Lestradea perspicax - compatible Xenos?

[Myrtle]

Hi, this is my first post here so please be gentle! At the moment I have a 240l (4 feet by 1.5 feet) tank with a colony of multies, Lake Tebera Rainbowfish, 1 J. transcriptus and 2 Lestradea perspicax. I am desperately seeking some more Lestradea (I am also upgrading my tank to a 5 x 2) but they are impossible to find in the UK. Which Xenos would be the most compatible with the Lestradea and be good in a 5 foot tank?
Ideally I'd like to get some more Lestradea but as previously stated they are not easy to come by! They are just beginning to colour up and it looks like I have 1m 1f but I don't want the female to become too harassed by the male attention. I have struggled to find info on these so if anyone has experience keeping these I'd appreciate any hints of info on their behaviour, mating habits etc!
Thanks,
Jo

[Myrtle]

I have read that the bi-parental Xenos would be better suited to the Lestradea, is that correct? From what I can gather that leaves a choice between X. papilio, X. flavipinnis, X. sima, and X. spilopterus. I want to avoid the wild caught at the moment as I haven't got the experience behind me yet with tangs that I'd want before paying the WC prices! That leaves me with a choice (at present) between X. sima Isanga and X. papilio 'Sunflower'. There is also X. bathyphilus Mtoto but that's not on the bi-parental list.
IF however, I did go for WC there are also X. spilopterus Kipili 'Yellow Top' and X. flavipinnis Funda 'Golden Top'.
Can anyone offer any advice as to which of these would be the best option? I really do not want to make any mistakes with stocking and this is the only place I have found where anyone has any experience (that they have talked of) with Lestradea perspicax! Everyone else I've asked only has written info to go on as opposed to experience keeping them
Thanks in advance,
Jo

[Benoit]

Hi, the 240 l. is much too small for the Lestradea, they need a good space to swim in open water, a frontage of 2.00 m is a minimum to offer.
It also requires large caves for females incubate, can hide.

Translating article of Lestradea perspicax.

[Myrtle]

Thanks for the reply, I am upgrading the tank in a month or so to probably a 6 footer (don't know what that is in metric, sorry). I'll have a read of the article, thanks.

[Myrtle]

Well, I've just ordered the new tank and have gone for the 6x2x2 (2mx60cmx60cm) so they'll be in there in 6 - 8 weeks hopefully! When I got the Lestradea it was from someone who was giving up fish keeping and he said they'd be fine in a 4 foot tank. I know better now.
I see in the article that it suggests not to keep them with other Ectodini. I guess that means I'll have to rethink my plan of adding some Xenos which is a shame as I'd love some . Thanks for linkig to the article as there was more information there on the Lestradea than I'd found on the entire internet so far!

[Benoit]

Hi, you can put Xenotilapia who love rocks, papilio, "sun flower" example.

[Myrtle]

Thankyou, I'm glad I can still keep Xenos with them! Hopefully once they are in the 6 foot tank, they will think about spawning as there will be more room for the craters!

[Myrtle]

I now have the fish in a 6x2x2 680l tank and am looking at companions again. Would X. sima work and if so, how many could/should I get? I'm not too keen on the X papilo...
Thanks, Jo

[Myrtle]

No thoughts on the X sima?