I think I'm hooked on Vic's now

[Steve C]

I have a "spare" 55 gallon tank I'm thinking of doing something with.

My idea is a lightly planted Victorian tank with a few small pieces of texas holey rock and pool filter sand....yes I said sand....

Are the Asta's and Hap's compatible?

If I can convince the wife this may be done in our empty 75.

[StructureGuy]

Steve,

There are a whole lot of Astatotilapias and Haps is a pretty generic term. Tell us what you have in mind.

Kevin

[Steve C]

Astatotilapia sp. Red Tail, Haplochromis (Ptyochromis) sp "Salmon Hippo Point", Haplochromis sp. "Ruby Green", Haplochromis sp. "Flameback", Astatotilapia latifasciata, are the ones I'm most interested in. I thought there was a Rusty as well but can't find it now.

Oh yeah, this guy too Haplochromis sp. "Uganda Fire Red" .

[StructureGuy]

Astatotilapia sp. "Red Tail" is a beautiful victorian but it has several negative attributes in my experience. It is a very aggressive vic and also one that seems to want to hybridize with just about every species. It has been in the hobby so long that I have to wonder out loud just how pure many of them in the hobby really are. But they are available and usually reasonably priced.

Astatotilapia latifasciata is a great cichlid. Not really all that aggressive and easy to find and reasonably priced. This species and Paralabidochromis sp "rock kribensis" are unusual in that the females have good color as well.

Haplochromis sp. "Ruby Green" and Haplochromis sp. "Flameback" are somewhat similar. They are not that aggressive and they don't grow very large. But you had better keep them happy or even the males will be pretty dull colored. In the stressed state the flameback male and the ruby green male are hard to tell apart unless you've kept them before (then it is fairly easy). So they need females and they can't be too far down the pecking order. Do not put these two together because they are too similar that I would think the hybrid risk is rather high.

The Ptyochromis sp "Hippo Point Salmon " that I've kept have always been the wimps of the victorian selection. They are small, timid and hide a lot. But you can keep a small colony in a smaller tank as a single species tank. I've kept them twice but the males never showed me much color at all.


Kevin

[Steve C]

Thanks very much for the input. My favorites are the Latifasciata, the Ruby Green's and Flamebacks. I think I will pick either the Ruby Greens or the Flamebacks to go in a tank with that Latifasciata's.

[SGypsyMermaid]

a bonus is the latifasciata females are pretty good-looking, and the males are just gorgeous.

[RustyNut]

I never used to like Vic's very much much but after keeping a couple species they grow on you easily enough :)

[6stang9]

I cant get enough of them. I have 1 large male of each: rock crib, parvadense red(spelling?), burtoni,uganda fire,obliq, w/5 female rock cribs,in a mixed 120g community tank. Also a large pair of A.caliptera a large male Ahli, Fire scale peacock, Sunshine peacock, 2 4" dandeni's(tangs) and a large black and a medium white calvus(no worries about fry surviving) Large female protamelas,red empress,parvadense(huge 7"). Some loaches and bnp's. Most of these fish grew up together in a 75. Seems to be working so far. Soon to be adding A. latifasciata albinos and Prognathochromis perrieri that I just picked up at an auction. I think once you get some vics you'll be hooked. Go with the 75 and more rock. Good luck.

[Steve C]

They are pretty cool. I've got one lfs that has a limited selection. When the weather warms up and if I can squeeze this tank into my plans I'll do a Vic tank. Wish I hadn't let go of that 46 gallon bow front now.

[RustyNut]

No instead work a 240g 4'x4'x2' square tank in!!!! You are a short hop away from GC and that is an awesome centerpiece! I am saving up for one with all the extras including a custom stand.... :D

[Steve C]

No instead work a 240g 4'x4'x2' square tank in!!!! You are a short hop away from GC and that is an awesome centerpiece! I am saving up for one with all the extras including a custom stand.... :D

That would be sweet. To have a tank viewable on all 4 sides. Not sure how I'd like that tank size for the fronts though. 4'w x 4'l x 2'h?

[RustyNut]

Same swimming area as in a 8x2x2 tank.......

And the tank would be viewable on 3 sides since one side I think would be against a wall..... but talk about a bio-cube!

CG also has another oddball design I like which is their 6'x3'x30" which is 18 square feet of bottom space! ( the 4'x4' square tank "only" has 16sq ft.)

The square tanks I was thinking for a really kool tropheus colony.......

[Steve C]

I would thinnk that, as long as you are special ordering a custom stand, why not go the whole nine and have the tank drilled for a sump and enclose the plumbing in the stand. That would give you a true center piece.

I like the idea of a huge tropheus colony, I'm sure the wife would dig it as well.

[mbrand6]

Hi I'm from denver and I have wild sp. fire red ugandas that breed quite frequently. If you're intrested in the babies let me know.