Mbuna Ron

I'm doing some "digging" for substrate for a soon to be 130 gall. frontosa tank. I have tryed PFS, and gravel, as well as Tahitian Moon Sand. The TMS is fantastic, although very expensive. I would like to encourage the natural sand sifting behaviour of frontosa however I am not sold on PFS. It is messy and still is an issue with impellers. So I was wondering what experience anyone has had with arragonite. It is very expensive but looks to have many benefits. Comments please!

No absolutely none...plus the last 2 clusters of eggs occurred within one week of the first cluster. Actually the last two are slightly smaller eggs than the first one.

I do have one apple snail in there..do you think that is the source?

I have a 90 gall. heavily planted tank with diamond tetras, cardinal tetras., rainbows. a few danios, tiger barbs, gold barbs, a rosy barb, odessa barbs, clown loaches and bristlenose plecos. I just received a second and third batch of small white/clearish eggs attached to the top of val in clusters of about 25-30. The first batch has not hatched after about a week. Any idea of the source and what I can do to hatch them?? I do have a separate 10 gall. for fry grow-out I could put the eggs in.

I am going to try and move them into a 33 gall. then...4 transcriptus...looks like two pairs. Will they co-exist OK with two albino ruby reds than I am growing out?

They are transcriptus...looks like 2 males and 2 females. There is a forth daf. in the 33 that has been pushed into the top rear of the tank ..looks like a female. The male has not attacked her but forces her to stay there. Should I move her into the 10 with the 4 transcriptus? Still a non-related question about a cluster of 30ish eggs attached to an Amazon. It has been over a week and nothing yet...how long does it take? I think they are bristlenose but not sure. Got fry happening in almost every tank! Next will be the Brevis

I guess I'll have to do it. In order to remove the julie's I'll have to destroy the two territories in the 33 to catch them. What will be the impact of this? Will four julies (2pairs) be ok in a 10 gall ? Thanks for your advice!

Thank Neil. All of a sudden I've got fry everywhere in that tank...kind of neat..2 separate territories both full of fry. the brichardi are definately keeping the Julies in their place. I'll crush some of the NLS growth and send it their way. If the Julies could get to them, would they eat the brichardi fry?

OK here is the situation..I have a 33 gall with 4 daffodil's and 4 julie's. Turns out the one stud was busy and a small female had 8 fry...very small. Good parents as they guarded the fry well and kept the julie's away. Today my other female daffodil had fry as well (about 12-15) in the opposite end of the tank. The forth daffodil is banished behind a plant in the centre while the alpha male controls the tank. Question 1. I thought the male daffodil paired with one female for life! Question 2. Do I leave the fry in the tank and feed them cyclopeze with an eye-dropper or.... move them to a separate 10 gallon? Situation 2. In my 90 gall planted tank I have about 30 eggs clustered behind an amazon leaf ....been like that for over a week. I figure they are from my bristlenose Plecos...nothing is happening...could they not be fertilized? Lots of egg-citing questions !!

Looks Great Harold. Makes me want to hang out in your lobby ...now all you need is a Tim Horton's coffee dispenser! :hey:

I have had good success with my 90 with the same dimensions growing plants. Most of the plants you mentioned are low light anyways. What made a difference was injecting C02 and a suitable substrate. 2-2.5 watts per gallon with 4 5500+ bulbs should be more than adequate! My tank is overrun with plants and I have to thin it out frequently.

I have a 90 gall. with Pseudotropheus Demansoni and Msobo Magunga, a 72 gall. with Labidochromis caureleus, auloncara Lawanda, auloncara rubenscens, auloncara stuartgranto Ngara, crytocara moori, a 33gall, Tang tank with juliochromis transcriptus, nelamprologus brichardi(daffodil) a 33 gall. Victoria tank with haplochromis Obliquidens, a 10 gallon fry tank..thinking about a shellie tank and another 90 gall heavily planted barb tank

Just one other question about PFS and sand in general...I read somewhere that sand can trap harmful bacteria underneath unlike gravel ...anyone know anything about this :well:

I've done that! ..just picked up some Haplochromis obliquidens (Lake Victoria) and put them in this tank. Man are they having fun in the sand! :w00t:

Alright I'm trying PFS for the first time in one of my aquariums. I've used gravel in all my other aquariums with no problems. Gold's warns against PFS because of HOB problems however I know sand is more natural for "sand-sifting fish." So...aside from not using the lower extension on the AC are there any other measures that can be taken to prevent sand from wrecking the impeller/motor?....foam on intake or...

Wow! That is amazing. I have been watching the 4 julie's and 4 daffodil's in this tank and they already are sorting out territory. They are demonstrating more "personality" than most of my fish and are very interesting to observe. Have yours bred yet? What are you feeding them (NLS Growth)?

Just out of curiosity, how many tanks do you have? Is there any point to building such a vast network of caves then?

I'll watch for that. I've built a three foot stretch of shale caves. With so many spots is it possible that the non-paired fish don't have to be removed? ... and is removal temporary or a permanent banishment?

Thanks Rahim. I went over to Golds and checked with Dennis. I picked up 4 julidochromis ornatus and 4 neolamprologus pulcher (daffodil) juvi's. I also have a bristlenose in the tank....lots of shale caves. It is now an interesting tank. ...could I put in 2-3 leleupi as well? Ron

OK- I'll be more specific I was hoping for cyps....cyprichromis leptosoma would be ideal. Maybe 2-3 leleupi, synodontis petricola, tanganicodos irsacae?, Julidochromis ornatus are some suggestions I've read about for a small aquarium

I have a 33 gallon waiting for some fry to rear. I thought I would try a species from Lake Tanganyika. Does anyone have any to sell? I am open to suggestions!

The tank and cabinet look fantastic! An awesome transformation. I'm glad to see it was put to good use. Are you putting cichlids in there after cycling is done? Where did you get the pool sand? ...any issues with sand in your filter? As for me I picked up a bunch of peacocks from Paul. They are in my grow tank. They will be heading to my next tank which I decided will be either another 90 or a 120....soon to be set up. This for sure will be my last

Looks like a great selection of mbuna, Karen. You are going to need a fry tank in no time. The Black sand really brings out the colour in the fish. Are those aquaclear 500's in the back and an XP3?? Looks like lots of filtration

The demansoni's are a wonderful mbuna to keep. They are quite aggressive, yet don't seem to pursue their fry to the same extent as others. I have over 30 in my 90 gallon and often see fry venture daringly from the shale. Perhaps the combination of having a large tank, lots of shale, and lots of demansoni give them a sense of security. Also, I have pseudo. msobo magunga in this tank. I am hoping that they will produce fry soon and am wondering how the demans oni will react to them. In my fry tank I have mixed demansoni with electric yellow and dolphin fry. So far so good.

Thanks! This is great information. I am definately going to adjust the way I raise my fry. I just may need another tank ...have to think of a way to break it to my wife. The last 90 gallon I bought, I use the shock method..just bought it and brought it home.. :bang1: