# Predator/Cruiser tank Poll:Buccochromis, F rostratus...?



## Guest (May 2, 2007)

*The Contenders:*​
F. rostratus (3 males + 6-9 females)420.00%Buccochromis lepturus/rhoadesii (3 males + 6-9 females)420.00%Tyranochromis nigrinter (3 males + 6-9 females)315.00%Protomelas spilonotus Likoma/Mara rock (4 males + 8 females)00.00%P. phenochilus+C. Borleyi kadango (3males of each + 6 females of each)420.00%O. lithobates (6-8 males+ 12-14 females)210.00%C. azureus (6-8 males + 12-14 females)315.00%


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## Guest (May 2, 2007)

I'm still struggling on stocking my 8ft. tank (250+). I just redid it from a planted discus tank to a sand bottom tank (pool filter sand), with several 50-60lb. white boulders. 
I'v struggled with my list. I figure big tank, go with big fish. The contenders top around 16 inches (F. rostratus) and smallest , 6 inches (O. lithobates- though I've raised some 7 inchers).
I've selected contenders that have a fast sleek shape, color, and mildly agressive conspecific tempermant (so I can keep multiple males). I'm going with either one species or 2 species. I think it may be difficult to get some of these like Protomelas sp. "Spilonotus Likoma". Help me fill this tank.


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## Guest (May 2, 2007)

F.rostratus
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1079

Buccochromis lepturus/rhoadesii
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=999
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1002

Tyranochromis nigrinter
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1323

Protomelas spilonotus Likoma/Mara rock
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1237
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1359

P. phenochilus+C. Borleyi kadango
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1218
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1009

O. lithobates 
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=2292

C. azureus
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1008


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## yellow (Mar 3, 2004)

nice choices i picked P. phenochilus+C. Borleyi kadango for the contrast. I used to keep Kadangos and they are beautiful fish. Which P. phenochilus are you going to get, i think only the Tanzania version gets the sparkles as they get older.


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## Guest (May 2, 2007)

I'm looking at the polls to help me decide. But availability is gonna also dictate. The Borleyi are easy to get, but Phenochilus Tanzania will be harder. I know a place I can get adult males, females will be difficult. 
I don't like all male tanks. I like watching social behavior in fish. 
A school of fish or colony can look pretty dramatic.
Here are some pics of prior tanks with only 1 to 2 species:


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## Guest (May 2, 2007)

sorry lots of glare...I'm not a very good photographer.


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## yellow (Mar 3, 2004)

those tropheus ( i think ) are beautiful i donÂ´t believe u changed them for discus , no matter how nice they look they just sit in one place and do nothing.

Actually after looking again those discus are impressive.


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## Guest (May 2, 2007)

The Discus did just sit. The discus are about 6-7 inches and one is near 8inches in size (nose to base of tail) BIG. The tropheus were just the opposite on the activity side (but I bloated out lots of them thousands of dollars worth  my wife wanted to kill me). The ones in the pic are Molliro fire cracker reds 4inches each, and Duboisi white band 4 inches and one old 6 1/2 inch male who would attack me and the net. He killed 20 other tropheus ( one bite to the head). He also ate most of the fry. I had him a net for 2 weeks, till he bit out of it and it still didn't calm him down. He also killed off 4 of my 10 inch synodontis cats. He would pull them out of the rocks by their tails and eat them. Some how I could not bring myself to get rid of him. He finally met his end when he jumped out of the tank at my face I dropped rock on him (accident) I was putting into the tank. Then another alrge male took his place and went on a killing spreefor the next few days. I lost 10 more fish. I finally had it, and took them to my friend Louis. He recently told me they are doing well.


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## Guest (May 2, 2007)

Oh and everytime there was a dead fish, I'd loose some more fish to bloat. Tropheus tend to die in groups.


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## KNH (Apr 25, 2007)

From your list I went with the Buccos. Fosso would be my first choice but thats one species I think you may have problems with if you have multiple males and multiple females. 
KNH


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## Guest (May 4, 2007)

Do you think the buccos are less likely to liquidate one another?


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

I picked C. azureus because until I saw that link I had no idea what my blue fish was! It was sold to me as a Hap Ahli but I knew that wasn't what it was. Someone suggested it was a hybrid between an ahli and something else but now I know my fish is a textbook C. azureus

YAY!

also he is awesome and calm and breaks up lab fights

But I don't know how he would act with others of his species.

But alone he is really docile

He was never induced to unneccessary agression, even when my tank was at its worst. He even defended my feather fin from a particularly nasty livingstonii

And he's so pretty

Not really metalic like a Hap ahli -- but really pretty


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## Something Fishy (Oct 23, 2002)

I voted for F.rostratus. No Champsochromis caeruleus? If that were my setup, I would possibly do two breeding groups with them and the Fosso's.

You don't have N.linni on your list, i just got a WC linni yesterday and he's quickly becoming one of my favorite haps.

I have a single Buccochromis rhoadesii in my all male setup and he can be a brute though not too severe since i don't have any females. He was hassling my new Fosso and Lichnochromis in the past 24 hours but now i noticed that he's settling down and he never showed aggression before i brought new fish home. I personally wouldn't mix a breeding group of Bucco's with anything else.

BTW you didn't have Lichnocromis acuticeps on your list either, cool Hap IMO.

Good luck with whatever you decide.....


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## spilorhynchus (Dec 13, 2005)

I agree with something fishy about maybe trying two groups. I have kept spawning groups of F. rostratus and Champsochromis spilorhynchus and I believe F. rostratus males might tolerate each other a little better than some of the other predators mentioned. They are a tireless fish and you might get great color out of 3 or more males of similar size if they all join the school running back and forth across the tank with enough females with them.

Also, the fosso's would go fine with the borleyi kadango I believe. They really didn't seem too harsh on other species. As far as champs, buccos, and tyrannochromis those are all true predators and get big enough to swallow half grown protomelas and copadichromis species.

If you skip the fossos, champs and buccos or tyrannos and buccos might work well together.

With the less predatory and smaller utaka species I think there are hundreds of workable combos in that size tank.


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## spilorhynchus (Dec 13, 2005)

and oh yeah sorry to hear of the tropheus losses...

I did the same thing years ago in a 180 gallon tank, only with smaller less expensive tropheus... once they start dying off with bloat it can be very difficult to stop. I haven't kept a tropheus in years now.


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## Guest (May 5, 2007)

I almost wonder if I should try a 2 trio of fossies, a 2 trio of buccos? Just never enough tank space. Someday 500gal would be awsome


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

In my experiences, Buccochromis are a very aggressive Hap.


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## ReptileJK (Apr 5, 2007)

I've got T. nigriventer, and they are in my top three favs. Also have some Champsochromis, which I also absolutely love. I'd go with those, personally. The Champs are largest and definately aggressive. I have a feeling, though, that if the Tyrants were larger....they'd be just as bad.

BTW, you've got a great problem (a huge empty tank and the sky's the limit on what to fill it with....if only I was having that problem right now  ).

Reptile


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## Guest (May 8, 2007)

I'm really struggling. I'v gone as far as cut out pics and pasted them next to the tank to scale, to imagine the fish in there as adult sizes. The bigger spieces look alittle crowded. I took the pics and placed them side by sided to compare.









Tough choice.


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## Something Fishy (Oct 23, 2002)

Your tank is big enough for any one breeding group and probably two of the less aggressive type. If you do a Buccochromis group then i would suggest many females for one male.

If breeding isn't important to you then you might want to consider an all male setup, that way you could have more variety and color with less aggression.

Good luck! :thumb:


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