# Open water species - not Cyps



## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

I currently have a 55g hexagon setup. Lots of rockwork, whole back wall covered with a real rock background, two piles of rocks one on right front one on left front. There is an open sand area in the middle, and lots of live anubias both tall and short. I have these fish:

6 Tang. Irsacae Gobies
2 Juli. Transciptus (pair)
4 Alto. Comp Lufubu Red 
8 Cyp. Leptosoma Kerenge
2 BN Pleco

I got them all as juveniles. The Julis started as 6 and I removed (with great difficulty) the extras. The Altos pared themselves down to four, I do not yet know the sexes. The gobies have been by far the happiest. There is one pair now that is attempting to breed (eating their own eggs?) and the rest are still happy bouncing around the rocks.

My issue is with the cyps. I discovered only after setup that my footprint/tank style is not great for even the small cyps. I started with 14 and removed 6 that were just getting too beat up. Out of the remaining 8 I have two dominant males for sure, one yellow tail and one blue tail. I believe the rest are females but out of those 6, 4 are pretty beat up looking with bitten fins. They all eat fine, no evidence of "cyp wasting." So here is what I am wondering:

-Should I remove the beaten up female cyps once again or will the ones left in the tank eventually get nipped as well?
-Long term will the remaining healthy cyps eventually breed or is the tank setup just not right for them?
-Assuming you are all going to tell me again my tank is too small for cyps  what is another open water swimming fish (tang only) that would would work in this setup?

Thanks!
(Here's a much older shot of the tank, setup is still basically the same though)


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## wvh (Jan 21, 2010)

Maybe it's to obvious but my paracyps are far less active than cyps.I have 7 of them with 2 males. Females swim from side to side whilst the males keep their spot guarded.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I'm not sure if it's just the view that the pic gives but, It doesn't look like you have any "open water" for a fish to swim in.


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

I'd remove the cyps- it's just not going to work out well for them in your tank. I'm not sure paracyps will be any happier- they'll be competing for space in the rocks with the altos and julies.

I don't think there's a tang cichlid that's going to match what you are looking for. Perhaps some non-cichlids dithers would be acceptable?


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

noddy said:


> I'm not sure if it's just the view that the pic gives but, It doesn't look like you have any "open water" for a fish to swim in.


 :lol: :lol: 
But seriously hes true. maybe if it was a flatback hex it would be alright but your tank doesnt have the necessary footprint for pretty much any open water tangs.


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## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

There is a little more open water than the picture reveals. Here's another pic...










Maybe this shows you a little more the dimensions. So no thoughts on other fish, maybe not necessarily "open water" fish, that would work if I removed the cyps?


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## kitana8 (Jan 20, 2010)

I would remove the cyps as well, in my experience they need 4 feet long tanks to be happy. I think your mix is pretty good, you could mayb add more rocks so teh fish would go further up in the water column.


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

It looks like you have already been given excellent advice, but I'll chime in. I think you have set your tank up perfectly, especially for that shape of tank. Honestly, with that tank shape, you could remove every single rock and you still wouldn't satisfy an open water species. Coming from the conservative folks, you need at least 4 feet of straight open water at a minimum for an open water species. Coming from the non-conservative people, they would tell you to go ahead and try a non jumbo Cyp in a tank that size. Sometime it will work and sometimes it won't. Well it looks like you have tried and it's not working out the way you were wanting it to. To sum it up, you can try another open water species and see if it will work, but you need to know going in the odds aren't in your favor. HTH.


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## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

Yeah, I'm afraid I'll have to move them. Where I don't know. I only have another 10 gallon with multies.

Any thoughts on another fish species to replace them?


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

awesome job on the rock work.
its perfect for that tank.
from what i know paracyps are not open water swimmer.
they are rock dwellers to. but you may have enough caves for them with\
that set up. paracyps nigrippinis are cool. they swim upside down and vertically.
its kind of weird but interesting at the same time.


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## jhayes6405 (May 1, 2009)

Your rock work looks great. I agree with everyone else, Cyps are just not a good fit in there. You may have to upgrade to a larger tank once all the other inhabitants grow up.


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

can you give us dimensions of the tank?
its hard to estimate just by looking at a tank like that.

an alternative fish might be paracyprichromis sps.


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## kolopedo (Feb 23, 2003)

Paracyps like tall rock structures. I think that is probably your best choice. Dont over do it though as your tank is pretty small. Tank footprint is more important than water volume. To the inhabitants, it's like living in a 29g tank.

Another fair choice would be a pair of callochromis pluerospilus or ectodus descampsi. They are both open water sand sifters and would inhabit the open sand bed.

Good luck!!


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## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

I was thinking Paracyps would be an alternative. Hopefully I can find a small group that's a little grown up. I have an actinic light with the regular so I think the blue glow would really show off their subtle coloring. :thumb:

I am leaning toward keeping the two male cyps in the tank as they are quite aggressive and can hold there own. They are also really beautiful fish. Would regular cyps crossbreed with paracyps? If so I guess I couldn't leave them in.

I originally was thinking about maybe putting a sand sifting species in but glad I didn't. The gobies spend a lot of time on the bottom picking through the sand and pretty much go wherever they want.

The tank is 28" high and 30" from each flat side to the opposite and about 36" from corner to corner.


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## cobalt (Mar 16, 2006)

I love your tank but have to agree on the Cyps. The tank is too small for them.


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

Callochromis would not work out. 
they are much much more aggressive then any sandsifter their size.


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## kolopedo (Feb 23, 2003)

Callochromis macrops are very aggresive, but pluerospilus would work out quite well. I have kept them many times.


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## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

Well, turned on the light this morning and one of the cyps is holding. Guess I cant really pull them out just yet


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## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

Today one of the gobies is holding as well! :dancing:


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## MSUDawgs56 (Feb 1, 2005)

love your aquascaping... tank looks great!


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## jhayes6405 (May 1, 2009)

Just found this species. I think they may be open water, not sure. Atlantis has wild caught ones right now.

lamprichthys tanganicanus
http://www.killi.co.uk/graphics/L_tanganicanus3.jpg


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Killifish might work out well for you- I think quite a few people use them as dithers in Tang tanks... :thumb:


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## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

You know I was looking at these guys. Haven't seen anybody online or local who carries them. Thanks for the tip.


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## SCARF_ACE1981 (Sep 27, 2004)

awesome rock bg


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## TheFishFactory (Jan 28, 2010)

triscuit said:


> Killifish might work out well for you- I think quite a few people use them as dithers in Tang tanks... :thumb:


In my experience killis thrive and breed better in soft, acidic water. most members of the killifish society would strongly disagree that they were suitable as dithers as they are normally a fairly shy species.


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## jhayes6405 (May 1, 2009)

cbbub said:


> You know I was looking at these guys. Haven't seen anybody online or local who carries them. Thanks for the tip.


No problemo! I know we are supposed to stay away from posting about sellers here, but i found this site, and subsequently these fish, through C-F.

http://www.cichlids.net/pages/fish.php? ... Tanganyika

There is the link for you. Down at the bottom under the WC fish.


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

TheFishFactory said:


> triscuit said:
> 
> 
> > In my experience killis thrive and breed better in soft, acidic water. most members of the killifish society would strongly disagree that they were suitable as dithers as they are normally a fairly shy species.


This one is native to Lake Tanganyika.


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## juliocromus (Aug 1, 2010)

i checked that link and they dont have any tang killis
sucks for me


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