Go Big or Go Home!

I buy all my sand from here....they have glass display bottles of each size of sand so you can see it before you buy it

looking around for videos on fish habitat can find some amazing things anyone with a salt setup will find this very interesting I just wonder if this could be used in a tank environment http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/...oral-apvin.html

managed to get everything I wanted and a few things I didnt know I wanted till my hand went up :smokey: snuck away with a raffle filter and a new unused 105 for half of retail made a steal on some plecos picked up enough bags to last till next auction and found the food i was going to order online I was just amazed at the low prices at the end ,, I guess people hit spending limits about 3/4 way through :boxer: overall I had a blast and so did the wife thanks goes out to those who made it happen and to those who voluntered :thumbs:

for those going to the auction to buy....1 more sleep for me and those selling at the auction NO more sleeps

I use a black filter on the intake (had one ..used it ) multies were spitting sand in that corner and had it piled right up to the bottom of the intake (in one day) noticed a grinding noise from the filter and had to replace impeller lesson learned :smokey:

Every time I see a 10g I think shell dwellers....I can watch mine for hours :smokey:

ml and cc are the same thing :smokey: Cc´s & Ml´s & Teaspoonfuls and Tablespoonfuls... Liquids are measured in teaspoonfuls, tablespoonfuls, ml´s, cc´s , ounces, quarts and gallons. 1 cc is equivalent to 1 ml 1 teaspoonful is equivalent to 5 ml or cc 3 teaspoonfuls are equivalent to 1 tablespoonful 1 tablespoonful is equivalent to 15 ml or cc 1 ounce is equivalent to 30 ml or cc 16 ounces are equivalent to 1 pint 2 pints are 1 quart and 4 quarts are 1 gallon

Sciaenochromis fryeri, The Electric Blue Hap article by Dave Schumacher photo by Dave Hansen Sciaenochromis fryeri was not formally described until 1993, when Ad Konings revised the entire genus Sciaenochromis in an article for volume 3 of the Cichlid Yearbook. Despite the relatively new description, S. fryeri has been in the hobby for many years. There is still a great deal of confusion amongst hobbyists about the correct name for the fish. To make things even more confusing, most (if not all!) of the names used in the past are names used for other fish as well. The most commonly seen erroneous name is Sciaenochromis (or Haplochromis) ahli, which is the name of another fish in the genus with larger eyes and a pale blue coloration. Another trade name, Haplochromis jacksoni, causes confusion with the fish Copadichromis jacksoni. The common name, Electric Blue, is a name used for Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos, a mbuna from Lake Malawi. Males of S. fryeri are a brilliant metallic blue color. One aspect that makes this species so popular, is that once a male reaches maturity and colors up, it maintains its color quite well, regardless of whether or not it is displaying for females. Both males and females show dark, vertical bands when stressed or excited. Females are a dark silvery-gray to brown in color. Sciaenochromis fryeri has a lake-wide distribution with two distinct color forms. Males from the southern populations display a beautiful white blaze on the head, often extending from the tip of the snout all the way to the posterior end of the dorsal fin. In the aquarium hobby, these populations are commonly referred to as "Icebergs." While males from the northern populations typically lack the white blaze, they exhibit a bright red anal fin that is not present in the southern populations. In the wild, Sciaenochromis fryeri are a true piscavore. They feed almost exclusively on juvenile mbuna and haplochromines. During one of his wonderful presentations, Ad Konings showed a video of an adult male fryeri feeding in the wild. The male swam up to an algae-covered rock that some juvenile mbuna were grazing on. In the presence of the large predator, the mbuna scattered and hid amongst the cracks in nearby rocks. The fryeri then began bobbing up and down above the rock, pretending to graze on the algae! The mbuna fry, apparently not threatened by a large "algae grazer," returned to feed alongside the fryeri. Shortly after, the fryeri darted to the side in an attempt to catch his true prey. This is among the most interesting feeding techniques applied by cichlids of Lake Malawi. Unfortunately, this behavior is not seen in the home aquarium. Instead, fryeri do quite well on a diet of high quality flakes and pellets. Sciaenochromis fryeri makes a terrific aquarium fish. They are able to tolerate a wide range of water conditions, although hard water with a pH of around 8.0-8.2 is favorable. The temperature should be be somewhere in the range of 74-82 degrees. The most important factor is keeping the levels consistent. Frequent fluctuations of temperature, pH, or hardness is stressful to any fish. Since males can reach an adult size of around seven inches, a large aquarium is a must. In addition, there is a high amount of conspecific aggression, especially between males. Unless the aquarium is very large and/or densely populated, it is best to keep only one male per tank. If breeding is desired, it is best to keep multiple females with each male, as the males can be quite aggressive toward females are aren't ready to spawn. Having additional females helps to take the pressure off of an individual. When kept in pairs, a male will often kill his female. Given the appropriate water conditions and space requirements, breeding this species is effortless. Most of time, the male will stake out a territory in the back of the tank either on a flat rock, or a flat area of the substrate that he has cleared. In the typical haplochromine fasion, the male will try to lure females into his territory by shaking rapidly and displaying his fins. Once he has succeeded in attracting a female, spawning begins. Although fertilization of the eggs takes place in the mouth of most other haplochromines, Sciaenochromis fryeri actually fertilize the eggs externally, before the female picks them up. The average spawn can be anywhere from 30-60 fry. Females will incubate the eggs for approximately 3 weeks, at which time the fry should be fully developed. Fry should be fed on a diet of crushed flakes, and may be supplemented with some baby brine shrimp or cyclops. They grow quite fast. Juvenile males will start showing color as small as 1.5-2 inches in length. In an all male tank, Sciaenochromis fryeri may also make a good tankmate. They hold their color very well, even without females present. If they are to be kept with Aulonocara (peacocks), the tank should be large and densely populated, as the fryeri are typically too aggressive in comparison. They can also be kept in a tank of large Malawi haplochromines, and even mbuna without incident. Overall, Sciaenochromis fryeri is an interesting fish to keep for newcomers to the hobby as well as the most advanced cichlid enthusiasts.

Endemic Cichlids of the Nosivolo River by Dave Schumacher The Nosivolo River is located near the eastern coast of Madagascar near the city of Marolambo. The river holds two known endemic cichlid species: Katria katria and Oxylapia polli, as well as Paratilapia cf. polleni "Marolambo", which may be an endemic species (more on that later). Although the Nosivolo is currently in good shape, all of the cichlids here are considered to be endangered because of their highly restricted range. Should anything happen to the river, these fish are not found anywhere else. Throughout much of Madagascar, introduced Tilapia species have taken control of the lakes and rivers. Tilapia are very strong competitors, and have made a tremendous impact on the populations of many of the native cichlids. This is not the case in the Nosivolo, however. This is likely due to the swift current, which seems to be unfavorable to the introduced Tilapia. Katria katria Katria katria was described by Reinthal and Stiassny in 1997 as Ptychochromoides katria, and it wasn't until the end of 2006 that Stiassny and Sparks decided to give the katria it's own genus. According to Dr. Paul Loiselle, Katria katria outnumbers all other cichlids in the Nosivolo River at least 20 to 1. This is very strange, as it was the most recently discovered cichlid in the area! With a maximum length of around six inches, Katria katria is one of the smallest Madagascan cichlids. A manageable size combined with a very peaceful disposition makes the katria an ideal aquarium fish. The body is elongated as a juvenile, but as the fish grows, the profile becomes much taller, especially near the head. Adult males develop a hump on the forehead that makes the fish look almost square shaped. Normal coloration of the fish is modest at best. Males and females both are a silvery-gray color with small black flecks on the scales. There are two black bars on the body that are wide at the dorsal and narrow to a point near the underside of the fish. When in breeding dress, males are reportedly orange in color. At this time, there are no reported spawnings of this species in the aquarium, but that is most likely because the fish hasn't been in the hobby for that long. They are being bred commercially in the ponds of a Florida fish farm, however. Oxylapia polli Oxylapia polli, or songatana as it is known as to the local fishermen, was described by Kiener and Mauge in 1966. As is the case with Katria, Oxylapia is a monotypic genus. Songatana occupy only the fastest flowing rapids of the Nosivolo, and have the most restricted range of the three endemic cichlids. They have a stocky, elongated body, and are mostly a dark silver with the lower portion of the body being lighter in color. They were only exported once, and breeding unfortunately never occurred. Dr. Loiselle had one specimen, and he claimed that it was the most aggressive fish he had ever kept. He tried to keep the fish in several aquariums, including a tank of larger, aggressive Malawi mbuna, and the polli began attacking them relentlessly. He finally had luck keeping it in a tank with a group of much larger Paretroplus. Oxylapia polli are not currently available in the hobby, and due to their extreme aggression, will most likely never be available in large numbers. Paratilapia cf. polleni Marolambo The third cichlid found in the Nosivolo River is a Paratilapia species. They are found further downstream than the other two species, where the water is calmer. At the moment, the genus Paratilapia is very confusing to hobbyists and expert scientists alike. It is still up in the air if the fish found in this region is just a locale variant of Paratilapia polleni, or an undescribed species. Males can grow over a foot in length. Females are the smaller sex. Both sexes are dark black with bright, irridescent green spots on the body. They are a pair-bonding substrate spawner. Both parents guard the spawning site. To the hobbyist, Madagascan cichlids offer an escape from the norm in cichlid keeping. The species native to the gigantic island nation are more primitive on the evolutionary scale. Those who have taken the time to learn about and care for them are instantly hooked. Myself included! References Bills, Roger. 2006. "Cichlids of the Nosivolo River in Central-Eastern Madagascar." Cichlid News Magazine. vol. 15, n. 4, pp. 16-19. Loiselle, P.V. 2006. (per conversation). Reinthal, P.N. & M.L.J. Stiassny. 1997. "Revision of the Madagascan genus Ptychochromoides (Teleostei; Cichlidae), with description of a new species." Ichthyological Explorations of Freshwaters. 7 (3/4). pp. 353-368. Stiassny, M.L.J. & J.S. Sparks. 2006. "Phylogeny and Taxonomic Revision of the Endemic Malagasy Genus Ptychochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae), with the Description of Five New Species and a Diagnosis for Katria, New Genus." American Museum Novitates. n. 3535 (2006). pp. 1-55.

I get one or two articles each week....soon as i can clear permision for the others i will post them :beer:

I was given permission to post this so hope you find it interesting Julidochromis marlieri by Dave Schumacher photo by Dave Schumacher The genus Julidochromis is comprised of 5 described species: J. dickfeldi, J. ornatus, J. marlieri, J. regani, and J. transcriptus. All are endemic to Lake Tanganyika, and all are very popular aquarium fish. Julidochromis marlieri was officially described by Max Poll in 1956. They are considered to be one of the larger species of Julidochromis, with females sometimes attaining lengths of greater than six inches. Unlike the majority of cichlid species (including the other Julidochromis with the exception of J. regani), females are the larger sex in J. marlieri. Males typically remain an inch or two smaller. There is some debate surrounding the appropriate species name for the variants from Gombi and Katoto. Some hobbyists believe them to be J. transcriptus because of their much smaller adult size of three to four inches. In his current books, Ad Konings refers to both as smaller variants of J. marlieri. The female is the larger sex in both variants, which is a trait not seen in any other transcriptus variant. Julidochromis marlieri has a lake-wide distribution, but is reported to be concentrated in the northernmost and southernmost parts of the lake. The most well known variant is from Magara on the northeast coast, and is often sold as the Burundi marlieri. They have a black and white checkerboard pattern with yellowish pectoral fins. The population at Karilani is similar to the Magara variant, but has a yellowish-orange tint in place of the white. The dwarf variants from Katoto and Gombi share the same black and white coloration seen in the Magara population, but have different patterns. The Katoto population has a "scribbled" pattern, while the Gombi marlieri has strong vertical bars with little or no horizontal striping. In the wild, Julidochromis marlieri is found in the relatively shallow rocky zone. They are omnivorous, but seem to prefer small crustaceans picked from the algae beds. In the aquarium, they will eat any prepared foods without hesitation. Hard, alkaline water is preferred. Spawning J. marlieri is fairly simple once a pair bond has formed. Getting a compatible pair is the harder part. Probably the easiest way is to start out with a group of 5-6 juveniles and let them pair off on their own. A bonded pair is easily recognized. Just look for two fish that tolerate each other! All other conspecifics will be chased away. It is best to allow the pair to spawn at least once in a community setting, because the pair bond is strengthened by the joint effort of defending against other fish. After a spawn or two, even a full grown pair could be comfortably housed in a ten gallon tank. Fry grow slowly, but do well on a diet of powdered flakes and baby brine shrimp or cyclops. Julidochromis are excellent parents when raising young, but the fry will be chased away from the spawning site when the pair is ready to breed again. Julidochromis marlieri isn't just for those interested in breeding. They also make a great addition to most African cichlid community tanks. In a Malawi and/or Victoria tank, they offer a different look to the typical Haplochromine body shape. For the most part, they ignore each other and coexist peacefully. Julidochromis marlieri can be enjoyed by beginners and seasoned aquarists alike. They are one of the easier Tanganyikan species to maintain and breed. If you have never kept this fish before, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

if you happen to have an extra aquaclear 300 or 500 you can fill it with floss and hang it on the front of the tank should clear up in no time

hmmmmmmm would make a nice shellie tank :smokey:

before i run all over calgary looking for this.....dose anyone know where i can find it locally? found it on the web but would rather not have it shipped in (why give my alberta dollars to an american site :smokey: ) looking for the freashwater kind http://www.boydenterprisesonline.com/pages...h=1123599847805 any size (allthough the gallon bottle might be a little much) :hey:

:smokey: congrats TheGr8Blade you managed to hit both of the other places i tried :smokey: i will look into that iadempet place thank you :thumbs: