SniperY
08-03-2006, 10:07 PM
I keep Tanganyikans as a contrast to my other freshwater tanks. The cichlids of Lake Tanganyika have had a long time to evolve and adapt to their specific feeding niches. Most look quite different to anything else that you are likely to come across in the shops. The lake is like a huge inland sea and holds the largest cichlid in the world as well as some of the smallest. Most of the smaller species thrive in captivity and will reward you with batches of fry. (See One of a kind below.)
What to keep
Most Tanganyikans shouldn't be mixed in the long term with Malawi cichlids, simply because the latter are more active and boisterous. At the very least Tanganyikans end up last in line when it comes to feeding. At worst, they lose their territory, get beaten up and even killed.
The exception is the Tanganyikan Tropheus. These expensive fish are similar to the Malawi mbuna, only more specialised. They are herbivorous, more aggressive (potentially) and far more sensitive to the wrong diet and failing water quality.
The proper care of Tropheus is subject to debate, but the consensus is that they should be kept in single-species groups, in large tanks, with top-quality water and fed a diet consisting of mainly spirulina algae. Never ever feed bloodworm to Tropheus as this could kill them. The set-up described on the following page is suitable for Tropheus, so long as all other fish are removed.
Tropheus duboisi are by far the easiest, cheapest and most readily available of the group. They will tolerate a few errors, but the moorii complex will not. At over £30 each, any deviation from the rule book will be an expensive mistake.
The most commonly kept group are the lamprologines. This group includes the Fairy cichlid, Neolamprologus brichardi, shell-dwellers like N. ocellatus and N. brevis, and the Julidochromis.
These are small to medium-sized fish that have very interesting behaviour and loads of character - I've been bitten on many occasions when doing tank maintenance! Their spirit is not battered when kept in a tank and they cheerfully get on with life in full view of you.
What I like about them is that you can't tame them like you can Malawis - you won't return home from work to find your Julies pacing up and down waiting for food.
Despite my fondness for Julies, they are quite shy so I have not included them in this set-up. They are also not easy to photograph when given the option of a big pile of rocks to hide behind.
As far as lamprologines are concerned, it's too easy to overfeed them with flake, especially as they prefer frozen foods. You may be best off feeding them little and often with brineshrimp, mysis or bloodworm. All uneaten food should be removed to prevent pollution.
Something different
I've included an adult pair of Limnochromis auritus. They've so far proved to be peaceful towards other fish, and although they're not strictly rock-dwelling, will fit into the suggested set-up. Other rarities include catfish and eels.
Of the catfish, a new species, Synodontis sp.'Goldeneye', caught my eye. It looks a bit like S. multipunctatus and is adult at
less than 10cm/4". This species will cause considerable interest, so watch this space.
The Tanganyikan eels are all beautiful but some can eat shell dwellers, so be warned. Finally for mid-water I've chosen some Sardine cichlids, Cyprichomis spp. You really need quite a tall tank when mixing these fish with the substrate-spawning lamprologines so that they can stay out of the way if they spawn.
They don't look like cichlids and start off life looking quite plain and nondescript, but the males get really colourful when in spawning mode. Keep several females to one male.
One of a kind
Lake Tanganyika is incredibly old and extremely deep. It is thought to have been formed about 20 million years ago, during a time when earth-shattering volcanic activity and turbulence in the earth's surfaces resulted in the formation of the African rift valleys. Lake Tanganyika formed in one of these valleys.
The lake is about 640km/400 miles long but only 80km/50 miles wide at the most. Water temperatures are 23-24°C/73-75°F, and in the shallows between 23°C and 28°C/82°F, with pH 8-9, GH 9-11, KH 15.
Today it is host to an incredible diversity of fish and draws scientists, anglers, fish enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world. Catching stations operate on the lake and wild-caught specimens are exported all over the world.
What to keep
Most Tanganyikans shouldn't be mixed in the long term with Malawi cichlids, simply because the latter are more active and boisterous. At the very least Tanganyikans end up last in line when it comes to feeding. At worst, they lose their territory, get beaten up and even killed.
The exception is the Tanganyikan Tropheus. These expensive fish are similar to the Malawi mbuna, only more specialised. They are herbivorous, more aggressive (potentially) and far more sensitive to the wrong diet and failing water quality.
The proper care of Tropheus is subject to debate, but the consensus is that they should be kept in single-species groups, in large tanks, with top-quality water and fed a diet consisting of mainly spirulina algae. Never ever feed bloodworm to Tropheus as this could kill them. The set-up described on the following page is suitable for Tropheus, so long as all other fish are removed.
Tropheus duboisi are by far the easiest, cheapest and most readily available of the group. They will tolerate a few errors, but the moorii complex will not. At over £30 each, any deviation from the rule book will be an expensive mistake.
The most commonly kept group are the lamprologines. This group includes the Fairy cichlid, Neolamprologus brichardi, shell-dwellers like N. ocellatus and N. brevis, and the Julidochromis.
These are small to medium-sized fish that have very interesting behaviour and loads of character - I've been bitten on many occasions when doing tank maintenance! Their spirit is not battered when kept in a tank and they cheerfully get on with life in full view of you.
What I like about them is that you can't tame them like you can Malawis - you won't return home from work to find your Julies pacing up and down waiting for food.
Despite my fondness for Julies, they are quite shy so I have not included them in this set-up. They are also not easy to photograph when given the option of a big pile of rocks to hide behind.
As far as lamprologines are concerned, it's too easy to overfeed them with flake, especially as they prefer frozen foods. You may be best off feeding them little and often with brineshrimp, mysis or bloodworm. All uneaten food should be removed to prevent pollution.
Something different
I've included an adult pair of Limnochromis auritus. They've so far proved to be peaceful towards other fish, and although they're not strictly rock-dwelling, will fit into the suggested set-up. Other rarities include catfish and eels.
Of the catfish, a new species, Synodontis sp.'Goldeneye', caught my eye. It looks a bit like S. multipunctatus and is adult at
less than 10cm/4". This species will cause considerable interest, so watch this space.
The Tanganyikan eels are all beautiful but some can eat shell dwellers, so be warned. Finally for mid-water I've chosen some Sardine cichlids, Cyprichomis spp. You really need quite a tall tank when mixing these fish with the substrate-spawning lamprologines so that they can stay out of the way if they spawn.
They don't look like cichlids and start off life looking quite plain and nondescript, but the males get really colourful when in spawning mode. Keep several females to one male.
One of a kind
Lake Tanganyika is incredibly old and extremely deep. It is thought to have been formed about 20 million years ago, during a time when earth-shattering volcanic activity and turbulence in the earth's surfaces resulted in the formation of the African rift valleys. Lake Tanganyika formed in one of these valleys.
The lake is about 640km/400 miles long but only 80km/50 miles wide at the most. Water temperatures are 23-24°C/73-75°F, and in the shallows between 23°C and 28°C/82°F, with pH 8-9, GH 9-11, KH 15.
Today it is host to an incredible diversity of fish and draws scientists, anglers, fish enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world. Catching stations operate on the lake and wild-caught specimens are exported all over the world.