ALL MALE HAP & PEACOCK TANK

I've been working on making my 75 gallon Hap and Peacock tank all male. I have moved quite a few females out but I missed a few. Today I came down to find 2 more holding. I just moved two moms that were holding in that tank a couple days ago.

I have all four of my tumblers full of babies and eggs. I just wanted to move these females to my all female tank so they wouldn't be harassed but nope they decided they were going to spit their eggs out first.

I think making that last move, I have pretty much all the females out of that tank. My girls have their own tank where they can live happily without constant
harassment from the males. I know There is one little female I'm leaving in there. She is the female to my handsome Species #44 . I'm not sure if she's old enough yet but it won't be long. He's already shown interest in her so I'm hoping to have them give me a brood.

AFRICAN BUMBLE BEE CICHLID

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

After doing my rounds in MLFR. Feeding everyone and checking each tank as I did so. Everyone looks terrific. I have currently 4 month old fry in my 30 gallon grow out. I have 2-3 month old fry in my 20 gallon, 1 month and 2-3 weeks old in two of my 10 gallon and wigglers in my tumbler. That sounds like quite a little breeding room.

Next I came down to check my three show tanks. My juvenile tank is great although for some reason they do not want the NorthFin Pellets. I have been feeding this group the tetra Cichlid Crisps and they really love them. I have been mixing the two trying to get the switched over. I have also been introducing Spirulina to all my cichlids. The large one seem to love the it. So I give them a pinch once a day around 4pm.

Looking at my tanks this morning. I have 2 more mom's holding. There's a Yellow Lab in my Mbuna tank and my Electric Blue has one of his females holding as of today. I got some footage of the action but I'm not sure if I will upload it or not. The view was slightly obstructed due to my lovely new rocks!

I have more dancing and shaking going on so I'm expecting a couple more females to be holding by weeks end. I can see they are very close to
dropping their eggs.

It's always fun greeting my Cichlids in the morning.. they are uber excited to see me as they know what I bring. I love seeing them as well because they always seem to have a surprise for me as well. I love my Cichlids.

2ND 75 GALLON IS HERE

This morning we did a lot of running around. We hit the farmers market, went out for breakfast, picked up a few things and then we went to buy my new 75 gallon aquarium. I have big plans for it too!

A quick run down of my plans go as follows. One 75 will be for my Mbunas and the other will be home to my Haps and Peacocks. In my 55 gallon I have all my females right now. They will be rejoining their mates in their perspective tanks. I'm hoping the number will be close to even. I will have to see how that works out when I do the move. My 40 gallon juvenile community will be moved back into my 55 because the tank they are in is where the new 75 gallon is going to go.

I will dismantle my 40 gallon for now. I'm not sure if I will be putting it up immediately or closer to the fall. I may use it to keep my pond plants in for the winter. I have a second 40 gallon and a 60 gallon in the basement where my pond fish live during the winter months as my pond isn't deep enough for them to hibernate out there.

Yes I have many tanks.. too many tanks..no never! In my little fish room I have 5 10 gallon tanks, a 20 gallon and a 30 gallon. All tanks are in use except 2 but I have 2 females holding that will be moved up there this weekend.

Loving my hobby.. loving my tanks.. loving my fish!!

MIXED AFRICAN CICHLIDS GROUP

There are so many get places to get information online about this hobby. I belong to a couple forums. The YouTube cichlid community is vast and varied with so many knowledgeable people. Today I would like to invite you to join me in our community on Google+.

We are a relatively small group just making a stand in this community. Our members are growing and we would love you to be a part of it. Please come check us out. You will find great people, willing to share experiences, help with advice when needed and welcome you to our community.

Just follow the link and I'll see you there!

MIXED AFRICAN CICHLIDS

55 GALLON UPDATE

CICHLIDS BURPING

Always looking for that perfect shot. 

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

This morning as always I began checking on MLFR. Everyone is always hungry in there. In one tank I have a breeder box holding Red Empress fry and Elongotus fry -  about 25 fry in total. They will soon be released into a larger tank. The tank they are presently in also contains fry from previous broods and a tumbler with my youngest. The Yellow Labs are almost free swimmers now. The remainder of this 20 gallon grown out is home to Auratus fry and Dragon blood fry. These two are about 5-6 weeks old now.

My jumping beans and the mom I have holding are pretty much the same age. I'll be stripping her as soon as the tumbler babies are free swimming. Then I will put those two broods together in a breeding box for a couple weeks so I can watch closely how they are eating. I really feel it's important to start the free swimmers in a breeder box. It's much easier to follow their progress and they can find the food with less effort when it's a smaller area than putting them right into an open tank. This has worked well for me.

In my display tanks everyone is always hungry. Everyone looks well. I have noticed there is a little Red Empress holding in my juvenile tank. I saw her last night long after feeding so I know she's not just holding pellets. Although that can be deceiving. It's always best to check of holding moms later in the day or just before lights out. You should check a couple different times making sure she's holding  them well. Once that's established you begin to count 7-10 days before moving her. This I have found to be the best time to make the move. It can be stressful and if moved to soon you risk of them spitting in a panic. Giving them those few days to adjust to this new experience helps them bond with their brood and allows that protective instinct to kick in.

My "For Sale" tank is doing well. After selling of 8 large cichlids I added a few Red Top Zebras. Moving on to my 75, everyone is looking great. I did a water change and rescaped yesterday so there's a little confusion as to who owns what. Things have settled down and there are some pairs getting acquainted. I'm sure there will be some spawning going on soon as I have seen at least 3 couples paring of and dancing. I believe this morning I have an Electric Blue Fryeri holding. In 7-10 I'll move her into a brooding tank if she proves to be holding eggs and not pellets. Pellets just don't hatch well!

TIPS FOR SELLING CICHLIDS

These tips I'm going to talk to you about are from my own experience and are simple tips for the average person who is looking to sell off some stock. More in the mind to make room than to make money.

TIPS AS THE SELLER

PHOTOS
It's very important to have good clear photos of the actual fish unless they are too small to capture in a clear image. You can add parent photos as they will give the buyer and idea of what they will look like as adults since many fry look very much the same.

ADD CONTENT
Use an eye catching title on your add to encourage people to continue reading. Clearly list your items, whether fish, supplies or anything else you may be selling for that matter. Beside each item give a detailed description of the item. And finally list the price you are asking. You can also add the reason you are selling to make your add a little more personal.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Leave clear instruction as to how to best get in touch with you. Include best times to call. If possible leave at least three options for contacting you to make it easier for your potential customer.

ONCE CONTACTED
Make sure to have clear pictures to send if asked for. Make valid points that will enhance the chance of the sale. Don't get too wrapped up in price. Satisfying a potential buyer is the best way to bring them back. If they leave with a sense of success and confidence in and your product they will tell others - word of mouth is the most effective form of advertisement.

DISPLAY TANK

This is my display "for sale" tank. 

When you have a customer come to your home have all the fish you are willing to sell in one tank. A display tank with go a long way in showing your care for the fish and also the quality you are offering. It's important to separate the fish you intend to sell. If you have to catch a few in a tank with your own fish that can sometimes lead to disappointment as they will see fish they would like to buy that you are not selling. This gives the customer the idea that the fish you are selling to them are not as good. Don't let the customer compare.

MAKE AN OFFER
Naturally people have a desire to bargain. Put aside your listed price as it should only be a guideline. Watch what they seem to be interested in and make them an offer. Combining to make it look like more for less is a great strategy. Talk from experience and share information or experiences you have had with the item making it more desirable.

These next points are for the buyer/trader.

PHOTOS
If you are answering a add be sure to have clear photos ready to send of the items you are willing to trade. Don't bother sending blurry undefined photos as they will only send negative feelings. Do not ask to see photos of their items/fish unless you have good clear photos to send in return. Be clear on size and history of your product. Don't ever say "I don't know". better to say "I'll have to find out for you". Most of these tips can you used on either end of the transaction.

Yesterday I had two experiences with buyers. One experience was good. We talked on the phone. This very nice guy came by. We talked hobbies and got a little background. He chose the fish he wanted. After we concluded our business I gave him a little tour of my tanks. Be sure to only show the best you have. It gives the buyer confidence in you and your product. It's always a good feeling when you have left a customer feeling satisfied and happy. Remember they will pass on the word and no advertisements equal testimonials.

The second and not good experience - It began as text messages. The bad experience started off on the wrong foot and only went down hill from there. It was a young person (not sure how young - thinking teen) He/she started out asking about the fish I had for sale, then wanted to know about what I have in other fish stock. They wanted to trade not buy but had nothing to trade that I was interested in. They called their 1" fry juveniles. Sent pictures that were just a smudged fish. He expected me to drive there, which the seller should never do. At best a mutual location to meet is fair in the event of a long drive. Suffice it to say I ended the deal by saying thanks for your interest but this deal is not worth an hours drive for me. He offered me a free brand new Aqueon filter if I drove there. Just not good from start to finish. The fish he wanted I wasn't sure I wanted to part with anyway. Never set yourself on fire to keep others warm.

FEELING THE LOVE

OUT AND ABOUT - MORE CICHLIDS

Today I had to go out and pick up another test pack for my Nitrate as mine was empty. I went to three different stores and they were out at all of them. I ended up getting the Nitrate test by NutraFin. It's fine. There's a little more to it than the API test kit. The NutraFin has three bottles of solution. It's a light purple/pink colour but as long as it tells me what I need to know I guess I'm happy.

Of course being out at an aquarium store I had to check out the fish. I ended up bringing home four more fish. I picked up two (Placidochromis Milomo) VC-10's and two (Chromobotia Macracanthus) Clown Loaches. I've wanted to get a couple clown loaches for a while so I was happy they had some and the VC-10's were just a whim.

A little trivia on the VC-10's - They were given the name VC-10 by a pair of brothers from Florida who where one of the first exporters of Cichlids from Africa to America back in the early 70's. They were named after the airplanes that were mostly used in Africa at that time. The word Milomo translated from the Chewa language means lips because this species has very thick lips. They are from Lake Malawi although unlike most Cichlids they like being on their own.

KENYI STILL NOT GOOD

NEW ACQUISITION

RE-ARRANGING MY FISH-ROOM

My day didn't begin on a good note. The Yellow Lab that was holding ate all her babies. I had her in a brooding playpen hoping it would be a stress-free place for her to get used to having eggs in her mouth. Nope. Yesterday she spit them out but picked them up again. This morning she was not holding and the eggs were gone. The fry in the tank could have sucked the eggs through the mesh but they are a little young for that so I'm not going to blame them. I put mamma back in the community tank. I have decided that if/when she holds again I'll just let her do her thing in the community tank. She needs the practice more than I need her fry.

My tiny fry and my Auratus mom.

From the left Yello Lab group (20) Mixed Fry (30) 6wk fry (10)

So I decided to re-arrange my fish-room. I had a new 10 gallon which gave me a little more room. The fry that were in my 20 gallon I moved to my new 10. There are 44 fry Albino RedxReds and RedTop Zebras but they are only 6 weeks old so they have some time. Next I did water changes on all my tanks. My Auratus mom is doing really good. I just did a small water change and left her alone. Next I




did a bigger water change on my youngest fry tank. The water was a little cloudy. They are looking good and eating well. Next I worked on my 30 gallon grow-out tank. These guys are getting a nice size and I need to sell them as I'm going to need more room soon. In this tank there are Red Top Zebras, Acei and OB Peacock. I did a 50% water change, vacuumed the substrate and added a little more and them re-arranged their aqua-scape. I think they liked it. While I was at it I scooped up the Pleco in there and transferred him to my now empty 20 gallon. When I was busy doing my water change on my 55 gallon tank, I caught about 8 Yellow Labs that I want to sell and put them in the 20 so it will be easier to catch them when I sell them. That still leaves me a nice little breeding group of 2 males and 5 females.

My fishy work finished for the day I'm happy and my fish are happy... end to another day in the life of a Cichlid aquarist.

MY FISH/SEWING ROOM

AMMONIA SPIKE AND DON'T KNOW WHY

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

I begin each day the same. After taking care of my personal morning rituals I proceed to my fishy morning rituals. In my sewing room right next to our bedroom are my fry, brooding, grow-out and breeding tanks. I check each tank, watching the fish as they eat. It still astounds me how eager and quick growing the tiniest fry are. I have some that were bred during each month, sometimes a couple or three moms at a time so by tanks are busy. I have sold some but currently I have approximately 60 3 week RedTop Zebra fry, next I have only 4 left of my Auratus fry, a dozen left of my RedxRed fry and 30-40 of my larger Zebra fry. I have had great success in that my mortality rate is next to nil.

Coming downstairs my first job is feeding my cats. I have three and would make them wait until my cichlids are looked after but they are too loud and it's better just to satisfy them first. Next I pour
myself a coffee and check on my 55 gallon juvenile tank. I have wonderful juveniles yet to come into their colours. My one young Dragon Blood is showing nicely but the other 3 are just a sweet pinky colour. I'm hoping at least a couple are female since I already know the biggest one is a male. It's a great tank to sit and watch. At his stage they act completely different then they do as they get a little older and more mature. I can already see some adult traits coming out of the bigger ones. Those being around the 2" mark.

Finally my adult community gets my attention. Here I spend most of my time so I don't mind leaving them for last. They are a beautiful bunch of mixed Africa Cichlids. Doing my water testing I have
had issues with the ammonia levels being too high. I've been doing water changes every other day and tests morning and night. The ammonia in the tank has been neutralized but it still shows up on my tests which really bothers me. I have ordered a few items that should help from Amazon. I'm hoping they arrive before the weekend. I just want my water parameters spot on like they usually are.

75 GALLON CICHLID POPULATION COUNT

Today I sat down and wrote out the Cichlids I have in my African community tank.

CICHLID LIST – 75 GALLON

6 - Acei
3 Rusties

2 – Albino RedxRed

1 – Bumblebee

2 – SP #44

3 – OB Peacocks

3 – OB Zebra

2 – VC 10s

2 – Electric Blues

3 - Electric Yellow

2 – Red Zebras

1 – Blue Zebra

2 – Saulosi

3 – Red Shoulders

1 – Lawanda Reef

2 – OB Clown

1 – Blue Face Hap

2 - UID (unidentified)

1 – Kenyi

3 - Red Top Zebras
2 - UID

 47 TOTAL

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

I watched my Cichlid community for a long time last night. There was so much shivering and shaking going on it was weird. I did do a water change in the morning but it was long after that this behavior went on. I was watching my Yellow Labs breeding. Everytime they got in sync my male Auratus disturbed them. Then when they found a new corner and began again my blueberry OB tried fertilizing both of the Labs. It was very strange. After quite a while I turned their night light on and finally went to bed.

First thing this morning I fed my fry in my fish room. Checked on all of them and then went down to see how my adult Cichlids were doing. They looked good and my Yellow Lab was holding. I was so happy to see they were successful. I certainly hoped the Blueberry had nothing to do with it. I fed them and went to have my coffee.

ROCK'N THE SCAPE

Yesterday I through on my back-pack and headed out with Ozzie my pup for a good hike. We hike the old rail line that's been long removed but it affords us a great path. Just recently it was dubbed the G2G rail trail. It's a nice hike but what I go for is looking for rocks for my aquarium aqua-scapes.

It was a great day for it and I knew just where a wonderful pile of rocks some farmer had the pleasure of pulling from his field was. All around here there are farms and where there are farms there are great rock piles.

We hiked for a while and then on our way back we stop at the rock pile so I can fill my pack. The rocks I lean towards are defined by their colour, shape and size. Colour for the simple pleasure of contrast within my tanks. Shape - what I can imagine building or stacking without too much worry of tumbling down and size I like them to be around the size of a 12" baseball. I also prefer smooth corners and edges. I don't pick sharp rocks for obvious reasons.

I scored this time. I picked up quite a few rocks. I think my pack weighed about 50lbs. I got a couple pink ones, a couple black and white specked ones, white, brown and the traditional granite. A good assortment of colour, shapes and sizes perfect for what I had in mind.

Before I use them I wash them really well using a small hard bristle brush to dig out any dirt or whatever might me on them. I then let them soak in a vinegar bath for about an hour. Then I rinse them under clear water and brush them a second time. As the dirt comes off they look better and better. I'm so pleased with these ones.

My two show tanks are about as nice as I can get them. I'm very happy with my work. It's very amusing watching the fish check out the added rocks, nooks and caves. They dart in, out between the new rocks like it's a new playground. Once they've had a good look then the digging begins.