fish selections.... 10 gal, going to 55 gal soon.

[Caleb]

Won't eat a cucumber, dried bloodworm, flakes, pellets...he goes after flakes but doesn't eat it.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

I think its also known as red fin...

I've always known these as red-tailed sharks.
I've had success with flaked goldfish feed, not sure about bloodworms. I don't feed bloodworms even to bettas, due to the (very minimal) risks of parasitic infection and heavy metal contaminants, depending on what type of blood - and where - they were raised, and quality control varies company to company.

It's been years since I've had red-tailed sharks, but they're usually pretty docile. Occasionally they'll chase some other fish, but they don't really do much once they catch up to it. I've found they do better in schools of four or so than by themselves, but of course they need a bit more space if you go that route. For some reason, they would go crazy if I only had one pair in the tank, but once I added another pair they calmed down. I don't know why.

 

[Caleb]

I've always known these as red-tailed sharks.
I've had success with flaked goldfish feed, not sure about bloodworms. I don't feed bloodworms even to bettas, due to the (very minimal) risks of parasitic infection and heavy metal contaminants, depending on what type of blood - and where - they were raised, and quality control varies company to company.

It's been years since I've had red-tailed sharks, but they're usually pretty docile. Occasionally they'll chase some other fish, but they don't really do much once they catch up to it. I've found they do better in schools of four or so than by themselves, but of course they need a bit more space if you go that route. For some reason, they would go crazy if I only had one pair in the tank, but once I added another pair they calmed down. I don't know why.

Red tail sharks are all black sharks with red tails...

Red Fin sharks "aka, rainbow shark" are grey with red fins...

 

[Caleb]

Here's some cichlids I'm thinking about...

 

[bobbittle]

Be careful mixing Africans from different lakes (Malawi, Victoria, etc). Sometimes they get along, sometimes they don't. I've found those from Victoria to be the least aggressive.

 

[shootersix]

ok where do i start, as for african chiclid's (you are looking at peacocks) remember only the dominate male will look like that, the sub's will NOT color like that, they tend to be drab, and not as bright (they do color up, but nowhere near the color of the dominate male), so to get your lawanda to look like that you will need 2-3 males, and if you mix different kind's of peacocks, only the "top" male will look like that, ie no multi colored up males, even you you buy a adult male that is dominate in his tank at the store, if you bring him home and add him to your tank, one will go submissive and lose his colors!

put lots of places to hide in your tank, africans love to hide!, here in southern indiana we have HARD water (someone said liquid rock, they are right!) and my tap water was perfect for africans!

the rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water, i.e. 1 ten gallon tank can support 10 inches of fish, thats 1 ten inch fish, 10 one inch fish 2 five inch fish, build up slowly add 1 to 2 fish per week, as your fish grow, ween them out(give them away, sell them back to the store) that way you have grown them and you can keep the most colorful ones.

op you said your tank clouded up after you did 3 40% water changes, how close together did you do them, you should never change more that 25% of your water at a time(water will could up if you upset the balance by adding to much new water, its called "new tank syndrome") and it will clear up in a few days, i know you said you daughter dumped too much food in the tank(mine did that too!), next time change 25% of the water, add ammo remover(it looks like white carbon for your filter) to your filter and tank(put it in the end of some pantyhose and drop it in) it will turn blue when its used up, just throw it away when that happens.

and for the love of god! dont get into aquariums!!!!! they are more addictive than CRACK!!!!!!!, thanks to aa(aquariums anonymous) im down to one! like someone else said....aquariums....not even one!

 

[Caleb]

ok where do i start, as for african chiclid's (you are looking at peacocks) remember only the dominate male will look like that, the sub's will NOT color like that, they tend to be drab, and not as bright (they do color up, but nowhere near the color of the dominate male), so to get your lawanda to look like that you will need 2-3 males, and if you mix different kind's of peacocks, only the "top" male will look like that, ie no multi colored up males, even you you buy a adult male that is dominate in his tank at the store, if you bring him home and add him to your tank, one will go submissive and lose his colors!

put lots of places to hide in your tank, africans love to hide!, here in southern indiana we have HARD water (someone said liquid rock, they are right!) and my tap water was perfect for africans!

the rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water, i.e. 1 ten gallon tank can support 10 inches of fish, thats 1 ten inch fish, 10 one inch fish 2 five inch fish, build up slowly add 1 to 2 fish per week, as your fish grow, ween them out(give them away, sell them back to the store) that way you have grown them and you can keep the most colorful ones.

op you said your tank clouded up after you did 3 40% water changes, how close together did you do them, you should never change more that 25% of your water at a time(water will could up if you upset the balance by adding to much new water, its called "new tank syndrome") and it will clear up in a few days, i know you said you daughter dumped too much food in the tank(mine did that too!), next time change 25% of the water, add ammo remover(it looks like white carbon for your filter) to your filter and tank(put it in the end of some pantyhose and drop it in) it will turn blue when its used up, just throw it away when that happens.

and for the love of god! dont get into aquariums!!!!! they are more addictive than CRACK!!!!!!!, thanks to aa(aquariums anonymous) im down to one! like someone else said....aquariums....not even one!

Interesting about only one male coloring up, didn't know that. Will all the females color up or they also on some pecking order as far as colors go? If I understand correctly, if I had one male in the tank and the rest female, the one male won't color up as there's no competition?

I really didnt want to do so many water changes AFTER my daughter added too much food, I just needed to vacuum my gravel. Too late on getting into aquariums...

 

[Frosty]

Interesting about only one male coloring up, didn't know that. Will all the females color up or they also on some pecking order as far as colors go? If I understand correctly, if I had one male in the tank and the rest female, the one male won't color up as there's no competition?

I really didnt want to do so many water changes AFTER my daughter added too much food, I just needed to vacuum my gravel. Too late on getting into aquariums...

Usually your females are less colorful, to help blend in when they are sitting on a nest. Females and juveniles tend to be more brown/green colors.

 

[Caleb]

Usually your females are less colorful, to help blend in when they are sitting on a nest. Females and juveniles tend to be more brown/green colors.

Ok...is there any good male-to-female ration to keep everybody happy? How many of each should I look to get?

 

[Frosty]

Ok...is there any good male-to-female ration to keep everybody happy? How many of each should I look to get?

I don't know with Africans, I know the rule of thumb with S.A. Cichlids is 1 male for 2-3 females to displace aggression.

 

[MikeDVB]

I don't know with Africans, I know the rule of thumb with S.A. Cichlids is 1 male for 2-3 females to displace aggression.

I'm thinking more like 1 male to 3-4 females... I mean c'mon... why not?

Well ... I guess all the females could nag the males to death...

 

[Frosty]

I'm thinking more like 1 male to 3-4 females... I mean c'mon... why not?

Well ... I guess all the females could nag the males to death...

why the purple???

 

[MikeDVB]

why the purple???

My wife reads INGO .

 

[Caleb]

My wife reads INGO .

So you're being sarcastic about guessing?

 

[Frosty]

My wife reads INGO .[/QUOTE] you forgot your purse nancy...

 

[MikeDVB]

Hahaha

Yes.

 

[shootersix]

Interesting about only one male coloring up, didn't know that. Will all the females color up or they also on some pecking order as far as colors go? If I understand correctly, if I had one male in the tank and the rest female, the one male won't color up as there's no competition?

yes females will lightly change colors but the most colorful female will never come close to a subordinate male

I really didnt want to do so many water changes AFTER my daughter added too much food, I just needed to vacuum my gravel. Too late on getting into aquariums...

one of my favorite filters was a "hot magnum"(by marineland) it could hang on the side of the tank and function as a normal filter, and you could change the cartridge with a micron water polisher, then you changed the intake with a siphon, and filer out the gravel without changing the water, then just change the water without vacuuming the gravel, clean the gravel for hours if you wanted to, suck up all the left over food, without new tank syndrome

Usually your females are less colorful, to help blend in when they are sitting on a nest. Females and juveniles tend to be more brown/green colors.

actually female African are mouth brooders, the female lays the eggs and sucks them into her mouth, the male has "egg spots" on his tale, the male will swim near the females mouth, when the female swims up to try to scoop the eggs on the males tail, he releases his sperm, and into the female's mouth to be fertilized, she will keep them in her mouth as long as then will fit, when they cant fit anymore they are all on their own

I'm thinking more like 1 male to 3-4 females... I mean c'mon... why not?

Well ... I guess all the females could nag the males to death...

actually they fight to make sure the mate can handle the birthing process, and thats funny...all me and my exwife did was fight AFTER the kids were born

finding a good place with nice selection of peacocks is rather hard, here in evansville we had 4 or 5 fish stores, and only one had a nice selection of africans
i always called them "poor mans saltwater" i had one tank a 29, but now its i community tank, with a bala shark, a stripped raphael and a few other fish my kids like, its for them not me anymore...my "fish hobby" was replaced with firearms...and i dont have time for both

 

[Caleb]

Nitrites and Nitrates are 0 ppm, ammonia is 0.5 ppm

 

[Frosty]

Nitrites and Nitrates are 0 ppm, ammonia is 0.5 ppm

did you let this aquarium cycle? Your denitrifying bacteria should be taking care of that ammonia with only 1 fish? Did you just do a water change? You need to check your tap water for ammonia, it may have to be treated before going in the tank.

 

[Frosty]

actually female African are mouth brooders, the female lays the eggs and sucks them into her mouth, the male has "egg spots" on his tale, the male will swim near the females mouth, when the female swims up to try to scoop the eggs on the males tail, he releases his sperm, and into the female's mouth to be fertilized, she will keep them in her mouth as long as then will fit, when they cant fit anymore they are all

ah yes, I forgot about the mouth brooders, good point shooter!