Old 75...new beginnings

[Nilsafeller]

Little update with some pictures..

Getting very friendly with me now....
mornings he stays In his cave... afternoons it's a party in the tank.
For feeding.. I figured I'd try a bit of everything healthy
Home made frozen food ate second day here and now wont take it.
Pellets he goes after but prefers them to hit the bottom a d the pick them up as he makes his way through the tank
SNAILS!... WANTS ALL THE SNAILSSS!!
mollies he likes sneaking up on... but wont chase them down if they scurry away.

Check out the teeth on this guy.. narly!

 

[beau1990]

He's a beauty

 

[Nilsafeller]

He's a beauty

Thanks! I think so too! Didnt know they got so orange and yellow.
If I put my hand in the tank to clean or add plants he turns a very dark brown on the top portion of his body... very interesting colors

 

[beau1990]

I almost wanna see this but I do think want you to stress him unnecessarily just for our curiosity

 

[Nilsafeller]

I almost wanna see this but I do think want you to stress him unnecessarily just for our curiosity

Nah... I wont mess with him for no reason ,but tommorow is water change day... so ill setup the camera and see what happens... while I was taking pictures he saw the molly swimming up top.. he glided on into the plants above his cave and slowly stalked the molly and got real dark then... so I'm sure he does it to camouflage into his surroundings like any other cichlid.. I'll post if I get a shot of it tommorow!

 

[beau1990]

Nah... I wont mess with him for no reason ,but tommorow is water change day... so ill setup the camera and see what happens... while I was taking pictures he saw the molly swimming up top.. he glided on into the plants above his cave and slowly stalked the molly and got real dark then... so I'm sure he does it to camouflage into his surroundings like any other cichlid.. I'll post if I get a shot of it tommorow!

My jag does similar with the guppies I toss in there darkens up and stalks

 

[Nilsafeller]

Gourami Swami have a question for you freind! Since you've had experience with the grammodes... what was the diet you gave them and how was their feeding like

 

[Gourami Swami]

I have always fed pellets of a few brands as staple, usually NLS or hikari, depending what I have at the time, and CA cichlids usually will eat it all. Some of the more shy species like these guys prefer the sinking type and may be shy when younger to snatch the floating ones unless maybe if you walk out the room. Frozen meaty foods as a treat are good to include, and also use a little fresh garlic crushed into the food if having trouble getting one to eat

 

[Nilsafeller]

I have always fed pellets of a few brands as staple, usually NLS or hikari, depending what I have at the time, and CA cichlids usually will eat it all. Some of the more shy species like these guys prefer the sinking type and may be shy when younger to snatch the floating ones unless maybe if you walk out the room. Frozen meaty foods as a treat are good to include, and also use a little fresh garlic crushed into the food if having trouble getting one to eat

The frozen food I make for my community has garlic in it ,among other vegetables... the second day I had this little guy he ate it no problem... actually first 3 days hes eating anything I threw in... about day 4 or 5 I put in some clipping from a hygro from the other tank... along with the plants came very tiny snails.. he has been going through the tank non stop since then looking for these snails occasionally picking then off here and there one by one... but now he wants nothing to do with any pellet or the frozen food.. that's why I was asking is all.

I will wait it out and offer only the healthy foods I have until he eats it, I'm guessing the snails wont be able to reproduce fast enough to his addiction but well see lol.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Nilsafeller]

Little update!
Little guy is doing great! Eating like a champ and loves his cichlid bug bites.. prob not the BEST food but it's a food he enjoys... I ended up giving away all of my mollies except the one in his tank and one more i threw in for him.
New guy didnt last very long and was picked off over night .. one of the original 2 molly is still kicking it.. he doesnt even bother chasing the the bastard lol... plants are doing great and growing in there.. he seems to really enjoy snooping around the tank with the plants in there... prob makes him feel like there is less threat around him with the added cover.
It's been just about a month now and I'd say hes grown a massive 1/4 inch ? but he super comfortable and comes out to say hi to me every time I walk in the room and seems to want to bite my hand if I wave at him haha.