So I've been keeping fish continuously for just over ten years now and there are times when I really couldn't tell you the answer to this question I have posed.
In my heyday of breeding where I was maintaining upwards of 30 tanks, relaxing was certainly not at the top of the list of descriptors. Exciting, heartbreaking, laborious definitely but relaxing...no way.
And it certainly isn't relaxing when I hear the disapproval in my OH's voice as I spill some dirty fishwater on the clean floor or try to 'sneak' another fish related purchase into the house!
Water changes, ammonia spikes, white spot, bacterial bloom! Who could relax with all of that stress!
Is it all worth it? Well, actually, yes it is. I can't think of any other hobby where I can create a replica Amazon rainforest or Rift Valley lake in my own living room. And all of that other stuff I mentioned has really only been a minor distraction in comparison to the joy and wonder this hobby brings me.
At the end of a long days work or when my brain won't switch off from an issue I'm trying solve, I cant' think of anything better to do than sit with my fish and relax.
Friday, 19 April 2013
Friday, 12 April 2013
Joining an online hobbyist community/forum
Last week we talked about the many benefits of participating in your local fishkeeping club. Sometimes, however it is not practical or possible to meet people in a face to face environment. The club may meet at a time that isn't convenient, transport may be an issue or there simply may not be a club in your local area. This is where the internet is really useful helping you to connect with others who share your hobby. Of course internet forums aren't only restricted to fishkeeping....really if you can imagine it, there is probably a forum on the topic! But I digress, today we are talking about fish.
There won't be any problem finding a forum, there are loads of them that come up in a general search. Some are based in the UK and many abroad. One of the great things about the internet, being able to share experiences with people all over the world. The problem may be trying to decide which one of these forums is right for you. Please find below a few top tips we've gathered from our experience of forums.
1. Refine your search to come up with appropriate forums for your level of experience and/or type of fish that you keep. I.e Search Google for 'Fishkeeping forums for beginners' or 'African Cichlids forum' instead of 'fishkeeping forums' if you want to narrow down your choices.
2. You don't always have to join a forum in order to view posts. 'Lurking' occasionally may give you some insight as to how active a forum is, how posters treat one another or are there discussions related to what you are interested in.
3. Remember, especially if you are new to fishkeeping, that advice given may not always be accurate. If you are uncertain about something concerning the health of your fish then double check with an expert. There are Vets online or locally that you can ask if something doesn't seem quite right.
4. Once you have decided on a forum make sure you get up to speed with the expected etiquette. Even if you have very strong opinions or you are 100% certain that another poster is wrong about something be sure to express yourself respectfully. Nobody likes a 'keyboard warrior' and things you write may come off far differently than they would in a face to face discussion.
5. Don't be timid about participating and asking/answering questions. There are usually people around with lots of experience to share and they are only too glad to help. After a while you will get to be one of those people too!
If these tips have been useful in helping you to find a good forum please come back and write a comment to let us know.
If you don't have a local club in your area but would like some guidance on how to start one then check back here in a few weeks. We are trying to arrange a guest blog from the chair of the local club telling us how it all started and how it remains interesting and viable.
There won't be any problem finding a forum, there are loads of them that come up in a general search. Some are based in the UK and many abroad. One of the great things about the internet, being able to share experiences with people all over the world. The problem may be trying to decide which one of these forums is right for you. Please find below a few top tips we've gathered from our experience of forums.
1. Refine your search to come up with appropriate forums for your level of experience and/or type of fish that you keep. I.e Search Google for 'Fishkeeping forums for beginners' or 'African Cichlids forum' instead of 'fishkeeping forums' if you want to narrow down your choices.
2. You don't always have to join a forum in order to view posts. 'Lurking' occasionally may give you some insight as to how active a forum is, how posters treat one another or are there discussions related to what you are interested in.
3. Remember, especially if you are new to fishkeeping, that advice given may not always be accurate. If you are uncertain about something concerning the health of your fish then double check with an expert. There are Vets online or locally that you can ask if something doesn't seem quite right.
4. Once you have decided on a forum make sure you get up to speed with the expected etiquette. Even if you have very strong opinions or you are 100% certain that another poster is wrong about something be sure to express yourself respectfully. Nobody likes a 'keyboard warrior' and things you write may come off far differently than they would in a face to face discussion.
5. Don't be timid about participating and asking/answering questions. There are usually people around with lots of experience to share and they are only too glad to help. After a while you will get to be one of those people too!
If these tips have been useful in helping you to find a good forum please come back and write a comment to let us know.
If you don't have a local club in your area but would like some guidance on how to start one then check back here in a few weeks. We are trying to arrange a guest blog from the chair of the local club telling us how it all started and how it remains interesting and viable.
Friday, 5 April 2013
Why you should join a local Fishkeeping club
I still remember bringing home my first fish tank in all of its 2 foot glory, setting it up and religiously waiting the 10 days for it to cycle so I could purchase its first inhabitants! I am sure many of you are having a nostalgic moment right now.
As time went on my collection of tanks grew bigger and I even caught the breeding bug after witnessing the miracle of birth amongst my Platty population. I can picture some of you now with that wry smile, shaking your head and remembering your first spawn. Most likely same as mine and completely accidental. I can look back with hindsight and realise a Platty could probably spawn in a mud puddle and this spawn had nothing to do with my newly acquired fishkeeping super powers.
Fortunately when I started out on my new adventure the internet was teeming with information so I could sort out most minor problems with the help of Google and some advice from my local fish store. What I couldn't do so well was figure out which information was useful and which was a load of old *carp*! It took a lot of trial and error to figure out which was which. What I lacked was contact with experienced fishkeepers, which brings me to my point.
Somewhere along the way I discovered that there were people in my city meeting every month to talk about...FISHKEEPING! In my case this happens to be the Derby and District Aquarist Society (Hello to Simon et al) which meets once a month at Mr Grundy's Tavern. What I found was a welcoming group of people interested in talking about the same thing as me; all the great stuff happening in my tanks. Many of the group had been meeting and sharing stories and experiences for a very long time. I can tell you that my knowledge of the hobby skyrocketed by being around people who had 'been there, done that and got the T-shirt'. Imagine my delight being able to discuss Ph levels, a new filtration system or the latest shipment of livestock at the local fish store with people who didn't just glaze over at the slightest mention of fish. You know the look I mean.
If you are in the Derby area the club meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 8 PM at Mr Grundy's on Ashbourne Road Derby. The group has a Facebook page which you are welcome to join Derby and District Aquarists and their email address is Derbyaquarists@aol.com if you would like to get in touch for any reason.
Fortunately, again, the internet makes finding a club in your local area easy to to do. You can find clubs listed on both Aquarist Classified's Fishkeeping Clubs page or on Practical Fishkeeping Magazine Forum as an example but a good Google search will bring plenty of other results. You will also find a variety of online fishkeeping forums to join but it can be tricky deciding which one is right for you. I will cover the pros and cons of the online community in an upcoming post.
Over the years the number of fish tanks in my home has decreased but not the enthusiasm I first felt when I took up the hobby. I don't get to my local club meetings as often as I would like but please be assured there is no substitute for being in the company of like-minded individuals who are as passionate about their hobby as you are.
As time went on my collection of tanks grew bigger and I even caught the breeding bug after witnessing the miracle of birth amongst my Platty population. I can picture some of you now with that wry smile, shaking your head and remembering your first spawn. Most likely same as mine and completely accidental. I can look back with hindsight and realise a Platty could probably spawn in a mud puddle and this spawn had nothing to do with my newly acquired fishkeeping super powers.
Fortunately when I started out on my new adventure the internet was teeming with information so I could sort out most minor problems with the help of Google and some advice from my local fish store. What I couldn't do so well was figure out which information was useful and which was a load of old *carp*! It took a lot of trial and error to figure out which was which. What I lacked was contact with experienced fishkeepers, which brings me to my point.
Somewhere along the way I discovered that there were people in my city meeting every month to talk about...FISHKEEPING! In my case this happens to be the Derby and District Aquarist Society (Hello to Simon et al) which meets once a month at Mr Grundy's Tavern. What I found was a welcoming group of people interested in talking about the same thing as me; all the great stuff happening in my tanks. Many of the group had been meeting and sharing stories and experiences for a very long time. I can tell you that my knowledge of the hobby skyrocketed by being around people who had 'been there, done that and got the T-shirt'. Imagine my delight being able to discuss Ph levels, a new filtration system or the latest shipment of livestock at the local fish store with people who didn't just glaze over at the slightest mention of fish. You know the look I mean.
If you are in the Derby area the club meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 8 PM at Mr Grundy's on Ashbourne Road Derby. The group has a Facebook page which you are welcome to join Derby and District Aquarists and their email address is Derbyaquarists@aol.com if you would like to get in touch for any reason.
Fortunately, again, the internet makes finding a club in your local area easy to to do. You can find clubs listed on both Aquarist Classified's Fishkeeping Clubs page or on Practical Fishkeeping Magazine Forum as an example but a good Google search will bring plenty of other results. You will also find a variety of online fishkeeping forums to join but it can be tricky deciding which one is right for you. I will cover the pros and cons of the online community in an upcoming post.
Over the years the number of fish tanks in my home has decreased but not the enthusiasm I first felt when I took up the hobby. I don't get to my local club meetings as often as I would like but please be assured there is no substitute for being in the company of like-minded individuals who are as passionate about their hobby as you are.
Friday, 29 March 2013
Keep your dogs away from the Easter chocolates
Over this Easter season we can get easily carried away with all of the chocolate goodies on offer. We treat the kids, we treat ourselves and we think why not treat the family's best friend! After all how bad can a little piece of chocolate be for the dog? Well the truth is it can be very bad for our furry friends and in some cases fatal. Chocolate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean. Theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle.
Dark chocolate contains far higher levels than milk chocolate but that doesn't mean milk chocolate is danger free. Once a dog tastes chocolate they will ever after crave it and they won't be able to differentiate between dark and milk!
I felt compelled to write this as our household went through a chocolate trauma over the Christmas holidays. My partner and I returned from a lovely lunch in town to find an empty gold box and chocolate wrappers strewn across the dining room floor. 500g of Dark Belgian Chocolates, minus a few that had been eaten, were now inside one or both of the dogs. We couldn't tell as neither were showing any signs and we hadn't caught them in the act.
We got straight on to Google and with the help of this amazing calculator
http://www.askavetquestion.com/chocolate_toxicity.php we knew it was an immediate trip to the Vet.
They were given drugs to make them sick and therefore get any toxins out of their systems more quickly. We were convinced that Cookie, our Chocolate Lab was the culprit, after all his favourite party trick is stealing things from the counter tops. As it turned out it was Maddy, the Lab/Collie cross, who had in fact eaten all of the goodies as she is the one who got sick...wrappers and all. Thanks to the vet nurses for dealing with all of that.
In the end all turned out OK as we acted quickly and made sure they were seen by a Vet. We took turns staying with them through the night to make sure no other symptoms occurred. That was one expensive box of chocolates, both emotionally and financially! I'm still tempted to load up on the Cadbury's Creme Eggs but you can be sure I won't be sharing with the furries.
Dark chocolate contains far higher levels than milk chocolate but that doesn't mean milk chocolate is danger free. Once a dog tastes chocolate they will ever after crave it and they won't be able to differentiate between dark and milk!
I felt compelled to write this as our household went through a chocolate trauma over the Christmas holidays. My partner and I returned from a lovely lunch in town to find an empty gold box and chocolate wrappers strewn across the dining room floor. 500g of Dark Belgian Chocolates, minus a few that had been eaten, were now inside one or both of the dogs. We couldn't tell as neither were showing any signs and we hadn't caught them in the act.
We got straight on to Google and with the help of this amazing calculator
http://www.askavetquestion.com/chocolate_toxicity.php we knew it was an immediate trip to the Vet.
They were given drugs to make them sick and therefore get any toxins out of their systems more quickly. We were convinced that Cookie, our Chocolate Lab was the culprit, after all his favourite party trick is stealing things from the counter tops. As it turned out it was Maddy, the Lab/Collie cross, who had in fact eaten all of the goodies as she is the one who got sick...wrappers and all. Thanks to the vet nurses for dealing with all of that.
In the end all turned out OK as we acted quickly and made sure they were seen by a Vet. We took turns staying with them through the night to make sure no other symptoms occurred. That was one expensive box of chocolates, both emotionally and financially! I'm still tempted to load up on the Cadbury's Creme Eggs but you can be sure I won't be sharing with the furries.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
The care and breeding of the L046 Hypancistrus Zebra Plec
I have always had a keen interest in plecs but when I saw a picture of the Zeb in a book…that was it…I had to have them! I searched the internet in relentless pursuit. I drove up and down the country picking up unwanted fish, even going more than 100 miles just to get one! Not a popular choice with the Other Half as (at the time, pre the ban on export) I was willing to pay £40 to £60 per fish.
Over the course of a year I was able to gather a nice collection from different sources and was ready to try my hand at breeding. How hard could it be? I was already getting hundreds of bristlenoses from multiple spawns, surely these must pretty similar?! Good clean water, lots of bogwood, males and females and a couple of slate caves. Why wasn’t anything happening?
So I started to read anything I could find about breeding Zebra plecs. Although there was not a lot of information, those that had been successful seemed willing to share. What followed next can only be described as ‘madness’ (at least it was by the OH) as I tried everything to get these fish to breed. I measured TDS and Ph. I re-created the rainy season! I even started paying attention to barometric pressure! I watched Sky News for the weather reports and ran to do a water change every time there was a hint of a thunderstorm on the way! I did stop short of looking for a Shaman in the phone book to perform a ritual rain dance, but I think you get the picture, I would have tried anything. But still nothing happened. It finally dawned on me why these fish are so rare.
Then disaster struck. While treating another fish for velvet disease in a tank in the same room as my Zebs there was some cross contamination that must have occurred. Even though I am meticulous about cleaning hands between tanks, using different nets etc. somehow I managed to draw the disease into the Zeb tanks and one by one began losing them. In the end I was left with a group of three. I was so devastated that I nearly gave up the hobby entirely. I moved the three to a quiet tank on their own in the fish house and just let them be.
I still delighted in seeing the Zebs, watching them scurry about when I would add some bloodworm to the tank. I moved a few bristlenoses in to keep the algae under control and added a few top swimmers to give them some security. I started treating them like the beloved pets they were instead of as a science experiment. Knowing how scarce they were fast becoming I felt really privileged to have these three.
One day I decided to move the bristlenoses as they were getting quite big and could out-compete the Zebs for food. I picked up a piece of bogwood and held a net under it to capture any that might have been hiding. Something did fall into the net but it surely wasn’t a bristlenose. It had black and white stripes. It took a few seconds to realise I was looking at a perfectly formed half inch baby Zebra plec! I calmed down and carefully placed the baby and the bogwood back into the tank. In total I found five of the stunning little creatures tucked away in different pieces of bogwood scattered around the tank. What an incredible find, especially as I was convinced that I had three males. Obviously not!
So it wasn’t me, it had nothing to do with the rain and even Sky News weather couldn’t take credit. The fish decided to breed when they were good and ready. Yes there is some science behind it but the key factor was in waiting until the Zebs actually reached sexual maturity at a minimum of three inches long. I have had subsequent spawns from the same male and I have noticed some patterns that may have to do with it, but then again knowing my Zebs may be purely co-incidental!
Things that work for me and my brood:
1. Patience! Patience! Patience!
2. Males have to reach a minimum of three inches (since it is extremely difficult to sex the fish it is the males that will take a cave and defend it)
3. A higher proportion of males to females works best as the female likes to choose her man!
4. All of the females will compete for the attention of the dominant male (sorry for the other guys but they just won’t get a look in!)
5. Regular water changes
6. Just before a rainstorm a good clean of the filter media really creates activity (not a guaranteed spawn but lots of attention from the females)
7. Loads of bogwood and caves about 1” high by 2” wide and and approx 5” long
8. Just let them get on with it without too much interference
Once the eggs have hatched and the fry have escaped from the cave I feed a steady diet of finely crushed Tetra Doromin. I picked up this tip from another successful breeder. Since using the Doromin the fry really develop quickly. I feed four times a day. I keep the babies in the tank with the adults as there is no chance of predation from the adults and I don’t keep them with any other fish at the moment.
My Breeding set-up:
Juwel 240L tanks with loads of bogwood and lots of caves for the males.
Filtration: Fluval 404 plus two sponge filters
Substrate: Gravel
pH: 7.6
Temp: 29c
Foods: Tetra Doromin, Brineshrimp, Bloodworm
Four male adults
Three female adults
Several juveniles (sex undetermined)
Babies from ½ to 1 ½ inches
Over the course of a year I was able to gather a nice collection from different sources and was ready to try my hand at breeding. How hard could it be? I was already getting hundreds of bristlenoses from multiple spawns, surely these must pretty similar?! Good clean water, lots of bogwood, males and females and a couple of slate caves. Why wasn’t anything happening?
So I started to read anything I could find about breeding Zebra plecs. Although there was not a lot of information, those that had been successful seemed willing to share. What followed next can only be described as ‘madness’ (at least it was by the OH) as I tried everything to get these fish to breed. I measured TDS and Ph. I re-created the rainy season! I even started paying attention to barometric pressure! I watched Sky News for the weather reports and ran to do a water change every time there was a hint of a thunderstorm on the way! I did stop short of looking for a Shaman in the phone book to perform a ritual rain dance, but I think you get the picture, I would have tried anything. But still nothing happened. It finally dawned on me why these fish are so rare.
Then disaster struck. While treating another fish for velvet disease in a tank in the same room as my Zebs there was some cross contamination that must have occurred. Even though I am meticulous about cleaning hands between tanks, using different nets etc. somehow I managed to draw the disease into the Zeb tanks and one by one began losing them. In the end I was left with a group of three. I was so devastated that I nearly gave up the hobby entirely. I moved the three to a quiet tank on their own in the fish house and just let them be.
I still delighted in seeing the Zebs, watching them scurry about when I would add some bloodworm to the tank. I moved a few bristlenoses in to keep the algae under control and added a few top swimmers to give them some security. I started treating them like the beloved pets they were instead of as a science experiment. Knowing how scarce they were fast becoming I felt really privileged to have these three.
One day I decided to move the bristlenoses as they were getting quite big and could out-compete the Zebs for food. I picked up a piece of bogwood and held a net under it to capture any that might have been hiding. Something did fall into the net but it surely wasn’t a bristlenose. It had black and white stripes. It took a few seconds to realise I was looking at a perfectly formed half inch baby Zebra plec! I calmed down and carefully placed the baby and the bogwood back into the tank. In total I found five of the stunning little creatures tucked away in different pieces of bogwood scattered around the tank. What an incredible find, especially as I was convinced that I had three males. Obviously not!
So it wasn’t me, it had nothing to do with the rain and even Sky News weather couldn’t take credit. The fish decided to breed when they were good and ready. Yes there is some science behind it but the key factor was in waiting until the Zebs actually reached sexual maturity at a minimum of three inches long. I have had subsequent spawns from the same male and I have noticed some patterns that may have to do with it, but then again knowing my Zebs may be purely co-incidental!
Things that work for me and my brood:
1. Patience! Patience! Patience!
2. Males have to reach a minimum of three inches (since it is extremely difficult to sex the fish it is the males that will take a cave and defend it)
3. A higher proportion of males to females works best as the female likes to choose her man!
4. All of the females will compete for the attention of the dominant male (sorry for the other guys but they just won’t get a look in!)
5. Regular water changes
6. Just before a rainstorm a good clean of the filter media really creates activity (not a guaranteed spawn but lots of attention from the females)
7. Loads of bogwood and caves about 1” high by 2” wide and and approx 5” long
8. Just let them get on with it without too much interference
Once the eggs have hatched and the fry have escaped from the cave I feed a steady diet of finely crushed Tetra Doromin. I picked up this tip from another successful breeder. Since using the Doromin the fry really develop quickly. I feed four times a day. I keep the babies in the tank with the adults as there is no chance of predation from the adults and I don’t keep them with any other fish at the moment.
My Breeding set-up:
Juwel 240L tanks with loads of bogwood and lots of caves for the males.
Filtration: Fluval 404 plus two sponge filters
Substrate: Gravel
pH: 7.6
Temp: 29c
Foods: Tetra Doromin, Brineshrimp, Bloodworm
Four male adults
Three female adults
Several juveniles (sex undetermined)
Babies from ½ to 1 ½ inches
Malawi Cichlids ~ A Beginners Guide
There is nothing so colourful as a tank of Malawi Cichlids going about their business but Malawis are NOT a general community fish. I hope by sharing some of my experiences and knowledge you will be more informed and set up the right conditions so you too can enjoy the pleasure of these wonderful fish!
LET'S START WITH UNDERSTANDING MALAWIS!
Malawi Cichlids are typically good sized fish ranging from 4" and upwards. They are also VERY aggressive so if you want to go the Malawi route then its all or nothing!
Malawis are quite an intelligent fish and soon learn that their human companion supplies food. They sense when I am about to feed them and all come out of hiding to greet me with open mouths. Even cleaning the tank is an ideal opportunity for a Malawi to have a little nibble at your hand just in case it may be food! Very alarming the first time but they never do any harm. They will eat as much as you dare to put in their tank so do not let that cute little face tempt you into adding more food than is required.
MBUNA vs HAPS AND PEACOCKS
Not all Malawis are the same and so let's take a closer look.
Mbuna are highly aggressive and rock dwelling fish which in nature live in large groups but are not a schooling fish. Mbuna are vegetarians and in the wild would spend their time scraping Algae from rocks although insects and crustations would be eaten that live within the algae. Being vegetarians also means that plants are fair game so be warned! You may get away with Java fern as they don't seem to like that too much and its copes well with the alkaline water conditions needed for Malawis.
Mbuna are smaller than haps and peacocks and are typically sized between 4"-6".
Haps and Peacocks are moderately aggressive. Unlike the Mbuna Haps live in open water and are very rarely seen in groups. Peacocks are live close to the sand and are some of the most stunning coloured fish of all! These fish are also piscivores, feeding on small fish in the wild.
This group of Malawis are generally much bigger than the Mbuna reaching double the size of many Mbuna. They do take much longer to reach sexual maturity than Mbuna and do not usually take on adult colours until they reach 2.5" or so.
CREATING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
The tank
As fishkeepers we are told "Do not overstock your tank" but with Malawis the opposite is true. By overstocking a Malawi tank the most dominant fish have a hard time picking out a single individual to bully and ultimately kill. It is therefore advisable to have a minimum tank of 55 gallons for Mbuna and 75 gallons for Haps and peacocks. Overstocking a tank increases pollution therefore you will need to over filter the tank to compensate.
The substrate, rocks and salt
Malawis live in alkaline water, therefore unless you are fortunate to have a PH of between 7.8 - 8.6 coming out of your tap you will need to increase this through other methods.
I personally have a PH of 7.6 so in order to increase this I have added coral substrate and ocean rock (which is perfect for Mbuna to hide in) to all of my Mbuna tanks. This naturally increases the PH to within the range stated. If you have very low PH and even after adding the substrate and rock still find it is below 7.8 then Malawi salts can also be added.
My Hap/Peacock tank is slightly different with boulders placed on the substrate as these Malawis are not rock dwellers. I also add Malawi Salt to this tank to increase the PH.
TEMPERATURE
I have found that 76f works well and although the fish may not always be in full colour they do have a more natural breeding cycle and not constantly in breeding condition as with higher temperature. Even Malawis need a break!
FEEDING AND BREEDING
Feeding
A good balanced diet will combine both frozen and dried foods and I use these on alternative days.
Frozen foods such as Spinach, Brine shrimp and Malawi mix are a good source of food. For a treat also give Krill and mysis.
DO NOT feed them Bloodworm or Beefheart as this has been linked to a condition called Malawi Bloat!
Dried foods are available that provide a good nutritional meal such as Hikari Malawi Cichlid pellets, Tetra Prima, Spirulina sticks and they love the JMC Catfish pellets.
BREEDING
Probably the easiest thing of all to do is breed Malawis provided that the conditions they are kept in is right and they are of sexual maturity.
Malawis are mouth brooders and are a delight to watch as they go through their mating dance. I have on many occasions had very worried previous buyers contact me because one of their Malawis is shaking next to a rock! This is just one part of the dance that leads to breeding.
The male will come into condition and will colour up, which basically means he will be brighter and more colourful than normal. He will then pick out a female and try to attract her with his display while chasing anything that moves in the tank away from his chosen breeding spot. This may go on for hours and even days if the female is playing hard to get! He will guide her to his chosen spot and shake like he is having a fit, to impress her. When she is ready she will lay one egg on his spawning site and he will follow and fertilise the egg, she then picks up the egg in her mouth and lays another...till her mouth is full of eggs!
After about 21 days (varies between individual species) the eggs in the females mouth start to hatch. Females are good mothers and will try to hang on to their babies for as long as possible but eventually she has to let them go, this is called spitting them. Chances are if she does this in the main tank most if not all the babies will be a tasty snack for the adults. The method I use to save the babies is to place the mum with a mouthful of eggs into a spare tank on her own. I wait till she has spat them then remove her back into the main tank and leave the babies to grow up in safety. Please note that while the female is Holding (mouth full of eggs or fry) she will not eat so don't worry this is normal!
Thanks for reading!
LET'S START WITH UNDERSTANDING MALAWIS!
Malawi Cichlids are typically good sized fish ranging from 4" and upwards. They are also VERY aggressive so if you want to go the Malawi route then its all or nothing!
Malawis are quite an intelligent fish and soon learn that their human companion supplies food. They sense when I am about to feed them and all come out of hiding to greet me with open mouths. Even cleaning the tank is an ideal opportunity for a Malawi to have a little nibble at your hand just in case it may be food! Very alarming the first time but they never do any harm. They will eat as much as you dare to put in their tank so do not let that cute little face tempt you into adding more food than is required.
MBUNA vs HAPS AND PEACOCKS
Not all Malawis are the same and so let's take a closer look.
Mbuna are highly aggressive and rock dwelling fish which in nature live in large groups but are not a schooling fish. Mbuna are vegetarians and in the wild would spend their time scraping Algae from rocks although insects and crustations would be eaten that live within the algae. Being vegetarians also means that plants are fair game so be warned! You may get away with Java fern as they don't seem to like that too much and its copes well with the alkaline water conditions needed for Malawis.
Mbuna are smaller than haps and peacocks and are typically sized between 4"-6".
Haps and Peacocks are moderately aggressive. Unlike the Mbuna Haps live in open water and are very rarely seen in groups. Peacocks are live close to the sand and are some of the most stunning coloured fish of all! These fish are also piscivores, feeding on small fish in the wild.
This group of Malawis are generally much bigger than the Mbuna reaching double the size of many Mbuna. They do take much longer to reach sexual maturity than Mbuna and do not usually take on adult colours until they reach 2.5" or so.
CREATING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
The tank
As fishkeepers we are told "Do not overstock your tank" but with Malawis the opposite is true. By overstocking a Malawi tank the most dominant fish have a hard time picking out a single individual to bully and ultimately kill. It is therefore advisable to have a minimum tank of 55 gallons for Mbuna and 75 gallons for Haps and peacocks. Overstocking a tank increases pollution therefore you will need to over filter the tank to compensate.
The substrate, rocks and salt
Malawis live in alkaline water, therefore unless you are fortunate to have a PH of between 7.8 - 8.6 coming out of your tap you will need to increase this through other methods.
I personally have a PH of 7.6 so in order to increase this I have added coral substrate and ocean rock (which is perfect for Mbuna to hide in) to all of my Mbuna tanks. This naturally increases the PH to within the range stated. If you have very low PH and even after adding the substrate and rock still find it is below 7.8 then Malawi salts can also be added.
My Hap/Peacock tank is slightly different with boulders placed on the substrate as these Malawis are not rock dwellers. I also add Malawi Salt to this tank to increase the PH.
TEMPERATURE
I have found that 76f works well and although the fish may not always be in full colour they do have a more natural breeding cycle and not constantly in breeding condition as with higher temperature. Even Malawis need a break!
FEEDING AND BREEDING
Feeding
A good balanced diet will combine both frozen and dried foods and I use these on alternative days.
Frozen foods such as Spinach, Brine shrimp and Malawi mix are a good source of food. For a treat also give Krill and mysis.
DO NOT feed them Bloodworm or Beefheart as this has been linked to a condition called Malawi Bloat!
Dried foods are available that provide a good nutritional meal such as Hikari Malawi Cichlid pellets, Tetra Prima, Spirulina sticks and they love the JMC Catfish pellets.
BREEDING
Probably the easiest thing of all to do is breed Malawis provided that the conditions they are kept in is right and they are of sexual maturity.
Malawis are mouth brooders and are a delight to watch as they go through their mating dance. I have on many occasions had very worried previous buyers contact me because one of their Malawis is shaking next to a rock! This is just one part of the dance that leads to breeding.
The male will come into condition and will colour up, which basically means he will be brighter and more colourful than normal. He will then pick out a female and try to attract her with his display while chasing anything that moves in the tank away from his chosen breeding spot. This may go on for hours and even days if the female is playing hard to get! He will guide her to his chosen spot and shake like he is having a fit, to impress her. When she is ready she will lay one egg on his spawning site and he will follow and fertilise the egg, she then picks up the egg in her mouth and lays another...till her mouth is full of eggs!
After about 21 days (varies between individual species) the eggs in the females mouth start to hatch. Females are good mothers and will try to hang on to their babies for as long as possible but eventually she has to let them go, this is called spitting them. Chances are if she does this in the main tank most if not all the babies will be a tasty snack for the adults. The method I use to save the babies is to place the mum with a mouthful of eggs into a spare tank on her own. I wait till she has spat them then remove her back into the main tank and leave the babies to grow up in safety. Please note that while the female is Holding (mouth full of eggs or fry) she will not eat so don't worry this is normal!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Back to Work
What a great Easter weekend we had but now that’s over and today we all had to go back to work. Our business is all about selling pet products via the internet and work from a warehouse/unit which means the dogs get to come with us every day! Work is a brisk 34 mins away from home and on the way we go through a park which pleases the dogs very much! When we get to work the dogs have their own jobs to do such as meeting and greeting anyone who gets within 100 yards of the building and when it’s sunny, they guard the entrance.
They both get a wage each day of a few dog chews and they seem very happy about that :)
Oh well see you again soon!
They both get a wage each day of a few dog chews and they seem very happy about that :)
Oh well see you again soon!
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