# How you ended up on Tanganyikan side?



## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

I'm sure most of us didn't start keeping Tanganyikans as a new hobbyist. we all know tangs are not really for newbies since they are a bit more delicate and not as brightly colored as their Malawian counterpart. Most of you guys probably didn't even start with cichlids, let alone African cichlids.

So what to know is how did you ended up keeping Tanganyikans.

I got my 1st 20g tank about 4 yrs ago and kept platties and mollys as our new wet pet. Well it didn't take long before I ended up with my 40g tank and kept a lot of catfish for a while along with blood parrot and some gouramis. 
It wasn't until I got my 125g that I ventured to the Africans cichlids. At first most of our fishes were the common yellow labs, some demasoni and some other Malawi cichlids. Although, they were very colorful, to me they all looked very similar just different colors. It wasn't long until I lost interest in these cichlids. 
My passion for tangs started to take flight as soon as I got my 1st colony of Burundi frontosas. Then replaced them with a breeding colony of Mpimbwes along with comps, Julidochromis and other tangs. It was 2yrs of raising pims that really supported the hobby and ended up funding my 3 tank set up all connected to a sump. 
So here we are 4 yrs later and still find tanganyikans very interesting and now slowly aquiring all of my favorite tangs so I can put them all in an 8' tank.

Well that's my story and now let us hear yours.


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## cuffer (Jan 18, 2012)

I have a limited amount of time, space, and money yet I wanted cichlids. Shelldwellers seemed like my best option. I have a 20 long multi tank and a 10 gallon brevis tank. They're not the most colorful but their personality makes up for it in my opinion. I really enjoy the little buggers.


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## Pizzle (May 24, 2011)

I actually started with Tangs. A friend gave me a 20 gallon high and I was inspired by another friendÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s 100 gallon Malawi mbuna community. Mbuna was out of the question so I went with 3 Neolamprologus brichardi. This was about 8 years ago. They lived together with no problems and no breeding for about two years until I killed them. I had to move but I couldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t take enough of the old tank water with me. The new water had too much chlorine and it killed them in about an hour. This was before I started using de-chlorinator.

Then I set up a planted tank in the 20 gallon high and had tetras, corys, and platties. I tried some Bolivian rams but they didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t work out in there. This tank is still going today with 7 black neon tetras, 8 bronze cory cats and a big hair algae problem.

Last April I set up my second Tangk in a 46 gallon bowfront. ( I wish I had somewhere to put a 4 footer.) The plan was multies, julies, and cyps. All of the julies died but it is an enjoyable tank with 5 multies, 6 adult cyps and 3 baby cyps.

My next tank will be a 20 gallon long and I will probably try brichardi again, or something similar, but first I need to build a tank stand for a 20 long on top of the 20 high. I would love to try a Central American pair mixed with Malawi mbuna but I need a spot to put at least a 75 gallon.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Had to have the calvus. :thumb:


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## frank1rizzo (Mar 14, 2005)

fronts and trophs sucked me in. peacocks were nice, but im glad i switched


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## kiriyama (Oct 20, 2010)

Started with a 20 gallon, overfilled it with various tetras and the like, a good 6 months later I saw a video in youtube of Multies, never looked back, have the multies and other addictive shell dwellers, cyps, gobies, tropheus. Next tank wil be sand sifters I thnk, willl need to find out more about feather fins as well :fish:

Cheers, Sean


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## Southcoaster (Jul 14, 2003)

Spare small tank, put in a couple of Ocellatus and the rest is history. I did switch to marines for a while but missed my Tanganyikans so switched back again.


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## lufbramatt (Jun 6, 2011)

I've been keeping fish for about a year now, and my first ever tank was 2 pairs of brevis shellies. I got given a 10 gallon tank and set it up to see if I enjoyed keeping an aquarium before spending a big wodge of cash. Having very hard high pH water out of the tap, and wanting something a bit more interesting and unusual than a tank full of guppies or neons (my fiances step father kept guppies for years and I find incredibly dull and boring to watch after the novelty of their pretty tails wears off) I did my research, after a lot of googling and watching vids on youtube I discovered how cool shellies are and found some nice brevis's in a LFS.

They only stayed in the 10g for about 2 months until I set up a 29g my dad was going to chuck out, then 6 months after that I got a nice 90 gallon 54" long tank with my birthday money which took the place of the 29 . . . now I have a group of julies, a red fin compressiceps and a group of synodontis lucipinnis catfish, as well as a bunch of brevis fry from the original ones I got a year ago 

People I have round to visit are captivated by the tank, the fish often win out over the TV and I've even converted my uncle, who was a die-hard Discus breeder, over to the tangy side, after showing him videos of my brevis pair doing their thing . . .


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## Multi (Apr 21, 2012)

I've kept aquariums since I was 5 years old. Back then, i got a small 54 liters "starter-kit", and I had some colourful fish in there. Of course it wasn't me who took care of it, it was my dad, but I've always liked nature, so i liked to look at the fish.

When I was 12, me and my family traveled to Florida, and I was so inspired by all this big shells, so I decided to take some of them with me home, and make a beautiful aquarium out of it. So I did. I had the shells and some plants, which I couldn't get to grow, and I thought it was very beautiful. Some few months after, I heard about Multies. They sounded fantastic! I went down to the local aquarium store, and brought a trio of them home.
I took care of the aquarium so well, that my parents the same year at Christmas, decided to give me a 180 liters aquarium instead of the 54 liters.
And of course I should have Tanganyika in it! So I had 10 Multies, 2 Goby cichlids and 5 julies in it.

Since that, I've got a small aquarium on 63 liters, in which I have a lot of plants, and they just grow so well. There is not Tanganyika in that aquarium.

Last spring when I was confirmated, I got one more aquarium: a 360 liters. I was so happy! So now, 3 years after I became aware of this amazing hobby, I have 3 aquariums, and still it is the Tanganyika cichlids which controls my tanks.


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## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

I've had fish throughout most of my life. My parents had a 20 tall tropical community tank that somehow made it through years of my mom occasionally dumping all the fish out into a tupperware bowl and soap-and-water cleaning everything in the tank. My favorite fish in that tank was the dojo and khuli loaches.

Then along high school age the tank was shut down and I didn't get another tank until college. Around this time I'd become interested in cichlids from looking around a few local fish stores. So I grabbed a 10 gallon tank and threw in a yellow lab, a cobalt zebra, a jewel, and a pleco. I did zero research  Not long later, I was left with two dead malawi, a dried up jewel, and a pleco that would soon die when the tank bottom cracked.

Fast forward a year or so and I'd done my homework and got a 55 gallon. Set it up in preparation for my mbuna I was deciding on. Then I got cancer, so fish tanks were on the backburner. By the time I could set one up, I was living on the 3rd floor of an older apartment, so I ended up setting up a 20 long with tropicals. Then I grabbed a free 30 and set it up with SA/CA. Switched the 20 to convicts. Scrapped all of that and bought a 100 gallon for malawi hap/mbuna.

That was a good tank and I was happy...then I saw fmueller's tank. The wheels started turning, and finally last year I sold off the malawi's and got myself a Tang community going. It is glorious.


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## Ptyochromis (Mar 23, 2012)

I started keeping fish 4 years ago, and fell in love with cichlids (krib was my first fish). Shellies are what brought be to the tang side. I fell in love with the personality of tang species.


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## Riverwater (Nov 3, 2010)

Been in the hobby for over three decades ever since I was a kid. People in my family associate me with fish. LOL. Long story short, I kept tons of species (except for salt), and had a Malawi set up that was too aggressive to enjoy, so one day I got fed up and took all my fish to my friend who is a professional breeder and he told me to try Tangs, and traded me a bunch of nice expensive tangs for my large haps, and I haven't looked back since.


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

Very good stories guys, exactly what I wanted to know. 
Fmuellers tank is one of My all time favourite tank and I'm sure a lot of us wish we could create and enjoy something like that.

Now keep the stories coming and thanks for those that replied. I enjoyed reading them. 
Mel


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## matjeka (Feb 6, 2012)

Saw a picture of a Gold Head...done deal!


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

For me, it was C. Gibberosa (Mpimbwe).

Almost 20 years ago, a crazy co-worker had a bazillion tanks in his basement and was moving from Illinois to Florida. He gave me some insane CA or SA Cichlid that was newly discovered into the hobby (that was a crazy mean fish). That is how the cichlid virus started. The infection spread once I toured Eric Glab's house and saw his Zaire Gibberosa (some of the original Kapampa I think) - being on a budget, I purchased 10 Mpimbwe.

Here they are, my first Tangs









Here they are a little bigger



























Russ


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

Theres just something about cyphos. Whether its their size or the way they swim around the tank thAt I find very pleasing. I can sit in front of my aquariums for hours just admiring them. 
Cyphos are by far my favourite as well, Followed by comPs, kilesas, cyps/paracyprichromis, transcriptus julidochromis then shell dwellers. 
For some weird reasons, calvus doesn't to it for me. Don't ask me why.

Let's add our top 5 tangs while we're at it and post pics if you like. I know I have more than 5. Lol
I will post pics as soon as I feel like using the PC. I haven't used that thing since I got an IPhone. Lol.


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## Cajen (Mar 16, 2012)

Ok not sure my response technically fits the title. I have had a mbuna tank years ago and Had to take it down due to moving into small house with no room for my 55g. When I kept the tank I was totally uneducated. I had Kenyi, Aratus and Saulosi. I knew very little but the Kenyon spawneda couple of times. I was hooked on Africans. Anyway fast forward 8 years and I moved from Florida to Arizona and into a house big enough to get my tank goin again. Then I found this site....I amped up the education level in prep for doing it right. So I am about to stock my 55g with Mbuna and k ew u would need a grow out/quarantine/time out tank. Well I was in PETCO looking at HOB to go with my XP3 for the 55. I saw a complete set up on serious sale for a 29g. My wife LOVES sales... she suggested I get two at that price. Love my wife AND her shopping habits. So now I have a 29g and decided to go Tang with it. During the course of determining which fish to get for my 55g i came across the. Black Calvus... so now I am about to stock the 29g with Calvus and Multi's... about 2 seems away from being ready to stock... can't wait. I am so psyched to get the tang tank going. Anyway that is my story... a out to enter a world similar but from all I read totally different. Once I get the tanks up will post pics.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Calvus and caudopunctatus.


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## Cajen (Mar 16, 2012)

Nice fish pic DJ


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

DJ, love that caudopunctatus pic :thumb:

*1. C. gibberosa
2. Altolamprologus*
3. Chalinochromis brichardi
5. Leluipi
5. Julies
6. Enantiopus kilesa

Gibbs & Altos are, by far, my favorites. It's hard after them: I like many more but not like I do the Gibbs & Altos.

Russ


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## Shaky (Jan 2, 2003)

I think my first Tangs were bought in pretty rapid succession, but purchased in singles.
I think I had a Tetracanthus, marlieri, a cylindricus, an kendalli, a couple individual tropheus  , and a pair of leleupi. The leleupi bred and I was smitten.
I had an Axelrod's book of Malawi and Tang. lake cichlids and read that book and stared at pics for years. I began to see the allure more and more of the Tangs over the mbuna.
Not all that much was available then, but I ordered a group of what was then called Lamprologus mustax, and waited months for them to come in.
(They turned out to be a little disappointing, and they never spawned.)
I stopped aquariums for awhile when I went off to college, but never forgot my favorites.
Eventually I weaned myself off Malawians (at least mentally). These days, with few exceptions, my interest lies in the Tangs.


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## 7mm-08 (Jan 12, 2012)

I've had various tropical and native fish on and off my entire life. I have several friends who've been keeping cichlids for quite a while and after years of exposure I finally got hooked. Julies are the first Tangs that really piqued my interest and I have since fallen in love with nearly all of the Neolamps and Altos. I guess the fact that they are much less common than Malawi cichlids appeals to the hipster in me as well. Thinking back, I guess I did have Keyhole Cichlids a long time ago which I thought were really cool fish and I even had a Jewel Cichlid or two but they didn't really lead to me keeping cichlids primarily.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I am not sure I am on the Tang side. I keep more of other cichlids than tang cichlids. Only have 4 tanks for just Tang cichlids. Though these are prob my favs. But been keeping cichlids for over 40 years and tang cichlids for over 30. My first tangs were Tropheus duboisi. Anywhere from 1 to 20 tanks during that time. Currently 9.

Its funny fronts/Cyphos do nothing for me yet I like comps and love calvus. Fav though is too obvious to mention for a guy who posts under the name 24Tropheus. :wink:

All the best James


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## Ardeus (Oct 17, 2005)

What made me change from Malawi to Tang was what I read about shelldwellers.

I feel like there's no where else to go.

I'm at the last stages of producing a documentary series about Multies and I just can't see any other fish supporting a 7 episode story line.


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

> Its funny fronts/Cyphos do nothing for me


Really? I would've never guess.

I luv comps, calvus does nothing for me. Try explaining that one.


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## Alleycat (Dec 2, 2006)

In 1968 my dad took me to a store in Montreal that from the outside looked like a rundown warehouse. Inside it was filled with rows of fish tanks. While Dad and some shifty looking man made some deals I looked through every tank there was that I could see in... I was told I could choose any fish, and while Dad bought some different types of characins I found some vivid blue fish ( Metriaclima sp. )and a pinkish looking fish with a black patch on it's cheek.
I chose the Brichardi....


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

I started off with Tangs. In fact, Tangs are the only fish I've ever kept. I tend to research the #@&^% out of anything new that interests me, and the interesting behaviors and forms of these fish drew me in more than any of the alternative lakes.


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## Ptyochromis (Mar 23, 2012)

My top 5:
#1.C.leptsoma
#2. L.multifasciatus
#3. L.ornatipinnis
#4. J.merlieri
#5 T.vittatus 
#6. N.leleupi
#7. C.furcifer 
#8. N.caudopunctatus 
#9. N.pulcher
#10.A.compressiceps


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## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

*Ptyochromis*

My top 5 lists usually end up at 10 as well :wink:


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## Ptyochromis (Mar 23, 2012)

FedEXguy said:


> *Ptyochromis*
> 
> My top 5 lists usually end up at 10 as well :wink:


LoL ya, it's not possible to keep it just at 5


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## rous (Apr 10, 2006)

Saw some juli ornatus in a fish store about 15 years ago that were a nice bright yellow.....took 10 years to actually getting around to starting to keep Tangs, though. Now, I really have no interest in anything but Tangs.

1. Julie Ornatus, then Dickfeldi
2. Gold Ocellatus
3. E. Kilesa
4. Cyprichromis - I have a group of about 15 in my tank in the office with 4 males - Everytime I look up at least 1 of the males is "shimmying" to try and entice a female.
5. Altos.....


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

I started out with cichlids from Malawi. Your basic yellow labs and zebras. I believe I spent more time in the fish stores in Indianapolis (Speedway area) than I did in school! Once you get introduced to Tanganyikans they start to grow on you. Majority of Tanganyikans don't have the flashy colors. It's all about their personalities and the diversity within the lake that hooked me. There is just something about them that I love.

This was the best I could do for my top 5:

1. Sandsifters (oddities)
2. Featherfins
3. Lamps
4. Gibberosa / Tropheus
5. Shell Dwellers / Julidochromis

Currently keeping 40 species that all fit somewhere into that list.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Qaddiction said:


> 1. Sandsifters (oddities)
> 4. Gibberosa / Tropheus
> 5. Shell Dwellers / Julidochromis.


Outragous cheating thats 2 per fav. :wink: 
But kind of think I could not fit my favs into 5 list. :thumb:


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## Eric_S (Feb 27, 2007)

Sand sifters! I always watched the saltwater sifters at my local shop and loved them but didn't want to go the saltwater route. Found a breeder online for some bathyphilus and setup a tang tank revolving around them. Love my shelldwellers, too. My paracyps just kind of take up space :lol:


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

> 1. Sandsifters (oddities)
> 2. Featherfins
> 3. Lamps
> 4. Gibberosa / Tropheus
> 5. Shell Dwellers / Julidochromis


Lol. Gotta luv that top 5,6,7. Where are the pics though?

The thing with cyphos is I can actually tell my fronts apart. I can't do that with cyps. Lol


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

I was talking to a co worker about fish tanks. When i was yonger i had 2 Oscars and he said he liked African cichlids mbuna is what he ment. So i wanted another tank and i started looking up Africans up. Seen a picture on google of a gibberosa and i was hooked now i have 6 very nice kitumba.
Heres a pic of ol' blue my alpha


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## Shaky (Jan 2, 2003)

I'm planning to set up a 20 long, and for the life of me, I can't decide what to go with.
Everytime I think I've got it figured out, I research a little more and something else pops up.
As you say, there are way too many favorites!


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

mel_cp6 said:


> > 1. Sandsifters (oddities)
> > 2. Featherfins
> > 3. Lamps
> > 4. Gibberosa / Tropheus
> ...


Ok, you pick my top 5:









































































































































Sorry, I could not post them all...


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## rous (Apr 10, 2006)

:lol: OK, Todd. Now you are just showing off... :lol:

Beautiful fish and pictures, as always......I am going to come visit your fishroom one of these days!


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

Now thats what I want to see. Nice collection btw.


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

here are my mobas.









































yourger F1s.









my kilesas.

















comps from may 2009









old pims when they were younger.


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

Stunning Mobas! I have always wanted to get a nice group of gibberosa. I had a coupld groups in the past, but have never been sattisfied with the quality of the juvied I had. I have a young group of Mikula now that I think I am finally going to be happy with. Now I just have another 3-4 years before they can get some size on them...










Just had my first spawn from these trets this week.









and few more...













































You have to love the diversity in Lake Tanganyika.


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

Your gibbs look great. Waiting is fun if you know they are top notch quality.

I will be gettIng rid of 2-3 more females to get the best out of the group. I'm trying to collect all the ones with great color so I end up with the best breeding colony.


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

I've never even seen some of those tangs that you have?
What is the 3rd last one?
Congrats on the spawn btw.

My mobas started to spawn and I'm sure next batch will be successful.


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

mel_cp6 said:


> I've never even seen some of those tangs that you have?
> What is the 3rd last one?
> Congrats on the spawn btw.
> 
> My mobas started to spawn and I'm sure next batch will be successful.


The 3rd last one is a Neolamprologus obscurus. That is a picture of my wild caught male. I was told they are not exported very frequently.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Qaddiction said:


> mel_cp6 said:
> 
> 
> > I've never even seen some of those tangs that you have?
> ...


I'd love to get my hands on some, Todd. By chance bringing any fry to ACA?


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## Alleycat (Dec 2, 2006)

prov356 said:


> I'd love to get my hands on some


Tim, If he doesn't ( I'm sure he will ) I have a few that may make it to the ACA ... F1 fry that are just specks of sand at the moment, but seem to be eating BBS and staying out of harms way.


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## Hurriken (Jan 13, 2006)

I placed an ad to sell a big Green terror I had. He was in my 55g. I had this dumb idea to get a pike cichlid...When I met the guy that was buying the GT he asked me if I would consider a trade. He had a bucket with him with 4 A. Comp yellow Juvies. I ended up losing them all but I was hooked. Been keeping Tangs ever since (2005 or 2006).


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

Hey Tim. 
You didn't mention how you ended up on this side of the hobby or should I say how your basement became a little piece of lake Tanganyikan. You probably mentioned it on your thread but pls refresh our memories. Thanks for all your advice btw.
Mel


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## craziloki (Oct 22, 2010)

I started with African Clawed-frogs as a child.. Kept a male and female for years until they died.. Then moved to odd-balls and then years with no fish.. About three years ago I saw some A. comps and fell in love. I have more aspirations than money so I stick to my 55g tang, and 10g shrimp tanks.. One day I want a basement with 1 large tank for each lake.


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## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

I started off with Kribs and Angels. Being naive and uninformed I also had a brief flirtation with a pair of auratus in with them (this was in the 70's) which terrorised the tank. Then discovered labs and went into malawis for years, then had Dubs and a few types of trophs before settling for 3 years with Mpimbwes. Then Marines for 1 year (never again) and for the last few years just Tangs with fronts being my main area of interest. Currently have Mobas and Kigomas. Fronts just keep pulling me back unlike any other tangs (which I usually keep until I'm over run with fry then get bored of them and sell them.)
Top of my wants list currently are Red Princess, N. buescheri and N. nigriventris - all nigh on impossible to get at the mo.


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