# what tank mates can i have with Cyathopharynx furcifer/ foai



## Javed (Apr 25, 2007)

hi guys i have finally decided that the main fish's are going to be either Cyathopharynx furcifer or foai but i would like to know what other tank mates i would be able to keep with them.

my tank size is 72x18x22, (102 uk gallons) and i have a 60x12x12 sump, (31 uk gallons) = a total of 133 uk gallons of water.

i will have a few plants and a small pile of rocks in the middle back to front just to devide the tank in half just in case i have 2 males so they have got there own terrotary, the tank mates i am thinking of having are a group of leptosomas.

but what else would you recommend to have as tank mates? may be a group of some shell dwellers like multi or something? any thing else?

pls recommend or suggest what i should have with them

thanks


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

If you're going to mix, I'd only go with one male. Then you have lots of options. Two males will barely leave room for females to get out of the way, let alone room for other tankmates. I moved mine on for that reason. Felt bad for the females huddled in a corner trying to stay out of the way. If you go with one male, you could do a rock pile and shell be at the other end.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

When I was considering foai for my 125G the recommendation was just the foai and cyps.


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## Javed (Apr 25, 2007)

prov356 said:


> If you're going to mix, I'd only go with one male. Then you have lots of options. Two males will barely leave room for females to get out of the way, let alone room for other tankmates. I moved mine on for that reason. Felt bad for the females huddled in a corner trying to stay out of the way. If you go with one male, you could do a rock pile and shell be at the other end.


i was thinking of 2 males purley so the dominent male will always be coloured up, i see your point about the females huddled up in a corner,


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## Javed (Apr 25, 2007)

DJRansome said:


> When I was considering foai for my 125G the recommendation was just the foai and cyps.


i was thinking that aswell, but just thought if i could possibly get something else in there wit them, and not cause an upset in the tank.


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## Javed (Apr 25, 2007)

do you guys know where i can find decent lanscape pictures of a tank that are housing furcifer and leptosoma so i can get an idea of how to decorate the tank.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> i was thinking of 2 males purley so the dominent male will always be coloured up, i see your point about the females huddled up in a corner,


I hear that all the time here, that you need two males or the single won't color up. Never found that to be true with mine.


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## jeffmo78 (Dec 5, 2006)

I frequently use YouTube.com to get live shots of how other people set their aquariums up. There are a lot of good furcifer/foai videos out there!

Jeff


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

I would recommend a pair of Eretmodus and a group of Paracyprichromis or C.pavo or C.micro

I had a group of Jumbo Kitumba cyps that kept my furcifers from coloring up in a 6 foot long 210 gallon tank and 2M4F wild furcifers.They had to go!!

Now they breeding and have great color.I even have a group of Xenotilapia sigularis that they ignore and breed nearby with no issues.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

I ordered mine (Foai Kachese Adults) About a week ago... I took most of my advice from the profiles article and ordered 2 males 4 females for a 72 inch 150 gallon. I've got them in with Blue flash cyps (Now only 5 but I have 50 in growout so I"ll eventually put about 20-25 in there.) and a pair of BIG Calvus. That's where it'll end I think but I'm hoping the big male Foai makes his bower in the center of the tank (I aquascaped to encourage this by offering the biggest clearing in the middle) and then just oppresses the other male into down colors and female bahavior.

I don't know if that hope is realistic? :-?

I've got plenty of "behind the scenes areas for the females to be in close proximity to the male without him knowing about it. Besides, when it comes to Tanganyikan Cichlids, I'm a complete mysogynist! I buy females for breeding and to support male color only LOL! :lol:


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## Javed (Apr 25, 2007)

dmiller328 said:


> I would recommend a pair of Eretmodus and a group of Paracyprichromis or C.pavo or C.micro
> 
> I had a group of Jumbo Kitumba cyps that kept my furcifers from coloring up in a 6 foot long 210 gallon tank and 2M4F wild furcifers.They had to go!!
> 
> Now they breeding and have great color.I even have a group of Xenotilapia sigularis that they ignore and breed nearby with no issues.


Eretmodus yes i do like these but they are a pure algea eating fish? just like mbuna, i dont want to go down that root again fish getting bloat -

i am not looking to get jumbo cyps, possibly looking at a group of Cyprichromis Utinta

Xenotilapia sigularis = isnt this a xenotilapia ochrogenys? i do love these but i thought they may not go well with featherfins as both fish are sand sifters and may come into each others way, and may cause problems

what are C.pavo or C.micro?


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## Javed (Apr 25, 2007)

BioG said:


> I ordered mine (Foai Kachese Adults) About a week ago... I took most of my advice from the profiles article and ordered 2 males 4 females for a 72 inch 150 gallon. I've got them in with Blue flash cyps (Now only 5 but I have 50 in growout so I"ll eventually put about 20-25 in there.) and a pair of BIG Calvus. That's where it'll end I think but I'm hoping the big male Foai makes his bower in the center of the tank (I aquascaped to encourage this by offering the biggest clearing in the middle) and then just oppresses the other male into down colors and female bahavior.
> 
> I don't know if that hope is realistic? :-?
> 
> I've got plenty of "behind the scenes areas for the females to be in close proximity to the male without him knowing about it. Besides, when it comes to Tanganyikan Cichlids, I'm a complete mysogynist! I buy females for breeding and to support male color only LOL! :lol:


calvus is a no for me

how are you findind your leptosoma with the fearther fins ?


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

Ismalj wrote


> Eretmodus yes i do like these but they are a pure algea eating fish? just like mbuna, i dont want to go down that root again fish getting bloat -


The Eretmodus will not get bloat with proper foods such as NLS or Dainichi

The C.furcifers or foai eat algae as well and just as prone to bloat as them too.

The smaller C.leptosoma should be alright but it depends on the group,I have had them be aggressive like a Jumbo.

Cyprichromis microlepidotus get about as big as a Jumbo but much more passive,even the smaller leptos.

The Xenos and furcifer ignore each other in my tank,but in yours I would not have more than 1 male furcifer for that combo.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

My cyos are dwarfs and pretty laid back. Most of my male cyps are blue tails, which, ime are a bit more passive than yellow tails. Even my yellow tails are descended from my blue tails, but the blues run the show (Which is strange from what I understand.)

I'm actually removing the Calvus as we speak as the big (6") male is beating on his female and chasing the Foai out of the area I made for them. :roll:


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## Javed (Apr 25, 2007)

dmiller328 said:


> Ismalj wrote
> 
> 
> > Eretmodus yes i do like these but they are a pure algea eating fish? just like mbuna, i dont want to go down that root again fish getting bloat -
> ...


The C.furcifers or foai eat algae as well and just as prone to bloat as them too.  
i didnt know that, so are they just like mbuna in there diet? i thought there diet was a mix.

i know they say that you can feed mbuna alittle bit of brine shrip - i have tried this but the answer is no my mbunas used to get bloat straight away, so if featherfins are just like mbunas then i will certainly not give brineshrimp or krill , strictly spirulina flakes and thats it.

so how about leptosomas? what is there primary diet?


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

I wonder if it isn't ideal to offer strictly spirulina since it's not technically the "algae" they're after when sifting/grazing the awfwuchs but the crustaceans etc. within the awfwuchs.

Plus, we must consider that they will feed off plankton whenever available in the lake, and since it, plankton, is everywhere, we would be wise to at least supplement cyclops with flake....

This is why I feed a mix of "Dainichi Veggie FX" and "NLS" to the whole fish room. No worries, no bloat, no wondering if they're getting what they need.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> This is why I feed a mix of "Dainichi Veggie FX" and "NLS" to the whole fish room. No worries, no bloat, no wondering if they're getting what they need.


NLS alone will accomplish the same IME. I never worry about what my fish eat in the wild or try to match that or supplement, etc. Between the tanganyikans, malawis, and west african cichilds, I've got about 40 different species. I couldn't imagine trying to keep up with that and worry about a specialized diet plan for each. The only exception is that I use microworm for fry too small yet to take powdered NLS.


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

The furcifer/foais eat a fair amount of algae when they sift the sand and scrape rocks.They also have a very long intestine like a herbivore.

With that said they can handle protein as long as it easily digestible kinds in NLS and Dainichi and do not over feed them.

Spirulina flakes can just have a touch of spirulina and loaded with grain fillers such as corn,so you have to careful.Also a pellet gives the fish much more nutrients than a flake.


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## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

ismalj said:


> do you guys know where i can find decent lanscape pictures of a tank that are housing furcifer and leptosoma so i can get an idea of how to decorate the tank.


Search the species name on you tube.


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## GeeJay (Nov 12, 2005)

ismalj said:


> do you guys know where i can find decent lanscape pictures of a tank that are housing furcifer and leptosoma so i can get an idea of how to decorate the tank.


Here's a video of my furcifer and leptosoma in a 2 meter tank.

Hope this helps.


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