setting up a future tanganyika tank

[glowbeam]

Hey everyone, I'm planning a new tank setup after my move and I'm thinking of going with a Cichlid tank, specifically a Lake Tanganyika theme. I've had a large Barb tank running smoothly for a while now, but I'm excited to try something new. I'd love to hear any advice you guys have on tank size - what's a good length, width, and height for a Lake Tanganyika tank? What about filtration and substrate? I've seen some awesome setups online and I'm looking for some inspiration. I'm really interested in keeping Gold Head Compressicep Cichlids - has anyone here had experience with them? What tank size would you recommend for these guys? Are there any other species that they do well with? I'd really appreciate any tips or advice you can share.

[flinta]

You're looking at a minimum of 3 feet, but it really depends on the specific fish you want to keep. If you can go for 4 feet, you'll have a lot more options. You could fit some cyps in there and a shell dweller, they do well together. What other cichlids are you interested in keeping?

[glowbeam]

I'm really drawn to the Altolamprologus calvus and Neolamprologus ocellatus gold, but the Compressicep Cichlids are definitely my top choice. I'm open to other suggestions though, as I've got plenty of time to plan this tank - I want it to be perfect. I've also been looking at the Julidochromis Marlieri, it's a great looking fish.

[flinta]

You can keep calvus or comps with shellies, no issues there. Mixing julie marliera with shellies isn't ideal though, they get quite big and can be aggressive. Julie transcriptus or ornatus, they're nice and a better option. If you've got a tank size in mind, I can give you more specific advice. One thing I wouldn't do is keep calvus and comps together, not a great combo. cheers

[glowbeam]

I was considering a tank with dimensions of 3x3 feet, with a height of around 20 inches. However, I'm completely open to suggestions - if there's a setup that would be more suitable for the fish, I'd love to hear it.

[flinta]

I think a 4x2 tank would be a better option, but a 3x3 would still be alright. The extra length would give you more space to create separate territories, which is pretty important for these fish.

You've got a few options for a community tank - non-jumbo cyps, paracyps, small julies, calvus, comps, xenos, shellies. A good mix could be two rockdwellers, an open water swimmer, and something for the sand.

[glowbeam]

I'm curious to know, would you consider the Gold Head Compressicep Cichlids more as a rock dweller or an open water swimmer, I've seen them online and they seem to have a pretty interesting swimming pattern, but I'm not sure how they'd do in a community tank with some of the other species we've discussed.

[flinta]

They're rock dwellers, same as julies. Paracyprichromis tend to hang near the rock, whereas cyprichromis are open water swimmers. Xenos and shellies, on the other hand, are sand dwellers. There are also species like caudopunks and callochromis that'll inhabit around the rock. You've also got featherfins that'll do the same.