Anyone else into aquariums here? (1 Viewer)

[Bry_DD]

I started out with a 30 gallon community fish tank then moved on to a 65 gallon with african ciclids. then got another 55 gallon for salt water which didn't work out for me. then when we moved to a house about almost 2 yrs ago i got a 125 gallon with my old african ciclids from my 65 gallon tank. And now I just got done setting up my fish pond out my back yard with some gold fish and kois in it.
peace out!
Bry

 

[Neil Joseph]

Bry_DD...As I mentioned, I want to set up a 90 gallon tank with African Cichlids also, but combine with a few Red-Fin Black Sharks, Clown Loaches, and a couple of similarly sized catfish. Do you have any further advice for me? I know that the Cichlids need lots of hiding spots/caves and such because the strong continually chase the weak, and the weaker ones need a place to zip inside/behind. Exactly how many and how big are your fish? I have seen a Cichlid grow to about 8-9".
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[Bry_DD]

Neil, I have about 20 fish in my 125gallon tank and the biggest one is about 6" and the smallest is about half inch. I'll say if you're going to mix the cichlids with other types of fish other than african cichlids i'll suggest you get a a little bigger the the cichlids you're getting cuz I think cichlids are a bit aggresive. also feed them twice a day and they'll grow faster. you're right that cichlids like a lot of hiding places and if they do have plenty you'll see some baby fish in about 2 months or so. hope that helps..
peace out,
Bry

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Re: hand feeding a fish
Well, there are two methods. For the fish that are sick and quarantined in a net, I use a small eye dropper to dangle food in front of their mouths. Obviously sticking my hands in there would freak them out, so I try to be as unobtrusive as possible. I've had about a 60% success rate recouperating fish this way who should be dead. Sometimes they won't eat, but if you are lucky they will, though they won't hunt for food.
On the other hand (pun intended), there is nothing quite like the sensation of sticking your hand into a throng of 60 or so convicts with a handful of blood worms. That is a lot of fun, and would qualify as feeding by hand. If you are afraid of being nibbled on I wouldn't recommend this, but it is pretty unique. They'll swim between your fingers while gobbling up their dinner, taking the occasional nip at your hand.
As for mixing Africans with other fish, I can't say I'd recommend it. They'll get territorial and beat the crap out of the other fish. I had my killer gourami in with a pair of convicts (not African, but) and they learned how to do coordinated attacks up either side of his face, biting just behind the eyes. That was pretty amazing - they literally swam in tandem, one up each side and attacked, this after coaxing the gourami into a narrow part of the tank where he couldn't turn around easily.
Needless to say, the gourami got a new home as soon as I witnessed that....
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[ikiru]

I am a big fish lover myself. I have had all kinds of freshwater fish and have had little luck with keeping any fish for long periods of time....until I discovered Koi. I have upgraded from an indoor aquarium to an outdoor patio pond. Keeping Koi is easy. I just feed them once a day and replace the water when it evaporates. Once a month, I add distilled water to soften it up.
I have a 55 gallon patio pond and I filter it with 2 hang on tank canisters (100 gph each). I think that overfiltering is better than underfiltering. I have 2 Koi, and a couple of assorted goldfish all living in harmony. They have been living for 3 years now with little to no maintenance. Plus the sound of running water is very calming when I am taking care of my plants.
I just bought a 100 gallon tank. Im going to try Saltwater once I move into a house. I can see many sleepless nights and big fish expenses coming up!
-ikiru
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