Setting Up A 125 Gallon Malawi W/pics-going To 75 Usg Now

[dthoffsett]

Oh ,ok thanks. It must be the red variety Here. I will look into them and see if I can find them locally or if my LFS can order them. If not, I may have to mail order. Dawn, do you know anything of the Johannii that I posted about on the forum?

Yeah, the red variety is more common in the LFS trade, blue males in the trade are mostly wild-caught.

I'm not sure if the johannii can differentiate stripe patterns or not, but I think your tank is large enough to support both them and the afras.

 

[darrel69]

The site shows males as blue, but you usually find orange males in the hobby, they're quite rare in the wild (males are usually blue), but fishkeepers prefer the orange color so that's what has been bred.

Really ? Thats interesting. I never knew that.. How was that managed then ?? Turning males from blue to orange through breeding ??

 

[kj23502]

The site shows males as blue, but you usually find orange males in the hobby, they're quite rare in the wild (males are usually blue), but fishkeepers prefer the orange color so that's what has been bred.

Really ? Thats interesting. I never knew that.. How was that managed then ?? Turning males from blue to orange through breeding ??

Here's a link that talks about the color metamorphasis.

 

[darrel69]

Thanks for that kj..

So the colour of the males wasnt changed through breeding, but a cppl of the "rare" red coloured males were imported and used to breed all the red zebra's we have today..

But if the blue males are so popular in the wild, you'd think they'd be popular in the hobby aswell as the red males... Ive never seen one in places that stock wild caught.. or maybe i have but not noticed because of the colour LOL

 

[kj23502]

I just called my lfs and they are going to try and get 2 albino bristlenose plecs and 5-6 Metriaclima estherae. They said they'll call when they find them....fingers crossed.

--edit
I really need my plecs bad!! LOL As you can see from the video above. I do clean the front of the glass and sometimes the side. But it's too hard to clean the back...but my fish kinda eat at the back anyway.

Thanks again dawn! The orange will be a real nice contrast with the black slate and the black background I'll be putting on!

I'm still waiting for my intakes. I just got ahold of drsfosterandsmith and they're updating something right now, so she can't check on my order...go figure. She said it'll be back up tomorrow.

 

[dthoffsett]

Thanks for that kj..

So the colour of the males wasnt changed through breeding, but a cppl of the "rare" red coloured males were imported and used to breed all the red zebra's we have today..

But if the blue males are so popular in the wild, you'd think they'd be popular in the hobby aswell as the red males... Ive never seen one in places that stock wild caught.. or maybe i have but not noticed because of the colour LOL

I think its probably due to two things; there are a lot of blue mbuna so red/red species would be very desirable, and I imagine a lot of the blue males get misidentified at m.callainos as they are fairly similar.

I just called my lfs and they are going to try and get 2 albino bristlenose plecs and 5-6 Metriaclima estherae. They said they'll call when they find them....fingers crossed.

--edit
I really need my plecs bad!! LOL As you can see from the video above. I do clean the front of the glass and sometimes the side. But it's too hard to clean the back...but my fish kinda eat at the back anyway.

Thanks again dawn! The orange will be a real nice contrast with the black slate and the black background I'll be putting on!

I'm still waiting for my intakes. I just got ahold of drsfosterandsmith and they're updating something right now, so she can't check on my order...go figure. She said it'll be back up tomorrow.

You're welcome, looking forward to your next set of pics.

 

[kj23502]

I'll post new pics when either happens:

1) I get my intakes and change the background

2)I get the estherae and bristlenoses in (in which case I'll put my yellow labs into the 125 so the new fish can quaratine in the 29 gallon)

*I've been thinking about doing a journal when I switch over my 29 gallon tank to a planted SA Puffer and Bumble bee goby tank....nothing spectacular. Do you think people would like seeing it? I don't know if I should do it in the brackish or planted section, as it will have a sg of about 1.003-1.005 w/brackish fish, yet it will be semi-heavily planted???

 

[kj23502]

Two of my yello labs just died!! No idea what happened. I checked ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and they were 0, 0, and 10-20 respectivley.

I just did a 9 gallon water change after I took the 2 dead fish out. They never seemed sick and didn't look funny. I don't know what happened?

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Could of been killed? They aint the toughest of Mbuna

 

[kj23502]

They were still by themselves in the 29 gallon quarantine. One of them was one of my bigger ones. There were 5 total and now I'm at 3.

 

[dthoffsett]

They were still by themselves in the 29 gallon quarantine. One of them was one of my bigger ones. There were 5 total and now I'm at 3.

Unfortunately that occasionally happens. Since you've ruled out water issues and with no marks it obviously isn't aggression, it falls into the category of sudden unexplained death. That's part of the reason QT is a good idea, I'd definately keep a close eye on the remaining 3. If it is some sort of disease the stress of it starting and a new environment might have weakend the 2 and killed them before the appearance of symptoms. So, just watch the surviviors closely and you should be able to rule out disease in a couple of weeks.

 

[andyourblueblood]

this thread owns! i want a african tank now!!! i read every post like it was my job. it was just very interesting.

 

[kj23502]

Thanks Dthoffsett!

andyourblueblood: Just wait until I change stuff on my tank! Hopefully it'll look even better. Then wait untill ALL the fish are adults!!! Thanks for the compliments

 

[andyourblueblood]

Thanks Dthoffsett!

andyourblueblood: Just wait until I change stuff on my tank! Hopefully it'll look even better. Then wait untill ALL the fish are adults!!! Thanks for the compliments

i cant wait! please keep me posted.

 

[kj23502]

The 3 remaining yellow labs still seem alright. Their still doing the normal fishy stuff and look good.