My little occelatus tank

[Exiled]

Check out my occelatus tank! Here


What do you think?

 

[TheeMon]

nice

 

[Snuff]

I'm thinking you might be in trouble with my wife soon. I've got a 10 gallon sitting empty right now. With my new 55 getting set up, my wife wants me to get rid of the 30 I currently have.

Maybe I can compromise and get rid of the 30, and set up a 10 gallon ocellatus tank. This has really got me thinking, cuz I even have some sand left over from doing the 55, I could be on to something here. I just hope my wife sees it the same way!

I have a few questions tho. I did a search on the net, but didn't come up with much. What do you feed them? I read that you need 2 shells per fish, is this about right? What kind of shells are best? Also, what can I put with them? Sorry for so many questions, just exploring options right now.

Thanks for giving me an idea.

 

[Exiled]

Hi Snuff -- Well, Occelatus are loads of fun to watch. You're wife will agree once she see's em in action! I have a video of some occelatus behavior--give me your email address and I'll send it to you.

I feed them frozen brine shrimp and crushed dried shrimp, and sometimes some veggie flakes. --but they prefer the shrimp.

Any large mouthed shell works fine --the better ones are lightweight so the fish can move them around--yes, they actually put their shells where they want them---it's amazing! I only have one shell for each fish -- they chose which ones they liked and loyally stuck to them. The other shells were always ignored, so I took them out today when I cleaned the tank.

My 12 gallon is too small for other Tanganyikan fish so after much deliberation and exasperation I gave up and put in zebra danios which seem to be thriving even though the water is set up more like a rift lake's chemistry.
It also makes for an active tank.

If you've got the tank for 'em I highly reccomend them!

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Nicely done Exiled

 

[lelover]

Exiled sent me his occelatus clip with in minutes of my requesting it. It's a great clip of them digging in the sand. I guess he's got quite the collection of movies.

Thanks Exiled.

 

[fishy frenzy]

great tank like it lots

 

[Exiled]

Hehhe you mean SHE has a great collection...

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Hehhe you mean SHE has a great collection...

 

[lelover]

LOL ) Sorry! I don't know why I assumed that you were a man! Maybe I just thought a man would be more prone to throw his monitor out of an office window. Guess it's obvious I haven't been around very long.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Don't worry lelover, I laughed because I did the exact same thing

 

[lelover]

The funny thing is that I have always thought TheCichlidAddict was a "she" because whenever I read one of your posts a beautiful woman is staring at me. (Call me ignorant, but who is that?) I recently checked your profile and learned otherwise.

 

[~*Vigdís*~]

Love your tank Exile
how many Ocellatus do you have there?
Have you thought about breeding?

Great fish, I have a pair my self

 

[Exiled]

Hi Vigdis and welcome to the forum!!! I got your PM and will send out that video right now. I have lots of others as well--any other species you might be interested in?

Thanks! for the thumbs up. I have 5 occelatus in there right now and am waiting for them to pair up--then I'll either sell the outcast or start another occelatus tank. I would love to breed them--but they're still juvies. WHat I'm planning for after my 125 gallon and 55 gallon catfish tank is set up, is a 30 gallon long Tanganyikan Eretmodus cyanostictus Goby tank--now THOSE I will definatly be doing everything I can to breed.

 

[~*Vigdís*~]

Thank you for the quick reply
and the warm welcome

Can't think of any species now, but hope it will be okay 2
ask you about a video another time?

Your plan sounds great ,
I was sold an ocellatus pair myself.
If they ever did breed, they have split up now
atleast nothing is happening, ofcourse it might be
my nice julidochromis that are interfering but it looks great
that's what counts