# My two Tanganyika tanks (many pictures)



## rck1984

Hello Folks,

After reading this forum for quite a while now, i decided to register and share my two Tanganyika tanks with you. I have two great hobbyÃ‚Â´s, one obviously being fish, the other one being photography. In the past year i have been making a lot of great pictures of my tanks and i would like to share some of them and hopefully you enjoy them 

*My 240 liter / 65 gallon Tanganyika tank:*
(I am using both a Sylvania Aquastar T5 and an Actinic T5 light dimmed for about 50%. The colors of the fish really pop, down below you can see the colors of my Paracyprichromis under the actinic lightning.)

1M/1F - Altolamprologus Calvus black.
1M - Neolamprologus Tretocephalus.
1M/1F - Lamprologus Ocellatus gold.
3M/9F - Paracyprichromis Brieni Velifer.
7M/F - Synodontis Petricola dwarf.


Overview Tanganyika 240l by Rck1984F, on Flickr

*My 60 liter / 15 gallon Lamprologus Multifasciatus tank:*

3M/5F - Lamprologus Multifasciatus
~30 - Young fry, aprox 3 weeks old now.
Also contains 250 snail shells.


Lamprologus Multifasciatus tank by Rck1984F, on Flickr

*Some recent pictures i made of the 65 gallon tank:*


Altolamprologus Calvus black female guarding her shell with young fish by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Paracyprichromis Brieni Velifer by Rck1984F, on Flickr

My Neolamprologus Tretocephalus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Calvus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Lamprologus Ocellatus male by Rck1984F, on Flickr

My Neolamprologus Tretocephalus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Two of my Paracyprichromis Brieni Velifer males by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Shell full with Altolamprologus Calvus black fry. by Rck1984F, on Flickr

*And some random pictures of the Lamprologus Multifasciatus tank:*


Lamprologus Multifasciatus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

One of my Lamprologus Multifasciatus female guarding her fry. by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Lamprologus Multifasciatus fry by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Lamprologus Multifasciatus fry by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Hopefully you enjoy them


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## Hatter

Wow, man. Simply gorgeous pictures. Thanks so much for sharing. I love the simplicity of the shelly tank.

That first picture is truly artful. Great composition.


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## rck1984

Hatter said:


> Wow, man. Simply gorgeous pictures. Thanks so much for sharing. I love the simplicity of the shelly tank.
> 
> That first picture is truly artful. Great composition.


Thank you Hatter, much appreciated.


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## TCP

Hatter said:


> Wow, man. Simply gorgeous pictures. Thanks so much for sharing. I love the simplicity of the shelly tank.
> 
> That first picture is truly artful. Great composition.


           =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

+1

Truly stunning pictures.... your ready for the Cichlid - Forum Photo Contest


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## Eric_S

Everything about this post is awesome!  =D> Thanks for sharing.


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## Steffano2

Stunning!!!! All your pictures and your fish too.

If I may ask how did you embed your Flickr pictures into the thread? I have an account and cannot figure it out.


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## rck1984

Steffano2 said:


> Stunning!!!! All your pictures and your fish too.
> 
> If I may ask how did you embed your Flickr pictures into the thread? I have an account and cannot figure it out.


Thanks for all the nice responses, really appreciate it! :thumb: 
Getting the pictures embedded like that with Flickr is pretty easy. Just click on a picture in your photo stream, then press the share button and there you have all the options to share the pics, also the embedded option.


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## DanniGirl

Outstanding pictures! I love the 65 gal. set-up!


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## Steffano2

rck1984 said:


> Steffano2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Stunning!!!! All your pictures and your fish too.
> 
> If I may ask how did you embed your Flickr pictures into the thread? I have an account and cannot figure it out.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for all the nice responses, really appreciate it! :thumb:
> Getting the pictures embedded like that with Flickr is pretty easy. Just click on a picture in your photo stream, then press the share button and there you have all the options to share the pics, also the embedded option.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on the Flickr sharing, figured it out you have to use the BBcode, which stands for Bulletin Board Code.


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## pomi

I like how you've used the rule of thirds. :thumb:

Great pics!


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## rck1984

Thank you very much, it feels good that my pictures are appreciated


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## fmueller

Great tanks, and lots of excellent photos. The one with the Calvus fry in the shell taken from a bird's eye view is my personal favorite. Absolutely fantastic shot :thumb:


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## rck1984

fmueller said:


> Great tanks, and lots of excellent photos. The one with the Calvus fry in the shell taken from a bird's eye view is my personal favorite. Absolutely fantastic shot :thumb:


Thank you, once again! It's one of my favo shots as well.


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## Steve C

Very nice tanks, the 65 is by far my fav of the two though. I like the lighting you have in the 65 where it looks more of a "spot" type lighting. Mind sharing what sort of light setup you are running on that one?

EDIT- BTW Photography is a bit of a hobby with me (Canon & Sigma set up here) I also wanted to tell you your pictures are excellent quality color&foucs :thumb:


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## rck1984

Steve C said:


> Very nice tanks, the 65 is by far my fav of the two though. I like the lighting you have in the 65 where it looks more of a "spot" type lighting. Mind sharing what sort of light setup you are running on that one?
> 
> EDIT- BTW Photography is a bit of a hobby with me (Canon & Sigma set up here) I also wanted to tell you your pictures are excellent quality color&foucs :thumb:


Thank you Steve.

The lightning I am using on my 65 gallon, 1x Sylvania Aquastar T5 and 1x Blue Reef Actinic T5. Both are dimmed for about 50% with PVC pipe. I took a pipe and drilled a dozen holes into it and placed it over the whole length of both the light. It results in dimming the light output by a lot, next to that I drilled bigger holes on certain spots to highlight things in my tank (the spot light your thinking of).
It took me hours and hours off trying to get the perfect light but I am very satisfied with it at the moment. The color of the fish just pops off, the difference with the "normal" light is incredible.

I used the same method on my multifasciatus tank, I recently made a picture to show someone who was wondering as well.


Dim method Multifasciatus tank by Rck1984F, on Flickr

The actinic T5 light is definitely a thing to consider, it's awesome.


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## fmueller

rck1984 said:


> The lightning I am using on my 65 gallon, 1x Sylvania Aquastar T5 and a Blue Reef Actinic T5. Both are dimmed for about 50% with PVC pipe.


That's pretty slick! I wouldn't have guessed that plants would do well at all with that kind of light, but evidently your valisneria are doing OK!


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## kojak76

:thumb: Very nice tank and pics, I really hope mine turns out that well. What kind of camera/lens do you use? I have a cannon EOS 7D and would love for my pics to turn out that good..


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## Steve C

> The lightning I am using on my 65 gallon, 1x Sylvania Aquastar T5 and 1x Blue Reef Actinic T5. Both are dimmed for about 50% with PVC pipe. I took a pipe and drilled a dozen holes into it and placed it over the whole length of both the light. It results in dimming the light output by a lot, next to that I drilled bigger holes on certain spots to highlight things in my tank (the spot light your thinking of).
> It took me hours and hours off trying to get the perfect light but I am very satisfied with it at the moment. The color of the fish just pops off, the difference with the "normal" light is incredible.


That is an excellent idea and way to accomplish that :thumb: I hope you don't mind but I may barrow that idea and see how it looks on my build I am working on?

One other question on that...Since the bulb is in a PVC tube does it seem to get the bulb itself warmer where it would have any ill effects on bulb life span? or if the difference not very much since it is still able to vent heat through the holes in the pvc?


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## rck1984

kojak76 said:


> :thumb: Very nice tank and pics, I really hope mine turns out that well. What kind of camera/lens do you use? I have a cannon EOS 7D and would love for my pics to turn out that good..


I am using a Canon 5D Mark II with a Canon 24-70mm F2.8 L lens for these pics.


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## rck1984

Steve C said:


> The lightning I am using on my 65 gallon, 1x Sylvania Aquastar T5 and 1x Blue Reef Actinic T5. Both are dimmed for about 50% with PVC pipe. I took a pipe and drilled a dozen holes into it and placed it over the whole length of both the light. It results in dimming the light output by a lot, next to that I drilled bigger holes on certain spots to highlight things in my tank (the spot light your thinking of).
> It took me hours and hours off trying to get the perfect light but I am very satisfied with it at the moment. The color of the fish just pops off, the difference with the "normal" light is incredible.
> 
> 
> 
> That is an excellent idea and way to accomplish that :thumb: I hope you don't mind but I may barrow that idea and see how it looks on my build I am working on?
> 
> One other question on that...Since the bulb is in a PVC tube does it seem to get the bulb itself warmer where it would have any ill effects on bulb life span? or if the difference not very much since it is still able to vent heat through the holes in the pvc?
Click to expand...

Of course go ahead, let us know how it works out! I'm glad I can contribute something to this forum besides pictures, and give people some idea's for their own tanks 

I am not sure about the life span of the bulb, both the bulb and the tube do get warmer but with enough holes drilled in, I never experienced any problems. Just make sure you take a thick/double layer PVC tube and keep an eye on it for the first days/weeks.

Good luck! :thumb:


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## rck1984

The Canon 5D Mark II is an awesome piece of equipment, worth every penny. I just love the camera! Saving for a real good macro lens now but that wont be any soon 

Two more I'd like to share:


Lamprologus Ocellatus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

On this one, you really see the strength of the actinic light. All the blue pops off the fish, I did not had this without my actinic, not even close.


Paracyprichromis Brieni Velifer, Actinic lightning by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## mvenza24

What kind of camera are you using for these shots?


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## kojak76

Nice camera, gotta love a cannon..Who thought by joining a fish forum i would also find a picture guru as well, small world. I have done similar stuff but the clarity of your pics is amazing, looks like your in the water lol. Holy cow i just noticed your lens cost about $1300.00 SWEET!!!!!. :thumb:


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## rck1984

Thanks guys, as mentioned right above. I am using a Canon 5D Mark II.
@Kojak76, it was quite expensive indeed but totally worth it, it's just amazing


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## Vamze

Very beautiful.

Have you noticed any violent aggression from your Tretocephalus towards the other inhabitants?

I'm currently contemplating getting a pair for my 190 gallon.


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## rck1984

Vamze said:


> Very beautiful.
> 
> Have you noticed any violent aggression from your Tretocephalus towards the other inhabitants?
> 
> I'm currently contemplating getting a pair for my 190 gallon.


It all depends on the individual. My Tretocephalus isn't aggressive at all, I see very little agression towards my two Lamprologus Ocellatus as soon as they get too close but I can't blame my Tretocephalus for that, any fish getting close to one of their shells is send away, or at least being tried to send them away, my Tret however is not so impressed by them and defends himself. I haven't seen any biting at all though. Besides my Altolamprologus Calvus of around the same size as my Tret, scares the guts out of him, haha.

A friend of mine had four young Treto's in a 800 liter and had to remove a couple because of aggression. He has two left in his tank now and it goes fine, there is agression but there is space for the to avoid each other.

Just keep an eye on them


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## mvenza24

What did you use for the black background on the shell tank?


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## rck1984

mvenza24 said:


> What did you use for the black background on the shell tank?


It's black window coating, the plastic films you can buy at the local DIY stores. It's attached from the outside obviously  they're pretty cheap, I paid about 5$ for a roll.


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## mvenza24

yeah the backgrounds at my LFS are pretty expensive and all I really want is solid black. Thanks for the info!


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## rck1984

mvenza24 said:


> yeah the backgrounds at my LFS are pretty expensive and all I really want is solid black. Thanks for the info!


No problem, painting would be an option as well but this is much easier.

For the people that liked the pictures, a few more:


Altolamprologus Calvus black by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Paracyprichromis Brieni Velifer by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Neolamprologus Tretocephalus and Lamprologus Ocellatus by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## Vamze

rck1984 said:


> Vamze said:
> 
> 
> 
> Very beautiful.
> 
> Have you noticed any violent aggression from your Tretocephalus towards the other inhabitants?
> 
> I'm currently contemplating getting a pair for my 190 gallon.
> 
> 
> 
> It all depends on the individual. My Tretocephalus isn't aggressive at all, I see very little agression towards my two Lamprologus Ocellatus as soon as they get too close but I can't blame my Tretocephalus for that, any fish getting close to one of their shells is send away, or at least being tried to send them away, my Tret however is not so impressed by them and defends himself. I haven't seen any biting at all though. Besides my Altolamprologus Calvus of around the same size as my Tret, scares the guts out of him, haha.
> 
> A friend of mine had four young Treto's in a 800 liter and had to remove a couple because of aggression. He has two left in his tank now and it goes fine, there is agression but there is space for the to avoid each other.
> 
> Just keep an eye on them
Click to expand...

Yeah. This is what I was thinking. I think I am going to get 1 male 3 females and see if I can get a pair. When I get a pair I will remove the other fish.

I think this is the best way, as you say, as I also heard they are very aggressive to con-specifics in their neighborhood. Also, nice picture of the Tret - Occe face-off! Love it


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## rck1984

Vamze said:


> rck1984 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Vamze said:
> 
> 
> 
> Very beautiful.
> 
> Have you noticed any violent aggression from your Tretocephalus towards the other inhabitants?
> 
> I'm currently contemplating getting a pair for my 190 gallon.
> 
> 
> 
> It all depends on the individual. My Tretocephalus isn't aggressive at all, I see very little agression towards my two Lamprologus Ocellatus as soon as they get too close but I can't blame my Tretocephalus for that, any fish getting close to one of their shells is send away, or at least being tried to send them away, my Tret however is not so impressed by them and defends himself. I haven't seen any biting at all though. Besides my Altolamprologus Calvus of around the same size as my Tret, scares the guts out of him, haha.
> 
> A friend of mine had four young Treto's in a 800 liter and had to remove a couple because of aggression. He has two left in his tank now and it goes fine, there is agression but there is space for the to avoid each other.
> 
> Just keep an eye on them
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yeah. This is what I was thinking. I think I am going to get 1 male 3 females and see if I can get a pair. When I get a pair I will remove the other fish.
> 
> I think this is the best way, as you say, as I also heard they are very aggressive to con-specifics in their neighborhood. Also, nice picture of the Tret - Occe face-off! Love it
Click to expand...

Pairing the Tretocephalus isn't gonna be easy though, in the lake they mostly live solo as far as I know. Good luck and thanks for the nice words!


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## mvenza24

These pictures are really nice enough to frame and hang up!


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## Vamze

rck1984 said:


> Pairing the Tretocephalus isn't gonna be easy though, in the lake they mostly live solo as far as I know. Good luck and thanks for the nice words!


You might be right. The plan is to see if they get along. I would be happy to get a pair, but I am not expecting it. If they won't get along I will take them back.

I will also contemplate getting only one, as you have. If it works for you it might work in my tank.


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## rck1984

Vamze said:


> rck1984 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Pairing the Tretocephalus isn't gonna be easy though, in the lake they mostly live solo as far as I know. Good luck and thanks for the nice words!
> 
> 
> 
> You might be right. The plan is to see if they get along. I would be happy to get a pair, but I am not expecting it. If they won't get along I will take them back.
> 
> I will also contemplate getting only one, as you have. If it works for you it might work in my tank.
Click to expand...

Definitly a challenge at least! Let us know :thumb:


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## rck1984

I am thinking of getting another small tank, a 15 or 20 gallon with either a pair of Altolamprologus Compressiceps sumbu shell or a pair of Lamprolgus Leloupi / Lamprologus Ornatipinnis. I am not sure what to go for yet.

Alto. Shells are a pain to get here at the moment. I like both the leloupi ( the shell dweller, not the leleupi.) and Ornatinnis as well.

Some pictures will follow as soon as I figured out what to go for


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## zimmy

Outstanding images! Your tanks are really beautiful. :thumb:

I'd love to see some videos of the tanks shot with the Mk II.


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## rck1984

zimmy said:


> Outstanding images! Your tanks are really beautiful. :thumb:
> 
> I'd love to see some videos of the tanks shot with the Mk II.


Thank you very much Zimmy  
I will make a vid as soon as I get back home from Sweden, on some sort of a vacation now.


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## zimmy

rck1984 said:


> I will make a vid as soon as I get back home from Sweden, on some sort of a vacation now.


Tack sÃƒÂ¥ mycket!


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## rck1984

zimmy said:


> rck1984 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I will make a vid as soon as I get back home from Sweden, on some sort of a vacation now.
> 
> 
> 
> Tack sÃƒÂ¥ mycket!
Click to expand...

Hah! no problem


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## petrab

Great tanks and fantastic pics !! I love the rock work in the 65gallon - what kind of rocks are they ? Do you know the name ??


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## rck1984

petrab said:


> Great tanks and fantastic pics !! I love the rock work in the 65gallon - what kind of rocks are they ? Do you know the name ??


Thank you Petrab, its Ardenner quarry stone: http://www.google.com/search?q=arde...gSTtpy7CA&sqi=2&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=1440&bih=705


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## petrab

Thanks for the quick response - I love it - now I must find some  in process of setting up a tank and it would be perfect.


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## rck1984

petrab said:


> Thanks for the quick response - I love it - now I must find some  in process of setting up a tank and it would be perfect.


Good luck finding some  i needed around 65 kilo for my 65 gallon.


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## petrab

The name isn't throwing up any uk sources / results. I wonder is it known under a different name in the UK?
I am sure I will find similar looking pieces in garden centres anyway (I hope ...) I can't imagine i will need too much ... Maybe 20 to 30 kg


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## rck1984

petrab said:


> The name isn't throwing up any uk sources / results. I wonder is it known under a different name in the UK?
> I am sure I will find similar looking pieces in garden centres anyway (I hope ...) I can't imagine i will need too much ... Maybe 20 to 30 kg


I am not not sure about the English name of the stone, good luck finding them :thumb:


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## Vamze

petrab said:


> The name isn't throwing up any uk sources / results. I wonder is it known under a different name in the UK?
> I am sure I will find similar looking pieces in garden centres anyway (I hope ...) I can't imagine i will need too much ... Maybe 20 to 30 kg


Try "ardenner granite"


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## rck1984

Vamze said:


> petrab said:
> 
> 
> 
> The name isn't throwing up any uk sources / results. I wonder is it known under a different name in the UK?
> I am sure I will find similar looking pieces in garden centres anyway (I hope ...) I can't imagine i will need too much ... Maybe 20 to 30 kg
> 
> 
> 
> Try "ardenner granite"
Click to expand...

The Ardennen is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges in the south of Belgium, not too far away from my place. I am not sure if it's possible to get these particular kind of stone elsewhere in Europe, not to speak of even in the US. Though there should be an alternative that looks like them. Good luck finding the right stones! 

For my next tank I'm gonna use brown greywacke stone. I have something nice in mind already


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## mvenza24

Where did you get all those shells?


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## rck1984

mvenza24 said:


> Where did you get all those shells?


From a local wholesale store, they sell them empty in packs of 46.
I bought about 6 of the packs (around 250-300 shells in the tank now) and put them into my multi tank, they love it! The bigger fry are starting to claim their own shells as well already, awesome to see small fish pop up where ever you look! :thumb:


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## mvenza24

Roughly how much did you pay for the 46? They have a pack of 36 on amazon for $15.


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## rck1984

mvenza24 said:


> Roughly how much did you pay for the 46? They have a pack of 36 on amazon for $15.


They were definitely cheaper here. I think around 6 euro for a pack.. That's what? 9 dollar?


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## mvenza24

Yeah that's much cheaper, hmmmmmm. What are you using for substrate?


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## rck1984

mvenza24 said:


> Yeah that's much cheaper, hmmmmmm. What are you using for substrate?


Fine sand, take Pool Filter sand if you can get it. I mixed it with fine gravel/stones for a more natural look. Keep in mind if you go for a group of Lamprologus Multifasciatus to cover the bottom with a double layer of shells on a thin layer of sand. I have seen many Multifasciatus tanks with a few inch layer of sand and just a few empty shells.. That's great for Ocellatus and some other shellies but for multi's it's actually the other way around. In their original habitat they live on a huge bottom of empty Neothauma snail shells, tons of layers thick. They never get to see sand, that's the reason they move it in fishtanks, not because they like to aquashape but because they want to get rid of it near their shells.

Good luck setting up your tank, and if your choice will be Multifasciatus then your gonna have a lot of fun by just looking at them, they are very busy little fishes :thumb:


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## Razzo

Beautiful tanks and fish! Loved the picture of the tret on the 1st page. Superb!

Russ


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## mvenza24

Thanks for all the advice, your tank really inspired me to set this up.


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## rck1984

@Razzo: Thank you! 

@Mvenza24: Glad i could be of help! :thumb:


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## rck1984

I bought another 15 gallon tank today for my 5 Altolamprologus Compressiceps Sumbu shells that i can pick up on monday. I am kind of satisfied with it so far:


Altolamprologus Compressiceps Sumbu shell tank by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Fits nicely next to my 15 gallon Multifasciatus tank 


Both my Multifasciatus and Compressiceps Sumbu shell tanks by Rck1984F, on Flickr

I am not happy with the lightning of the new tank yet, something to work on next week


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## MalawiBlue

Beautiful tanks and shots! I'm just cycling a 25 gallon right now but have not decided on final occupants! You seem to have access to a great selection of fish!


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## rck1984

Thank you!

Instead of the Alto. Compressiceps Sumbu shell i will most likely go for 3-5 Neolamprologus Kungweensis and let them pair up by themselves. If they arent agressive towards each other, i will let them all be in.

Reason i wont go for the Sumbu's is because i cant get my hands on a couple quality ones. The ones i can get i am not very satisfied with, on the other hand.. The Neolamprologus Kungweensis isnt so much seen here and a often forgotten fish. I think their behavior as well as their looks are great (black/white dorsalfin on females).

Anyone experience with the (Neo) Lamprologus Kungweensis?


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## rck1984

Change of plans...
I got home with 4x Altolamprologus Compressiceps Sumbu shells for my 15 gallon shelly tank.
The fish is only in for about a hour now and are still very "shy".. I managed to take one decent picture to give you guys an idea of the fish.


One of my Altolamprologus Compressiceps sumbu shells by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## rck1984

One of my Altolamprologus Compressiceps Sumbu shell by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## malady

awesome lens i must say


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## rck1984

malady said:


> awesome lens i must say


Its a great piece of equipment, worth every penny


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## JMUFTW

Love your Neolamprologus Tretocephalus - never seen one before! Great looking setup, and awesome photography. Thanks for sharing! opcorn:


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## skins4431

What type of filtration do you have on those tanks?


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## DIAMOND_CICHLIDS

I must say that you set up beautiful thanks, good job :thumb:


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## chapman76

Love the tanks man. I forgot how much I did love my shellies and how much I always wanted some Sumbu.


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## rck1984

> What type of filtration do you have on those tanks?


For the 65 gallon i'm using an Eheim classic 2217, the two shellie-tanks are using internal filters as we speak, planning on external ones soon though but these will do for now.



> Love your Neolamprologus Tretocephalus - never seen one before! Great looking setup, and awesome photography. Thanks for sharing!


The Neolamprologus Tretocephalus actually been the reason i started with Tanganyika a while ago 



> I must say that you set up beautiful thanks, good job


Thank you very much 



> Love the tanks man. I forgot how much I did love my shellies and how much I always wanted some Sumbu


Thanks!  Altolamprologus shell always been top of my "wishlist" as well, finally could get my hands on some quality ones :thumb: They're lovely:


Altolamprologus Compressiceps (sumbu or sp.) shell by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## rck1984

Added some dither fish into my Altolamprologus Compressiceps shell tank and finally got the chance to make a couple decent pictures:


Altolamprologus Compressiceps shell by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps shell by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps shell by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps shell by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## chapman76

So jealous! Love the tanks and the pictures. Those have been on my wish list for awhile too.


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## rck1984

chapman76 said:


> So jealous! Love the tanks and the pictures. Those have been on my wish list for awhile too.


I have been in the same boat for a while, couldnt get my hand on a couple quality ones but finally got them and i'm pretty happy with them so far


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## rck1984

A couple recent shots of my Lamprologus Ocellatus, often being forgotten when making pictures but its such a cool fish :thumb:


Lamprologus Ocellatus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Lamprologus Ocellatus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

He's very peaceful actually but dont get near his shell


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## rck1984

I decided to change the stock of my 65 gallon in some months, towards the summer.
Most likely this is what i am gonna keep:

4M/8F - Paracyprichromis Brieni Velifer. (my current group)
1M/4F - Xenotilapia Bathyphilus.
1M - Altolamprologus Calvus Inkfin black or White Chaitika (wild caught)

Since these Xenotilapia need a whole different setup as my current, i will be reshaping my whole tank with more open sand space, a few rocks and a pile of rocks on one side for my Calvus. Also i'm making my own 3D background right now to create some more depth because of the lack of rocks.

The left side is done except for "burning" it and ofcourse some layers of tile adhesive. I am pretty satisfied so far :thumb:


DIY aquarium background 65 gallon by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## Jayse

nice look to that piece of styro! How'd you get it to look like that (what tools), and is that all from one sheet that was carved away without any glue


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## rck1984

Jayse said:


> nice look to that piece of styro! How'd you get it to look like that (what tools), and is that all from one sheet that was carved away without any glue


Its two or actually 3 sheets of styrofoam, one untouched for the back and one thicker one on front to create the rocks, bigger rocks needed another sheet of styro. Tools i used are just a small kitchen knife and a screwdriver for now 

Glue two sheets together, let them dry. Draw your rock pattern on the top sheet and start carving. remove thin layers of styro to get the perfect structure. For the bigger rocks i glued another layer of styro on top to get more depth.


DIY aquarium background 65 gallon by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## JMUFTW

Looks great - well done! :thumb:


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## rck1984

Small update:

Quite some things changed in my 65 gallon lately. I got my two Calvus black back again but unfortunatly my female Calvus passed away. Therefore i have only a male left. 
I also bought a new Ocellatus female and a Julidochromis Ornatus yellow for my 65 gallon tank.
Since i had to get the two white Calvus out, i had to remove everything and rearrange my tank again. I think it turned out nice:


65 gallon overview (26-05-2012) by Rck1984F, on Flickr

A shot of my new Ocellatus:


Lamprologus Ocellatus by Rck1984F, on Flickr

And the Julidochromis:


Julidochromis Ornatus yellow by Rck1984F, on Flickr

Not the best quality pictures but the water 100% clear yet. Ill see if i have some more time later this week, and try to take a couple good ones.
For now, these will do


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## SandBagger

Beautiful Juli! Why just a single though? I find their behavior so interesting, I think it would be worth adding a few more.


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## littleolme

Are you supplementing any lighting to get your Vallisneria to grow? Seems like fairly dim lighting for Val.


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## Gags

Any update on tanks ?


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## christy_lee

This is amazing. Beautiful pictures, beautiful fish, gorgeous tank..I could go on. I love your tret! I can't wait till mine gets bigger!


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## clhinds78

I can't believe I am just now seeing this thread! Beautiful fish and photography!

Is that a front I see in your 65G tank?


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## Austinite

Wow! I love your tanks and the pictures are amazing!!


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## rck1984

Thanks for al the kind comments, i have been very busy lately and hardly checked any forum for a long time. I'll do some updating soon and make a couple more pictures of the tanks. They're still up and running.

@sandbagger: I chose a single July because I had two couple's in my tank already. The two Altelamprologus Calvus and the Ocellatus. A third would have been too much.

@clhinds78: There is no Frontosa in the tank, you might be confused with my Tretocephalus?


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## rck1984

Something worth adding:

My Calvus female passed away a while ago and so did my female Ocellatus. I'm keeping my eyes on the stocklist of the store. As soon as they have new quality Calvus in, I'm getting another female.
I traded my Calvus black with a Calvus white chaitika of a friend of mine for a while, because my black was a real bully towards my Thretocephalus somehow (you'd expect it the other way around?). I recently got him back again, and he behaves much better.

The white was stunning also:

Altolamprologus Calvus white Chaitika by Rck1984F, on Flickr


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## rck1984

Update on my 15 gallon - Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. shell tank:


15 gallon - Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. Shell tank overview by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. Shell by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. Shell by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. Shell by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. Shell by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. Shell by rck.hermans, on Flickr


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## Iggy Newcastle

Amazing!

What type of sand are you using in the 15 gallon? Did you incorporate crushed shells into the substrate?

Looks so incredibly natural.


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## rck1984

Iggy Newcastle said:


> Amazing!
> 
> What type of sand are you using in the 15 gallon? Did you incorporate crushed shells into the substrate?
> 
> Looks so incredibly natural.


It's masonry-sand (Don't know if its the right word in English, but basicly it's sand with small pieces of gravel in it) including crushed shells. That's right 
Next to that i crushed some of the rocks i am using and spread them around a little also. Gives a very natural look indeed.


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## Iggy Newcastle

Thanks for the info.

Fantastic tank, again.


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## rck1984

Update on my 15 gallon - Lamprologus Multifasciatus tank as well:

- Around 50x Lamprologus Multifasciatus
- 350x escargot shells in several layers
- Lightning dimmed for about 75%

Pictures are a little dark due to low light condition ( no flash ) ...


Lamprologus Multifasciatus Overzicht by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Lamprologus Multifasciatus by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Lamprologus Multifasciatus by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Lamprologus Multifasciatus by rck.hermans, on Flickr

Lamprologus Multifasciatus by rck.hermans, on Flickr

*(Heater isn't inside the tank at time of the photo)*


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## JimA

rck1984 said:


> Update on my 15 gallon - Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. shell tank:
> 
> 
> 
> You tank looks fantastic, nice job :thumb: Reminds me of this one


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## rck1984

JimA said:


> rck1984 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Update on my 15 gallon - Altolamprologus Compressiceps sp. shell tank:
> 
> ***
> 
> You tank looks fantastic, nice job :thumb: Reminds me of this one
> 
> ***[/quote][/quote]
> 
> Thank you sir :)
> I like the rockwork on that one too, nice one.
Click to expand...


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## mrose222

hello rck1984. Just had to give you props on your photography excellence, nicely done! Fish look incredible and colors are superb!! I am 3 years into keeping cichlids and every day I admire them more and more. Haven't ventured out into keeping the more exotics yet, just have what was found at large retail LFS. Your tanks look insane, love them and I appreciate seeing the hard work being put into the hobby....very well done!!!

I have a Nikon D3100 and still trying to figure out my settings.....here is one I took today, though not as brilliant as yours....but think I am getting closer to dialing it in:


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## rck1984

mrose222 said:


> hello rck1984. Just had to give you props on your photography excellence, nicely done! Fish look incredible and colors are superb!! I am 3 years into keeping cichlids and every day I admire them more and more. Haven't ventured out into keeping the more exotics yet, just have what was found at large retail LFS. Your tanks look insane, love them and I appreciate seeing the hard work being put into the hobby....very well done!!!
> 
> I have a Nikon D3100 and still trying to figure out my settings.....here is one I took today, though not as brilliant as yours....but think I am getting closer to dialing it in:
> 
> *** Picture ***


Thank you for your kind words Mrose222, appreciate it! 

I think you are off on a good start here. I can give you my settings as a pointer, maybe it helps a little. 
Also don't underestimate the lightning in a fish-tank. Back in the days, when i just started with cichlids i used the "wrong" tubes at full capacity. Pictures were ok but in no way great, i added a actinic (blue) tube next to my daylight (white 10k) one and it made a lot of difference already. 
The lights were too overwhelming so i decided to experiment a little with dimming. I took some plastic PVC pipes at the length of my light tubes and started drilling holes in them until i got satisfied with the amount of light that came trough.

You have a nice camera but keep in mind, a camera is at it's best, equipped with a good lens as well  Also, feel free to tune your pictures a little with something like Adobe Lightroom. There is nothing against fixing your contrast etc. just a little.


Paracyprichromis Brieni "Velifer" by Rck.Hermans, on Flickr

_Here you see the strength of the actinic tube. Blue colors pop off the fish. It also creates this "mysterious" glow i have on most of my pictures._

*Aperture:* f/2.8
*Exposure time:* 1/60
*Focal length:* 43mm
*ISO:* 1600
*Flash:* Off

Best of luck! And feel free to ask anymore questions 
Feel free to pay my Flickr-page a visit too: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


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## rck1984

After quite a while of no fry at all, i noticed increased aggression from one of the female L. Multifasciatus today. After looking a little closer i noticed there was fry in her shell.
I made a short video with my smartphone of her keeping an eye on her fry and guarding the shell


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## rck1984

Changed the lightning of both the 15 gallon tanks today, i switched the warm yellow/white tubes with Sylvania Aquastar's (10.000 Kelvin). Personally i like the 10k tubes better than the previous ones. Obviously, i dimmed both the tubes for about 75% again as well.
I ordered two actinic blue led-strips on Ebay earlier, hopefully i can create kind of the same lightning conditions as in my bigger tank. I will do some updating as soon as i receive the strips 

Both the 15 gallon tanks in their current state, next to each other on the cabinet:


Tanganyika 15 gallon tanks - Alto. sp. shell and Lamp. Multifasciatus by Rck.Hermans, on Flickr


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## rck1984

Lamprologus Brevis "Chaitika" by Rck.Hermans, on Flickr


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## Iggy Newcastle

Great pic


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## Demasoni1

Very nice setups and fish!! Hope to achieve something like it in a 20l someday.


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## Fishing4Dayz

Just saw this thread. Excellent pictures and fish!


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