herefishiefishie

Clownloaches don't have scales, therefore you have to be careful with salt, it burns there skin. With the temp at 30 degrees, increase the airation in the tank. Oxygen levels deplete rapidly at high temps. Usually to, most white spot remedies have to used in 1/2 doses for loaches & catfish. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_FA006 I would be doing water changes with a gravel vac, before treatments. Stirs the gravel up, to release cysts that could be in the gravel & also removes some too. You only kill the bug when it is off the fish. Just keep dosing. I have seen it where people have taken 2 weeks to kill them off. Frenchy

Thats why I asked the questions peanuts. Thinking if there were more gouramis in the tank, good chance there will be more problems. I don't know what anti bacteria meds are available to kiwis. Something out of the oxy family should do it. As Alan said, watch the neons, they are a good indicator of problems. Frenchy

Once fish are swollen they can not be saved. The tank should also get dosed in anti-biotics, just in case. How long have you had the fish in your tank & what other fish are in the tank? Usually you have to be wary of the cause, to prevent further problems. Frenchy

A 4x15x18 isn't that much more than a 3ft tank. Must be a weak floor, a 4x15x18 is around 200-250kg when filled, including stand. The way humans are going, that is 2-3 standard people standing in one spot. :lol: Frenchy

As said before. Mouth brooding cichlid fry are a lot easier to raise. No need for a net, they will find the food that comes into the tank. Give them a week & they will recognise you & come to the tank when you approach. Frenchy

I have heard that big ghosties can be to much for discus. I have kept smaller ghosties with discus no dramas. No dramas too with rams, bettas & loaches too. Although once loaches get to a nice size, I trade them back in for smaller ones. Frenchy

I feed mine New Life Spectrum pellets, Veggie Flake, Omega One Cichlid Flake, Frozen Brine Shrimp & Mysis Shrimp. Live brine Shrimp, once in a blue moon live black worms. I avoid bloodworms for various reasons. I avoid Beef Heart, fish are cold bloodied & cannot assimilate fat from warm bloodied animals. Therefore it is stored in tissues, especially the liver. {I know people will say they have done so... blah blah blah. Just stating a fact & with what is available why take the risk. Good luck, well done etc to those that do.} Frenchy

Fire away, that is what forums are for. We were all new at one stage. Frenchy

Electric Blues are S fryeri. Anything without a scientific name is not worth $70 :lol: Frenchy

Found the article about the rubin reds. Note the variance in colour in the natural species. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/red_peacocks.php Frenchy

Depends on the size, type & temperament of the other cichlids. What size tank & what other fish are there. Probably should be fine. Introducing one cichlid into a group can cause problems due to territories already exist. Suggest taking rocks out, throw in peacock, throw in food, give it 1/2 hour plus, then re set up tank. Frenchy

What did you buy it as, do you remember? Peacocks are probably up there with the hardest species to ID. Frenchy

You can go for all males. In a colony, its the females I have found to be the worse to each other. Make sure when you buy they are all around the same size. Frenchy

How long has the tank been set up for? What is your maintenance routine? How much & often do you feed, to how many fish, how big is the tank? Frenchy

I would as a pre caution. Especially with what foods you have mentioned. Glad I mentioned that point to you. I always remember a well known self importing lfs here, the wife would feed all fish the same high protein mix they had. Wondered why she killed tropheus. :roll: But ox heart & blood worms, well that is even higher on the stupid scale. Almost worth classing as an idiot. Did you mention to them they are herbivores? As in strictly algae eaters? Just so they might do better with the next lot. Frenchy

How big is the tank & set up? Frenchy

How long has the tank been stable for? Frenchy

Usually by the time krib fry leave their home, they have good enough swimming ability to stay out of trouble. But that does depend on the water current in the tank too & if the cave is next to the intake. Frenchy

Hello from this side of the ditch. Frenchy

I have seen more hard luck stories than good ones with people who try to keep tropheus in small numbers. In the long term, it doesn't work well. As said, tropheus variants can vary in aggression, duboisi are the most docile of the tropheus. But it mostly comes back to the fish as a group & how they get along. I found demasoni to be me aggressive amongst themselves than tropheus. Frenchy

Albinos are natural. Just means your male & female carry the albino gene. Therefore if that is the only problem they are breeding true. If you don't like albinos, fair enough. As for the variance in yellow to orange in the peacocks. How much of a difference are you talking about? If they are maleri golds per say, they throw the odd variance in colour. Line breeding Aulonocara sp. "Stuartgranti Chipoka", gave us the eureka reds, rubin reds etc. Chipoka's themselves vary from a deep yellow to a dark orange. Frenchy

Feed them vegie foods only. eg; Spirulina flake. Feed little amounts couple times a day. Keep there water clean. Best kept in colonies of 12 or more. Males can be very unforgiving aggressive little things. Some will say at least 15. Tank size 4ft or bigger. I have seen good tropheus set ups in 4x2x2. 4x15x18 may be to small in the long term for a colony. Water conditions, hard. ph 8 or more. Import to keep stable & well oxygenated. Prone to bloat, it is different to Malawi Bloat & harder to treat. Make sure diet is right & water is kept very clean. Because wholesalers & lfs are not the best sometimes. Buy some metro before you get the tropheus, just in case. Have a read here, http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/tropheus_corner.php Frenchy

Chances are they are all on the same water. Unless Shrimpy keeps his African's in buffered water. Anyone think to ask? Severums are meant to be kept in softer water. I have had a mate keep severums with africans, he used to have mixed tanks etc. As long as it looked nice to him who cares. Water also wasn't buffered. The thing is, his Severums were of a mature/adult size, therefore they could handle themselves. Small severums with africans, can be to much for the severums. Therefore it is trial & error really. They can get picked on in fights for territory by the more robust africans. Oh, your africans are still pretty much mild mannered, that is because they are still young. Frenchy

I am with David on this one. Frenchy

Well there are plenty of up to date books & magazines available. See if any of the lfs can get hold of the "Cichlid Press" range of books. Or the "Back to Nature" Even some of the more common range of books I have, "Barrons" are more up to date than those mentioned above. Frenchy