MoliroMan Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Great to see u have not lost faith! It is such an exciting exercise setting up a tank for your tropheus. I have had my fair share of fish losses for a number of reasons. Once it was because i had only one duboisi kept in a community tank sharing the same diet including colorbits and brineshrimp. Maybe it died of loneliness? Another time it was due to f1s that were already in bad condition when i bought them. They died like flies over a few weeks despite all my efforts. So the most important thing is to get juveniles from a reputable breeder and i can't recommend anyone better than Jim. Check with your breeder, he or she may already be feeding NLS so it may not be a problem feeding them. If u have a few established tanks u could use the cannister from the other tanks or the filter wool to quickly kick start the nitrogen cycle. I would do a 50% water change of aged water a day prior to adding the new fish. Try to get the water conditions as close as possible to the breeders condition to aid in the transition. I have used cheap mbuna for cycling and later gave them back to the LFS. I guess rainbows will be ok. But i think your tank will look better without them when the tropheus arrive (but that is just my opinion). hth Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 G'day Jon, Firstly, I went away for 3 weeks last year. I got someone to feed the fish once every 3 days. They were shown exactly how much to feed them. The fish were a little skinny but fine. Upon return I slowly increased their food until they were back to eating their normal amount. I didn't feel comfortable trusting an auto feeder for that length of time. I have had my Trophs for 2 years and the only fish I have lost was one that jumped out of a holding bucket, I realised too late. There is no reason why you shouldn't have success IF you are prepared to be consistent with your maintenance. I think alot of people in the States have trouble with Bloat since they mostly have to ship their fish in, alot of the time in cold temps and by travelling long distances. When I was thinking about getting Trophs I asked loads of questions and did loads of research. I then did everything to the letter that Jim (the T breeder) told me. I also didn't put my fish in until I was 100% positive that the conditions in my tank were perfect, this took a while. I can definitely say I have a very nice, healthy colony. Have fun with it, Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Sorry to go off topic a litte but it kinda might help Jon with the "going away" aspect of getting the Ts... Have any of your guys tried NLS Thera+A on your Ts? Just wondering if the extra garlic dose might help keep gut paracites at bay, potentially having an anti bloat effect? That said the higher protein & fat content might cancel out the potential benefit anyway! But then again the protien is still less than OSI Spirulina... O.S.I. Spirulina Flakes CONTENT ANALYSIS: Crude Protine (min) 41%, Crude Fat (min) 4%, Crude Fiber (max) 6%, Moisture (max) 8%. Thera+A GUARANTEED ANALYSIS: Protein 38% Min., Fat 9% Min., Fiber 5% Max., Ash 9% Max., Moisture 10% Max. (stats pinched from AOA's site) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoliroMan Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 i give alternate feeds of cichlid formula and thera A and have not noticed any problems. I know Waruna himself feeds his tropheus Thera A exclusively and believes the garlic has some benefit for the Ts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 9, 2006 Author Share Posted April 9, 2006 We are currently looking at getting my brother, or sister, to house sit for the duration of our time away. I feel that by giving them a good run down they should be able to look after the fish well with their passed experience. At what protein (or fat) percentage is it considered too much for T's? The NLS Cichlid formula stats are Protein 34% Min., Fat 5% Min., Fiber 5% Max., Ash 9% Max., Moisture 10% Max, this is obviously less than the OSI Spirulina flake (as added by Ash and confirmed on my tub). Is it the change that people are concerned about having problems with or some other reason why so many T owners are against the switch? Here is a pic of the parts, just waiting on the tank to arrive now.... I just wanted to thanks everyone (again) for all their answers to my many questions, I'm sure they will be rewarded with a healthy tank and another Tropheus Anonymous member Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoliroMan Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 i heard from Waruna himself that any fat content above 10% can result in fish death from fatty liver disease! I think the key to protein content is that it is not made purely out of animal protein or meats which some fish foods are made of. What i have heard is that NLS is great for trophs because it contains high quality ingredients that are easily digested by the trophs and provide all the necessary nutrients and vitamins for the trophs to thrive with. Because it is such a rich food u only need to feed a lot less of it compared to some other flake foods. If they had dyed NLS pellets green like what they do for a lot of supposed vegetarian flakes/pellets made by other manufacturers then maybe more people will be less reluctant to feed them to their trophs! I can see u r very keen since u got all your accessories even before u got your tank. I hope everything fits well! I strongly believe u will do well with your first trophs since u have spent so much time preparing for it! We look forward to seeing your tank in progress pics! dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 I strongly recommend feeding NLS to Tropheus. I feed it to my colony with fantastic results. They are bigger and way more energetic than when I fed them a Spirulina Flake. Love the background. Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 NLS is definately on my shopping list when I next visit a LFS that stocks it (or I make my next online order...). I have the sprulina flake to feed them when I first get them from Jim and then will wean them over to NLS over a few weeks. The background will look great once in the tank, I'm a little worried about the install but that's nothing a little time, patience and silicone won't fix. I would love to have the extra swimming space but my instructions stated that i must have one of these in - at least the fish will be have a nice looking environment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Are you saying that you "must" have a fancy fake rock background? I agree that they look unreal but they are definately not a must have. As long as they don't take up too much room I think they make the tank look very nice, just don't think that you need one to keep Ts. I still do , however love the look of that background, I'm sure your tank will look great with it. Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 The instructions came from my boss (aka the wife), "one tank only and it's gotta look good". It's not that I don't want it, but at it's highest spot it's 10" and will takes a whole lotta space up. I do like the look and I'm sure that the fish won't mind it being there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 The instructions came from my boss (aka the wife) Say no more . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropheusQueen Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 NLS is definately on my shopping list when I next visit a LFS that stocks it (or I make my next online order...). I have the sprulina flake to feed them when I first get them from Jim and then will wean them over to NLS over a few weeks. The background will look great once in the tank, I'm a little worried about the install but that's nothing a little time, patience and silicone won't fix. I would love to have the extra swimming space but my instructions stated that i must have one of these in - at least the fish will be have a nice looking environment ← Great looking background as long as you do install it well I no longer use them as they are great traps for waste and fish that find even tiny entrance ways Compare the NLS prices on our new sponsors site PFF I am certain you will be pleased Looking forward to seeing the completed setup with your special T's. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 I'll be hitting Bunnings up for a tube or two of Selleys and some window cleaner over the next couple of days. There'll be a bit of playing around getting the plumbing in behind the background, but it will look good hidden and also keep the boss happy. If I was a mathematician I'd be counting the hours or minutes until pickup, but at the moment days are sufficient - 3 to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyclops Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Talk about waste collectors. I built a background based on this: http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiygrotto/bndiygrotto.htm Well. I looked great. The fish loved it. Only a few problems; * waste loved to get in there and was hard to remove * when the tank leaks, don't expect to get your fish out. They much preferred hiding in the caves and being trapped and dying. I had to add balance the leaking with adding to avoid this problem. In the end after days of trying, I got someone to steady the tank and pulled the thing off (fortunately had siliconed it on via styro). Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 Reading, reading, reading - will it ever end! I have been visiting the Cichlid-Forum site (noticed a few familiar names popping up) and browsing the T forum, there's so much information there. I particularly like Tim_in_NYC's "work log" of his Ilangi tank, very good read though I don't like the look of the planted tank he's ended up with or the extra fish distracting from the beautiful Ilangis. So much to take on board... I picked up a 120L tub from Bunnings which will act as my water aging receptical. This will cater for about a 33% water change, now I need to find somewhere to store the thing The wife is beginning to think that she's now second fiddle to the fish with all the time I'm devoted to research on the computer. She's going to get a real shock when the tank arrives (hopefully in store tomorrow, pickup Thursday) and the real obsession begins. <insert evil laugh> dyclops, I've found that DIY article before and had thought about putting one together. It looks great in the completed photos. I'm glad I'm too lazy to have put the time in as I hadn't thought about the complications you mentioned. I am thinking about leaving a small gap in the silicone job to allow for a hose to stuck in behind the background and, using a small powerhead, pull the water out from behind to try and prevent it stagnating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoliroMan Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR WIFE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 Don't worry, she'll always be number 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest parallel Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Hi, Is it safe to add an off the shelf styrofoam background in a tropheus tank? Cheers Parallel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Jon I would be carefull when filling the 120L tub from bunnings. I had one once that was that big but it wasnt designed to be filled with water and couldnt hold the presure when full, You can guess the rest. I would test fill it outside first Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 15, 2006 Author Share Posted April 15, 2006 Is it safe to add an off the shelf styrofoam background in a tropheus tank? ← The one i'm adding isn't styrofoam, it's one of the Universal Rocks works, can't remember when it's made of (not latex...) but it's a rubber of some sort I would be carefull when filling the 120L tub from bunnings. ← Thanks for the warning, I'll fill it up tomorrow and see how it goes. How long before you had the problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 15, 2006 Author Share Posted April 15, 2006 On another note: there is a one week delay on the cabinet / hood / tank delivery, so I'm sitting around twiddling my thumbs this weekend having allocated time to working on the tank. Unfortunately with the one week delay the time to getting water in the tank will be pushed back too, there's no way for me to be able to catch up the two whole extra working days. SO(!) I don't think I'll be ready for fish for at least another 6 weeks which is dangerously close to Canada departure. I'll get some fillers for the moment and let the tank fully settle and establish and get the fish when I get back, but that's not until August That's the plan for the moment, things might change though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 That's a bummer mate, waiting sux. It'll work out though. Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 20, 2006 Author Share Posted April 20, 2006 The saga continues <insert dramatic music>. We now have a tank - and a tank only... The hood was a completely incorrect model and the cabinet finish wasn't up to standard and also had dents all over the timber. Fortunately the store was busy and we had time to give it a good looking over before getting it home. I think I'm destined to never get this thing running! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 regarding the tubs from bunnings - what about simple basic garbage bins? I've had the 40 & 60l ones filled with water for ages soaking driftwood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted April 21, 2006 Author Share Posted April 21, 2006 I've had it filled for a few days now and all seems OK. After Josh's warning I filled mine up and after chatting with him found that his failed almost immediately - mine should be fine. It's one of those large white opaque ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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