75 Gallon Tanganyikan Setup

[HookedOnFish_MI]

I’m going to be rescaping my 75 gallon in the near future for a Lake Tanganyikan setup, and was wondering from the experts how many different species I could successfully keep together. I will for sure have Neolamprologus Multifasciatus since I have 5 in another tank. The few others below are my top additional choices:

Neolamprologus Brichardi - this may be another ‘must have’ due to being mid water swimmers (not a fan of cyprichromis)
Julidochromis Transcriptus
Neolamprologus Caudopunctatus
Neolamprologus Leleupi

Open to others as well. I feel like 3 species in total should be feasible. Appreciate any thoughts/experience anyone can share though.

 

[MacZ]

As somebody who bred and sold Tanganyikans for over a decade:

Neolamprologus Brichardi

They form colonies and tolerate no other fish in the tank. I have seen them push fish 3x their size into a corner, keeping them from moving and feeding until they died of stress. If it's this species it's a species only tank.

this may be another ‘must have’ due to being mid water swimmers (not a fan of cyprichromis)

They're not really. In a properly structured tank you will probably see half the colony at once during feeding.

Julidochromis Transcriptus

Neolamprologus Leleupi

Same for those, with the difference they won't kill anything outright.

Neolamprologus Caudopunctatus

It's one shell dweller species only. You'd need a bigger tank to combine two species of shell dwellers.

If you do it right you can combine the shell dwellers with the Julidochromis. That's it.
And a few warnings:
- Tanganyikans of the Lamprologini tribe are almost all colony dwellers. They reproduce like rabbits and you hardly find people that take them. It's possible if a pair starts reproducing properly, your tank is overcrowded within a year.
- There are no predators that can keep the population under control, that will survive longer than 3 months before the colony pushes them back.
- You can AT BEST combine a colony of shelldwellers with a colony of rock dwellers in one tank. Provided there are DOZENS of snail shells and rockworks build up to the surface.
- Whatever species you choose: You'll have to start with a group of unsexed juveniles and once a pair forms you'll have to remove all the others.

Three species would be possible if you forgo on colony breeders.

If you go with a species of Altolamprologus and a species of Julidochromis this will be the easiest to maintain.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

Wow, thank you very much for taking the time to provide this detailed response. The intensity of theses species’ aggression was not mentioned in a lot of the species profiles I watched from breeders on YouTube. Although, there were a lot of species only tanks.

Three species would be possible if you forgo on colony breeders.

If you go with a species of Altolamprologus and a species of Julidochromis this will be the easiest to maintain.

Would this exclude putting the multis with Altolamprologus and Julidochromis? If not, do you have any suggestions for that 3rd species?

I do like the idea of having Calvus for population control, but can also afford to manage some fry . I have additional established aquariums to raise fry (if I can catch them), and Julidochromis are actually quite uncommon in my area at LFSs.

 

[MacZ]

The intensity of theses species’ aggression was not mentioned in a lot of the species profiles I watched from breeders on YouTube. Although, there were a lot of species only tanks.

That's the point. Species only tanks or 1000+ Liter tanks. In a 250 Liter tank of 120cm length there's not much you can do.

Would this exclude putting the multis with Altolamprologus and Julidochromis?

Yes, because Altolamprologus and Julidochromis are rockdwellers and require the tank completely filled with rockwork.

I do like the idea of having Calvus for population control, but can also afford to manage some fry

I did not recommend Altolamprologus for population control. I don't endorse the concept of using one species to control the other's reproduction. I have never seen this work out. Either the predatory species got lazy eating the same stuff the others get, or started exterminating the other species completely.

I have additional established aquariums to raise fry (if I can catch them), and Julidochromis are actually quite uncommon in my area at LFSs.

You shouldn't put them in a growout. Once a colony is established you can simply catch out sizeable specimens directly from the colony. That way they will also at one point slow down the reproduction.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

- There are no predators that can keep the population under control, that will survive longer than 3 months before the colony pushes them back.

Thank you for the reply and additional information. I put this part (above) with your reference to Altolamprologus thinking this would be that predator.

I’ll do some thinking on if I’d like to go with the Multis/Transcriptus or Calvus/Transcriptus. As much as I want a true biotope setup, the 75 gallon is a tall tank and I would enjoy something in the top level of the tank as well. From what I understand, there aren’t any options from Lake Tanganyika besides Cyrichromis. Do you see any issues with something like zebra danios, or live bearers like swordtails along with the 2 Tanganyikan species?

 

[MacZ]

Do you see any issues with something like zebra danios, or live bearers like swordtails along with the 2 Tanganyikan species?

Yes, the fact that they will be treated by the cichlids just as any other potential danger to the fry. And in contrast to other cichlids, these fish would be easy pickings. I have had a customer that wanted to keep N. pulcher with an established colony of Mollies in a 160cm tank. I reluctantly sold them a small group of the cichlids. Went well for 2 months, then they came back with the cichlids (which were by then breeding and had risen in numbers). The Neolamprologus basically had eradicated the livebearers within 2 weeks after the first spawn.

There are many other open water dwellers from Lake Tanganyika but they need room. E.g. Tropheus, Petrochromis, Ophthalmotilapia... all of which require 150cm or more. Or the infamous Tanganyika killifish Lamprichthys. Biut those would need 2.5 meters to really shine.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

Really appreciate all the information. This has been very helpful!

 

[MacZ]

My pleasure. And another word of advice: The wellbeing of the fish is always first priority, if that collides with the wishes of the fishkeeper, it takes precedence. If this is not possible, keep other fish. Simple as that.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

My pleasure. And another word of advice: The wellbeing of the fish is always first priority, if that collides with the wishes of the fishkeeper, it takes precedence. If this is not possible, keep other fish. Simple as that.

Agree 100%, taking advantage of resources like this to ensure I have everything right before starting this new setup.

 

[MacZ]

I wish more people would see it that way.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

@MacZ if you don’t mind me asking your opinion once more…what are your thoughts on keeping a single Brichardi and a single Calvus with J. Transcriptus? Could these 2 single species also work with J. Transcriptus and Multis together? Or perhaps 1 single species with both? Your advice is appreciated.

 

[MacZ]

As N. brichardi (and related species) are really colony dwellers it would probably not be good for that fish. A single A. calvus... Might work.

Shellies and Julidochromis... I personally wouldn't do it in that tank. Thinking about the footprint this will be cozy, but not the good kind of cozy.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

As N. brichardi (and related species) are really colony dwellers it would probably not be good for that fish. A single A. calvus... Might work.

Shellies and Julidochromis... I personally wouldn't do it in that tank. Thinking about the footprint this will be cozy, but not the good kind of cozy.

Ok, thank you very much for the response.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

Any feedback on the new scape? 75 gallon aquarium - 48” x 18” footprint.

 

[MacZ]

Can you build the rocks higher? At leas 2/3 of the tank as average?
In any case: great choice of rocks. Many people still use holey rock which is unsuitable on so many levels.
And double to triple the shells.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

Can you build the rocks higher? At leas 2/3 of the tank as average?
In any case: great choice of rocks. Many people still use holey rock which is unsuitable on so many levels.
And double to triple the shells.

I will try to stack them higher and get more shells. Will stacking them higher make it hard for Calvus to use them (assuming the openings will get smaller)? I’ll be ordering more shells too. I have 25 in there now, and it’s just a male and his 4 growing juveniles. The female got lodged into a shell not too long ago.

 

[MacZ]

Will stacking them higher make it hard for Calvus to use them (assuming the openings will get smaller)?

Completely dependend on how you do this.

and it’s just a male and his 4 growing juveniles. The female got lodged into a shell not too long ago.

If one of them is a female you will be glad to have that many shells and even if it comes to males only this will be good.

 

[Cichlacat]

Time to setup another tank with a predator that will at least eat the unwanted babies.

You could build the rock work up to at least 3/4 of the way to the top at least. It is a pain to take them all out to clean the tank though.

Perhaps pick your favorite type of Tanganyikan and let it become a single species tank.
I know maybe not as exciting.

I’ve mixed several species of Tanganyikans together over the years and had pretty good success.
No wholesale slaughter or hostile takeovers yet after several months. And several successful tries in the last 15 years.

So it’s not impossible.

In some ways the more crowded the tank is with cichlids the less problems.
Tanganyikans and Malawi’s tend to do better as long as you have great filtration and maintenance.

This does not work with Apistos or Congo cichlids.

 

[MacZ]

This does not work with Apistos or Congo cichlids.

Absolutely!
I'm a bit on the fence concerning crowding. While some Malawis work tht way, I find Tanganyikans not working that way.. Been breeing Lamprologini for 10 years, always found more than 2 species don't work and a predator with a colony breeder like N. brichardi oder Julidochromis was short lived.

Which species did you mix successfully?

 

[Cichlacat]

I’m sure you’ll be amused. But in a 50 gallon 36 by 18 inches tank with rock work up to the top and using lava rock I noted tunnels into I had as far as I can remember:
2 L. Tretacephalus
2 L. Sexfasciatus
4 L. Pulcher
at least 6 L. Multifaciatis
2 J. Regani kipili
2. J ornatus
2 L. Altolamprologus not sure which species.

The tank did well for about a 1.5 years and then while on vacation a couple of trusted teens were feeding the fish when the tank suddenly broke while they were there. (They were good boys that I knew well and while unhappy of course it wasn’t worth confronting the kids or being angry. )
That ended that experiment.

There were definite disputes between the denizens of the tank and several of the fish tried to spawn (I believe the L. Pulcher and multifasciatis (the multis did produce babies) and if I remember correctly the pulchers did try to spawn but were broken up by the other tank mates.

I think now from what I’ve read the trets and sexfasciatus would have eventually caused mayhem.


At the time I’d kept many mbuna, central and South American cichlids so I didn’t know to treat them differently.
But I have set that same tank though now 48 x 18 wide. But no Trets or Sexfasciiatus. Multis have their own tank as well.

The pulchers have a spawn swimming now and no injuries To others as of yet.
I‘m not setting the tank up to raise babies. If very few survive or none I’m not going to cry.
So we will see what unfolds.