[cichlids rock]

hello all i am currently thinking about switching out my vics for some trophs so i was wondering how many trophs can one put in a 55g tank for filtration im currently running a eheim 2217 and a aquaclear 100 would this do for filtration. i also have rocks and a sand substrate in the tank and always buffer the water when i do my weekly water change of about 50%. my next question is what kind of trophs do you suggest im looking at possibly some kaisers but i would really love to get my hands on some of the really red ones not sure what type it is off hand. i will thank you ahead of time for any ideas or responses you may be able to toss at me.

 

[RayQ]

I think that you are going to have a lot of frustration if you decide to do trophs in a tank that size, I know people do it, but, I don't believe it's the best way to do it.

 

[24Tropheus]

I think that you are going to have a lot of frustration if you decide to do trophs in a tank that size, I know people do it, but, I don't believe it's the best way to do it.

+1.
You can grow out a group of Tropheus juveniles in a tank that size.
Even keep a group of adults that have grown up together and are very settled.
But best start with a group of 24 in a 100g tank.
Yep it can work in a 75g
And even a 55g.
But the probabilities get stacked against you as the numbers and tank size gets smaller and the success is limited to just keeping em alive rather than breeding and keeping em alive is a major task and you do not often get what I like to think of as happy fish.

If you must try Tropheus in a 55g and no advice will stop you, then go for a group of at least 12 pref 16 duboisi juveniles. You will enjoy them for a good long while before the sh%^ hits the fan.

All the best James

 

[frank1rizzo]

A little more explanation.

When they mature and a male decides he wants to start breeding, he will stress out the others (no matter the tank size). BUT... the smaller the tank, the less room to run/hide. As the tank size decreases, the stress to the ones being chased, and even the others chilling in the tank increases. If the tank is too small, the dominant male might start killing off rivals one by one, or the stress makes the colony susceptible to diseases (like bloat).

If you end up with a nice "Balanced" group... (No one male is super dominant) it might work, but its a toss up.

Hope that helps.

 

[eeztropheus]

Avoid the stress for you and your trophs. Get yourself a 5' 100 gallon.

 

[cichlids rock]

thanks for the reponses like i said im just kicking around the idea was going to use what i have laying around the only 2 large tanks i have are currently in use and have no intention on breaking them down kind of like having 120g mnuba and vic mixture and well the 75g is in the living room and the wife gets say on what goes in that one

 

[eeztropheus]

Well, if your 55 is at least 4' you could try a group of like 8-10 as long as there is only ONE male. You would be taking a risk but if you are sure you have only 1 male then it may very well work out. Just an Idea.

 

[cichlids rock]

thanks for the ideas and yes it is a 4' tank so i may give it a shot

 

[eeztropheus]

I started with 1m/5f (got lucky on the ratio) in a 55g hex, it is 32" at its longest. They were 1-2" when I got them (I knew absolutely nothing about trophs at the time, just thought they looked cool). It was ok for about 8 months but when Diablo the bull hit maturity all **** broke loose. So I upgraded to a 5' 100g and it has been going great! Diablo has his territory and they are spawning like crazy. As a matter of fact I had two females spawn this morning . I got some video that I'll post.

Oh, if you do decide to go for it get tank raised I think they are less aggressive than WC a lot cheaper too...

 

[cichlids rock]

thats what i would go for would be tank raised what im looking for is something of a super red nature if i cant find something really red i may just go for some kaisers but its still a toss up if you have any suggestions for brightly colored trophs i would appreciate your input thank you

 

[eeztropheus]

I would suggest t. moorii moliro "firecracker", they are brilliant red when they mature and easy to come by.

 

[cichlids rock]

thanks for the suggestion of what kind to get i was looking at those as well but dont know if the pictures i have seen of them do them any justice

 

[eeztropheus]

Pictures cannot do them justice. When they flash it's as if they are glowing it's really amazing! I have a single female she was mistakenly mixed with my bembas when I purchased them as juvies. She is always red, but when she turns it on she literally glows. I can only imagine a whole colony it must be a sight to behold...

 

[cichlids rock]

sounds great i may go in the direction of those then have yellows and blues in my 120 already thought it'd be cool to go for a red this time and i think im ready to try out the challenge of tropheus sounds like rewards are great once you learn how to take care of them

 

[eeztropheus]

Its all about water quality and diet as with all fish. Your aquascaping has to be right too. With trophs you definitely want to over do it with filtration. On my 100g I have an fx5, a powerhead on each end (rated 300 gph each) attatched to sponge filters and a HOT Magnun HOB canister. I do 50% water changes every week. I feed them a high quality spirulina flake mixed with NLS. When first get your trophs make sure you get some of the food they were eating before you got them. About a months worth then slowly transition them to the food of your choice.

Well, when you do decide to take the plunge I'll be happy to offer any advice to the best of my knowledge.

 

[cichlids rock]

i over filter all my tanks and usually do 50% water change once a week as well i feed mine a quality spirulina flake along with nls as well

 

[eeztropheus]

Sounds like you should have no problem then. :thumb:

 

[cichlids rock]

would like to thank for the advice and encouragement