Chuckie Posted April 7, 2007 Report Share Posted April 7, 2007 Hi everyone I am in the process of setting up a tank to house occelatus. I intend to add a few more shells, once I obtain them, but here is the tank so far. It is a tall 2' 80 L former shop tank. It's already stocked with the danios that are going to be dither fish, to keep the nitrogen cycle going until the Africans arrive. There is also a random female betta in there who I accidentally siphoned, LOL. The shells are for the occelatus. There is a rock pile made of rose quartz that we picked up from a roadworks operation near Bathurst a few years ago. I am toying with the idea of also adding some cylindricus or julidochromis transcriptus to live in the rock pile. I know the benefits of controlled overcrowding in an African tank, but I also know that occelatus are pretty fierce and julies are IME fairly mild mannered, and I obviously don't want carnage. Rather than add all at once, I might add "me julies" and let them establish their territories in the rock pile, then the occelatus. Or maybe I should give the julies a miss and just stick with occelatus? Views, anyone? I am just running a sponge filter on it, but with 2 sponges (one floats near the top) and bubbles go past it). Hopefully that will be enough filtration - it will be hard to get back ino the "ammonia is more toxic in alkaline water" frame of mind after years of bettas!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooshoo Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 ooooh i like the quarts pile, very interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halszka Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 I've just set up a similar tank a couple of months ago, although slightly smaller, standard 2 foot tank, about 60L. I have a pair of gold ocellatus and a pair of juliochromis marlieri. The julies have dug a cave under one of the rocks and the occys have taken over the two apple snail shells on the sand and are constantly digging around them, especially the male. He's the aggressive one! He bites when I put my hand in the tank, and flares his gills at the julies. Anyways, I think a mix of both would be fine. The occys will live in the shells, your julies will dig some caves - maybe knock a hole in the side of the pots and turn them into more enclosed caves. If you put one of those golden algae eaters in there, he'll keep your rocks clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Em Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 It looks great Lilli, love the rock pile :dance: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted April 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 Thanks guys - and thanks for the heads up on the species together, Halszka. That's good to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 Looks good lilli, is that all of the quartz? Going to get some more shells? what about some of the ones they sell at the lfs for hermit crabs, could get some interesting shapes etc. And what danios did you end up getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted April 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 Hi Phil. Yep, it's all quartz. I do want to get some more shells. I think Abbey said you can also get them at Go Lo and such places. the hermit crab ones could be ok, I'll have to look. I got zebra danios. out of the 11 I bought, 2 have died, but there's no ammonia and only about 10ppm of nitrate so I figure they came with something that was gestating (considering where I got them). Just as well I have effectively Qt'd them until the cichlids arrive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 Looking good Norris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted May 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 last week I added some fake live rock, and it actually looks really good! The occupants are now 20 zebra danios, 10 emerald eye rasboras and a borneo sucker. I am seriously thinking of using meleagris instead of occealtus... Meleagris: http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/shellweb/lamp_meleagris.jpg http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/other...eagris_male.jpg Occelatus: http://members.lycos.nl/shetiger1982/hpbimg/031.jpg http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/L-ocellatus.jpg what do people think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted May 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 I am also having impure thoughts about L. tetracanthus: http://www.ualberta.ca/~gdegreef/gallery/ltetrac.jpg http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img/tetracanthus1.jpg http://www.wetthumbaquatics.com/Fish%20Pic...us_red_tail.jpg but these dudes get too big :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 Yeah i walked away while she was admiring the L. tetracanthus!! Shot of the tank. The tanks in the room are like mirrors!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted May 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 I def need a black drop sheet for photo taking. Even at night the lights reflect on the opposite wall and have that effect. Maybe I should paint the walls black, LOL. It will be better once Jason and I build 'bulkheads' for the gap between the top of the tanks and the lights, that will direct the light down instead of out. BTW, that was the tank before all the new fish were added. The pH stays pretty stable at 7.8 (which is pretty much how it comes out of the tap) even though there's quite a lot of shell grit in there. The white sand is obviously not reactive at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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