My Bn's Arrived Safely....

[Ludwig Venter]

I ordered 5 adult golden BN's from Capetown (some 1,800km from where I live) and they were dispatched by road courier yesterday..... I expect them to arrive in less than 2 hours from now......

I am so afraid to open the box & find dead fish in there.....(they include one breeding pair as well)....26 hours on the road. I hope they make it fine.

 

[Jnoosh]

Why didn't you get them more locally anyway?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Why didn't you get them more locally anyway?

I live in SA..... (way off the highways & byways - no decent local lfs near me)..... I had to search for them on the internet (for many months, and finally found someone who had them for sale)...... Only ones I could find (adults)

 

[Squidward]

Ludwig,

I hope they make it to you ok.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

They travelled well and does not look stressed at all.... when I released them, they immediately got working on the ornaments and caves.... 2 males and 3 females.

A few quick photos I got in just in time before the camera batteries went flat.

 

[ZoddyZod]

good to see they handled the journey well.

Say goodbye to your algae in that tank. My juvenile stripped the entire tank clean of brown algae in less than 3 days.

 

[redbug]

they are very hardy fish
I have gotten them in the mail after a 3 day trip and they did fine.
good luck with your breeding

 

[Squidward]

Good to hear they arrived safely.
Am sure it won't be long until they are breeding.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Good to hear they arrived safely.
Am sure it won't be long until they are breeding.

Well, I paid the little bit extra, because the sender claims that there is a breeding pair included in the batch, (last breed being 4 weeks ago) but I have not yet noticed any one giving preference to any other, so I assume I have to be patient.....

I have now moved them to a bigger tank (situated outside)... so they'll be exposed to natural daylight (and night-time), but I also provided some dark spots where they can retrieve to during daylight hours.....

Despite all the dark spots provided….. The big guy still prefers this daylight spot.

Update on BN Breeding setup

 

[Tolak]

Looks good Lud! Some driftwood, run some peat in the filter, feed blanched zucchini. It seems once they settle in & start breeding it's continuous, I've had a pair going for better than 18 months now. Natural light means natural algae, a good thing for them. Often after moving it will throw them off spawning, this is the only way I've found to stop them when I start to get overrun.

These are a staple at nearly every auction I've been to. They don't sell for real big money, but they consistently sell well. They do ship real good, hardy in that respect. Get them breeding & you may corner the market down there!

 

[Ludwig Venter]

The upright dark piece just left of the heater is a driftwood log...... W.r.t. peat however..... what I have available at the moment is :

Bark chippings used in Terrariums for lizards etc.

Peat for use in Tarantula cages….

Potting soil peat

Can any of these be used

 

[Tolak]

I get the cheapest peat moss I can find at the gardening center, it's a standard garden product. The cheap stuff doesn't have any fertilizer, gets used in the garden as well as the fishroom.

I would imagine the tarantula peat is fish safe if it's safe for spiders. I'm liking those bark chips, seems like a cheap alternative to driftwood, which can be pricey at times.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I get the cheapest peat moss I can find at the gardening center, it's a standard garden product. The cheap stuff doesn't have any fertilizer, gets used in the garden as well as the fishroom.

I would imagine the tarantula peat is fish safe if it's safe for spiders. I'm liking those bark chips, seems like a cheap alternative to driftwood, which can be pricey at times.

So my wife was running out of "laddered" silk stockings, (which I get to use in the tanks).... so I organised a pair...... (please don't tell)..... I cut off the toe section and filled it with the bark chippings (knotted the other side) and put it in my Cascade filter.....

It is now 2 days, and the water has a reddish/brown tint to it and looks healthy...... Tonight, I added a (rather) strong flowing sponge filter about 1" below the water surface.... A steady, strong stream is flowing in the length of the tank..... I'm also feeding bloodworms (approximately every 4th (late) evening (dusk)........

(will the fish prefer the upside down (plastic) flowerpots with slot cut in..... or the pottery (open ended) tunnels??
I seriously want to breed these....... Am I on the right track

 

[Tolak]

I've always had the best luck with inverted clay saucers with a notch taken out. Somehow these seem to vanish from my wife's outdoor planting supplies, go figure!

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Surely, if there is an "alledged" breeding pair in there, I should have at least 2 of the five showing preference towards each other???.....

ATM, I have 5 individual fish in there, each doing his/her own thing...... Could they have become "unmarried" (divorced) during the trauma of transport and transfer..... or am I just too hasty