That was fast

Have you raised fry from different species? Ever notice how some species grow much faster than others?

In addition to several other tank members, I have a breeding pair of two different Tanganyikan species in a community 75g – Telmatochromis sp. “temporalis shell” and Julidochromis marlieri. The disparity in growth rates for fry from these two species is staggering. The Telmats are very slow growers compared to the Julies.

For two species that reach roughly the same length at maturity, the Julies grow ~3x faster than the Telmats. Within three months, the marlieri fry will be nearly 3/4″ in length whereas the Telmats will be just over 1/4″.  Although I provide food suitable for fry only, I don’t segregate the fry in any way. They have equal amounts of shelter from adults in the tank. Food is provided in their general proximity, and it’s every fish for his/herself.

If you aren’t familiar with Julies, or marlieri in particular, see the photo below of my adult male.

Adult male Julidochromis marlieri. Photo by the author.

I have two adult male T. “temporalis shell” cichlids, but they’re in different tanks. Below is a partial photo of one of them. They’re about the same size, ~4.5″ long.

Partial shot of adult male Telmatochromis sp. “temporalis shell”. Photo by the author.

Steve Rybicki interview

 

 Steve Rybicki

When I started the blog several years ago, one of my goals was to make it as comprehensive as possible. By comprehensive, I meant I would try to include information about all cichlids, not just what I keep or have a lot of experience with. To meet that goal, I knew I would have to get information from other sources. Hence, the interviews. By interviewing hobbyists, breeders, business people, and other experts, I can share with you information from a variety of people who have the experience I lack. This leads me to angelfish. Though they are quite popular in the hobby, I’ve never kept them. So I contacted an expert.

Steve Rybicki has been breeding and selling fish for several decades. In 1987, he and a friend started a tropical fish business called Angels Plus. In 1996, Angels Plus became the first online retailer dedicated to angelfish and for 32 years it is has been a full-time hatchery that specializes in show-quality fish, housing over 400 tanks.

Thankfully, Steve was quickly onboard for the interview. Let’s get going.

Read moreSteve Rybicki interview

An impulse buy? Maybe not

Aqueon 20g long glass aquarium. Photo courtesy of the author.

Over the past few days, I’ve encountered a scenario that I’m not prepared to address. As you know if you’re a regular reader, I have a breeding pair of Telmatochromis sp. “temporalis shell” in one of my 75g tanks, and they are prolific breeders. The female has long since outgrown the shells in the tank, so she no longer uses them to spawn. Instead, she sets up shop pretty much wherever she wants in the tank. She has plenty of alternatives for egg laying and, a couple of weeks ago, she chose a closed, ceramic tube to lay them. The problem is that the tube lies right in the center of the tank.

Read moreAn impulse buy? Maybe not

Save some sand and save some fry

So you have a community tank. In that tank, you have a breeding pair of some species and they are spawning. You’re inclined to let nature take its course with regard to any offspring.  Therefore you don’t segregate the eggs, the wrigglers, or the fry.

That is my approach too (unless I’m taking fry to my LFS, which is a post for another day). However, I am careful to avoid vacuuming up any offspring. Most of the time, my approach works. When it doesn’t and I do vacuum up fry, I don’t lose them. How?

Read moreSave some sand and save some fry

It doesn’t have to be crystal clear

Underwater video of Lake Malawi (note the particulate matter in the water).
Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpltxsDJbyk.

Have you ever seen video of the natural environment from which your cichlids originate? If so, how similar does the water in that environment appear compared to the water in the tank that your cichlids are in?

With what seems to be a preoccupation with crystal clear tank water, take a look at underwater videos of the lakes and rivers where cichlids reside. Sure, sometimes the water is very clear, but look closer. You’ll typically still see particulate matter and sometimes lots of it. So the question is, who are you making the tank so clear for – you, your guests, or your fish?

A crystal clear tank full of colorful fish is indeed a beautiful sight. In fact, if your objective is to have a tank full of water that you can’t see, nothing wrong with that. However, the notion that your cichlids are suffering if the tank water isn’t crystal clear is a myth.

Good, healthy aquarium water doesn’t have to look like your fish are floating in air, and a little particulate matter isn’t necessarily indicative of poor tank conditions. Little bits and particles in the water from wood, sand, mud, and plants can be perfectly normal…and the fish do just fine.

Spirulina vs fishmeal

Image from http://spirulina.org.uk/

Most experienced cichlidophiles know the optimal food ingredients for the species they keep, especially differentiating between herbivores and omnivores. The digestive system of all cichlids isn’t the same.

For example, mbuna enthusiasts are aware that these very active fish require high concentrations of algae and limited animal protein. In fact, spirulina is often the algae of choice for prepared aquarium foods (e.g., flakes, pellets) made for these rock dwelling species.

Read moreSpirulina vs fishmeal

Check that tube or cave

 

Adult Altolamprolgus calvus rescued from a rock filled bucket. Photo by the author.

As part of my regular maintenance, I remove all rocks and caves in each half of every tank once every month. I do this to all of my tanks. I change water and vacuum my sand weekly. I remove the rocks and caves so I can get any detritus that accumulates underneath them…and believe me, it does.

As part of this maintenance routine, I place all the components that I remove into a bucket. Because I have some rectangular, ceramic tubes with one end closed, I have to remove them open side down inside the tank so the water drains out. I also have to check them because my fish will seek refuge in them, especially when I’m cleaning.

Read moreCheck that tube or cave

Interested in Discus?

Discus cichlids. Photo from http://www.tropical-fish-keeping.com/.

I must confess that I have always been intrigued by discus. They are stunningly beautiful fish. In my opinion, the two biggest knocks against them are 1) they’re notoriously difficult to keep and 2) they aren’t very active like most other cichlids. Both might be true, to some extent, but they are cichlids nonetheless and they appeal to a lot of cichlidophiles.

Because I’ve have no experience with them, I can’t really offer anything substantive about them. However, I can offer a resource that both sells them and provides lots of information about them. I don’t know anything about the site’s owner, so I can’t speak to his reputation or his fishes’ quality. The site is called Discus Guy. In an effort to find out more about the business, I reached out to the site in hopes of doing an interview with the owner. Unfortunately, I received no response. As a consolation, I will offer up an article from Practical Fishkeeping to give you something to whet your inquisitive appetite about these fish.

If you know of an expert who breeds and sells discus, drop my a line with their information and I’ll try to get an interview. I would certainly like to find out more about these fish and would love to share that with you.

Can fewer water changes be better?

Pterophyllum scalare. Photo from Arizona Aquatic Gardens.

Frequent water changes are widely hailed as a key variable in the well being of aquarium fish, especially cichlids. However, for at least one species of angelfish, fewer water changes may actually be beneficial, especially if your angelfish population is somewhat dense.

According to an article published in the January 2018 issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science, frequent or large water changes in aquariums housing Pterophyllum scalare may actually increase con-specific aggression in this species. The authors posit that water changes modify cortisol and other chemical levels that these angelfish use to establish social status. Frequent and/or large water changes dilute these chemicals, which effectively disturbs the baselines that set the statuses thus requiring that the angelfish re-establish them.

Citation:
Less water renewal reduces effects on social aggression of the cichlid Pterophyllum scalare. Gauy, Ana Carolina dos Santos et al. Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2018). Volume 198, pp. 121 – 126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.10.003.

ACA’s Buntbarsche Bulletin

June 2018 Buntbarsche Bulletin cover.

The Buntbarsche Bulletin (BB) is the journal of the American Cichlid Association (ACA). First published in 1966, the BB is, in my opinion, a must have for any cichlidophile. Each issue contains several articles profiling cichlids, often species that are not frequently seen in the hobby. Being a member of the ACA  gets you four issues per year.  You can also order individual back issues.

Just this year, however, the ACA released all issues up to May 2018 on a single USB flash drive. The best part….it’s only $24.95 US (shipping included if in the US). So if you don’t want to join the ACA, you can still get past issues of the Bulletin at an unbelievable price.

Read moreACA’s Buntbarsche Bulletin