ryanjury

To me if its not normal which this one isn't then its a balloon ram, maybe this one showed varying degree's of deformaties to some of the others around, but bottom line its a balloon ram. Just for comparason this is my normal gold that I used to have.. Compare it to these and it is very obviously balloon. I doubt even a normal with bloat would get that deformed.

I have kept clown loaches with africans and they were sweet have seen them in a few tanks too.. Rainbow fish also seem to do pretty well. I also keep and breed bristlenoses in my african tanks, I am unsure if the babies would survive because I poach them before they leave the nest. Sometimes the bristlenoses get a bit roughed up but I am yet to see one seriously harmed or killed.

They will breed in a tank with peacocks, my first few spawns were in heavily mixed tanks the odds of many babies surviving is very low though.. They're probably still breeding in the tank they're in now, but im sure no babies will survive who knows ill find out when i get home I guess. Here is the tank they're in with some photo's of the pair of jullies. http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/my-tank--vt31753.html Bear in mind that your talking quite a long time frame before they grow out mature and pair off so you will have time to consider what you wanted to do by then.

When I got mine I got 6.. A pair formed and laid a few times in a mixed tank 3ft tank it had the pair of jullies peacocks, and some mbuna in there.. The only time I started loosing the jullies was when I started mucking around with them and moving them around the place and they jumped out or I left them in nets.. Had a disaster with them for a while there.. Either way im sure there are heaps there if you wanted to try more.

unless you can find any shell dwellers 2ft would be too small for anything but a pair of jullies/brichardi/lelu's.. Even then I probably wouldn't do it with the lelu's or jullies as they can get cranky with each other and need a bit of space sometimes. I have had to rescue my male jullie a few times from beatings his girl gave him and that was in a 3ft tank in a smaller one he probably wouldn't have made it. Discus are cichlids too If your serious about keeping some africans you really need a bigger tank you will find it alot better in the long run and your fish are more likely to be happy and not kill each other off..

Balloon ram..

Yeah one species would be cool but I think that looks a little boring OTY really.. If you wanted some jullies I could talk to my wife and see whats left there were 10 left when I left the country and they would be 3-4cm's now you could get some of them if you wanted.. And ill still have to disagree with the filter, he isn't suggesting any high bioload and so far only smaller not so messy tangs his filter will be fine. I have had 3ft fully stocked grow out tanks that I fed heavily with tiny internals or even air driven filters done weekly water changes and its been fine. Obviously with filtration is it best to buy the biggest you can afford, I don't think any of my tanks have 6-10 times filtration and I don't think I know of many that would.

You could do 1m and 2-3+ females in that tank, it would work fairly long term but the male may get too big after a few years.. And they do mix alright with jullies and that too I have my breeding pair of jullies in my mixed tank at the moment.

Fish stocking list might not work for a 3ft tank.. You have chosen alot of bottom dwelling quite aggressive fish for quite a small tank and as they grow you might have troubles. Unlike mbuna they dont work so well with groups. All things going well I should have some jullie marlieri for sale when I get back from overseas also.. Your filter will also be sweet for the small bioload that your planning. Other tank mates you could stick some larger more robust schooling fish or some peacocks or something like that depends what you like really..

lol yeah why not A 2ft tank is only suitable as a grow out for most of the african species avaliable in NZ especially mbuna.. Large 3ft min to get a half descent display going, yes you could keep solitary fish in a 2ft but thats not a good life for them your best to buy a bigger tank or choose fish more suitable for your tank.. If you wanted to keep cichlids maybe some dwarf's? Cockatoos/rams or something like that?

I usually use rock salt from the supermarket and just chuck in maybe 3-4 handfuls in my 500L tank.. I think it was 2Tbs per 20L if you were going to work it out and do it exactly, maybe start with 1 Tbs and see if it makes any difference is he showing any signs of infection? You would have to add alot of salt to affect your african's, when I was using it in tanks containing clown loaches and bristlenoses it was fine..

I would probably get rid of the ice blue male. I used to keep and breed them they're awesome looking fish but the males can be super agro no matter what number of them you keep they terriorise all the other fish in your tank. I got rid of all of mine because I got sick of them beating all my peacocks etc up.

Most africans get ripped fins from scrapping especially in a male only tank.. My ob peacocks male is quite dominant so its possible he has been scrapping for a position in the tank.. If he just has a few ripped fins and isn't getting picked on very much then don't stress about it keep your water conditions right and you can add some salt to your tank to help him heal.. If he is getting smashed up by something then you need to fix it either remove him or the other fish or add more, male only tanks can be very hard to balance at times and things can change at the drop of a hat. If his torn fins get fluffy white bits on them (fungus) or start getting white edges (fin rot) you need to treat him I have found meth blue dropped directly on the affected area 1-2 times daily clears it up. You may need to remove him (but be careful when you put him back in as he will loose his place in the tank and may get chewed up again) but it depends how hard he is to catch and treat and how bad it is. I have had fish so smashed they have no fins and removed them treated them with meth blue and had success nursing them back to health. Good luck hope he recovers soon.

Awesome glad to hear it you've had these as long as ive known you (but all girls) and the male is a beauty.. Good luck raising them

Relatively rare in nz.. There are only 1 or 2 breeding colonies around, but they have some quite old offspring and as soon as all the colonies of them which are maturing breed they will be easy to come by and at a good price, they're awesome fish its just a shame they do best in colonies in big tanks and don't really do so well in mixed tanks otherwise im sure more people would keep them. Your lelu's should be relatively easy to find too they are being bred by a few people and I have even seen the orange ones for sale on trademe before. If you plan to keep them with fronts for the long term (years +) the fronts may get big enough to eat them eventually but that will be years down the track.

Ryan again just finished work again.. I am glad to hear this has all worked out, thanks heaps to Sandy and to olly for the offer of help it is much appreciated, I hate stressing out over here thinking ive left too much stress at home for my wife to deal with especially with my fish etc.. Glad ive got a good wife most of them wouldn't have been doing water changes and stressing out all day when they got no sleep last night and had a sick baby Anyway thanks heaps to all that helped or offered to im so glad I didn't loose that tank..

Id agree with them.. Unsure on the exact name for the tropheus but its what was called at one stage a firefox and people who know more about them than me call them Tropheus moorii Moliro... Me thinks if someone on here see's those fish you will be getting a pm rather promptly And other one looks like a male giraffe..

And Olly..Sandra told me about the offer to come out and help..Much appreciate it You guys are awesome Thanks heaps:)

They are fine.. Sandra and her son have just left..When i went earlier today they were floating on the top but after water changes and stuff they got a little better.. But were still up the top gasping.. Sandra emptied the tank a bit and let the filter flow add some more air then she put in an extra air stone and some salt and fed them and they all seem happy..Still breathing a bit heavier than normal but seem happy now.. So thanks heaps Sandra you are a legend.. We most definitely appreciate everything you are doing to help us.. Takes a big load of my shoulders knowing all I have to worry about now is a sick baby.. Thanks:)

I have tried and tried to get Win out here with no luck..Thank God for Sandra:)

This is Ryan now.. Bilbo has been contacted and asked if he could come over and have a look but he must be busy if he hasn't shown yet.. The tank is well established the filter shouldn't be dirty as I cleaned it before I left and it usually goes 3-4months without cleaning.. Tank is highly stocked but has been stable this way for months with no problems at all.. I told my wife to do the water changes immediately thinking ammonia but since the filter is going still and she has done a few water changes (and they had one yesterday too) I am unsure what is going on the fish still aren't perking up, from the sounds of it something nasty has got into the tank (my wife isn't aware of anything). Air pumps are still going and they shouldn't just require more oxygen overnight, thermometer was fine when I left so temp should be ok at 25.. A bit lost without being there to actually see whats going on.. Heres hoping they don't all die hopefully my wife and potentially Sandy can sort it out so I don't loose them all

it's a 540 litre tank i did 3 x 30% changes

LOL that would be good.. IF I KNEW HOW TO DO IT.. REMEMBER....I know nothing!

TEMP IS 25

it is going and so is the filter..