# Frontosa and Tropheus



## redstallion02 (Jan 17, 2008)

Hello,

I have been looking into getting some tropheus for a very long time. I finally aquired a good tank for them 145 gallon.

The problem is my girlfriend has wanted me to set up a Frontosa tank.

Has anyone tried putting these two together? They are both fairly expensive fish to be mixing together if it is going to be a complete disiastor. I know some people are going to say no way. Just wondering if anyone has tried to do it.

Wasn't sure if I should be this in the Frontosa or Tropheus forum, I picked the tropheus sincet they are probably a little more aggressive, although I have read that Front's will eat anything they can fit in thier mouth.

If I can't mix them than I will have to decide between the two I guess.

Thanks


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## ApexPredator (Jan 12, 2004)

Yeah you pretty much answered your own question. 

Frontosa can eat the tropheus. Tropheus can also be nasty fin nippers so you can kiss those nice long trailers goodbye on your fronts.

Of course this is generally speaking.


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## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

The other issue is vegetarians (well, virtually) with carnivores - getting the right food to the fronts through the trophs could be awkward.


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## flashg (Oct 5, 2007)

I have a buddy who has 4 kingoma 7 stripe in with a large colony of kazumbas. The tank is a 125g and they both have bred... He feeds them HBH veggie graze flake... I would NOT recommend it, but obviously it is possible! If mixing fish is your thing that is. :roll:


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## IrkedCitizen (Apr 26, 2007)

Another thing is that tropheus are non-stop-go all the time and frontosa are mellow shy fish. So they can get stressed by the tropheus.

Stressed fish = no good.

It's up to you though. :thumb:


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Umm I do not understand ApexPredator s answer
when this is one of your tanks?
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/tanks/inde ... er&u=11016

Its OK for you but you think its a bad idea for others?

I agree its usually a bad idea but why are you trying it? :wink:


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## IrkedCitizen (Apr 26, 2007)

24Tropheus said:


> Umm I do not understand ApexPredator s answer
> when this is one of your tanks?
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/tanks/inde ... er&u=11016
> 
> ...


ApexPredator doesn't have Frontosa in his tank. The tank that is Tank Of The Month has tropheus and fronts in it. AP's just has tropheus Ikola's and GK's.


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## flashg (Oct 5, 2007)

flashg said:


> If mixing fish is your thing that is. :roll:


Perhaps I was a little harsh... I have 2 white calvus and a goldhead comp in with my moba gibberosa colony. Sometimes the wife makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. :lol:

Besides I used to have malawi tanks. :fish:

I don't even keep plecos with my tropheus... I dedicate those tanks to my love of trophs... Oh how I love em' 8)


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Sorry I see "Tank Of The Month" is just for show? No interest in the effect on what others keep together? Hey each to there own but mixing those fish and winning a comp for best tank!!

Shurely shome mishtake?

Apex sorry for the unintended slur.


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

two different styles of fish..one laid back, the other rampaging.

With Fronts it is about the blue and the bars, with Tropheus it is about the yellow, the red, the blue, the purple, the white, and for some even the brown and the olive colors.

To me Tropheus are so much more fun to keep, and there is alot of variety to choose from.

It really comes down to a matter of taste, but in truth, I dont think they make good tank mates in the longrun.


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## ApexPredator (Jan 12, 2004)

As I said. "generally speaking."

All kinds of people have tried all kinds of fish mixes. Some are lucky and it workd well, some dont.

You will never know until you actually try it youself but the general consensus is that these two species are not the best mix for a number of aforementioned reasons.


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## redstallion02 (Jan 17, 2008)

I appreciate everyone's feedback.

I think I have recived enough information to make a decision. Although the two species are great, they do have to be seperate.

As for the one person that said the "if mixing fish is your thing" I was looking to make an interesting tank that has two very nice looking species in it. I just think that it would be very interesting.

The main issues are stress on the Front's and the fin nipping I could see both of those happening and just not making for a nice looking tank.

Front's will have to wait and I will have decide on which torpheus to get.


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## flashg (Oct 5, 2007)

Tanganyikan communities are cool... Like cyps, kelisa, julies, calvus and things of that nature... IMO tropheus are NOT the best community fish! Fronts would probably work, but why add something to a good thing...

I meant no offense... Like I said I had malawi tanks once. :wink: :thumb:


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## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

I'd mix them myself if I thought it was feasible; as it is I am soon to swap my trophs for some nice wild fronts. Wish I could keep both but If I do, I may lose the wife. Its a tough call.....!


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

IME Troph are excellent community fish with gobies, Synos, small Julies, even a couple of larger more veggie shellys.

Fronts just get so big and slow almost lazy, unless provoked (then they can be real nasty, real fast and very real killers) its hard to keep much with em well for long. Perhaps some Tang eels go well?


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## jordanroda (May 4, 2006)

I had fronts with my tdubs...not a good idea...my fronts never had nice trailers and they looked skinny!...feed nls, but i think they didnt get enough food...anyway i had to buy another tank for the fronts... :zz:

ps
i worried every nite
that my fronts would 
take a bite out of my trophs... :-?

good luck


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## Crush (Jun 9, 2004)

24Tropheus said:


> IME Troph are excellent community fish with gobies, Synos, small Julies, even a couple of larger more veggie shellys.


I totally agree with this and would add larger Julies and Neolamprologus species to the list. These worked just fine for me or for people I know.
I got my F1 Red Kachese from a guy who had a 250 gallon tank with 15 S. lucipinnis and a pair of N. brichardi in with his 35 WC Red Kachese.
I have N. tretocephalus, N. buescheri and J. regani and S. lucipinnis in with my 20 Red Kachese and they do great on just spirulina...


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## flynn (Dec 20, 2005)

Totally agree.
I kept my Ikola colony with a colony of WC jumbo Cyps.... sure worked fine, both bred like crazy for over a year... but the Cyps looked much nicer before the Ts were added, more colors, more display, ...
Just sold the Cyps this week, and the tank now has a much better look with the Ts by themselve ! Even if the Ts were the "hyper active kids", the tank looks much calmer now ! There are some Julido. Transcriptus and BN plecos with them but that's all I will ever keep with them from now on... :fish:


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