# Pictures, 135 tang tank, also need a little help



## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Ok, so I finally got some pictures of my 135 mixed tang tank uploaded and I'm pretty excited to share them. This post is mostly to test posting pictures and to show my tank but I could also really use some help. This is my first tang tank other than tropheus and those are all species only tanks. I know I'm going to run into some problems once some of these start breeding. I am not looking to keep or sell fry out of this set-up, it is for show only. I want them to breed but most of the offspring to be eaten. I don't care about hybrids because I want the fry to be eaten.

I'm going to make a post with a picture of each fish and include how many. Please enjoy the pics and if you are an experienced tang keeper, advise me on which ones will have the best odds of causing deaths to the others, eating fry is good, just not killing the other adults. I will have to remove them if there is not even a chance with any of these. I love active and don't mind fighting but I don't want one species taking over and killing the rest. As of right now the tank is perfect, tons of activity but no major fighting. Obviously they are very young so this will change but my point is, this is how I'd like it to be long term. This is my favorite set-up yet and I've had a lot but mostly mbuna and tropheus. These tangs are awesome!

The only fish that I dont have pics of are:
10 syno petricola
3 plecos
3 brichardi (I have already read enough to know they are my biggest concern.)
I also had 1 kendalli (my favorite but he found a tiny hole and jumped, he will be replaced! Only one)

Only fish I'd like to add:
3-6 Sumbu shell
A fish that will school the uper part of tank, I dont know how many but I think I'd like to try some kind of cyp.

Pictures soon!


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

First one is just the overall tank, only thing I plan to add is a few larger shells and some barnacles.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

First, my second favorite behind kendalli, Trets! I know they can get nasty when they breed but they are amazingly beautiful and my wifes favorite so they pretty much have to stay.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

4 Julie Transcriptus


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

4 Buescheri


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

5 Caudopunctatus, super active and fun! They keep the tank lively plus you gotta love the blue eyes!


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

6 Calvus


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

1 Cylindricus


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

3 Gobies


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Last but definitely not least, 7 Comps.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

I don't know most collection points so if you can tell from a photo, feel free to share 

Also, I do know some of these will pair and I plan to remove and rehome the extras.


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## busterny (Feb 12, 2014)

Looks awesome. I like the mix. Be careful when things start to pair up.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

Awesome mix! I really hope it works out as I am planning something similar in my 125. Not quite as many fish or species, but I'd love Trets, Calvus, Caudopunctatus, and some occelatus. I love the Buescheri, but I fear that may be pushing it. Calvus and Comps are notorious fry eaters. I've heard Brichardi and Trets are tough on tankmates, but I wonder if having them in such a large well stocked ta k plays into that. Kind of like the mbuna stocking philosophy. I love it.
In fact I was just reading about the Goby cichlids and I'd like to add some. What species have you noticed sticking together?


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Thanks Buster!



The Dude315 said:


> Awesome mix! I really hope it works out as I am planning something similar in my 125. Not quite as many fish or species, but I'd love Trets, Calvus, Caudopunctatus, and some occelatus. I love the Buescheri, but I fear that may be pushing it. Calvus and Comps are notorious fry eaters. I've heard Brichardi and Trets are tough on tankmates, but I wonder if having them in such a large well stocked ta k plays into that. Kind of like the mbuna stocking philosophy. I love it.
> In fact I was just reading about the Goby cichlids and I'd like to add some. What species have you noticed sticking together?


Thank you. It's way too early to tell, I've only had it running for 2-3 weeks. No deaths so far other than for my kendalli jumper. I'm starting to see the julies pair, 1 pair on opposite sides of the tank so I might just get lucky with them. Most of the comps and clavus stick together. The Cauds are always together. Other than those, it still seems pretty speratic.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

A couple more of the tank


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Here are some combo shots I liked





Sorry about my bad photography skillz, my glass is dirty and the photos are unedited in any way, so not the worst I've seen considering


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## digitallinh2 (Dec 29, 2012)

great looking tank, love the trets


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

digitallinh2 said:


> great looking tank, love the trets


Thanks man. Yep, my wife has good taste


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

I just can't post enough pics! Here are the 3 other transcriptus. At first I thought these guys had more black than I wanted but it's grown on me, now I love them and hope I can get lucky and keep two pairs in here.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Last ones for tonight, a couple more close ups of the Caudos.


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## digitallinh2 (Dec 29, 2012)

What kind of camera do you use? I can never take such clear pictures, there's always little particles in my water even though you can't see any with the eye.

Do you do any post editing work on it?


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

digitallinh2 said:


> What kind of camera do you use? I can never take such clear pictures, there's always little particles in my water even though you can't see any with the eye.
> 
> Do you do any post editing work on it?


All these photos are completely untouched, not even color correct, just right off the camera and posted. I'm really surprised I was able to get some close ups as clear as they are. This camera was a really nice sony digital camera, ten years ago lol. It's only 5.0 mega pixels so I'm pretty sure it's way behind times. The nice thing about it is it's huge lens, I think thats why it's good for close ups. It's model number is DSC-F707.

The clarity is due to a lot of filtration. I have two 525gph 5 stage canisters filled with all types of bio but no floss, just easy flow through bio. Then I have the intakes covered with custom made sponge to stop fines from getting in. I shouldn't have to ever clean out the canisters having them set-up this way, I will check them every couple months just to be safe. Then for fines/mechanical filtration I have an ac110 loaded with filter floss. It also has 2 1500 power heads that only kick on a few hours when the lights go out at night. This helps get anything that settles up in the water column and then the ac110 has all night to clear it up. I do 25% water change every week and rinse sponge intake covers and ac110 floss. So far this is my best filtration system, very little maintenance and stays pretty clear and clean.

These photos were actually taken 15 minutes after a feeding because that's when everybody is out the most, so I'm really surprised the water looks as clear as it does.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

First is the Goby Eretmodus cyanosticus? It looks like it. The place I'm likely getting my cichlids from has some in stock. 
I love the Caudopunctatus all over the tank. Your pics sealed it for me. As far as the Juli's I've got 3 pair in my 75 gallon and I even have fry.. no one is allowed within maybe 8" of where the fry are, but other than that they all get along just fine. They each have there spots and they seem happy. I've got a 3d background that I made that they love and I think thats a big part of it. 5 of them call the nooks in there home. One of the Julis is pretty big... substantially bigger than the others and I've had them for several months so I don't see too many problems developing in the future. Please keep the pics of the tank coming with updates on how everyone is getting along


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Merry Christmas!

Yes, goby is Eretmodus cyanosticus.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

My favorite Christmas present was witnessing my first breeding in this tank! 

My favorite comp, who I thought had to be a male


I'm pretty sure is a female now that I wittnessed what had to be breeding, with this big guy. They are gold heads but thats all I know. The larger ones which are probably the males don't show that nice lighter gold face for some reason but they were all from the same source. The female chose a shell to breed in which makes me happy because I just ordered a bunch of huge ones they can move up to as they grow. 


And these are just a couple shots I took while I had the camera out again. :fish:


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

I have an XP3 and an XP4 as well as an AC70 that I am going to use on my tank. I've also got two Vortech Mp40's that I'm going to set up for circulation. So you use filter floss only in your Aquaclear and on the intake of the Canister filters? It obviously works for you, but why not use at least some filter media in the canister filters? Also how big are your circulation pumps? My stupid was on this tank as a reef tank and I'm thinkin even with all the stone and plants that it may be too much. I can control each WaveMaker individually from the controller. Do you have both kick on at the same time? How and where do you have them positioned? I was thinking of doing one maybe 8" from the substrate on the front right and then maybe you 10" from the substrate on the rear left so it kind of blows it to one of the filter intakes on the right rear.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

I didn't put any mechanical filtration in the canisters because they are time consuming to clean. They are just for my bio and water movement. The AC110 is all the mechanical filtration I need. I had the two canisters as my only filtration loaded with bio and the mechanical pads but my water was cloudy most of the time and I had to clean them frequently. Changing to this new setup was the best decision I ever made, less maintenance and clearer, healthier water.

I still have not really figured out what works best with the wavemakers. They are on the controller and I have them alternate every 5 minutes I think, for adout 2 hours when lights are out. They are 1500 each so too much for all the time but good for stirring up anything that settles. I haven't a clue how to aim them other than to go towards your filtration in some way. I have one in the back right corner breaking the surface and the other in the front left corner aimed down toward the substrate. Both are in line with the movement of water from the filters.


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## smitty (May 7, 2004)

You did a great job. It looks great.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

What are you using for lighting? I love the deep water look. I've got a Marineland 5 ft LED fixture with separate blue LEDS. I think it's the reef one. I may have to add another fixture for the plants to give them the light they need for a few hours each day.


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Beautiful tank and species list!


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

I'm new to Tangs - so many shapes and patterns! Thanks for sharing!


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## busterny (Feb 12, 2014)

The more pics I see, the more I like. Awesome mix of fish!


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

Sorry I have not updated much, I had to go out of town for a couple days and no matter the precautions I take, I always end up with issues when I return home. This tank is under attack from some flesh eating bacteria. It claimed 2 fish before I even knew there was a problem and now I'm treating the problem but will most likely lose at least two more before I get things cleared up. Depending on how hard of a hit this has on my stock, I may be posting some pics of new stock soon. I'll try to update when I know more.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

Man good luck. That's terrible... Did you introduce any new fish?


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

I consider all of them new, this tank has not been setup very long. I have not added any since I originally set it up. I have no idea where disease like this comes from but my understanding is that they are usually present in most aquariums but never become an issue unless a fish becomes weak for whatever reason and then these nasty bacteria attack when the fishes immune system is down. Or if the balance of the aquarium gets out of whack and then something like this can take over. It always amazes me how a tank can be so clear and healthy looking one day and then the next you have fish dying. Only thing I can think of is my wife fed too much but she seems pretty clear on how much to feed so I doubt it, or one fish died from getting beat up while I was gone and then rotted in the tank allowing one of the bad bacteria to get strong enough to cause problems. Either way, it seems to have cleared up. All the fish look great now and stress free. Colors are looking their best yet. I lost a total of 5 fish I believe. I may change my stock a little now while I'm treating the tank anyway. I wish I had more available locally right now but I think I'm going to have to order most of what I want. Main thing I'd like to add is my replacement Kendali and a small school of cyps. We'll see what I can find, the tank still looks pretty full and active so I don't want to over stock it either. I could get a few wild caught moba fronts that are gourgeus but they are supper expensive and I would need to plan on a larger tank for long term. My lfs also has lelupi that would add a nice orange or also the brichardi daffodil but I don't know enough about any of them yet to decide if I want to try them with my existing stock. I have a lot to look into I guess. Feel free to share any opinions you might have on what to add or not add.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

That's fantastic that you got it under control. I'm sorry about the fish you lost. I know it stings. I've got a total of 8 fish in my tank now and they cost me $180... I'm still trying to figure out stocking. I hear some horror stories about kendalli. I looked them up when you first mentioned them. When you get a chance post some more pics. I love your tank and your shots are selling points I use with my wife for new fish. 
I know I want more Caudopunctatus in my tank, but I think I might have a breeding pair already. I'm still interested in trets and leleupi, but I'm afraid of them killing $20 fish... I was considering cyps or paracyps as well... and I'm trying to hold off on some synodontis cats, but I love them. I had a 6" euruptus in my 75 gallon... he was awesome. 
I'm also interested in the Buescheri, how active are they?
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. My other tang tank is just Juli transcriptus, Calvus, Compressiseps, and Multis.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

I feel you on being worried about one wrong choice and he could be the guy that goes on a killing rampage and kills off some expensive fish before you can catch him and get him out. I guess that's something we just have to deal with when dealing with cichlids. The Kendali was my favorite fish in there and the only reason I decided it's worth the risk. When I got I him it was a spare of the moment desicion, only one left and I instantly loved the look of him so I took the risk. After a lot of research I was really worried he could be a problem but then started to notice a pattern, all the horror stories I've read had multiple and the few that had success with them in a community, they only had one. My one acted exactly like what the few others with only one observed, he basically stuck to himself. He was never scared or hiding but did not seem to pay attention to any other fish in the tank. He just romed the tank freely with no interaction with the other fish, he was quite cool in there. Hope if wasn't luck and he was just a good one to have but I'm going to try one and find out either way. Worse case senario I have to remove him.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

The caudos are very cool, I agree 100%. I'm not sure how many they do best with but my 5 are doing well so far. All 5 stick to the same area most of the time with the exception of one who likes to wander more. If I can't find any cyps, the caudos would be my next choice to fill in the open water, I could maybe add 5 or so more. I'd really like to try a group of cyps though, the males are all just so colorful and interesting.

As for the syno petricola, I would highly recommend them for a tank like this. I've had anywhere from 5 to 15 in almost every one of my tanks since I got in the hobby. I obviously like them! But that's not why I'm recommending them for this particular type of setup. The reason is, this is the first tank I've been able to truly enjoy observing them. In all my other tanks I would see them once in a while at feeding time or occasionally once lights were out at night. They mostly hid in the rocks and I thought that was normal because they acted the same way in all my tanks. Until this tang tank, wow what a difference! They are out more than they are in the rocks. Constantly chasing and playing. I have ten in there and it seems just right, at least two are out at all times. I just love them now that I can see their true behavior, they are not just pretty, they are super fun and playful. All my other tanks must have been too aggressive, mbuna or tropheus colonies. The synos add a ton more to a tang community of this nature vs the other more aggressive setups where you don't get to see them too often.


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

I figured out why my tank got out of balance and fish started dying, one of my canisters stopped working while I was out of town. I got it replaced and finished treating the tank. All seems good so I added a few new tank mates 

I decided I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get my hands on some wild caught mobas. I got a trio and I think I like the way they fill the tank. They don't over crowd it but with their size they make the tank enjoyable to look at even from across the room. Hopefully they don't eat all my little fish lol. Excuse the filthy glass, I lost my bristlenose pleco and didn't realize how bad the glass has gotten until I was trying to get a clear shot,


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

Wow they look awesome! I especially like how the Trets are in the background


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Thanks.

Yeah I thought that was cool how I caught them in the back fighting. I don't have much hope for them now though. The larger of the three who had the middle of the tank, most likely male, is one of the losses. Now that he's gone the other two, I was hoping both females, just fight all the time now. It's a big tank for them so if they each just stay on their side I guess they could make it. If I knew they were both females I'd try reintroducing another male but for all I know, these two could be males.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

rufretic said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Yeah I thought that was cool how I caught them in the back fighting. I don't have much hope for them now though. The larger of the three who had the middle of the tank, most likely male, is one of the losses. Now that he's gone the other two, I was hoping both females, just fight all the time now. It's a big tank for them so if they each just stay on their side I guess they could make it. If I knew they were both females I'd try reintroducing another male but for all I know, these two could be males.


Eewww... that's a tough one... these fish are expensive and Trets are beautiful... I'm still holding on to the thought of adding a single one... you could rehome one??? Or you could buy a few more... but nearly everything I have read has said that a breeding pair will kill everything... but then again you have a very large tank... I wish I was closer.. I can't get them locally and I would buy one from you in a heartbeat and we could both be winners!! Lol! Those Fronts are stunning though!

I love that bottom pic with the Fronts, Trets, Calvus / Comp, and Caudopunctatus... your tank has so much action!
How big are your caudopunctatus? I think you mentioned that you have 5. Have you seen any arguing among them or other occupants bothering them?


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

I think they are around 1.5" maybe, they look tiny in this tank so they might actually be a little bigger. I'm a little worried the fronts might eat them but for the most part nobody bothers them. I think they fought a little among themselves at first because I noticed them going face to face once in a while and some tattered fins but they all seem healed and getting along well now.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

How is the tank coming? Any issues with the Frontosa? I just added one and I love it. It was the only one he had and it was being bullied by Brichardi. He's pretty small... smallest in the tank. I'd really like to add two more, but I don't know if I have a male or female and I can't sex them... so I could end up with any combination. Are yours a trio? How large are they?


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## rufretic (Mar 30, 2015)

Mine are around 6" and still hard for me to sex. I bought them as a trio but who knows until they spawn. One was holding when I got them but she swallowed in the catching process so I was pretty disappointed but at least I know there is potential.

Tank seems to be doing good with them. I am down 2 more small fish though, one caudo and one brichardi. Hard to know if they were eaten or killed off by aggression but they are no where to be seen.


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