Anyone keep golden Julies? Totally lost with the information online.

Bellabella · May 31, 2022

I've got 3 golden julies they came together and have settled into their own little sections of the tank, 2 smaller ones at first were together but today one of the smaller is with the larger but it's going back and forward betweenthe 2. I've been researching them but there's just so much conflicting advice. Some say they need to be in pairs, some say they form breeding trios, some say they need to be in groups and rehome the ones that don't pair up. Conflicting advice seems to be on tank mates as well, I've read they need to be in species only tanks, some say peacefull smaller fish are ok, some say cichlids only. I'm lost with it all.

AmyKieran · May 31, 2022

Like a lot of other cichlids they will ‘pair off’ once a pair is established. Usually the advice is (assuming the tank can handle it) is to buy a group mix of 6 then let them pair off and rehome the ones that don’t, if the purpose is to breed them

Wills · May 31, 2022

Hi welcome to the forum

Are these the fish you have? https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/julidochromis-ornatus/

Tanganykans are a tricky one as not loads of info out there but really really interesting fish. From what I know they are a pairing fish but live in colonies so in a big enough tank groups would be possible.

Definitely not a community fish due to their aggression and also quite specific water requirements.

What size tank are they in and what other fish are they in with at the moment?

Wills

AmyKieran · May 31, 2022

Also try fish such as Neolamprologus shelldwellers and Cyprichromis species for tank mates

Bellabella · May 31, 2022

Wills said:
Hi welcome to the forum

Are these the fish you have? https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/julidochromis-ornatus/

Tanganykans are a tricky one as not loads of info out there but really really interesting fish. From what I know they are a pairing fish but live in colonies so in a big enough tank groups would be possible.

Definitely not a community fish due to their aggression and also quite specific water requirements.

What size tank are they in and what other fish are they in with at the moment?

Wills

I've read they're aggressive to their own species, I've also read they're peacefull with similar sized or smaller peacefull fish, also read they're peacefull with bigger fish except when they have eggs. There doesn't seem to be much at all about golden and every website contradicts the next. I'm seriously considering rehoming them because I don't know if I can care for them sufficiently, I'm a beginner. I'd hate for them to suffer because I don't know what I'm doing.
They're in a 190l tank, just the 3 of them along with 2 baby bristlenoses. I got these and the plecos from someone on facebook. He said they'd been kept in a community tank with no issues. But I don't know what fish were in there.

AmyKieran · May 31, 2022

Bellabella said:
I've read they're aggressive to their own species, I've also read they're peacefull with similar sized or smaller peacefull fish, also read they're peacefull with bigger fish except when they have eggs. There doesn't seem to be much at all about golden and every website contradicts the next. I'm seriously considering rehoming them because I don't know if I can care for them sufficiently, I'm a beginner. I'd hate for them to suffer because I don't know what I'm doing.
They're in a 190l tank, just the 3 of them along with 2 baby bristlenoses. I got these and the plecos from someone on facebook. He said they'd been kept in a community tank with no issues. But I don't know what fish were in there.

What is your tap water gh and kh? Just incase your looking to rehome for something else

Your tap water may be unsuitable anyway

Wills · May 31, 2022

Bellabella said:
I've read they're aggressive to their own species, I've also read they're peacefull with similar sized or smaller peacefull fish, also read they're peacefull with bigger fish except when they have eggs. There doesn't seem to be much at all about golden and every website contradicts the next. I'm seriously considering rehoming them because I don't know if I can care for them sufficiently, I'm a beginner. I'd hate for them to suffer because I don't know what I'm doing.
They're in a 190l tank, just the 3 of them along with 2 baby bristlenoses. I got these and the plecos from someone on facebook. He said they'd been kept in a community tank with no issues. But I don't know what fish were in there.

You may be ok with the BN's some people keep them together but the hardness the cichlids need could be a problem with the BNs longer term.

What you need to have is a Tanganyikan community. This is my go to guy for Tangs https://www.youtube.com/c/JasonsCichlids between this and the seriouslyfish profile I linked above you get a pretty good idea of what to keep.

Just noticed you are in York (I'm a bit south east of you) if you can travel a little check out Kevs Rifts in Pontefract - http://kevsrifts.co.uk/ really amazing selection of African Cichlids and a ton of Tanganyikans.

In a 190litre tank with these Juli's you could look at one of the medium sized shell dwellers like Ocellatus Gold or even Caudopunks and maybe a pair of Dwarf Sumbu. You could also look at the smaller Synodontis from Tanganyika like Petricola, Polli or Lucipinnis which are all nice black and why synos.

Tanganyikans are one of my top 3 groups that I want to keep at some point - currently dreaming of a Trophius/Moshi tank

Wills

Bellabella · Jun 1, 2022

Wills said:
You may be ok with the BN's some people keep them together but the hardness the cichlids need could be a problem with the BNs longer term.

What you need to have is a Tanganyikan community. This is my go to guy for Tangs https://www.youtube.com/c/JasonsCichlids between this and the seriouslyfish profile I linked above you get a pretty good idea of what to keep.

Just noticed you are in York (I'm a bit south east of you) if you can travel a little check out Kevs Rifts in Pontefract - http://kevsrifts.co.uk/ really amazing selection of African Cichlids and a ton of Tanganyikans.

In a 190litre tank with these Juli's you could look at one of the medium sized shell dwellers like Ocellatus Gold or even Caudopunks and maybe a pair of Dwarf Sumbu. You could also look at the smaller Synodontis from Tanganyika like Petricola, Polli or Lucipinnis which are all nice black and why synos.

Tanganyikans are one of my top 3 groups that I want to keep at some point - currently dreaming of a Trophius/Moshi tank

I'm lucky that there is several aquarium places near me that sell fish. I called them up to ask, one placehad no idea and I appreciated him being honest when he said he didn't know. The other places said opposite things to each other. Apparently kribs would be a good match. Also tetra of some kind. But I may just try find more and stick to a species only tank.
I can't even find good information on their behaviour, what's a sign they're pairing up, what's aggression ect.
2 of them look like they're dancing. My biggest and the medium sized are showing interest in each other but I'm unsure if that's good. The big one will swim forward, then backwards towards the other, then forward again, the other will do the same but then the bigger one will sort of chase it back, swim into it, then they start all over again. Are they having a fight? Are they having fun? Is it a turf war? I just don't know. The biggest has taken over a rock cave, the smallest has dug a little cave under a pot and the medium is back and forward between the 2, but has also made a little cave under some wood.

Wills · Jun 1, 2022

Bellabella said:
I'm lucky that there is several aquarium places near me that sell fish. I called them up to ask, one placehad no idea and I appreciated him being honest when he said he didn't know. The other places said opposite things to each other. Apparently kribs would be a good match. Also tetra of some kind. But I may just try find more and stick to a species only tank.
I can't even find good information on their behaviour, what's a sign they're pairing up, what's aggression ect.
2 of them look like they're dancing. My biggest and the medium sized are showing interest in each other but I'm unsure if that's good. The big one will swim forward, then backwards towards the other, then forward again, the other will do the same but then the bigger one will sort of chase it back, swim into it, then they start all over again. Are they having a fight? Are they having fun? Is it a turf war? I just don't know. The biggest has taken over a rock cave, the smallest has dug a little cave under a pot and the medium is back and forward between the 2, but has also made a little cave under some wood.

100% no kribs or tetras. Tangs need to be kept with Tangs, they need a high ph and hard water to live in and other fish wont do well in the same conditions. The Rift Lakes in Africa are one of the oldest habitats on the planet and all the species in there are locked in as they dont drain away into the sea like the Amazon or Congo etc.

You ideally want a tank filled with rocks like this (images not mine from google)

Make sure you check out the profile I linked on Seriously Fish loads of info there and this article on Practical Fish Keeping is good about Tangs generally.

How to set up a Tanganyikan cichlid aquarium

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Have a look at this YouTube channel too - he has some underwater footage of Lake Tanganyika to give you an idea of how these fish live in the wild.

Wills

Bellabella · Jun 1, 2022

Wills said:
100% no kribs or tetras. Tangs need to be kept with Tangs, they need a high ph and hard water to live in and other fish wont do well in the same conditions. The Rift Lakes in Africa are one of the oldest habitats on the planet and all the species in there are locked in as they dont drain away into the sea like the Amazon or Congo etc.

You ideally want a tank filled with rocks like this (images not mine from google)
View attachment 160522
View attachment 160523
View attachment 160524

Make sure you check out the profile I linked on Seriously Fish loads of info there and this article on Practical Fish Keeping is good about Tangs generally.

How to set up a Tanganyikan cichlid aquarium

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Have a look at this YouTube channel too - he has some underwater footage of Lake Tanganyika to give you an idea of how these fish live in the wild.

Wills

I have loads of rocks in already, although not as many as that. I have loads of river rocks that were used as decorations to hide the plant based a bit, so I'll make some more hides for them. I think I am going to have to move them on unfortunately, my tank is a large corner tank rather than a long one. And I'll know for next time not to get a fish that has so much contradictory information!
Guppys could be the way forward for me!

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Anyone keep golden Julies? Totally lost with the information online.

Bellabella

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AmyKieran

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Wills

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AmyKieran

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Bellabella

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AmyKieran

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Wills

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Bellabella

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Wills

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How to set up a Tanganyikan cichlid aquarium

Bellabella

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How to set up a Tanganyikan cichlid aquarium

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