# Advice on Setting up a 100 gallon Tanganyikan Aquarium



## Wy Renegade (Oct 22, 2012)

Hey All,

New to this forum and have a few questions.

Last year at the end of the school year, I had a heater malfunction and lost my 100 (6') tank with OB Blueberry Zebras that I had been keeping and breeding for years. We tore the tank completely down and it has been sitting empty. I'm toying with the idea of a Tanganyikan set-up this time around, as I love the _N. brichardi_ and like the concept of a community cichlid tank.

However I'm also not a fan of canister filters. Generally I use UGF in my large cichlids tanks. From what I've seen however, most recommendations on the Tanganyikan's recommend a sand substrate which won't work with the UGF.

If I were to go this route what filter(s) would I need for a community system?

I've read through the articles here on a Tanganyikan community tank, but found them lacking in detail (although they have a nice list of species) nor do they provide guidelines on a tank of the size I'm using. So I'm looking for suggestions on species and numbers of fish that would be compatable in this set-up. I'd like to do all three habitat types if that is a possibility. This is my first venture into the Tanganyikan's besides the _N. brichardi_ which I currently have a breeding population of.

If possible, I'd also like to add some Synodonitis (possibly petricola), or would another species be better in a community tank?

How about shells for the shellies? Where does one aquire them at or what works?

Aquascaping suggestions as well as sand suggestions (type, depth, and volume) are also welcome.

TIA


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I am guessing you read the Species Profiles, and not the articles in the library.

Did you try this section?

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/s ... ofiles.php

So this is a 6' x 18" x 18" tank?

UG filters are typically not very effective for cichlids that are diggers, and most Tangs are extreme diggers. If you don't like cannisters, and UGFs are out of the question, then you are stuck with Hang on the Back filters, such as an Aquaclear, or any of the other similar brands.

I wouldn't recommend keeping Synodontis catfish with substrate spawning fish. They will be very disruptive to both their territories, and their spawning. However, you could keep some in the tank, with a mouthbrooding aquarium... Some of featherfins O. ventralis being an example, or Enatiopus kilesa, or Xenotilapia, and some Cyprichromis. You could also keep some gobies such as Eretmodus for the rocks.

Alternatively you could do rock dwelling substrate spawners, such as Altolamprologus pair, a small Julidochromis pair (marlieri Gombe, transcriptus, ornatus) and Lamprologus caudopunctatus, along with a colony of L. multifasciatus.

I've purchased many of my shells at the grocery store, as large escargot... the shells are perfect and you get a meal out of it... personally I didn't like the escargot and just cleaned the shells out and washed them well. I found this to be the cheapest option, though there are plenty of places online to order shells as well.

Anyway, check out the articles section I posted, and provide some feedback for some of the options provided.


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## Wy Renegade (Oct 22, 2012)

Thanks for the response. I hadn't checked out the individual profile descriptions yet no, but thanks for the link I'll look them over as I get the chance. The two articles I read where these;

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/t ... nity_i.php

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/t ... ity_ii.php

The first one recommended the following fish for a 55 gallon;


> A sample community for a 55 gallon could be as follows:
> 3 Neolamprologus cylindricus
> 3 Julidichromis regani
> 3-5 Lamprologus ocellatus
> ...


And the second had the following recommendations for a 75 vs. a 135 gallon community;



> 75-gallon aquarium 135-gallon aquarium
> 
> Open Water:
> 12 Cyprichromis leptosoma Open Water:
> ...


Hhhhmmm, yeah sorry that second quote didn't work so well. I'm wondering if it is truly possible to maintain all three biotypes in the 6'x18"x18" tank or if the reality of the spawning fish will make this type of set-up a no go. If so, would I be better off selecting only a single one of the biotypes or might I be able to do a couple? Sorry if this gets a bit long-winded, but like I said, I'm pretty new to Tanganyikan's, although not to aquariums in general.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

It gets difficult to mix different biotopes, but it can be done to some degree, but you end up with fewer fish that will work. You could do an Altolamprologus pair (rock dweller), a shell dweller... L. multifasciatus or brevis... but they would have to be in one corner of the tank. Most of the rest of the tank would have to be open, and you could do some leptosoma (not jumbo) and some Xenotilapia... is that more of what you are looking for?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Another option for your filtration is a overflow with a sump


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## Wy Renegade (Oct 22, 2012)

Fogelhund said:


> It gets difficult to mix different biotopes, but it can be done to some degree, but you end up with fewer fish that will work. You could do an Altolamprologus pair (rock dweller), a shell dweller... L. multifasciatus or brevis... but they would have to be in one corner of the tank. Most of the rest of the tank would have to be open, and you could do some leptosoma (not jumbo) and some Xenotilapia... is that more of what you are looking for?


Yep, thats more of what I'm looking for. I've been told that the Zenotilapia shouldn't be mixed with the shell dwellers, have you had this particular combination?

So the rock dweller and the shell dweller would be in the same or opposite corners?


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## Wy Renegade (Oct 22, 2012)

fusion said:


> Another option for your filtration is a overflow with a sump


Yeah, not in this case. No room for a sump for starters, tank isn't drilled nor do I wish to drill it (belongs to the school, not me), and I've had waaaayyy too many bad experiences with HOB overflows to even consider one. But I do appreciate the suggestion.


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## mrbeadheadful (Oct 24, 2012)

Wy Renegade said:


> fusion said:
> 
> 
> > Another option for your filtration is a overflow with a sump
> ...


Im not a fan of many canisters either (fluval cough cough) but have never had an issue on the dozens of HOB filters I have run. Under-gravel filters really are a thing of the past. Your only real options are HOB or canister (?big sponge filter(s)?)


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## Dawg2012 (May 10, 2012)

Why not a canister? They are quiet, easy to setup and maintain, easy to customize with media, and do a great job on all forms of filtration - depending on how you stock your filter.

As for stocking your tank, I'm still pretty new with Tangs, but I can say that the recommendations in those articles (which are very good at explaining the different biotypes) are pretty optimistic. I started out wanting to follow one in my new 75 (4') tank and was advised (by a moderator) they were a little ambitious. Being as though I always want to push the envelope, I only partially listened. Now, several months later, I have a very successful tank, but now see the logic of starting out conservative with Tangs.

If you wanted to follow one of those recommendations for a 6' tank I think you'd be much better off than the recommended 75g 4' tank - but I wouldn't recommend doing any more than they recommend just because you have a 6' tank.

You have TONS of options in a 6' tank. Enjoy whatever you do :thumb:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

See how they are doing after 2 years...Tangs take longer to reach equilibrium. I wanted to stock my tank according to that article as well, but was advised differently and my 72" Tang tank was great for 3-4 years until I put the haps in there.

I did not listen to advice re combining leleupi with shellies. During the second year they not only killed the shellies but the caudopunctatus as well.


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