# Help me reconfigure my 130 gallon's cichlid inhabitants



## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

Guys, this isn't a national emergency or anything just looking for some tips, some of you can flame me too if you want lol, all criticsm and advice is welcome .

I bought a 130 gallon aquarium, and hadn't had a tank in 20 years... So anyhow I always wanted Frontosas. I bought 7 Kigoma Frontosas and 2 Burundi ones, all about 1-1'5" long.

I always liked Texas and Jewels so I bought 1 Texas and 2 Jewels from different sources. Same with Blue Dolphins, bought 3 from different sources. I added 1 Daffodil, 1 Brichardi, 1 Orange Leleupi & 1 little Ancistrus pleco. I'm also going to get 1 more Orange Leleupi (Amazing fish, that color..) and a Yellow lemon one and will also add an Neolamprologus Olivaceous (they look like Brichardis).

So anyhow, the only serious annoying trouble makers are the first 2 original fish I bought, this dreaded pair of silver light blue dolphins. They actually look like half mbunas or something, the body at least. They are so **** annoying, swimming so fast and mindlessly, eating the most food, bumping into everything, biting whoever is in front of them, at night I've caught them walking on the substrate causing havoc biting people..My Texas is the boss of the tank, but at night I think he is getting ganged up by the 3 dolphins. Those 2 have corrupted the 3rd nice real looking doplhin too. Also, 2 Jewels was a mistake, they just don't look like they fit in.

I am giving my friend or returning to the pet shop those 2 blue dolphins and 1 Jewel. Those 2 dolphins are causing all my fronts to hide most of the time. Very annoying sob's. This is why I hate almost anything from Lake Malawi, they just swim around like minless bullies, can't really mix them well with anything. I like smart slow swimming fish with character like the ones from Tanganyika, and American Cichlids, Jewels too are awesome the way they stop and think before reacting.

What should I do if I want to see my Fronts more? Will keeping them with only a few tank mates be better?


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

Make it a species tank. I think eventually the Texas will be too much for the fronts. Some of the smaller fish may become snacks once the fronts grow. A lot of people keep dolphins with fronts, do you have pics of yours? Maybe they aren't pure which could explain why they are being trouble.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

I'd vote for an option not there, which is keep only the Kigoma, get rid of the Burundi. Much easier now, than when they get to breeding age.

Species tank for Fronts is the way to go IMO.


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

nodima said:


> I'd vote for an option not there, which is keep only the Kigoma, get rid of the Burundi. Much easier now, than when they get to breeding age.
> 
> Species tank for Fronts is the way to go IMO.


Hi there, just curious, how come you are not doing species only tanks, I see you have a Tang and an American community, pretty cool. What would you change or do if you could go back in time?


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

james1983 said:


> Make it a species tank. I think eventually the Texas will be too much for the fronts. Some of the smaller fish may become snacks once the fronts grow. A lot of people keep dolphins with fronts, do you have pics of yours? Maybe they aren't pure which could explain why they are being trouble.


Hi there, you may be right. I have 3 dolphins, 2 are from the same genes, one is different and from a different chain of petstore. See pics.

These are the 2 dolphins I will give to a friend, they have grown much since last month. 









Here's one with my Texas, althoguh they look like cute dolphins there, they are monsters...









Here is the dolphin that I want to keep, he looks more like a dolphin type when hes swimming, these pictures were take right after a huge fight with the dominant make dolphin of the tank that I am getting rid of.









Overall view of the 5x2x2' aquarium..









I am really liking these leleupis and brichardi (Neolamprologus) types as mates.,,I'd like to add 2 more leleupis and remove them when the fronts get over 5 inches..in 2 years?+


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

You will be fine keeping the leleupi with them, as you say, until they get large enough to eat the leleupi. But, I'd remove the rest of the fish.

There is nothing wrong with doing tanks that aren't species only, you just have to choose inhabitants that work well in such situations... fronts aren't really great choices for that.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

easywolf31 said:


> nodima said:
> 
> 
> > I'd vote for an option not there, which is keep only the Kigoma, get rid of the Burundi. Much easier now, than when they get to breeding age.
> ...


There is a lot I'd do differently going back in time when it comes to aquariums.  But keeping it on topic, I tried to have a community tank with Frontosa, which evolved into a Frontosa only tank. Some fish were eaten, and others grew and it became clear that the Frontosas were stressed. I removed those and the tank was much more peaceful as a species tank. I did have synodontis multipunctatus cats in with them, which in retrospect was probably not a great plan, but I did not really try to breed the fish, so many fry did not make it. Once the fronts were 5-6" the difference in size created a real risk of losing other fish, so most were removed at that point.

As for my other tanks, my Tropheus tank is essentially a species tank, the entire set up is created for the Tropheus, and technically there is a single compressiceps in the tank, and some synodontis lucipinnis as well but the only fish one typically sees are the ~40 or so Tropheus. I'm sure I lose fry to both the compressiceps and the cats, but enough have survived to adulthood that the colony has doubled in size. Both the cats and compressiceps were fish already in the house, and they were added to the tropheus tank as an afterthought.

In the tanganyika forum, there have been several threads in the past couple of weeks where people were looking for advice on suitable tankmates, and the pictures show what can really go wrong.


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

nodima said:


> easywolf31 said:
> 
> 
> > nodima said:
> ...


Hi, I like that reason. Just to be sure, the Fronts looked less stressed and came out more often from their hiding spots when it became a species only tank? What kind of fish were you keeping with them in the beginning and who ate who?

The only fish bugging my fronts atm are those 2 dolphins. Whenever I will notice another fish bugging then I'll send it off to my friend's aquariums too. Do you think just by the Texas's presence and other fish the Fronts are stressed? Some Fronts actually sleep in the same cave with it.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

@easywolf - I had them in with a number of tanganyikans (never been a fan of mixing lakes/locales) including tetracanthus, sexfasciatus, julie's, leleupi and I forget what else. The larger ones would out-compete the fronts, and some of the smaller ones were eaten by the Fronts. Leleupi for sure eaten. 

IMO/E just about any mix can work for a period of time. That period of time could be measured in days, months, and sometimes years. At some point, something changes (maturity, breeding etc.) and the mix stops working. You have a big advantage in that you're able to get advice on line and from sources far more varied than the local fish store who is vested in selling more fish. It was a lot harder 30 years ago to figure some of this stuff out.


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## engotski (Dec 29, 2014)

You just got back to the hobby and I understand that you are trying to fit as many species in your tank for variety...well because we want it all dont we...but what you are trying to do wont work long term as many have said.

If Frontosa is still your end goal, Petricola Cats gives you the best chance to obtain a community feel...specially since your fronts are still in between fry-juvie stage. Petricolas grow extremely slow so getting them at a 2-3" size is best. Again, nothing is guaranteed with these guys but there are many success stories especially for non WC colonies. Leleupi is an awesome fish but they can be pretty nasty and nip on the trailer fins of the fronts. Worse case, they can be lunch as well.

I have calvus with mine but I'm watching them closely as my alpha male is now 7"...there were 2 incidents where my 4" black calvus has a bite mark on the top of his head.

In the end, do what makes you happy but just know some things dont work like we want them to... :fish:


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

james1983 said:


> Make it a species tank. I think eventually the Texas will be too much for the fronts. Some of the smaller fish may become snacks once the fronts grow. A lot of people keep dolphins with fronts, do you have pics of yours? Maybe they aren't pure which could explain why they are being trouble.


Hey James, you know what, these are possibly not dolphins! Please look at that light blue Malawi cichlid to the left of the blue dolphin. Does anyone recognise it? It really looks more like that, man I'm glad to have these malawi heads outta my tank!


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

Well guys, I added another filter in the pre drilled system of the aquarium last night, so did some rock formation modifications. I know I will need a lot more rocks in there, I will get some on a far away coastal camp trip this summer.. I also gave my friend the 2 Mbunas/Blue Dolphins, cross breeds? and 1 Jewel Cichlid, but I may have seen some agression from the Texas to all fish but the Leleupi for some reason. He seems to really want this new caving system to himself. I may have to put him in his own tank if I see more agression. I will get 2-3 more Leleupis and 1 Olivaceus and will enjoy the next 2 years until the Frontosas get beig enough to swallow them. Let me know what you think please.


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

Well I think this experiment is over. Yesterday I put 3 more Leleupi and an Neolamprologus Olivaceous and it just went gangbusters Texas in there. The 4 Leleupi immediately formed a square teammate patrol formation. The Brichardi types a triangle. The Jewel battled the Texas for boss. The 9 fronts are another little gang. And than there's the big dolphin. This morning 2 of the new Leleupi died possibly due to some melafix i added? It was a saltwater melafix but it's compatible. Just 25% stronger. Is that what possibly killed them?

Anyhow there's too many ruthless characters in here..I should get rid of the daffodil possibly, the jewel and the texas.

Would those 3-4 do oo in a 65 gallon?


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

Just want to say everything is looking great, fish seem to be thriving except for one Leleupi who refuses to let the only other Leleupi swim freely without putting him back in the corner for an hour. Hopefully it stops soon.

Really loving this tank, need to build some caves with bigger rocks on top of these structures somehow.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

Thanks for posting pictures - what are the dimensions of that tank? When I heard 130 gallon, I immediately assumed a 6' long tank, but the pictures make it look more like a 4' tank that is extra deep. If that is the case, it is even more critical that you reduce the fishload, as there is not enough space for all to have territories.


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

nodima said:


> Thanks for posting pictures - what are the dimensions of that tank? When I heard 130 gallon, I immediately assumed a 6' long tank, but the pictures make it look more like a 4' tank that is extra deep. If that is the case, it is even more critical that you reduce the fishload, as there is not enough space for all to have territories.


It's 5' x 2 x 2. My plan is to rehome the extra male fronts in a few years from now, as well as the Texas and Jewel. I also need to build some caves and hills upwards.


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## easywolf31 (Jan 19, 2017)

In case anyone here is a video of this community :


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## perryclark (Dec 5, 2016)

Up until today, I have kept 10 frontosa in a tank with, among others, 15 discus. A larger frontosa has just replaced the biggest discus as tank boss.
Ph concerns and predatory behaviour suggest it's time to christen the new tank.But it worked well for all concerned for a while.


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