# Lake Tanganyika set up/stocking advice for 180 gallon



## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

I am setting up my first large aquarium at 180g and I am looking at using a Lake Tanganyika tank due to their variety and personality. I have read some of the different types such as rock dweller, open water, sand, and shell. I plan using the space of the tank to separate each type to fit their needs. I also plan on adding a bristlenose since I have read they can handle the Lake Tanganyika fish for assistance with algea cleanup. I was also considering adding about 10 tropheus duboisi but wasn't sure if the tank could handle all 10 since they need to be in groups. My tap water sits at ph 7.0 gh 75 and kh 80. Let me know your thoughts and tips as far as the stocking, ph/gh/kh buffering, and filtration as I am cleaning the tank and resealing it now. Link below for stocking



http://imgur.com/Q5SWB0s


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What are the dimensions of the 180G?

Assume you will do a fishless cycle with ammonia?

Read the articles in the Cichlid-forum Library to get the recipe for Rift Lake buffer.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

The tank dimensions are 72" x 24" x 25" and yes I also do a fishless cycle with a new tank and usually wait until I have algae growth for 2 weeks before cleaning and adding fish. As far as the buffer, how required is it? This is my first African tank so my other tanks don't require the same water parameters as these will. Also, what order should I add them in?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

With the fishless cycle I would add them all at once. With a pH of 7.0 I would buffer. Are you using water from a water softener?

Sand dwellers and shellies may want the same habitat, depending on what species of sand dweller. Open water fish like cyps may not do well with tropheus.

In a 72" tank I would do way more than 10 tropheus...I would make them the focus of the tank and maybe just add gobies for the rocks.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

I was thinking of separating the shell and sand by using the rock formations for the julie and alto. Essentially left side of tank is the shell colony, middle is the rocks, and right is open sand. For the tropheus, i think adding them into the mix that I have now would be a recipe for overcrowding so I was thinking some BN would be able to handle it while providing some level of cleaning of the class etc. As far as my water, no it comes out of the tap at 7.0 more or less


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No more than 2 BN for a 72" tank. What mix do you have now? Open sand makes a more effective barrier for a shell bed.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

I want to have neolamprologus multifasciatus and xenotilapia bathyphilus along with cyprichromis leptosoma, altolamprologus calvus, julidochromis transcriptus, and synodontis multipunctatus.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have never kept xenos, so hope others will chime in. But I would say choose between the shellies, the xenos and the synodontis.

And then the cyps, calvus and julidochromis will work with one of those.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

Thanks for the tips, I am in the early stages for sure and hoping it will work out given the tank is so large. I am no cichlid expert though.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The 72" dimension is what is most important...gallons not so much.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

Right, at 72 inches, should that not be long enough to cover seperate zones per se? If I were to break down the bottom into 3 zones of shells, rock, and open sand giving each fish 24 inches of space. Of course that can be manipulated and the shellies get 12, sand get 18 and then rock gets 42. I am just trying to better understand your logic while also explaining mine.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

PrimaryJudgment said:


> Right, at 72 inches, should that not be long enough to cover seperate zones per se? If I were to break down the bottom into 3 zones of shells, rock, and open sand giving each fish 24 inches of space. Of course that can be manipulated and the shellies get 12, sand get 18 and then rock gets 42. I am just trying to better understand your logic while also explaining mine.


You are basically then trying to keep xenos in a 24sq" area. Now you're looking at only one male, It's not something I would do.
I don't know anything about Julies but I do keep an odd goldhead comp with my xeno Papilios with no problem.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I tried to do the same with my first Tang set up in my 72" tank. I ended up with cyps, calvus, julidochromis and Synodontis multipunctatus.

I asked about Opthalmotilapia (featherfins), thinking...lots of room right? After hearing they want the whole bottom of a 72" tank, decided against them.

Before that I also had leleupi (against advice) and brevis and a single tret along with the cyps, calvus, julidochromis and synodontis in the tank. The leleupi killed the brevis so I rehomed them. The single tret did OK but he hid and did not add much to the tank so I rehomed him. Balance was achieved.

The Synodontis will not stay in their place...they are all over everyone everywhere.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

You are basically then trying to keep xenos in a 24sq" area. Now you're looking at only one male, It's not something I would do.
I don't know anything about Julies but I do keep an odd goldhead comp with my xeno Papilios with no problem.[/quote]

How much space would they need? Would it be better to have the multis in a 55 with the xenos in the 180(72") with the rest? Or with the xenos does it not allow the synodontis? Would the synodotis do better with the multi or another shell dweller?


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> I tried to do the same with my first Tang set up in my 72" tank. I ended up with cyps, calvus, julidochromis and Synodontis multipunctatus.
> 
> I asked about Opthalmotilapia (featherfins), thinking...lots of room right? After hearing they want the whole bottom of a 72" tank, decided against them.
> 
> ...


Makes sense, I really like the synodontis for their looks but yes I understand they like to roam. I got my list and from the aqadvisor basic 125 gallon Lake Tanganyika and added in the open sand thinking with more room it would work but that is why I signed up here for more advice since I am not familiar enough with cichlids.


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## KitumbaKing (Sep 22, 2018)

You have a lot of options with that 180 gallon footprint. My advice would be to pick the species you want to build the tank around, and fill in the other niches based on what you have access to order/purchase.

If you like tropheus you can do about 40 of one species in that aquarium, with 6 gobies and a group of 6 Dardenni as dither. All have the same diet and are gregarious. This would be a very active tank.

If you like Cyphotilpia you could get a colony of 20 juveniles and grown them out with some comps or calvus. This is a long term tank as the colony will need to be dwindled down over a 4 year period to a good Male to female ratio. These fish are all carnivores and are very calm and peaceful for the most part. This tank will be very chill.

If you want a true community pick one fish for the open water, two substrate/cave spawners, one mid water swimmer, and either sandsifters or Shellie.

18 cyprichromis leptosoma 
8 paracypricromis nigripinnis 
6 Altolamprologus compresscips or calvus 
6 Julie ornatus 
8 xenotilapia flavipinnis

You also could perhaps add a few detail fish or odd balls, tanganyikan eel, or a pair of Gnathochromis perimexllis.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

I am going more for the community style tank so now just detrming how to mix them in together. I am curious if I can have a synodontis with a shellie or sand dweller such as the multi or a xenotilapia bathyphilus. If it can be housed with them. I like the community tank as it offers the layers style of tank and variety rather than a stand alone.


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## KitumbaKing (Sep 22, 2018)

PrimaryJudgment said:


> I am going more for the community style tank so now just detrming how to mix them in together. I am curious if I can have a synodontis with a shellie or sand dweller such as the multi or a xenotilapia bathyphilus. If it can be housed with them. I like the community tank as it offers the layers style of tank and variety rather than a stand alone.


Synodontis Petricola/lucipinnis/multipunctatus do better in groups. I have 6 adult lucipinnis in a 55 gallon with some Altolamprologus calvus and they do okay together.

Howver, they can be disruptive to shellies and sandsifters. Also if you have goals of breeding organically in the tank they relentlessly forage for food and are known egg eaters. I would think that your shellies would put up a better fight then your sandsifters when dealing with synodontis. I know when I kept a breeding colony of multis they would attack my hand when cleaning the glass.


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## Halfcopy (Sep 25, 2018)

My Xenos use the entire tank I have 5 in a 6' tank. My J transcriptus stay on the stones and really care less about the Xenos. Each Xeno has their spot but they all intrude from one end to the other.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

So it would be better to have the multis with Synodontis and then have a seperate tank for the xenos since they roam about more. Or would it be better to not include the Synodontis and then have shellies and the xenos? I really like the shark like look for the Synodontis so that is why I keep bringing them up


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## KitumbaKing (Sep 22, 2018)

They are cool for sure. If you are starting off with all juveniles you can kind of see what works out. 1-2 inch fish in 180 gallon are not going to bump heads for a bit. You can monitor the tank and make some stock changes as needed as the fish grow.

Especially if you are going through a online retailer you are going to want to maximize your box order. You can always sell them to a retailer or start another tank.


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## PrimaryJudgment (Sep 18, 2018)

I think the plan would be to have the shellies, synondontis, and cyprichromis leptosoma, altolamprologus calvus, julidochromis transcriptus into the 180 and do my best by creating a rock zone and a shell zone along with a mid zone which will allow the synondontis the room needed to roam and I feel the multis have enough personality to keep the synodontis at bay. Any tips on a better shelly other than the multi? Maybe a Lamprologus ocellatus or another would be better? Or a better synonditis subspecies? Also, thoughts on a bristlenose to assist with some algae clean up.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The shellies and the Synodontis will not kill each other...you will just not see all the shellie behavior because they will be distracted keeping the Synodontis at bay. Two BN will help with the glass but you will still have to scrape for clarity.

Multifasciatus are good for a large colony in one spot and either of the Synodontis you mention will have the same advantages and issues. Note that petricola are almost always (always???) actually lucipinnis. The importers have not updated the name and the retailers pass it along.


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