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Mixing with leleupis with juildochromis

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  fmueller 
#1 ·
Hi, I'm new to the forum but considering this is a cichlid I figured this is the right place to ask this question.

I just started a tang tank. It's 65 gallons and has texas holey rock along the back. I was hoping I could put leleupis with julis and if not what are some tank mates for leleupis?
 
#2 ·
I've kept Leleupi and various Julies without major issue. Plenty of rockwork is helpful to create separate territories. I've had more trouble with leleupi tearing up each other than I have with them interacting with other species FWIW.
 
#5 ·
I agree that they mix pretty well together, but unlike Brett's experience, mine never quite reached a size fire. The interaction between these species was one of the most interesting I have observed in a tank. I started with a sizable breeding colony of Leleupi in my 8' 240G tank with other Tanganyikans. The Leleupi would breed in the rock background, and every few months I would catch about 30 of them to sell. Eventually I put in 6 small Julidochromis marlieri 'Gombe', of which only one pair survived. This pair started a colony of Julis that took over the entire back wall of the tank. Eventually there were at least 4-5 breeding pairs, each with their own breeding cave and an area around it they would defend. There were literally hundreds of fry, and they would help the parents guard the territory almost like Brichardi do. Pretty soon I caught and sold Julis instead of Leleupi, but no new Leleupi fry would come up. I can only assume that the Julis were more successful in weeding out their competitor's fry than vice versa. Then one day I discovered a single bright yellow Leleupi fry amongst all the Julis. I observed it for several days, and eventually realized that the Julis were treating it as one of their own, and the Leleupi indeed seemed to be playing it's role in defending the territory. This went on for some months, but eventually when the Leleupi reached 1.5" or so, it left the Julis to hang out with the group of Leleupi. This is the last video I shot of that tank before I had to sell it:

 
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