How to choose stock for a 4-foot 270 litre aquarium

[bolt9x]

I'm looking to set up a 4ft Tanganyikan community tank, 270 litres, and I'm open to any suggestions on how to stock it. The tank can be as rocky or as bare as you like.

My LFS has a good selection of fish in stock, including Altolamprologus calvus, Altolamprologus compressiceps "Gold Head" - which I'm really keen on, Cyphotilapia frontosa "Kigoma 7 Stripe" and "Mpimbwe Blue", plus a few others like Cyprichromis leptosoma "Mpulungu Blue Flash", Eretmodus cyanostictus, and various Julidochromis and Lamprologus species.

I'm particularly interested in the Altolamprologus compressiceps "Gold Head", so I'd love to know how many I could keep in a tank this size, and what other species would complement them well.

Any suggestions are welcome.

[coralhaven]

I've had experience with Brichardi in the past, they're a really engaging and entertaining species to observe. If you decide on a species-only setup, you'll have the opportunity to see multiple generations thrive together. However, it's worth noting that they can be quite aggressive when kept with other species.

[mizonix]

Where's your LFS? That's an epic stock list, by the way.

[bolt9x]

I've had experience with Brichardi in the past, they're a really engaging and entertaining species to observe. If you decide on a species-only setup, you'll have the opportunity to see multiple generations thrive together. However, it's worth noting that they can be quite aggressive when kept with other species.

Yeah I've had the fairies as well, mine were a right chilled bunch. Had some Telmatochromis burgeoni too, lovely little fish.

[mizonix]

Got a week in the Peak District at Easter, so I'll be swinging by Wharf Aquatics on the way back, can't wait to check out that epic stock list in person.

[bolt9x]

Spot on mate, that's a great choice.

[mixtune]

One fish that caught my eye is the Julidochromis dickfeldi. I've watched their videos on YouTube and they've got this unique way of swimming, it's almost like they're hovering in place. There's another fish that's not on the list, the African Congo Tinanti Cichlid - they've got some of the most entertaining personalities I've ever seen, even among marine fish. They look like they jumped straight out of a cartoon.

I highly recommend the Tinanti Cichlid because we bought ours from the LFS and it was already in a community setup, and it got along with every other fish. It even swam around with our two flying fox. When we moved it to the cichlid tank, it was breaking up fights between the cichlids - it's the perfect addition to my tank.

[ridera]

As in Steatocranus tinanti? Not a Tanganyikan, but an African riverine cichlid. Not sure how they'd do in a rift tank, my experience with Steatocranus casuarius has been that they can be pretty aggressive when breeding - they've taken out tankmates twice when they've had broods, and now I've got about 35 of them in their own tank. I've also heard that "Snowflake311"s specimen is the dominant fish in a tank full of much larger CA cichlids.

Julidochromis dickfeldi, on the other hand, are really interesting. They've got this unique trait where the parents will let the teenagers babysit the latest batch of fry - it's not something you see often in the animal kingdom. I think it's worth considering them for your tank. As for me, I'm tempted to try Paracyprichromis - I'm not sure if Cyprichromis would be the best choice for your tank, though. Maybe see what Sean/"Kiriyama" thinks about it?

[muffin12]

What a list indeed. I've been doing some reading and it seems Julidochromis species tend to do better in pairs, is that right? I was under the impression that it's actually the Brichardi that are known for their parental care, looking after their young and all that.

I've got a couple of Calvus myself, I wasn't too fussed about the Gold Heads to be honest. Anyone have any experience with the Neolamprologus Sexfasciatus? I've heard mixed things about their aggression levels. Don't mind me asking questions in this thread, do you?

[zenrow]

I'd go for 12 Cyprichromis leptosoma 'Mpulungu', Lamprologus caudopunctatus, and a few Spathodus erythrodon - they're a nice addition. I've kept them in a community setup before and they do well. When it comes to feeding, make high-quality spirulina flake your main staple and supplement with frozen cyclops once or twice a week. Avoid the Lamprologus moleli, they're big and nasty. Julidochromis dickfeldi could work, but introduce them in a small group and remove the excess once they pair up. The Altolamprologus compressiceps 'Gold Head' should be okay, they take ages to grow and will help with population control by eating excess fry. Let us know how you get on. Cheers.