tanganyikan callochromis

i notice the tanganyikan callochromis species becoming available in the shops recently.
these fish are only for the experienced tang fishkeeper as they need large tanks and very good water quality. all bar the macrops are very delicate till they settle.
there are four species and several geographic variants. c. stappersi and c. pleurospilius, at 3 to 4 inches and c. melanostigma and c. macrops at 4 to 5 inches.
the males of all species are very pretty with lovely pastel colours but absolutely intolerant of other conspecific males, and several females (plain silver colour) must be kept for each male.
all are micro predators and appreciate and require small size live or frozen food. (cyclops, brine shrimp etc.) supplemented with high quality crushed flake.
although the males are non stop chasers of their own kind, they can be easily bullied by other tang species and can sulk and hide.
they are guaranteed breeders if kept correctly but the fry are plain silver and must be grown on before they can be sold. they will colour up and breed while quite small.
i have kept all 4 species with companions such as leptosoma and julies.
macrops and stappersi in ratio 1/3 and 1/2 not successful as all females were harrased to death within a short time. but melanostigma and pleurospilus bred succesfully and did ok with higher female ratios.
as a genus they were certainly a challenge but i was hooked on them, a bit like tropheus.
a few keeping tips.
get the ratio right, prefferably 1/10 but more realisticly 1/ 4 or 5
minimum 4 ft. tank
feed small food items. carnivore/ micropredator. adults will readily take new hatched brineshrimp.
top water quality with carbon/ polyfilter.
macrops is hardier and cheaper than the others but also the roughest.

Nice one Derek.Thanks for the info.
Regards,Tim

P.s.your calender is gone to another page:laugh:

if I can add to that.. don't keep em on anything but the finest of sand they pretty much hate anything else. they also hybridise so keep the various species apart! I love em.

must get that calender ,tim:lol:
yes gav fine sand is essential as is keeping the species apart.
never thought about hybridisation but imagine that its likely as breeding behavior is similar, also females or juvies might be difficult to tell apart (till you get used to the subtle differences) and the male agression will cross over between the different cal. species.

yeah that is true the species aggression does cross,,as does the love. Hybrids are well documented.