L260 frys in an african cichlid tank

Easy · Post by **Easy** » 25 Aug 2003, 05:59

Apparently my L260s bred again in my 120g african cichlid tank...just want to let you guys know that if it happened to me twice, it could happen to you

My cichlids too are breeding like crazy...I've ran out of tanks, now am running out of buckets

mokmu · Post by **mokmu** » 25 Aug 2003, 12:49

What are your water parameters, temperature, furniture, substrate, etc? How big is your tank? I understand that Cichlid tanks have a particular hardness to them and some even conatin these white rocks with large holes in them. These rocks I also understand make the water hard as well. How about water current?

I am sure some Cichlids have gobbled up some of the fry by now.

kwalker · Post by **kwalker** » 25 Aug 2003, 14:32

congradulations on the spawn. my question is how old do you think the L-260's are? and do you have a good picture of the male and female? thanks in advance

ken walker

Easy · Post by **Easy** » 26 Aug 2003, 00:42

Same old setup which I posted before...it's a 120g tank that has been used more than five years now...so I guess you could say that it has been well-cycled. You're right, I did see a fry eaten by my 6 inch Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus. It's not really an African tank for the purists, it does have lots of rocks, but it also has plenty of driftwood. Am still transferring my cichlids to smaller tanks and most of the big ones are now in the pond. The biotope isn't for african cichlids, but they breed a lot. As for the plecos, so far, I've lost only an L264 and an L260...after cleaning my 5 inch gravel which hasn't been touched for 3 years! All the fish in the tank went nuts. After 2 months of slowly siphoning the gravel, I now maintain a 1 inch in height substrate. Don't want to remove the substrate for I think and believe that it has a major role in maintaining the ecosystem of the tank. I keep the oxygen level high and change 50% of the water twice every week. I don't have test kits, so I don't know the exact parameters of the tank. Oh yeah, I don't thouroghly clean my substrate, I just siphon the loose wastes and sometimes pour water on them to stir the dirt and let the filters do their work. I just maintain the environment that works with the fish I have. A good indicator probably is that rarely do I have casualties and that they do breed a lot in this kind of set-up.

Post by **Barbie** » 26 Aug 2003, 01:11

Easy can you tell us about what temperature your tank stays at? What you feed the plecos specifically? Whether your water is hard or soft in general? Basic or acidic? Just knowing your tap water parameters would at least give a hint as to the conditions that are maintained in the tank. Thanks.

I actually have 8 L260 that are living with some sumbu dwarf compressiceps shell dwellers, waiting for another tank. I haven't been watching them closely at all, since I assumed that a spawn was unlikely. I guess I should start checking on them.

Barbie

Easy · Post by **Easy** » 26 Aug 2003, 01:41

Typically the temp is about 28-29C. I do water changes twice a week...and probably right after the temp drops to 24-25C. I feed them with all sorts of food...local sinking pellets (powerbits 1 & 2), tetra bits, tetra min flakes, algae wafers, spirulina flakes, dried daphnia pellets and even bio-flakes (fiber). I sometimes drop shrimps for my pseudas. I feed them twice a day, 6 days a week. There'll be a day when I won't feed them at all. I have caves situated near water currents and I maintain a well oxygenated tank. I provide them with a lot of places to hide, like pots, rocks and driftwood. Hardness is between 7-8 I think. I have 2 overhead filters which drops water vertically at the back of the tank where the caves are and they also have nozzles which shoots air and water diagonally towards the driftwood. I wouldn't say that I maintain a very strong current in my tank...just enough to maintain water movement inside the caves. My plecos do love water current...the only one that does not is my scarlet.

Plec0maniac · Post by **Plec0maniac** » 26 Aug 2003, 04:44

nice to hear.. Easy how many fries did u got?

Pseudas dont like current, but when they are big some also loves to stay where the current is most powerful..

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 27 Aug 2003, 09:00

Hi,
Congraduletions Easy

Which are the other inhabitants of the tank?

Post by **Janne** » 27 Aug 2003, 20:35

I have send a article to Jools for a couple of month ago to publish in Planet catfish about breeding L260, maybe he will add that soon.
But they are like L46 and the water parameters is not important, strong current and a temp around 28-30 C is the key, they give between 8-16 fry and are not so productive.

Janne

Easy · Post by **Easy** » 28 Aug 2003, 00:31

120g tank...L14, L114, L25, L47, L128, L134, L27, L91, L177, L133, 2 Peckoltias, 3 L260s...and some unaccounted frys.

2 raphaels...

Some african peacocks, a blue ahli, nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus, a venustus, some jewel cichlids, a frontosa (still trying to find out where to transfer these guys)

Plec0maniac · Post by **Plec0maniac** » 28 Aug 2003, 04:39

Try to transfer either the cichlids asap or the frys, cuz cichlids tend to eat anything in there path..

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 04 Oct 2003, 09:30

Just to say that I will be posting an article on spawning L260 in Shane's World later on today.

Jools