View Full Version : New Fish!
mtdewlover
12-07-2003, 8:55 PM
I've posted for help on my new 55 gallon tank and it's finally set up! :D I put my five cichlids that I had in my 29 gallon in it. Which consists of three red zebras and two yellow tailed violet cichlids. I just got three colbalt blue cichlids (1 male 2 females) and three Kenya Cichlids (1 male 2 female) and I have a pleco. They are getting along great! (knocking on wood) Next I plan to make it a planted tank. Thank you for all or your help! :cool:
Catlid
12-07-2003, 9:30 PM
do u have pics of ur cobalt blue cichlids? I think thats what i got but not sure.
mtdewlover
12-08-2003, 7:15 AM
I sure can ;) I'll post some this afternoon.
mtdewlover
12-08-2003, 4:37 PM
Here is a picure one of my colbalt blue cichlids. :D
http://www.wright.edu/~beneke.2/MVC-431Fcolbalt.JPG
Dangerdoll
12-08-2003, 4:55 PM
wow, that certainly is a cute little guy.....
valerie
12-08-2003, 5:20 PM
I would be careful about trying to make this a planted tank. Your fish will eat the plants. The only plant i have been able to keep with ym mbunas are java ferns, and even those they eat.
mtdewlover
12-08-2003, 6:25 PM
I have good faith. Keeping my fingers crossed. If it doesn't work out I can always just make another tank I have planted. My b/f has a planted cichlid tank and is doing well. I've seen them on line too. I plan to get java ferns, vals and grassy plants that are not as yummy as others :cool:
valerie
12-08-2003, 7:48 PM
Yes i have seen many planted cichlid tanks but i have only seen a few planted(with more then java ferns or anubias) mbuna tanks. Mbuna are vegetarian and unless you have fast growing plants that will grow faster then they are being eaten you might have problems.
mtdewlover
12-09-2003, 9:54 AM
*sigh* I'm so confused. I really want a planted tank. I've heard if you get the right plants then you can do it. Again my b/f has a 30 gallon planted tank with a variety of plants other than java ferns and such and it is doing great. He has six cichlids in it. Surely if he can do it I can too. :sad
Wippit Guud
12-09-2003, 10:22 AM
It just depends on what cichlids are in the tank. Mbunu's eat plants. Oscars destroy plan-err everything. Something like a Jewel cichlid would get along ok with plants.
valerie
12-09-2003, 3:17 PM
Yes it depends on what cichlids. I have planted tanks with cichlids in them. I have a planted ram tank and a planted angelfish tank. Both do ever well as rams and angels are peacefula nd dont' eat plants.
A planted tank with mbuna probably won't work unless you really know plants and can choose species that might not get eaten(java ferns,anubias) or plants that grow faster then the fish eat them. I have java ferns in my african tank and they still get eaten and have to be replaced with new ones every so often.
A planted tank with large cichlids also won't really work as they usually like to dig and will uproot them if they dont' just eat them outright.
So it really depends on what cichlids are in the tank. Your cichlids are mbuna which are plant eaters.Your boy friend might have different cichlids then you.
mtdewlover
12-11-2003, 8:46 AM
My b/f has three yellow labs, three blue zebras and four siamese algae eaters. I have three red zebras, two yellow tailed violets, three blue colbalts, three kenyi's, and one pleco. He doesn't even have those bad tasting hardy plants in his tank. Here is a picture of it.
http://www.wright.edu/~beneke.2/MVC-481F.JPG
You can always try feeding veggies to your fish in addition to fish food. This might help curb their plant appetite. My friend has 2 cichlid tanks and I give him excess plants every so often. One tank is always bare and the other always has lots of plants.
jimbo
12-11-2003, 10:31 AM
I guess it looks like you need a lot more rocks than your b/f has in his tank.
They really need some small caves to hide in if things get a little rough, not just a piece of plastic tubing.
Here's an idea. (belongs to my son, 110 gallon)
http://www.mvv1.demon.nl/week2e.jpg
A yellow lab isn't much of a plant eater, he does though, but not as much as the species you have in your tank. I guess that's why your b/f plants survive longer.
Perhaps Anubia and Vallisneria will survive in your tank with a little luck.
Btw, I still don't know what "yellow tailed violet cichlids" are.
Jimmy
mtdewlover
12-11-2003, 12:32 PM
No one seems to know what I'm talking about. I'll have to find the scientific name or something. I'll post a picture of them maybe. They are gentle fishies. They are dark purple with yellow fins.
mtdewlover
12-11-2003, 12:38 PM
Oh by the way....I love that tank! I'm jealous. I was looking for ideas for my new 55. Are those rocks glued together? My fish would love something like that! :D
I glue my rocks together. Only use aquarium silicone as other glues will either introduce bad things or just fail when in the water. Do not use bathroom or kitchen silicone as it contains anti-mildew agents that are harmful to the tank.
You can buy the aquarium silicone at most LFS.
valerie
12-11-2003, 3:22 PM
You can always try plants, it can't hurt. But just know that them eating them is a possibility. Also you do have more fish taht are prone to eatign plants then he does. Yellow labs eat more protein foods then the fish you have. In the wild they eat crustesean(sp?) and other little animals that might in in the rocks.
Also i think the yellow tailed violet cichlids you have might be Ps.acei http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ps_acei.php
Acei have bright colors, generally blue to deep purples and violets with a usually darker and more electric blue face. The finnage ranges from cream to sunshine yellow and makes them an amazing looking fish in any scenario.
~*LuvMyKribs*~
12-11-2003, 3:30 PM
JIMBO! What are those blue stripy fish in your son's tank? Are they some kind of melanochromis?
I have one, and i haven't been able to identify it yet. Is it a juvie male melanochromis getting his blue colors? Cus mine has hints of yellow on him too.... i dont know whats going on. :( Although he doesn't look too much like my yellow melanochromis.
Dangerdoll
12-11-2003, 4:13 PM
that's a great looking tank your son's got there Jimbo, I tip my hat to it........:bowing: hmmmmmm........ why do I all of a sudden have the itch for another tank...... :D
mtdewlover
12-11-2003, 4:53 PM
Here they are! They love each other.
http://www.wright.edu/~beneke.2/MVC-437Fpair.JPG
Mtdewlover: Wow, beautiful cichlids, I've never seen those before, could be the acei like Valery thought but I'm not sure.
And no, the rocks are not glued together; that was possible because most rocks have some large flat areas. First the rocks were piled up, on top of styrofoam (an inch thick), and after that the sand was added. They can excavate as much as they like, it won't collapse. He has taken some pictures from day one till the fish were introduced. The tank is running now for two months.
www.mvv1.demon.nl
LuvMyKribs: these blue stripy fish are Melanochromis maingano.
He has taken some pictures of his cichlids too but he forgot to type the names.
www.mvv1.demon.nl/vissen.html
Jimmy
valerie
12-11-2003, 5:30 PM
Yep look to me like your fish are Ps."acei" http://malawicichlids.com/mw09005e.htm
Originally posted by ~*LuvMyKribs*~
I have one, and i haven't been able to identify it yet. Is it a juvie male melanochromis getting his blue colors? Cus mine has hints of yellow on him too.... i dont know whats going on. :( Although he doesn't look too much like my yellow melanochromis.
The Melanochromis maingano, both male and female are blue-striped and are born bleu.
The Melanochromis johannii however, their juv's are all born yellow and after 4 or 5 months the male changes from yellow to blue. The female stays yellow.
You might have a male Melanochromis Johannii swimming around in your tank who is coloring up to blue.
Jimmy
~*LuvMyKribs*~
12-12-2003, 1:33 AM
I have two melanochromis auratus, yellow stripes with black and white, how they are supposed to look, that are fairly big. (about 2 inches). Then i have this blue guy, who looks like them, and has some hints of yellow on his belly, but doesn't look at all like what the male auratus is supposed to look like. he looks the most like the maingano that your son had. serves me right for picking him out of the mixed tank, but he was very pretty. :D
could he be a hybrid of the two if he has yellow on him? i will have to post a pic as soon as i get one. very strange. and he's not really really blue... kind of light blue on white with black stripes. i'll have to wait until he gets a little older to find out for sure i suppose. but in the mean time i am anxious!