The Gang

[Cian McLiam]

Here are a few pics of the fish living in my two tanks. First the 50g bow front South American tank:

 

[Cian McLiam]

Male Apistogramma Hongsloi

 

[Cian McLiam]

The Angels and neons, this was taken after I had moved house a few weeks ago, some of the plants died and replacements are starting to grow...

 

[Cian McLiam]

Gibbiceps Plec AKA 'TheGob'

 

[Cian McLiam]

The smaller tank:

 

[Cian McLiam]

Male Dwarf Gourami

 

[Cian McLiam]

Female Crab Suzi, caught making a bid for freedom!

 

[Cian McLiam]

Male crab, sadly after he lost both claws.He is probably better fed now tho, he gets hand fed twice a day most days with bloodworms and brine shrimp. here he is waiting on top of the bog wood for a bit of lunch:

 

[LimpingFish]

Very nice tank designs,
And cool crabs
I hope you know that the angels might eat your neons

 

[freshmike]

Not if the neons are smart like mine! Nobody can catch them! (cept me)

 

[Nix]

yea neons are the natural prey for angels when your angels begin to get bigger and smarter they'll catch em

 

[Cian McLiam]

Sorry but have to disagree!!

I dont think this is true in all cases, my angels have been in the tank with neons since they were a few weeks old, I believe this way they dont see them as food, for domestic coloured varieties anyway. With Altums it is probably true as they are less removed from their habitat but my angels pay no attention whatsoever to the neons but usually harass the Apisto's. I think this is probably the only way to get them to live peacefully together as any new fish that might possibly fit into their mouths is looked on as food and neons look quite small looking from directly behind as a predator might see it.

The angels are almost fully grown now and I have added smaller neons to the tank with no disasters yet, they even snatch food from under the angels nose when they get the chance and they do swim openly.

Well maybe someday I might eat my words, if you pardon the pun!
Until then I think the angels and neons have grown up together and see eye to eye...

 

[Ron]

VERY NICE TANKS!!!! TOTM for the first one!! I love your gourami, and your crabs!! Just curios, becuase mine never lost their claws...yet....but do they grow back?
Ron

 

[Feline]

Wonderful pictures of the tanks n fishies!!

How can u hand feed the crab? Does it not scared of u? Whenever I come close to mine, it'll hide, so there's no way it'll take my food not to mention me handing feeding it (it lost both claws too ) Any tips on how to hand feed it? Cheers!

 

[Cian McLiam]

@ Ron & Feline,
Well, that crab sly has been through more disaters than I can count!!
I got him when he was very small, unfortunately he lost almost all of his legs except 2 on one side and one on the other when I had him for two months. I didnt know very much about crabs at that time and thought he was dying but I felt so sorry for him, hobbling around the tank like an old man! Unfortunately he couldnt keep his balance on the gravel and kept falling over with his legs wriggling in the air. Everone in the house knew to check him and turn him over when they were passing by!
I had to move him to a 5 Gallon Betta bowl for his own safety as the other crab was harasing him. Of course I did a very stupid thing and put algae destroyer liquid into the small tank which killed the other crab (the one in the avatar)... Luckily after his first moult Sly grew back all the missing legs and was running around again!
They should moult every 6 weeks when they are young and every 2-3 months when older.
He will grow back one claw I think at next moult as he has a large bulge protruding where his claw used to be. This bulge turns brown when the leg/claw is forming inside.

As for hand feeding, I feed him bloodworms and Brine shrimp on a kebab stick, he usually waits at the front of the glass or on top of the wood whn he is hungry. I scoop him out with a little soft net and hold the food in front of his little mouth tools.
Its important not to turn him upside down tho out of water as they release water to keep their gills wet from around the head region.
Hikari tablets for Cory's are a good food for crabs as are bloodworms and some veggies.

Any help I can give, just mail me!

Ken
When he was young ( the day I bought him):