Hi guys,
I've been checking the forum for a couple of weeks now digesting as much info as possible and it seems the place to come to online for advice on rift valley species. I have a load of questions but i'll try keep my first post under control.
We recently moved to a new house and after a couple months renovation my mind has wandered to new aquarium possibilities. I am new to rift valley cichlids but have some experience with south american species and other soft water setups. I live in a hard water area and messing with water chemistry is always a hassle, pH would reach acceptible levels but gH would remain high. With this in mind and my girlfriends desire for a 'colourful' tank i thought of the cichlids that i previously ignored as characterless, bright and brash (don't hate me)! As i say i've browsed the info supplied through the forum for a couple weeks and come to the conclusion that a Tanganyikan setup would provide the colour she demands and the character/behaviour i seek from aquarium inhabitants.
So the set up i'm considering would be housed in a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft aquarium and consist of the following species:
Enantiopus melagenys (Kilesa) 2M, 4F
Cyprichromis utinta or mpulungu (anything non jumbo) 12-15
Alto comps (Gold head) 3-5
or
Neolamprologus leleupi (Yellow) 3-5
Lamprologus ocellatus (Gold) 3-5
The N. Leleupi would be mainly for the colour although i hear they can be aggresive paticularly to conspecifics so wondered about Labidochromis caeruleus (again don't hate me)!
The tank would be split to roughly three equal sandy areas (one with shells) by two medium rock piles topped by some kind of greenery (Anubias/Java fern). In other words fairly minimal with simple maintenance.
So in summary i guess i'm asking for advice/opinions on the general setup and stocking list particularly the Alto/Lab/N.leleupi quandry. The purpose of one of these three species is a stick out yellow, whereas the other species (my choices) are for behaviour as well as looking pretty!
So guys shoot away! Sorry for going on just wanted to give you as much ammo as poss, plenty more questions particularly regarding male/female ratios but that can be the next installment! Thanks in advance for your expertise.
I've been checking the forum for a couple of weeks now digesting as much info as possible and it seems the place to come to online for advice on rift valley species. I have a load of questions but i'll try keep my first post under control.
We recently moved to a new house and after a couple months renovation my mind has wandered to new aquarium possibilities. I am new to rift valley cichlids but have some experience with south american species and other soft water setups. I live in a hard water area and messing with water chemistry is always a hassle, pH would reach acceptible levels but gH would remain high. With this in mind and my girlfriends desire for a 'colourful' tank i thought of the cichlids that i previously ignored as characterless, bright and brash (don't hate me)! As i say i've browsed the info supplied through the forum for a couple weeks and come to the conclusion that a Tanganyikan setup would provide the colour she demands and the character/behaviour i seek from aquarium inhabitants.
So the set up i'm considering would be housed in a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft aquarium and consist of the following species:
Enantiopus melagenys (Kilesa) 2M, 4F
Cyprichromis utinta or mpulungu (anything non jumbo) 12-15
Alto comps (Gold head) 3-5
or
Neolamprologus leleupi (Yellow) 3-5
Lamprologus ocellatus (Gold) 3-5
The N. Leleupi would be mainly for the colour although i hear they can be aggresive paticularly to conspecifics so wondered about Labidochromis caeruleus (again don't hate me)!
The tank would be split to roughly three equal sandy areas (one with shells) by two medium rock piles topped by some kind of greenery (Anubias/Java fern). In other words fairly minimal with simple maintenance.
So in summary i guess i'm asking for advice/opinions on the general setup and stocking list particularly the Alto/Lab/N.leleupi quandry. The purpose of one of these three species is a stick out yellow, whereas the other species (my choices) are for behaviour as well as looking pretty!
So guys shoot away! Sorry for going on just wanted to give you as much ammo as poss, plenty more questions particularly regarding male/female ratios but that can be the next installment! Thanks in advance for your expertise.