Sixty Gallon Journal

Entry #24
a. thomasi are getting bolder. They are out and about more, although the caves are a favorite spot to lounge. A hierarchy is being created in the tank or it is the males chasing the females around. I cannot discern sexual dimorphism so I cannot be certain. As I mentioned in another post, the fish are really coloring up. Next week I will order my dither fish and a pair of Pelvicachromis kribensis Idenau or Pelvicachromis pulcher Ndonga. I can’t decide. But the Ndonga in Muddy Water’s tank were gorgeous.

Entry #25
Anomalochromis thomasi hide when I approach with food or camera. I am hoping they become more bold when dither fish are added next week.

Entry #26
a. thomasi have been with me for almost 4 weeks. The six fish are doing well. The group has staked out claims to different sections of the tank. This will soon be disrupted. Today I placed an order for a pair of wc Pelvicachromis pulcher Ndonga from The Wet Spot. I was unable to obtain p. Kribensis taeniatus Moliwe. I waited 3 months but lost patience today. But I was taken by Muddy Waters’ pair of p. pulcher Ndonga. I also ordered 6 wc Alestopetersius caudalis (yellow tail Congo tetras) as my dither fish. The excitement builds.

Entry #27
Six Alestopetersius caudalis and a pair of Pelvicachromis pulcher Ndonga arrived overnight from The Wet Spot. A warming unit was in the box along with the fish which was a good idea since the temperature outside was quite chilly. The fish seem in good health but with no color. This is to be expected since there is much stress in the shipping process. The yellow tail Congo tetras are shoaling nicely. So far they are swimming in the lower third of the water column, which is unexpected. The p. pulchers found caves and are lying low. I will give the new guys a few days to color up before taking pics.

Entry #28
I have not seen the pair of Pelvicachromis pulcher-Ndonga since placing them in the tank. The Congo tetras continue to shoal together but in the bottom third of the water column. The six a. thomasi (butterfly cichlids) don’t seem to mind the presence of the tetras in their space, and some shoal with the tetras. Other than the green of the plants, the only colors of the fauna are silver and black. This may change once p. pulchers feel secure enough to appear.

Entry #29
The pair of p. pulcher Ndonga are still MIA. I am impatient to see what they look like. The yellowtail Congo tetras are quite active, but skittish when I approach the tank. The butterfly cichlids (a. thomasi) are around and about, and are less afraid of my presence. The tetras and p. pulcher pair are wild caught, maybe accounting for their skittish behavior.