Rock Dweller Needed

[Flex26]

I would like to change my 29g into a mini-Lake Tanganyika community. I plan on using some shell-dwellers, rock-dwellers and some fish to hang out at the top. Here is my plan:

Top - Probably just zebra danios. Would a pair of Lamp. Leleupi work? Just a thought....
Shellies - Hopefully, a small colony of multies. But based on availability, I may need to do another species.
Rock Dwellers - 1 pair of Julidochromis Transcriptus and/or 1 pair of Neo. Brichardi. Would brichardi even work in a 29g? Which rock dwellers would you recommend? I like the brichardi, but I have read they are very intolerant. So, I am leaning toward the Julis since they are a little smaller (even though I have read that they can get aggressive).

 

[TaffyFish]

Leleupi are not top dwelling but rock dwellers, the juli transcriptus would probably work best in a 29g, the brichardi, especially a pair would be inviting all sorts of trouble come spawning time....intolerant just about describes it.

You'll need to keep as much distance as possible between the rockwork and the shellies as you can. Multies would want about 6" x 8" open sand to call their own and the julies would probably stick to the rockwork until spawning time and then it would depend on the nature of the fish themselves. Using rocks as a territory divider would help.

Ocellatus are supposed to be more robust than Multies but not in my experience. My male multi is a very robust defender...

Zebra Danios or White Cloud Mountain Minnows would be good as dithers, I use WCM minnows myself have never kept danios.

 

[TaffyFish]

.....describing my male multi defending his corner of the tank has reminded me of a 49er, a free safety or something, who was my favourite player back in the Joe Montana days when I used to follow the NFL a bit.......looked quite slight but was a massive hitter!

oh yeah...Ronnie Lott!

 

[Managuense]

the brichardi, especially a pair would be inviting all sorts of trouble come spawning time....intolerant just about describes it.

i 100% agree with this. N. brichardi, especially a breeding pair, are just too territorial to keep with a lot of fish IME and IMO. they are not worth the trouble, and are much better in a species tank IMO.

the multies are pretty good about sticking up for themselves, as Taffy already noted. im not sure about the other shellie species though....ive never kept any others.

the tank is a bit small for cyprichromis, so the dithers you mentioned are probably a good idea.

what about some of the rainbow fish as dithers?
M

 

[Flex26]

Originally posted by TaffyFish
[Blooked quite slight but was a massive hitter!

oh yeah...Ronnie Lott! [/B]

lol...I thought you brits only cared about Manchester United and David Beckham!! Not Montana, Lott, and the 49ers!!! hehe j/k

what about some of the rainbow fish as dithers?

Rainbow fish are a good idea. I guess I never really thought about them since I already had the danios. I'll look into the rainbow fish....

I sorta figured the Neo. Brichardi wouldn't fit into my plans.

Oh well, juli transcriptus it is....

 

[TaffyFish]

IME julies are fantastic parents, as are multies, which means both species will be territorial especially once they have fry to protect.

With multies it's easy to spot m+f in the shop on size alone, I started with 2f and 1m because they are supposed to be harem breeders but one f was killed once the other had spawned. The females become rusty red when they're coming into condition.

With julies you might need to get 4 or so juveniles and wait for a pair to form - prepare to remove the excluded fish once they start to get confined to a corner or ping-ponged between the rockwork and multi's shells.

I would recommend that you get some juvenile syno.petricola too, quality!