Images from a Tanganyika fish-room

@Chongkie - will do , just need to set up a tank first

 

Hehe, me too!

 

is this avail? Advice on this fish ? Chalinochromis cyanophleps looks really beautiful

 

First I heard of them, never seen them available, nor any other chalinochromis species.

 

pity .... love the color

 

Speaking of availability Jack is there any Lamprologus stappersii around ?

 

Not that I know of. Hope to get them myself at some point.

 

Hi

Thanks, the tank is in the shop so should be ready in a week. Speaking of enquires there is another shellie that I am interested in, Lamprologus similis, looks like multifasciatus but with a more contrasting pattern.

 

Have got similis. Waiting for breeding. Should be able to get more some time.

 

@Chongkie - I can send up fish to King Shaka for a fair amount less than to Pietermartizburg. Can definitely share the costs if you and @Caudelia work together.

Here's a quick how-to on setting up a shell dweller tank in 10 easy steps....

1. Get yourself a 45cm or larger tank with a tight fitting lid - they are capable jumpers!
2. Fill up to 4cm level with washed (with freshwater until smell and dust particulars not noticeable) fine sand ( beach sand is perfect grain size ;-P )
3. Put an interesting looking washed (get them from a clean environment, wash well with fresh water, take further steps if required) rock in the middle of the tank to separate territories.
4. Add a small air powered sponge filter to prevent too much water movement and ensure you don't damage fry with violent filtration.
5. Add water, let your water dechlorinate itself with 24 hours of the pumps running.
6. Start up your heater and dial to 26 degrees - check with dual glass thermometers (they are very accurate, but the marking paper can slide around, if both are the same, you can be pretty sure of your temp.)
7. Pick a species. Brevis suitable to 45cm tanks. 60cm can house pairs of most shellies (and small multies colonies). 90cm can house most shellies.
8. Place an adequate amount of shell according the species and number of fish you're adding. Always be sure to have a few more shells than fish, with Multies, a 3-4 to 1 ratio is ideal.
9. Add your fish and wait a day or two before you feed them. Ensure your biological filtration is in place be cleaning out an established filter from a healthy tank in your new tank, by day 3.
10. Don't get too big a freight when they bite!

PS. Yes I know what I recommended is not the standard way of handling the cycling process, but it's an old trick that's worked for decades. Feel free to use whichever cycling process you're most accustomed to, and whichever you chose, measure your ammonia and nitrite in the early stages, once you have nitrate you're good to go,

Maintenance routine?

Keep up those water changes, don't be shy, age and heat your water change water (to match the tank - measure with same thermometer) and they'll handle a 100% change no problems - but stick to 30-40% as a max. Don't overfeed your shell dwellers - they are eat plankton and crustaceans, lots of roughage (daphina, live brine shrimp), high quality protein (brine shrimp, quality flake or pellet) and some Spirulina in the diet. You don't have to stress too much above keeping the bottom clean, they live in a sediment rich habitat and fry find foods in the muck, but it contributes to bad water quality, so don't let it get unsightly (you're probably feeding too much) and you should be keeping down to acceptable levels. Syphon around the rock every now and then. Always be careful not to syphon up fry!

 

Similis

 

Tank setup for similis, 45x45x38cm

Two shell beds divided by row of rocks, single rock often looks better, made for two "pairs".
Custom "bass guitar legends" background.... heheh!

 

Oooo want so much... are you also selling these bad boys?

Which would you recommend, between those three shellies?

 

Hi

Great pics, if anybody is interested there are awesome cichlid profiles at :
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/

I am still looking over stocking options but my favourites are still Altolamprologus. Jack will Ectodus decampsii work in a 1.2m 300l tank or would that be pushing it ?

Cheers
Luke