Multi madness

[jrh]

So, awhile ago, I set up my 75g for multies and julies. However, since then, it's become a holding tank for any plants I'm going to try in my 5g tank at work, or are too big for that little tank.

I'm going to get some multies soon, but what to do with the other side?

Moss and cholla and cheap cherry shrimp, and my multies have shrimp on the hoof?

Paracyps?

I'm open to suggestions.

Oh, and I know the Tanganyikan purists probably think I should be shot, so "get rid of the plants" is not a helpful suggestion.

Thanks,
James

 

[toddnbecka]

Ha, the main problem with plants in cichlid tanks is that they're usually eaten. Paracyp's are a deeper-water fish, particularly fond of vertical rock faces or similar structure. Would work with some rescaping, I kept them w/multi's before. Also kept buescheri and Synodontis lucipinnis in the same tank w/out any problems. If you want a Julie for the rockpile stay away from transcriptus Gombi, they're small but really nasty on conspecific aggression.

 

[jrh]

I don't think I'm going to introduce any other cichlid until the multi colony is large enough to defend itself against aggressors.

Also, I'm not being a purist of any sort, clearly. So danios or white clouds instead of cyps would be fine with me. Or some other schooling, hardwater fish. The temps might be too high for white clouds.

 

[thedavidzoo]

I have a 75g Tanganyikan tank. I have multies on one end, a school of Cyps, a group of Paracyps and a few calvus (these might keep the multi numbers in check when the lights are out), and a few oddballs. It is a busy tank but everyone is happy and breeding like crazy.
I vote for cyps and/or paracyps (with some vertical rockwork). Paracyps are just too cool, especially when they hang out upside down for no apparent reason.
If you like the plants, the fish will be fine with them, too.

 

[jrh]

I'll look this up too, but for paracyps, what should I have in place of the rounded river stones?

 

[Jim Anderson]

Multis

Beautiful tank! Good Luck!

 

[jrh]

Thanks. The paracyps idea sounds good. I just need to figure out how to rescape that end.

And actually, I learned there are all sorts of pretty danios out there, so I could dig a bunch of 1"-2" danios swimming around.

 

[thedavidzoo]

You could just lean in some slate tile that goes all the way to the water surface. Those round rocks aren't bad, but they do need lots of vertical surface, either in addition to your pile or a restacking somehow.Sometimes they like to just hang in front of a rock wall vertically, head straight down, tail up. They also seem to like overhangs high up on the wall. I used to have one until it fell apart.They will swim around in open water some, but don't seem to stray far from the rock wall. They are not a busy fish and definitely won't mess with multis.
Here is kind of what I had a while back.

 

[jrh]

I started asking someone about some of the danios I hadn't seen before, and he said that they wouldn't thrive with pH over 8, and that the multies would need pH of at least 8. I just tested, and I'm like 7.5-7.6.

I don't really alter my tap water any other than adding crushed coral to the filter.

I've kept multies before, and they were breeding well, but I lost them in a house fire.

The next time I tried, I was greedy and added goby's at the same time, because they're so cute with their little horse faces and blue lips. But the gobies could go anywhere in that shell pile the multies could, so the multies were never able to spawn.

 

[thedavidzoo]

I don't know much about danios. I just had generic Petsmart zebra danios and they didn't care about my pH, they even bred regularly.
Multies will do absolutely fine in your water! I don't add anything to my tap water to bring up pH or hardness, etc., and I think most people in the club don't either. I have about 7.5-7.8 or so and every Tanganyikan is just fine. These fish have been bred in local tap waters for soooo many generations, they are far removed from their native kin and their requirements!
I have a Tang gobi also, he is a riot!

 

[jrh]

Thanks for your post. I miss my l'il multies. I sent a PM to the guy I was going to get them from to see what his water is like.