# Lake Tanganyika Stocking Possibilities



## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm setting up a 100 gallon (72x18x19) tank. Through this process I've probably started threads in every group considering a possible stock list...the delay in getting my tank set up is allowing this luxury but things are starting to fall into place and I'll have to make a final decision soon.

I've looked at the cookie cutter setups (75 gallon) and I'm considering the following list if I go with a Tanganyika set up.

1. Leleupi (I gather I can only have one unless I have several females and no males)
2. Calvus or compressiceps x 4-5 (1:4 - male:female)
3. Chalinochromis brichardi (I'm guessing I can have only two?)
4.Telmatochromis vittatus (not sure how many and not at all attached to having these)
5. Synodontis lucipinnis x 3

I'd like some feedback around additional choices and numbers (especially since I have a bigger tank to work with). The leleupi and the calvus/compressiceps are the ones I really like but don't know what tankmates are good choices. Also, it seems that the above list will only allow me to have around a dozen fish. More would be nicer.

Thanks.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Anyone?


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## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

Plenty of room for a shoal of cyps in there.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Mr Mbuna said:


> Plenty of room for a shoal of cyps in there.


I've heard others say that cyps are difficult to keep. Someone wrote on this forum that you need to set up sheets of slate against the glass as walls to help keep them happy. That feels too complicated to set up...maybe I'm misinformed though?


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## Manoah Marton (Feb 17, 2009)

Here's my stocklist reccomendation...
18 Paracyps (your choice)
6 Calvus/Comps
5 Synos 
10 Shellies (your choice...maybe try to avoid the more aggressive ones!)

If this was my tank, I would probably go and do something like that. It would fill up all levels of the aquarium, and be an interesting community to watch. 
Best of luck,

Manoah Marton


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Hey zimmy, I didn't realize you were going to stock Tangs, I thought you were going with Malawis for some reason. I have paracyps and cyps in my tanks and I would highly reccomend them for any tank. What about featherfins? I keep c. furcifer "kigoma" with my cyps and paracyps and they are stunning fish.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Manoah Marton said:


> Here's my stocklist reccomendation...
> 18 Paracyps (your choice)
> 6 Calvus/Comps
> 5 Synos
> 10 Shellies (your choice...maybe try to avoid the more aggressive ones!)


Could a goby be added to this group? I've been reading about them and they seem like little characters.


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## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

You don't really need the slate against the glass - I've bred plenty without that. The tank is a little shallow for them though; maybe the paracyps would be a better choice. As to the goby..my only concern would be whether the food required for the other fish would be ok for the herbivorous goby. I've not kept these though so not sure.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Mr Mbuna said:


> As to the goby..my only concern would be whether the food required for the other fish would be ok for the herbivorous goby. I've not kept these though so not sure.


I was planning on feeding NLS, which I'm told covers all the bases (?).


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

What are the main species that you really want to keep, that you have the most interest? To center the tank around them.

Personally, you have a pretty big tank, and you list is kinda slow/boring.

Like the Altolamprologus, but you can get some more variety in Lamprologines in the tank. J. regani would be a good addition. Or a group of very entertaining shell dwellers like Ocellatus which will be active but will have plenty of room that they will not bother the other fish.

Syno multipunctatus can't be beat for activity in groups, and more attractive as adults than lucipinnis usually.

The Gobies are interesting, thou more of a challenge as they an get bloat and may kill each other off. Certainly worth the effort.

You could try a group of Opthalmotilapia ventralis, more challenging and expensive fish thou.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

noki said:


> What are the main species that you really want to keep, that you have the most interest? To center the tank around them.


If I go the Tanganyika route, the fish I really want are the calvus/compressiceps and the leleupi. I like them enough that if I don't put them in this tank, I might set up a second smaller tank just to be able to have them.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

With leleupi I'd stay away from shellies. I was advised the same and decided to try it. Now I have no shellies and no caudopunctatus either.

But leleupi are fine with calvus.


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