Lake tanganyika stocking options for a 272 gallon tank

[dorvik]

Hi everyone,
I'm setting up a 71G Lake Tanganyika Biotope aquarium and I'd love some advice on stocking. This is my first aquarium as an adult, so I'm still learning.

My current plan is to have:

- 2 Julidochromis Marlieri
- 2 Neolamprologus leleupi
- 2 Altolamprologus compressiceps
- 2 Neolamprologus tretocephalus
- 2 Altolamprologus calvus
- 4 Synodontis multipunctatus

I have a few questions about this stocking plan. Can these species coexist peacefully? I'm also wondering if I can increase the number of some species (maybe up to 4) and remove one of the others. From my research, I've found that many of these species require large groups of 15-20 to thrive, but I'm not sure if this applies to all of them. Can I increase the number of some species without stressing them out?

Do you think this is too many fish, or is there room for more?

Also, I'd love some recommendations for other cichlids that might work well in my tank. I'm not interested in shell dwellers, though.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Tigger]

Although I've had experience keeping cichlids, my knowledge is limited to non-Lake Tanganyika species, so I'll let others address your specific questions. However, I did notice you mentioned a dGH of around 20 in another post, which seems extremely hard. I suspect this might be due to the use of underground water rather than water from a lake or stream.

I'm fairly certain that not all areas of Lake Tanganyika have such high water hardness, so it's possible that some fish native to the lake might struggle with the conditions you're planning to replicate.

[dorvik]

Although I've had experience keeping cichlids, my knowledge is limited to non-Lake Tanganyika species, so I'll let others address your specific questions. However, I did notice you mentioned a dGH of around 20 in another post, which seems extremely hard. I suspect this might be due to the use of underground water rather than water from a lake or stream.

I'm fairly certain that not all areas of Lake Tanganyika have such high water hardness, so it's possible that some fish native to the lake might struggle with the conditions you're planning to replicate.

Thanks for the reply, I've looked into the water hardness and it seems like it should be okay for all the species I've chosen. I'm still a bit unsure about the stocking though, that's what I'd really appreciate some advice on.

[BadgersSong]

I'm not well-versed in old world cichlids, but I'm excited to see you're giving it a shot.

[detroit]

I've got some thoughts on your stocking plans. I'm no expert on all these species, but I'll share what I think.

First off, having just two fish of the same species can be a problem. The dominant one will likely pick on the less dominant one, so it's better to have at least three or four of each species to spread out the aggression.

For the Synodontis multipunctatus, they seem to do better in groups of at least six. As for the Altolamprologus Calvus, they can be pretty timid, so having a bigger group might be a good idea.

If you want to find some good combos, you could try watching some YouTube videos from reputable fish experts. Just be careful, not all videos are reliable. You could also check out some websites for fish compatibility, like Seriously Fish or Animal World. They've got some good info on different species, like the Altolamprologus calvus.

[dorvik]

Hey, I'm back. Sorry for the absence. I've been doing some thinking about my tank and I think I've got a plan now. I really love the Altolamprologus Calvus, especially the black pearl colour pattern, and I want to build my aquarium around them.

I've been searching for some tank mates and it's been a bit tough, but I've been considering Julidochromis Marlieri and Neolamprologus leleupi. I'm a bit unsure, though. I had a bunch of other fish I was interested in, but I was told it's better to keep them in groups of at least 4, not just 2. So, I was thinking of doing this:

I'd have a 71g tank with 4-6 Altolamprologus Calvus, 4-6 Julidochromis Marlieri, 4-6 Neolamprologus Leleupi, and 6 Synodontis multipunctatus. Do you guys think this would work? Will the fish get along? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers! Hopefully, this thread isn't dead yet.