agoh

so we talk about the minimum/maximum litres/gallons of tanks to justify swimming space for large fishes it is a common place specification we find in forums / and websites describing tankvolume requirements for tropical fish....now compare two tanks 1) a 1 metre tall and 50cm wide tank Versus 2) a 50cm tall and 1metre wide tank. Both have the same volume but different dimensions. Can you house the same number/size of fish?, do they theoretically adapt to swim in all levels and parts of the tank??... this could be species specific and I'm sure most fish naturally swim horizontally ofcourse but please express your thoughts / I see so many tanks advertised for their unique shapes and sizes but does volume justify space?

sorry if I sounded harsh.....I have gone through similar problems with cycling - no hard feelings, but I do mean to give advice by saying "DO RESEARCH FIRST" there is enough resources on cycling on the internet that give sound specific advise / many on a week by week basis.....I think ignorance requires some "direct" advice....obviously it is seen as 'too' harsh and offensive to some people. CASE CLOSED

Pseudotropheus kingsizei??

Ulrike...its great you have come to a forum for help and to learn something new, but in future do some research...and when you decide to add fish to your overcrowded tank...do research on the individual fish - water parameters / good tank companions etc etc to avoid further deaths and further suffering to those poor fish.....

sometimes if you're lucky, it will be labeled as a synodontis euruptus (featherfin) and priced a bit cheaper ...its happened with me and catfish_dude if I recall a few forums back / mine still looks like a baby compared to that beautiful specimum though...could be why its a tad more expensive

yeah they are quite expensive for tetras...between 10 to 15 $ per fish at the LFS....( I spent $14 on each!) but I personally feel it was worth the $$ as they have been great to watch and main feature of the aquarium.. thanks for your understanding - I think I'll be guilty if I don't atleast raise 'some' fry in their lifetimes to carry on their genes,and these guys are from 3.5-6 cms so still quite young, the males slightly smaller than females which can only indicate they are not brothers / sisters (discourage inbreeding of fish!)...so still plenty of time for more eggs in the future. btw: they are at it again, always in the morning...it seems to follow after I open the blinds at one end of my room....some trigger?? You guys ought to try breeding these great fish, they aren't difficult and they are expensive!

yeah thanks guys, I guess I was always looking for those replies / comments to soothe my conscience and make it sound not so bad!...it seems like they are happily expressing their natural behaviour without the timidness people associate with them, in the end its the space and optimum conditions I provide, they are afterall the dominant species in the tank and feel less threatened by the other inhabitants....there are 8 of them, 2 males and 6 females...the males were chasing the females tirelessly, its not even a pairing off situation..the males will chase one female...and then the next one thats close enough... all the other fish in the tank would gather around the same spot having a feasting session on the eggs! (why It felt like such a waste)....but yesterday the chasing has slowed down considerably so it may be time for them to recover and start a whole new reconditioning phase - HOPEFULLY when I have time I'll buy another tank for breeding and make a conscience effort... Im just one of those aquarists right now that just enjoy keeping fish but not intentionally for breeding at this stage.

G'day guys, I've got a bunch of congo tetras that are tenaciously going through breeding phase.....eggs scattering all over the place...I just left the eggs to be eaten by catfishes, kribs and the congos themselves....ok so what if they breed and the eggs are devoured...but the breeding has been happening for two days now! and now I'm feeling kinda bad - consciously, coz so many eggs have been left to die I used to breed fish and enjoy the experience, but at this stage I'm not putting effort into saving the eggs....(no time - don't really profit ($) from it) am I being immoral to leave them to die in the hands of the other fishes??

wow...thats heaps

aha...thats the question!..although I've been to visit the shop a few times to check their behaviour they seem to be fairly tolerant of eachother...anyway its a question I posed on the fish owner, and they said they were raised from juvenile to adult and the edwardi and giraffe have spawned under their ownership...therefore its a question of honesty - hence its also a question of risk to take their word for it! Should I reveal the shops name?

which is the prettiest cory of the list rob?

To to be put in a 240 litre tank (only possibly at this stage) 2 edwardi mbuna (1 male, 1 female) 2 Melanochromis Auratus (1 male, 1 female) 2 giraffe haps (1 male, 1 female) all appear in a 340 litre in a petshop, along with several peacocks and yellow labs - and all were raised togethor - shopkeeper claims the fish above are equally aggressive in nature but are at peace with each other in the tank, and as one observes, they are all adult and the same size. I suppose its a question of risk, ofcourse I wouldn't want these fish to start tearing each other up in my tank. given sufficient hiding places, would this combination be the right recipe for 'controlled overcrowding' (no weaker individuals are picked on) if I get a consensus of no, I won't risk it.

this forum was a great read

If only I had the tanksize to accomodate a group of them... yeah the theory is the foil has electrical properties that induce the elephant to investigate and prod......but lets pretend the elephant feels like playing some sport!!... I hope the two decorus's don't become too much competition for the timid elephant, might have to drop the blood worms just outside its chosen cave as I had to do when the decorus's were timid. Is there anybody out there who keeps them in a school or even in pairs? any comments on behaviour?

its unusual, its mysterious..and its electron charged... will this fish live in peace and harmony in a 45 Gall tank with 2 juvenile synodontis decorus - - what experiences can you guys share on keeping on of these intelligent, inquisitive fish...I read that if you put a tin foil ball in the tank, they will play with it!..(imagine two of them playing soccer in a gravel yard!) I do know the consensus from net resources (social) say: 1. peaceful 2. don't keep with other electrical fish (ghost knife fish) 3. don't keep with other elephants unless you can provide for a school of them

I was hoping to gather some information about how many malawis you guys keep in your tanks (assuming ofcourse the tanksetup is only malawi) and how large your aquariums are (Litres/gallons)...whether it be now or in the past and give a brief indication on whether it was successful or not..... Just curious and thinking of setting up one...but need to know from concensus what looks to be good (ofcourse I'll be doing proper research too)

yeah the tank setup is quite new...I housed a 2 glowlights 2 sterbai cats and a bolivian ram in a 40 gall then transferred them to a 55 gall....transferred about half the water from the 40....but the big booboo is I used new fine gravel and introduced 2 chocolate cats..a butterfly and a couple of congos... Iso suppose the cycle was at its embryonic stage.....and the new african party and freshwater bog wood (which I bucketed for about a week) must've initiated the ammonia spike.... even more when I got home today the congos were unusually on the upper quartile of the tank! teach me for being impatient...I've done the changes and will keep doing re-tests without feeding etc etc as you said...tankyou guys...many tanks for your help. :lol: 8)

thanks, I'm just hoping this is just a slight bump in the current cycle, perhaps the bogwood has slightly destabilised the cycle as a 'foreign organic entity'?... although I'm positive no little creatures inside the bored holes on the wood are decomposing inside or causing any waste byproduct....anyway once stabilised (nitrite and ammonia test results reach zeroish or look clear) lets hope the gills slow down.

G'day guys I have a problem My fish have started to breath quite fast this morning ( gills pumping fast) , all of them, and so I have taken the following tests. Ph: around 6.6 - 6.8 (light green) Ammonia: 0.3 PPM (very slight yellow coloration in test kit) Nitrite: 0.25 PPM (very slight red coloratuib in test kit) Temp: 27°C Central Question: Can low ammonia AND nitrite levels combine to be harmful? Fish behaviour looks alright...(i.e. congos still chasing eachother and showing off) Other factors to note: Bogwood added in the weekend, most of its tannins have been released first but I maintained leaching after adding as part of my 'black water' biotope setup. The water is slightly stained, and a 20% water change was made on sunday. As I understand, tannins aren't harmful anyway, and ideally I should be keeping both ammonia and nitrate right down to zero, but I thought there could be something I'm chemically ignorant of or missing, so please shoot away and tell me off. In any case, afterwork I will be doing water changes again.

Hi everybody, my names Andrew and I'm a fish addict -about time I introduced myself- how it all started who knows, how long its been - about 3-4 months, but I have 4 tanks now, 45cm, 55cm, 91cm 1.2m L...chornological order to show the 'growing' addiction....financially draining but rewarding.... my fondness is directly related my passion for ecosystems - rather than just the fishes that live in it...seeing and managing a thriving ecosystem in a 3 dimensional structure is fascinating and while it will never be close to the real thing (in the rivers of the amazon, lake malawi etc etc) it makes you feel closer to nature..(as most of you know)....u are then able to see and appreciate the balance of life, every role/part the biological, physical and chemical entities play in supporting the fish that live in it, which inturn effect their behaviour and survival....as nature intended. The self-a-steem and satisfaction I get from keeping a healthy, functioning aquarium is like jogging, eating well and keeping my body fit and free of bad things...

yeah those shark filters are powerful, quiet and long lasting, however in this particular case lacking in filter media for a tank my size.....thanks

I'm just want to say that in summary to what pie was saying, its not the flow...its the absorbance factor like those handy kleenex paper towel adds...how much of the nice spongy stuff the filter has... am I right or am I right

yet again I have purchased a new tank 165 litres...some direct questions on filters I have a shark sicce PF 2 internal filter which pumps about 600 litres / hour, will that be sufficient for my new tank?.... and if not would you guys recommend I get a more powerful filter or secondary one to compliment the current filter I have?...

I have six of these, they are very beautiful under the correct light conditions, I truely recommend they are housed in a large tank with a crowd...then you will see something great! ps: yes, pretty expensive fish but worth the sight, they look great at night in my room

Many internet sources say that aggressive fish like Malawi cichlids can be overcrowded in a tank to stop specific fish from being bullied (i.e. territories cannot be formed between individuals under close quarters so all the fish just squabble with each other endlessly but in equal terms)....I thought this sounded a little harsh, its like putting a whole bunch of criminals in one cell......any comments or opinions on crowd control?