Tanganyikan Stocking Question

[kiriyama]

HI,

Footprint for tank is 48"x15" , have 18" height. 2xtetratec Ex700 filtration...

Stocking
4x Dwarf Sumbu
3x Xeno Bathyphilus

Wanting to add a group of Paracyps or a group Cyps, now I am aware that cyps and paracyps are fine together but I just don't know if there will be to many fish in the tank ?
The tank will be mostly open with some rockwork at one end , shells in the corners and some bits of java fern here and there...
Do you think this will work with 4 types or better sticking with 3 ? Any feedback/advice/comments welcome

 

[lalo99]

The cyps will usually occupy the open areas. Paracyps like the rocks. They will compete for the rocks with the Comps. I would go with around 10-15 non jumbo cyps. I would also add some more or your Xenos. I dont know if you have juvies or adults but 2 males and 4-6 females should work out well. You might get a way with a pair of shellies in a corner.

 

[kiriyama]

The cyps will usually occupy the open areas. Paracyps like the rocks. They will compete for the rocks with the Comps. I would go with around 10-15 non jumbo cyps. I would also add some more or your Xenos. I dont know if you have juvies or adults but 2 males and 4-6 females should work out well. You might get a way with a pair of shellies in a corner.

Funny story.
I had ordered cyp leptosoma "utinta" and paracyps nigripinnis "blue neon" from LFS. Have recently ordered sand and blue marine light for this particular set up.
I hear no contact from LFS, I talk myself into ordering 2 more xeno last night, I talk to dealer today and I up the number to 7 in total Then spur of the moment I think i don't want lots of rockwork now but a nice open looking tank, I on impulse order up 8 Cyp Leptosoma Mpulunu
I get home tonight from work, open my emails and have received email form LFS saying they have received the delivery of the Utinta , but unfortunately only 2 of the paracyps survived
Sods law, what am I going to do ?

 

[elisew]

Crikey, sods law huh?? I know it`s no consolation but at least the paracyps died before you got them, I`m glad you won`t have the messing around I had with my cyps

Does Mike have any nigripinnis? Would it be a viable option to up the numbers with nigripinnis from him?
Either that or knock the idea of having them on the head and stick with just the cyps for now? Surely LFS will undoubtedly sell the paracyps to someone

After watching my cyps this last week using both the open space AND hanging around the rocks, I reckon cyps would do well in your setup despite the slope on the top/front of it but obviously it`s your call at the end of the day

 

[kiriyama]

Crikey, sods law huh?? I know it`s no consolation but at least the paracyps died before you got them, I`m glad you won`t have the messing around I had with my cyps

Does Mike have any nigripinnis? Would it be a viable option to up the numbers with nigripinnis from him?
Either that or knock the idea of having them on the head and stick with just the cyps for now? Surely LFS will undoubtedly sell the paracyps to someone

After watching my cyps this last week using both the open space AND hanging around the rocks, I reckon cyps would do well in your setup despite the slope on the top/front of it but obviously it`s your call at the end of the day

I had sort of been leaning more towards the cyps rather than paracyps lately, was thinking with the paracyps they would kind of just "hang out" and the cyps would be more active, with the cyps I can cut way down on the amount of rockwork keeping the tank more "open" for the Xenos
I think I will just hang onto the Multi as well, it's been digging like mad
I am thinking of cancelling the order of Cyps from our mutual online friend and using the money as a deposit on the Yellow Brieni when he gets them or a deposit for the Tropheus when I get the tank, who needs dithers when we do enough dithering already

 

[elisew]

I had sort of been leaning more towards the cyps rather than paracyps lately, was thinking with the paracyps they would kind of just "hang out" and the cyps would be more active, with the cyps I can cut way down on the amount of rockwork keeping the tank more "open" for the Xenos
I think I will just hang onto the Multi as well, it's been digging like mad
I am thinking of cancelling the order of Cyps from our mutual online friend and using the money as a deposit on the Yellow Brieni when he gets them or a deposit for the Tropheus when I get the tank, who needs dithers when we do enough dithering already

Is this a Royal 'We' or do you mean that you and I both dither?? I have no idea how you could say that about me

I shouldn`t imagine there would be any problem in having the Brieni or Tropheus instead, you weren`t to know that things would change and I`m sure he`s used to it happening anyway. I have to say after speaking to him on the phone, Mike is a really nice guy and he was genuinely concerned when I texted him about the lucipinnis this morning and was so glad when I let him know that they were eventually ok. I like the guy and I`ve never even met him

The cyps I have now are more active than I thought they would be considering the other ones did just literally hang around one end of the tank, these ones actually swim all over the tank, top/bottom, left/right and they all swim towards me when I`m stood looking at them. I`ve lowered the pile of rocks on the right hand side to give them more open space because they`re using so much space.....they`re great and so much healthier than the others were

I`d love to see the Xenos in your tank, I`ve seen them at MA and would love to have enough room in my tank but the punks have claimed all of the available floor space in there now ........poor lucipinnis daren`t poke their noses out from behing/under the rocks because the punks chase them back in!!

 

[kiriyama]

I think you know what/who I meant by dithering

I had actually thought at one point of adding 4-5 punks to the mix instead of cyps but I think they will be the best bet, I'm looking for some activity and think they will bring the best out in the dwarf sumbu
All the fry are against the glass at the side of the tank where I'm sitting just now, must be feeding time already
I had ordered 8 cyps, another 2 ?
Yeah, spoke to Mike a couple of times, he phoned to check I received the dwarf comps ok and he is genuinly keen and enthusiastic when it come to the Tangs etc, it makes a change nowadays...
I think after seeing your pics. of your catfish you may have successfully recruited some more folks over to the Tang club