What should Darbex Do?

[mnemenoi]

We have some multi's fry that should likely be ready eventually... not super ballin, but fun...

[Complexity]

Thinking about African, but what? My wife has no idea this is my little surprise to her.

I know you have decided on an tang community tank, but just wanted to offer one thought here. If this tank is for your wife, do you know which fish/tanks she likes? Everyone's preferences are different, and it would be a shame if it turned out to be a beautiful tank, but not one that matches her personal preferences.

Is your wife into tanks? Which fish or tanks does she comment about the most? What aspects of aquariums does she like the most (decor, breeding, fish colors, fish behaviors, etc)? For example, I'm into decor, colors, and breeding behaviors (hence, planted tanks with dwarf cichlids).

I'm sure whatever tank you do will be excellent, and you've probably already thought this all out. I just wanted to be sure to mention it. Sometimes well meaning husbands make the mistake of giving wives the most wonderful gifts, but just not what the wife wanted. Kind of like the man who buys his non golfing wife a set of golf clubs. He thinks it'll get the wife interested in his sport, but the end result is he bought himself a new set of gold clubs and his wife is hopping mad and hurt.

[Darbex]

Yeah this isn't for my wife. I meant she doesn't know because I haven't told her I am doing this.

[cichlid1409]

optimally I would go with my original suggestion

bottom
Xenotilapia melanogenys 4-8
Lamprologus ocellatus 'gold' 6-10
albino bristlenose / gold nugget or green phantom plecos 2-5

middle
tropheus sp. 'kasakalawe' 15-20

top
cyprichromis leptosoma 15-25

I say 'optimally' because if you go with faoi or furcifers there probably not get along with the xenos as their breeding behaviors are similar so if you get them it thows off the whole balance imo. obviously there is a blue/yellow color scheme going on here that I think will look great especially if you throw in some tall bright green plants like jungle Val. Also, I've loved the idea of live rock in a FW tank since I saw it years ago and it should help with bio load as well.

[aquabee]

Yeah this isn't for my wife. I meant she doesn't know because I haven't told her I am doing this.

poor sonja

[Complexity]

Yeah this isn't for my wife. I meant she doesn't know because I haven't told her I am doing this.

Oh! How did I know!

I thought it was you that was having an anniversary coming up so I thought this might have been a present for her which is why I commented. But now that you've clarified... go on with your regularly scheduled fish picking.

When I first set up my 90g, I wanted to do a tang community tank, but I had the hardest time finding the fish I wanted. I'm going to enjoy watching your tank get set up! I think tang fish are very pretty and interesting.

[eklikewhoa]

There are many LFS now carrying a variety of Tanganyikans

C and R was able to supply just about everything for my cousin, ibitegirls for his tang community. From rockdwellers, bottom dwellers, shell dwellers, top dwellers, lurkers, hunters, errrthing.

[Darbex]

Probably go with Troph. I like your list anyone have a comprehensive list like his? I am letting you all decide on my tank to a certain extent obviously I have the final say. (Nick)

[cu0ngsayz]

Or sell merge tank for cheap!!!! :)

[Complexity]

There are many LFS now carrying a variety of Tanganyikans

C and R was able to supply just about everything for my cousin, ibitegirls for his tang community. From rockdwellers, bottom dwellers, shell dwellers, top dwellers, lurkers, hunters, errrthing.

So where were you when I was looking for my tangs, eh?

I think my problem was that I was being ultra picky. It's not that I couldn't find any tangs, but that I couldn't find the exact specific ones I had chosen to get. That and the fact I was a cichlid noob and didn't have a clue where to get tang cichlids.

[eklikewhoa]

They have a pretty decent variety on the ones they do have.

I'm pretty picky too since I like to keep more of the not so popular sp. I found my telmatochromis shelldwellers there and they also have some really cool rockdwellers that aren't very common but with anything not common money is involved.

A bit of searching and you can find almost anything you want and from there how fat your pockets are will decide the rest.

[Complexity]

I can't remember exactly what I was looking for, but it was one of the smaller cyps. I could find just a few here and there, but not a whole bunch like I was trying to find. Then there was some kind of xeno (?) that I wanted, but I couldn't find it either. Then I went to Xtreme, and they sold me a bunch of mbunas that wiped out the few tangs I did have (and in my ignorance, I didn't know the difference until I saw the massacre the next morning). Like I said, it was probably because I didn't know where to look.

[eklikewhoa]

LoL, everyone has their noob moments.

I've had a few instances where I would "think" something would work and "hope" it would to wake up to the same outcome.

I just recently lost some amazing tetras that are not often seen in the hobby from charles and didn't think my trophs would notice them since they've Completely ignored other fish I've thrown in there but that was quickly proven to be a mistake.

[cichlid1409]

Probably go with Troph. I like your list anyone have a comprehensive list like his? I am letting you all decide on my tank to a certain extent obviously I have the final say. (Nick)

check out cichlid and herps they seem to have everything but might have to call to confirm

[Complexity]

LoL, everyone has their noob moments.

I've had a few instances where I would "think" something would work and "hope" it would to wake up to the same outcome.

I just recently lost some amazing tetras that are not often seen in the hobby from charles and didn't think my trophs would notice them since they've Completely ignored other fish I've thrown in there but that was quickly proven to be a mistake.

Yup! But the cool thing is when you bend the rules, trying something you've been told won't work, and it works! That's something I know you can appreciate!