Scarletmonuka Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 ok so this is the first time i've ever done a build type thread so all sugestions, advice, comments are more then welcome.. I picked up a 260 litre tank off a friend in Christchurch. It has a big crack in the bottom so am going to replace it which i have glass for here at home. just have to get it cut. the tank has been sitting out in her garden for awhile so its weathered, going to strip the silicone off and re do all of that. Dimentions are 1200mm by 470mm by 470mm glass thickness is 7mm so i may well have to brace it too. Stocking. Right i've come up with what i wanna put in it but i don't know how they will all go together so please do tell me if they're gonna end up killing eachother. I have just bought 6 Tropheus Pemba fry off Smidey (cheers dude) and am in the process of trying to find 6 Astatotilapia Brownae to go with them in the tempory 140 litre tank i've got set up at the moment till th 260 is set up. I want to add 4 more fish. I want lots of colour so i am thinking of 4 colourful male Malawi's. Heres the short list Butterfly Peacock (Aulonocara Jacobfreibergi) Ob Peacock Red Shoulder Peacock (Aulonocara Stuartgranti) Aurora (Pseudotropheus Aurora) Kandango (Copadichromis Borleyi) Taiwan Reef (Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan") i'm thinking butterfly, ob, red shoulder and taiwan reef. the last 4 fish wont be added till next year as i want to get them as they are starting colour up therefore i need the pemba and brown haps (once i get them) to grow a bit. My biggest problem is going to be sorcing the males as there is not much varity down here and i doubt there are going to be many people that would wanna send just one fish. this may end up being to many fish for this size tank but as they get bigger i'll be looking at up grading tank size. i'll start putting pics and the likes up when i get the camera back. oh and ideas for substrate too. we live 3 km from a river that has its own little slate quarry so thats what my rockwork will be. well i guess thats it for now. like i say comments advice suggestions are all welcome cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 personaly i would go with the aurora, because its Mbuna and would probably go a bit better with the other fish you already plan to stock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navarre Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 Thank you for you thread sorry i can't help with fish atm not sure i would be mixing them as you suggest ...or putting them in such a small tank. Some of the fish you list are considerable in both size...and personality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 I agree with nav, forget the kadango and taiwan till you get the bigger tank, they get big and boisterous, kadangos especially grow really fast as well. I would get 6 more trophs as from what i have read they are best in large groups. With the 6 brown haps and 12 trophs you'd be pretty well stocked in a 4ft tank. Most of the jacob varieties of peacocks are the more aggressive as well as the OB's. As for substrate aragonite( marble chip) or silica or plain sand from bunnings would be my suggesstions. What size tank would you be looking to upgrade to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilwis Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 just something to think about if your putting sharp rocks in there (unweathered slate) it can damage the mouthes of the fish, alot of those types of fish like to move rocks around and graze off of them so it might be a good idea to go to one of the rivers around your area and get the round rocks or mitre 10 tho they get the rocks from christchurches rivers anyway (about 3-5mm dia) they wont hurt the mouthes of the fish also grit is what most people use for those types of tanks so as substrate anything non sharp less than 6mm is good caves can be made using any rocks so your slate or river rocks tho i would recomend running some sandpaper over the slate also trophus do much better in large groups all tanganyikan and malawi cichlids like large groups and ill prob get shot for saying this but they can like confined spaces (as in over population if your bio system can handle it) (note! most of these fish will when getting into breeding (and they will) can become very aggressive toward other fish, if your tank is not big enough you will end up with fish being killed off for teritory it has been knowen for one fish to set up breeding tertory in one end of the tank and another species at the other end of the tank so fish become battered from both sides, you may not get this problem when they are small but the bigger they are the more breeding there will be and more space required also good ph, good food and cichlid lake salt will greatly increase colouring in your fish to the degree if you go to a pet store and see them there you will almost always say what horoble conditions for the fish, bad water no colour! i really love these fish they are a good choice lots of personalaty and every fish is diffrent, i hope it goes well and you like it! also bit of help for fish choices trophus = 12 or more to distrbuite aggression (kinda like dimosoni and yellow stripe) love the trophous tho one of my favs Astatotilapia brownae = 1 male several female (breeding ratio) will get a domonent male (more red) and subdomenent male (yellowish) females (gray) Aurora cichlid - Pseudotropheus aurora = schooling fish up to 30 in a school in the wild (11 cm max size) steveni taiwan = deep water fish 1 male recomended to if females introduced 1 male 3 females (breeding ratio) Kandango (Copadichromis Borleyi) gentle fish most of the time will school with females becomes territoral in breeding (as they all do) 1 male several females, biggest problem with these fish in nz is alot of inbreeding can be found in them so keep a eye on them when buying them especially mouth deformatys and bladder problems also can be territoral with blue fish peacocks are mostly the same as each other can be territoral with each other especially of similar colouring 1 male 3 female tho with you wanting only males that shouldnt be much of a problem unless a female somehow gets there most of the fish you have chosen like a tank about minimum of 120 so bigger tank happier fish hope this helps! oh dont forget too much proten will cause malawi bloat in these fish and most of the ones you have chosen love things like cucumber (my tank will eat a entire one (fed 5cm at a time) in about 5 days ) i still feed them other food and oly do that occcasionally as a treat but they love it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 just something to think about if your putting sharp rocks in there (unweathered slate) it can damage the mouthes of the fish, alot of those types of fish like to move rocks around and graze off of them so it might be a good idea to go to one of the rivers around your area and get the round rocks or mitre 10 tho they get the rocks from christchurches rivers anyway (about 3-5mm dia) they wont hurt the mouthes of the fish also grit is what most people use for those types of tanks so as substrate anything non sharp less than 6mm is good caves can be made using any rocks so your slate or river rocks tho i would recomend running some sandpaper over the slate i have the crushed marble substrate which is very sharp and small and have never had an issue. I was worried when i first got trophs years ago about that but it hasn't been an issue. most of the fish you have chosen like a tank about minimum of 120 so bigger tank happier fish hope this helps! oh dont forget too much proten will cause malawi bloat in these fish and most of the ones you have chosen love things like cucumber (my tank will eat a entire one (fed 5cm at a time) in about 5 days ) i still feed them other food and oly do that occcasionally as a treat but they love it) the bigger the tank they are in the more you will enjoy them so bigger is definitely better for these guys and that will give you more options. You have time on your side as they are small, i went for a long tank but narrow and short (2.0x0.45x0.45m) and it has worked out very well, foot print is most important over litres for these guys. As for feeding, I feed NLS cichlid formula with JBL novo rift and mine do very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilwis Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 i have the crushed marble substrate which is very sharp and small and have never had an issue. I was worried when i first got trophs years ago about that but it hasn't been an issue. oh wow thats really good to know i was thinking it might be a bit of a myth but i had heard it froma few places or maybe because it was refering to volicanic rock when i was reading it ive always kept to rounder rocks anyway the bigger the tank they are in the more you will enjoy them so bigger is definitely better for these guys and that will give you more options. You have time on your side as they are small, i went for a long tank but narrow and short (2.0x0.45x0.45m) and it has worked out very well, foot print is most important over litres for these guys. As for feeding, I feed NLS cichlid formula with JBL novo rift and mine do very well. i only mentioned the cucumber because its a added little treat i feed them they like more than the fish food i also feed mine a vareation each day of JBL novo vert, auqa one cichlid pellets (i have some fish that pefer meat in the tank), new life spectrum cichlid formula, nutrafin max spirulina flakes, brine shrinp flakes, deshelled peas (keeps them regular , and pleco logs or algae chips (more for the plecos in there but the cichlids love it too) frozen bloodworm, oh and the cucumber i dont feed them all those things all at once at the same time just mix it up over the week some things (like the blood worms) only every few weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 i agree with a good variety for malawians and used to feed all those things when i kept them. shelled peas are great i think, also when the fish are juvies and tehy can't swallow a whole one it turns into a game of rugby, one fish will pick it up and the others will chase him and try to take it. brilliant to watch haha I don't think protein is to blame for bloat as all the foods i feed seem to be high protein, i think poor quality food and/or bad water conditions are more likely to create it but it is interesting who has had what issues in their experience. I have never had any major health issues with my fish, i think that is down to lots of filtration and good food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted November 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 I agree with nav, forget the kadango and taiwan till you get the bigger tank, they get big and boisterous, kadangos especially grow really fast as well. I would get 6 more trophs as from what i have read they are best in large groups. With the 6 brown haps and 12 trophs you'd be pretty well stocked in a 4ft tank. Most of the jacob varieties of peacocks are the more aggressive as well as the OB's. As for substrate aragonite( marble chip) or silica or plain sand from bunnings would be my suggesstions. What size tank would you be looking to upgrade to? note this long term goal but i'd like to end up round the 450 to 500 litre mark. there will be 12 fish in this tank for quite some time.. i won't even look at the single males till the brown haps and trophs are of the right size. i'm in no rush. my canister filter is rated to 350 litres so its big enough for the tank. trophus = 12 or more to distrbuite aggression (kinda like dimosoni and yellow stripe) love the trophous tho one of my favs Astatotilapia brownae = 1 male several female (breeding ratio) will get a domonent male (more red) and subdomenent male (yellowish) females (gray) Aurora cichlid - Pseudotropheus aurora = schooling fish up to 30 in a school in the wild (11 cm max size) steveni taiwan = deep water fish 1 male recomended to if females introduced 1 male 3 females (breeding ratio) Kandango (Copadichromis Borleyi) gentle fish most of the time will school with females becomes territoral in breeding (as they all do) 1 male several females, biggest problem with these fish in nz is alot of inbreeding can be found in them so keep a eye on them when buying them especially mouth deformatys and bladder problems also can be territoral with blue fish peacocks are mostly the same as each other can be territoral with each other especially of similar colouring 1 male 3 female tho with you wanting only males that shouldnt be much of a problem unless a female somehow gets there most of the fish you have chosen like a tank about minimum of 120 so bigger tank happier fish hope this helps! Yeah i'm not looking at any females for the Malawi's. thats why i wan't fish that are def showing colour. my two biggest restraints here is money and location. its very hard to get cheap big tanks here. people buy them from lfs and then when they sell em they want something close to that price they payed. i am by no means well off and with an 11 week old daughter and recently being engaged needless to say they come first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted November 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 i agree with a good variety for malawians and used to feed all those things when i kept them. shelled peas are great i think, also when the fish are juvies and tehy can't swallow a whole one it turns into a game of rugby, one fish will pick it up and the others will chase him and try to take it. brilliant to watch haha I don't think protein is to blame for bloat as all the foods i feed seem to be high protein, i think poor quality food and/or bad water conditions are more likely to create it but it is interesting who has had what issues in their experience. I have never had any major health issues with my fish, i think that is down to lots of filtration and good food. with the peas.. is it true bout what i have been told that you can't give em minted ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 gives them fresh breath! haha i don't know if it's bad for them, i did feed it a few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 Bigger tank always good. Some fish you have prefer longer tank. Good quality fish food like NLS. And weekly water change if possible, or at least two week once. Tank size is the key. You can put all the fish you like in your tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 trophus = 12 or more to distrbuite aggression (kinda like dimosoni and yellow stripe) love the trophous tho one of my favs that's a general rule and ideally the bigger the group the better but from my experience they vary from species to what can be achieved. I would go with at least 9 fish for ikola and duboisi, they seem to be the nastiest of all the trophs from my experience. the moliro i had and the pemba seem to achieve a lot less damage to the fish getting a hard time. They still do a lot of chasing etc but i think because of their more down facing mouth actual damage is usually limited to fin damage. The duboisi with their forward face mouth easily removes scales. I have also seen a few times people having success with only two or three trophs so i think a lot comes down to the specific fish's temperament and their enviroment (caves/hiding places). I have never had any issues with small groups, 4 to 6 fish when they have been together since fry. I have had issues introducing "strangers" to groups so i think that has a lot to do with it, and not just in the fish world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcichlidluva Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 Might b a stupid question but.... Do you leave the green skin on the cucumber or take it off? ... And do u chop it up in bite size pieces or just slice it in rounds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 Not a stupid question at all. Some prefer to peel them in case of spray residue. Others just wash them thoroughly. You can slice them into rings and let them float or weigh them down with something so they stay on the substrate. Some weigh them down with cutlery, others wedge them under a bit of rock. I slice then thread them onto a plastic knitting needle with a fishing sinker in the middle. You can also but a thing called a screwcumber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilwis Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 Might b a stupid question but.... Do you leave the green skin on the cucumber or take it off? ... And do u chop it up in bite size pieces or just slice it in rounds? i just cut about 2 inches off the cucumber then cut that lengthwise so its in halves i leave the green on there and poke it on a squeer (like a stainless rod you put bbq stuff on) to keep it down oh and i keep the green skin faceing back to back so the fish trying to keep the others away cant protect all of it so it gets around they dont eat the skin but it keeps everything together so you dont end up with a big mess in your tank not that it matters its mostly water anyway ant because they dont eat the green you just take it out with the squeer anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 i use a fork when i do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 a WHAT??? a "Kebab stick" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted November 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 Ok So after reading all the comments about my fish choices. I've decided to stick with 6 pemba's (under smidey's advise that its ok) and 6 brown haps. seeing as the kadango and taiwan are going to be boistrous for them what else can i add? i don't want fish that can be eaisly confused with brown hap females. is male OB, male Butterfly and male Red Shoulder gonna be a problem? remember i'm starting out with small fish and will be upgrading tank size later on. seeing as its looking like at least a $15000 pay rise when i move farms in june next year. i really want 4 male peacocks. just to add that diverse of colour. i don't really like the look of sunshine peacocks though. if the peacocks are a bad idea is there any other sujestions? i plan on having a seperate tank for fryier haps later on as well so not those and most certainly not electric yellows. nice fish but everyone has them Oh and slate rock has been collected and will be being cleaned and stored soon. broken bottom is off the tank and i'm hoping to get the new bottom somewhat organised tonight. i really need to get my camera back so i can throw some photo's up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted November 24, 2012 Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 Good idea leaving the haps out, its not that they are to boisterous for the fish its more the tank is to small for them add them once you have the bigger tank, if anything a group of trophs in with haps and peacocks may be your prob. Trophs are super hyper and may be to much for your malawis. But, it may work fine, you will just have to keep an eye on them. You may want to look at mbuna instead of haps/peacocks. Mbuna have a similar temperament as trophs and may fair better. Realistacally if you want peacocks, you could pretty much go with 4 of anything. I have had a few different types in my all male tank over the years and i have found that the described temperament of a fish you can take with a grain of salt, you really won't know how they will behave until they begin to mature. It is best to try and avoid lookalikes i.e. same colour/bodyshape and go with 1 of each type i.e. 1 maleri 1 jacobfribergi, 1 OB etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted November 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 So do we look at the last name in the scientific name to tell what catagory they are in? as in a Butterfly Peacock (Aulonocara Jacobfreibergi) being a jacobfreibergi and a Red Shoulder Peacock (Aulonocara Stuartgranti) being a stuartgranti? and each of these different types of peacock has a different body shape? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted November 24, 2012 Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 yeah, aulonocara refers to peacock and the 2nd name is their genus or variant. OB's and Dragonbloods are manmade hybrids so tend to be a little more aggro. Each genus has their own characteristic body shape, sometimes only slightly diff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted November 25, 2012 Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 I think you are talking about species name not genus... Aulanocara (Genus) stuartgranti(species (also no capitals for species names) "Map Albino" (variant) or uf a unknown hybrid it should be Aulanocara sp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueether Posted November 25, 2012 Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 The first part of the name identifies the genus to which the species belongs; the second part identifies the species within the genus then there is the var/cultivar name Edit. As Fi5hguy said ps many of the Africans species would fall short of species rank in some naming schemes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted November 25, 2012 Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 oooops, my bad, but you get what i mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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