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I believe the only snails I can get are Mystery Snails....

I really wish we had a bigger pet store up here. The only shrimp they have here are labeled Ghost Shrimp, and they are pretty big. I was thinking about a young BN or Rubberlip, but was nervous that it might think the fry are yummy.

Hello, I have a 10G tank right now with 5 Demasoni (3 weeks old) and 8 Labs (1 week old). I have a heater, small HoB filter, and an air driven sponge filter. I have a couple small decorations and small cichlid stones in the tank for everyone to hide under. The tank has no substrate. I'm doing water changes everyday/every other depending on what the bottom looks like. My question is, I'm getting some algae growth in the tank, and I'm getting a 'slime' build up on the bottom, which I assume is the NLS I'm crushing up for the fish. The demasoni catch it while is falls, while the labs scavenge it from the bottom. I'd like to add a pleco, or a hillstream loach, or something to the tank, that wont harass or eat my babies. Anyone have any suggestions? Thoughts?

Do you have any more pics of those 201's? Are they for sale? I don't see those listed on Harold's page... My wife is tugging on my shirt saying " I want the inspector!!!"

Well, female Demasoni had 6 babies, one was deformed...so 5 healthy babies. Our Lab just gave up hers today while I was at work. We've managed to count 7, but they hide very well. We now have 12+ fry. I'm a proud papa, never had fish breed before. On a less then ideal note, we have two more holding demasoni, and one more holding lab in the main tank. There is a lot of small hiding spaces in the tank, so we're going to let them spit in the main tank, and hopefully they make it. We sadly don't have any more room in the house for additional tanks, or so my wife says. I think the counter looks a little empty :thumbs:

I just noticed I have another holding mother...

Well, this whole process is much further along than I thought (for the Demasoni at least). Three have been 'spit' by mom, though she is trying to get them back. They are incredible!

From my understanding, it has to do with PH. Africans like a higher PH, and driftwood naturally lowers the ph, so unless you have a higher ph to start with, you are providing less than ideal conditions for your friends. That being said, I have high ph, and driftwood in my cichlid tank, and my community tank. I like the look, and my ph stays in reasonable range, even with the wood.

Thanks!

That's brutal. I'm running a cheap HOB right now with the 2 fish. I've ordered another air pump, and a sponge filter for the tank. I don't want to run both (or do I?) but I wanted to have both because I'm a nervous papa to be.

Damn. I wish I read that yesterday. I had to remove all my stones, logs, fake plants, turn off filters, take off both sides of lids, use 2 nets...and still wasn't sure if I got the right ones!!!!! As of yesterday, I was going to let nature decide the outcomes...but my urge to see the fry survive kepy me going. I felt terrible. My demasonis lost so much colour (they were fine within minutes of having everything back to normal, but still...)

So, you let them spit, opposed to stripping both of them, in a 10G, and neither mom (that you know of ) ate the others babies? I would love to let both moms spit naturally, and stay with them for awhile. I'm just nervous with my lab being significantly larger than my demasoni, that the demasoni fry would be a 'small' snack. I'm also equally nervous about putting weakened fish back into the main tank...

hmmm...I feel greatly misinformed. People told me it was useful. I did also transfer over biomax rings from an established filter. I'll be sure to check water properties when I get home from work. Thank you.

The setup. I have a 75G tank, with 12 Demasoni and 6 Labs. I have one of each that is holding, and I noticed around January 6th. Last night, I spent what seemed like hours trying to catch the poor ladies. I have them both in a 10G now, with a couple cichlid stones. I’ve got a new filter (HOB) on it, that I filled with bio from an old filter. I also squeezed two filter pads ‘juice’ in to the new filter. The ask. From people who have successfully raised fry from such small fish: Did you strip them? When? Did you leave the fry in the main tank? If you separated them, did you return the mom as soon as she released them? Did you use a HOB, canister or Sponge? Is crushed up NLS Cichlid formula good enough for the fry? Any other advice? We have this 10G set up for the fry, and have a 55G that is sitting empty to use as a potential grow out tank, depending on the number/size of the fry we get. Thank you in advance for the thoughts, comments and opinions. Eric

I did check the lot numbers, and they are not expired, only about 16 months old. I did bring a sample back to the lfs today when I was returning a pleco (10" long, way too big for my tank). The lady dumped it down the sink before it got tested Not a huge deal, I'm sure the nutrafin is closer to the right answer. I have a crayfish that is growing and molting frequently, no fish loss, and a pleco that went from 1" to 10" this year. If the NO3 was that high, I'm sure there would be some adverse effects. I was going to buy the strips just to see which result it was closer too, but I refused to pay the $25.00 for a science experiment. I'll be back at the LFS Tuesday, so I'll have them test it then, just to be 100%.

so....I'm really new on this forum, but where are the pics of your tank?

So, I've been in the hobby for about a year now. I have two tanks. I've been testing them both for a year now, and the NO3 has always been really high. I've tried 50% water changes, reduced feedings, lowering the stocking level, zeocarb...etc. Nothing can get the kit to stop showing blood red. Tested tap water, and it was clear. I haven't lost a fish in months, and even months ago, I only lost fish when my crayfish found a tasty neon tetra. I recently bought a Nutrafin test kit, and tested my NO3, and it's exactly where I want it. Today's tests Tank 1 API 120+ppm Nutrafin 10-20ppm Tank 2 API 120+ppm Nutrafin 20ppm. I'm about to buy the strips to test a third type, and see which one it reads closer too. ANybody else had these issues, or something similar. I checked the shelf life, and lot numbers, and everything is less than 16 months old.

I am sooooo jealous!

Those are awesome looking fish.

I find it so hard to find information on stocking a tank, everything I read contradicts everything else. My wife wants demasoni, labs, bumblebees and auratus. Some say yes, some say no, pet store will happily take my money I think...boo. Just realized this thread is 5 months old. /endpost.

Hello everyone. I'm in Fort McMurray, Ab. I have 2 tanks, a 29G with tetras and an electric blue crayfish, and a 55 that I'm converting to an African Cichlid tank. I just got my cichlid stones, and will be building the habitat soon before adding the fish. Soooo expensive for fish up here, only one store, so $20 per demasoni.