- Messages
- 73
- Location
- Tucson. Arizona
I will, later today write a census of my two communities* but suffice it to say that my 150 must have close to 100 fishes not counting fry. I returned to the hobby by chance after a 40 yr. break, initially terrified. I started w. a 29 gal set-up from Wal Mart-a pair of P. pulcher, 8 Blue Rams, and one L. curviceps plus all kinds of dithers. The largest fishes in
the tank are 3 Gold Barbs "Schubertii"-2 females 4" and rotund(!), male 3.33" and slender. I have never seen any fish eat like barbs in both my tanks.
I quickly lost all the rams-they wouldn't eat because of competition. They're too slow at the table. Within a month the "kribs" spawned over 100 fry and I raised 27 in the tank I sold them Sunday to LFS keeping my original pair plus four more heavily ocellated males and females-ocelli on dorsal and caudal. I have three fems in my 150 and 3 fems & male in
my 29.
Yesterday my Laetacara curviceps appeared - a pair, almost totally black
with about 250 fry. They bred where a large sword plant overlaps a mini
water lily-some name like nuphar lotus - I left a small light on through the night-fed the herd real early and then the proud parents brought me the fry to see again. I believe that the male is my largest curviceps and the female my smallest-but I could be wrong. The tiny one started the pairing and courting process. She's black and has some barring. He's
a velvet jet black with a fine line of gold on his dorsal and grey lips. They
are living up to their reputation and have not bitten or even come in actual contact with the community fish. They are particularly afraid of the
smaller of my two Dicrosus punctulata-shes got a big mouth.
2.5 feet away my Etroplus maculatus dug several pits and are now protecting about 45 week old fry. Dithers range from tiny female dorsigers to a single Wattley Snakeskin Discus and three enormous Siamese Flying Foxes. Not one fish has dared go near the fry or parents
but who knows how long this will last.
My initial experience is very suggestive of creating communities of peaceful dithers, schooling fish-17 Pristella, 15 Bleher Rummy Noses-hatchets, gouramis, apistos (the pair of A. panduro are gorgeous) with
*heavy aquascaping-I used all kinds of plants in groves, an Anubias
coffeefolia on a high piece of African bog wood and perhaps 40 natural caves of feather-rock. This tank has had plenty of problems getting going
but I think I've created a dwarf cichlid heaven.
The female just drove off my 6" Flying Fox-this used to be his territory and
the babies are sampling finely sifted frozen daphnia and frozen newly hatched brine shrimp. They are so tiny and look like splinters of milk-glass. Today I am a Laetaquarist. Cheers-
the tank are 3 Gold Barbs "Schubertii"-2 females 4" and rotund(!), male 3.33" and slender. I have never seen any fish eat like barbs in both my tanks.
I quickly lost all the rams-they wouldn't eat because of competition. They're too slow at the table. Within a month the "kribs" spawned over 100 fry and I raised 27 in the tank I sold them Sunday to LFS keeping my original pair plus four more heavily ocellated males and females-ocelli on dorsal and caudal. I have three fems in my 150 and 3 fems & male in
my 29.
Yesterday my Laetacara curviceps appeared - a pair, almost totally black
with about 250 fry. They bred where a large sword plant overlaps a mini
water lily-some name like nuphar lotus - I left a small light on through the night-fed the herd real early and then the proud parents brought me the fry to see again. I believe that the male is my largest curviceps and the female my smallest-but I could be wrong. The tiny one started the pairing and courting process. She's black and has some barring. He's
a velvet jet black with a fine line of gold on his dorsal and grey lips. They
are living up to their reputation and have not bitten or even come in actual contact with the community fish. They are particularly afraid of the
smaller of my two Dicrosus punctulata-shes got a big mouth.
2.5 feet away my Etroplus maculatus dug several pits and are now protecting about 45 week old fry. Dithers range from tiny female dorsigers to a single Wattley Snakeskin Discus and three enormous Siamese Flying Foxes. Not one fish has dared go near the fry or parents
but who knows how long this will last.
My initial experience is very suggestive of creating communities of peaceful dithers, schooling fish-17 Pristella, 15 Bleher Rummy Noses-hatchets, gouramis, apistos (the pair of A. panduro are gorgeous) with
*heavy aquascaping-I used all kinds of plants in groves, an Anubias
coffeefolia on a high piece of African bog wood and perhaps 40 natural caves of feather-rock. This tank has had plenty of problems getting going
but I think I've created a dwarf cichlid heaven.
The female just drove off my 6" Flying Fox-this used to be his territory and
the babies are sampling finely sifted frozen daphnia and frozen newly hatched brine shrimp. They are so tiny and look like splinters of milk-glass. Today I am a Laetaquarist. Cheers-
