# "rescued" a 20 gallon Long Cichlid tank, need some advice



## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

Hello,

A Facebook friend of mine is moving away and I've decided to take ownership of her 20 gallon Long Cichlid tank. I'm a big Reptile/Snake guy and while I do have a 5 gallon Betta tank the last serious Freshwater tank I had was over 10 years ago. I'll be picking it up tomorrow.


















I'll be getting substrate, lightning, filtration, heating and 6 "neolamprologus brevis" I've done my research of the tank and I'm aware of the PH requirements of the species and general care.

My main question would be mostly about bioload and stocking. Are these six fix all I should have it? or can I add some other Tanganyika species into it? How about decor can/should I add anything to it? I'd like to maybe get something that was a top swimmer. Also, any and all general tips would be really appreciated I normally don't jump into things like this quickly but I had to act fast to get the tank.

Thank you for your help.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Tang top swimmers tend to be cyprichromis which need 48" or more. Even paracyps need 36" inches. You could add a pair (buy six) of Julidochromis if you get a small species like Gombe.

The shellies want shells...about a dozen whale eyes would be good for brevis. The Juli's like rocks...especially a large flat rock set up like a lean-to...they like the underside.


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## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

DJRansome said:


> Tang top swimmers tend to be cyprichromis which need 48" or more. Even paracyps need 36" inches. You could add a pair (buy six) of Julidochromis if you get a small species like Gombe.
> 
> The shellies want shells...about a dozen whale eyes would be good for brevis. The Juli's like rocks...especially a large flat rock set up like a lean-to...they like the underside.


Someone else recommended Julidochromis and I really like the look of them, I have a question I'm supposed to buy 6 of them wait till 2 pair off and sell off the rest is that correct? Would a 20L be able to support 12 fish until they pair off or would I have to set up another tank until they pair up?

secondary, for the Julis what kind of rocks should I get for it and how much of the tank should be rock and how much should be shells?.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The tank will be able to support them as juveniles...they will form a pair and reject the rest before they are full size. Be sure you get the ones that mature at 3" not the 6" ones.

I'd divide the tank into thirds. One side rocks, one side shells and open sand in the middle (shellies view open sand as a barrier to defend). Since Julidochromis like the underside of a flat rock, slate will work. I like granite, but really any non-toxic rock.


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## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

Awesome thank you!

About these six Brevis, should I do the same with them? When I get a pair will they attack the rest? Or can a six live together ok?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Reports say that most often brevis form pairs...but maybe you will get more than one pair out of your six fish. The fish will let you know if someone needs to be removed by rejecting individuals...you will see the rejects lurking under the surface, unwelcome in the shell area.


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## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

Alright to the tank has been set up for 24 hours, still a bit cloudy from the substrate but its becoming more and more clear.

I split half the tank up between rocks and a claypot then a little strip of bare sand and then a shall area.

This morning I woke up and found two of the six brevis over in the opposite side of the tank with no shells. Are they being rejected or are they exploring? If they don't hide in shells will they die?

Is it possible to overcrowd these fish? I put every she'll I received in the tank on the right so they are all very close.

Also, I have a mystery fish in the tank a seventh larger fish that is black. He was hiding in a shell as well. He was bagged separately from the brevis but I thought it was just an empty shell. I'll try and get a picture.


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## BratmanXj (Feb 11, 2013)

c0rocad said:


> This morning I woke up and found two of the six brevis over in the opposite side of the tank with no shells. Are they being rejected or are they exploring? If they don't hide in shells will they die?


Just as you get out of the house now and again, so do fish. They nest in the shells but if they are the only species in the tank they will gladly roam about. If you add a second fish species to the tank the Brevis will hang out closer to the shell beds. If you see a fish or two HIGH up in the water column hiding in a top corner of the tank then you might have an issue with the colony, but until then you're fine. Also, I've been able to keep shell dwellers and some rock dweller fish in Colonies, so you might not have the crowding issue or rejection issues that you fear...BUT THAT IS ALL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE!!! Every tank will be different; there is no reason to watch over your fish expecting something to go wrong, it takes all the fun out of the hobby.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

My shellies never stayed in their shells...they swam with the cyps at the top most of the time.


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## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

Went to four Petsmarts trying to ask questions and they all seem clueless, Seems par for the course in my experience.

So I contacted the Seller and the mystery fish is a Neolamprologus buescheri Zaire gold, He seems pretty cool but he likes to chase the shellies around a bit. He also hides in a shell as well. Apparently, he had sold him but when the guy came to pick him up he hide in a shell and could not be found so he just left him in there as a bonus.

I called my local fish place and asked if they could order Julie Gombes and they said they could but they would be 3+ inches already and $15 a pop. The petsmarts all sell "african cichlids" but they are all assorted or Malwai types.

The filter that came with the tank is very loud and pretty cheap looking, What kind of Filtration do these guys need? I'm looking to replace this one with something quieter.

with the addition of this Zaire gold guy should I just get more of him? or is he ok solo?


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

For a new filter I would look at the aquaclear line. They're probably the best hob filters out and run forever. Just take the apart every once in a while to remove any sand.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'm thinking they may not be Julidochromis marlieri from the Gombe collection point if they are over three inches. You want to avoid the larger juli's in the smaller tanks.


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## BratmanXj (Feb 11, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> I'm thinking they may not be Julidochromis marlieri from the Gombe collection point if they are over three inches. You want to avoid the larger juli's in the smaller tanks.


J. Transcriptus or J. Ornatus are both under 3" and probably your best bet for mixing with dwarf shell dwellers in a 20g tank.


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## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

BratmanXj said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > I'm thinking they may not be Julidochromis marlieri from the Gombe collection point if they are over three inches. You want to avoid the larger juli's in the smaller tanks.
> ...


Do you know any good places to buy fish online? Petsmart is useless and my LFS already tried to pass off the wrong fish to me.


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## BratmanXj (Feb 11, 2013)

Did a quick search an it looks like <vendor name removed> is reasonably close. You might try tracking down local breeders using your local cichlid club that appears to be Capital Cichlid Association.

Personal Experience:
The Greater Chicago Cichlid Association has monthly meetings, 3-4 swap meets a year on top of the website/forum with an classifieds section. I can track down a lot of local breeders that put to shame the LFS in both diversity and health of fish.


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## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

BratmanXj said:


> Did a quick search an it looks like TNT Cichlids is reasonably close. You might try tracking down local breeders using your local cichlid club that appears to be Capital Cichlid Association.
> 
> Personal Experience:
> The Greater Chicago Cichlid Association has monthly meetings, 3-4 swap meets a year on top of the website/forum with an classifieds section. I can track down a lot of local breeders that put to shame the LFS in both diversity and health of fish.


Oh man thanks! I'm gonna try and see those TNT guys this weekend.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Members can PM you with vendor recommendations and you can PM them.


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## c0rocad (Jan 1, 2016)

So far so good the fish are active and water parameters look good. Quick question though, how often should I feed them?

The cichlid flakes say three times a day but that seems excessive I have been doing it at 6 and 6. Is that sufficient?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

For fry you can feed more often, but for adults 1X daily (some skip one day/week or more). Only what they can eat in 30 seconds.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

Very cool tank! Post up some new pics when you get a chance


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