29g Stocking Suggestions?

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I have a two year-old fully cycled 29g freshwater tank. The current
inhabitants are 4 Tiger Barbs, 2 Kribs and 4 cory's. Does anyone have
suggestions as to some new inhabitants (keeping in mind, I do already
have experience in fish keeping)? I was thinking about possibly going
with some of the smaller cichlids. The ideal fish woukld be one that
could hold thier own with the Tiger Barbs, but wouldn't terrorize my
Kribs, who by the way are the most docile fish I have ever seen.

Thanks in advance...
Evan

[NetMax]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I have a two year-old fully cycled 29g freshwater tank. The current
> inhabitants are 4 Tiger Barbs, 2 Kribs and 4 cory's. Does anyone have
> suggestions as to some new inhabitants (keeping in mind, I do already
> have experience in fish keeping)? I was thinking about possibly going
> with some of the smaller cichlids. The ideal fish woukld be one that
> could hold thier own with the Tiger Barbs, but wouldn't terrorize my
> Kribs, who by the way are the most docile fish I have ever seen.
>
> Thanks in advance...
> Evan


Nothing jumps to mind. Are the Kribs a pair? Small cichlids like
Apistos (Golden-Eye, Rams, Agasizzi, Cacatoides etc) are usually kept in
harems, and I think the 29g is a bit too small for them and the Kribs.
Other gentle cichlids like Geos would eventually get too big. Medium
sized cichlids like Firemouths, Acaras, Rainbows etc would also outgrow
that tank (size & territory).

You have the bottom well trafficked with Kribs & corys, and the middle
with Tigers. You need something which will either help fill the middle
or shelter into a cave. For top-swimmers, something which is fast enough
to evade the Tigers, and has contrasting stripes and color is the Zebra
danio (4 of them). Alternately but along the same vein, 4 Pearl danio or
4 Spotted danio or 2 Congo tetra or 2 Buenos Aires tetra or 3 Bloodfin
tetras or 3 Black tetras (you can see a tetra trend emerging ;~).

If the tank is planted or has sufficient shelter, then some small
shoaling fish might be alright (this can vary depending on the Tigers).
Some choices are Harlequin rasboras or Flame tetras or Lemon tetras.

How about a RedTail or Rainbow shark to stir up the status-quo a little?
Even a trio of Swordtails might do the trick.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Larry Blanchard]

NetMax wrote:

> Nothing jumps to mind.**Are*the*Kribs*a*pair?**Small*cichlids*like
> Apistos (Golden-Eye, Rams, Agasizzi, Cacatoides etc) are usually kept
> in harems, and I think the 29g is a bit too small for them and the
> Kribs. Other gentle cichlids like Geos would eventually get too big.*
> Medium sized cichlids like Firemouths, Acaras, Rainbows etc would also
> outgrow that tank (size & territory).

What about N. pulcher or N. brichardi? Fairly small, not heavy-bodied,
and not overly aggressive. Note that this is from reading, not from
experience.

I understand they're happier in a school, so the OP would need at least
5, but cichlid tanks are often oversto

--
It's turtles, all the way down

[NetMax]

"Larry Blanchard" > wrote in message
...
> NetMax wrote:
>
>> Nothing jumps to mind. Are the Kribs a pair? Small cichlids like
>> Apistos (Golden-Eye, Rams, Agasizzi, Cacatoides etc) are usually kept
>> in harems, and I think the 29g is a bit too small for them and the
>> Kribs. Other gentle cichlids like Geos would eventually get too big.
>> Medium sized cichlids like Firemouths, Acaras, Rainbows etc would also
>> outgrow that tank (size & territory).
>
> What about N. pulcher or N. brichardi? Fairly small, not heavy-bodied,
> and not overly aggressive. Note that this is from reading, not from
> experience.
>
> I understand they're happier in a school, so the OP would need at least
> 5, but cichlid tanks are often oversto

Ahh, the Neolamprologus
http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/cichlidrecipe/crp17.htm
Mixing new world and old world cichlids is usually a bad idea. The Neos
are fierce little fighters who form clans. Individually, they might not
have a very large territorial footprint, but they raise their fry well,
and as soon as the fry are old enough, they help the parents protect the
next batch of fry, and so on, until you have a fairly well coordinated
family unit move across the tank, dominating every nook & crannie. This
is from experience.

An interesting tank is starting with a few Julies (Julidochromis) and a
few Brichardi. They soon choose sides, and begin building their clans in
earnest, eventually meeting in the middle, where the fun starts.
--
www.NetMax.tk



> --
> It's turtles, all the way down

[Larry Blanchard]

NetMax wrote:

>> What about N. pulcher or N. brichardi?**Fairly*small,*not
>> heavy-bodied, and not overly aggressive.**Note*that*this*is*from
>> reading,*not*from experience.
>>

> Mixing new world and old world cichlids is usually a bad idea.**The
> Neos are fierce little fighters who form clans.*

Thanks for the URL - it's a keeper.

But about pulcher and brichardi it says " All these species are
relatively peaceful." You say they are "fierce little fighters".
Baensch says nothing aout brichardi aggressiveness, but claims leleupi
is "relatively peaceful". I've seen another well known reference
(can't remember the author) that says leleupi is more agressive than
brichardi and pulcher is the leas agressive of them all.

Is there enough behavioral diversity in these species to account for the
difference of opinion?

I'm really curious because pulcher is one I was considering for my next
tank.

--
It's turtles, all the way down

[NetMax]

"Larry Blanchard" > wrote in message
...
> NetMax wrote:
>
>>> What about N. pulcher or N. brichardi? Fairly small, not
>>> heavy-bodied, and not overly aggressive. Note that this is from
>>> reading, not from experience.
>>>
>
>> Mixing new world and old world cichlids is usually a bad idea. The
>> Neos are fierce little fighters who form clans.
>
> Thanks for the URL - it's a keeper.
>
> But about pulcher and brichardi it says " All these species are
> relatively peaceful." You say they are "fierce little fighters".
> Baensch says nothing aout brichardi aggressiveness, but claims leleupi
> is "relatively peaceful". I've seen another well known reference
> (can't remember the author) that says leleupi is more agressive than
> brichardi and pulcher is the leas agressive of them all.

I've raised leleupis, so I have some experience with them. They are the
equivilant of having an ex-marine in the family. Don't **** them off.
Fortunately, very little gets them irritated. Their heads are like an
arrow-shapped stone, and their tactics are to torpedo the side of another
fish causing internal damage. They are extremely efficient at this.
I've kept them with much larger fish, who will at some point draw a
little firepower from an alpha leleupis (who can generally swim circles
around larger fish). After the initial encounter, the other fish tend to
leave these little torpedo Lemon cichlids alone ;~). Fortunately, the
leleupis don't exercise territorial rights over most other fish. They
are micro-predators, so as long as they are free to poke around any rocks
they choose, they are happy. However I would never put them in with
other yellow fish. You can raise a brood of leleupis together in a
single tank from juvis, but seperate them and you will not be able to put
them back together. They are quite vicous to their own kind (and other
yellow fish) if they are strangers. In a battle with larger mbuna, such
as Pseudotropheus, leleupis will generally lose, as the Pseudotropheus is
generally nimble enough to not get broadsided by the leleupis, and is
stronger with greater stamina. An N.pulcher or N.brichardi would be
chopped meat against an adult alpha leleupis, no contest, but this battle
would be unlikely unless it was a very small tank, and the battle would
be the leleupis against a swarm of the brichardi/pulcher, which is much
more even.

I've limited experience with N.pulcher, but have had N.brichardi a few
times. It's not fair to call them agressive. They are more of a
nuisance, for their habit of insideously trying to take over the
aquarium. Brichardi are Lake Tanganyika's answer to the guppy. They
breed and breed, but with well organized intent. Don't let their
appearance fool you, pretty white lyretailed fairy prince of Burundi
cichlids. These fish have a mission. They don't rule by aggresion, but
by numbers. Keep them with other fish who will control their numbers.
Then they are great.

> Is there enough behavioral diversity in these species to account for
> the
> difference of opinion?

Ad Conings did a nice paper on the brichardi complex here.
http://www.cichlidae.com/article.php?id=35
To answer your question, I don't think so. It's environmental. I've had
them in tanks where they were absolutely a delight, bothered nobody,
minded their own business. In your tank, they would breed and take over.

> I'm really curious because pulcher is one I was considering for my next
> tank.

Then watch for the daffodils.
http://www.bigskycichlids.com/Npulcher_daffodilx.htm
They're occasionally available in stores. Just don't mix them with
leleupis ;~)
--
www.NetMax.tk

> --
> It's turtles, all the way down

[Larry Blanchard]

NetMax wrote:

>> I'm really curious because pulcher is one I was considering for my
>> next tank.
>
> Then watch for the daffodils.

Them's the ones :-).

> They're occasionally available in stores.**Just*don't*mix*them*with
> leleupis ;~)

I've seen them once locally - in Petco of all places. But my tank
wasn't ready then, and still isn't. Soon, verrry soon.

--
It's turtles, all the way down