bdspider Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Of all the fish I'm looking after at the moment, I like the shellies best. Their behaviour is so interesting. I have to be really careful to feed both sides of the tank at the same time, cos if the babies on one side spot the opposite side's food drifting down first, they get tempted to cross THE BORDER and then the other territory's owners get very cross which in turn leads to the naughty frys parents getting cross too and then the food is forgotten cos they're too busy watching each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Yeah, I'm pretty excited about these guys! I should get them on the last weekend of the month, so I'm really stoked. Pretty painful to look at the tank and its got no living inhabitants in it! The hydrocotyle is growing on me, but the fish will most likely rip it out any how. The tank looks so peaceful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Used the Tripod more effectively taking pics at night in the pitch dark with only the tank light on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Moss has grown a huge amount, and now I finally have shellies! They have no regard for where I like the sand to be, but that's ok. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Tank looks good How many shellies did you end up getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 I got 3 in total Ryan. There were 4 but 2 had to be sent in the shell they were in because they refused to come out. The smaller of the 2 must be dead because I haven't seen her since I put them in the tank. They are quite firemouth like, and have made pits in the sand all over the tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Playing with the flatmates pentax DSLR camera. It's very complicated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Wow they look blue, or is that the lighting? Someone else mentioned that had happened with their spawn but they all turned gold in the end it will be interesting to see what happens with them as they grow.. What sexes do you have, how big are they and are they getting along? It can be difficult to get them out of shelles, generally turning the shell upside down and elevating it works as they come out of the shell eventually and don't want to swim back up into it to get back in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 They all have these shiny blue scales on their sides, but the blue tinge in the pics (like the background etc) has come from me trying to do something with the RAW file. Never done it before so I have to learn slowly I know there is a pair with the 4 I have, but they have all claimed a part of the tank, and the female I thought was dead just spends all her time in a shell so there might be eggs. They just flare at each other but apart from that no aggression. can you sex the one in that pic? I don't think I can. Sizes are about 4cm or so with one big daddy one! I'm feeding them nls discus food cause my spoiled rotten fish wont touch any nls food :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 do you trim your moss or is it growing compact and tidy on it's own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 do you trim your moss or is it growing compact and tidy on it's own? All on its own. I have the plants quite well trained! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 You might like to have a word with mine then, it grows tendrils straight up. Am waiting to see what the stuff in the cory tank does, whether it behaves or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Aww, they're such cute little fishies :love: I hope they do very well for you and that you get some fry off them BTW that moss is so nice and tidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Did a WC last night. 20L. Fish are either dead or dying this morning. This is exactly why I stopped keeping africans in the first place. The water in this house is just not suitable for them. I've had such a crap week and now this just makes it worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matto Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 gutted! i killed two the other week by doing a water change now im stuck with a female :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Sucks dude! You could always add some limestone or coral rock and do smaller water changes? Or get a big bucket and get the water right before you put it in(like marine keepers do to mix salt). You could always get pH up stuff too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 That sucks I do find it very bizare you have these issues, I have found shellies to be very tough (even fry) and I do 20-30% water changes straight from the tap on them from day dot.. Same with the dems/yellows you had issues with, I also know a few other keepers in Palmy who do the same without issues. There must be something very weird with your water if this keeps happening.. Same issue happened to the ones that I gave to Bilbo before I left he managed to shock and kill them all somehow.. I do agree with Josh though for the sake of a small tank just keep a 20L bucket bubbling away with some limestone in it and let the water condition a bit if you think that is an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 I raise my fry in tap water so they are used to it. I do 30-40% water changes from the tap as well (and recently have had to do as much as 70% and cold water changes etc), and they are very hardy. However, I lost an entire batch of 2cm fry after picking them up off the floor in the quake. They were in the exact same water as apisto fry who ALL survived with no problem. I think these guys are more susceptible to shock than other types of fish but it may be related to fear/stress as it truly doesn't seem to be related to water conditions in my experience.... :dunno: I can send you more if you like P44. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Baking soda raises pH etc too I believe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 I can send you more if you like P44. I'd love to buy some... It's just so depressing. These fish were totally awesome. The sand I have in the tank is from wanganui, and raises the pH considerably. I think that a 20L change may have thrown that balance out of whack and the fish suffered in the end. Had the same problems when I had the dem/yellow tank and that's why I got rid of it. It's very very demoralising for me. :tears: I absolutely hate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 If we could control nature fishkeeping would not be as wonder-full as it is. I'm sorry you lost your fish though P44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Wierd! Before you got them they were in a 30L tank and they got water changes straight from the tap. No conditioner no temp adjusting. They bred for me several times but I just left the fry and they got eaten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Ouch that does really suck P44. Blardy Palmy water. :-? &c:ry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 I'd love to buy some... So what are you going to do to prevent it happening again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Yeah, I'm actually quite upset about it. These fish were awesome and ready to breed. There weren't any territorial fights either. I'll just have to pre condition the water like I used to with the old African tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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