Adam_J Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 i have seen the name before , but never open my eyes to these fish... OMG , i think i need a bigger tank..... are they readily available in Australia? hard to keep? i've never seen these around my area.... i've been looking for something different , could this be the fish that i am looking for? T. Bemba was the first type i laid my eyes on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share Posted July 7, 2010 i have seen the name before , but never open my eyes to these fish... OMG , i think i need a bigger tank..... are they readily available in Australia? hard to keep? i've never seen these around my area.... i've been looking for something different , could this be the fish that i am looking for? T. Bemba was the first type i laid my eyes on.... Judging by your questions about this species, I don't think you are ready to keep them. They need lots of care and only for experienced aquarists. not everyone can walk before they crawl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin350 Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 hi adam, welcome to addictive world of tropheus !! lol they are readily available here in aus .. there is a large variety of good quality tropheus to... try this site for mountains of info and all u will ever need to know about tropheus .......... tropheusfanatics.com cheers Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share Posted July 7, 2010 i have seen the name before , but never open my eyes to these fish... OMG , i think i need a bigger tank..... are they readily available in Australia? hard to keep? i've never seen these around my area.... i've been looking for something different , could this be the fish that i am looking for? T. Bemba was the first type i laid my eyes on.... Judging by your questions about this species, I don't think you are ready to keep them. They need lots of care and only for experienced aquarists. not everyone can walk before they crawl I'm not having a go but I would suggest you read up on articles on the net about tropheus before deciding whether they are suitable for you. They are not the cheapest fish around so it will hurt your wallet if something happens to them. When I started keeping them, I lost various colonies amounting to hundreds of dollars because I was not prepared. i know your not having a go , but i couldnt let a chance go by for me to have a go before i buy any fish , i make sure i spend weeks , if not months reading and learning everything i can on them. And any info experienced aquarist can give me , would be muchly appreciated. Peter , thanks for the website , i will read all i can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasm Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I went straight from mbuna to tropheus within 6 months with no problem or regret, just keep water at top quality, routine water change and feed them good food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 welcome to the world of Tropheus addiction, as others have mentioned go to Tropheus Fanatics. I went from Mbunas to T duboisi in a 4 foot. bit of a squeeze but they were young at the time. Duboisi are more forgiving than other T's I now have duboisi and bemba in a 7 foot and ikola in a 5 foot (soon to move to an 8 foot) and plan on getting more. like most T keepers i have had colonies self destruct with bloat, devistating when it happens but you learn from the experience good luck, see you on T fanatics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GundamCichlid Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Tropheus is a very hardy fish but you need to stick with your routine. Regular water change is a must and good filteration. Check the Trop fanatics (TF) forum and do some research. As mention, better grow up your colony so the agression can be moderately minimize They are very active adn very entertaining in the tank and will catch your heart Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 As dogboy suggested, T.Dubousi "Maswa" is a common first tropheus. As with most fish, research and get your water right. They aren't as expensive as others and are apparently more hardy. Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 thanks everyone for the info , i will take my time and learn everything i can in theory , then learn everything i can in practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CThompson Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 I've got to say that possibly, contrary to most opinions, Tropheus are one of the hardiest and toughest fish (not to mention most interesting) that I have kept. Yes, they have an Achilles' heel with bloat, but that can be avoided, and dosed and cured (have medicines on hand BEFORE the fish are purchased). They do require research, all fish do, it's an information hobby after all. But Adam, if you're interested, read up, pm me if you want, learn about them and don't be put off by negative comments. You absolutely can keep Tropheus successfully. One key is a big tank, minimum (but don't think minimum) would be a 4X2X2 (bigger if you can), and a minimum number of fish of 15. Buying from a breeder will be a good step to avoid bloat, particularly if they feed NLS and you continue with the same food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 I've got to say that possibly, contrary to most opinions, Tropheus are one of the hardiest and toughest fish (not to mention most interesting) that I have kept. Yes, they have an Achilles' heel with bloat, but that can be avoided, and dosed and cured (have medicines on hand BEFORE the fish are purchased). They do require research, all fish do, it's an information hobby after all. But Adam, if you're interested, read up, pm me if you want, learn about them and don't be put off by negative comments. You absolutely can keep Tropheus successfully. One key is a big tank, minimum (but don't think minimum) would be a 4X2X2 (bigger if you can), and a minimum number of fish of 15. Buying from a breeder will be a good step to avoid bloat, particularly if they feed NLS and you continue with the same food. ok cool , i was thinking of purchasing a 6ft tank just for these fish , keep my firemouths in my 4ft tank and use my 3ft for raising babies. and thats just in the house... i have 20 tanks outside ready to be setup haha.. but back to the topic... i really appreciate everyone's comments and ideas , after 4 years , i am yet to loose a fish... it will happen , but i try and make sure everything stays stable.... i'd hate to lose my starlight plecs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waruna Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Go for it!! I personally don't think they are hard to keep. Don't cut corners, as previously mentioned get in to a routine. They don't seem to like changes... with water, food etc etc. Meaning when you do water changes make sure it's pre mixed (if you decide to add salts) and the temperature is as colse to the water you are changing. As Craig mentioned before i recommend you get some medication for Bloat before you buy the colony. 15 is a good number for a colony. Some may disagree with me but i would treat them for bloat as a precaution when you get them. I treated my two colonies once when i got them and never lost a T for bloat. Don't believe everything you read on the internet about them, listen to and talk to people who keep them.You'll find a few on here:-). They are very very addictive! All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Hi Adam just follow a few basic rules and the pain if any should be minmal well that's my experience with them good water conditions = pH 8.0 - 8.4 so hardness is stable IMO you don't need to go to the highest pH parameter and dkH 15 - 20 deg or 250 - 300 ppm use a good conditioning salt as this contains trace elements also rather than just Bi carb & epsom salts pre condition water for water changes so temp, oxygen and chemical make up is similar do not feed high protein foods especially any that contain fat, sinue or are mammal based eg beef heart - no tubificide worms - use a varied menu of spirolina based and hi fibre foods like goldfish flakes (NLS wasn't around back then) and always use a quality brand of flake - I feel that pellets can be too hard to digest and may swell in the intestine if not broken down before swallowing Live food = brine shrimp, mozzie wrigglers and Daphnia in moderation are OK as they will eat inverts with the algae in wild biotype Daphnia are good as a laxative also these as frozen foods loose nutrient value due to the exoskeleton cracking when frozen but still Ok in moderation after thawing out in tank water to warm it up natural algae growth is also good and interesting to watch them feed on if you keep one drug it must be Flagyl (metronodazole) as Tropheus are susceptable to protozoan infections that are indicated by stringy white poo and clamped fins - treat as soon as symptoms are noticed as it usually ends with a secondary bacterial infection if left untreated I also liked to use but in the form of Octazin (is this still available) when transporting Tropheus or Tang sand sifters that are prone to stress induced protozoan probs Tropheus like structure so look to have at rock structure at each end of the tank for the dominant males to claim for attracting females I also liked using clumps of Val or fake plants to add cover for any that get chased Tropheus are best introduced as juveniles or a colony so they can set up a social structure as additional singles can be rejected when trying to increase the number of adults with single fish to an established colony - juveniles don't seem to suffer having to go through this acceptance these things worked for me one other thing is aggression and this seems to vary depending on species an answer may be to increase the turbulence with power heads as the fish should be more interested in swimming than fighting .......... something Spencer Jack mentioned he has used with other fish Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CThompson Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 I feel that pellets can be too hard to digest and may swell in the intestine if not broken down before swallowing This may be the case with other pellet foods today (?) and in the days before NLS it was believed as Chris has pointed out above regarding Tropheus and pellets, it was in fact a general practise to soak a pellet food before being feed to Tropheus. NLS was the first pellet food that was able to be feed as an exclusive food, and feed to Tropheus without soaking. I have feed NLS (pellets) to all my fish as an exclusive food for years, but more specifically to my Tropheus for nearly as long as I've had them (over six years), so I can say pretty confidently that NLS will not have any issues with Tropheus, soaked or not soaked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I agree with pretty much what everyone has said. What ever food you do choose make sure it is good supply as Trophs hate change when it comes to food and that is when they is when bloat is likely to appear. I Started with HBH Vegge and OSI Spirulina flake and was excellent food but I had trouble getting it in large amounts so moved to NLS. There were supply issues a few years ago with NLS but they appear to be resolved so I that is probably not an issue now. I would use the same food as the breeder you get them from, so it is less of a shock for them. When you get them don't feed them for 2 days and then only small amounts. After that make sure that all the food is gone after 2 minutes because they will eat until the cows come home and then they will get sick. The foods that I have used for trophs are HBH Vegge Flake, OSI Spirulina Flake and NLS Thera and NLS grow for the bubs. cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 Hi Adam just follow a few basic rules and the pain if any should be minmal well that's my experience with them good water conditions = pH 8.0 - 8.4 so hardness is stable IMO you don't need to go to the highest pH parameter and dkH 15 - 20 deg or 250 - 300 ppm use a good conditioning salt as this contains trace elements also rather than just Bi carb & epsom salts pre condition water for water changes so temp, oxygen and chemical make up is similar do not feed high protein foods especially any that contain fat, sinue or are mammal based eg beef heart - no tubificide worms - use a varied menu of spirolina based and hi fibre foods like goldfish flakes (NLS wasn't around back then) and always use a quality brand of flake - I feel that pellets can be too hard to digest and may swell in the intestine if not broken down before swallowing Live food = brine shrimp, mozzie wrigglers and Daphnia in moderation are OK as they will eat inverts with the algae in wild biotype Daphnia are good as a laxative also these as frozen foods loose nutrient value due to the exoskeleton cracking when frozen but still Ok in moderation after thawing out in tank water to warm it up natural algae growth is also good and interesting to watch them feed on if you keep one drug it must be Flagyl (metronodazole) as Tropheus are susceptable to protozoan infections that are indicated by stringy white poo and clamped fins - treat as soon as symptoms are noticed as it usually ends with a secondary bacterial infection if left untreated I also liked to use but in the form of Octazin (is this still available) when transporting Tropheus or Tang sand sifters that are prone to stress induced protozoan probs Tropheus like structure so look to have at rock structure at each end of the tank for the dominant males to claim for attracting females I also liked using clumps of Val or fake plants to add cover for any that get chased Tropheus are best introduced as juveniles or a colony so they can set up a social structure as additional singles can be rejected when trying to increase the number of adults with single fish to an established colony - juveniles don't seem to suffer having to go through this acceptance these things worked for me one other thing is aggression and this seems to vary depending on species an answer may be to increase the turbulence with power heads as the fish should be more interested in swimming than fighting .......... something Spencer Jack mentioned he has used with other fish Chris just a question on this protozoan infection... can bristlenose get it as well??? i noticed the last week or so , long stringy poop in the tank??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 Hi Adam Loricardae normally have long strings of poo what you need to look for in Tropheus is that it is white and looks like there is no substance to it as far as protozoan infections any fish can contract it but some are more succeptable than others fish disease ID is a subject that you should look at and hope you don't need to use Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 15, 2010 Author Share Posted July 15, 2010 Hi Adam Loricardae normally have long strings of poo what you need to look for in Tropheus is that it is white and looks like there is no substance to it as far as protozoan infections any fish can contract it but some are more succeptable than others fish disease ID is a subject that you should look at and hope you don't need to use Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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