spedwards Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 I thought I had worked by fish selection out, but after seeing all these beautiful pics i'm starting to have a bit of a dilemma. Is there such a thing as a "beginner" tropheus in your POV? Duboisi Maswa seems to be the most common (read as easy to keep), but I like the looks of the moorii Ilangi (a lot...). Is a 4' x 18" x 2' (340L) tank large enough to keep a good colony of these fish safely or should I save my Tropheus dreams for another day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trofius Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 spedwards, this post will be moved to general discussion, but anyways.... duboisi are best for beginers as they can be kept in smalller numbers even trios in smaller tanks, 4x18x18 would be as small as i would go for thre of these fish. they are good because they are also cheaper than the rest, moliros can also be found quite cheap,10-20 each All type do much better with about 20 tankmates mostly females is best. ilangi could be expensive to get a colony strait up and a 4x2x2 would be as smalle as i would go and i would get 20 atleast. if you are serious do some research, these fish can be the most rewarding, but they can also lead to imense frustration, and, some tough moments this forum is a great wealth of information, but best thing is to organise a meet with a tropheus nut down there, take a 6 pack or two!, and sit and watch them for half an hour atleast, and ask heaps of questions, then make a choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 2, 2006 Author Share Posted April 2, 2006 Hi guys, I have split the post in photography and started a new thread here. Andrea ← Just as I was replying and all! Thanks Mick, still weighing up the options at this stage and didn't think it worth starting a new topic. I'll keep reading - Moliro's had grabbed my eye too, so I might look into them a little more over the Ilangi. Cheers Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Sorry Jon...just wanted to keep discussion out of the photography forum I'd say duboisi or moliro due to their ease of locating and comparatively lower cost. Which ever one you chose, the fundamentals remain the same. I guess that you have read all the posts pertaining to Tropheus spp. here, but do as much research as you can before going down the T road. I have just re-ignited my flame Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 2, 2006 Author Share Posted April 2, 2006 Sorry Jon...just wanted to keep discussion out of the photography forum ← That's fine Andrea, I do understand that everything has it's place. I've been reading lots, but the more I read the more I want! I've been given a strict ruling of one tank for the house and I want to make it a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoliroMan Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Welcome Spedwards to the Tropheus Club!!! I was wondering when u will join us. U have been showing up a few times but now u have finally taken the plunge into tropheus! I use to think there was a beginner tropheus but i think it is really due to how much it will cost u to get from 15-20 of these fish. However, i would probably not recommend getting a black sp. such as ikola and kiriza or brichardi for the first time since these are known to be more aggressive. However, there is no hard and fast rule. It is probably easier for u to get F1 or more from 3 cm since i find they are a lot more hardier and adaptable to your maintenance routines. Pity u didn't post this earlier since i have sold all my moliros and other juvies. Anyway, i think u should give Jim a pm since he is selling F1 Ilangi for $10 each !!! So realise your dream and get what u really want! Remember u only can have one tank so choose the species u would luv the most. What u get is entirely up to your personal choice. I think your tank is large enough for 20 fish. Of course, a 4 by 2 by 2 would be even better but if space or cost is an issue then stick with what u already have. And remember to fire away with any questions u might have since we tropheus nuts luv to share our knowledge and experience! Tropheus Rules!!!! hth Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 2, 2006 Author Share Posted April 2, 2006 Thanks for the welcome Dave, though I'm not quite there yet! I have spotted your selling off of various fish and wished I was a little earlier in the process that I am currently, particularly for the Moliros (they were beautiful fish!) I would have preferred a larger tank. Cost or space weren't the issue, it was the floor. The 4x2x2 would have been another 160 - 200kgs and the house (and the car below) isn't something I'm going to risk, I value my life too much I have Google'd a bit, but are there any little gem sites out there that have lots of good information? It seems that Jim is selling the Ilangi for the same as the duboisi Mawsa at the moment. Are there many breeders around with Ilangi to get a few different genetic lines into the colony? Is it best to buy 25 juveniles, if the target colony is 20, to allow for one or two deaths and to weed out extra males as they grow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gswalker Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Well i am a new troph freak and have got 20 great Duboisi Mswa from Jim, they are great , now i did do some research and followed his advice to the tee, even got a 220 litre drum and have aged and got th ph and temp roughly to where the tank is at , and it is doing nicely so far Dont regret the swotch from Americans at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 I might have to hassle you for a newb's view of T's and their care - expect an email soon! My history is mainly in Americans, so your views and experiences will probably give some excellent advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gswalker Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 hmmm great minds think alike lol yeah they are very different but so far its been great, mind you i have been extra cautious as well, email away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 Should already be in your inbox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 Something I forgot to mention is that this will be primarily be a display tank. It's not that I'm not interested in breeding (cause I am!) but I have a definite tank restriction to be able to raise fry. Are Tropheus OK with being in a busy room and contantly stared at? From my reading and photo gazing they appear to be a very interesting bunch to watch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trofius Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Jon Most tropheus will breed in a tank and allow the fry to survive they are good that way. no need for seperate fry tanks. My kaches ein the display at home are in a pretty bussy walk area and generally are fine following people up and down th eroom waiting for a feed! but sometimes they are startled quite easily usually while i am standing infront wathing them, i think it depends on the light and what shadows you are casting etc it also depends on the fish if they were raised in a bussy area or with tank lights they will be a more relaxed fish i find, if you buy fish that have been living in a dark room no lights and mimal contact they will be skittish. ED. i find that tropheus are best to watch once they have stopped watching YOU. you need to kick back on a chair with a good drink and just wait for em to forget about you and start "playing" again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 It's not a thoroughfare, so they won't have to worry about people walking by contantly. But there will be a lot of movement in to and out of the room. From the sounds of things this should be a problem though. One thing i've noticed in a lot of pics is that the dorsal fin it down on the fish - is this common amongst all variants? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 They are beautiful fish mate, do the little things right and you will be rewarded with healthy, happy fish. If you decide to take the plunge, as said, there are lots who will help you. Jamie . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoliroMan Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 U ask a lot of interesting questions that we probably didn't think about when we started off keeping tropheus! This is not a criticism but actually demonstrates how eager u are to keep this wonderful species. I think nearly all the ilangi in Sydney are from Jim. It would be very hard for u to get some at the same price that are not from him. The only other option is to ask Nigel to ship some wildcaughts direct from Africa!!! i think 20 fish are fine. U can get 25 if u are worried about losses but i have rarely needed to remove any males unless they were hyper aggressive and since u are not focussing on breeding then the male to female ratio is not important. I find tropheus if kept as juveniles will be very use to human activity and welcome it. It means they get a feed when they see u!!! If u are keeping wildcaughts then it may be a problem. Dominant tropheus tend to raise there dorsal fins more often most likely to display there rank and superiority! My alpha male does it all the time! Sometimes it is hard to capture a pic with them displaying to the fullest with dorsal fin raised....u will discover this when u are trying to take photos of these wondering creatures! hth Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 The plunge is looking more imanent (sp?) by the hour! The hardest part now is waiting for the tank to arrive and deciding between the Mawsa, Moliro or Ilangi - anyone care to take a vote Steve's Tropheus Page is a good read (http://users.bigpond.net.au/steve.corbett/steves_tropheus/), lots of personal experience info and by far the most comprehensive information on T's I have found yet. I have had a look through some of my books and it's amazing what some people will publish. One book said that every fish liked a pH between 6.8 and 7.5 and most fish were given a 10/10 for ease of keeping (be they guppy or duboisi...). It's worries me that people who don't think to look further rely on this information - but that's a topic for another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 U ask a lot of interesting questions that we probably didn't think about when we started off keeping tropheus! This is not a criticism but actually demonstrates how eager u are to keep this wonderful species. I think nearly all the ilangi in Sydney are from Jim. It would be very hard for u to get some at the same price that are not from him. The only other option is to ask Nigel to ship some wildcaughts direct from Africa!!! i think 20 fish are fine. U can get 25 if u are worried about losses but i have rarely needed to remove any males unless they were hyper aggressive and since u are not focussing on breeding then the male to female ratio is not important. ← I guess i'm asking the stuff that's coming to mind that I can't find elsewhere on the forums or through Google. There's lots of stuff out there, particularly if you speak German Wild caught imports are something I might save for the moment - I don't think the boss would understand the difference between the "real" ones and the aquarium bred ones (not to discount aquarium bred stock). The buying 25 when you only want 20 was something I read in my research. I can't remember the site info as I've visited so many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoliroMan Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 remember to choose the tropheus variant that u want most! It is no good us telling u which one to get because it is u who will be looking at them day in and day out!!!! Did u realise Jim also has the Ndole Red Fluorescent for sale at $20 each. They are a lot more red then the moliro if u want a red tropheus. Sorry to make your selection process a lot harder!!!! I find the US cichlid forum has a tropheus/petrochromis devoted forum that will have plenty of interesting reads and also u can ask the gurus any questions u like!!!! Also feel free to pm Nigel, Jim, Aline, Jamie, Trofius, Little swimmer or myself on any matters that are tropheus-related no matter how stupid they sound! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 The problem is that I want them all! I saw the Ndole Red Fluorescent in Jim's breeder register post. Again, they are beautiful fish, but I think I prefer the Moliro colouration. That's at least one struck off the list! I'm sure that I'll come up with plenty of stupid questions to hassle you all with. When I was looking at the Malawi tank I had no concerns, but the T's have such a reputation that it's almost like learning the fish game all over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoliroMan Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 u have all the symptoms of a serious tropheus addiction so u need your tropheus hit soon!!!! If u are basing your decision on the pics i took of Jim's Ndoles then don't since they don't do his fish any justice!!! Anyway, it is healthy to want all the tropheus variants!!!! Just don't let your other half know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 I just need a fish hit, it's been too long since I had a tank running. I'm going to start hassling the LFS for a speedy delivery. The Ndole decision is from more than one pic. Not that they are a bad looking fish, I just prefer the look of others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Are Tropheus OK with being in a busy room and contantly stared at? Once settled, they are fine in a high traffic area. My iotas and dubs nearly hit the glass lids (in anticipation of food) when people walk through the room...they are not timid in the slightest (quite the opposite in fact). The bulus are now very forward too, although it took them a couple of weeks to lose their anxieties. The babies were not timid from day one so I am guessing that size/age plays a part (ie. the older fish needed a longer time to acclimatize to their new surroundings). You won't regret the switch...the colony activity is very different from any interaction that you would be used to seeing amongst Americans. Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 Thanks Andrea, I'm looking forward to them a lot. Thinking back now, I'm not quite sure why I never gave Africans a real shot before. I have just got word that there is a "99.94%" chance the tank will be ready and available next Wednesday. This will give me lots of time to get the background in and everything setup over the Easter long weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Good luck with it Jon . Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.