# tank mates for Transcripts?



## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

I have a 36gal bow. LFS got some Transcripts in stock for the first time in a year. I purchased 9 of them. Size's are from about 2.5" to 3". Two of them already paired up. Now they are chasing the other 7 all over the tank.

do i remove the other 7?

or get another type of fish to mix with them to calm them down? or would that make things worse?

thanks in advance.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Sounds about typical for J. transcriptus. Sometimes they breed as a group most often they go down to a pair as they breed. Hard call on removing the others (unless hanging about in the corners close to death) as doing so can damage the pair bond. They kind of live in a self imposed violent world.

Nope I would not add any other fish to stop em going down to a pair as it will not distract em from thier normal behaviour.

But you do have room for a pair of small shellys and/or a small bunch of Paracyps but it will not affect the Julies much.

Only thing I can think of that might help is lots of rocks at each end of the tank (separated by at least 12" of open sand) as you may be able to get two rival pairs to form, quite interesting to watch.

To help the chased you can pop in plastic tubes hung close to the surface top corners. The chased will gather there and can be removed easily.

All the best James


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

(without moving rocks about that might brake an early pair bond).

Just not quick enough on my edits for this forum.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Oh can you post a pic? 3" and 21/2" is pretty big for transcriptus not to be already paired.
You may have Julidochromis marlieri or a transcriptus x marlieri cross. Often missold as transcriptus (in the UK at least).

All the best James


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

i have pictures but having problems figuring out how to include them... :-?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=21085


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

__
https://flic.kr/p/8247724298


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https://flic.kr/p/8246652449

going to try this. one picture is of my tank setup. the other is a closeup of one my fish.

thanks for the instructions.


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

i tried again. i'm doing something wrong.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Well its kind of small on the photos but they sure look like Julidochromis marlieri to me. Note the under eye bar.

If I am right all bets are off regarding tank mates.
You have done realy well to keep so many alive in a 36" bowfront and can only realy expect one pair to dominate and take over the tank.

Temperament: Aggressive
Conspecific Temperament: Aggressive
Maximum Size: 5"

Is an understatement if anything for some variants.

Kind of hope they have some Julidochromis marlieri (Gombe) in em so they stay small enough.
I have seen tank J.malieri (females are the biggest) at 7".

All the best James


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

James,

Thanks for the information.

Guess the guy at the LFS steered me wrong. Or he was given bad info from the place they get their fish.

He had what he called some Marlieri's. They were white on the bottom. He said that was how they told them apart from Transcripts. He also told me they would remain smaller, around 3-3 1/2 inches. And he said 8-9 would be perfect for my 36 bow. He said sometimes one male will mate with several females. That sure didn't happen!

He did say he would take back the other seven if things didn't calm down. I suppose that is my best bet at this point. Only other option would be to take all of them back and start over with something else.

I'm a bit bumbed out I have to say.

If you have any other ideas please let me know.

thanks.


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

after looking at some pictures on the internet etc. i see what you mean about the marking under the eye. i agree, they are not transcriptus, but sure look like marlieri . maybe some Gombe in them . but there are so many variations in the marking olong their side it's hard for me to tell. guess time will tell.

thank you.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

No worries, its quite common for Julidochromis marlieri (Gombe) to be called transcriptus in many a shop and shop supliers. They were not always thought of as a dwarf J.marlieri.
If I guess right, thats what you have.

I only have experience of keeping Julidochromis marlieri (Gombe) in a 5 foot (80g or so) tank and got three breeding pairs out of 7 starters, one pair in each separate rockpile. I do not know what will happen in a 36g bow.

All the best James


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

i put some plants in the middle but that didn't help much. should i move them to the far right of the tank? the pair has chosen the white clam shell in the right of the tank. the other 7 get chased to the left side.

maybe i should just remove the other 7?

if i remove them. do you put a plastic tube in the top of the tank and then trap them? do you only leave one end open so they can't escape?

here is a picture. or at least i'll try to post one. i still have trouble with the link;


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

kwilliby said:


> if i remove them. do you put a plastic tube in the top of the tank and then trap them? do you only leave one end open so they can't escape?


I did not. Just netted the whole tube out from the bind side.

Its a hard call on removing the others if this does not work for you.
(You can bet any that gather in such a unpleasant place for a bottom loving Julie is a hard pressed guy and prob needs removing.)

Prob with other methods of removal is it can disturb the pair esp if they have not bred yet.

Hard call. Kind of wish a Mod would jump in and advise.

All the best James


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

24Tropheus said:


> kwilliby said:
> 
> 
> > if i remove them. do you put a plastic tube in the top of the tank and then trap them? do you only leave one end open so they can't escape?
> ...


Sorry for the bump but please if anyone has experience of pairing Julidochromis marlieri (Gombe) (esp in a small 29g) please answer.

All the best James


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## Aura (Oct 29, 2005)

My 29 gallon is set up something like James mentioned in an earlier post, with two separate rock piles. It's working now with 11 marlieri (purchased as transcriptus a little over 3 years ago), but 9 of those 11 are offspring of an original pair. One of those has grown larger than his parents, but he usually stays on his side of the tank so it's been working for a long time now. However, when I first started out I had a few young ones together -- until a pair formed and started chasing the others around the tank relentlessly. I eventually had to remove the others and very soon after that, I found fry in the tank.

This is the set up -- the shellies did not work out either. It ended up being the one pair and the tank is now populated by them and some of their surviving offspring. (I still have to watch for trouble as they mature and remove one occasionally.) 








You can see a few of their babies.









One batch of fry that I decided to pull and grow out.









You could try the separate areas on either side of the tank with an open area in the middle, but from my experience, I'm thinking at the sizes they are now, you will probably need to remove the others.

I should also mention, like James said, messing with the pairs' territory could break their bond. Mine would temporarily break up even when I moved the sand around their nesting area to vacuum during water changes. :roll:


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

Well I took a chance and removed the outcast seven. So far the pair is doing fine. That love having the whole tank. 36bow. I'll just see how it goes.

Thanks


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## kwilliby (Jul 30, 2012)

well, i couldn't stand seeing the pair constantly chase the other 7 and my plants did no good at all. so i removed the 7 and took them back to the LFS. the pair did great for two days. they continued to dig in their favorite cave. then i noticed the larger one (female?) is digging around the cave but the smaller one (male) is always at the other end of the tank hiding in the plants. it looks like the female is keeping him away. she doesn't chase him about and wanders down there once in awhile to see what he is doing. at least they aren't fighting. but i'm worried their bond has been broken. just like some of you said might happen. guess i'll just watch them for awhile and see what happens.

thanks.


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