Trophs !!! Maybe???

[mistahoo]

ok so sand for substrate some rocks for decoration plenty of filtration good food and a regular water changing schedule is that it? That doesn't seem any harder than keeping discus or any other fish for that matter. should I stick with one type?

Lol for the most part they aren't too hard until you run into the diseases and aggression

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: Trophs !!! Maybe???

Yeah, it's all about prevention.

I'd do a single variant. I've mixed them before but always find monster size single variant colonies are the most appealing

[Darth Coqui]

I have seen considerable threads on the forum for trophs and have asked all kinds of questions about them have read numerous articles some really good some really bad but I think I am ready to give it a shot I mean it can't possible be any harder than juvi discus in a planted tank and that is working out so why not give trophs a swing. anyways I'm thinking of going with the 55 instead of the 90 due to space and no stand for the 90. so the many questions that I have.

1. How many can I put in a 55?
2. I see that most people keep theirs in a sandy substrate does it matter what sand you use?
3. can other dither fish be added and if so what?
4. does and "tank decoration" have to rock or can drift wood be used?

Thanks for any and all advise

When I first started I had a 55 gal, many years ago.
1. You can get as many as you want but they can get aggressive early. When they start maturing, be ready for a few meanies. Have melafix on hand for wounded fish and have metro and clout ready for sick fish along with a 20gal preferred to treat sick fish or to put a meanie in timeout.
2. I have argonite crushed coral (150 or so lbs) and leslies pool filter sand (200 or so lbs. & make sure it is the silica from leslies) mixed. The crushed coral is for PH and LPFS is cheap. 12 beans for 50lbs bags.
3. Yes you can have other fish with trophs. Along time ago I use to have a community that entailed oscars, Flowerhorns, dovii, p bass, rose queens with my trophs and on sat and sundays would throw in hamburger meat and hotdogs, etc... I did this for numerous years (around 5 yrs) and I did not care nor did I loose a troph. I dont recommend this to newbies but I loved my SA and Malaysian Cichlids. Trophs are a finicky bunch and require a maintained veggie diet and when they are good boys and girls some shrimp. Again this is my experience and I had them until IKE hit me. I lost all of them.
4. Sure you can use decorations, different type of rock and DWood. I dont use DWood anymore as that tends to change their water chemistry and they really dont have wood in the wild. Limestone is not bad as it helps with PH. I am currently using Black Granite and I also am purchasing Phoenix (Arizona) Blue Rock - rock is blue lol.

The food I use is Green Supreme Pellets and HBH Natural 8 Veggie Flake. I like it better than NLS and Kensflake as I used both. I saw color results and fecies results within a few days. Not alot of waste on my petros and the pellets did not sink immediately. Which I liked alot and the bags they come in, are made to keep food fresh. I got rid of my NLS thera a and kens flakes, but that is just me. Below are the links to the 2 food I use.

http://www.yourfishstuff.com/green-supreme/

http://www.yourfishstuff.com/products/HBH-Natural-8-Veggie-Flake.html

I use to feed a few times a day but now I regressed to once or 2 times a day with small amounts as I grow algae in my tank. For me, I absolutely love it when my Petros and Trophs are grazing the algae off the glass and rocks.
The more filtration you have the more they will love you. FX5 and wet dry is what I use.
Lighting is also IMHO important. What type of lights were you planning to use? Now a days most hobbyist are jumping to LEDS since MH and VHO's are a bit on the non forgiving side of the electric bill.

What type of Trophs were you looking to get and what Ideas do you have for your tank?
No worries though, you have many here on the forum that will help when things get a bit hasty for you.
Good luck and keep us updated on your tank with pics, etc...

Frankie

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: Trophs !!! Maybe???

Other things to add:

1. Regular light schedule, on a timer, about 10hrs a day.

2. Don't feed till after about an hour after lights on and about two hours before lights off. Feed small amounts two to the hours apart between those limits. Get an auto feeder.

3. Temps around 78 - 79

[Geral]

I have 21 some WC,Some juvies most of them big in a 55g

Filtration - 2 aqua clear. 110, eheim 2217, fluval 4 plus

Power head , maxi jet 1200, wave maker 800 gph ( it die this weekend)

U just need to really watch how the males settle in their new territories and play with the rocks or the decoration u are going to have until u find what work for you

Do a lot of reading , have metro on hand , aquarium salt , and melafix in case they fight or bloat ,
Oh and feeding routine is key small amounts 3
Times a day work for me

Hope this help

[Darth Coqui]

Thanks for reminding me Sunny and Geral
yes keep water temp 76 - 79 ish
and I use Espon salt all the time and a little of baking soda to boost PH. Not often but it happens.

Frankie

[myjohnson]

Let it be known that "minimum" standards does not equal "ideal" conditions.

Tips: get a wet/dry and feed a good food like NLS.

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: Trophs !!! Maybe???

Yup

[LordBarron7692]

Let it be known that "minimum" standards does not equal "idea" conditions.

Tips: get a wet/dry and feed a good food like NLS.

No doubt and honestly this is really just a trail for lack of a better term, the end goal is to put them in a 225 gal tank I have in storage just don't have room for it right now "long story for a later day" so what exactly would be ideal conditions?
and thank you everyone that responded you all are a real help and one other question is it better to get them from say a LFS or to catch someone selling them?

[cu0ngsayz]

We have all the time for the story of the 225 hahah the thread/forum isn't gonna run anywhere. Haha we love stories!!!!!

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: Trophs !!! Maybe???

Get them from somebody here

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: Trophs !!! Maybe???

In case you're not aware, Houston it's the Mecca for Trophs and Petros. You can find somebody who has a variant you want.

[LordBarron7692]

oh ok thats great cause I was really dreading shelling out a couple hundred for the fish and then paying for the shipping on top of that

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: Trophs !!! Maybe???

Sometimes you have to do that to get the rarer variants. Save that for the 225 lol

[myjohnson]

Save the 225 for Petros!

Lol, "ideal" conditions is to leave them in the lake.