Lake Tanganyika Species • julies transcriptus tankmates

[Jay808]

Can i keep a pair of julies transcriptus with a calvus and a pair of bevis in a 30 gallon tank??

[24Tropheus]

You can try.
Not at all sure it will work.

Prob more important than volume what is the footprint of the tank?

And any plans to raise a species up from the bottom?

Do you have access to established pairs or do you need to pair them up from young fish?

All the best James

[Jay808]

thanks
i not sure to be honest with you
and What do you mean by that?
I think i have a established pair for the julies transcriptus?

[24Tropheus]

Thats prob the most important one. 6 or so Julies the most disruptive before forming a pair.

The others you can select males and females and prob get compatable pairs/groups (one male/two female etc) with less fish and agression then disruption removing none paired fish.

Other ideas of raising a fish away from the bottom inc building a rockpile fore the julies up one side of the tank. Or having the shells for the brevis up on a platform.
The most natural one to raise the cave/big shells for would be the calvus I think.

It kind of depends on the shape of the tank.

Say it was only 6" tall 12" wide but very long, you do not need such things.

But if pretty much cubical or short and tall but not esp wide you can get the distance the territories need to be apart by such meens.

All the best James

[Jay808]

Thanks you because I bulid a rock pile for the julies on one side of the tank and a small pile for the single calvus on the other side ? Can I put shells in the middle of them for a pair of Brevis?
Or it really depends on my tank size? Because I know it's a 30 gallon I jus don't know the length and height of it

[24Tropheus]

I would prob try it. But be ready to pull a fish species if they start getting too hasseled. Most likely the brevis I think but prob just see how it goes.

I tend to go for just two breeding species in tanks of about 36"x12"x15" if one is a J.transcriptus and one a shelly but lots of folk show tanks with more esp while the cichlids are still young. calvus being particularly slow growing and slow to pair and breed if starting with the usual 6 or so 11/2" juveniles so if going for those you would have plenty of time to spot if its going to work out as a three breeding species tank or if you have to chouse your two faves.

All the best James

[skurj]

The transcriptus will try and take over all of the rock work, i don't know how well the calvus will do finding a space of his own if you put 6 julies in there.

I had 5 julie transcriptus bemba in a 55g with 3 calvus 5 gobies and some cyps and in the end I had to pull the julies they didn't want to share any of the rock work, and these fish were still juvies.