Your plan sounds good. I would also start with 6-8 and wait till they form pairs and give the leftover fish away. If you are lucky and the tank is decorated the right way two pairs might work for a while.
Overstocking does not work well with them if you want to breed them and see their wide spectrum of behaviours. They always form pairs or in rare cases trios (aquarium behaviour) to breed. While being territorial they are very aggressive towards same species no matter what gender. So the idea of one male and many females also doesn't work that well.
Altolamprologus can be the right tank mates under the right conditions.
Tretocephalus are slow growers but grow a lot faster than Altolamprologus.
I would get bigger Altos and also place the Altos a few weeks earlier in the tank to give them the chance to settle well before they have to deal with the tretocephalus. Without a territory and a proper cave to retreat Altos are not as tough as they can be.
Cyprichromis will help to divert the aggression but don't expect miracles from it. The tretocephalus can still be damn aggressive towards their own species.
Overstocking does not work well with them if you want to breed them and see their wide spectrum of behaviours. They always form pairs or in rare cases trios (aquarium behaviour) to breed. While being territorial they are very aggressive towards same species no matter what gender. So the idea of one male and many females also doesn't work that well.
Altolamprologus can be the right tank mates under the right conditions.
Tretocephalus are slow growers but grow a lot faster than Altolamprologus.
I would get bigger Altos and also place the Altos a few weeks earlier in the tank to give them the chance to settle well before they have to deal with the tretocephalus. Without a territory and a proper cave to retreat Altos are not as tough as they can be.
Cyprichromis will help to divert the aggression but don't expect miracles from it. The tretocephalus can still be damn aggressive towards their own species.
