TRETS!! Can they be encouraged to get along??
- Thread starter jiminy_crime
- Start date
more crappy advice, lol
you're learning! *thumbsups
From my reading, and I read up a lot on these suckers, from articles to hours skimming fish boards, I've seen it many times. People get more than 1 male, and there's bloodshed. It's only going to get worse as they get bigger, and I still don't think you'll be happy with one in a 29 gallon. Like I said, 1 male, 55 gallons minimum. Try these links for more info:
http://www.tropheus.info/riftlakes/cichlids/tretocephalus_e.html
http://www.theaquariumexchange.com/tretocephalus.html
http://www.cichlids.com/info/Neolamprologus_tretocephalus
http://www.cybercichlids.com/tret.htm
http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/cichlidrecipe/crp17.htm
you're learning! *thumbsups
From my reading, and I read up a lot on these suckers, from articles to hours skimming fish boards, I've seen it many times. People get more than 1 male, and there's bloodshed. It's only going to get worse as they get bigger, and I still don't think you'll be happy with one in a 29 gallon. Like I said, 1 male, 55 gallons minimum. Try these links for more info:
http://www.tropheus.info/riftlakes/cichlids/tretocephalus_e.html
http://www.theaquariumexchange.com/tretocephalus.html
http://www.cichlids.com/info/Neolamprologus_tretocephalus
http://www.cybercichlids.com/tret.htm
http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/cichlidrecipe/crp17.htm
I am not into cichlids...but I wanted to see what a tret was so I did some googling. Thought you might like this article:
http://www.bostonaquariumsociety.org/articles/acrobat/daphnian9909.pdf
on the bottom of page 6 it says that "Appropriate additions to the tret tank would be clown loaches, redtail or rainbow sharks, large rainbows such as New Guinea Reds, most barbs, large danios and many other similarly sized fast moving fish."
Sounds like a cool fish
http://www.bostonaquariumsociety.org/articles/acrobat/daphnian9909.pdf
on the bottom of page 6 it says that "Appropriate additions to the tret tank would be clown loaches, redtail or rainbow sharks, large rainbows such as New Guinea Reds, most barbs, large danios and many other similarly sized fast moving fish."
Sounds like a cool fish
I just want to give you guys (girls?) props for always taking the time to help a brother out. I always see the two of you trying to help others out. That's really cool in my opinion. A question for both of you, I am curious as to what the two of you think I should do as far as finding other fish to put with the tret in a 29 gal.? I don't plan on leaving my tret in the little 10 gal. ( I'm not that mean ) Eventually I want to get a 55 gal. but it just isn't in the budget right now. Up for any ideas or thoughts from ya'll
Gratefully,
Charlie
) Eventually I want to get a 55 gal. but it just isn't in the budget right now. Up for any ideas or thoughts from ya'll Gratefully,
Charlie
I'm a girl...think Mike is a guy
As for finding something to go with the tret...um...I think it totally depends on what you like. Out of the fish that that article listed I would tend to see if you liked Giant Danios, or Tiger barbs...you could get several of them (say 4 GDs or 5-6 TBs)
A lot of people like Clown Loaches so maybe you could look at seeing what they need in a tank (substrate, gallons of water/fish, and I think they like company so you'd have to get more than one) and see if you like them.
I don't know anything about rainbows...but they do look like cool fish, you could get a couple of them (I think they get pretty big)
Above all...research research research See who needs what and who is compatible with who and what they eat etc. Nothing says you have to add tankmates NOW and all at the same time right?
As for finding something to go with the tret...um...I think it totally depends on what you like. Out of the fish that that article listed I would tend to see if you liked Giant Danios, or Tiger barbs...you could get several of them (say 4 GDs or 5-6 TBs)
A lot of people like Clown Loaches so maybe you could look at seeing what they need in a tank (substrate, gallons of water/fish, and I think they like company so you'd have to get more than one) and see if you like them.
I don't know anything about rainbows...but they do look like cool fish, you could get a couple of them (I think they get pretty big)
Above all...research research research
See who needs what and who is compatible with who and what they eat etc. Nothing says you have to add tankmates NOW and all at the same time right?
Well I've developed into a sort of mutant purist when it comes to fishkeeping. My 55g currently hosts only south american / central american species. The tank I'm planning for the tret(s) I want to keep is going to be Lake Tanganyika species only.
My reasoning is that I keep fish as a sort of "slice of nature" in my living room. I'm not observing normal natural behavior really when I've got a fish that is endemic to a certain lake in Africa in with a fish that is found in deepest darkest Peru.
Tankmates for a tret in a 29 gallon? Well, keep in mind that I only say this because you say you'll be upgrading to a 55, but I would try julies, shellies, other (neo)lamprologus, and maybe a school of cyprochromis. All these fish are from Lake Tanganyika, so what do you have to worry about? Not much, nature has proven their compatibility as far as water conditions, aggression comes down to tank size... given enough space these fish will do fine together, and dietary needs are the only other concern, spirulina will suffice for this mix.
Mixing fish from other parts of the world just seems like a pain in the ass to me. Tang cichlids come from a lake where the water is hard and the pH is high. Loaches, barbs, danios etc don't. Sure you might be able to keep them all alive in the same tank, but I've really learned that the coolest part of fishkeeping has more to do with recreating a habitat, than having all the coolest fish of the world in one tank.
You want some real good advice on african cichlids? go to www.cichlid-forum.com , those guys are crazy
FYI, I picked up my 55g for $75 with the stand, hood, filter, and assorted large cichlids. Check out garage sales, and get the word out to your friends that your looking for a cheap tank... there's always people out there that give up on fishkeeping, people like us just have to keep our eyes peeled =)
yeah froggy, I'm a guy =P But now I know you're a girl hehe
My reasoning is that I keep fish as a sort of "slice of nature" in my living room. I'm not observing normal natural behavior really when I've got a fish that is endemic to a certain lake in Africa in with a fish that is found in deepest darkest Peru.
Tankmates for a tret in a 29 gallon? Well, keep in mind that I only say this because you say you'll be upgrading to a 55, but I would try julies, shellies, other (neo)lamprologus, and maybe a school of cyprochromis. All these fish are from Lake Tanganyika, so what do you have to worry about? Not much, nature has proven their compatibility as far as water conditions, aggression comes down to tank size... given enough space these fish will do fine together, and dietary needs are the only other concern, spirulina will suffice for this mix.
Mixing fish from other parts of the world just seems like a pain in the ass to me. Tang cichlids come from a lake where the water is hard and the pH is high. Loaches, barbs, danios etc don't. Sure you might be able to keep them all alive in the same tank, but I've really learned that the coolest part of fishkeeping has more to do with recreating a habitat, than having all the coolest fish of the world in one tank.
You want some real good advice on african cichlids? go to www.cichlid-forum.com , those guys are crazy
FYI, I picked up my 55g for $75 with the stand, hood, filter, and assorted large cichlids. Check out garage sales, and get the word out to your friends that your looking for a cheap tank... there's always people out there that give up on fishkeeping, people like us just have to keep our eyes peeled =)
yeah froggy, I'm a guy =P But now I know you're a girl hehe
Trets like high pH and hardness, clown loaches the oposite. I think you're looking for other fish from lake tang that can deal with a pretty spiky cichlid, though a single shouldn't be too grim.
I think clown loach are a stupid addition to a tank with a tret, and it's going to be hard on the loaches - they prefer soft, slightly acid water ,aren't terribly aggressive, and they're just not ready for the aggression patterns of the tret, plus they're stripy!! Tis means the tret is more likely to have a pop. Yes they're orange, and rets are blue, but if you think about how colours work underwater in the sort of rocky terrain trets like, they're look real similar. The sharks are right out too for me
Rainbows are better adapted as they swim off the bottom , are strong and can deal with the high hardness better.
Cyprichromis make sense if you can get them, get enough rocks in there julidochromis, other neolamps like brichardi, maybe synos
I think clown loach are a stupid addition to a tank with a tret, and it's going to be hard on the loaches - they prefer soft, slightly acid water ,aren't terribly aggressive, and they're just not ready for the aggression patterns of the tret, plus they're stripy!! Tis means the tret is more likely to have a pop. Yes they're orange, and rets are blue, but if you think about how colours work underwater in the sort of rocky terrain trets like, they're look real similar. The sharks are right out too for me
Rainbows are better adapted as they swim off the bottom , are strong and can deal with the high hardness better.
Cyprichromis make sense if you can get them, get enough rocks in there julidochromis, other neolamps like brichardi, maybe synos
Hey didn't mean to sound like a fool with that list Like I said I'm not really into cichlids so I don't know much about them...likewise with the loaches. Basically was just trying to say that jiminy needs to do some research to see what he likes and what goes together...just wanted to make sure ya'll knew that!!
I think that having a tank full of species that are originally from the same place sounds great, Mike when you get this project up and running we gotta have pictures...you've totally thought this through and planned well, obviously done your research!
Like I said I'm not really into cichlids so I don't know much about them...likewise with the loaches. Basically was just trying to say that jiminy needs to do some research to see what he likes and what goes together...just wanted to make sure ya'll knew that!!I think that having a tank full of species that are originally from the same place sounds great, Mike when you get this project up and running we gotta have pictures...you've totally thought this through and planned well, obviously done your research!
Don't worry froggy. I tried the clown loach with cichlids thing in the past as it was 'supposed to work'. It took maybe 20 minutes for the trouble to start and the loaches really didn't have a clue. This is usually why s american and africans don't mix well - th water chemistry may be ok, but the aggression patterns and styles just do not mix - africans go for lots of niggling violence, new worlds for one big hit once they're p****d off
