Lake Tanganyika

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#1
This is a brief introduction to Lake Tanganyika, and a little bit of info on the types of cichlids found within.

As always, I'm looking for feedback on this. I wrote this in hopes of letting those who don't know about this wonderful lake and the secrets it holds gain a little understanding about it. If after reading this you want to run out and start a Tanganyikan tank of your own, let me know! If it makes you want to puke, let me know that too! :)
 

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#2
Brief Intro To Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika is one of the oldest, and deepest lakes on earth. It is also one of the single largest bodies of fresh water. It is situated in the Great African Rift Valley, hence it being often referred to as one of the Rift Lakes. Its age is estimated to be at least 20 million years old, and has a depth of 1470 meters (4,800 feet, or almost 1 mile). The length of the lake would stretch from New York City to Cleveland. Despite the age of the lake, fish exportation of the species found in the lake is relatively recent, with the first exportation of fish in the late 1950’s.

Cichlid enthusiasts have been fascinated with this lake and the interesting species that are found within. The diversity of the lake is partially due to the fact that it has been more or less isolated from other major bodies of water for around 6 million years. This has allowed the fish, especially cichlids, time to establish themselves as the rulers of the lake, filling in more spaces and being more adaptable than any other family found in the lake. Lake Tanganyika is surely the Jewel of the Rift. Not only fish from the cichlid family are found here. You will find fish related to barbs, tetras, spiny eels, crabs, catfish and killifish. While cichlids may be the main fish you hear about from the Lake, you can see that they are by no means the only type of fish to inhabit the lake.

Many of the cichlids and other fish one can find in the lake and often see for sale are endemic. This means that they are found nowhere else on Earth except in this lake. Again, this is partially due to the isolation that the lake has had for so long, and the adaptability of the cichlids to adjust so quickly to the lake and its waters. Cichlids are not the only endemic fish, some of the more popular being a few species of Synodontis catfish.

Tank Setup

When you think of a cichlid setup, normally the first thing that comes to mind are rocks. Lots, and lots of rocks. While this can stand true in most scenarios, it is not always the case.

How each tank should be setup depends on the fish that are to call the tank home. Know your fish before you start setting up the tank so you can know what type of set-up is best for each fish. In smaller tanks, it is difficult not only to house different species, but also to provide the best type of habitat for each one. The larger the tank, not only can you have more fish, but you can have fish that will live in different areas and create a true ‘community’ tank.



Rocky / Intermediate Habitat (Rock Dwellers)-
The tank should consist of many rocks piled on top of each other that form a network caves and labyrinths for the fish. Some fish will only use the rocks if they feel threatened or scared, while others will make it a permanent home. While the rocky and intermediate habitats are technically different, I have placed them under the same category for the purpose of this article as they share many similarities and many of the same fish are found in either.

Common fish- Many Lamprologines, Julidochromis, Tropheus, Frontosa, Altolamprologus

Open Water -
This one is pretty self-explanatory. While I have yet to see a tank setup for only open water fish, fish from this habitat are often seen in larger tanks mixed in with rock dwellers.

Common fish – Cyprichromis, Featherfins

Surge / Surf Habitat-
In the lake, the surge habitat is the upper three meters of water close to the shore. The turbulent water from the waves gives this area very high oxygen content. The fish found here are very specialized to live in these waters. They graze off the algae on the rocks with specialized teeth, and will wedge themselves either under, or in between rocks to keep from getting swept away with the waves.

In home aquaria, it would seem that these fish do well with a high oxygen content in the tank, as well as a veggie based diet. The setup should be that similar to the rocky habitat.

Common fish- Gobies

Shell Beds (Shell Dwellers) –
Due to the already high mineral content of the lake, snail shells do not decompose quickly; so several species of smaller fish have made these empty shells their homes. Many will eat, sleep and breed in these shells. Some prefer shell beds that the shells can number in the thousands and be over a meter deep, while others will be more than happy to live the single shells found scattered throughout the lake.

In our tanks, for the fish that form colonies that live in the large shell beds, its best to try and provide 3-4 shells for each adult fish minimum. For the others, 2-3 shells per adult fish is a good rule of thumb.

Common fish – Large Shell Bed: Neolamprologus Multifaciatus, Neolamprologus Similis
Small Shell Bed: Neolamprologus brevis, (Neo)Lamprologus ocellatus

Sand Sifters (Sand Dwellers) –
These come from open, sandy areas with relatively few rocks or other shelter. In the wild they can often be seen in larger groups, as are most fish that inhabit open water. In the aquarium, they should have plenty of open sandy areas with few rocks to get in their way, although some in the back and corners are appreciated to give some shelter. Fine Sand should be used as substrate due to the feeding habits, where they will sift though the sand looking for morsels of food.

Common fish- Enantiopus, Xenotilapia


Behavioral Problems

Tank size becomes a very important issue with cichlids in general. A lot of cichlids, if not the entire family, have gotten a bad rap by some people who say they are nothing more than cold blooded killers. “They killed off my entire tank!” “It ate all my fish!” “ It won’t let me put anything else in the tank without killing it!” These words are heard all to often.

There is a reason to the ‘madness’ if you will. If you understand why a fish acts and behaves the way that it does, then the fewer problems you are going to have with that fish. How many of us have seen someone walking out of a LFS with a cute 1” oscar talking about how well the other fish in the buyers 10 gallon tank are going to like their new tank mate? Well, you can be sure that customer was highly upset when the oscar got big enough to eliminate the other tank mates and quickly outgrew the tank.

Cichlids are very different than other mainstream fish you are going to see at the fish store, and Tanganyikans do not break this rule. All cichlids show some degree of parental care, and this in itself can cause problems in smaller tanks. If the other fish have no where to get away from the protective parents, then often times they will be killed because the parents see them as a threat to their brood. Many are also territorial by nature, and when territories becomes scarce, you are going to see more aggression between the fish. Bottom line: The more room, the better.
 

Likes: drumminfish

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#3
Breeding

Breeding your cichlids is one of the most rewarding and entertaining experiences one can have. The entire family of cichlids show some form and some degree of parental care. There are two main ways in which the cichlids from Tanganyika breed: cave/substrate spawners and mouth brooding.

Cave/Substrate spawning :
Most of the fish that fall into this category will either form pairs, or colonies in which to breed. Many of the fish that form pairs maintain this bond, and will breed exclusively with each other for the rest of their lives, and use the same cave to spawn and raise the fry in (Sand dwellers are a common exception to this rule, as they do not form lasting pairs). These are often the more difficult fish to keep in harmony in a tank because of their need for territories. Don’t let this put you off to keeping these, as it’s easy to give them what they need.

The pair will prepare a nesting site on the bottom of the tank. The rock dwellers will do this under the shelter of rocks and caves, while the sand dwellers will make a nest in the open sand bed without the aid of over hanging shelter. The female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. In most cases, both the male and female will remain to guard the nest from anything they see as a threat to the eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the protection does not stop there. Some species will still protect the nest for long periods of time until the fry have a good size to them, while others may leave them after only a few weeks of protection to fend on their own. And in a few species, the youngsters will even stick around to help the parent fish raise new broods of fry.

Mouth brooding :
These are by far some of the most amazing fish to watch protecting their eggs and fry. Mouth brooding is the most advanced form of breeding known at this time. Most of these do not form pairs, but rather the female picks the male that gets their attention the best, and spawns with him. Also, unlike their bottom spawning counterparts, most of the open water spawners do not become as attached to a particular territory, and therefore are not as aggressive.

There are several different ways that mouth brooders spawn, but for the purpose of this article, I will stick to the open water spawners.

When the female selects a mate, she will release her eggs, quickly picking it up in her mouth, where then the male releases his milt and fertilizes it. This process is repeated until the female has exhausted her supply of eggs. The female then keeps these eggs protected in her mouth until the eggs hatch. The new fry will then remain in the mothers mouth for up to another two weeks until they are ready to face the world.


Selecting Stock

What Tanganyikans you can keep in your tank heavily depends on how big your tank is, and the requirements (Type of food, spawning habits, territory needs) of each individual species.

Also the size of each fish can play an important role in selecting what fish to get. The cichlids of Tanganyika can very greatly in size of adult fish from less than an inch to over three foot! However the largest that are commonly found in the trade do not get much larger than 15in.

The larger the tank the more fish, and maybe more species, can you safely house. For the smaller tanks you are going to want to stick with maybe only one species. Don’t think that a species tank isn’t going to be fun though! A 10 gallon tank can make a nice home for some of the shell dwelling species like N. multifaciatus. These adorable shellies spend their lives in and around shells.

Water Chemistry

Probably the biggest problem that you may encounter is the water chemistry. The pH of the lake has been recorded at over 9.5! While your tank water does not have to be that high, a pH over 7.5 (minimum) should be maintained. Preferably over 8.0. If you are blessed with water that has a high pH, good for you! That’s one less excuse for you to give these cichlids a try. If you don’t have a high pH (like me) then don’t worry. There are several chemical buffers specifically made for Tanganyikan tanks available that will raise the pH of your tank. There are also some good home remedy’s available too that are much cheaper to attain, and can do just as good of a job.

A very important note on adding buffers: If you buffer your tank with fish in it, do it very, VERY slowly. It is a good idea to do this over a period of days, if not weeks.

Water Quality

Tanganyikan’s need clean water to survive. Not only is the filtration important, but so are regular water changes.

The filter on a normal Tropical tank should filter all the tanks water between 6-8 times an hour. For a Tanganyikan tank, this figure should be closer to 10 times an hour. The lake is very clean, and often times visibility can extend for more than 10 meters in the water. Thus you should strive to keep your tank just as clean. While Hang On Back filters are fine for smaller tanks, larger tanks should have the added investment of a canister filter, or a wet/dry system for extra filtration.

The oxygen content of the water should also be high. This is easily done in a tank if using a canister or sump, as you can direct the output of the water above the water line to create lots of surface agitation. If using a HOB, you may want to leave the water level down some so that the return water creates more agitation at the surface.

Water changes should be done no less than twice a month. Once a week ideally. When you perform a water change, you remove some of the pollutants that have built up, keeping them at safe levels for your fish. When you put clean water back into the tank, you help reduce the amount of pollutants left in the water by diluting them with clean, unpolluted water, as well as replacing trace elements and minerals. You should always use a quality tap water conditioner when adding new water that removes chlorine and chloramines, and heavy metals if your water contains them. I prefer to use Prime. A bottle will last a long time, and to my knowledge you can’t over dose your tank with it.


I hope that this article may have helped persuade you to give Tanganyikan cichlids a try. Don’t let those big names fool you! There are so many species to choose from that can fit into almost any tank, and any wallet. Once you try them, you will quickly wonder how you ever got by without these majestic fish in your tanks.
 

Jun 16, 2005
62
0
0
Boston
#4
I've been thinking about starting a Tang tank and was confused about what equipment to use. I just stopped to check this posting out and as usually it was very insightful and helpful.
 

Oct 10, 2006
6
0
0
Ogden, UT
#7
Big help!

I talked to a few cichlid owners I know before I purchased mine, and I wish they'd given me this info.
Fortunately, it's not too late - I can start tonight bringing up my ph and hardness - my tap water here should be ideal (I will do it slowly).

Thanks Orion!
 

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#9
Really that is all that can go without having lots of territory issues and aggression problems. Even though the shell dwellers are small, even they have BIG personalities. Something larger like a 29 gallon would actually open the possibilities up to a mini-community with carefully planed stock.
 

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#11
Multies are great, really entertaining, but when it comes to sheer 'looks' they don't count for much. Very good parents as well, it doesn't take much at all to go from just a few adults to a thriving growing colony of these. Simplistic beauty. Love 'em.

There are many different species, some big and some small, each with there own needs and personalities, so It's pretty safe to say that there is a shellie for everyone :)

BTW- if you need some shells I've got plenty that would be good for these guys.
 

marvin

Large Fish
Jul 7, 2007
264
0
0
florida
#14
i agree with most of your artical you want to clean my six/ 55 gal's once a week?? i have others you can clean while your at it over cleaning causes a lot of problems @ stress , breeding and agression
 

Dec 20, 2010
1
0
0
#18
Brief Intro To Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika is one of the oldest, and deepest lakes on earth. It is also one of the single largest bodies of fresh water. It is situated in the Great African Rift Valley, hence it being often referred to as one of the Rift Lakes. Its age is estimated to be at least 20 million years old, and has a depth of 1470 meters (4,800 feet, or almost 1 mile). The length of the lake would stretch from New York City to Cleveland. Despite the age of the lake, fish exportation of the species found in the lake is relatively recent, with the first exportation of fish in the late 1950’s.

Cichlid enthusiasts have been fascinated with this lake and the interesting species that are found within. The diversity of the lake is partially due to the fact that it has been more or less isolated from other major bodies of water for around 6 million years. This has allowed the fish, especially cichlids, time to establish themselves as the rulers of the lake, filling in more spaces and being more adaptable than any other family found in the lake. Lake Tanganyika is surely the Jewel of the Rift. Not only fish from the cichlid family are found here. You will find fish related to barbs, tetras, spiny eels, crabs, catfish and killifish. While cichlids may be the main fish you hear about from the Lake, you can see that they are by no means the only type of fish to inhabit the lake.

Many of the cichlids and other fish one can find in the lake and often see for sale are endemic. This means that they are found nowhere else on Earth except in this lake. Again, this is partially due to the isolation that the lake has had for so long, and the adaptability of the cichlids to adjust so quickly to the lake and its waters. Cichlids are not the only endemic fish, some of the more popular being a few species of Synodontis catfish.

Tank Setup

When you think of a cichlid setup, normally the first thing that comes to mind are rocks. Lots, and lots of rocks. While this can stand true in most scenarios, it is not always the case.

How each tank should be setup depends on the fish that are to call the tank home. Know your fish before you start setting up the tank so you can know what type of set-up is best for each fish. In smaller tanks, it is difficult not only to house different species, but also to provide the best type of habitat for each one. The larger the tank, not only can you have more fish, but you can have fish that will live in different areas and create a true ‘community’ tank.



Rocky / Intermediate Habitat (Rock Dwellers)-
The tank should consist of many rocks piled on top of each other that form a network caves and labyrinths for the fish. Some fish will only use the rocks if they feel threatened or scared, while others will make it a permanent home. While the rocky and intermediate habitats are technically different, I have placed them under the same category for the purpose of this article as they share many similarities and many of the same fish are found in either.

Common fish- Many Lamprologines, Julidochromis, Tropheus, Frontosa, Altolamprologus

Open Water -
This one is pretty self-explanatory. While I have yet to see a tank setup for only open water fish, fish from this habitat are often seen in larger tanks mixed in with rock dwellers.

Common fish – Cyprichromis, Featherfins

Surge / Surf Habitat-
In the lake, the surge habitat is the upper three meters of water close to the shore. The turbulent water from the waves gives this area very high oxygen content. The fish found here are very specialized to live in these waters. They graze off the algae on the rocks with specialized teeth, and will wedge themselves either under, or in between rocks to keep from getting swept away with the waves.

In home aquaria, it would seem that these fish do well with a high oxygen content in the tank, as well as a veggie based diet. The setup should be that similar to the rocky habitat.

Common fish- Gobies

Shell Beds (Shell Dwellers) –
Due to the already high mineral content of the lake, snail shells do not decompose quickly; so several species of smaller fish have made these empty shells their homes. Many will eat, sleep and breed in these shells. Some prefer shell beds that the shells can number in the thousands and be over a meter deep, while others will be more than happy to live the single shells found scattered throughout the lake.

In our tanks, for the fish that form colonies that live in the large shell beds, its best to try and provide 3-4 shells for each adult fish minimum. For the others, 2-3 shells per adult fish is a good rule of thumb.

Common fish – Large Shell Bed: Neolamprologus Multifaciatus, Neolamprologus Similis
Small Shell Bed: Neolamprologus brevis, (Neo)Lamprologus ocellatus

Sand Sifters (Sand Dwellers) –
These come from open, sandy areas with relatively few rocks or other shelter. In the wild they can often be seen in larger groups, as are most fish that inhabit open water. In the aquarium, they should have plenty of open sandy areas with few rocks to get in their way, although some in the back and corners are appreciated to give some shelter. Fine Sand should be used as substrate due to the feeding habits, where they will sift though the sand looking for morsels of food.

Common fish- Enantiopus, Xenotilapia


Behavioral Problems

Tank size becomes a very important issue with cichlids in general. A lot of cichlids, if not the entire family, have gotten a bad rap by some people who say they are nothing more than cold blooded killers. “They killed off my entire tank!” “It ate all my fish!” “ It won’t let me put anything else in the tank without killing it!” These words are heard all to often.

There is a reason to the ‘madness’ if you will. If you understand why a fish acts and behaves the way that it does, then the fewer problems you are going to have with that fish. How many of us have seen someone walking out of a LFS with a cute 1” oscar talking about how well the other fish in the buyers 10 gallon tank are going to like their new tank mate? Well, you can be sure that customer was highly upset when the oscar got big enough to eliminate the other tank mates and quickly outgrew the tank.

Cichlids are very different than other mainstream fish you are going to see at the fish store, and Tanganyikans do not break this rule. All cichlids show some degree of parental care, and this in itself can cause problems in smaller tanks. If the other fish have no where to get away from the protective parents, then often times they will be killed because the parents see them as a threat to their brood. Many are also territorial by nature, and when territories becomes scarce, you are going to see more aggression between the fish. Bottom line: The more room, the better.
The larger the tank the more fish, and maybe more species, can you safely house. For the smaller tanks you are going to want to stick with maybe only one species. Don’t think that a species tank isn’t going to be fun though! A 10 gallon tank can make a nice home for some of the shell dwelling species like N. multifaciatus. These adorable shellies spend their lives in and around shells.
 

MdngtRain

Large Fish
Jan 9, 2011
288
0
0
New England
#20
Can you add links with fish info to the suggested fish? i am looking from my phone and it's hard to copy/paste the names of the fish to look up. I'm interested in starting a cichlid tank, but def ned to do more research.
Thanks!