# Caudopunctatus



## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

In a nutshell, I am wondering how large of a tank I need to give these guys.

My reason for asking is that I recently bought five _`Lamprologus` caudopunctatus_ (Red Fin). I was looking for a shell dweller to replace my recently perished stock of Gold occelatus in half 10G tank (16"x8"x10"). Only after taking them home, I read the species profiles, and noticed they are supposed to get up to 3" in length 

If that's really so, a half 10G tank is probably a bit small for them. For the meantime, I have put them in a 29G together with my colony of 10 _Paracyprichromis nigripinnis_. The paracyps are really a breeding project, in a tank that I have set up in the basement, and don't get to see as much as my show tanks around the house. So the caudopuncs are rather wasted in there, plus I am eagerly awaiting fry from the paracyps. Do I need to worry about the caudopuncts eating some of those?

I am currently using the half 10G tank to grow out some brevis fry, but would eventually like to move another shelldweller in there again. Are the caudopuncts a possible candidate or should I look for something like multies or similis?

Many thanks

Frank


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

The caudopunks will work, but probably only one pair. They don't defend a huge amount of territory, but 
two pair would be crowded. Once they start, they breed constantly and I've not had them bother the 
young, so it'd be an interesting setup. You might get multi generations of fry.

I've got two breeding pairs fairly close to each other, but there's a large rock pile in between and lots of 
other distractions. You could certainly start off with all of them in there and remove what you need to. A 
single rock with a nearby shell is all they need to stake out a claim and spawn.

They're nice fish, and I think you'll enjoy them. I'd probably add something to the tank with them, even 
non-cichlid, so you can see the parental protection. Just be ready to be swamped with fry. They'll give 
you a few dozen or more every few weeks. My guess is they'd snack on brevis fry even though they're 
primarily plankton pickers.

Here's a video.

Caudo's with fry


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## Longstocking (Aug 26, 2003)

Frank.... what I would suggest is to keep them in a larger tank untill they pair off and breed. Then pull the pair and put them in the 10. They should do fine this way.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

prov356 said:


> You might get multi generations of fry.


Really? I read several older articles that said they colony like brichardi, but after a search both on this website and others ... in most people's experience they don't. I would love a colony of these guys someday.


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

I'm sure there are different experiences out there, but in my experience these fish do not colonize similar to multies. They tolerate fry until the next spawn (which isn't that long). From then on, there is no love loss as the parents begin to chase them.


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## aroussel (Mar 5, 2003)

Prov, I notice in your video you have a calvis in the background. Do you fry last long or do they dwindle away till none remain?


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## Agnag (Dec 1, 2008)

I have a buddy that breeds these in a 10 gallon (one pair). They spawn all the time.. He gave me some of his fry that are at about 2 inch, and at the OCA auction I bought a group of Lamprologus` similis, with four adults and 5 fry and a few shells in the bag, but on top of that there were some c-punk fry too! (they were hiding in the shells). So I have about a dozen c-punks in a 20 long with a bunch of shells and waiting to see what happens.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Prov, I notice in your video you have a calvis in the background. Do you fry last long or do they dwindle away till none remain?


That's pretty much it. Right now I have 3 from a spawn that are about 8 weeks old. They're the record. 
They're the last of a few dozen.

I never said they'd colonize like multi's. I said you might get multiple generations in the tank. I've had 
it happen. How the older ones would fare long term would be interesting to see. I've not seen any 
aggression toward the young, even when preparing to spawn again. What they tend to do is bury the 
shell, I think to discourage them from hanging around. In the wild, I'm sure they wander off and find 
their own space, but I've not doubt that different generations can be found in the same area, and it 
may appear to a diver to be similar to the brichardi colonies. I've seen pics of large caudopunk 
groups in one of Konings books, I believe. When they start to reach maturity, they may be more 
threatened by the adults. It'd be interesting to see what would occur in an aquarium. I think that's 
what I said the first time. 

After looking at the footprint of my 10 gallons, I'd go with Longstocking's suggesting to pair them in a 
larger tank. My caudopunks are the only ones in my 180 community to suffer deaths via aggression.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Sorry for neglecting this thread for a while, but many thanks for all the input. Pairing off in the 29G and then transferring a pair to the 1/2 10G sounds like the way to go. Why didn't I think of that myself?

Great video, Prov! Lots of tropheus in that tank too! About a year ago I asked in the tropheus forum if I could put multies in with tropheus in a my 125G. I darn near had a lynch mob coming after me, because people had strong feelings about not putting shelldwellers in with tropheus. I still have the female multie of my pair in that tank (lost the male), simply because I can't catch her. Your video encourages me to start looking for a male for her! Other than about 30 tropheus (more every day), there are only four _Eretmodus cyanostictus_ â€˜Orange Congoâ€™ in that tank. Might be space for a colony of multies in a corner :wink:

Frank


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Might be space for a colony of multies in a corner


That would be the key. A space that the trophs weren't likely to venture into. The caudopunks have a 
space near a male's rockpile, so he's the only one they deal with. It's not a place the colony wanders 
into. Humorous to watch the interaction. A lot of posturing, but never any worse. Seems like they have 
an understanding. Many times he could grab a snack of fry if so inclined, but doesn't even attempt it. I 
know, they're primarily herbivores, but also opportunists. I've seen a pic of them feeding on an 
abandoned spawn in the lake. If you have such a space, it can work. Feeding time could get interesting 
though. You'd need to make sure the food didn't spread into the shell bed because then all bets are off. 
When I feed, the pellets go into the caudo's territory, but the fry have all hid in the shell. I get what I call 
the 'wolfpack', a group of trophs that descend together to grab up the food while the male caudo tries in 
vain to fend them off. Once over, it looks like a bomb went off in the tank. Sand and food just flies. But 
then it settles again and life goes on. The fry come back out and peace reigns again. I'd give it a go if I 
were you because I like a challenge tank where you need to work the aquascaping and territories to get 
things to work. It's an interesting part of keeping tangs to me.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Interesting observations, Prov. My Tropheus tank looks like this:










I feed on the left hand side of the big piece of wood, and like you describe, as soon as the tropheus sense the food coming, all **** breaks loose in that tank. The lone multie lives under the wood - you can actually see her in the photo if you click it larger - but at feeding time she is up at the surface pushing the tropheus out of the way! She is tough, but fry might change the situation, of course. She also has never shown much interest in shells, preferring the caves under the wood piece. So shifting her territory by putting shells somewhere else probably won't work. Maybe if I shifted the feeding spot over to the right where the plants are. They are well established now, and could probably cope with the frenzy. Then the multies could stay in front of wood, and in time I might be able lure some over to the left by putting some shells into that area. I am not worried about the multies not getting enough food, because there is a strong current in that tank and food gets distributed through the whole of it very quickly. Actually, the current is weaker on the left, which might also suit the multies better. One thing that's not going to happen is my shifting the wood - not even by an inch :lol:

Anyhow, certainly some food for thought. Many thanks

Frank


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## Louis123 (Jun 13, 2004)

I must admit Fmueller, your setup looks amazing 

Do you get alot of fry from your trophs ?


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## niccomau (Oct 14, 2008)

I have caudos. And it's a 50/50 split. I had five and now I'm down to what seems to be a pair forming. But before two were in shells at opposite corners, the rest had dig pits under rock over hangs. Now with the fledgling couple one is under a rock overhand (male) and the female keeps to her shell.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I get fry regularly from both pairs of caudos but the fry vanish. Don't know if it's the caudos or the other tank inhabitants however that are guilty.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

That's an old thread you guys dredged up - from March. Regarding the Caudos, the 5G tank was clearly too small for them. I had nothing but trouble with that setup, and I lost a few due to jumping. They definetely need a larger tank, and one that is not so shallow or well covered. My two remaining Caudos are back in a 29G, but they are not a pair - I am thinking two females. I might be looking for a male for them at the upcoming OCA Extravaganza.

The Tropheus are an ever sadder story. I lost each and every last one of them due to some mystery disease I could not stop. I had 25 adults plus many, many fry when disaster stuck. I tried everything from Clout over salt to raised temperature and huge daily water changes. Some of these measures halted the dying for a while, but whenever I returned to normal, the Tropheus died again at a rate of about one per day. I am taking an extended break from Tropheus right now 

Frank


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## niccomau (Oct 14, 2008)

god I'm sorry to hear about your tropheus! I just turned three male caudo's in to the LFS the other day  Out of the original five fry I bought only one turned out to be a female...


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

Caudos are actually found in HUGE schools within the lake but my guess is that this behavior, for some species specific reason, is only possible in HUGE tanks.

The books call them "Schools" but, IME, most tangs don't move as one etc. like many oceanic or other "schools" do but rather they behave more like tropheus or Brichardi, as a colony. Cyps are the only ones I've seen moving through aquariums in true "Schools".


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