# Looking for Caudo punk tank mate ideas



## Stargazer (Dec 8, 2002)

I will be setting up a 75 gl (48x18xx22) and am looking for tank mate suggestions. I have thought of Cyps but have some in another tank already. Would like something for mid to upper level to balance out the caudos. Something that would leave them alone and not be a fry eater. Or am I asking for too much?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The caudos will use the whole tank. I'd go with calvus. Even the caudo's themselves are fry eaters, LOL.


----------



## HeavycomestheAx (Sep 19, 2009)

+1 Altos and/or Cyps. The Caudopuncts are quite territorial once they've paired off and have started breeding. I have not been able to keep much with them in smaller tanks, and even in a 120g they were rather tough on most of their tankmates. I now keep mine in a species only tank.


----------



## tranced (Jan 11, 2006)

i have a pair of punks, a trio of gold occies and a school of cyps in my tank, seems nicely balanced, thankfully the caudos chose to make their home in the far corner away from the occies...


----------



## Stargazer (Dec 8, 2002)

I kept them in a 40 gl breeder several years ago and lost them during a power outage.  I currently don't have anything of an appropriate sized tank that I would like to keep them in and I know some people don't recommend mixing lakes or keeping other fish with African cichlids but I'm sure it is done. Any thoughts on whether rainbow fish would work? I've never kept them so not sure what their temperament is and if this would be even close to working out.


----------



## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

My punks are quite happy in a 20g long tank, shared with young paracyps. This set up was meant to be short term (just growout for the paracyps), but it's been over a year with both groups breeding. My observations are that while caudopunks are territorial, they don't chase very far or do much damage to the other fish.

If you don't want standard cyps, look at the paracyps. Gobies also might be a good choice. They will get a few fry, but are too clumsy to do serious population control.


----------



## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

My Buescheri seem to neutralize my punk pair, it's a stay on your side of the tank setup with Calvus in the middle.


----------



## Rotorhead (Mar 12, 2010)

BioG said:


> My Buescheri seem to neutralize my punk pair, it's a stay on your side of the tank setup with Calvus in the middle.


What size tank do you have them all in?


----------



## cpaulus (Apr 30, 2005)

I have had a pair of caudo's for quite a few years now. They do fine in a 15G or 20L by themselves. Most recently i kept them in a 40B with about 9 paracyps and they did fine, they stayed close to the shell they breed in and guard that but other than that i didn't see much other agression.

They are one of my favorite fish! Enjoy


----------



## Stargazer (Dec 8, 2002)

They are my favorite cichlid. When I had them before in a 40 gl breeder there were three pairs in there with no real aggression issues and bred regularly. I am going to start out with six in the 75 gl and hope I get lucky like that again. I think I will wait till they pair up to decide what to put in with them. Thanks for the suggestions.


----------



## Chris Murphy (Jun 24, 2008)

DJRansome said:


> The caudos will use the whole tank. I'd go with calvus. Even the caudo's themselves are fry eaters, LOL.


In a 4ft tank caudopunctatus can be managed to stay withing a 1ft area, through rockscaping and providing heaps of sand and one shell. Therefore it is my *experience* that Caudopunks can be kept with most other shelldwellers with no problems, and most lamprologines of a nicer nature.

I kept a tank with 2 x Brevis, 2 x Multies, 9 x Cyprichromis and 2 x Caudopunks and they all bred regularly. There was never any fighting after I designed each pairs territory (Obviously the Cyps took the open water). Initially when I placed the fish in the tank there was some squaring off, as the rocks etc were laid out randomly.

If you provide each pair of fish with what they need they will not need to venture off. If you have an adult Caudopunk pair that wanders off around the tank you are not keeping them right in my experience.

I always find with adult Caudopunks that when they wander around the tank, they are seeking better living arrangements. If you rockscape either side of their shell above 10" they will not feel like they have to vigorously defend their site becasue they will rarely see any other competition (Caudopunks do not consider Cyps a threat in my experience).

All in all it is hard work managing your fish in this manner, but the results can be extremely rewarding.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Chris Murphy said:


> In a 4ft tank caudopunctatus can be managed to stay withing a 1ft area.


I didn't mean you can't combine them with shellies (as in no one else can have a space on the substrate) but that they will occupy all water levels, bottom, middle and top so a top swimmer like a cyp is not necessary to fill a void. But in subsequent posts, it sounds like Stargazer already has caudopunctatus and still wanted a top swimmer.


----------

