my new tanganyikan tank

I have allways wanted to keep a tanganyikan tank, the oppertunity presented itself yesterday, I jumped on it. I purchased a black calvus @2", 4 multies also about 2", and 6 pulchers ranging from approx. 3/4" to 1 1/2". There in a 20L for now with a plan of seperating the calvus and multies into my 29 gallon in wall tank. And keeping the pulchers in the 20L. I have never kept africans with the exception of some p. Acei. I had them for a while and then had to tear down the tank. I gave them to a lfs. They were rewarding but not what I really wanted. Anywho here's some pics of there tank and a few shots of them. Enjoy.

I question myself on the amount of rock work in here, opinions?
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The calvus.
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One of the multies.
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A pulcher hanging with the calvus.
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And a few of the pulchers with the calvus.
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Anyone who wishes to chime in on the setup and if its sufficient, please do so.... thanks.

Tank looks really nice. Other than calvus, I don't keep those species so I won't say what works best for the rock setup, but the two separate areas on either side seems to work well in a lot of tanks.

Thanks, I need to get matching rocks. For some reason it drives me nuts when the rocks adre all diffrent like that. I am happy with the current setup. I can't wait to see them all grow. Although I here most tangs, especially calvus are very slow growers. But there fun to watch. I think I have 4 male multies, anthrax said when his mulie fry put some size on them and he notices a female he is gonna let me know. I'm really intrested in the shell dwellers. I was looking for simalis for a while but never came across them, multies will do for now. Maybee with patiance some simalis will come my way. This is a new kind of fish keeping to me. Maybee one day I will set up a 6' tank for tangs, but for now, a few 30" will be great. You know get my feet wet with them and a little experiance under my belt.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Say it isnt so! Fish_n_vw has turned to the dark side..... African cichlids

I think its a good plan to set up your in wall 29g with these guys.

I'm the same way with the rocks. I like them to match.

A 6 ft. Tang tank would be awesome -- more species and interaction. I have a few 20L that I now keep species only (leleupis, julies, calvus, brevis) and I find them to be pretty peaceful most of the time -- some might say boring. (This is after they have matured and subdominants have been removed, etc.) It would be nice to combine some of them in a larger tank and see more activity.

I have always wanted to. I have kept planted tanks, saltwater both fowlr and reef, and large community setups. I am a fish guy first. And a very close second I'm a C. American cichlid guy. And anyway the dark side has cookies.

Yeah that's what I think would be cool. A big pile of shells in the middle and two big mounds of rocks on the side with calvus, leulpi, jullies, and some open water guys. You were at the ad konigs lecture right betty? I met you there I think. I always wanted to try tangs but that really pushed me. So now I'm on it... I'm stoked.

Yes, I was at the Konings lecture. I don't think we met, but I did have you and a piece of sidekicking in a random picture that I took. I didn't know it was the two of you at the time. I posted it in the Events forum.

Yeah, I saw it. I thought that was the one you and your daughter were at after a concert. Mybee it was a difrent one. I introduced myself. At one of them. I only went to two, that one and the tom barr one.

Okay, I do remember. That was the Tom Barr presentation.

ok my memory is pretty shot. High school was, um rough on me.

After watching the tank for a few hours I have come to the conclusion that multies are jerks. There by far the most aggresive of the 3 but I'm sure that will change when the pulcher get a little bigger. I'm kinda second guessing the multies. I really wanted similis, I'm gonna hold out and wait for a female and pull the additional males. And see if I like them more when there in a colony. Time will tell.

Get a couple of tetracephalus they will help with the multies agression. I keep 3 together wih my daffies and other tangs.

Hmmm, never saw them before. Very attractive, kind of like a mini frontosa. How are your experiances with aggresion? I read they are very aggresive, might be good tankmates for my pulcher when they grow out. Would you mind giving me your personal experiances please? Size, how long you have had them, food, aggresion etc. Thanks, I'm very intrested in these also where would I find them for sale? Apfp?

Pretty nice. My son has 2 pairs of Brichardis, and 1 Pulcher, with a WC Black Calvas, WC White Calvas, and a Compressisepp of some type, in his Af tank.

I personally love the Calvas, and think the they would look great in that tank.

I have a calvus, see it in the pics? There imo the coolest african cichlid.

They have med aggression. I had to get 3 so they would spread the love. The largest now is at 2". I got mine from Denny's for around 11$ ea. They are growing slow in a mixed setting. Eating 1 MM NLS.

Awesome thanks for the info.

I know you have one. I did see it, thats why I said that they are an awesome fish, IMO. Betty said she didnt like the Calvas, and I was just letting you know that I did. But they do grow very slow..........

Nope, betty said other then calvus she dosent keep those species. She keeps calvus, not the others so she mujst like them. Don't they look mean? I love that they look like there pissed off all the time. I agree with you madness calvus are dope, just wish I there was such thing as a giant one. Would be cool to see a 12 incher.

Ya I knew that. I am brain dead, too much beer this weekend.

Yes they are awesome looking. I want to put a large on in my show tank.

Enjoy the Africans. I off to pick up a 5" bleekeri/Pollini. Its one or the other.

I had one (bleekeri) sold it though, it was cool but I'm a nazi about keeping c. Americans, africans, s. Americans with there own kind and I was unwilling to dedicate a tank to it.

Btw, don't think there is such thing as to much beer, ji have heard of to much crappy beer (hangover city) but not to much beer.

Wow next thing you know you guys will both be raising nothing but African cichlids

I do love that look of calvus and comps!

I have five that I got in one of the group buys. They are growing very slowly, but they are starting to show some attitude. I took some pictures recently -- I'll have to update that topic...

DMD123 wrote:Wow next thing you know you guys will both be raising nothing but African cichlids

Not a chance dude.

Ya, a NO on the African idea. My kids tank. As for the Bleekeri, its going into my 300. Hope it gets along.


Side note. If this freakin key board of mine keeps missing letters when I type, I am going to smash it with a flippin hammer.

Thanks for letting me vent.

madness wrote:I am brain dead, too much beer this weekend.

I dont think its the keyboard...

DMD123 wrote:

madness wrote:I am brain dead, too much beer this weekend.

I dont think its the keyboard...

Whatever. Its one of those worthless wireless keyboards. My son talked me into getting one, they are garbage.

Agreed Madness! Especially if they goto the same dongle like a lot of the older microsoft bundles used to have.


Oh and p.s. Go watch Son's of Anarchy.. Amazing show


/end thread jacking

I like the rocks how you have them, but to each his or her own. You may be able to limit the aggression from the Multies by putting the shells in the corner, and after they claim that corner then you can make other shell piles. I am assuming they are claiming the center of the tank and chasing off everyone on both sides. Calvus are rad. I have a gold head Comp, which is beautiful. Their is a guy named Razzo on Frontosa.com that is usually up to his neck in several varieties of Calvus and Comps. I think currently he has some grown out to 2 inches, so it may be a good time to hit him up. If you go with a 6 footer, you may want to look into some of the more exotic featherfins.

Thanks for all the info. Quik question, if I put the shells to one then I won't have room for the two piles of rocks. As it is now I'm pretty sure I have 4 male multies, I think I'm going to get rid of three. And get some small ones in hopes og getting a female. They go everywhere in the tank and don't seem to care where the shells are.from what I have seen only one of them even goes to shells, he pokes his head in and then backs out. The pulcher have taken over the right rock pile. 5 of them hang there all the time, but are still chased around by the multies. Even through and out of the piile. The smallest of the pulcher hasent ever come out of a small spot in the left pile. I don't tthink it even knows there's more room in the tank.

I would love to get another calvus. I will have to contact the person your talking about, are they local? Again thanks for the info.

Just tried frontosa.com with no success, site must be down or something.

Yeah, I forgot to mention, it's been down for about 24 hours. It is extremely rare that the site has issues, so hopefully it is back up and running soon.

Just thought I would let ya know, Frontosa.com is back up

Yeah, I went on yesterday, lots of info. Thanks

fish_n_vw, I'm getting set to make a buy from Russ (Razzo) so if you are considering it let's put them together and save on shipping?

hmmmm, I need some gold heads, for my lone female, Larry, how soon are you planning for?

I could do it most any time over the next month or so...

Ok, I just dropped Razzo a line, gotta talk to my brother too and see what the tank space is like. I should know very soon if it's doable for me, assuming you don't mind if I get in on this

I am not going to be buying anymore calvus types. I want to keep just the one. At least for now. Might look into something in the future though. Thanks for the offer.

So I took a few more photos of my tank, and a short video. Things are getting really active. The multies have set up shop above the shells and in the rocks behind the shells. The pulcher have taken a home to the right side of the tank and are not defending it yet, but are still young. And the calvus kinda just hangs in the middle going from the front to the back of the tank periodically. I'm very happy with the tank right now. I can't wait to free up my 29 so the calvus and multies can go in there. My total stock for the 29 is looking something like 1 calvus, 1 outcasted pulcher, 1 dwarf jullie or ??? And the multies. And my 20L is going to be my pulcher colony. Anyway here's the pics and video. Enjoy.

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As you can see I added twice as many shells and put them to one side, it seems to keep
The pulchers a little "safer" from the (multie) wrath of killer smallest cichlids in the world.
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And the video.
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Thanks for looking.