marto

I use mussles for years. I cook them, then freeze. I cut thin slivers, mix it with finely cut frozen peas. Put it in water,stirr and discard the very fine 'dust' and then feed it a bit at a time so it doesn't sink to the bottom. The fine stuff is good for the smaller fish and young ones, the bigger pieces are snapped up by the bigger fish. When they get less keen, I stop. I have malawi tank!

Whatever Smidey does, the electric yellows I bought of him about 1/2 a year ago have a perfect colour and look very good and healthy, but they are not at full size yet.

I agree with you too, Firenzenz. Thanks for pointing out that adding 'chemicals' is very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. So if you not sure: don't!!

adding chemicals is not necessarily a bad thing. No matter how 'natural" we want to set-up and maintain our tanks, it still is a very 'artificial' environment. Knowing the special conditions of african ciclids in their natural environment I try to give them these conditions as close as I can. Do I know what influence the chemicals have on the fish? No Do I know what the influence is on fish being in water that differs from there natural environment? No Both seem to be happy and breeding.

I have used rain water initially and now I use tap water. My rain water and tap water have both a Ph of 7. I have crushed coral in my eheim filter and plenty of so called moss rocks. The Ph did increase abit but not much: 7.2 I think . I looked on the internet and adopted a so called buffer recipe. www.ciclid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php The article gives you some hints how get to the best result depending on the water you start out with. Initially I added to much Epsom salt . resulting in a GH value of 35. For half a year now I use 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of see salt. My Ph is stable on 8.2. GH is 13. KH is 12. When my GH drops any further I will add some epsom salt on again. The fish look very happy, not agressive. I have some Lamprologus fry swimming around at the moment. Another interesting article you can find at www.ciclid-forum.com/articles/ware_chemistry.php

Hey looks really great. Good to see you've hidden the the cords, the hoses etc.

Hey guys, this is turning into a nasty post funeral gathering. Can anybody comment on my remark that I am reluctant to introduce 'adult' fish into an established tank. It is a 240 ltr tank, plenty of rocks. There are 4 aulonocara Hansbenschi., 3 female sciaenochromis fryeri, 5 aulonocara caeruleus, and 4 lamprologus brichardi in my tank. Thanks.

Thanks everybody for your kind thoughts and sympathy. My sianochromis fryeri do come from johannes! It is good to know that it is considered a good line.(I am a novice when it comes to who has good or bad fish lines in NZ) I am not really in the market for breeding or selling. I just have a display tank, but I want good fish. The distant cousins I was mentioning were in Whangarei, but it might be a bit dear to get them here. I am looking for 2 males as young as possible, because I don't want to introduce adult fish in a tank with an established 'picking order'. So if there is someone in or close to Auckland.... Do you have fry Phil?

The king of my tank(Sciaenochromis Fryeri) passed away last night.(see posting 1st of nov.) He was a majestic fish and displayed his beautifull colours to us humans and to his females in a magnificent way. We will miss him very much. A post mortem revealed a little pebble stuck in his throat, so he couldn't eat anymore. How sad and unfortunately. Sciaenochromis Fryeri female. This widow ( holding from the King) is in mourning. Her offspring will never see their daddy, unfortunately. But aquarium life goes on and the power vacuuum has been filled in true mmp spirit by 2 new leaders. Aulonocare hansbenschi Lamprologus brichardi Some of the minor parties didn't make it into parlement. Labidochromis caeruleus The fine details of the power sharing arrangement hasn't been finalised, by the looks of it. In the mean time I have located two distant cousins of the King who are willing to take up the duties of the king in due course. I hope they will arrive next week to a worthy reception. A sad occasion to share some pictures!!

sounds all very confusing to me. I bought this one as a Aulonocara Hansbaenschi. Does it look like one?

yes I wonder if males are holding. I have holding females in the tank and they make certain movements with the mouth, but it looks different. It looks like he is trying to get something out of his mouth, as if something is stuck there. He has been digging lately I wonder if he has a little pebble stuck? The pic is from some time ago, but he still looks great but he gets thinner. He doesn't move a lot, but when he swims it looks normal. When I feed the fish he comes up when he hears the noises, but as soon the food goes in he drops back to the bottom and stays there quietly.

This beauty stopped eating some day's ago. It sits mainly at the bottom of the tank, but it still moves around now and then. It "shudders" sometimes and makes movements with the mouth as if it tries to swallow food. Breathing is normal. Colour is still good. I can't see anything on the outside. Fin's look perfect. It is/was the dominant male. Other fish leave him alone. The other fish look all fine. It is still a young male about 7/8 mth old. Any idea's what could be wrong?

Messy fish, Dixon? giving them plenty of hiding places I think (hope) they will behave well and display a more or less natural behaviour, as long as the brichardi's are not to agressive. I know they can be, but I just love them. They're gracefull agressive. How is that?

All I want to add on, Ant N, are a few Fryeri. The tank will be stocked enough I think. Just see how it goes when the fish get bigger and start to claim there territory. Thanks

Yes, I build it in in a sort of a feature wall in the lounge and that wall isn't wider than 300 mm. I designed the background paper myself. It doesn't show very well on the picture, but it gives the illusion of a much wider tank. Visitors often look at the back to see how far it sticks out!! I made the most of the length.

yes the algae will make a big difference. Thanks

My tap water is about 6.8 and KH 1. Tried crushed shell but only got to 7.4 and KH 3 The recipe worked well for me, sofar.

It might have some buffering qualities in the long run, but I don't want to rely on it. I have some crushed coral in the filter. The Ph is 8.2 and carbon hardness 12. Achieved that with "the recipe" Is is stable now for 2 weeks. I will try to get another picture for the full view: it is a bit dark.

It's what you call lace rock, or moss rock I believe. The colour varies from dark grey to reddish when its dry, but in the water it goes much darker.

saw some new set-ups lately. Here is my set-up of an african tank. meassurement: 1700(L)X400(H)X280(W) All "equipment" is hidden behind the rocks. By blocking some light from the 4 light tubes I created some bright and darker spots that makes it more interesting. Some small electric yellows, 4 small Brichardis ans 4 also small Hansbaenschis seem to be very happy and growing. You can't seen them by the way. Look forward to some comments.

Thanks very much ,all of you. Our hobby is well alive and it's great to know that one can tap into all this experience. What I expected came through: different opinions; what works for one doesn't work for others. Never mind with the reference to some very usefull articles I feel I can work something out. Some fish I am planning to have: some electric yellows, sciaenochromis fryeri, possible aulonocara hansbenschi. Haven't made up my mind completely yet. Open for comments! Tank size: 240 ltr. You are a great bunch.

Thanks, African, gives me some idea. :lol:

sorry smidey, filter substrate: some biological stuff as bio balls and ceramic tubes and crushed shell. In the tank that fine pebble type gravel .

Thanks no wood in the tank. rocks all so called moss rock. apart from gravel nothing else in the tank.

Hi Everybody, I am trying to get my aquarium water suitable for african ciclids. Ph is 7.4 at the moment. Carbonate Hardness 3.( no fish yet) I added crushed shell to the filter that increased the Ph from 6.4 to 7.4 and the carbon hardnesss to 3 over a period of a week, but it doesn't increase any further. What levels should I be aiming at? I like to get the carbon hardness up to get a more stable Ph. What is best to use? Would love to hear your idea's