Possible West African tank

[Snuff]

I was looking here at the possibilities for a 29 g that I recently freed up when I got my mbuna tank set up. I know this is from the page for the 20 longs, but it says the same setup will work for a 29. I really like the krib set up they listed that goes like this:

• Pelvichromis pulcher "Krib" - 1 pair
• Synodontis nigriventris "Upside-down Cat" - 4
• Nann. unitaeniatus "1-lined African Tetra" - 6

Every time I go to the lfs, the kribs catch my eye. I think I might want to use the 29 for this setup. The only problem is, I don't have access to these tetras they suggest. Is there another fish I could sub in for them?

P.S. MTS is sinking in....is there any hope for me?

 

[vantgE]

nigriventis are gonna be hard to find too i don't know what those tetra's are though

maybe you could swith for the redeyed tetras deopending on what a buffalow is like
EDIT-> might turn out a bit overstocked as but the main difference as i see it is the buffalos are like an inch longer right, kribs are only 2inches?

 

[CFC]

S.nigriventris shouldnt be hard to find, as the smallest synodontis species they should be the easiest one to find, here in the UK i see hundreds of them. I would replace the tetras with congo tetras, theyre a bit bigger than the average tetra so can take a bit of punishment should the kribs start getting territorial and IMO are one of the best looking tetras.

Another fish you could also think of adding would be some Dwarf ctenopoma species like C.oxyrhynchum or C.ansorgii, adding a m/f pair of these plus the other fish you listed (but with 6 congos instead of the other tetras) will not over stock the tank IMO.

 

[Snuff]

Thanks for the help CFC. I will look into the congos, but I'm not sure that the lfs has them here. If they do, I will probably get them, they look like they will be a nice contrast to the kribs. If they don't have them, would rasboras or serpaes work? If not, could you suggest something else? There is only one real lfs in my area so I don't always have a lot of selection.

As far as the Dwarf ctenopoma species I can tell you for sure that there is nothing like that in this area, but those would look really nice if I could get them.

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.

 

[CFC]

Its a shame you dont have a better selection of fish available, i could go out and pick up all the fish on that list within a couple of hours of searching around the local shops (actually i could just look in my african tank but that would be cheating ). Could you travel to shops further afield after ringing around to see if they stock any of the fish you want or order fish via mail order?

The serpaes or rasboros would work but neither are african so you would lose the theme.

 

[Snuff]

I took a trip to the lfs that I normally go to, and I found Congos! Man, pictures on the internet don't really do them justice. They are a little more spendy than I thought tho, and I will have to wait until I can get them. I think I will get the kribs this coming week (They were sold out when I was there), and add the other fish when my budget allows.

 

[bettasplendenlover]

about there think would going thats really aloneim right water

 

[modernhamlet]

Congos are the only readily available african tetra in my area too and they're $11 each, so I understand your pain.

They are, however, stunningly beautiful fish. My LFS has a west african tank with breeding kribs, upsidedown cats, and a large school of congos. Lots of plants and stacked rocks. It's an incredible tank.