# 29 gal tanganyika species tank



## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

Hi there,

Never done a tanganyikan species set up before and was hoping I could get some pointers. Got a standard 29 gallon tank that I have been using as a grow out for my mbuna tank, but I'm done stocking my mbuna tank for now and want a permanent set up in the 29 gal.

I'm not really all that interested in the shellies... am much more interested in doing either a leluepi (spelling?) or brichardi species only tank. Probably doing the whole raising 6 juveniles until a pair forms and then culling the remaining 4...

Any thoughts, advice, criticisms of the idea are welcome.

Also, through research it has become abundantly clear that leluepi should be kept as a single pair (especially in such a small footprint)... but the brichardi set up seems to be a bit more ambiguous... they school right? except when breeding right? would it be possible to keep more than a breeding pair of brichardi in this set up?

I'm not even all that interested in succesfully breeding either species... I just know that in a species only tank it's bound to happen... and I want to minimize problems that may result from it. (extra aggression, etc.)

thanks everyone!

p.s. I'm also posting this in the tank set-ups forum since it's pertinent there as well.


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## Longstocking (Aug 26, 2003)

I would go with the N. brichardi in your case.

They are great if kept in a species only tank and it's fun to watch a pair develope into a swarm of fry and juvies.

They will do fine in your size of tank as well. Just make sure you have some place to get rid of the fry ! As this will be an issue. Most fish stores will take them in.

If you do not want to deal with too many fry on your hands, might I suggest calvus.

In my experience, even leleupi can produce too many fry.


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

> They are great if kept in a speceis only tank and it's fun to watch a pair develope into a swarm of fry and juvies.


So, better to establish a breeding pair and let them populate the tank with more than to start with 6 and leave all six from the start? I have also heard that the male will eventually kill all the male fry... is this true?

One more probably rediculous question (remember this is my first tang set up... i'm used to mbuna)... an established pair will be easy to identify, right?

thanks again!


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

edouthirt said:


> One more probably rediculous question (remember this is my first tang set up... i'm used to mbuna)... an established pair will be easy to identify, right?
> 
> thanks again!


The established pair will be the ones that kill everything else in the tank 

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## toddnbecka (Oct 23, 2004)

Not necessarily, I had a single male gracilis that spawned with 2 females. Interestingly, he only seemed to be pair-bonded with one, and didn't help the "other" female protect her fry. They were moved to a 38 to prevent the assimilation of the 55, and after a couple spawns it didn't matter. The fry schooled together regardless of lineage, and new spawns were eaten when the tank became too crowded.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

toddnbecka said:


> Not necessarily, I had a single male gracilis that spawned with 2 females. Interestingly, he only seemed to be pair-bonded with one, and didn't help the "other" female protect her fry. They were moved to a 38 to prevent the assimilation of the 55, and after a couple spawns it didn't matter. The fry schooled together regardless of lineage, and new spawns were eaten when the tank became too crowded.


Interesting! Do you have any pics of the gracilis? They're one of my favorite brichardi complex fishes (them and the maraguenis, however you spell that one).

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who still dreams of the 150tall (48x24x30) brichardi complex species tank)


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## toddnbecka (Oct 23, 2004)

Not a single pic to be found anywhere. I traded off the gracilis for Paracyp's a couple years ago, then sold the Paracyp's last summer.
:fish:


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