100L Tanganyikan Tank?

[tubthumped]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of setting up a 100l tank I have as a Tanganyikan aquarium. I love cichlids, and I believe these a better choice for a small tank than Malawi.

I have heater, fluval 105 etc. Would use sand substrate and a decent amount of Tuffa rock to help keep the water how it should be.
Any advice for a novice Cichlid keeper?

Any guides/opinions on how to make sure the rock doesn't come falling down once the fish decide to move the sand around?

Cheers!
Craig.



twitter.com/tubthumped

 

[kiriyama]

Hi, have heard of some people using tank silicone to set the rocks. Not tried it myself. Just been lucky so far. Some of your cichlids will burrow under the rocks to make a cave. What stocking ideas were you thinking ?

 

[tubthumped]

Hi, have heard of some people using tank silicone to set the rocks. Not tried it myself. Just been lucky so far. Some of your cichlids will burrow under the rocks to make a cave. What stocking ideas were you thinking ?

I'm still weighing up my stocking - I have a lot of research to do on tanganyikans.

I'm thinking of 3 or 4 nice looking shell dwellers, similar number of rock dwellers and a couple of open water fish. Looking at smaller fish, as anything larger would really push my tank size to the limit.
I also have a couple of BN Plecs in my tropical that I would like to transfer over.

Any suggestions welcome!

 

[kiriyama]

Hi, have heard of some people using tank silicone to set the rocks. Not tried it myself. Just been lucky so far. Some of your cichlids will burrow under the rocks to make a cave. What stocking ideas were you thinking ?

I'm still weighing up my stocking - I have a lot of research to do on tanganyikans.

I'm thinking of 3 or 4 nice looking shell dwellers, similar number of rock dwellers and a couple of open water fish. Looking at smaller fish, as anything larger would really push my tank size to the limit.
I also have a couple of BN Plecs in my tropical that I would like to transfer over.

Any suggestions welcome!

Your tank is slightly larger than mine, not sure of footprint size though, it's a bit tight and you'll probably find it a bit frustrating.
I would think rocks at one end and a shellbed at the other. Starting with a few multis 3-6, if you're not fussed on the shellbed look then a few shells and maybe a pair or trio of occelatus(spelling?), quite feisty and full of character, then on the rocks julidochromis, transcriptus are the smaller ones although dickfeldi are nice also and not really that big. The downside to Julies is that if any of them pair up then any that are left over will be "evicted" from the rock pile and the bullying can get pretty intense. So speak to LFS when purchasing to return any. Julis take up very little room in the tank and crawl all over the rocks. Here's the part where you will find frustrating, the open water swimmers, like myself you are limited by tank size, to small for cyps and paracyps I have heard of people using danios, or cherry barbs, I did use Dwarf Neon Rainbows, it worked for a while but they also use the lower levels and the Dwarf Sumbu didn't like it, as for your plec, fine in there. I have had 6 Multis, 1 Caudopunctatus, 4 Julis then the Sumbu but ir was way to tight, alternativly you could try a juli or two, then a caudopunk, a lelupi, don't know if tank big enough for a black calvus, plenty rocks ,caves , shells, you could probably even put an occie in there, just some ideas for you, sorry for harping on, just my two pence

 

[tubthumped]

Thanks for your input Kiri.

I've had another look around my LFS (voted 2nd in UK as Cichlid keeper - so a good place) and also looked through your post and done some research.

I'm liking the look of these at the minute;


Neolamprologus multifasciatu (4-6?)
Julidochromis marlieri (3?)
Cyprichromis leptosoma or Paracyprichromis nigripinnis (how many?)



Would I be able to have different shell dwellers in the same tank? Or am I limited to 1 type?

I also really like the Tropheus Duboisi when I've seen them today - although these are probably much too large for my tank?

Again - thanks for your input.

 

[doresy]

Well I use hollow artificial rock (see signature photo) which locks together, is very light and offers plenty of hidey holes. It's easy and safe to remove for complete gravel vaccing. It looks great too.

Ok, so it doesn't help with hardening the water or the ph but I use coral gravel as substrate which does the trick.

The trouble with fixing rock together is it's hard to remove and you cannot move it around (which helps to avoid territory aggression.)

If interested I purchased it from HERE

I have 10 pieces in my 240 ltr tank

 

[kiriyama]

Thanks for your input Kiri.

I've had another look around my LFS (voted 2nd in UK as Cichlid keeper - so a good place) and also looked through your post and done some research.

I'm liking the look of these at the minute;


Neolamprologus multifasciatu (4-6?)
Julidochromis marlieri (3?)
Cyprichromis leptosoma or Paracyprichromis nigripinnis (how many?)

Multifasciatus are a good starting point, paracyps are smaller than cyps, have heard of some people keeping 2 or 3 in a tank that size although most people I have asked on various forums advised against it, mostly saying they need a big open tank and kept in a shoal so it's up to you where you want to go with that one, the marleiri(again spelling? )are one of the larger ones, when I say larger we're only talking another inch or so, don't know much about that one, most julis only take up a very small space, usually cramming into the tightest crevice when they want to get away from it all, if you have lots of rock it might work, they also don't seem to show much aggression towards tankmates but do with other julis, never mix 2 species of juli as they will fight and probably result in death, probably be best sticking to one shell dweller in a tank that size, again some people do it with two types and it works but when you take into account the rocks etc it's gonna be tight, as for duboisi, think tank to tight, I actually found some in Edinburgh and the owner advised against them, said I need bigger tank and they can be aggrssive, nice fish though.
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/t_duboisi.php




Would I be able to have different shell dwellers in the same tank? Or am I limited to 1 type?

I also really like the Tropheus Duboisi when I've seen them today - although these are probably much too large for my tank?

Again - thanks for your input.