More tank pics, updated

FINWIN

Alligator Gar
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Dec 21, 2018
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Fish room News!

I found a home for Pip and Mongo's mob of redpoints! Talked to the manager of a nearby Petco who said she'd be glad to take them because her inventory is low and she was wondering how to fill her tanks. So timing is everything! These little snips are getting too expensive to feed, they eat like no tomorrow and are going through my supplies at frightening speed. They'll be going in Tuesday.

I will be ordering a caster cart stand for the 125. Really need to get fish out of these holding tanks. I had to move Corn (severum) weeks ago because he was becoming a nuisance which eventually would get him injured or worse with my O Brick. Not overly aggressive, just pesky. He's with Bobo right now.

Mongo has been in the tank with his babies because he was starting to stress Bobo my choc (who stresses easily despite her size). They weren't working. He'd nip her tail. Then she would retaliate, press him in the corner and chase him into his house.

Trailer park Pip (hrp) is gonna have to be separated from her stripey son. They have about 20 wigglers right now. And Stripey's brother now wants in on the action. Looks like another teardown to get the other juvies out.

For whatever reason Boss the bp is no longer his brilliant orange color. He's gone frosty, patchy, and splotched. One morning he was nearly pink on one side. parrots are weird asf.

More updates as I get 'em.
 

FINWIN

Alligator Gar
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Pics of the babies! Getting good shots at ANY shutter speed is a miracle because of their funny "stutter-stop-start" way of swimming. I have a small Nicrew Led light shaded on the sides with cardboard squares on each side giving a nice swampy effect. I've discovered Leds totally overwhelm small tanks without blocking some light. These juvies eat at a record pace; I toss in handfuls of pellets and they don't even hit the floor!

Lots of filtration: 4 air stones, one sponge filter and a hob 90 rated filter. Poppa Mongo hangs out at the back and 'supervises' things. He'll pop out only when the kids get rowdy. Otherwise he's nowhere to be seen. In the second pic you can see a baby sucking down a pellet to the left at the bottom.

mob1.jpg

mob 2.jpg

mob 3.jpg

mob 4.jpg
 

FINWIN

Alligator Gar
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Lighting effect like this is harder in a tall tank. Gives a lot of depth and keeps the fish calmer. I've moved about 15 babies to the tub (about 18 total) to lessen the bioload. The filters are mud smears every 2 days.

mob 5.jpg
 

FINWIN

Alligator Gar
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Dec 21, 2018
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Fun times in the fish room yesterday.

I had to do another breakdown of the 225 to get the now sexually mature juvie hrps out. First to go was Stripey, he-who-hooked-up-with-mom. Next was his brother, a big male with a reddish tail (names later). I hope the one left over is a female!

So after an hour and a half of bumbling during the water change (juvies kept hiding under the other fish, other fish kept huddling around the oscar) I ended up taking fish out to GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY!! My acara Jazz jumped into the net 3 times. I put my biggest feather fin Cash in a bucket because he kept getting in the way too. Next was Pip, my alpha female hrp who jumped in the net when I caught one of her kids. She went in the bucket with Cash.

Boss the BP seemed to have a small gill irritation, so I took the opportunity to give him a salt dip. He's turned PINK with orangish gold eyes. WEIRD. Eventually he'll go back to his usual color you see in the avatar...as for my other parrots Tango is already pink and now Kong is turning pink, wtf. I don't get it.

I also took the opportunity to weigh some fish when I moved them. Will post later.

Not surprisingly the baby hrps that remained in the big tank have outstripped their siblings in size for now. They look like sub adults. The others look like 'teenagers'.

But there's no mistaking Pip. Hot mama is 4 inches flat and chunky. You can also see her top trailer curling. She looks like blue crystal! No wonder the boys are starting to fight. But the Trailer Park is now officially closed. It's amazing how different she looks out of water.

Pip.jpg
 

SalviniCichlidFan

Dovii
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May 30, 2021
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Fun times in the fish room yesterday.

I had to do another breakdown of the 225 to get the now sexually mature juvie hrps out. First to go was Stripey, he-who-hooked-up-with-mom. Next was his brother, a big male with a reddish tail (names later). I hope the one left over is a female!

So after an hour and a half of bumbling during the water change (juvies kept hiding under the other fish, other fish kept huddling around the oscar) I ended up taking fish out to GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY!! My acara Jazz jumped into the net 3 times. I put my biggest feather fin Cash in a bucket because he kept getting in the way too. Next was Pip, my alpha female hrp who jumped in the net when I caught one of her kids. She went in the bucket with Cash.

Boss the BP seemed to have a small gill irritation, so I took the opportunity to give him a salt dip. He's turned PINK with orangish gold eyes. WEIRD. Eventually he'll go back to his usual color you see in the avatar...as for my other parrots Tango is already pink and now Kong is turning pink, wtf. I don't get it.

I also took the opportunity to weigh some fish when I moved them. Will post later.

Not surprisingly the baby hrps that remained in the big tank have outstripped their siblings in size for now. They look like sub adults. The others look like 'teenagers'.

But there's no mistaking Pip. Hot mama is 4 inches flat and chunky. You can also see her top trailer curling. She looks like blue crystal! No wonder the boys are starting to fight. But the Trailer Park is now officially closed. It's amazing how different she looks out of water.

View attachment 1498571
Alas the series continues! That color on Pip is WOW!
 

FINWIN

Alligator Gar
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Dec 21, 2018
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Fish room news.

The hrp mob is off to their new lives. Took most of 'em to the local Petco where the staff asked loads of questions and one of the workers wanted some. The manager was excited to get them but asked if she could put them all in a 20 long, lol. I said only if she felt like lots of water changes and cleaning! I suggested she split the group into 2 tanks plus they'd be calmer.

Back at home poor Mongo got upset when I removed all the babies. He went over to the back corner and lay down in the sand (like an Oscar) and refused to move. But I set aside a small group of 7. 1 jumbo fry, 2 large, and three small. The 'runts' are actually very nice looking and delicate in appearance. They uniformly have some of the richest color. I put them in the tank and Mongo popped up and was his old self again! He checked out his kids and started herding them around again, lol. He moves them to a spot then he goes about his buisness (but always with a watchful eye). If the fry start squabbling too much he comes out and breaks it up! He's a good papa. Will try to get some good pics if possible.
 

DrownedFishonFire

Goliath Tigerfish
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Have to say im now paying closer attention to cichlids because of the beautiful colors you showcase when yours show them in different phrases/color modes. Am sorry about Patches though.
 
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FINWIN

Alligator Gar
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Have to say im now paying closer attention to cichlids because of the beautiful colors you showcase when yours show them in different phrases/color modes. Am sorry about Patches though.
Thanks. I'm hoping to find another pink parrot at my LFS...plan on ordering a santa parrot, a gold ingot, a gold tiger and red tiger. Will depend on availability and my wallet. Right now most of the ones I'm interested in are sold out.
 

Wideglide04

Plecostomus
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Thanks. I'm hoping to find another pink parrot at my LFS...plan on ordering a santa parrot, a gold ingot, a gold tiger and red tiger. Will depend on availability and my wallet. Right now most of the ones I'm interested in are sold out.
I'll have to Google some of those color morphs. If my 2 guys ever go down I would like to try some of the more exotic BP'S. Beautiful fish and its nice to see how much you enjoy them, sry about patch and gl
 

FINWIN

Alligator Gar
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Dec 21, 2018
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Washington DC
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