All Male Peacock Tank

[rifty]

get a profile nice tanks!if you have room get the 1200. if i was you google aulonocara till you find a list you like then start from there you probably wont get all the ones you want first hit due to import list etc.

 

[njstockley]

get a profile nice tanks!if you have room get the 1200. if i was you google aulonocara till you find a list you like then start from there you probably wont get all the ones you want first hit due to import list etc.

Well Rifty, seems this became a conversation between the two of us...

Anyway, rather than the Rio 240, I got a Vision 260, and very happy with the deal I got on it - practically new! Spent the early hours of this morning getting the unsightly filter box out, and mixing some coral gravel with the black stuff that I already had. This is the result:

The larger viewing area is great, and the fish seem to enjoy the height as you said they would!

Both EX1200's are well working very well, and the external heater was a great purchase as means no tank clutter. Am not going to put up a pic of the tank filled though until I've got a background on it. Will try and do that tomorrow, as hate just seeing the white wall behind the back glass.

Stocking sounds heavy at the moment, but most of the peacocks I have are still fairly young, and waiting for them to colour up properly before I decide on keeping / moving on. And undecided whether the 6 baby labs I have will stay, but they are too young to sell still. No signs real aggression just yet apart from the odd chase. I'm looking to finish with 15-20 of the peacocks (maybe including labs), and then a group of synos (just don't know which one!).

One LFS has some really nice OB Peacocks that the Mrs has fallen in love with. Are they worth the hassle or do they live up to their reputation? And would it be a case of just one OB per tank, or can you get multiple?

Will maybe update this as a journal when it's looking more finished.

Nick

 

[rifty]

looking good pop up a potential stock list
i have kept a few obs some nice some nasty you will find this with most aulonocara tho

 

[njstockley]

looking good pop up a potential stock list
i have kept a few obs some nice some nasty you will find this with most aulonocara tho

So far stocking looks like this (apologies for two awful photos...they all thought they were getting fed so wouldn't stay still!):

3 x Protomelas Taeniolatus[font="Arial] Fire Blue (1M 2F). The male below is stunning in the flesh.[/font][/size]
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[/font][/center][font="Arial] [/font][font="Arial][size="2"]1 x A. Stuartgranti Maleri[/size][/font]
[font="Arial]1 x A. Firefish[/font][/size]
[font="Arial] [/font][font="Arial] [/font][font="Arial][size="2"]1 x A. Steveni? (he's a gentle giant - huge compared to the yellow lab!)[/font]
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[font="Arial]1 x A. Red Rubin[/font][/size]
[font="Arial][size="2"]1 x Unknown Aulonocara...
[/font][font="Arial]6 x Yellow labs (all circa 1" at the moment)[/font][/size]
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[size="2"][font="Arial]Colours in the photo don't really do either fish justice, and other photos were really poor so not worth loading. The fish are also noticeably lighter than before when they were against a black background...Still haven't fitted one to this tank so it's against a white wall...Also need to sort out rock work. Initially I wanted big pieces of slate, and then I thought maybe get [url="http/www.aqua-maniac.com/158-bundle-large-rock-and-long-rock-plus-free-medium-rock.html"]this package.[/url][/font]
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[/font][/size][size="2"][font="Arial]In the hospital tank I have 1 x [url="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/390298-sick-male-peacock/"]A. Blue Neon (I think)?[/url] He is a great looking fish and just hope he makes a good recovery so he can move into the main tank! Things are looking up for him so hopefully it's just a matter of time.[/font]
[font="Arial] [/font][font="Arial] [/font][font="Arial] [/font][size="2"][font="Arial]It's likely that I will remove the labs (once they've grown a little bit) and the female empresses so it really is just male haps / peacocks then look to add [/font][/size][size="2"][font="Arial]OBs (maybe 2 or 3),[/font][/size][font="Arial][size="2"] a Maulana, a Placidochromis (Electra?) and something like an Otopharynx Lithobates. [/size][/font]
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[font="Arial][size="2"]The Steveni, Firefish, and two unknowns came from a breeder in North London, and he has a great selection and should have more in the next month or so, and will definitely go back to see what those are![/size][/font]
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[font="Arial][size="2"]All fish are feeding on Ocean Nutrition Cichlid Vegi-Pellets and Sera Flora. I have been looking to get something a bit meatier for them though... Unfortunately I couldn't find New Era red in any of the LFS (or online?!!!) but the nearest one stocks NLS - which one of theirs would be best?[/size][/font]
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[font="Arial][size="2"]How's it sounding so far? Hopefully not gone too far off what's been recommended?[/size][/font]
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[font="Arial][size="2"]Nick[/size][/font]

 

[njstockley]

Ok so I picked up 3 x OB peacocks on Friday. One is mostly red/blue, one is yellow with blue, and the other peachy/orange. As of yet there hasn't been a hint of aggression, and they were in the same tank when purchased so hopefully that will stay the same. This takes stocking to:

3 x Protomelas Taeniolatus Fire Blue (1M 2F)
3 x OB Peacocks
1 x A. Stuartgranti Maleri
1 x A. Firefish
1 x A. Steveni? (is that the right ID? Pic above)
1 x A. Red Rubin
2 x Unknown Aulonocara...
6 x Yellow labs (all circa 1" at the moment)

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[font="Arial"]Excluding the 2 female PTs and the labs, that's 9 males, so am I right in thinking I can add more? I still have one in the hospital tank but he is getting stronger everyday, so hoping it's just a matter of time before he is in with the others, taking the main tank to 10.[/font]

As above, I have seen Maulana and a Placidochromis Electra for sale locally, as well as a Stuartgranti Mabnji. That would take me to 13. I've also been offered an adult Venestus and a VC10. I get confused here as Seriously Fish says 200 litres minimum, but that seems to be the exception with some sites saying double that... would they thrive in my tank or is size going to be an issue? Would want the labs to grow on a bit / sell before adding them!

Nick

 

[njstockley]

Doing a water change yesterday didn't like how much muck was getting stuck in the gravel, so popped up to the garden centre to pick up some play sand to make a layer under the gravel and so the gravel won't be as deep. Also got some rocks (but not as many as I wanted as I had to carry both bags home I just couldn't carry any more weight). Will go back on Wednesday to get another bag and build up the stack a bit more - also finally got round to ordering a background so that should be here pretty soon, and will be close to a finished tank!

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Stock is still a work in progress, and there's a couple in there I will be moving on soon. Also the Protomelus has been doing the dance with his ladies and both have been pretty receptive to that so far! I don't really breeding in there though...

 

[eggo]

your tank is looking good, what background have you ordered.

 

[njstockley]

Cheers, I'm going to make the rock pile much bigger. For now I've ordered a standard Juwel one. It's stick on job. Only £5 so not a big loss if it's no good. Been looking at Aqua Maniac backgrounds tonight. Really tempted by one of the thin rock backgrounds, but may hold off for the moment.

 

[eggo]

i have heard that seaview aquarium background fixing glue is ideal for fixing the background to tank eliminating the refraction of light behind the glass resulting in flawless result also bolly12345 on youtube used a 3D background from Aqua Maniac does look nice, i priced one up from him for my tank worked out around £100

 

[njstockley]

Cheers Lee... funnily enough I've ordered a tube of that at the same time. If it doesn't work it's not a huge loss. I've also seen Bolly's AM background. Think I'm going to leave it for now, but something I'm possibly going to invest in 1) when I move in September, and 2) when I start my new job in October! Although £100 is a bit of a steal for a 3D background.

 

[njstockley]

Bit of an update - got the background on. I don't think the picture is a very good reflection of what it looks like in real life now - close up the Vision tanks seem to distort the view, so it doesn't look as cramped as in this picture.

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Also had taken some of the fish out to rescape (which is why most are in the bottom corner sulking at me) so this isn't it in reality either... Plans for next weekend - change to sand as fed up of trying to clean all the crap out of the gravel (will also match the background), and get some larger rocks to redo the rock pile - keeping the red-lined rocks, and getting rid of the uglier ones.​

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Since these were taken, I have got rid of the flowerpot (temp cover for my syno) and stacked the rocks higher.​

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Getting there... slowly!​

 

[eggo]

Looking nice m8 i see you went for the 3D background in the end where did you get it from, what sand you getting play/coral, i call mine the rolling hills of substrate there forever digging my male golden mbuna is digging all the time he has dug round most of my base rocks and spitting the substate against the glass

 

[njstockley]

Looking nice m8 i see you went for the 3D background in the end where did you get it from, what sand you getting play/coral, i call mine the rolling hills of substrate there forever digging my male golden mbuna is digging all the time he has dug round most of my base rocks and spitting the substate against the glass

No it's a flat one - will send you the link if you want - cost £5 and sealed it onto the back. It has a great end effect though and even up close it looks 3D. Going to go for play sand as it will be the right colour for the background. Then rocks to match.

 

[eggo]

yes send me a link it does look like 3D

also i may make myself a aquarium moving bed filter

 

[njstockley]

Not the best pic but here is an update... changed the gravel to Unipac Limpopo and was a good change. Rocks are like that because I'm selling the labs and have had a couple of timewasters from AC saying they will take them, me unassembling the rock, only for a "sorry don't have the funds any more" text to come through. Will put them back together properly once they have moved on. Going to add a group of Zebra Obliquidens for the rocks (1M3F) and see how they get on. Otherwise have a mix of peacocks (my girlfriend likes OB Peacocks, so have let her have some of those) and have some growing on and starting to show great colour. The picture is from distance, on my phone, so you don't get a good impression of the variety of colours etc in there...

Have removed the spray bars from the 2 EX1200's and all seem grateful for the extra flow that's given them. Again will update once the labs are sold on, and I have put the rocks back how they like them...

EDIT Labs now sold, Zebras added.