# 200 gallon tang idea.



## Large-Cichlids-4-Life (Sep 22, 2008)

Hey this is what im thinking for a up and comming tank.
For decor i was going to have sand slope up into a area with alot of rocks and some plants, on the hill of the sand i was going to have shells. So i was planning on having sanddwellers, sheldwellers, comps/calvus, and some cyps. 
So on for fish.
6 black calvus
6 white calvus
10 Cyprichromis leptosoma Blue Orchid
4 jullie regani
12 multies
10 julidochromis ornatus

What do you think? is this a full tank or should i add some more of some species. See any problmes with the strock? i hear that jullies are better in pairs will the orrnatus and the regani still work>

Thanks


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## mveale (Oct 25, 2005)

im not too keen on mixing black and white calvus... other than that, layout sounds excellent.


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

With a tank that size go for at least 20 of the cyps. Your going to probably have some losses so less than 10 will hardly seem like any.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Both the julies and comps will hybridize so I'd choose one type of each. Getting 6 juveniles of each species is a good idea, but Tangs form pairs and may reject the other individuals. So 10 julies for example may not work when they mature. Agree it's better to have more cyps...I have 20 in my 72" tank. And the multies will populate the tank themselves, so no need to start with 12.


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## Large-Cichlids-4-Life (Sep 22, 2008)

okay, so drop down the sheldwellers down to like 4 ea? then drop the julliers and add 20 cyps. Is there another species of tangs that will aslo fit in here. I will just get 12 white comps instead of mixing them. What do you huys think?


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## Large-Cichlids-4-Life (Sep 22, 2008)

i mean yea ill just choose one time of jullie, and one timpe of comp


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Twenty cyps, six of everything else, even the calvus/comps. Again, they will form pairs or in some cases a harem. Extra males are most often rejected (killed?) and in some cases all fish but the dominant pair will be killed. The only reason you start with six is to allow the fish free choice of a mate.

In other words...if you put in 12 you are unlikely to end up with 12 anyway.


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## armthehomeless (Dec 16, 2006)

I essentially have that tank. I've got 35 Cyp. "Blue Orchid", 6 J. marlieri, and one Alto. calvus in a 210 gallon tank. The J. marlieri kept the cyps on one half of the tank while they breed. The tank I have found to be Very active when the cyps are out:









or very barren when the cyps are startled:









Good luck with your new setup :thumb:


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

> So i was planning on having *sanddwellers*, sheldwellers, comps/calvus, and some cyps.
> So on for fish.
> 6 black calvus
> 6 white calvus
> ...


I agree with the above advice: no J. regani (they're too rough for the shellies but the ornatus are fine), 1 type of altolamp, more cyps and 6 shellies. With your tank, you still have room for that sanddweller you mentioned. How bout a school of xenotilapia? In a smaller tank, I wouldn't recommend them with the shellies, but there's room in your 200g. So here's what I'd suggest:
20 Cyprichromis
10 xenotilapia
6 black calvus
6 J. ornatus 
6 multies
and why not some gobies? :wink: (Eretmodus cyanostictus)


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## Large-Cichlids-4-Life (Sep 22, 2008)

http://www.reservestockcichlids.com/home.php?cat=3 thats where im planning on getting everhing off of. Okay well what are xenotilapia? are those a open water sprecies? also i like the shelldwellers so do you think it would also work if i did another coloney of 6 but a diffrent genus? or would there still be problesm there?

Thanks everyone


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

You should stick with just 1 type of shelldweller.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

You can go for a second shelly or a sand sifter I think. I went for 3 shellys and a sandsifter in my 200g it was great for about 6 months or so but eventually I regretted it.
brevis or calliurus at one end and multies at the other seemed fine.
Your choice of Sandsifter is important though.
You need one that will hold its own not a wuss like most. (and the one I went for  )
Xenotilapia sp. "Ochrogenys Ndole" would do better than most as it uses the rocks as well as fights back.

Gobies would be nice but I find they do not go well with plants. They eat them and make a mess and can bloat if they eat dieing bits of plant. 

It is either gobies or plants I think.

Yep with this sort of a mix aiming for just a pair of small Julies (ornatus or transcriptus) would be best I think.


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## Longstocking (Aug 26, 2003)

What is the foot print of this tank?


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## Large-Cichlids-4-Life (Sep 22, 2008)

the foot print is 72inL x 24inH x 28inW.

Ill probably not go with any gobies, what plants are native to tang?


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## dogginfox (Mar 28, 2003)

Be mindful that the shell dwellers WILL DIG and MOVE your substrate to make them feel safest. If you try and put them on a hill with large rocks above them I see disaster unless you find some way to secure the rocks. I have 10 N. Multis and 2 Clown Loaches in a 200g tank and they have moved most of the sand to the other side of the tank 6' away! just thought I would throw that out there Good luck


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Lake Tanganyika has a variety of Vallisneria, but it may not be a part of the habitat where *your *fish come from. Most of the lake is rocky without plants.

I do have Vallisneria (contortionist) in mine, along with crypts (lucens), java fern and an amazon sword (bleheri). Not a biotope any more, LOL.

I've only had the tank up one week, so I am not claiming personal experience that these plants will work, but they have worked for others. I DO have a tank full of carnivores, and a strange hole and nibbled edge on my sword, however.

They are all under rocks to prevent or minimize digging.


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## Longstocking (Aug 26, 2003)

Hornwort is found in the lake.


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## Large-Cichlids-4-Life (Sep 22, 2008)

okay thanks, so im going to get quite a bit of vallisneria, and some java fern. in the rock area


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Imported from lake Tang hornwort and vallis is in this video of my 200g tank.
As well as Amazon swords and java fern. (not from the lake)

Still say plants are a pain in the.....jkhgoi76 for gobies and sand sifters and a proper Tang tank.
Very hard to keep the plants going whilst maintaining water changes and quality rock dwellers and open sand dwellers need. 
http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k35/2 ... id01-1.flv

I ripped this tank apart after a few months as I was very "not happy" with how well the mix worked.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

My 38G with calvus, caudopunctatus, vallisneria and crypts only worked pretty well. I ended up with zero Nitrates (not on purpose) and a little hair algae problem. But the plants/fish were fine. Still striving for the right balance.


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## Large-Cichlids-4-Life (Sep 22, 2008)

im just going to add some vallisernia in some of the rock piles so that its harder for it to get ripped up.

Thanks everyone


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