another idea....

[wrs]

# Julidochromis transcriptus sp "Gombi"
# Lamprologus multifasciatus
# Neolamprologus brichardi

Those all seem really cool. how many could i have in a 20? i really would like the Neolamprologus brichardi
, so those are a must. would like the others as well, but dont want to overcrowd the tank

also how much would one of those usually go for in the US?

i KNOW my lfs has Neolamprologus brichardi because they have them in a display and i saw some last night, but they keep theirs wil malais so i wasnt sure of what lake they came from.

 

[copeina]

A 20 will be pushing any combination of what you mention.

However, a 20 would be fine for any of those as a SPECIES tank.

I have multies in a 10 gallon (started them in a 50, moved some to a 10 to see what would happen, and they seem happier now) and have 50+ fish in 3 seperate groups breeding like rabbits, and probably faster. The trick here is lots and lots and lots of shells. Fill the tank 3" deep with shells and leave them be. In 6 months, you will have a good colony going.

I will be moving my transcriptus to a species 15 gallon tank soon. The thing to watch with these guys is to obtain a pair/trio that like one onother, or start with 6 fish and be ready for losses or to scoop out the outcasts. You can either give them lots of rockwork to occupy, or a few upside-down flower pots with some plastic plants for visual barriers.

The bricardi are great in any tank. I had a large male for many years in a 100 gallon tank and he was gorgeous. For breeding purposes, treat them like the transcriptus. Lots of rock, or isolated territories with visual barriers.

Hope that helps! All 3 of your choices are fascinating fish.

/Kris

 

[copeina]

To answer the other questions:

All 3 are from Lake Tanganyka.

Brichardi or "daffodil cichlid" - $5 to $10

Transcriptus - $6 - $12

Multifasciatus - $10 - $20

Of course, if your LFS has a local breeder, the price could be a small fraction of what I mentioned. Likewise, if you are in the boonys and demand is low, you could pay a lot more.

As an example, I paid $30 a piece for some Tanganykan catfish 2 years ago. Last year a local guy bred them for the first time, probably in Canada. Then he figured out how to mass produce them, and now they are $12 in every LFS for miles around. Supply and demand at its finest.

Good luck,
/Kris

 

[wrs]

thanks. im still not sure of what kind i want to get. but i do like those all mentioned, but not sure what the lfs sells. they change it all the time.

i hope they sell them for the lower prices, i dont like to spend alot of money on one fish.