Thinking Of Changing From Tropical Community To Mbuna Or Tanganyikan

[kiriyama]

doresy

Can I just ask how your Neolamprologus Tretocephalus (five bar cichlid (?)) behaves with the other fish in your tank, any real aggression ?

 

[doresy]

doresy

Can I just ask how your Neolamprologus Tretocephalus (five bar cichlid (?)) behaves with the other fish in your tank, any real aggression ?

None at all. In fact I think HE thinks he is a Front as he hangs around them most of the time. I have heard they can show signs but if you get them small and bring them on. In fact that goes with most of the Tangs. Trouble can start if you suddenly introduce a large fish, best to start them off at the same size as tank mates (or smaller)

Bed time.....back tomorrow

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Another ad, this time Cyprichromis fry, although very young and only seven on offer...
http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail100_132218.php

 

[elisew]

Another ad, this time Cyprichromis fry, although very young and only seven on offer...
http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail100_132218.php

Thanks Goat

I`m trying to work out the best way of catching and rehoming my current fish as I`d like to make a start on setting the Tang setup on Saturday.

I think I`ll have to get hubby to help me catch the fish that myrtle is having and put them in the quarantine tank, then catch and bag the others and take them over to MA on Saturday. I`ll have all day on Sunday to drain, clean and rescape.
I`m just hoping that MA will have at least some of the fish I`m looking at stocking. There`s always Tri-Mar and another website that I can order from if I get really stuck

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I think I recall you saying you have two nets, which helps massively, as I discovered with a single net when trying to catch my Danios over six months ago! It was a nightmare, the por fish ended up hyper-ventilating in corners of the tank, I was convinced I was going to come back from Sunday lunch at the pub to find all my fish dead from stress in the Korall60 QT (as it was back then). Thankfully all were fine, but its not an experience I want to repeat and I saw the Aquajardin catch fish with ease using two nets.

Most times I have ended up having to pull out the bogwood, but there are exceptions, like when I caught the glassfish on Sunday morning. I use the larger net as a stationary or very slowly moving "trap" while trying to herd the fish with my smaller net.

I'm off to Aquajardin in a mo, to see what they have in stock and ask for advice about my all male group of Yellowtails that are being so nasty to each other (several have flank wounds now, I'm worried they are going to kill each other slowly through infections entering the wounds, despite Myxazin dosing)...
[video]http/www.youtube.c...h?v=TYas6E8uQDs[/video]

Edit Meant to say I will look out for what Tangs they have and take a video clip of anything I see

 

[elisew]

Thanks Goat, I`d appreciate it

I do have 2 nets but I`m hoping I can use one of the egg crates covered in a bin liner so that I can 'herd' the fish down to one end of the tank. The theory is that if I don`t have to chase them around then it`ll be easier for me and less stressful for the fish
The tank is now pretty much empty of plants, there`s only 2 big pieces of bogwood to move so it`ll be easier than it would have been

Your yellowtails seem to behave very much like my Danio, the zipping around is quite erratic, especially when its spawning behaviour I hope you manage to get the problem sorted because they do look like quite nice fish from what I can see.


I received the Ocean Rock a little while ago and I`m absolutely chuffed to bits with it!! There are a couple of huge pieces in each of the 3 sacks but these are the smaller bits that I can actually lift out at the moment. All 3 boxes are now sat in the downstairs loo (not literally) and I decided to see how (roughly) I could stack them on the window sill. I think it`s going to look great when it`s all done

 

[kiriyama]

Like the look of the ocean rock, plenty of it, I might just hang on to the stuff I have, have a few hours before I head out to work so I might try some dry scapes (don't even have the tank yet )
It's all coming along nicely for you though, looking forward to seeing your tank once all the rocks and fish are in there, I think you'll enjoy the cyps

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

The new rock looks great, EliseW! I could picture a breeding group of J. dickfeldi loving that (that's my favourite of the Julidochromis, relatively peaceful I believe and the unique "baby sitting" behavior, but this is your tank)

Only saw one type of Tang cichlid at Aquajardin, N. leleupi, Lemon Cichlids. But in fairness, the FairOak MA stocks much more Rift Valley fish than Aquajardin.

I am currently acclimitising a group of six young Barilius hukaungensis, which look very similar to the three fish I've always called dogarsinghi in my 540l, plus an intresting little catfish which comes from Lake Tanganyika apparently...

Right now I think its a http/www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/cotm.php?article_id=156, but it was unlabelled and the manager was unsure of which Tang it was. It is quite flattened, a bit like my S. brichardi, with gorgeous brown> reddy brown> white colours (flank down to belly), only ~2" (which could be close to fully grown if it is Lophiobagrus brevispinis). Well worth the few quid I paid for it, hoping it is as active as it was at store!

 

[elisew]

Like the look of the ocean rock, plenty of it, I might just hang on to the stuff I have, have a few hours before I head out to work so I might try some dry scapes (don't even have the tank yet )
It's all coming along nicely for you though, looking forward to seeing your tank once all the rocks and fish are in there, I think you'll enjoy the cyps

Well there`s 75kgs all together so for the sake of my tank base I`m hoping that the huge pieces of Rock will be spot on for the most part of the scaping

I`m getting more and more excited as I`m gathering everything I need for the new setup

The new rock looks great, EliseW! I could picture a breeding group of J. dickfeldi loving that (that's my favourite of the Julidochromis, relatively peaceful I believe and the unique "baby sitting" behavior, but this is your tank)

Only saw one type of Tang cichlid at Aquajardin, N. leleupi, Lemon Cichlids. But in fairness, the FairOak MA stocks much more Rift Valley fish than Aquajardin.

I am currently acclimitising a group of six young Barilius hukaungensis, which look very similar to the three fish I've always called dogarsinghi in my 540l, plus an intresting little catfish which comes from Lake Tanganyika apparently...

Right now I think its a http/www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/cotm.php?article_id=156, but it was unlabelled and the manager was unsure of which Tang it was. It is quite flattened, a bit like my S. brichardi, with gorgeous brown> reddy brown> white colours (flank down to belly), only ~2" (which could be close to fully grown if it is Lophiobagrus brevispinis). Well worth the few quid I paid for it, hoping it is as active as it was at store!

The leleupi is one on my list that I most definately want to get

At least you managed to get something you`re happy with, the Catfish certainly looks different but then both you and nelly seem to like the 'oddballs'

I`m going to see how my new setup goes and I may possibly consider Catfish in place of the BN plecs because I think my bn are a little bit too small to have in a Tang setup (from what I`ve read?)

But I`ll concentrate on making a start first, I`ll learn to walk before I can run

 

[kiriyama]

Synodontis (spelling?) if you want to keep it authentic
I just done te nicest scape I have EVER managed by just chucking all the rocks into two flat piles , looked awesome till I got the measure out and layed it flat, hmmm , going to be plenty of open space with what I have, back to the drawing board
I think when you get the Leleupi they will look awesome, if they breed I don't think you'll have any trouble trading them at LFS, have seen them and Brichardi on display in Malawi tanks at LFS, I'm jealous your geyying the Caudopunctatus, always out and about cruising with there yellow fin on display, they are very impressive

 

[elisew]

The synodontis is the one I was thinking of

So far the only place I can find the Neolamprologus caudopunctatus is on Mikes Rifts, I`d like to be able to source all the fish in the same place, but going by some of the prices I don`t think I`ll be able to afford them all from Mikes

There are quite a few I`d like on Tri-Mars` stocklist but not the caudopunctatus (go figure)

I was surprised that just by plonking one rock on top of another that it looked pretty good so I`m sure it`ll all look ok when it`s finally arranged in the tank. I haven`t even attempted to get the huge bits out yet but I reckon they`ll be ok to have in each back corner of the tank and I can then build another area up in the middle too.
I`m planning on having the Escargot shells around the sides-front of the tank so fingers crossed I`ll be happy with it once it`s done

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Wish I had got some shots and video footage of my new Tanganyikan catfish before setting it (I think female, had a round belly) loose into the 620T, where she has gone into hiding... One of the possible ID candidates for this catfish is Lophiobagrus cyclurus, which is known to release poisonous mucus when stressed!

However, she was in a tank with tiny Leopard Bushfish plus Upside-down Catfish and you would have thought that staff would have commented if its tankmates were all dying off...

Another possibility is that she is from the Phyllonemus genus, if so she is more likely to be P. typus, http/www.planetcat...?species_id=306

Now I know that some fish keepers mix Tanganyikan cichlids (especially shell dwellers) with non-Tangs like Rainbowfish, but is it equally "normal" to mix Tanganyikan catfish with non-Tangs? Must admit that until this afternoon, I never knew there were catfish other than a few Synodontis like petricola from Tanganiyika. Given it has been in Southampton tap water few a few months at Aquajardin and my 620T water is ~pH 7.8, I hope it will be "happy," but if I get the feeling something isn't right I may call on either of my local local Tang keepers to take (her) on

...But who knows what the new year might bring, I might get suckered into a Tang community after the cold spell is over in the 620T!

 

[bullit]

rock looks smart. i was gonna ask you if it was alright as was thinking about getting some from there.

 

[elisew]

Wish I had got some shots and video footage of my new Tanganyikan catfish before setting it (I think female, had a round belly) loose into the 620T, where she has gone into hiding... One of the possible ID candidates for this catfish is Lophiobagrus cyclurus, which is known to release poisonous mucus when stressed!

However, she was in a tank with tiny Leopard Bushfish plus Upside-down Catfish and you would have thought that staff would have commented if its tankmates were all dying off...

Another possibility is that she is from the Phyllonemus genus, if so she is more likely to be P. typus, http/www.planetcat...?species_id=306

Now I know that some fish keepers mix Tanganyikan cichlids (especially shell dwellers) with non-Tangs like Rainbowfish, but is it equally "normal" to mix Tanganyikan catfish with non-Tangs? Must admit that until this afternoon, I never knew there were catfish other than a few Synodontis like petricola from Tanganiyika. Given it has been in Southampton tap water few a few months at Aquajardin and my 620T water is ~pH 7.8, I hope it will be "happy," but if I get the feeling something isn't right I may call on either of my local local Tang keepers to take (her) on

...But who knows what the new year might bring, I might get suckered into a Tang community after the cold spell is over in the 620T!

Ohhhh, so there may be another one to add to the 'Elite' soon then???

rock looks smart. i was gonna ask you if it was alright as was thinking about getting some from there.

Thanks, I`m absolutely chuffed to bits with it, was picked up by ParcelForce yesterday and delivered today so delivery on it was really quick!

 

[elisew]

Hmm, I may need to rethink which fish and how many I`m going to be able to get sooner rather than later

I got a quote from a well known Rift website and these are the prices I`ve been quoted:

Neolamprologus leleupi @ £7.50ea x 2 = £15.00
Neolamprologus caudopunctatus @ £10.00ea x 2 = £20.00
Neolamprologus brichardi @ £6.50ea x 1 = £6.50
Neolamprologus brevis @ £3.50ea x 8 = £28.00
Cyprichromis leptosoma Utinta (adults) @ £18.50ea X8 = £148.00
Fish total = £217.50

Plus there would be a delivery charge on top as well. I was hoping to stock in one go and keep the order to one place, easier and less time as I wouldn`t have to scour the countryside.
Without the cost of the cyps the bill would be manageable, but I may have to knock the Cyps off the list for the time being or hope that MA or a local breeder somewhere might have some cheaper