Tanganyikan Project

[kiriyama]

Been a bit busy today,
picked up this, Tetratec EX1200 , all media is there, £30.00, will try set it up tomorrow Fingers crossed

The 2 Sumbu were mainly hiding in the burrowed out sand under the rock, not using the shells
Put some Escargot here and added 2 Multifasciatus from the other tank, I might add more shells.

Found this chipped algae covered Tonna

The Multies used the escargot for about 5 minutes then decided the Turbo shells were better

Basic/simple rescape of the other tank, the fry seem happy enough using the open space, they should be moved on by end of the month, will keep a few to sell on here and there is a wee tiny one I will keep for myself

Well that's the update so far, should have it all finished by the end of the month

 

[kiriyama]

I had to return the filter, it was noisy, it started leaking and water was coming out of the opening for the primer button
Replaced the filter with a RenaXP3, nice set up , when I switched it on one of the corner braces snapped off and water pi**ing everywhere.. Not going so good so far

The Multies picked one particular shell so I moved things about a little, the Sumbu still spend a lot of time under the rock

I was going to get a group of baby Tropheus for the 4' then move them to a 5' later. Getting the 5' on my budget (and locally) is proving harder than I thought. SO , , , stocking plan at present (once fry rehomed) is....
4 Altolamprologus Compressiceps "Dwarf Sumbu"
3 Neolamprologus Multifasciatus
10 Cyprichromis Leptosoma (mpulungu)
6 Paracyprichromis Nigripinnis
3 Xenotilapia Bathyphilus

Added some lava rocks to the fry tank and they went nuts for it...

We Love Lava Rock

Artemia Time Again MMMM

 

[bullit]

Shame about the filters. My tetratec is pretty quiet aswell. You decided your stocking then, i saw your thread on cichlid forum. I dont know what im doing atm. Im really bust with work and ive got fry to raise now

 

[kiriyama]

Shame about the filters. My tetratec is pretty quiet aswell. You decided your stocking then, i saw your thread on cichlid forum. I dont know what im doing atm. Im really bust with work and ive got fry to raise now

Had originally intended getting a MASSIVE external filter and a group of baby Tropheus for this tank. The problem is I can't get to big a tank for the Tropheus as it's going upstairs, the Mrs will go nuts if I bring another tank home. I plan to have only the 4' and then a 5' and move on the 10 and 20 I sourced 2 really nice tanks, 1 was exactly the domensions I was looking for with all the hardware with it, both down in England, I'm so serious I was even sourcing couriers for quotes, still am.
I had toyed with the idea of some punks in the 20 but TBH it be best just having a community tank, I think this is why I havn't ordered the Tropheus, I was scared that I would never get the bigger tank and 4' isn't ideal for them then all the extra tangs would be crammed in the 20, not a happy set up.
On the up side...
1- I ordered some stock locally today at a good price so I'm really looking forward to the end of the month,
2- The Mrs said she will buy me a Tetratec EX2400 for birthday (march),
3- Have started receiving quite a bit of interest in the fry, the LFS that are bringing the Tangs in for me are quite keen...
Have never bartered with an LFS selling them fry, was wanting to trade them against the new stuff... any experience with this ?

 

[bullit]

i think you could get away with trophs in a 4footer. I have 2 bembas with my americans atm.

I havent any experiance with selling to shops no. Just see what they offer. It prob wont be much but they would prob have them all. I reckon you could sell them on all on aquarist classified anyway. I can see you shifting them myself. IM tempted ha. How big do they get? I just need to free my 4 footer up first and decide then. There no point getting stuff when im not ready.

 

[kiriyama]

i think you could get away with trophs in a 4footer. I have 2 bembas with my americans atm.

I havent any experiance with selling to shops no. Just see what they offer. It prob wont be much but they would prob have them all. I reckon you could sell them on all on aquarist classified anyway. I can see you shifting them myself. IM tempted ha. How big do they get? I just need to free my 4 footer up first and decide then. There no point getting stuff when im not ready.

15 baby Duboisi, would need moved to bigger tank...
Today ordered paracyps and cyps, going to order some sand sifters to go with them.
The dwarf sumbu max at 3"M and 2-2.5"F though my male and female are much smaller.....
The're all going nuts for them over on SD but the're all in the states

 

[kiriyama]

Not really any progress as such but I am almost there

I seem to have lost a Multifasciatus quite literally dissapeared

So I moved the 1 multi and the 1 female sumbu back to the main tank, it was funny seeing mum in with her fry, they are getting big now (almost as big as her)
No sumbu or multi fry to be found, ah well I guess they were never there, I had thought of putting some Caudopunctatus in the 20 , I have been wanting them again ever since seeing the ones on Elisew's thread, and have had a liking for a couple of unusual shell dwellers I found a while back
At the moment in the corner I have this

I was thinking I could replace with this

It's a Rena 450ltr, it's HUUUUGE!!! , not sure if it's to big to sit in the corner, it's upstairs , 100gallon tank There's no lighting with it but I'm sure I could figure out a way to rest 2xT8 tubes on the brace bars, theres glass sliders, was thinking a piece of black perspex on top would finish it off
I have ordered my stock
Paracyprichromis Nigripinnis and Cyprichromis Leptosoma so fingers crossed this time next week I'll be able to post some pics. Only downside is I can't put an offer in on the Rena yet as it won't leave me enough for the fish

I had added some lava rocks to the main tank a while back, I have a week to put the fry in the 20gall and then strip and add sand then rescape the main tank for the new arrivals

I have been using the fishbox (above) for dechlorinating water prior to changes, I have found a place for it, not sure if I should use the textured background
this time round as it wont have the luxury of an external heater and filter, will be a simple air driven sponge this time round, was thinking some gold or blue Occies

Main tank as it stands

Hope to do an update next week , fingers crossed will have a rescape and a community in the 4' "shop counter" tank
Then I should have time to set up the 46ltr "fishbox" and decide about the big tank or get some punks and shellies for the 20gall
Cheers for looking

 

[elisew]

Wow, I love this tank!! You could easily get a nice mix in there

Sorry about the multi and the possibly fry, it`s frustrating but I`m sure you`ll get there with them.

The kungweensis? They look really pretty and I bet they`d go great with punks too. I`m sorry if pics of my punks have given you a headache but I reckon they`d be great for you to have.
I`ll be dead envious of you having the Nigripinnis, I think they`re gorgeous and may have chosen them over the cyps had I seen them before. I`m hoping that the cyps I have now will be ok but if not then I won`t be replacing them with another lot. I could end up going for the Nigripinnis yet

I posted some recent pics on my thread, wondered if you might be able to tell if I have a second calvus or whether I`ve ended up with a comp?

I`m really looking forward to seeing your pics when you get your new fish

 

[kiriyama]

Wow, I love this tank!! You could easily get a nice mix in there

Sorry about the multi and the possibly fry, it`s frustrating but I`m sure you`ll get there with them.

The kungweensis? They look really pretty and I bet they`d go great with punks too. I`m sorry if pics of my punks have given you a headache but I reckon they`d be great for you to have.
I`ll be dead envious of you having the Nigripinnis, I think they`re gorgeous and may have chosen them over the cyps had I seen them before. I`m hoping that the cyps I have now will be ok but if not then I won`t be replacing them with another lot. I could end up going for the Nigripinnis yet

I posted some recent pics on my thread, wondered if you might be able to tell if I have a second calvus or whether I`ve ended up with a comp?

I`m really looking forward to seeing your pics when you get your new fish

I think they both look the same , but that's only my 2 cents, they both look lovely, I liked the pic. of both of them together, do they swim with each other ? so to speak
I was reading through your cyp thread on mikes, when I went to view the tank they had a corner tank with Mbuna and in the same room as the rena they had a beautiful marine tank, first thing the guy asks is if I had heard of mike, thats where he hadgot all his Mbuna from...
The plan for the rena was for Tropheus , Duboisi in particular, I really fancy the challenge and have spent lots of time on homework I was originally going to put the baby Duboisi in the 4' but would have to move them to pastures bigger eventually anyway
I am at the point now where I could stock the fishbox , the 20 and the 4' and be very very happy but after seeing the rean I'm really not sure, it would take up a lot of space and it would be upstairs and I seriously can't lose any more hair worrying about it crashing through the floor Has abyone seen or heard of this happening ?
So the jury is out at them moment, as for the cyps I'm really unsure of getting them now
Any new pics. of your newly succesfull Tnganyikan community ?

 

[elisew]

I think they both look the same , but that's only my 2 cents, they both look lovely, I liked the pic. of both of them together, do they swim with each other ? so to speak
I was reading through your cyp thread on mikes, when I went to view the tank they had a corner tank with Mbuna and in the same room as the rena they had a beautiful marine tank, first thing the guy asks is if I had heard of mike, thats where he hadgot all his Mbuna from...
The plan for the rena was for Tropheus , Duboisi in particular, I really fancy the challenge and have spent lots of time on homework I was originally going to put the baby Duboisi in the 4' but would have to move them to pastures bigger eventually anyway
I am at the point now where I could stock the fishbox , the 20 and the 4' and be very very happy but after seeing the rean I'm really not sure, it would take up a lot of space and it would be upstairs and I seriously can't lose any more hair worrying about it crashing through the floor Has abyone seen or heard of this happening ?
So the jury is out at them moment, as for the cyps I'm really unsure of getting them now
Any new pics. of your newly succesfull Tnganyikan community ?

The calvus seem to be ok together, they don't stick together but the bigger, lighter coloured one seems more interested in the other one and does try to swim with it at times, the darker one is quite disinterested though

The most recent pics that I've saved are on my photobucket account: http/s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss140/Elisew/Tanganyika%20Setup/
I've got loads and loads of pics, I can't stop taking them

Mike has a great reputation which is why I thought it best to ask on there about the cyps and I told the lads at MA I'd got advice from there which I think helped when it came to the price for replacing the cyps. I'm hoping it was just bad stock, one of the lads at MA had the 2 cyps that were left after I got the first lot and 1 of his has died, he said it was something to do with his filter though so I don't know for sure what was going on with them. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed with this lot, it was awful watching the others waste away and get so ill
I can't say it's something that happens a lot with the cyps, there wasn't a lot of info from other people so maybe it was just bad luck for me. Just enjoy yours when you get them and donut worry unnecessarily

So you haven't managed to sort out having the big tank in the living room then? Shame to tuck such a lovely tank away upstairs. I have no experience of that kind of weight upstairs, maybe someone else can help you with that though

 

[kiriyama]

I had planned bringing it home when "she who must be obeyed" was at work and I had a day off, theory, put it in the lounge and explain it's only temp till "I get organised", hoping that she might eventually "get used to it" . ?
TBH if I got it I would just pine away wanting to set it up, after this money is spent there will be no more for a while
I had a splurge recently, cichlid sand, big double air pump, odds and sods, etc etc etc ,ran away with a small chunk of the money
Main priority now would be just get the fry rehomed and concentrate on the 4' tank
Oh yeah anyone reading this, I bought a replacement bulb for the Interpet fishbox, P@H £10.00 or £9.99 for a 15w bulb, I am in TESCO the next day and see identical energy saving bulbs for 10p What a rip off,

 

[elisew]

Rip off isn`t the word but I`d get a warning or be banned if I put my thoughts on that!!

So you had a 'splurge'? I think most of us do that at some time or another

Unfortunately another 1 of my cyps died last night......one minute it`s swimming around doing fine, I do a small water change and within half an hour I find it lying on the sand dead
I`m stumped as to why, I`m very gentle with the wc`s as the cyps are apparently easily stressed, they`ve all been eating well, my water tests as absolutely spot on so I have no idea why this keeps happening, especially as this one looked healthy and not skinny as before

I took the dead fish over to MA this morning with a sample of the water, all tested ok as I knew it would so they gave me a credit note for £15.....I`ll use that towards the petricola when they eventually turn up. I`m not going to replace any more of the cyps now, I think enough is enough. IF they all pop off I`m going to change tact and look at getting the Nigrippinis instead

 

[kiriyama]

Rip off isn`t the word but I`d get a warning or be banned if I put my thoughts on that!!

So you had a 'splurge'? I think most of us do that at some time or another

Unfortunately another 1 of my cyps died last night......one minute it`s swimming around doing fine, I do a small water change and within half an hour I find it lying on the sand dead
I`m stumped as to why, I`m very gentle with the wc`s as the cyps are apparently easily stressed, they`ve all been eating well, my water tests as absolutely spot on so I have no idea why this keeps happening, especially as this one looked healthy and not skinny as before

I took the dead fish over to MA this morning with a sample of the water, all tested ok as I knew it would so they gave me a credit note for £15.....I`ll use that towards the petricola when they eventually turn up. I`m not going to replace any more of the cyps now, I think enough is enough. IF they all pop off I`m going to change tact and look at getting the Nigrippinis instead

Sorry to hear about the other cyp
What I try to do is fill a couple of basins with water the night before, lets all the crap out, gets it up to room temp also. When the "fishbox was empty I would fill that with water and add the dechlor. I have startesd using "Seachem Prime", a load of the serious guys use it so thought I would give it a go, it's only a 500ml bottle but it should last a very long time
I ordered ordered more fish today and have been very busy with large water changes and set up 3 tanks but more on that later I didn't get finsihed properly but when I finish typing then I'm going to figure out how that boily water thing in the kitchen works and also remember to eat something, like I said busy day

 

[elisew]

Sorry to hear about the other cyp
What I try to do is fill a couple of basins with water the night before, lets all the crap out, gets it up to room temp also. When the "fishbox was empty I would fill that with water and add the dechlor. I have startesd using "Seachem Prime", a load of the serious guys use it so thought I would give it a go, it's only a 500ml bottle but it should last a very long time
I ordered ordered more fish today and have been very busy with large water changes and set up 3 tanks but more on that later I didn't get finsihed properly but when I finish typing then I'm going to figure out how that boily water thing in the kitchen works and also remember to eat something, like I said busy day

I`ve been using Prime for a long time I don`t have the room to let the water stand to be honest, maybe at a push I could leave some buckets to stand overnight in the living room (I have 6 of them), I usually take 4 buckets worth and refill with temp matched water.

I think I`m going to have to chill, I`m getting bloody paranoid about them dying and have lost count of how many times I`ve walked past the tank and counted the fish

Anyway, sounds like things are moving with your tanks today?? Look forward to some more pics

Oh and a cup of tea gets made but always ends up going cold when I`m busy with the fish here, so don`t forget to actually drink yours while it`s still warm

 

[kiriyama]

Very busy day today

Quick visit to LFS this morning.

Could have got the heater cheaper on internet but just wanted to do this today as I had a day off work. Only had a 50W but I picked it anyway.
On returing I ordered some Xenos and Kungweensis from a very nice man Found it hard to do but I manged to resist ordering some Cyprichromis Mpulungu from same nice man

I had water and dechlor in the "fishbox", emptied it ALL into basins, and moved the tank, added background, and a couple of bits of slate.

Was saving this stuff for the Tropheus tank ,but not been able to get the black stuff ordered, everytime I check they have just sold another "last bag"

I put quite a bit in, (probably way to much), I heard the new tenants are avid diggers

Robbed the external filter from the 95ltr and added to 190ltr (2xTetratecEX700), ran out of time so I will strip them both on Saturday
Completley drained the 95ltr 100%
Took all shells from the tank and gave them a good wash, found a few Assassin Snails hiding in them so back in the tank they went, I removed one shell in particular and it stank to high heaven, guess I found the missing Multi then
Drained 20gall from main tank and put into the 95ltr, added the two sponges and the uber Rena airpump
Drained almost all of the main tank, saving some in as many basins as I could find , steal, borrow...
All rockwork removed, shifted as much coral gravel and black sand to the right hand side of the tank, poured what I had left of the cichlid sand in the left of the tank (area for other new tenants). Added all the basins back in main tank and robbed about 30% from the 95ltr then all the rest from the tap with some prime.
Knackered....
Previous to this I took the basic tropical lamp and put it on the 95ltr, looks nice, took the 24" Aqua-Glo from the 95 and put it on the main tank, just on it's own, very dim but I think this will look good when the Paracyps arrive.
Planning adding an actinic 24" 18-20W marine blue in here also
As I was running out of time, heading out to work in a few hours, I moved the Multi and a couple of Plecs into the 95ltr, just for a day or two, the Multi should go in the "fishbox" tomorrow, just for a little while, had been running that filter in the main tank for a bit so should be ok
Next week all the fry will go in the 95ltr, I will then sort out all the substrate and have to add the rockwork to have it ready for setting up
So basically set up the "fishbox" (almost) and done 2 massive water changes plus all the wee bits in between. Can't wait till the water clears and get them done properly, not long now