My new 115G Cichlid tank - What you think?

[DizzCat]

Hey, I just wanted to pass on that Mbuna LOVE zucchini and cucumbers! I use a clip thing for my big tank and for my small fry I put a piece on a rock with a rubber band. They will munch on it all day long, especially the Acei. All I do is rinse it under warm water and use my nail to soften it up some. I used to just rubber band it to a rock, but my Lab got big enough to grab it and take it in his cave and hoard the whole thing! Hanging on the side, no one can steal it and all get some.

This is what I mean. Try it This is how I put it in with the big guys:

This is how I give it to the small ones (this is a group of my Lab fry)

[spoonman]

Funny that you post this. Last night I put slices of cucumber in veggie clips in the Mbuna tank for the first time and they went crazy. I peeled and sliced it and they ate every last bit. Nothing was left except the part that was in the clip! Gonna try Zuch next. Thanks for the idea!!

[spoonman]

Hey Dizz (or anyone else),

Is there any possibility that my Acei could be holding being that they are less than 3" long? One of them is protuding down between its gills below its mouth and doesnt seem to be eating like the others. I just noticed it today so I am going to start watching it closer. It has also been hanging around in the plants more. I thought it would be way to young to be holding yet but I dont know. What do you think? I tried to get some pics but I cant figure out how to get my camera to focus close enough.

Tim

[DizzCat]

A very good possibility. They look like their chins are bulging. They wont eat and if you watch, you can see them rolling the eggs around in their mouths. Its a little harder to tell when an Acei holds, maybe its the color or their mouth size. Its very obvious when my other females do, but my Acei I have to really look. Get a flash light and see if you can see eggs in her mouth. They will be a light tan color, almost white. If she is, count out 21 days and that is the day you should see fry.

Mine spawned this morning.

[spoonman]

Thanks dizz. What are you gonna do with all this fry. Are you gonna just let nature take its course and some get eaten or are you gonna try to save and raise them?

[spoonman]

Hey dizz, I did some experimentation with my camera tonight and got these pics. Do you think this is a holding female. In some you can see another Acei in the background that does not look that way. Let me know what you think. Sorry about the dirty glass.

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[spoonman]

One more.

[DizzCat]

Yep, she definitely has a mouthful of eggs! After 3-4 days the eggs hatch into tiny fry. Then they live off their egg yoke until its gone. The mom holds them for the whole time, which takes 21 days or so. Start looking at about day 15 and you may see eyes peeking out. Its so adorable! Your daughters are going to love it!

Acei fry are tiny! I was surprised at how small they are. My Red Zebra spawned the day after my Acei and I stripped them the same day. The Red fry were twice as big as the Acei fry. My Acei female is twice as big as my Red too! My Acei didn't spawn till almost 5" because there was no male. They started spawning with each other when they hit large maturity. I got the male about 4 months ago and have been having Acei fry ever since.

I will give the ones I am growing out to the lfs, but the ones that are being held now will get spit in the main tank. I am over loading my lfs with fry and they said no more for awhile. So, after this batch I give them I will not save any fry for a few months. When mine first started spawning I did keep one or two of the fry for myself. I have 3 Red Zebras and 3 Yellow Labs I kept for me that are now almost 3".

Since its her first time and she is still small, she probably only has about 10 or 15 in her mouth. If you decide to move her to her own tank to release, wait at least a week before you try catching her. If you try before the eggs hatch she is more likely to spit them, especially a new mom. Once the eggs hatch they are more prone to hold onto them.

Here is what Acei fry look like when first released. See the Red Zebra fry too? It is actually a day younger than the Acei fry! The mom's both had about 30 fry in their mouths and the Red mom is half the size as the Acei mom. This was taken about an hour after I stripped the mom's. So, very newly released fry.


Acei fry at 3 weeks old, getting the yellow fins


Here's a video I did of how Mbuna fry develop in a mom's mouth. I made an egg tumbler to see how they develop. It starts at 5 days past the spawn then goes on to show different development at different ages up to 19 days. Pretty cool!

[spoonman]

What kind of fish is this????? Got it out of the mixed cichlid tank. Thought at the time it was an Ice Blue Greshakei, now am thinking Acei. Either way, a bargain at $4.49. HELP!!!!!

[spoonman]

Greshakei or Acei????