135g SA "Renewal" Project

[DarylMac]

This is a long shot... I was in this crappy pet store at this crappy mall by my house. They had this fish listed as an "armoured catfish" in a tank with Bleeding Heart Tetras that they listed as "Painted Glass Tetras".

Any chance it could be a hoplo catfish?

Sorry for the crummy pic:

 

[DarylMac]

I don't know enough about catfish unfortunately. I can tell a Cory from a Pleco and that's about it.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

It's a hoplo.

 

[DarylMac]

I shall acquire it tomorrow! Thanks Stanzzzz!

 

[Alexxxxsv14]

Looks like a cool catfish bro
Lets see your terrors love your main male

 

[DarylMac]

Another crummy pic. But the "Armoured catfish", which believe to be a spotted Hoplo, is in my QT tank right now.

Tomorrow is water change day. Once I get the tank down to 20% I will try netting out my skinny GT's and move them to the QT.

Then they will all get treated for internal parasites and fattened up before the female GT and hoplo get moved back to the main tank.

 

[sevs and sajicas for me]

Another crummy pic. But the "Armoured catfish", which believe to be a spotted Hoplo, is in my QT tank right now.

Tomorrow is water change day. Once I get the tank down to 20% I will try netting out my skinny GT's and move them to the QT.

Then they will all get treated for internal parasites and fattened up before the female GT and hoplo get moved back to the main tank.

View attachment 1240203

Looks like a hoplo to me. Congrats in getting one

 

[aztsm]

DarylMac Nice thread Daryl! I don't know how I missed this 107 post thread, but it somehow escaped me. I haven't gone through it all but really like both scapes and your group of GT.

Love that sword you had. I had two just like it and a wide variety of other swords. I still have all my planted tank lights but don't think I'll be back there again anytime soon. The new scape looks excellent. I hope to source some nice wood and boulders for my 125 growout tank. Thinking of making a trip up north to Sedona here shortly to see if I can't find something. Not doing the $14/lb spiderwood at the lfs again

 

[DarylMac]

Today was a good day! Wife & I ran 16km this morning, then I took her to the nursery and she bought a couple hundred dollars worth of plants & flowers for the garden.

That bought me the entire afternoon to do fish stuff while she toiled in the soil!

I did a 80% WC and netted out the two smaller GT's. They're in my QT tank with my new hoplo undergoing treatment for parasites. I put the 2 Bleeding Hearts back in the big tank. I figured they'd have a swimmers chance in a 135g with 3 GT's and no chance in a 15g with 2 GT's...

Once I refilled the tank I noticed a change in behaviour from my big male (by big I'm talking 4 to 4.5" - so it's relative), he started dragging the almond leaves around organizing them how he wanted. He's never shown interest in them before.

Then he and his two remaining ladies spent about an hour exploring the tank together - never more than 6 to 8 inches apart.

And just now I noticed he has started doing the shimmy shimmy shake with whichever female won't swim away from him. He's ready, they're not.

I know 3 is not supposed to be a good number for cichlids but I am hoping this works. If it does I'll be thrilled. And if they accept the 3rd female after she gets fattened up I will be more thrilled, but if not I'll keep this trio as long as possible.

Last resort is I dedicate the tank to just a pair.

Either way, I can't really lose.

 

[MrsE88]

He is very handsome. That band on his tail is so thick!