Post your african cichlid tank photos!

[RichardChen]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

Ron (or anybody,)

I saw you have tumbler and floating nurseries set up in your tank.  Man, I love that idea.  I have a 125g and a 50g tank.  There are 30+ cichlids in the 150g tank and 4 species are breeding in the tank.  So far I just let the mother fish released the fry in the tank, most of them became extra protein for the adult fish.

After seeing your pictures, I am thinking about catching the mother fish 2 weeks after she carries and let her or force her to release the fry into the tumbler or the floating nurseries inside the 125g tank.  After a few weeks of growing, I will put them into the 50g tank to grow more.  This way I don't have to worry about space for additional tanks and the cost to run those tanks.

Where can I buy the tumbler and floating nurseries?  do I need to make them myself?

Thanks.

[armthehomeless]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

You can buy a tumbler from Jehmco or make yourself...

Floating nurseries are probably best made to your specifications.

[qbthing]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

my 10 gal fish tank  8O  I'm a beginner so i wanted to start slow so yea
hope you like it...so if i did something wrong please tell me. thanks

[finfan]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

hi qbthing, nice tank - the tank setup is really a matter of personal choice - some like lots of colors, others don't, some like real plants, others don't or don't etc. - there is no right or wrong unless you do something that is harmful to the fish or something of that sort, i have one comment though, it looks like you have a cichlid (not exactly sure what kind) in there with your livebearers, it is still a baby cichlid so probably not bothering the fish, but when it grows, it can possibly kill some of the other fish, just keep that in mind, cichlids are awesome fish, but they are a tricky and take s a little understanding of their nature to keep - my 2 cents

[RichardChen]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

Tim,

Do you have the DIY floating nursery (including where I can get the material) available?  Do you have the procedure about how to manually release the fry from the mother's mouth.

Thank you.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

75g w/ DIY stand & hood w/mv lights - bottom has 4' flourescent light and room for 2-15g hospital/fry tanks  or snacks & 6 pack

[Zulaab]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

Richard --

To strip a female mouthbrooder, I learned this technique from Mike (mikewhotruong)...
He would take a small clear container.
Then grab the fish with the head between your index finger and thumb, and the rest of the body laying in your palm.
Then put the fish head first into the cup or container, and super gently squeeze the gills closed and then let go (ie make them breathe water from the cup), slowly one or two eggs or live fry will come out each time you do this.  Then while looking at the fish though the water and up into its mouth as you do this you will see the eggs or live fry start floating around.. (this is easiest done with two people, one watching and one doing the work) as you continue this motion you will slowly strip her of all the young, while making sure that her gills still have water going over them.  Within a minute you will have her empty and you then drop her in a bucket of water or some other container giving her a few minutes to recoup while she does not have to think about defending herself.
I would see Mike catch each fish from the tank one at a time and strip them until all the fish where done and all his females where in a bucket... once everyone was there he would then return the fish into the tanks giving them a minute in the bucket to get themselves back together.

Some people tell you to gently open their mouth, but I dont like this at all, and once she is face first into the cup and all she will be more than willing to give up her eggs without a fight.  If done with two people the second person will let the "strippie" know when she does not have anymore fry rolling around in her mouth while doing this and you can return her to the bucket.

[RichardChen]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

Thank you for the prompt response.

Let me make sure I understand what you said.  Grab the fish with index finger and thumb behind the gill about where the side fins while the whole body is in the palm.  Submerge her head and gills in the water (does the body needs to be in the water too?) and use the other hand, I guess index finger and thumb to gently pinch gill cover and let go so she can breathe in the water and the fry can come out.   Can the second person see what is going on inside her mouth this way? or the second person should be able to tell by the mother fish's throat going flat?

[Zulaab]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

Richard,

The whole operation is a ONE hand job.. do NOT NOT NOT use two hands..  (you run a much higher risk of crushing the fish if you use two hands)
put the fish in your right hand (if right handed) with the head between the index finger and thumb.   The belly of the fish will be closest to your fingers and its top will be closest to your albow.
you will then cup the belly of the fish with your three other fingers allowing the gills of the fish to be between your index finger and thumb.  This will allow you to hold the fish in its natural position when you are holding the fish with your palm down.   Now with fish's gills between your thumb and index finger you are going to make the fish "breathe" by GENTLY squeezing the gills in and letting go while at the same time turn your hand 90 degrees so your thumb is at the bottom and your pinky is sticking up in the air.

To make sure you understand this correctly go grab piece of pipe or round material first and hold it in your palm, close your fingers around the object, then turn your hand over, and then rotate your hand so that your thumb is down while ensuring the object does not slide out by applying pressure using ONLY the middle, ring and pinky finger.  This is how you are going to hold the fish with its head down..
The other hand does nothing more than support you if necessary.   If your hand at any time gets even a little dry stop the motion with your thumb and index finger (the fish will not spit at that point) and dunk hand and fish into water (this is why you have a bucket next to you, where the fish ends up at the end) giving your hand some wetness and the fish again some fresh water around it.

Then continue your stripping of the fish.

I hope this helps more :)

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

[armthehomeless]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

Tim,

Do you have the DIY floating nursery (including where I can get the material) available?  Do you have the procedure about how to manually release the fry from the mother's mouth.

Thank you.

Zulaab did an excellent job of describing how to release fry from the mother's mouth, so I won't add to that.

Here is a link to a DIY floating nursery.

http://www.sydneycichlid.com/fry-nursery.htm

I bought mine from imagirlgeek. She made it, not me (I'm too lazy). RonR. has made several as well.

http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5581040

[RichardChen]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

Zulaab,

When I sequeeze the gills, should the fish in the air?  or only her head in the water? or the whole fish in the water?  I am not sure about "squeezing the gills in and letting go while at the same time turn your hand 90 degrees so your thumb is at the bottom and your pinky is sticking up in the air."  When I turn my hand (or palm) 90 degrees I actually turning the fish upside down right (fish belly facing up now?)

Can somebody upload a movie clip on how to strip fry from the mother to Youtube?

Tim,

I didn't know imagirlgeek sell floating nursery.  Is her price reasonable?  I would like to buy from her if possible.  Let me pm her.

Thank you all.

[armthehomeless]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

I bought one that she made at a GHAC raffle. She doesn't make a habit of it (I don't think). She is extremely nice ... shoot her a PM and see what happens.

[Danster]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

pictures of my first tank... want another one already but fiancee says NO.

[Darbex]

Re: Post your african cichlid tank photos!

See you have to get the fiancee into the hobby. I got my fiancee into it so she is cool with almost any fish purchase I make and wants to look at them too.