tracytrout Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 :bounce: Your tanks lookin O for Orsum :bounce: I will learn from your setup as I'm hoping to start an African tank next year Keep the photo's coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Thanks guys.. I still miss my plants though :lol: Looks like i will have to step up and do a lot of water changes with the lack of plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 :bounce: Your tanks lookin O for Orsum :bounce: I will learn from your setup as I'm hoping to start an African tank next year Keep the photo's coming fish come on tuesday!!! im so excited! 25 dems and 12 e.yellows. then i may get more of each within a month or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 sweet, nice work. one thing i struggle with regarding the rocks is algae, i scrub mine. a algae eater or 10 may be required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Thanks smidey! Any advice re african tanks are welcome! What sort of algae eaters would be good? I was either going to get 6 GAE's or 6 ottos or something like that. I think I may even try bristlenoses in this tank, although I have never been able to keep them alive. The temp in this tank ranges from 27.3-28.5 deg C. But a UV filter is also on the cards in the near future... maybe.. as a last resort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 i have found that different food types generate different waste & effect the tank conditions. If you feed JBL Novo Rift Sinking sticks (i mainly feed this) then you do get some tiny food particles in the water. africans have two rows of muscles in their mouths that crush their food so a britle food will create "crumbs". A softer food like Sera Granumeat or Granugreen don't break up when crushed but tend to float & stick to tank top surrounds & get sucked up the filter inlet so it's a play off between them. As for algae eaters, i don't have any so i would also be interested to know what will mix well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 v. interesting. I got tetra spirulina flakes (heaps of it so they will get that) and i will look at getting some rift sinking sticks. But I also have hikari, which i was hoping to feed them but I understand that it may cause bloat so I have to be careful with that. ATM I have 2 red spot plecs (good at eating algae off stuff), 1 gold spot plec, and 1 butterfly pleco, and am saving up for some more exotic kinds that don't need drift wood in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 be careful what you feed africans. i personally believe you can feed them anything but food that is not intended for them should only be fed occassionally. I feed the bought foods, JBL Novo rift & Novo vert, Sera Granugreen & Granumeat but also feed shelled peas, sushi wrap, blood worms, cucumber & have even thrown in the odd piece of cooked steak. i have never had a bloat case & have only lost a few fish in the last few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 so could spirulina flakes be used as the staple diet? how do i feed the peas? just chuck one pea in there and hope they can rip it up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Awesome, thanks Mystic. now to wait for the fish to arrive on tuesday, and plan on what else i can put in there to help with algae control. lets just say i shall be keeping a very close eye on the phosphate levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 cant wait to see the pics of all those fish phoenix. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I can't wait for tuesday. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 phoenix wrote: a feather fin syno who is awesome and has asked to stay cause he promises not to eat any other fish :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I hope you got that in writing!! Set up looks great, I'm like the rest anxious to see it with the yellows and dem :oops: (spell?) Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-town... Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 needs some greenery in there! maybe some anubias or even val for them to destroy 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 so could spirulina flakes be used as the staple diet? how do i feed the peas? just chuck one pea in there and hope they can rip it up? i'm pretty sure you could but i have found food containing spirulina makes them get dark spots or patches. my red zebs got dark spots & at my LFS they have a zebra in with a small eel in a emergency tank & the zebra ate the spirulina food intended for the eel & got a dark beard. i thaw the peas in a glass of water, then rip the shell & squeeze them out of the shell & into the tank. once you have done twenty or so you will be a master! the africans will rip it up when they are small, mine are mostly adults so they eat them whole. Its fun to watch 6 or 8 africans competing for a single pea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 needs some greenery in there! maybe some anubias or even val for them to destroy 8) I still have heaps of hastifolia, and a tiger lotus mother plant and 2 babies. ive got them in there for the time being, but it just doesn't look right. It has to be either completely planted, or not I think... or else it looks sparse, and that's like im not even trying! :lol: i thaw the peas in a glass of water, then rip the shell & squeeze them out of the shell & into the tank. once you have done twenty or so you will be a master! the africans will rip it up when they are small, mine are mostly adults so they eat them whole. Its fun to watch 6 or 8 africans competing for a single pea. deshelling peas is my specialty, lol... not really.. all i have to do is soak em in water and give em a squeeze! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I feed my guys - Hikari cichlid excel, jbl novo rift, hikari cichlid staple and i chuck in the odd bit of zuchinni for the plecs but the fish loveee it to - i also make up my own food for them i tryed having bristlenoses in with them, but they got eaten so bigger plecs all the way with them now. I find Golden Algae Eaters or Flying Foxes the best. :-) Goldens eat Brown Algae, Flying Foxes eat Green and Hairy stuff. And do they africans try eating them Mystic? we get the brown aglae quite bad - but the fish seem to like to graze at it, so not really that bothered by it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Only one more sleep~!!!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 well go to bed then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 I cant wait, lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracytrout Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 :bounce: :bounce: HO HO HO :bounce: :bounce: Keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicHotdog Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 I'm expecting pics by the time I get home from work tomorrow! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Only one more sleep~!!!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: Ive had the shipment re-routed (via Christchurch, lol) - there may be an empty bag on its way to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 track and trace begs to differ :lol: ah. i am never going to get sleep today. even my assignment is not putting me to sleep. Aqua- where is your tank? I demand to see a thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 track and trace begs to differ :lol: ah. i am never going to get sleep today. even my assignment is not putting me to sleep. Aqua- where is your tank? I demand to see a thread! Lol - no pulling the wool over your eyes huh ? My tank is is NEARLY ready, lol - thread will be up soon I hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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