I've never kept them. WC fishes generally have good color once they settle in, but that can take a long time. Personally, I would go with TR Altolamprologus and avoid all the fuss with WC specimens.
Lake Tanganyikan Community
- Thread starter halfmacgas
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halfmacgas
Member
Never had wild caught before. That’s one of the reasons I’m sort of interested, to see what it’s like. Seems like the seller has had them for some time, so it won’t be straight from the lake to the tank. I do think TR would be more straight forward tbh, and probably line bred to enhance coloration
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One of the problems with WC fishes is you never know how old they are, so they may end up dying of old age long before you expect that to happen. Another is the cost. Another is the parasites. Etc., etc. There really is no good reason to keep WC fishes when TR specimens are readily available.
There are many different color forms of Altolamprologus that occur in different localities in the lake, many of them very colorful, and as is the case for most distinct Tanganyikan populations (think Tropheus), crossing them is to be avoided. And as far as I am aware, there are no 'line-bred' (i. e. inbred) derivatives of Altolamprologus. Thankfully.
There are many different color forms of Altolamprologus that occur in different localities in the lake, many of them very colorful, and as is the case for most distinct Tanganyikan populations (think Tropheus), crossing them is to be avoided. And as far as I am aware, there are no 'line-bred' (i. e. inbred) derivatives of Altolamprologus. Thankfully.
halfmacgas
Member
Thanks ! Great to have an expert here locally for advice. So much to learn and such few brain cells
halfmacgas
Member
Tank so far. More to come. I took a video but I’ve never uploaded to YouTube before and don’t really have an inclination to atm.
It’s a standard 180 gallon - 6 ft x 2 ft x 2ft I believe.
I really want to get one of those artificial rock back walls before the cyprichromis kitumba get in, so they’re not sleeping on substrate or rocks occupied by the rock dwelling species. They’re pretty expensive though, and look like they would be a lot of work to install in an acrylic tank that’s already running
It’s a standard 180 gallon - 6 ft x 2 ft x 2ft I believe.
I really want to get one of those artificial rock back walls before the cyprichromis kitumba get in, so they’re not sleeping on substrate or rocks occupied by the rock dwelling species. They’re pretty expensive though, and look like they would be a lot of work to install in an acrylic tank that’s already running
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halfmacgas
Member
This is the substrate I’ve used to help keep the pH in check: https://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor...n-cichlid-mix-aquarium-substrate-5151959.html
Ive always want to try one of the rock backgrounds but It is one of those things you need to do before the tank is fully set up. I use some of the artificial rocks from Universal Rock in quite a few tanks and there are some pieces that can be put up against the back wall that can give you the illusion of rockwork wall to a certain degree.
The large slate centerpiece in my goldie tank is from Universal rock
The rockwork and plants in my 300 are also from Universal Rock
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
Cichlid-forum had a write up about how to make a rock work background using flagstone.
halfmacgas
Member
Thanks for sharing that . Do they just sleep on the substrate, or do they stay floating in the water column?
My tank is going to be a little crowded here soon, with quite a few juvenile fish. The goal will be to feel out how they’re interacting and how they look, then either move some fish to another tank in a few months or rehome them.
I’m trying to figure out how to give the cyps a place to take a break if they’re getting chased or stressed. Probably will need a few more territories
halfmacgas
Member
Thanks! Is that artificial rockwork less likely to scratch the acrylic tank ?
Cyps are open-water fishes, and spend their whole lives there. If the tank is large enough- which yours is- you don't need to worry about giving them anything more than space.
halfmacgas
Member
Ok perfect thanks again. I think I might be overstocking a little- about 20 cyprichromis kitumba in the 180 gallon along with the rest of the community. I’ll have to see how it goes- also factoring in a few possible losses. These end up being the jumbos too from my understanding. I’ll have to keep an eye out to make sure there isn’t too much aggression over territories in the water, etc
I was initially considering ordering fewer and placing them in a separate tank to reproduce and grow the colony. However, I found a supplier with access to a big F1 stock and I figured i would start with a big number and mitigate the need for another tank
I was initially considering ordering fewer and placing them in a separate tank to reproduce and grow the colony. However, I found a supplier with access to a big F1 stock and I figured i would start with a big number and mitigate the need for another tank
The artificial rocks have a slight abrasive quality to them. Think of sand paper in texture. Its like real fine color sand applied to the artificial rock to give them the look of real rocks. If you are concerned, you can always request a sample from them and see what you think, or just stick with smooth stones.
20 Cyps should be fine in a 180. In the old pic I posted there were 12-14 Cyps in a 125, and that was just the starting population.
halfmacgas
Member
8 enantiopus Kilesa - F1 juvies. This one is starting to color up
Oh boy, are you in for some fun! Enantiopus are wonderful fishes, and one of my all-time favourite Tanganyikans.
Enantiopus were previously assigned to the genus Xenotilapia, and you can still find them under that name in older posts online. They were then reassigned to the monotypic genus Enantiopus, with E. melanogenys as the type species. Various forms of E. melanogenys are found around most of the ~1400 mile circumference of the lake, but a distinct population with a yellow (rather than black) face occurs on the west side of the lake from Kalemie to Mtoa Bay. The taxonomic status of that population has changed over time, but it is currently recognized as a distinct species, E. kilesa. Personally, I think that these two forms are subspecies.
This pic shows a young male in non-breeding dress from my E. kilesa colony some time ago. As you can see, these are beautiful fishes, with all the attraction of Xenotilapia, but far less aggressive and space-demanding. Enantiopus are lek breeders, a breeding system in which males establish territories and make nests on the sand floor. Enantiopus nests are typically 1-2' in diameter, but they are not isolated; on the contrary, the bottom is confluent with nests, so that every male is surrounded by competitors. In a concentrated, super-sized breeding colony of this sort, aggression between males has evolved to be highly ritualized, so although border skirmishes occur routinely, they rarely result in physical damage to any of the competing males, even in captivity. Meanwhile, the females get to cruise around, mating with males of their choice, and carrying multipaternal broods. Evolutionarily speaking, everyone wins. Including the fish-keeper.
This makes for very interesting tanks. I currently have a 125g with 5-6 co-dominant males of Enantiopus melanogenys, each with his own nest. The females occupy most of the open space in the water column, except when breeding. The spawning behaviors are non-stop, but I have never observed physical damage to any of these fishes, male or female. Fry typically number 10-15 per brood, and I have several broods from earlier this year that are now about 2.5"TL, and starting to color. Fun!
E. melanogenys-
