Cap'n

I actually think it was from the SPS releasing toxins from an uncomfortable move which just snowballed until the inhabitants themselves killed each other. It happens sometimes with the sensitive yet deadly creatures corals can be.

Foam might be OK to use if you had the solid styrospan, but not the beaded styrene. Take it out and replace it with eggcrate. It's lighter, stronger and more functional.

Volume is the way it works. The price of a sheet of acrylic / glass would go down considerably if you were to buy 100's of sheets instead of one. Also factor in the labour cost. Someone who builds tanks for a living could easily be 10 times faster than yourself and offer 10 tanks for sale opposed to your single one. My suggestion is to get a bit of glass, make an ugly but functional patch and use the tank as a sump, grow-out tank, reptile cage, etc. Or sell it to someone who will.

toss it

I might be interested in some white polyps. Would you be interested in a kenya tree coral frag in trade?

Rahim and Kyle, deal and deal! pm me with details. Thanks guys! Tim

Thanks for the info, Rahim. I don't imagine the cyps will be breeding any time soon. It looks like a couple of the mid-size fish are colouring up more than the largest ones, which I assumed were males, so I really don't know how many of each sex I have. I will be selling the loaches, the pair of marlieri and possibly the caudopunks. May be interested in a trade for a smaller julie.

I have only one picture, and it's black and white Believe they are the regular orange variety, Kigoma. They look very much like the ones you posted the picture of in your other thread. Perhaps a bit more blue to the lips, but that may come with age.

I think the punks are 1 male and 2 females, but just a guess for now. C. leptosoma Utinta Bay, purchased from Chums. I believe you got yours from the same spawn, didn't you? Have they coloured up yet? A few of mine are just starting to show a good blue irridescence. Loaches are already claimed. I am getting rid of the loaches and the J. marlieri. I may replace the loaches with petricola, but I'm going to wait and see what I think of the tank without them for a while. Hey Rahim, can you remember what I paid you for the marlieri?

So I asked my wife last night, "Which ones would you get rid of?". She said anything but the julies, which are the one species I was prepared to part with. I would love to trade them for a smaller julie so I could more accurately observe their behaviour swimming through the rockwork, but that wouldn't get me any further ahead. RD, my old roomate had breeding leleupi in with his frontosa, and they are the reason I got into Tanganyikans. I agree, love to see a bunch of little yellow firecrackers swimming through the rocks again. As far as aggression goes, the comps are pretty tame, especially the big male. Everyone basically stays out of his way because of his size and the only ones he pushes around are the two females. The leleupi, on the other hand, are mean SOB's! The female is constantly harassing and fighting with the female comps and the male has at some point bit every other fish in the tank. Nothing serious though, since the remaining occelatus and the odd female loopie were dispatched or removed. Maybe I should just offer everything for sale and let the market decide! BTW, since I started feeding NLS I know exactly how many fish I have, because every time I walk by the tank they all come out to see if it is feeding time yet!

I know a great home for them! As far as I know, they could disrupt any tankmates breeding, but it's not a given that they will. You take your chances with them in your tank. If you are interested in selling (or trading) let me know. Tim

One thing to note is the difference between the silver arrowana and the asian. The silver can be had relatively inexpensive ($12 for babies, $100 for sub-adult). They are pretty common in the wild and from breeders. Asians, on the other hand, are very hard to breed, usually done in large ponds where the population and genetic pool is strictly regulated. I believe this is only done in the asian countries, so all fish available here must make a huge trip first. The colours available have a direct impact on the cost of the fish as well. Just like koi, rare colours demand, a high price. The time and effort to get a blue and red specimen like the beauty Toirtos posted is worth (to some) 10's of thousands of dollars. And finally, the prestige. Old beliefs dictate that the owner of an asian arrowana will have longevity and success. Some take folklore very seriously and are willing to fork out the dough to buy it. Personally, I plan to own a silver arrowana some day. I will pay less than $20 for one and within a few years own a fish to rival that seen in most fish-keepers homes. No way you could convince me to pay more than $1000 for ANY fish, no matter how rich I was.

3 A. compressiceps (adult wild caught trio) 2 N. leleupi (mated pair) 2 J. marlieri (mated pair) 3 N. caudopunctatus (sub-adults, not paired off) 8 C. leptosoma (sub-adults) 3 clown loaches (want to replace with S. petricola) 2 bristlenose plecos I would like to have some of these fish breed but that is not the purpose of the tank. I want to have a nice Tanganyikan community and if I also get babies, even better. I may consider seperating any breeding pairs if that happens. The male (small) julie hides in a cave near the top of one rockpile while the female (larger) is usually on the ground level. Beautiful fish but not active enough for my liking. I would actually prefer a smaller species of julie for this tank, but I won't even consider that now. I have to keep reminding myself to thin! Pretty sure the marlieri will be for sale soon. Both the julies and comps have bred for their previous owner but have yet to do so in my tank. Probably because it is too busy! The comps are showing lots of mating behaviour, though, so I am being patient with them. I know the petricolas will probably disrupt any breeding or eat babies, but what if the eggs are laid in a shell or the fry are able to hide in small rock piles where the synos won't fit? I will also remove some of the fry to breeder tanks or nets if I can. I really want something to pick up any food extras and they will also kind of finish off the community. Loaches will be for sale. I know I should get rid of one more of the rock dwellers, but that means the leleupi or the caudos, and I can't bring myself to do it. The leleupi have definately become a pair and I would not be surprised to see babies any time now. That, and their beautiful colour compared to the other more drab fish makes me want to keep them. On the other hand the punks are such a distinct contrast from the other fish - always on display, attractive colouration. And they are a new species for me. So I can't decide. Thanks for the advice and for listening to me complain about having too much of a good thing, Kyle.

It's a 55 with lots of shale rockwork on either side of the tank with a small sandbed in between. The comps, leleupi and julies all have their own caves or shells and coexist pretty well, although the julies are seldom seen, especially the male. Adding the punks and the loaches put me over the top. I regret the loaches, they just don't fit in. But the punks look great in there! and that's why I'm in this position.

My tank is too full and I need to get rid of fish. I want to keep all of them so I am having a hard time deciding what goes. Any advice? 3 A. compressiceps 2 N. leleupi 2 J. marlieri 3 N. caudopunctatus 8 C. leptosoma 3 clown loaches (want to replace with S. petricola) 2 bristlenose plecos

Oh yeah, I would take that rock and put it on the sand by itself. That's the way I keep my GSP's. Best way to enjoy them instead of fighting the plague.

That's amazing. Great design to incorporate a beautiful stand and an in-wall tank.

You could interview the member of the month, at least to start with. Once they start repeating just have a moderator choose someone else. I think the choice of interviewer would be a more difficult decision. Anybody have experience? Maybe that position could rotate as well, possibly through volunteers, people who know a bit about the person and could steer the conversation the right way, moderators, etc. Cool idea.

Shrimp are wierd that way! I'm always chasing my cleaners out of the way when I'm moving stuff in the tank. Good for cleaning out any wounds, though!

Anybody else have an opinion?

Have you considered a canister filter with a surface skimmer attachment? It would be constantly removing the surface layer of water as opposed to only during water changes.

Right on! Welcome to your new addiction! Good luck.

Yep, thinking of moving them from the 15g hex to the 55. Also considering replacing the marlieri with a smaller julidichromis. They just don't seem comfortable in there. I think a smaller species might be happier with all the rockwork. Off topic, I know, but what do you think? Hey Rahim, you bored of my buescheri yet?

Agreed, Chad did a fantastic job! First tank I've seen that made me consider a nano. You won't be able to have it viewable from all four sides if you do the outside overflow.

The occelatus I had in my Tang. community tank were picked on too much by the leleupi and were removed. I am considering adding my caudopunctatus instead. My thought is that the puncts would fare better as they are more of a rock dweller and would utilise more of the tank than the occies. What do you think?