# Mixed Tropheus Tank



## justanotherfishtank (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi,

I have a 112 gallon tank and I am looking to do a mixed trophies tank.

My plan is to go with Tropheus Bemba, Tropheus Duboisi Maswa and Tropheus Kiriza Gold.

Was just after some stocking suggestions number wise...

Thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

How long is the tank? Are you planning to save fry?


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## justanotherfishtank (Feb 5, 2019)

Tank is 60 inches long, 24 high and 18 wide...

I do have another tank for fry, which I would move on.

I'd also be interested to know if the species would cross breed or stick to there own?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Maybe 20?

I would expect them to cross breed and therefore I would not save fry.

If you want to try 2 species and let fry get spit in the tank it might work. Maybe some experienced tropheus keepers will chime in and tell you if they will fight more and color up less with multiple species in a tank.


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## justanotherfishtank (Feb 5, 2019)

cool thanks...

i'd be interested to hear what experienced keeps have to say too...I love the look of all three species. I've kept mixed malawi in in the past with no issues and they seemed to keep to there own


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## justanotherfishtank (Feb 5, 2019)

maybe i'll try all three, 7 of each...


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## justanotherfishtank (Feb 5, 2019)

or perhaps 6


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

They will crossbreed if given a chance. Any fry born in that tank should be culled. One group will dominate, resulting in only some of the dominant species colouring up. 
The rest would be bland and stressed, which could result in health issues. Anything less than 18 in a group could be a disaster. 
IMO, The tank is big enough to house one colony only. Get yourself 24 of one type and enjoy. :thumb:


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## justanotherfishtank (Feb 5, 2019)

If I go for one it will probably be Duboisi

Having watched this video though it seems they can get along and spawn their own fry.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

noddy said:


> They will crossbreed if given a chance. Any fry born in that tank should be culled. One group will dominate, resulting in only some of the dominant species colouring up.
> The rest would be bland and stressed, which could result in health issues. Anything less than 18 in a group could be a disaster.
> IMO, The tank is big enough to house one colony only. Get yourself 24 of one type and enjoy. :thumb:


+1 Don't mix them.

I've really enjoyed the Bemba/Pemba group I have grow from ~23 to over 50 in their 180. Currently have a bunch of fry and juveniles in the main tank. My goal was never to try to breed them for sale, so I've simply let them spit in the main tank, and provided a bunch of small rocks with narrow spaces for the juveniles to hide in. Seems to work well, as the females have made it a habit to hang out and spit near those zones.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

justanotherfishtank said:


> If I go for one it will probably be Duboisi
> 
> Having watched this video though it seems they can get along and spawn their own fry.


Not sure how you came to that conclusion from the video.
Also, emphasis on the word "can". Any experienced Tropheus keeper would run a mile from somebody selling fry from a mixed tank.
I kept two groups of Linangu and Lufubu Tropheus in a 5' 120g tank for a couple of years. No fry ever made it out of that tank. 
The Lufubu were the dominant fish and only the alpha male of the Linangu group ever coloured up properly.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Sorry, I tried to edit my post but it timed out. I wanted to add that if and when I do go back to Tropheus it will probably be a mixed tank but would be a 210g tank with at least 24 fish in each group. It would likely be two out of either Ikola, Maswa and Bulu point. Either that or one large group of Moops.
I just wanted to point out the risks involved with mixing groups. :thumb:


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