S and then NSS: Frontosa

[DarkFury]

First the suckage: Over the past 6 months... 3 of my biggest Frontosa died. Pretty much I had gotten a new "Alpha male" Front and he more or less stressed out everyone in the tank and pretty much killed off a majority of my Frontosas.


Now the "Not so Suckage"... I got in touch with the local breeder who provided me with a few of the original Fronts I had and he sold me six 4 - 6 inch Fronts for $15 each.... he even tossed in a free one for my time and gas to drive out to Terre Haute, IN (about 90 miles away) where he lives. (In the local pets stores, fronts this size go for around $30 - $50 each) Not a bad deal for $90 plus $15 in gas spent.

So now I have a new colony of Juvenile Frontosa... the only downside is that it is gonna take about 1 - 2 years before they are mature enough for breeding. Oh well... it sucks to have to start over, but at least it was nice of him to hook me up like that. :D

[Airencracken]

Got|Pics?

[TofuNinja]

sooo DarkFury is a Ciclid guy

[DarkFury]

Got|Pics?
Maybe later... I ended up rearranging the tank and taking most of my lava rock out, so right now the tank isn't lookin' all that pretty.

Here's an older pic... of what it used to look like though:

http://www.dfdesignz.net/misc/tank125.jpg


sooo DarkFury is a Ciclid guy
Always have been.... all the way back to when I started with "Angelfish" :D

[Airencracken]

How many Gal is that? Looks purdy nice btw!

[DarkFury]

How many Gal is that? Looks purdy nice btw!
125 gallons... with about 200 lbs of rock and 100 lbs of gravel in it

[TofuNinja]

that is a sweet tank. THe only thing I don't like about Ciclids is that they get huge. Other than that they have the best color out of all the Freshwater fish

[ufcrusher]

Man, I can just imagine that set up as a nice reef tank. :)



I thought you had several different tanks set up. Once you started losing some of the fish from stress you should have moved a couple of them out to another tank for a while and rearranged your rockwork. By rearranging a tank on an aggressive/territorial fish they no longer perceive an area as their territory and try to re-establish it....thus giving the stressed out fish a chance to give as good as they got. But, I know you know that.

Sorry you had several losses, but at least you did get a good deal. I never bothered with the Africans.....always liked my South Americans.....definitely different personalities.

So are you running Tanganika, Malwai, or Victorian cichlids exlusively? They have slightly different tolerances and I was always taught to keep it in one lake.

[DarkFury]

that is a sweet tank. THe only thing I don't like about Ciclids is that they get huge. Other than that they have the best color out of all the Freshwater fish
Not all cichlids get huge...

If all you want is some "color" and you want them to stay small... there are several types of psuedotropheus, labidichromis, and melanochromis species that have nice color but don't get large.

You too.. .can own cichlids. :D


Man, I can just imagine that set up as a nice reef tank. :)



I thought you had several different tanks set up. Once you started losing some of the fish from stress you should have moved a couple of them out to another tank for a while and rearranged your rockwork. By rearranging a tank on an aggressive/territorial fish they no longer perceive an area as their territory and try to re-establish it....thus giving the stressed out fish a chance to give as good as they got. But, I know you know that.

Sorry you had several losses, but at least you did get a good deal. I never bothered with the Africans.....always liked my South Americans.....definitely different personalities.

So are you running Tanganika, Malwai, or Victorian cichlids exlusively? They have slightly different tolerances and I was always taught to keep it in one lake.
Nah.. I'm not a "saltwater" guy. I spend enough time with my hobbies... and salt just would be too much for me.

And yes.. I do have eight tanks... filled with all kinds of fish which wouldn't necessarily mix with a full grown Frontosa adult. Pretty much, there wasn't anywhere else to move those guys too... they are in my biggest tank. My next biggest (a 75 gallon) has some smaller frontosa, some labs, and some Tanganyikan Compressiceps in there. I surely didn't want to move the "refugees" over there.

I have both Tanganyikans and Malawians.... and personally, I hear all that talk of keeping them separate, but honestly, it just depends. My labs can mix with just about anything. They are "easy going"... I wouldn't mix pseudos with Peacocks or Frontosa... however Peacocks, Frontosa and Labs get along fine.

I also have "species" tanks where I only have one type of fish in the tank (like my Daffodil Brachardi colony or my Julidichromis Transcriptus colony). I just started a Black Calvus colony as well. Pretty much, you just have experience which fish can live together.. even if they don't do that in nature.

[Hoser]

DarkFury, how long does it take you to clean all those tanks? Is there a trick to making a tank stay cleaner longer?

[TofuNinja]

oh and do you name your fish? and talk baby talk to them? My friend talks to his fish, he'll do it right in front of me, then deny it.

[ufcrusher]

Nah.. I'm not a "saltwater" guy. I spend enough time with my hobbies... and salt just would be too much for me.



You are kidding me right? Generally saltwater tanks arent going to take any more time/effort then your rift lake cichlids. You already are monitoring your pH and salt levels very carefully. So long as you dont go small (I wouldnt go any smaller than a 29 gallon if you are a marine virgin) you wont have that much difficulty. It starts to get morfe intricate when you go from a fish only or fish only with live rock set up to a reef type tank.

Currently I am going nuts because my tank has decided to go crazy and spike for no visible reason. 2 water changes and an extra carbon installed and its a waiting game until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal because I am picking up a new coral on Friday. Right after I made the deal, the tank went haywire. :shrug: Then again, I am doing a 10 gallon minireef...which is why a little thing like a little extra food laying around can change the water quality in a few hours.

[DarkFury]

DarkFury, how long does it take you to clean all those tanks? Is there a trick to making a tank stay cleaner longer?
Yes.. there are "tricks to the trade".

#1 - You NEVER completely strip an aquarium down to clean it (unless you are about to move it or move out.)

#2 - The Python "No Spill, Clean and Fill" water hose is the best thing to happen to the Aquatic hobby since "flake food".

http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20030305234512/www.drsfostersmith.com/images/products/large/p_157307_20996P_32.jpg

#3 - Using the Python, I can clean all 8 of my aquariums in approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours. I usually only siphon out about 25% - 50% of the water out at one time in each tank... I never drain them below 50%. Then I can refill them directly back from the kitchen sink to the tank... with a generous squirt of "Stress Coat" to kill the Chlorine and Chloramines Back in the old days... it would take me almost 45 mins with one big tank and a 5 gallon bucket but now it is a breeze.

#4 - Balance the fish load of your tank with scavengers. Catfish and Plecostomus are your best friends here. They eat most of the leftover food on the bottom and take care of some of the algea in the tank. I only have to worry about scrubbing the really hard algea that gets into the scratches and divots in the glass... my plecos really do a good job of keeping the tank "looking clean".

#5 - I am a filtration nut. Each larger tank has at least 2 to 3 filters on it and I run all 3 types of filtration (mechanical, chemical and biological). When you have your tanks in balance and cycling properly (controlling the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels) then you really don't have many maintenance issues to worry about and the tanks tend to stay looking cleaner longer.


If you have any questions regarding how to take care of freshwater aquariums... feel free to ask. :D


oh and do you name your fish? and talk baby talk to them? My friend talks to his fish, he'll do it right in front of me, then deny it.
Hell naw... I got too many fish for that.

Although back in the day... I did have one Oscar that acted like a "puppy". I could've named him... but I didn't. :D

[DarkFury]

You are kidding me right? Generally saltwater tanks arent going to take any more time/effort then your rift lake cichlids. You already are monitoring your pH and salt levels very carefully. So long as you dont go small (I wouldnt go any smaller than a 29 gallon if you are a marine virgin) you wont have that much difficulty. It starts to get morfe intricate when you go from a fish only or fish only with live rock set up to a reef type tank.

Currently I am going nuts because my tank has decided to go crazy and spike for no visible reason. 2 water changes and an extra carbon installed and its a waiting game until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal because I am picking up a new coral on Friday. Right after I made the deal, the tank went haywire. :shrug: Then again, I am doing a 10 gallon minireef...which is why a little thing like a little extra food laying around can change the water quality in a few hours.
No, I am not kidding you...

When running a larger saltwater aquarium... there are just so many more things that you have to watch out for that can go wrong and mess up everything. Freshwater tanks are just more forgiving with regards to pH, hardness, etc...

I had a friend that was running 3 50 gallon tubs of preparted salt water for his tanks... just watching him mess with all that extra work convinced me that I just don't want to go the saltwater route. Plus... I have expensive tastes and the saltwater fish I'd like to have are WAY out of my budget range for what I am willing to spend on a pet.

With my freshwater tanks... I don't even bother monitoring my pH and hardness levels. The water here in Indy is naturally hard... and that's exactly how my African Cichlids love it. I know I have my ammonia cycle levels in balance so I don't even bother testing those as well. As long as I maintain my normal maintenance, I generally don't have much to worry about with my tanks. They are almost "fire and forget". :D Salt is anything but "fire and forget".

I agree that saltwater fish are pretty... but honestly, I just don't want the hassle the goes with them. On top of that, most of the members of my Aquarium club don't even bother with saltwater fish either, so there are not many benefits there either as compared to freshwater fish.

[TofuNinja]

ooooo The Python, those things are powerfully good :) So do you talk to your fish? You didn't answer that part.

Also are you into African Ciclids or South American or both.... just curious.

EDIT: GORRAMIT, I just read the post above this... you have Africans..... duh read Tofu Read hahaha

[DarkFury]

No... I don't talk to my fish. They don't have ears. :D

Now my cat on the other hand... is a different story. :heh:

[TofuNinja]

hahahaha I had a betta that I use to talk to.... don't know why, but I'd talk to him while I fed him.

[ufcrusher]

No, I am not kidding you...

When running a larger saltwater aquarium... there are just so many more things that you have to watch out for that can go wrong and mess up everything. Freshwater tanks are just more forgiving with regards to pH, hardness, etc...

I had a friend that was running 3 50 gallon tubs of preparted salt water for his tanks... just watching him mess with all that extra work convinced me that I just don't want to go the saltwater route. Plus... I have expensive tastes and the saltwater fish I'd like to have are WAY out of my budget range for what I am willing to spend on a pet.



DF-- Now you have me curious...what the heck is your friend doing to his water that has you running scared? I cannot think of anything that he would have to do that would be that labor/time intensive. I always mix my saltwater as needed...done it that way for at least 19 years.

Testing is done daily when you first set up the tank, but after it cycles you can go to once or twice a week. Salinity is measured at the same time or if you notice a large amount of evaporation.

[TofuNinja]

oooooooo The Fresh Water v Salt Water debate I love it ;)

[DarkFury]

No debate here.... I just ain't gonna bother with it. :D

My friend had a 180 gallon tank... and those 3 50 gallon tubs were his means to do water changes. Mixing the salt... just ain't for me I guess and monitoring specific gravity, running the protein skimmer, and all the other stuff just ain't my bag man.

[GracieBayb]

AWESOME tank df!! :)

[DarkFury]

AWESOME tank df!! :)
Heh.. TANK you very much! :D

[Showtime]

*Must resist temptation to start that hobby again. Too much $$$ and no room for a tank.*
:idea:
Df, is ok if I vicariously through you, as far the fish tank goes. Well that and the pimp stuff. ;)

More pics plz.

-j

[ufcrusher]

No debate here.... I just ain't gonna bother with it. :D

My friend had a 180 gallon tank... and those 3 50 gallon tubs were his means to do water changes. Mixing the salt... just ain't for me I guess and monitoring specific gravity, running the protein skimmer, and all the other stuff just ain't my bag man.

Well, to each their own. I never bothered with Rift Lake cichlids because I preferred my South Americans and Salt tanks.

[doolittle]

Nice looking tank DF. chiclids from island of mumbua have always been my favorite, its the closest thing you can get to saltwater fish without the hassle of a salt tank. they are entertaining and colorfull and easy to breed. though they are aggressive when they mature and kill each other off, there are methods of balancing the fish. chiclids are a rock fish and enjoy lots of places to hide in your tank, they do get territorial so changing your decorations around regularly will cut down on some of the violence, unless you are breeding them, the little ones need a good framilliar place to hide. a good rule of thumb is to have one male of each species and the rest females. they also get along well with different species of loaches. if you do add loaches to your tank, i would recomend adding 5-10 or more of the same species at a time. chiclids also prefer longer rectangle tank rather than tall square or hexigon tank. just a few tips i have learned over the years.

[TofuNinja]

haha oh come on you know a brother is gonna pick Africans over South Americans....ciclids

I keed I keed

[DarkFury]

Ok.. here are some new photos. Sorry about the quality, but honestly my digital camera is not suitable to taking fish pics. I need a camera that can "stop the action" quicker.

http://www.circlecityaqclub.org/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/normal_125gallon01.jpg

http://www.circlecityaqclub.org/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/normal_75gallon01.jpg

http://www.circlecityaqclub.org/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/normal_56gallon01.jpg

I rearranged the rock structure in my 125 tank... by adding some 4" PVC T-Connectors to form caves and the base of my rock structure. So far, I think the Frontosa like their new "condos" :heh:

http://www.circlecityaqclub.org/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/normal_125gallon03.jpg

http://www.circlecityaqclub.org/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/normal_125gallon02.jpg

[BrewMaster]

nice tanks DF. cichlids were always my favorite fish to keep when we had tanks.

now I find it much easier to have a parrot. no water changes to worry about and I can play with him!

[DarkFury]

nice tanks DF. cichlids were always my favorite fish to keep when we had tanks.

now I find it much easier to have a parrot. no water changes to worry about and I can play with him!
Parrots are too noisy for me... and DESTRUCTIVE!!! I've seen bored parrots do horrible things to furniture and furnishings (if they aren't on "lock down"...and even then, some of the smarter ones know how to pick the locks. :eek: )