[Guest]

How's my stock list? They're in a 265g tank. Personally I think it would work out fine but if any of you see any possible future issues let me know.

All fish are males unless I say otherwise
Protomelas sp. 'Steveni Taiwan' Taiwanee Reef
Protomelas spilonotus Mara Rocks x 2
Protomelas sp. 'Spilonotus Tanzania' Liuli
Otopharynx lithobates Zimbawe Rocks
Mchenga conophoros Otter Point x 2
Lethrinops sp. 'Green Chest(/Face)' Manda x 1 male x 1 female
Aulonocara stuartgranti Ungi
Aulonocara stuartgranti Maulana
Aulonocara stuartgranti Ngara
Aulonocara baenschi Benga
Dimidiochromis compressiceps
Neolamprologus sexfasciatus 'Gold' unsexed
Protomelas steveni Mlowe Tiger female
and a Albino Bushy Nose Pleco male

Fish currently housed but will be taken out soon:
Aulonocara stuartgranti Cobue
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "Swallowtail Jake"

Future Fish:
Protomelas steveni Mlowe Tiger (more males and females)
Tyrannochromis nigriventer (one male, maybe a female or two...currently they are growing out in a 29g)
Exochochromis anagenys (just one male)
Lichnochromis acuticeps (few males, few females...)

I think given the size of the tank (265g) and the 7ft-L by 2ft-W by 2.5ft (30")-T dimensions it will work out fine... I'd figure I'd see what you guys think though so I can make any changes, etc.

~Ed

 

[Guest]

Anyone?

 

[Joea]

Mchenga conophoros?... do you mean Copadichromis conophoros?

A lot of males and not enough females is the primary problem I see.

You seem to be sitting on the fence of an all male tank. Unfortunately, you have to commit to one, or the females you add will not last.

If you were going with breeding groups, I wouldn't keep so many species. Even though it is a large tank, there's likely to be hybridization issues with many of the species. If you decide to keep Tyrannochromis nigriventer, three females would be the minimum I would suggest.

It's a fantastic tank, I'd eliminate any and all females to increase the odds of success, or go with about 6 to 8 species and add breeding groups. Keep the species as different in appearance as possible and you'll likely be fine.

 

[Guest]

Copadichromis conophoros was the former name for Mchenga conophoros. It's in Ad's new book, and I think he made that new genus back in 2006. But yeah I did mean that. Cool fish by the way.

I am willing to make changes, but why would (if I decide to only keep one) a T. nigriventer need 3 females. Currently they're only 1.5" so I'm not immediately worried about them.

If any do hybridize I'd be prepared to strip the fry and then feed them to the fish or my calvus'.

Which ones do you think might cause problems though? The Protomelas sp. fish?

~Ed

 

[Joea]

Copadichromis conophoros was the former name for Mchenga conophoros. It's in Ad's new book, and I think he made that new genus back in 2006.

I need to get that new book.

T. nigriventer can be pretty aggressive to their females, a trio of females will help keep the male from being a bully.

Certainly hybridization issues are possible between Protomelas species but the other problem is housing males of any species without females, but keeping some females of other species. The males without females will likely try to spawn with whichever females are available. This would leave the 6 or 8 females you do have, to fight off the advances of the 18 or so males.

 

[Guest]

Currently I was considering of eventually getting two female sulphurheads eventually, or taking the lesser dominant male out.

I'm only likely getting the Lichnochromis group going first since it seems more likely I'll be seeing them available sooner than the Protomelas steveni Mlowe which I haven't seen available since November...

Overall what do you think of the list? And would you consider understocked, well stocked or overstocked in that size tank? (I've never stocked a tank close to this size so I'm not sure how many exactly I can fit in)

~Ed

 

[Guest]

Oh, and I was considering after all the species were all established to add a Sciaenochromis fryeri Maleri Island.

 

[Joea]

I think the stock list is fine if there are no females in there. I also think it would be fine with fewer species kept in groups.

As it is now, with a few females of varying species here and there, I think you're going to have problems down the line.

 

[Guest]

What would be a good synodontis species to have in the tank? I was thinking one or two Synodontis decorus, but now I'm thinking of Synodontis njassae/nyassae or decorus, or both, or a completely different species.

What do you think would be a good species to have? And I don't want any parasitic brooders...or rather no Tanganyikan cats (lucipinnis, petricola, multipunctatus, etc)

Let me know what you think.

~Ed

 

[Joea]

Only Syno. multipunctatus are parasitic brooders. The jury is still out on Syno. lucipinnis but it's believed they aren't. Syno. petricola would be a great choice although with their small size, they may get lost in a tank so large. If you can find a trio of Syno. decorus, they'd look pretty spectacular at full size in there.

You may also like Synodontis angelicus; a beautiful cat and almost 10 inches full grown.

 

[Guest]

Out of curiosity, you have seen my tank pictures right Joea?

And how big to decorus get max? I've heard many different max lengths from 7" max length to other sources saying 14" max length...

 

[Joea]

Out of curiosity, you have seen my tank pictures right Joea?

Don't think so.

I've never kept Syno. decorus but most of what I've read say around 10 inches.

The thing with some cats in captivity, is that they can live a tremendously long time (a friend has a Syno. multipunctatus that is well into its 20's!), so their size is often based on adults that may still have a bit of growing to do. I don't think fish ever stop growing, the growth rate just slows as they age so that it's practically immeasurable.

 

[Guest]

Out of curiosity, you have seen my tank pictures right Joea?

Don't think so.

I've never kept Syno. decorus but most of what I've read say around 10 inches.

The thing with some cats in captivity, is that they can live a tremendously long time (a friend has a Syno. multipunctatus that is well into its 20's!), so their size is often based on adults that may still have a bit of growing to do. I don't think fish ever stop growing, the growth rate just slows as they age so that it's practically immeasurable.

I guess that's true about the growth. My LFS in their cichlid display tank have a pitiful looking very old Protomelas spinolotus Mara Rocks in the tank, and it's well over a foot...probably 13-14".

Here's a link to my post with the most recent tank pictures:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... 26#1132226

~Ed

Edit:
Oh, and here's my only good shot of one of my male F1 Mchenga conophoros Otter Point:

 

[aaxxeell]

whoa a Tyrannochromis nigriventer...
those get big and nasty, wouldnt it be better to keep fish of similar size?
if you wanna cool blue predator fish get a S.fryeri

 

[Guest]

whoa a Tyrannochromis nigriventer...
those get big and nasty, wouldnt it be better to keep fish of similar size?
if you wanna cool blue predator fish get a S.fryeri

All my fish are going to get close to that size.

From my understanding T. nigriventer is actually pretty laid back, they don't really bother anybody if they can't fit them in their mouths. Plus I'm raising mine on pellet food, so hopefully that way they will never have eaten a fish and hopefully won't too. By the time my fry get full size all of my current fish will be adults.

And I actually do want to get a S. fryeri eventually. Not yet though, because I'd rather have it last since they tend to be psychos when they're juveniles.

Thanks for your concern though. That's why I didn't get any of the wildcaught T. nigriventers that were available, because I feared that they have been eating fish in the wild and I did not want them (with their history of being piscivores in the wild) in the tank at their already adult size.

 

[Guest]

Update:
Dave recently got more Mchenga conophoros in stock, and I'm going to order two females from him for my two males.

Also, I'm going to be getting an Adult male Exochochromis anagenys later this week..

And a small 2-3" and a 5" Synodontis decorus.

And Joea, I agree and disagree with what you said about the interbreeding issues. On the one hand, I agree that by limiting the tank to only a couple breeding groups would be best, but on the other the size of the tank in my opinion should limit it, and the peacocks I have I doubt would even try to breed with any of the way larger haps without getting beat up by the male haps when they try...

I am however thinking of taking some of the peacocks out... Particularly the stuartgranti ones. I may just keep one A. koningsi or A. stuartgranti Ungi, one A. ngara, and one A. baenschi...making it only a max of three peacocks in the tank.

Let me know what your think.

Oh, and did you see my tank shows? If so what do you think of it?

~Ed

 

[aaxxeell]

ok cool, sounds like you got it sorted then :thumb:
just keep an eye on your smaller fish just in case, even wussy frontosas have been know to eat 6inch fish... if something can fit in a predators mouth, they'll have a go...

post some pics when your done :wink:

 

[Guest]

ok cool, sounds like you got it sorted then :thumb:
just keep an eye on your smaller fish just in case, even wussy frontosas have been know to eat 6inch fish... if something can fit in a predators mouth, they'll have a go...

post some pics when your done :wink:

I agree about the frontosa part. The fish with the largest mouth in my tank would be the T. nigriventer, and according to Ad Konings they have been seen with at a max (so far recorded) 3" mbuna in their stomaches, and in captivity I have only heard of 4" fish getting partially eaten (as the story goes, the Tyrannochromis nigriventer couldn't fit all of it in its mouth, but after a couple hours of chewing it eventually ate it all).

I think my fish will end up fine and safe. By the time my T. nigriventers reach a large enough size to eat say 3" fish all of my current ones should be full grown adults by then.

~Ed

 

[Guest]

What about this planned stocklist?

b.g. = breeding group (at least 2 males and at least 2 females)

b.g. Tyrannochromis nigriventer
trio Aulonocara jacobfreibergi Hongi Island
trio Aulonocara stuartgranti Ngara
b.g. Mchenga conophoros Otter Point
b.g. Lichnochromis acuticeps
pair Exochochromis anagenys
pair (maybe) Protomelas spinolotus Mara Rocks
trio/b.g. Protomelas steveni Mlowe (ONLY if they get imported again)

Singles:
S. fryeri Marleri Island
(maybe) Buccochromis sp.
(maybe...may give him a female down the line) Fossorochromis rostratus
Otopharynx lithobates Zimbawe Rocks male
Dimidiochromis compressiceps half blind male

Others:
2-3 Synodontis decorus
2-5 Albino Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

Unsure:
Lethrinops sp. "Green Face/Chest" Manda pair...I may sell these two or move them to another tank...

What do you guys think?

~Ed

 

[Guest]

Anyone?