct contradiction, is it not? :question: jojoyojimbi has it right,bettababy said:
Synodontis nigriventris are from the same continent, but that's as far as their "habitat/environment" are similar to Rift cichlids. Probably they can tolerate the same conditions, but I would hardly say that makes them "are the best cats to put with cichlids." There are far better alternatives.
Synodontus Multipunctatus are a striking catty for a cichlid tank & have very similar needs water wise as many africans.
Multi's do not grow anywhere near as large or fast as Syn. Eupterus which get HUGE quickly, are fairly aggressive & are dammed near impossible to get food past !
As Blue said, Multi's will steal eggs off african mouth brooders, replace them with their own & gladly let the host hatch her eggs at which time the Multi fry will eat the still unhatched eggs of the host mouth brooder as the catfish have a faster incubation rate. Perfect hosts !
I have a book with accounts & pictures of this being done. This is common practice in some of the rift valley lakes. Hth...
Multi's do not grow anywhere near as large or fast as Syn. Eupterus which get HUGE quickly, are fairly aggressive & are dammed near impossible to get food past !
As Blue said, Multi's will steal eggs off african mouth brooders, replace them with their own & gladly let the host hatch her eggs at which time the Multi fry will eat the still unhatched eggs of the host mouth brooder as the catfish have a faster incubation rate. Perfect hosts !
I have a book with accounts & pictures of this being done. This is common practice in some of the rift valley lakes. Hth...
when i had a prob in my tank and all of my fish started dying i lost
my oscars
chocolate cic
texas
salvinis
a silver d
but not 1 pictus
when my big jag got ich (diff set-up)
my pictus stayed clean
as 4 stress living with a 10inch midas with issues did them no harm
and in all the malawi tanks iv had the pictus have done well, also dont take no sh!t from the mbuna
ppl say pictus are this and that but 4 me they are a hard little fish
as 4 the rock work all i did was place the rock bit by bit making sure it was stable
this is a diff tank of mine from the past
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my oscars
chocolate cic
texas
salvinis
a silver d
but not 1 pictus
when my big jag got ich (diff set-up)
my pictus stayed clean
as 4 stress living with a 10inch midas with issues did them no harm
and in all the malawi tanks iv had the pictus have done well, also dont take no sh!t from the mbuna
ppl say pictus are this and that but 4 me they are a hard little fish
as 4 the rock work all i did was place the rock bit by bit making sure it was stable
this is a diff tank of mine from the past
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Synodontis species range in sizes up to 1 foot in length, the upside down cat is one of the smallest. How you select the species should be gauged according to space in the tank, and how large of a tank you will end up in.
I don't promote overstocking a tank and then "thinning them out later" because many times there is nowhere to go with the extra fish. (unless you're planning to upgrade to a large enough tank when needed)
Most LFS's won't take in many fish anymore, they are hard to relocate and can get expensive to care for until a home is found. Africans breed quite easily, so the higher the stock in a tank, the more issues you invite later when the fish mature.
Before stocking too heavily, you may want to contact your LFS to be sure they are willing to take the fish you plan to get rid of. If you don't, you may find you will get stuck with them, and end result, you'll need to purchase a larger tank or deal with the many issues of an overstocked tank, including dead fish.
I don't promote overstocking a tank and then "thinning them out later" because many times there is nowhere to go with the extra fish. (unless you're planning to upgrade to a large enough tank when needed)
Most LFS's won't take in many fish anymore, they are hard to relocate and can get expensive to care for until a home is found. Africans breed quite easily, so the higher the stock in a tank, the more issues you invite later when the fish mature.
Before stocking too heavily, you may want to contact your LFS to be sure they are willing to take the fish you plan to get rid of. If you don't, you may find you will get stuck with them, and end result, you'll need to purchase a larger tank or deal with the many issues of an overstocked tank, including dead fish.
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bolty, thinning out the stock in a tank is only an option if you have somewhere to go with these fish later, after they've grown and most LFS's won't take them due to lack of space and at that size being harder to resell.
This is not something anyone should count on being able to do unless they check with the LFS FIRST, or intend to move up into a bigger tank to hold them all later.
With africans, most of them will average 5 - 9 inches each... (unless they are shell dwellers)
This is not something anyone should count on being able to do unless they check with the LFS FIRST, or intend to move up into a bigger tank to hold them all later.
With africans, most of them will average 5 - 9 inches each... (unless they are shell dwellers)
good job i no the ppl in the fish shop thenbettababy said:
and there "we will take any fish you buy from us back" bit to
also keeping fish 4 only almost 16years i have a bit of an idea of the size of the fish i keep and how they should be housed
that being said there is also the river in the park over the road (if i wait untill the summer) :roll:
9inch mbuna?
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