240g+ community tank stocking ideas

[larry.beck]

Hi all,

I'm an avid mbuna keeper (I have 260g of them at present) and have decided to try a Tang tank. I've been reading the past few months and learning as much about the various species as possible, but I'd like to run my stocking list and build-out plan past the community for input.

First, the tank. I have a spare 55g now that's ready to go. Plan is keep it bare-bottom and on sponge filters and use this for the next 10-12 months as a grow-out. My new house is under construction and once we're moved in I'm have a custom 240-300g tank built. I want to use this year to grow out juvies, balance the population properly, and ensure that I have the proper mix of fish (we all know they're very individual, as much as we like to stereotype them Smile ).

Now, to the stock list.

Frontosa: I'm building this tank around a group of these gentle giants - I'm thinking 8 (2M:6F) in the end - and planning to go with either moba or kampampa.

Calvus: I love the inkfins and would like to do a pair of them (1M:1F). I also want to do the contrasting pair of white calvus (1M:1F) - as milky as possibly. I'm willing to do bigger harems but want to be cognizant of overstocking the tank.

Tropheus: This is the one that scares me, but my wife really wants to try them and as long as they won't take anything else out with their aggression I'm willing to give it a shot. Here I want to do a colony of moori Moliro and another of kaiser Ikola or another similarly marked sub-species. What are the smallest colonies that I can end up with and please, share your opinions on the likelihood of this working and the outcomes I might expect.

Cyps: I want to get some dithers in a tank this size and am hoping that the non-jumbo cyps will work. I'm thinking a school of leptosoma Kerenge Island, maybe 20 or so.

Shellies: If it will work I'd like to put a few shellies in as well. Open to suggestions on what will work with this mix.

Synodontis: Any suggestions for the subspecies and quantity here?

It's a big list, I know, but it's a big tank as well. I'm thinking of all F1 stock, and planning to start with twice as many as the final list so I can sell off extra males and those who don't play well. Smile I want to get the fronts and the calvus now to grow out together for sure, and thinking of getting the cyps now as well. Should I wait on any of these and introduce them as juvies when I get the 240? And when is the best time to introduce the trophs?

I look forward to hearing your advice!


Thanks!
Larry

 

[Addictedtofish]

Not sure if your whole idea for a setup will work. for one cyps, shellies and even possibly trophs, I think long run will be lunch for the fronts, Im sure your aware of this but fronts are a nocturnal fish and sooner or later all the fish you had listed will be small enough for lunch, especially at night for the fronts. In the wild cyps are there main staple for food at night, shellies period are so small unless you are going for some that are around the 6" size will be food. All that ive read about fronts and what im going to practice with my colony I have is only do a frontosa tank with maybe a couple synodontis petricola's or even the dwarf version. For dither fish, this is where Im not sure on, I have read both sides of opinions on having or not having a dither fish. If I do try a dither fish it will either be the larger haps or ill try the tanganyika rainbow fish. But dither fish for sure ill have to do more thinking and asking opinions before ill give them a try. Even the catfish is iffy because they are known to sneak in while the female is dropping the eggs and stealing them before she can even pick them up, but im not overly sure if im really interested in worry about breeding them. Also ive read enough that trophs are to fast moving and nippy for frontosa's, since they occupy the same area of the tank and would end up stressing them out.

 

[Addictedtofish]

I also forgot to add calvus/compressiceps are super slow growers and in nature of there design they hunt young fish in crevices and caves so they would be a threat for some of your fish you want. trophs if your out to breed them you really want to start off with a colony of 20 minimum, more if your going after the brighter colored trophs due to aggression. I cant see with all the fish you want you could do it in the same tank without disaster, split them up and do a couple of tanks. Try doing a front tank with catfish and either large deep water haps or even the blue dolphin since both get close to the same size as the frontosa with the same growth rate. Then start another tank and do a colony of 20 to 30 trophs either shellies or calvus but not all three. Also keep in mind with Sanduka's success on keeping multiple colonies of different trophs in the same tank, at night the more aggressive (molorio) will slowly kill off the weaker trophs either by aggression or bloat due to stress.

 

[larry.beck]

Unfortunately for me, this echos much of the feedback I got elsewhere as well. I'm torn now, as I really want to do frontosa as the centerpiece of my big tank but I'm not sure that I'm willing to rule out all the other great tangs to have them.

There's a guy by the name of Frank Mueller who has probably the best tang tank I've ever seen and I was modeling this a bit after his. I talked to him about it and he said his works beautifully, but is definitely the exception and while it's worked great for 5 years, he's prepared to pull out fish on a day's notice when/if the frontosa decide to flex their muscles.

The tropheus are definitely out though - just too much energy for this tank. The rest I haven't made my mind up about. Fortunately I do have time; I was just thinking that I needed to get the fronts so they could start growing out, but Frank suggested putting them directly in the 240g when I get it so they would be dwarfed and having the other fish be adult sized so they grow up respecting them.

Thanks for the feedback Addicted. You certainly know your stuff!

 

[sandnuka]

I dont know larry 240gal is a huge freakin tank! I think your idea may work..... As long as you overstock..... but I have seen this tank before, this tang tank you speak of... and as long as it is big, and overstocked, it works!

As for what tropheus to choose, I dont know if I would go with any of the Moorii group.... Or the red groups..... These guys are usually the more aggressive type..... Duboisi maswa, any of the blacks (Cherry spots my fav), or your ikola would work..... but again, you are talkin about a 240gal, and I think anything is possible in that monstor of a tank..... just start them all young.... and grow them all together.... I have seen super aggressive carnivorious fish with neon tetras living happily, as long as there is enough room, and they are all well fed.

i also know a guy (person I got my trophs from) who has a front tank with calvus.... has absolutly no problem with them together.... has not lost one fish... and this is in a 75gal tank.... So I dont see a problem there.... I do see some problems with the shellies though.... the calvus may hunt them out of there shells at night. .... But besides that, I am excited to see this tank!! it would be my all time favorite tank ever if you get it up....

 

[sandnuka]

Proof they can co-exist!! and they look so awesome together!!! Just wish I had a tank big enough for all of them. notice the calvus in back too.

 

[larry.beck]

Yeah, I'm really struggling with this because I know it can work, and I'm willing to do the things it will take to make it possible. However, even then, the chance of success is not that great. However, if I do this I'm pretty settled on the fronts, the calvus, and the cyps. I'll get some kind of small bottom-dwellers as well - Frank has lelupi and they do fit into the tank nicely from a color perspective, they're just not my favorite fish. If the fronts do someday to munch on the cyps or lelupi, well, that's why I'm going F1 or even F2 I suppose. LOL Well, that and the fact that I don't expect any real breeding to be successful in this tank. The fronts will lose their eggs to the calvus, and the calvus are likely to cross-breed and hence I couldn't sell any of their fry either. I want to see the cyps breed though - I've never seen it and it sounds just beautiful, unlike any other cichlid in the world.

 

[larry.beck]

Proof they can co-exist!! and they look so awesome together!!! Just wish I had a tank big enough for all of them. notice the calvus in back too.

Wow. Exactly what I was looking. Except I want the inkfin and the white calvus, and the trophs to carry the colors (other than the blue which comes from the fronts).

 

[Addictedtofish]

You could actually take culled male duboisis or ikola and dont have females.

 

[sonnys503]

240G is HUGE, I'm hoping to get a 240-300G in the future, when that day comes, it'd be a mixed of main Group Frontosas, either WC Cyphotilapia frontosa “Mpimbwe Blue” or WC Mobas, but more likely the “Mpimbwe Blue”, fillers would be 6 Petricolas, and 6 Multipuntctaus, and a colony of Yellow Blaze Virginilis Copadichromis sp. "Virginalis Gold", if not the colony of Yellows, a bunch of Male Peacocks.

 

[Fern]

All I have in my 240g is 20 cyto moorii's and there are always 2-5 females holding in there :