Beggining Hobbyist
- Thread starter Derick
- Start date
Hmmm, we aren't really going anywhere here.
Derick, I know you have all these fish from different areas, I know that you have grown attached to them as well, but having all of them means that you will have to tend to all their different needs also(whether they're in one tank or not). They all have different health issues and preferences(maximum size, diet, environment[temperature, lighting, water movement, substrate]) so I think it's very unpredictable how things will go in the long run. There are many cases where things seem fine for a while then after some time, it turns to one big mess. I'm an optimistic person though and I hope that your fish grow up fine all together.
These are all your fish and it's up to you what you do for/to them. I only have one thing to ask though, please research each of your fish. That's all I need you to do, that way you're somewhat aware of their well-being and things you can expect to happen in the future. What you do once you have, is up to you. At least when something does happen, you'll know why it did.
Derick, I know you have all these fish from different areas, I know that you have grown attached to them as well, but having all of them means that you will have to tend to all their different needs also(whether they're in one tank or not). They all have different health issues and preferences(maximum size, diet, environment[temperature, lighting, water movement, substrate]) so I think it's very unpredictable how things will go in the long run. There are many cases where things seem fine for a while then after some time, it turns to one big mess. I'm an optimistic person though and I hope that your fish grow up fine all together.
These are all your fish and it's up to you what you do for/to them. I only have one thing to ask though, please research each of your fish. That's all I need you to do, that way you're somewhat aware of their well-being and things you can expect to happen in the future. What you do once you have, is up to you. At least when something does happen, you'll know why it did.
+1 If you do some research on each fish you will know the reasons why people say what they do, and can make your own informed decisions based on your research paired with what others tell you from their experience. While this is a great forum, the people here (no offence to my fellow MFKers) are not all knowing and are all going to have their own experiences and opinions. When i ask advice on here i almost always back it up with my own research and then make my decision cuz theres always the possibility soneone could be wrong. So like was said, please do some research on your fish as well as getting ideas on here.
All that being said i looked at the venustus you asked the sex on (i didnt see anyone else answer about it). My guess would be female, due to the very little blue and yellow i see on it, But its hard to say because their colors change dramatically depending on their mood and tank conditions, so its possibly a male and just not in its ideal environment. Which in case your wondering, his or her ideal environment based on my research would be a sandy substrate with plenty of open areas and rock work.
All that being said i looked at the venustus you asked the sex on (i didnt see anyone else answer about it). My guess would be female, due to the very little blue and yellow i see on it, But its hard to say because their colors change dramatically depending on their mood and tank conditions, so its possibly a male and just not in its ideal environment. Which in case your wondering, his or her ideal environment based on my research would be a sandy substrate with plenty of open areas and rock work.
Africans will eat about anything put into the tank - but the over-generalization about them being fed veggies and limited shrimp feedings is wrong.
First you need to take into consideration the type of African (Malawian, Tanganyikan, Victorian - herbivore, omnivore, carnivore), and its natural diet. Nimbochromis are predators - vegetables really don't benefit them too much, their digestive tracts aren't long enough to fully break down plant matter. Will a vegetable/spirulina-based food hurt them.... no.
Blood worms are best not fed simply because they can carry disease too easily - and brine shrimp is a better alternative. Brine shrimp fed daily will not hurt most African.
Not to necessarily disagree with you bryan since im no expert on africans, have merely kept some in the past. But there was also a yellow lab and another mbuna in there if i remember correctly which i believe is why someone had mentioned the difference in diet.
I did work in a fish store that sold just about any fish you could imagine. Most of the tanks all got NLS pellets, while there were a few tanks of Africans we fed a low protein veggie type pellet.
This is another reason I do feel the OP would benefit from keeping 3 tanks for 3 environments (1 brackish for the GSP, 1 for the CA/SA cichlids and 1 for Africans). That way the fish can get the proper diets they need.
I agree that fish from different geograpical locations should be kept seperatly, I'll state that up front so there is no mistaking my feelings abou it. However having said that the ops fish are far from wild cought so again water parameters have very little to do with this situation. As far as diet goes, all the fish in that tank can be feed NLS Cichlid Formula with no problem what so ever, Hakari Bio-Gold+ could also be used if it's easier to get. My point is I'm attempting to help him with his present situation. As he he progresses he will learn more and perhaps down the road get dedacated set ups for the various locations and or species he chooses to keep. He has recived a lot of info to digest here and I know the learning curve is steep. GL.
Brian, in my post before this one I specifically mentioned Mbuna, however I failed to continue that and just started saying "Africans". My fault, I was referring to Mbuna though the entire time. I feel they are best fed a diet of 95% veggies (Cichlid Excel is great) and a treat of shrimp or blood worms a couple times a month. I'm sure you could feed them brine shrimp every day like you said and maybe it will never effect them or maybe it will, however I don't think it is what's "best" for them is all. I know a guy who works at a LFS and feeds a 3' Silver Aro ham and cheese sandwiches... he just throws them into the 2,000g tank and the thing gobbles it right up!!! This Aro is huge and in good condition and readily eats these sandwiches, but is it "good" for the Aro??
