Halfbeaks With Shelldwelling Tanganikan Cichlids

[the_evil_duboisi]

I brought my old 30 gallon(36x12x15) to my room, and was wondering if I could keep halfbeaks(Celebes) with Neolamprologus brevis

I kept halfbeaks before, and they lived and bred fine in the very 30 gallon, producing over 30 fry. The brevis I'm planning on putting them in there because I don't have anywhere to quite put them.

The tank will have coral sand as substrace, a piece of wood with maybe some anubias attached(Mostly used to break up general tank in two), and either vallis or hornwort under bright light. Maybe some floating plastic lillies for the halfbeaks, and a shell in the corner for the brevis.

Why I think they could work is;
-Both are peaseful, and pretty much ignore other fish. Besides, the brevis would use only a corner, a fraction of the tank, so lots of space!
-Diet is similar, both like meaty foods. I think they'll do okay on high-protien flakes with the occasional vegetable flake treat, and frozen bloodworms.
-I kept and bred halfbeaks before in hard, alkaline water, what the brevis like.
-Different water levels, halfbeaks-top, brevis-bottom(In a corner)
-Can't eat each other

Do you think it could work?

 

[nmonks]

Should be fine.

Cheers, Neale

 

[helterskelter]

Should not be a problem but the adult brevis may eat the fry from the halfbeaks.

Let us know though how they get on.

 

[nmonks]

I'd have thought this most unlikely. Nomorhamphus fry stay very close to the surface among the hornwort and other floating plants, while the shell-dwellers barely rise any distance above their shells. They are also feed on zooplankton and don't normally eat live fish. So assuming the tank is more than about 30 cm deep, I doubt they'll notice each other. It's perhaps more likely the adult Nomorhamphus could eat the fry, though in fairness mine never seemed to.

Cheers, Neale

Should not be a problem but the adult brevis may eat the fry from the halfbeaks.

 

[helterskelter]

I'd have thought this most unlikely. Nomorhamphus fry stay very close to the surface among the hornwort and other floating plants, while the shell-dwellers barely rise any distance above their shells. They are also feed on zooplankton and don't normally eat live fish. So assuming the tank is more than about 30 cm deep, I doubt they'll notice each other. It's perhaps more likely the adult Nomorhamphus could eat the fry, though in fairness mine never seemed to.

Cheers, Neale

Should not be a problem but the adult brevis may eat the fry from the halfbeaks.

Thats why i say they should be ok!!!!!

All i said is that brevis may take the odd fry, which is possible as all fish will attack a new born which may not of corrected it buoyancy.

What your saying is that algae grazers like pleco's, oto's and mollies will not eat fry!! However they all do.
All fish will eat fry if it fits in their mouth!! Even if they dont mean to.

 

[the_evil_duboisi]

Thanks both of you for the fast replies. Yeah, halfbeaks don't seem to eat their own fry, even newborns.

And since the tank is 15 inches deep, I figured it would be okay. And if the plants are thick(As I did in the past), the chances are shortened even more.

Maybe there's the chance brevis fry(If they ever breed) could get eaten....Last time I kept halfbeaks they picked off flakes and krill from the bottom.

BTW, I had some funny experiences with halfbeaks. I once put 20 feeder guppies into the tank as food, but they did not eat a single one of them(The fry were tasty though) However, one of the guppy males(Who was infertile) extended his gonopodium and try to mate with the largest female halfbeak. She grabbed his head and threw him into the plants! That was funny!

Good thing brevis don't do that and are big enough to not get betwen the jaws of a halfbeak!

 

[nmonks]

Hmm... similar thing happened with me when I (foolishly) added a male wrestling halfbeak to my community tank. He pestered the big female. His size: 3 cm and very skinny; her size, about 10 cm and built like a German submarine. Eventually she ate him! I guess that's one way to deal with unwanted suitors.

I have noticed that female halfbeaks have a massive amount of character and brains. They learn tricks. Simply lovely fish. The males are as dumb as posts and very very annoying. I have one N. ebrardtii male that is either chasing things or trying to mate with the big female N. liemi.

Cheers, Neale

BTW, I had some funny experiences with halfbeaks. I once put 20 feeder guppies into the tank as food, but they did not eat a single one of them(The fry were tasty though) However, one of the guppy males(Who was infertile) extended his gonopodium and try to mate with the largest female halfbeak. She grabbed his head and threw him into the plants! That was funny!