Tips for building a colony back up?

[geoff_tropheus]

Always buy 30 fish and put them in a 6ft Aquarium.

[myjohnson]

After all this time it took me to build this colony back up....

I have to agree! If people want to keep tropheus then just do it right from the start.

Don't get 5 and expect them to breed.

[ddaquaria]

If people want to keep tropheus then just do it right from the start.

Don't get 5 and expect them to breed.

Agree, but you all I started to kill me with the 6 foot tank push.

I agree that it looks nicer, but the right size 4 footer is great as well.

[peterp63]

Agree, but you all I started to kill me with the 6 foot tank push.

I agree that it looks nicer, but the right size 4 footer is great as well.

agreed. definitely can work. my first colony was in a 75 gallon (90 is better) and they bred like rabbits!

[jeebus]

After all this time if took me to build this colony back up....

I have to agree! If people want to keep tropheus then just do it right from the start.

Don't get 5 and expect them to breed.

Hell, don't get a 6 and expect them to breed either!

[myjohnson]

Agree, but you all I started to kill me with the 6 foot tank push.

I agree that it looks nicer, but the right size 4 footer is great as well.

I agree. My bad, I should have been more clear in my post. I think the 4 footer works and is a tried and tested method. As you know I have my namansi in a 75g (along with a number of other colonies in the pass) and it worked fine. I remain an advocate of the 4 footer for people that can't get bigger tanks and want to keep tropheus.

I just didn't want people buying 5 tropheus and think they are going to breed out the yenyang for them. It's an uphill fight that people don't really have to deal with if it's a tropheus that is more readily available.

[geoff_tropheus]

6ft tanks are best.

4ft tanks work.

So...if you were a fish, what would you want...stuffed in a 4ft or given some room in a 6ft...

I think most fish would pick the lake, but since they cannot get that,,,then they would pick the biggest they could get into.

[ddaquaria]

6ft tanks are best.

4ft tanks work.

So...if you were a fish, what would you want...stuffed in a 4ft or given some room in a 6ft...

I think most fish would pick the lake, but since they cannot get that,,,then they would pick the biggest they could get into.

Getting what you can afford at that time and taking into account what the fish need is best. By the logic you used above, we should all be recommending 8 foot tanks instead of limited space of a 6ft tank. (I'm pretty sure you get my point). I agree that bigger is better, but the constant PUSHING of a 6 foot tank is not exactly right.

[myjohnson]

yeah geoff!

not everyone is ballin like you.

[TaTeR ToT]

id give my left nut for a 120g breeder, 4x2x2.
that foot print is just awesome!!!

i do like 6 footers, but if my 35 trophs are doing great in my 4 footer.

[myjohnson]

Honestly, Geoff has a really good point. Few people have kept a colony as long as him and once tropheus reach their max size in a tank they will understand.

It is hard to pack 20 tropheus into a 75g when they are maxed out at 5-6 inches each. Geoff has 20 ujiji in a 150g and they fill the tank up perfectly. Just got to see it in person to believe it.

But it does take tropheus a long time to get that big and I'm sure the alpha male has no complaints about being in a 4 foot tank where he runs the show and gets all the females he wants.

To me it's a simple rule.....happy fish breed!

If they breed in a 4 footer then you are fine. If they breed in a 6 footer then even better. Like Donald is saying, why does 6 foot have to be the standard? The lake is so much bigger and I'm sure no matter what tank we keep them in they will feel stuffed.

Care for your fishes they best you can is really all we can ask.

[myjohnson]

Here is a cheap looking video I got of the fry at 22 days. It's only shows them for a few seconds, once in the beginning and again about mid way into the video.

[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iddqUIi37Mk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iddqUIi37Mk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

Notice how the egg sacks are completely gone. I assume, I can release at this time but don't and keep them in there for another 5 days at least. I did trying feeding them by pushing flakes through the bottom screen with some success.

[cichlid1409]

man you got some nice algae in that tank, but i dont see 'em grazing that much..... what lights you running on that thing? that one male on the right looks awesome!

[myjohnson]

Not too much wattage. Only 2x65 CF. I had another 72w on there but took that light off for another tank. Algae growth didn't change much.

You know, these namansi don't really graze as much as some of the other variants I've kept. Might have something to do with the fact that they are collected in somewhat deeper waters compared to other tropheus mius dubs, annectens, and polli.

The lufubus for sure graze more then else guys.

[newb]

how many fry you got there. is this your first batch from these?