# Final stocking : 75g - Shell dweller



## Louis123 (Jun 13, 2004)

Hi guys, I'd need your help or advice on the selection of fishes for my 75g..
I really wanted to have some shell dwellers given their interesting character but did not want to loose 90% of the upper tank, I thought about adding Cyps (or paracyps). I want a functionnal tank where both of my species can reproduce and enjoy the tank.

here is what I figured out would be the stocking :

12 'Lamprologus' brevis (Ikola)

+

12 Paracyprichromis nigripinnis (Kambwimba) 
or 
12 Cyprichromis leptosoma (Mpulungu)

Do you have any input on the difference between para and cyps ? Should I take one more over the other ? Why ?

Would this setup work for reproduction ?

Could I add something else that would compliment well the tank ?

Thanks !


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## Arcfusion (Jan 31, 2008)

Well, I don't have any experience with Cpyrichromis. But I've had some Paracyps with a colony of Multies and a pair of Calvus for a year now and they all get along (for the most part). I like the Paracyps more because of the stunning red/orange with the mettalic blue pinstripes on the males. I also think that paracyp females are less bland that Cyprichromis females. The Paracyps are also very funny to watch where they sleeping (they sleep up side down but you probably know that). The Paracyps are also easy to breed, all you need is a vertical surface, which every tank has and the right water peramiters (sorry for the spelling). I just woke up one day and I had about 5 fry floating around.

-Sean


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## greenbirds (Jul 30, 2007)

I have a 75 gal with a multie colony on the bottom (2 adult males, 6 adult females, ~150 shells), and they are breeding machines. Also have 10 cyp utintas (sub adults and young adults), and they have begun spawning. Just stripped the first spawn after 16 days holding, got 4 fry :thumb:. I have tall pieces of slate rock leaning against the back glass and a big boulder separating the tank into 2 halves. The cyps like to congregate around it, and it divides the multie male territories), along with a few rocks on either end. I'll post some photos later if I remember.


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## Louis123 (Jun 13, 2004)

Please post them, it sounds very close to what I want to do


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

With a 75 gallon, you could do both cyps and paracyps with your shellies. All will breed, but the cyp and paracyp fry will most likely get eaten by anything bigger, including the shellies.

If I had to choose, I'd go for the cyps. I have Chituta Bay non-jumbos, and I have a school of paracyps. I expected the paracyps to be more stunning, but in reality they're more skittish, sensitive and less consistently colorful than my cyps.

My multies have taken over my 55 gallon, and have spawned many subsequent colonies, but they are terrors when it comes to eating cyp fry. :wink: If you are looking to raise fry, consider an extra 10g tank until they are big enough to reintroduce.


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## superfly4477 (Feb 9, 2009)

I have 12 cyprochromis utintas, 2 eretmodus cyanostictus and 3 juli transcriptus and they cyps really bring them out. It says so in the article on here, but when they cyps get scared at all they will all draw really close to each other and go back by my sponge filter in the corner. When they do this the regani and e cyanostictus just dart back into their caves. They really add a kind of security to the tank. I would go with they cyps.


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

triscuit said:


> ...If you are looking to raise fry, consider an extra 10g tank until they are big enough to reintroduce.


How big do cyp fry have to be before you would reintroduce them into a tank of comps, brevis, and cyps? I have been rearing my cyp fry in a 20 gallon breeder tank (they are about 1" to 1.25" long).










Sorry for the mini hyjack (it's kinda related) :roll:

Thanks,
Russ


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## Louis123 (Jun 13, 2004)

No problem russ 

It is actually interesting, I would like to have a tank where I dont need to strip to have babies growing up. I think Im going to put shells on one end of the tank, the other will be a tall pile of rock with spawning area for the cyps


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

As triscuit said, if you don't grow-out the babies in a different tank, the other fish including the parents will eat the fry. Also cyps spawn mid-water.


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## greenbirds (Jul 30, 2007)

Louis123 said:


> Please post them, it sounds very close to what I want to do


Sorry it took so long, but here is one photo of the tank.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

greenbirds said:


> Louis123 said:
> 
> 
> > Please post them, it sounds very close to what I want to do
> ...


SAE, good call.


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Razzo said:


> How big do cyp fry have to be before you would reintroduce them into a tank of comps, brevis, and cyps? I have been rearing my cyp fry in a 20 gallon breeder tank (they are about 1" to 1.25" long).
> Thanks,
> Russ


Those are sizable enough to avoid being cyp or brevis lunch, but are they fast enough to compete for food? Are your comps WC or tank raised, and how big are they? If you happen to have full grown, wild adults, then wait. If you have juveniles who don't have as strong of a hunting drive, then the cyp fry should be okay. If you are really invested in the fry, I'd recommend waiting another month or two before introducing them to the main tank.


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## Charles (Feb 25, 2003)

I breed quite a bit of paracyps. and cyps. in the same tank. The only fry I have seen getting eaten are the newly release one and the 1cm or so long fry. Anything bigger, most fish will just leave them alone.

Remember, when you put the fry back, make sure they are in the dark so the shock of new environment doesn't make the fry an easy target.


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