Predator Haps- Stocking Questions

[Snake42490]

So last night when we were talking on chat.. well i finally came to a conclusion that the fish that I am very interested in and like are indeed the... Predators Haps!! So my current set up is.

225 Gallon: 3 Red Empress- 1 Male 2 Females
2 Nimbochromis Venusteus- 2 M
3 Champsochromis Caereleus- 3 Females
13 Blue Dolphin Moorii
6 S. Multipunctus (Sorry for all the mispelling )


Some of my questions:

How many more fish do you think that my tank would be able to hold?
I know that Haps are the larger species and require a lot of room

Would I be able to add predator haps to this set up? And if yes could they just be male or could I add females to the mix also. I know by adding females that it would increase aggression issues, but would it be to the point where we would be losing fish or just the typical I chase you and you chase me? And if no, what would i have to do to be able to keep some predator haps? The only issue is possibly the blue dolphins, but in my current tank they dominate with my male nimbo.

I was thinking that if you thought that it would be best to take my female Champs out I have another tank that they could rule and I could just keep Male P. Haps. That would be up to you.

And finally, do you have any personal experience with any of these species below. I have been reading up and not that much is said about them. All of the reading says they are just like every other Predator Hap. Which I agree to with some extent, but I believe each fish has it's own unique personality to add to the mix. Just let me know if some are possible to add and would do well while others may just as well be a bad idea in the making.

Fossorochromis Rostratus
Lichnochromis acuticeps
Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania
Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus
Aristochromis christyi
Tyrannochromis nigriventer
Tyrannochromis macrostoma
Dimidiochromis Compressicep
Buccochromis rhoadesii
Dimidiochromis strigatus
Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania"

I do not by any means want to add all of those to my tank either lol, I would like to add maybe two more species of fish to the tank and call it good. Hopefully ill talk to you later on chat. Thanks so much for your help.

[Pam Chin]

Hi Snake,

Here is a little more info about these fish, I think I have kept all these at one time or another. They are very nice in their own ways!


Fossorochromis Rostratus - Mellow - Sand sifter
Lichnochromis acuticeps - Mellow - sand sifter
Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania - Mellow- Open water - *
Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus - Predator - Open water - Fry eater
Aristochromis christyi - Predator - Open water - anything that will fit in mouth *
Tyrannochromis nigriventer - Predator - Open Water - His favorite food is Mbuna
Tyrannochromis macrostoma - Predator - Open Water - He likes anything that will fit in mouth
Dimidiochromis Compressicep - Predator - Like to hang out in Val along the shores and eats fry - Top Water
Buccochromis rhoadesii - Predator - likes to hunt on the sand *
Dimidiochromis strigatus - Predator - Open water - likes to hunt everywhere
Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania" - Mellow - Sand sifter *

I always like to look at my tank and see fish in all the areas of it, but try not to have too many fish competing for the same area. You have a very big tank, so you need sand sifters, you need fish that hang next to the rocks and you need open water fish. You have already made some great choices and so you just need to finish this tank off with some fun stuff. The Champs are really up in the air, you could always get some more and have a group, they stay towards the top of the water and they look great in school. However, you could also move them out and put something else on the top water like Compressiceps.

You have to decide if you are going to go all male or you need to do groups, they don't do well in pairs. And you have a high possibility of crossing. If you decide you do want groups and maybe you do want to try your hand at breeding, then you already have a group,and you move them out to a species only tank for breeding purposes, when you have some fry you throw them back in the main tank and you move out another group. That is the safest way to breed them. Hopefully if they do breed in the tank, the fry aren't going to last, unless you are overfeeding your fish!

I put a star by the ones I like the best. You will have to eyeball your tank but I am thinking you have room for 12 fish, so two groups of 6 or 12 all males.

Hope this gives you some food for thought!
Cichlid Power!
Pam