- Messages
- 73
- Location
- Tucson. Arizona
Dear Cichlidians-
We had our first meeting of the Aquarists' Association of Arizona and I spoke on "The World of Dwarf Cichlids:An Introduction." We had a nice turnout and I met most of the owners of the various LFS. One runs a business centered on pond and aquarium maintenance-largely marine. I hired him to help me test my new R/O which is wonderful. I bought 9 Corydoras pygmaeus from him and he brought me a list of dwarf cichlids
available to me right now at wholesale + 10%. I don't know all these fishes and would love your collective help in knowing what to buy. Here is
the availability list:
A. agassizi (dbl red)
A. agassizi (wild caught)
A. njessini (wild)
Biotecus opercularis
Crenicara filamentosa
C. maculata
Mikrogeophagus atlispinosus (wild)
Taenicara candidi (wild)
Are there "must haves on this list?" Can a newbie like me handle these
wild collected dwarfs?..I finally have the big community tank soft, acidic
5.8, and refreshed with 50 gallons of R/O.
I am getting large shipments of dwarfs from apistodave and Neil this week. All are aquarium bred spp. including Crenicara punctulata.
This is going to be a crowded tank but has four filters-Eheim Pro 2,
a Fluval inside canister filter, an outside filter and a powerhead water polisher. There is also a gentle air stone.
I've been feeding dry food in the AM-Omega, Nutrafin, freeze dried blood
worms, Tetramin, cichlid sticks, sinking wafers, usw. In the evening they get alternated frozen live foods-brine shrimp; mysis shrimp; white & black mosquito larvae; daphnea; and krill. Then every other night they get a generous feeding of black worms. Will my new dwarfs thrive on this diet? Should I add or subtract anything? The onlly foods they are not interested in are freeze dried tubifex and Wattley's frozen Discus Diet.
I am enjoying all of them immensely with certain special favorites: Botia
sidthimunki; Panda Corys; Bleher's Rummy Noses; Odessa Barbs and now the school of Cory pygmaeus. The best schoolers are the Rummy noses and pygmy cats. The least successful schoolers are Blue Tetras.
Algae is under control with 5 Pandas; 1 Loricaria sp "Whiptail".; 1 albino Ancistrus; 3 Flying Foxes and an Indian Algae eater. Also my barbs-Odessas and checkered eat algae and fine leaved plants like Myriophyllum and surprisingly, Hornwort. No molluscs and a mixture of artificial light and am sunshine. Temp is 78F. No more recent deaths-I think the terrible hardness was my problem.
Regards to all and a happy holiday!
We had our first meeting of the Aquarists' Association of Arizona and I spoke on "The World of Dwarf Cichlids:An Introduction." We had a nice turnout and I met most of the owners of the various LFS. One runs a business centered on pond and aquarium maintenance-largely marine. I hired him to help me test my new R/O which is wonderful. I bought 9 Corydoras pygmaeus from him and he brought me a list of dwarf cichlids
available to me right now at wholesale + 10%. I don't know all these fishes and would love your collective help in knowing what to buy. Here is
the availability list:
A. agassizi (dbl red)
A. agassizi (wild caught)
A. njessini (wild)
Biotecus opercularis
Crenicara filamentosa
C. maculata
Mikrogeophagus atlispinosus (wild)
Taenicara candidi (wild)
Are there "must haves on this list?" Can a newbie like me handle these
wild collected dwarfs?..I finally have the big community tank soft, acidic
5.8, and refreshed with 50 gallons of R/O.
I am getting large shipments of dwarfs from apistodave and Neil this week. All are aquarium bred spp. including Crenicara punctulata.
This is going to be a crowded tank but has four filters-Eheim Pro 2,
a Fluval inside canister filter, an outside filter and a powerhead water polisher. There is also a gentle air stone.
I've been feeding dry food in the AM-Omega, Nutrafin, freeze dried blood
worms, Tetramin, cichlid sticks, sinking wafers, usw. In the evening they get alternated frozen live foods-brine shrimp; mysis shrimp; white & black mosquito larvae; daphnea; and krill. Then every other night they get a generous feeding of black worms. Will my new dwarfs thrive on this diet? Should I add or subtract anything? The onlly foods they are not interested in are freeze dried tubifex and Wattley's frozen Discus Diet.
I am enjoying all of them immensely with certain special favorites: Botia
sidthimunki; Panda Corys; Bleher's Rummy Noses; Odessa Barbs and now the school of Cory pygmaeus. The best schoolers are the Rummy noses and pygmy cats. The least successful schoolers are Blue Tetras.
Algae is under control with 5 Pandas; 1 Loricaria sp "Whiptail".; 1 albino Ancistrus; 3 Flying Foxes and an Indian Algae eater. Also my barbs-Odessas and checkered eat algae and fine leaved plants like Myriophyllum and surprisingly, Hornwort. No molluscs and a mixture of artificial light and am sunshine. Temp is 78F. No more recent deaths-I think the terrible hardness was my problem.
Regards to all and a happy holiday!