# Mixing Lakes?



## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

Hello all,

I'm a fresh fish here but not soo fresh to fishing - fly fishing that is. Question - I'm setting up a new 120gl Cichlid tank and am wondering if I can put in fish from both Malawi and Tanganyika?

If not why?

Thanks in advance -

I'll post pics of the build this week.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

You sure can but you should seek advice on which ones. I don't mix lakes because I'm a Tanganyika FANATIC! I'm also kind of an uptight purist, but don't worry, I only judge myself when I have the urge to mix lakes.

No matter your preference the two lakes share similar water chemistry and may be mixed depending on the species.

When you're ready post a desired stock list and no one will hesitate to pick it apart to help you figure what will work best. Good luck


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

i have brichardis in with malawi mbuna


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

What are you considering doing?

Water requirements aren't the only issues you have to look at...There are dietary needs, breeding habits, aggression levels (especially once sexually mature), how easily stressed some fish may be by others...

For instance, steelers fan states he/ she keeps brichardi with mbuna...They don't give any details. These fish could be juveniles. The brichardi could be adult with very docile mbuna. It's a whole different world with sexually mature fish.

If you're considering an all male set up, and choosing your fish carefully, that's a different story. You'll have to be more specific as to what you're wanting to do in order for us to help.

Generally, I'd advise against it. But maybe you've done your homework and have a good plan!

I don't know unless you tell me... :wink:


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

Well said CA. I occasionally have the urge to put a Eureka or Ahli in a Calvus set up and I think they'd do fine cause my calvus tanks are big but I never do it. That is just me though.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I once made an impulse buy of a pair of wild caught black calvus, and even though I had 14 tanks up and running at the time, I had nowhere to put them. I spent the entire hour drive home trying to figure out what in the world I was thinking!

I put them in a 40G breeder with a group of about 30 one inch Cobalt zebras. It was one of the most amazing looking set ups I've ever had, and I've had alot of fish.

But...I had a never ending supply of Cobalts, so I was always able to remove them when they grew a bit and replace them with more one inchers... :thumb:


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

my brichardis are about 3 inches...also in the tank there is some yellow labs, a johanni, a cobalt blue, some red zebras, and some afra cobue all fish are around 4 inches...everyone for the most part keeps to themselves with the exception of the labs...the are always breeding


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

steelers fan said:


> my brichardis are about 3 inches...also in the tank there is some yellow labs, a johanni, a cobalt blue, some red zebras, and some afra cobue all fish are around 4 inches...everyone for the most part keeps to themselves with the exception of the labs...the are always breeding


I'm hesitant to continue this because I don't want to derail the thread, but since this follows along with the OP's question, I'm hoping they won't mind.

Are the brichardi breeding?

What size tank is this?


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

As a "purist" I don't like mixing lakes (and abhor mixing New and Old world cichlids) with the exception of my syndontis multipuntatus in my with peacocks/haps. Different lakes, I'm pretty sure, but I love my cats!


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

the tank is a 55 with 26 fish total, brichardis arent breeding but do always hang out together...fact is i kinda dont want them breeding. the only way i would is with a brichardi species tank


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

steelers fan said:


> the tank is a 55 with 26 fish total, brichardis arent breeding but do always hang out together...fact is i kinda dont want them breeding. the only way i would is with a brichardi species tank


Good idea, because if they _were_ breeding, you wouldn't be experiencing peace and harmony!


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

yeah *** read brichardi are fierce protecters of their turf, that might be why everyone leaves them alone to though...maybe they know better


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## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

All great comments - I will have all males and have been doing lots of research - Also am importing rocks from the region as well. I'll check them out first, boil and see if they'll work out. Tiger eye etc.

Thanks opcorn:


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

A bit off course but on topic.

Why not go for Synodontis Angelicus for your Malawi set up holly?
They're gorgeous and they at least found in the lake (Or river/s connected to it)


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I don't know much about tangs except for brichardi and I have them in a 29g. species only tank. I think if you are going all male it might be easier to mix the lakes but it will still probably depend on the species from each lake and I don't think you would want 2 of any one species. I guess the next step would be to list the species you want to have and give the measurements of the 120g. tank.


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## Petrochromislover (Feb 23, 2009)

i personally wouldn't mix lakes because you don't see mbuna in lake tanganyika and you don't see Tangs in lake malawi. also they will fight alot for the rocks and mbuna tend to run the tangs out of the rock work.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

As to the s. angelicus comment -- nothing, nothing, nothing will make me give up my cats!!! They are my pride and joy! (many, many people have multipunctatus or petricola in their Malawi tanks, so it's not just me).


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

:lol: OK. Synos are cool. I just thought I'd throw that out there if you were on your own case about adding tang cats to your malawi set up. I think of all the things to mix, cats are the best to mix because they don't seem to sacrifice comfort as a bi-product of the mix.


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## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

Dewdrop said:


> I don't know much about tangs except for brichardi and I have them in a 29g. species only tank. I think if you are going all male it might be easier to mix the lakes but it will still probably depend on the species from each lake and I don't think you would want 2 of any one species. I guess the next step would be to list the species you want to have and give the measurements of the 120g. tank.







48" L 
25.5 W 
36" H

Here's what is in it...All male
One each -

small Elongatus Chewere 
small Flavus 
small Polit 
small White Top Afra 
premium Lethrinops intermedius 
premium Red Cap Lethrinops 
premium Fire Fish Dragon Blood 
premium Ngara Flametail (Mdoka Yellow) 
premium OB Peacock (Hybrid) 
premium Rubescens 
premium Sunshine Peacock Benga Yellow 
premium Buccochromis nototaenia 
premium Ndiwe Fire Hap 
Premium Rhoadesii 
Premium Venustus 
premium Obliquiden Thick Skin, Red Fin 
premium Uganda Rock Krib (Red Fin Blue Neon) 
premium Black compressiceps 
premium Frontosa 7 stripe


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Ah so you already have these. Maybe someone with more experience can give you an insight into what to expect long term with this stocking. The only thing I can think of (since I don't have much experience with much but mbuna) is the frontosa & maybe the venustus can eat the smaller fish. Hope someone else has more help to offer.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Which rhoadesii? Not that it matters much, both grow to over 12".... Too big as a Hap for a 48" long aquarium.

Buccochromis nototaenia a predator that grows to 16"....

How big is the frontosa currently? How about the compressiceps?

FWIW - the height of your aquarium makes it great to look at, but it doesn't do much for cichlids. For all practical purposes, your stocking shouldn't be significantly different than a 75 gallon aquarium.


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## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

All fish are under 2.5" inches - I'm looking at a 400gl in the future to go salt non live coral or freshwater.


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## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

How big is the frontosa currently? 2 in
How about the compressiceps? 1-1.5 inch


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## LSU (May 12, 2007)

I've never had any issue with mixing lakes. I've even had white calvus breed in a mixed setup.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Cheffish said:


> All fish are under 2.5" inches - I'm looking at a 400gl in the future to go salt non live coral or freshwater.


What does a 400 gallon saltwater tank have to do with keeping Cichlids that grow to over 12"? :-?


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## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

Great comment and informational... I will grow my inventory of freshwater gallons in relation to the fish rest assured... :wink:

Your comment relative to the size of my tank also is questionable when I see big fish in a 6 footer that can't turn around...


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Cheffish said:


> Your comment relative to the size of my tank also is questionable when I see big fish in a 6 footer that can't turn around...


Because you've seen other people keep fish in horrible conditions, means it is ok for you to as well? :-? Hmmm ok.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

Often hobbyists don't have problems mixing lakes, their fish do sometimes however. Breeding in a mixed set up doesn't necessarily imply good husbandry is taking place. Most things that can find a way to breed if at all possible.

If your goal is to merely keep your fish alive then your options are pretty wide open. If you wish to provide "Ideal" set ups mixing lakes, continents, etc. some things should be taken into consideration.

I've seen lobsters with rubber bands on their claws in a holding tank at the super market for weeks, their survival doesn't suggest that keeping atlantic lobster in a 65 gallon, chilled aquarium, fed hot dogs is the ideal way to raise and keep them. For eating though, it'll do.


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## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

> Because you've seen other people keep fish in horrible conditions, means it is ok for you to as well? Hmmm ok.


Clearly you have no idea and misrepresented my comment but that's ok - You obviously have no knowledge of how depths in African lakes play a part in the lifestyle of the fish you're holding? opcorn:

No worries the lakes there are between 12 inches and 18 inches so you're right the rest of the depth in a tank is useless and just "great to look at".



> Often hobbyists don't have problems mixing lakes, their fish do sometimes however. Breeding in a mixed set up doesn't necessarily imply good husbandry is taking place. Most things that can find a way to breed if at all possible.


All male set and not set up for breeding


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Cheffish said:


> > Because you've seen other people keep fish in horrible conditions, means it is ok for you to as well? Hmmm ok.
> 
> 
> Clearly you have no idea and misrepresented my comment but that's ok - You obviously have no knowledge of how depths in African lakes play a part in the lifestyle of the fish you're holding? opcorn:
> ...


Then perhaps you would like to clarify what you meant by your previous comment, without the insults or innuendo?


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## Cheffish (Aug 2, 2009)

> Because you've seen other people keep fish in horrible conditions, means it is ok for you to as well? Hmmm ok.


This certainly implies that I would do this or treat fish in this manner? This, if you're not sure doesn't speak the human truths - When you replied to my post you spoke about a tank's footprint namely height being useless and great to look at so my comment suggests that I've heard plenty of baseless comments as yours when in fact their tank was a 6 footer but the width was standard so the difference in terms of two feet of swim space compared to mine which has more feet but designed in height and width would certainly hold bigger fish more comfortably due to the footprint allowing them to access elevation changes as well as width to turn around freely. Of course the bigger the fish get the more room they will require thus a bigger tank when that happens.

It's all good...I'm clean. There are many styles and biotopes out there but the most important thing is that people are holding fish in the best enviroment that they can regardless of what species they are holding.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

Oh, I don't know how to do the quote thing and I was replying to, in context of this thread, the comment made about "White Calvus breeding in a mixed set up" Sorry about that 

I knew your set up was all male I just wanted to support good fish keeping by reminding the poster that sexual activity, in most animals including ourselves  , does not imply wholly that the species is well cared for.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Footprint of a tank is the width x length. Height of the tank is not part of the equation.

Height of an aquarium is not particularly useful for the vast majority of cichlids, in defining territories, or in determining how many, or which fish can be kept. Height does two things, looks nice, and provides more water, to spread the bioload a bit better.

Yes, a six foot tank, that is 24" tall, or even 18" tall has more capacity to hold larger fish, then one that is four feet long, with your dimensions. Volume is not the critical measurement.


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