# Cyprichromis , water movement & filtration



## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

I recently set up a 55g tang tank which I stocked with 15 Cyprichromis jumbos. i have an Empoeror 400 bio wheel at one end. I also have a fluval 303 that I plan on hooking up on the other end. The fish have only been in the tank for 3 weeks, so this may just be an acclimation issue, but what I've noticed is the cyps will not swim in the end of the tank with the filter. Instead, the hang out at the other end in and around the rocks with the calvus. If I shut the filter down they will then venture to the other end. I guess I expected them to swim in the open water from end to end, but what they do is stay close to the rocks and the bottom. They are active and voracious eaters and seem perfectly "happy"

They are still young. The biggest is about 2.5".

It seems that they are avoiding the water movement from the filter. Has anyone had a similar experience with cyps? Thoughts, insights, suggestions?
Thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

My cyps hang out in the area NEAR the filter. May not be related.

Note that jumbo cyps are not a fit for a 55G from what I read. Is there a 72" tank in your future? :thumb:


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I added a couple of powerheads to my 210 and had to remove them because all my cyps dropped down to the bottom to get away from the current.
I agree that a 55g is to small for jumbos.


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

Time will tell I guess in regards to water movement and tank size. I'm not worried about the cyps staying away from the filter, just curious, but I definitely don't want them in a tank that is too small for them. 
Initially I was going to stay away from jumbos, but the breeder (well known and reputable) recommended a 55g tank for these guys. They may have to be moved at some point, but I'll try to make it work for them.


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## TorontoRaptorsFan (May 20, 2005)

A 55 gallon will be fine for jumbos. As long as the tank has a sufficient number of males ideally 3 or more you'll be fine. It only becomes a problem when there are only 2 males. But keep in mind every colony will be different. Some colonies will get along fine with one another others will turn the tank into World War 3.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

TorontoRaptorsFan said:


> A 55 gallon will be fine for jumbos. As long as the tank has a sufficient number of males ideally 3 or more you'll be fine. It only becomes a problem when there are only 2 males. But keep in mind every colony will be different. Some colonies will get along fine with one another others will turn the tank into World War 3.


Did you mean only 2 females?
I have seen jumbos surviving in smaller setups (less than 6 feet) but I have a hard time getting jumbo colonies to thrive (Maybe I just suck at fish keeping, but I never have probs with my dwarf cyps or any other fish) in less than 6 feet of tank.

Like the rest of us though, I'll probably keep trying


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## CThompson (Aug 13, 2003)

What sort of Jumbos are they?

I had Mpmbwe in a 4'8" long tank with great difficulty.

I have Kitumba in a 3 m 2000L tank with no issues, in fact it is their very aggression that makes them so worthwhile as in a big enough tank the one who back down is not pursued, it is simply game over.

In too small a tank they can do a lot of damage for a fish with no teeth.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

The only jumbos I have ever kept are Tri Colors. They seem pursuant and much more aggressive than Blue Flash or Utinta


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

My cyps play in the currents as well. I have fluval 404s on the big tanks, with powerheads on the opposite ends. When I've had 3 males in a 4ft tank, the third always loses. More than three males, no problem. 2 males- each sets up on either end of the tank and chases females back from the middle.


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

The cyps are katete.

So far I have 2 males colored up. Not sure yet if there are more as they are still young. One male definitely dominates the other, but so far he just chases him away occasionally and at other times he tolerates him. At feeding time they eat shoulder-to-shoulder.


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## Tshethar (Jul 20, 2009)

Your setup doesn't sound like too much filtration to me. I've got some cyp. micros in a 55 with an Emperor 350 I inherited plus an Eheim 2226 canister, and they don't get blown around the tank. I have noticed that they behave differently at different times of day, and they definitely feel safer hanging out semi-vertically around rocks. So, if the lights have recently come on, they lay low, whereas if it is getting close to feeding time, everyone is out and the current isn't a problem for any of them. During the middle of the day, the two most dominant males usually are competing for open space, while the others largely stay out of the way, usually looking inconspicuous around the rocks. So, sounds like a behavioral thing, especially with them still settling in.

FWIW, I feed at night, so when I'm home and can enjoy the tank, they're all out and about.


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

I think I'll add some rock work at the far end of the tank (opposite from where the dominant male has claimed territory). That will hopefully give male#2 his own space.

Yeah, at feeding time nobody cares about anything but food. They sure love to eat. Other than their staple diet of pellets and flakes, they love brine shrimp and blood worms, but will spit out white worms.


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

Just wanted to update this thread.

I added more rocks vertically and everybody started hanging out higher in the tank. Basically raising to the new level of the stonework. It's what I expected, but still cool to observe.

I now have 5 males colored up. Since the last three have colored up, the ongoing aggression of male #1 against #2 has stopped. #2 no longer hides all day. In fact they all swim together and I haven't seen any obvious aggression for several weeks.

They are still young. The largest male is about 3" (including tail)


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## borohands8593 (Apr 15, 2009)

I cant vouch for everyone in here but the advice most people give you in here about tank size and M to F ratios in my opinion is ridiculous. There is no way Im going to waste a 6 foot tank on a 4-6inch sardine! I have a colony of nonjumbo in a 29G which everyone told me I was crazy. I also have only 4 females and 10males and it has been this way for over a year with successful breeding, have another holding at the moment. When they first started coloring up the 2 males constantly fought for dominance but with so many males there really isnt room for one to constantly pick on another so instead they all just show off and flash to each other its great


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> I added more rocks vertically and everybody started hanging out higher in the tank. Basically raising to the new level of the stonework. It's what I expected, but still cool to observe.


Cyps orient themselves to rocks. They're not an open water fish. I attended a talk by Heinz Buscher at the OCA Extravaganza recently, where he stated that the common thought that cyps are pelagic is 'rubbish'. They are found near rocks and establish territories even in caves. He had the video to prove it. Great stuff, by the way. Per Heinz, when they are startled, they hide in the rocks, they don't flee to open water. Just food for thought when setting up a cyp tank.


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

FishFlake said:


> Just wanted to update this thread.
> 
> I added more rocks vertically and everybody started hanging out higher in the tank. Basically raising to the new level of the stonework. It's what I expected, but still cool to observe.
> 
> ...


Neat- I'm glad they're showing color and behaving well. opcorn: It sounds like #1 has his hands full with all the upstarts. 



borohands8593 said:


> I cant vouch for everyone in here but the advice most people give you in here about tank size and M to F ratios in my opinion is ridiculous. There is no way Im going to waste a 6 foot tank on a 4-6inch sardine! I have a colony of nonjumbo in a 29G which everyone told me I was crazy. I also have only 4 females and 10males and it has been this way for over a year with successful breeding, have another holding at the moment. When they first started coloring up the 2 males constantly fought for dominance but with so many males there really isnt room for one to constantly pick on another so instead they all just show off and flash to each other its great


Of course everyone has different opinions and experiences with their particular fish. Simply because one particular set-up works for your fish right now hardly gives you the credibility to label other folks as ridiculous. Perhaps you think that a larger tank would be a waste only because your 'sardines' are not nearly as interesting or as colorful as my C. leptosoma? :wink:

How you keep fish is influenced by what your purpose is. It is well established that cyps can breed prolifically using the crowding method to control aggression. However, their colors and more interesting behaviors are better highlighted in longer tanks where schooling can physically happen. If you want to breed- crowding in a smaller tank (I've used a 40 gallon) can be useful.



prov said:


> Cyps orient themselves to rocks. They're not an open water fish. I attended a talk by Heinz Buscher at the OCA Extravaganza recently, where he stated that the common thought that cyps are pelagic is 'rubbish'. They are found near rocks and establish territories even in caves. He had the video to prove it. Great stuff, by the way. Per Heinz, when they are startled, they hide in the rocks, they don't flee to open water. Just food for thought when setting up a cyp tank.


 :thumb: I always suspected that- and have made it a point when giving advice about tank set ups to include places for "cyps to sleep." I think every body knows they hide in rocks (ever try to catch a holding female in a show tank?) but it's informative to hear of an expert demonstrating the same response in wild fish.


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