Community tank bursting with African life.

[ancientaquarist]

In my 29 gallon tank I've got 1 fem L. curviceps;2 male Colisia lalia; 3 Silver HAtchets'; 2 Black pahntom tets; 5 serpae; 5 Pristella; 3 N. trifaciata; 1 Cory aeneus, 1 Cory panda and one Siamese Algae Eater named Fresser-and a pair of PELVICACHROMIS pulcher. I knew the latter had bred beacuse she was missing several days and reemerged yesterday all slim and colorless.

This afternoon about 3 PM I found mom and pop and c. 85 babies swimming and eating in the bogwood and the ball algae. The babies are adorable and large and their parents are potecting them perfectly. I plan to leave one light on in the tank for the next few days. I bought frozen baby brine but after rinsing them there was nothjing to them. I dropped several sinking pellets.

They are going to make it in the community tank-take it from an ancientquarist BUT what should I feed them! Help! Also should I continue my daily 10% water change using R/O orl leave well enough alone for the
time being? All the RO and I still get a reading of Ph. 7.2. I tried some chemical that lowers Ph and after two applicationsI'm down to 7.1. Is this very slight alkalinity likely to cause a problem? No measurable ammonia or electrical conductivity. No nitrites or nitrates-just ubnable to lower the Ph probably because I used alot of tap water to get started.

Any tips of getting the fry to reach full size-papa is enormous? Mom is average size but very colorful. How longlived is this species?? Will I have any trouble disposing of them at LFS? What is a reasonable size to sell them at and a reasonable price?

I've got 7 more Laetacara curviceps at the store being held. I'm going to ask them to hold them till the 125 cycles. It's only half full. Will a school of pulchers get along with other dwarfs? I was thinking of moving the babies at 3/4"into the 125 with the 8 curviceps-a school or corys and a school of Pristellas-the later have really good personalities and are beautiful to boot. Of couse tons of plants, rocks, caves and African bogwood. A school of 'Marble Hatchets' would finish it off nicely. I'm gonna leave mamma and papa where they are and add a third 30 gallon of some wonderful polygamous apisto with a harem of three.

This is so much fun I feel 15 again which I was when I first spawned and raised meekis-but that wasn't in an aquascaped community tank which is making this ever so much more fun!!

 

[ancientaquarist]

Schoolof P. pulcher causes major leap'n Tucson population.

Well I don't know what they're eating but they are growing like little demons and are reasonably fat. Eight of us have tried and the number is somewhere c. 150. They folks only bring them out together and when I'm not there-how unfriendly.
Contents of aquarium-29 gallons-R/O + tap. Weds. 12 May 04.
5 Serpae tets
3 Black Phantoms
5 Pristellas
3 N. trifasciata
2 (large) male Colisa lalia-one 'Sunset', 1 'Neon'
1 fe Laetacara curviceps
1 Cory aeneus
1 Cory panda
1 Siamese Algae Eater
1 pr Pelvicachromis pulcher
c. 150 fry
3 Silver Hatchets
3 'Schuberti Barbs'-gross

The kribensis are model parents. They have managed to keep entire poulation in upper 1/2of tank just by chasing-no attacks. They dug a shallow cave under a curved piece of feather rock moving 5 mm pieces of natural river gravel. After hatching they moved the babies constantly and by the second nightr they had chosen a 10" length of 2" pvc as the bedroom and have put them there each night.

Though the swarm is free swimming with ease it stays in a tight group around the parents and hugs the substrate. Seem to like browsing on the huge piece of African bogwood and a ball algae. Even with a powerful magnifier I can't see any rotifers. So far they are very well behaved.

I am waiting patiently for my 125 to cycle.
29 gallon stats-Ph. 7 yay!!! GH-unmeasuable nitrites-0- niterates-0-
plants thriving w/o a CO2 injector. Two filters-one chemical/biological.
other water polishing powerhead w. liner. I was changing 2 gallons per day of water but stopped when I saw the fry.

QUESTIONS FROM A NOVICE
1) No brine shimp eggs for sale of live baby brine-can get Hikari frozen nauplii and adult brine, daphnea, bloodworms, glassworms, two kinds of
moquito larvae.
2) Found two products yesterday-first bite and baby bits
3) fOUND freeze dried tubificid worms and daphnea
4) Have three brands of flakes-Tetramin rich formula; Aquafin max; and
Omega One-appetite stimulator

OKAY EXPERTS-HELP!@!!!!!
How and what do I feed.?the only live food available is "black worms-way too large but I could mince them-yuch. I am considering the following-assumingbrood care continues w/o problem, how long might it last?

When 125 is cycled I'd like to transfer fry, add a group of .75" blue rams,
(8), a group of 1.75-2.25" curviceps; school of 15 Pristellas; school of
7 Cory pandasand 3 Siamese algae eaters-about 200 plants, bog wood and stone. What the h--l has happened to krystal-farbe??

I'd like to leave the 29 as constituted except move 1 male Colisa into 125.
I'd like to add another tank for a group-you choose-nothing available in the shops of a polygamous apistogramma-1 m 3 fem and as everything grows some Trichogaster leeri and 6 Cleithacara marronii. I'vbe dropped the discus nonsense-that'll be after I move to Panama next year where I am hoping to develop a dwarf-cichlid aquatic plant nursery and a secondary retail shop-I'm on the beach-of tropical rhododendrons called vireyas. These would be sold potted in a sterile medium w. phytosanitary
certs are are all captive raised-I had left 245 clones, mostly lowland species in Betrkeley and just got clearence to bring them and my parrots.

So give the greybeard a break and tell me how best to precede. TIA
Buenos tardes.
Miguel Barclay

 

[Dan724]

Congrats on your fry. I'm raising a tank of krib fry now. What I have done is take some prepared food (shrimp pellets, color bits or cichlid bites) and soak in some water. Get it all mushy, take an eyedropper a squirt it in the direction of fry. I hope this helps. It has worked for me. Good Luck