Educating MFK on Africans!

[Ash]

Its a type of mbuna here is some info:. (same thing pretty much for any other mbuna and I did find a few pics although they are small)

Gephyrochromis zebroides

Size: 5-6 inches (this is what I found although I only found one site after awhile of looking which said a size so I am not sure how accurate it is - but it being a mbuna I would assume that is about correct - sorry) thanks to species summary

Temp: 78-80 degrees

pH: 7.2

Tank Size/Setup: Minimum size is 55-75gal tank. Make sure they have enough hiding spots and can be territorial .

Food: frozen brine shrimp, spirulina flakes, fish flakes and pellets.

Breeding: It pretty much breeds like anyother mbuna you just need to give it a flat rock/ slate for the breeding area. The male colors up and finds a female making sure to keep her attention. She will lay and egg then pick it up and bite at the male's egg spots fertilizing the eggs that will now betucked away in her buccal cavity.

The only picture I could find was this one:

 

[Scotty]

Thanks ASH for this speedy reply. You are the greatest. The fish I have are a greyish colour with brown coloured stripes. The one has darker stripes than the other. As said, once they have settled I will try to get some pic's to post. Thanks once again.

 

[TeChris]

This is really informative info, thanks for posting all this.

 

[Ash]

This is really informative info, thanks for posting all this.

LOL I am suprised you actually looked at it..

haha your a fish geek now!!!


Anyways again I apologize for not updating this in a loonnnnnngggggg time. I am really busy with school and work, school and work thats bout it so I will try to update soon, or if anyone has any request on a fish thats not up here yet??

 

[OSXer]

Gephyrochromis zebroides

Is this species more properly known as Gephyrochromis lawsi?

FWIW, I've looked through this thread from time to time and while I give you props for all the time spent, sometimes I question the *cut and paste* information appearing. Perhaps start including direct links back to where the information comes from and include a variety of *cut and paste* pieces from various sources to improve the quality of the info given. Hopefully you can take this as constructive criticism.

 

[Ash]

Is this species more properly known as Gephyrochromis lawsi?

FWIW, I've looked through this thread from time to time and while I give you props for all the time spent, sometimes I question the *cut and paste* information appearing. Perhaps start including direct links back to where the information comes from and include a variety of *cut and paste* pieces from various sources to improve the quality of the info given. Hopefully you can take this as constructive criticism.

Gephyrochromis lawsi would be the more common/proper name used for them, yes. As for cut and paste, I dont directly cut and paste anymore, with the exception of the first pages that was pretty much cut and re-worded (I am a lazy sob), but I left links at the bottom. I also most def. do not know every single fish and about them. I do alot of reading on them in general so usually I take what I learn and incorprate it into what I dont know that I do find on other sites. I do read about all these fish through websites and books though, so most of it is put into my own words from what I ve learned. As for the ph, temp etc its not cut and paste but it is what I ve learned from websites, so usually I'll go back and look up on or refer to one of the sites I have listed on the first page, which are the ones I usually read the info on first. The sites I get most of my info for is on the first page as well as pictures. If I find a new site I happen to read something interesting on, or I use to find ph, tank temp etc if I dont know it, I usually add it to the list on the first page. Most of what I post thought is a mix of what I ve read up on inthe past via internet or books. I do refer alot to the webpage on the front though if I dont know about the fish and then I read up on them from many other sources (books and stuff). Anyways I appreciate the comment and it is something I will consider doing when I do run into fish that I dont know much about (which is alot!). =) I know there was one case where I had to do it on the breeding section b/c I didnt know about the fishs breeding habits and found an amazing site with it, so I incorprated the link instead. It is a good idea, so I will keep that in mind in the future. Thanks.

 

[mike dunagan]

Okay, I have a peacock tank... in it I had a lot of mbuna it turns out. I setup a new tank and moved finally yesterday... after losing a front, little one... sad... anyway I have a few peacocks, a lab, livingston what can I add, I wanna a front too. Its a 150

I have a temp 30 with a johanni, male and female Melanochromis auratus, two kennyi, an OB red zebra, yellow zebra, red finned zebra... They are at most 2 or three inches, most short of two... I have a larger 55, but I will not move... I figure they will be okay... what do you think

 

[Ash]

Okay, I have a peacock tank... in it I had a lot of mbuna it turns out. I setup a new tank and moved finally yesterday... after losing a front, little one... sad... anyway I have a few peacocks, a lab, livingston what can I add, I wanna a front too. Its a 150

I have a temp 30 with a johanni, male and female Melanochromis auratus, two kennyi, an OB red zebra, yellow zebra, red finned zebra... They are at most 2 or three inches, most short of two... I have a larger 55, but I will not move... I figure they will be okay... what do you think

As for what to do with the 150 I am suprised they all even get along.. I had a real problem with mbuna and my peacocks when I had them together... I had to seprate them cuse the mbuna were to agressive towards the peacocks - do yours act like that? It might be something to watch out for. I tried one peacock with Mbuna then he turned out the be a problem picking on them. I wouldnt put fronts in with mbuna - I would do a mbuna only tank or front only tank as they like being colonys. Peacocks (keep an eye on them though they can nip fins.. I kept mine with fronts for a long time and they did fine. Generally people dont mix lakes.), fronts, alt. calvus and alt. comps and the like do well together in a tank that might be an idea for you - just make sure that you keep up with all of your water paramaters and not just pH level as sometimes they can be water sensative and also make sure they get a mix in diet becuase bloat can be a problem. If not you can do tropheus but they are water sensative and diet needs to be veggie.

Now as for the 30gal, its a temp? They will def. need a larger tank then a 30gal. I dont really think they are going to do to well in a 30gal when they hit 4-6inches and become fully grown. Id suggest that you try to find a bigger tank as soon as you can =)

I hope that helps you out some =) If you need anything else let me know and there are also alot of other members who have a vast knowledge for africans if you want to make a thread in this sub-forum for other opinons!

 

[Russy Pelican]

And thanks! I'm switching over a 55 to African, and want to keep smaller ones like the little shell-dwellers, leleupi, and maybe some julies. Would love too see a piece on those guys, and what you think about substrate and compatibility.

 

[Ash]

And thanks! I'm switching over a 55 to African, and want to keep smaller ones like the little shell-dwellers, leleupi, and maybe some julies. Would love too see a piece on those guys, and what you think about substrate and compatibility.

Hey I am at school right now so cant really put up info, but I have some free time tomorrow morning I will try to post the info on them for you and what substrate did you plan on using? Another thing you can do is start a thread in this rift lake section for adivce from members as well =) I'll post info and pictures tomorrow morning for you!