# Exp. w/ L. Brevis (Kitumba) or Jul. Transcriptus (Bemba)?



## whiskeyriver (Nov 29, 2011)

Do any of you have experience with either of these fish? I have just ordered 7 of the Brevis and 5 of the Julies for my 20 long and wanted to hear from you all if you had good or bad experiences with these species.

Thanks!


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I've had them both and had good experiences with both. I still keep brevis pairs, very easy and undemanding of space. A 20 long for both species will be a little challenging because of the julies, but possible. The 7 brevis are no problem in there, and I'd suggest keeping them all. You should end up with 2-3 pairs as they're not picky about mates. You'll probably have to thin the julies out a bit to a breeding pair/group. I think I'd start with a couple of rock piles in each corner extending along the back a bit. Put some shells out front in the open area. I'm assuming you've ordered juveniles, so give them some time, keep an eye on things and adjust the juli numbers and/or rock piles, if necessary. You may end up with one rock pile at one end and the shells for the brevis throughout the rest of the space with some rocks for sight breaks. Just monitor it and make changes as needed. Any juli that gets pushed up into the corner of the tank should be removed. Juli fry should be able to grow out, but the brevis fry won't be protected and will get picked off unless you remove them. I think you'll enjoy them.


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## whiskeyriver (Nov 29, 2011)

prov356 said:


> I've had them both and had good experiences with both. I still keep brevis pairs, very easy and undemanding of space. A 20 long for both species will be a little challenging because of the julies, but possible. The 7 brevis are no problem in there, and I'd suggest keeping them all. You should end up with 2-3 pairs as they're not picky about mates. You'll probably have to thin the julies out a bit to a breeding pair/group. I think I'd start with a couple of rock piles in each corner extending along the back a bit. Put some shells out front in the open area. I'm assuming you've ordered juveniles, so give them some time, keep an eye on things and adjust the juli numbers and/or rock piles, if necessary. You may end up with one rock pile at one end and the shells for the brevis throughout the rest of the space with some rocks for sight breaks. Just monitor it and make changes as needed. Any juli that gets pushed up into the corner of the tank should be removed. Juli fry should be able to grow out, but the brevis fry won't be protected and will get picked off unless you remove them. I think you'll enjoy them.


Thanks! That's exactly how I have aquascaped my tank, so I guess I done good! Do you think 5 is enough of the Julies to ensure I get a pair? Or should it be bumped up to 6 or 7?


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

Think thats the julie I have, 6 of them in a 55g. It was either pemba or bemba on the tank when I chose them...

Mine are still very small and only been in the tank for 10 days, so I can't really offer anything. My first Julies, strange fish, they don't care which side is up.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Or should it be bumped up to 6 or 7?


5 should be enough. If it were me, I'd go with that.


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## whiskeyriver (Nov 29, 2011)

prov356 said:


> > Or should it be bumped up to 6 or 7?
> 
> 
> 5 should be enough. If it were me, I'd go with that.


Great. Thanks!



skurj said:


> Think thats the julie I have, 6 of them in a 55g. It was either pemba or bemba on the tank when I chose them...
> 
> Mine are still very small and only been in the tank for 10 days, so I can't really offer anything. My first Julies, strange fish, they don't care which side is up.


Ha ha. What do you mean?


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Ha ha. What do you mean?


They hug the rocks with their undersides. So, you often see them pointing straight up, down, or even upside down.


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## whiskeyriver (Nov 29, 2011)

prov356 said:


> > Ha ha. What do you mean?
> 
> 
> They hug the rocks with their undersides. So, you often see them pointing straight up, down, or even upside down.


Oh, yes. I was cooking dinner when I posted that and missed the context.


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## sdsimmons (Feb 1, 2009)

*** got 3 of the transcriptus bemba in my 55, They seem to play nice with the other fish. I just had one pair of them spawn, and I thought it was really interesting that after a few days one of the parents seems to have left the nest or redd or whatever you call it for cichlids and is now hanging out with the lonely third wheel on the other side of the tank. they seem to dig alot espically before spawning and defend a territory, but not too much of one, really just dug in good into the rock work. I'm not sure, If its the male or female still with the fry, its the biggest one.


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## whiskeyriver (Nov 29, 2011)

Is the coloration on the Bemba really as pretty as this:










Or is it more muted with less blue? I'm hoping I can get them to color up to that level of blue, but I'm not holding my breath.

Is the coloration on the Kitumba really as gold/brown/blue as this:










Or is it more muted?

Thanks!


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Here's was one of my transcriptus. I've not seen that blue in many pics. Use actinic lighting, 
and if it's there, it'll bring it out. The black and white contrast is always as stark as the pic. The
yellow in the fin will be there also.










Here's the brevis. They will color up like that when mature, paired up, and breeding, but I don't 
recall ever seeing that vibrant blue stripe. The gold and brown will be as vibrant. Many pics 
are taken withe a flash and that may bring out color that you may not see under tank lighting. 
Look at the shadow and you can see the angle of the flash. When immature, brevis coloration 
will be unimpressive. Give them time.


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## whiskeyriver (Nov 29, 2011)

Oof. I'm gunna have a pretty drab tank, then. Shame.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

My julies were sold to me as transcriptus gombi (though I've heard that a dwarf varient of marlieri gombe is often sold under that name), and the largest one will often show flashes of blue through his finnage. I find him (her?) quite attractive, especially when flaring! My 29 doesn't have a whole lot of color (multies and julies) but between the blue eyes on the multies and the irridescent blue on the juli fins, I find that I'm quite satisfied. Besides, all the activity in the "nursery" (a depression in the shellbed near a rockwall where the babies congregate) makes up for any lack of color!

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

Thats the bemba, however the blue is not the norm. My tang tank is not too colorful, thinking of mebbe finiding room for 1-2 leleupi orange just to add some colour.

I have some gobies
calvus black
and juvie cyps with the julies so noone really has any colour at all besides black and ....


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## whiskeyriver (Nov 29, 2011)

skurj said:


> Thats the bemba, however the blue is not the norm. My tang tank is not too colorful, thinking of mebbe finiding room for 1-2 leleupi orange just to add some colour.
> 
> I have some gobies
> calvus black
> and juvie cyps with the julies so noone really has any colour at all besides black and ....


How big is the tank? Aren't lelupi pretty mean SOBs?


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## TF Steve (Nov 21, 2011)

whiskeyriver said:


> skurj said:
> 
> 
> > Thats the bemba, however the blue is not the norm. My tang tank is not too colorful, thinking of mebbe finiding room for 1-2 leleupi orange just to add some colour.
> ...


:thumb:


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

Don't even remember writing that last post...

Anyways the julies do display that blue as bright as that, mebbe its just because my fish are still tiny.

Probably a pair of leleupi would be a mistake in my tank, though perhaps 1 would play nice...


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