It’s finally happening

[MacZ]

Geophagine cichlids prefer access to the sand substrate to chew sand and detritus and generally live rather close to the bottom. Cichlasomines are not substrate sifters, hence go further up in the water column and hang a lot between branches and other structures.

 

[Mike Wise]

Not only that but breeding sites a generally very different. Cichlasomines are mostly open substrate spawners while geophagines are mostly secretive spawners or mouthbrooders.

 

[anewbie]

Yea - fyi provide a nice clean stone for it to deposit eggs. Though I suppose if it can't find one a nice piece of drift wood will work - mine always laid eggs in the same spot which was right next to the right side - i swear they were fertile as i thought i saw wriggling even if i never produced frys.

 

[Jwitho]

See I’m hesitant to go for a full breeding project, as even though I’m after a pair eventually, the fact they’re siblings isn’t something I want to chase
However I am already sourcing ‘new blood’ so to speak for the future

 

[anewbie]

See I’m hesitant to go for a full breeding project, as even though I’m after a pair eventually, the fact they’re siblings isn’t something I want to chase
However I am already sourcing ‘new blood’ so to speak for the future

To my knowledge there is no new blood. All the captive bred ones come from a very small set of parent fishes that were brought to (i think germany) via a collector. They have never been imported nor are they regularly collected.

 

[Jwitho]

Rock has been removed, and I’ve grabbed an extra piece of talawa wood to add more structure, also added in some bits of spider wood that has ferns attached, dumping a pit of flame moss in today after work too, lights will be running for 4 hours daily, and slowly adding more botanicals, including some magnolia leaves
Fish will be landing in store this weekend all being well, and will be coming home with me in the week

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

lights will be running for 4 hours daily

Run them for longer, at least eight hours, that may not be long enough (in duration) to support plant growth. Rather than 4 hours light, I'd look at that as "20 hours of darkness". Have a look at <"https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/photoperiod-v-intensity-yes-this-again-.76274/#post-770813">

Don't worry about algae growth, it is the <"triage argument">, active plant growth is the single most important factor in maintaining water quality.

If you want to dim the light? Use a floating plant as a "net curtain", have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">

Every plant has a "Light Compensation Point (LCP)" where photosynthesis and respiration are balanced. When photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is above the LCP the plant is a net oxygen producer and growth occurs, when light intensity doesn't reach LCP? The plant is a net oxygen user and slowly dying.

The plants should have reached LCP when the light was on, but that them has to sustain them for the twenty hours while the light is off.

cheers Darrel

 

[Jwitho]

Hi all,

Run them for longer, at least eight hours, that may not be long enough (in duration) to support plant growth. Rather than 4 hours light, I'd look at that as "20 hours of darkness". Have a look at <"https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/photoperiod-v-intensity-yes-this-again-.76274/#post-770813">

Don't worry about algae growth, it is the <"triage argument">, active plant growth is the single most important factor in maintaining water quality.

If you want to dim the light? Use a floating plant as a "net curtain", have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">

Every plant has a "Light Compensation Point (LCP)" where photosynthesis and respiration are balanced. When photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is above the LCP the plant is a net oxygen producer and growth occurs, when light intensity doesn't reach LCP? The plant is a net oxygen user and slowly dying.

The plants should have reached LCP when the light was on, but that them has to sustain them for the twenty hours while the light is off.

cheers Darrel

To be fair plant wise, it’s not actually going to be planted as such
Just the moss and the fern
And it’s in a cupboard which is why I was running the lights less, as it’s not actually going to a viewable tank so was thinking of saving a bit of money
My other tanks are all heavily heavily planted so I’m sure this tank won’t stay empty for long haha

 

[anewbie]

I run my lights from 8am to 5pm with 1 hour ramp up and 1 hour ramp down so 7 hours of full intensity - and it seems to be a good balance for most (all?) of my aquariums. I also run most of my lights on the dwarf cichild around 1/3 to 1/4 intensity so rather low and find it is more than enough lights for green plants at the bottom @ 18 inches. I do have the light on the 29 with s. repens a little brighter - maybe 1/3+ but i would have to double check - the last time i turned it down a few percent the repens actually did a bit better growing quite cleanly.

 

[Jwitho]

They’re here

 

[Jwitho]

Very happy to say that they’re looking fantastic, a group of 12 available
An absolute bucket list fish marked off

 

[anewbie]

Very happy to say that they’re looking fantastic, a group of 12 available
An absolute bucket list fish marked off

How time change; 3 or 4 years ago they were extremely rare but as people discovered how easy they were to breed they have flooded the market. They have some advantages over their cousins because of their extremely docile nature even when breeding though some would argue that this docility make them less interesting.

 

[Jwitho]

How time change; 3 or 4 years ago they were extremely rare but as people discovered how easy they were to breed they have flooded the market. They have some advantages over their cousins because of their extremely docile nature even when breeding though some would argue that this docility make them less interesting.

Tell me about it, it’s been a passion for 4 nearly 5 years now but sourcing them was next to impossible
It’s a shame seeing them become so “common” but to finally have some is still incredible for me

 

[anewbie]

Tell me about it, it’s been a passion for 4 nearly 5 years now but sourcing them was next to impossible
It’s a shame seeing them become so “common” but to finally have some is still incredible for me

If you want something rare and you are young and adventurous you can take a trip to sa and find something unique never before seen.

Having said that i myself have never gone to sa and at my current age it is not high on my list of adventures. Also in truth the world has become a very dangerous place and sadly (though understandably) americans are not welcome in many areas.

 

[Jwitho]

If you want something rare and you are young and adventurous you can take a trip to sa and find something unique never before seen.

Having said that i myself have never gone to sa and at my current age it is not high on my list of adventures. Also in truth the world has become a very dangerous place and sadly (though understandably) americans are not welcome in many areas.

I’m actually weighing up a SEA trip in the coming years, a colleague is very into his gastromyzons and hill streams
But yeah the world is definitely not the safest anymore, it’s a shame too!

 

[KenL]

How time change; 3 or 4 years ago they were extremely rare but as people discovered how easy they were to breed they have flooded the market. They have some advantages over their cousins because of their extremely docile nature even when breeding though some would argue that this docility make them less interesting.

I’ve never seen them anywhere. Would love to see them and perhaps keep them one day.

 

[KenL]

Very happy to say that they’re looking fantastic, a group of 12 available
An absolute bucket list fish marked off

How much are they selling for?

 

[anewbie]

How much are they selling for?

In the usa they sell for as little as $20 though $25 is more typical and higher for a bonded pair. A couple of years ago they were selling for $50 to $75 for a single fish - so quite a drop.

 

[Jwitho]

Been 24 hours in my care, taken blackworm yesterday no problem, and have been eating hikari vibrates tonight
I know they are a lot more common now than they used to be, but this is nearly 5 years of waiting and searching for this fish and to now own them is still amazing to me

 

[rasmusW]

It doesn’t really matter how rare or common a fish are. All that matters is, you do your best to take good care of them.

They are absolutely beautiful fish.

-r