coralbandits fish room

[coralbandit]

When it comes to fish I like to think I have grow patient [and persistent ].I am much more methodical/economical/efficient about much of my activities.
Last time about a month or so ago I left the EBA spawns as I thought I had too many [can you ever have too many ? YES] and some spawning type behavior occurred with the clowns .It was clear the largest of all [female] was being pursued by the largest male with female #2 in tow.As spawn by spawn that I left to the tank passed so did the level of activity with the clowns. I figured there was an easy safe way to test this notion I have... I pulled the last 3 sets of eggs and the behavior went away. I read a report on possibly the only "in home' clown fish spawning and think if I see his behavior again I just want to know who to catch !I hate to say they all look the same but ? Small differences and size should help.. The games have already begun with this first left set of eggs as I hoped so now I watch and hope I see the same spawning behavior again. The report listed parameters and all info needed like feeding , which are not close to the tanks so if I put these fish into my take on soft water and feed similar they may make me very proud ! After 15 years I am already very proud of the clowns.I never imagined a fish living that long for me ! Sini posted an article saying they may live 50 years ! I try to be patient but might not make it another 35 years !

 

[coralbandit]

Day 3 or 4 of ich treatment and it looks like it is going good....Most ichs have fallen off so now I dose to kill and hope they don't come back...The hatchet have been eating like champs everyday [2-3 times]. They really love the golden pearls 200-300 microns and they are actually getting fat from eating so much! I kind of thought they may be hard to feed but this is too easy!

The Pelicachromis Taeniatus Moliwe have laid eggs again in her cave. Spawn #2 !
She is guarding and there again does not look to be many ,but maybe they are still actively laying the eggs? I will consider my options during the day ,but guessing on my past history bandit will steal the eggs...I just can't help it..I know many people would love these fish and only having basically one source for them in the US is not going to get them to many...I hope I can change this with my bad habits !
Possibly moving fish around today as I believe I am off ? Off my rocker at least !
The Red picta will be going to a 10g so they can keep growing and maturing..
Here is a quick video of them in the fish room all the way from Hawwaii !

I haven't had them long and they look good.I noted hydra in the tank and now wonder from my experience with it if possibly some fish that eat them may expel eggs later?
I use the same plants and such in every tank basically and only 2 out of 50+ have hydra..Both live bearer tanks..I hope to leave the hydra behind but if they show up in the 10g I am going to be a believer in transport internally as a method of spreading for this pest...Probably should just have fen on hand by now?

 

[FinsandFeathers]

I could probably find the answer to this question if I read through this thread, but I'm lazy, so will ask:
Do you own a fish store, breed for sale/profit, or just as a hobby? If as a hobby, what are your electric bills like with so many tanks?

 

[coralbandit]

I keep and breed for hobby. I have a 'real ' job ?
All my lights are LED and the fish room is about 78f so I don't think the heaters work much? My electric does not seem higher in consideration to before the fish room...The pool and central AC still strike fear in my checking account !
My breeding efforts have made it NOW so the fish room pays for its self I think.I use fish money[paypal] for fish stuff[almost weekly !] and have not had to spend money at my LFS in years.... I may be at the right balance right about where I am now....
I could not quit my job and just do fish ,but I sure would not cry about a winter lay off !

 

[Tacit Blues]

I mean, a hobby that pays for itself is more than most could ask for!

 

[coralbandit]

I mean, a hobby that pays for itself is more than most could ask for!

Yea I mean after 30 years of spending lots of money it is nice to have up to date equipment and basically what ever I need...
PayPal will 10-99 me so I guess in some way it has become business , but to me I live the dream...
I love keeping and breeding fish and have been very lucky... To keep breeding fish you have to get rid of them so selling for less then most with better quality does not challenge me. I am also as mentioned a few times ;old ,patient and methodical....At almost 53 this is my type of work from home job and this time of year the 78 degree fish room is very inviting...
I work outside everyday I work....

 

[V227]

Really liked your video Bandit. You certainly have a very healthy, mixed bag of handsome fish. Did I see a Mono?.

 

[coralbandit]

Do you own a fish store

I answered honestly the first time but I laugh and want to ask those who have watched the fish room videos and think I am pro , would a real pro have wall to wall carpet in their fish room ?
I am just really carried away.

 

[coralbandit]

Really liked your video Bandit. You certainly have a very healthy, mixed bag of handsome fish. Did I see a Mono?.

Thanks V !
Yea they don't really match up to my water but when I see sebae monos I get teary eyed...I got a couple more that did not make it 2 months but these 2 seem ok...
I had 3 that were large in my 135 with my Tanganyikan cichlids and they loved my hard well water.. It dawned on me the African cichlids are IMO the tie between fresh water and salt right behind the brackish so I said what heck and they were great.
Now an old time favorite with a truly unique shape and great for activity in big tanks...

 

[coralbandit]

Ok I'll start with ich is gone with no losses ! The hatchets were covered and even with experience I will give credit to the fish eating [like horses] a food I happened to have. Still dosing for 3-4 more days..
They LOVE golden pearls 300-500 microns and I am blown away how much they eat..
Next she did it again ! This crazy female Pelvicachromis has moved the wigglers to his cave ! This could be a breeding behavior that actually is good.She moves the wigglers from where the eggs hatched to increase the distance between them and bacteria associated with eggs.Also trick to hide fry from a predator if it smelled the eggs...
I added a third cave and another large 1/2 pot so I know he has shelter but she is pushy yet almost predictable now ....I saw the eggs this a.m. and I saw her staring down the other female in swordtail tank .Glad I left that one there as I am reading more from other breeders that they are super aggressive in small groups...This explains why I have 3 out of 6 left..First I lost 2 females which the breeders are saying are wicked aggressive and then finally a male before I just pulled the pair from the 29.
I will take the wigglers tonight and consider letting her have next batch as the tanks are filling fast. 2 sets of fry will be very cool and I would like to see her raise fry if possible..I am not afraid to take the chance now I have some...
All 3 of the pairs from my GBR -EBR cross are laying eggs at a rate of every 8 days. So even with eggs /fry in D&P in parents tank the spaces are filling and they only get bigger..
The Apisto b. are starting to free swim tonight ...
I have a Christmas surprise for members here...Watch the contest board.....

 

[coralbandit]

Time flies when you have 50+ tanks !
Just 15 days ago I got my first eggs from my own 'balloon' ram and today he and his mate have started laying their third set of eggs ! They must have lost count as last time [just a week ago] was 8 days after the first set of eggs.. It really is breeding season in the fish room.
The EBA eggs in the 180 are gone and I know the clowns got them !Shouldn't be long before next set is laid and the behavior from the clowns hopefully returns...
Took the second set of PTM eggs last night but she may have held on to a couple? She is still in the cave and I think I saw at least one wiggler?
Lost all the platinum angel eggs that were laid on the leaf...They did not appear to be fertilized ....
Making 3 sets of brine shrimp a day and about to go up to four using 2 per feeding twice a day as the fry count and size[appetite] is growing...

 

[mbkemp]

Busy man!! I am reading your pelvicachromis posts with an eye to the future. Thank you for sharing! I am liking the idea of hatchets as dithers.

 

[Fishobsessed7]

Sounds like you are having great success with your fish as usual!

 

[coralbandit]

Thanks fish ! The fish room is booming right now...
I figured without reading all of this thread it is hard to tell what I might be talking about so here is a list of what is in my fish room and a bit on me .I am breeding or trying to breed all these fish right now .

In the fish room now 12/15/17
Pelivicachromis taeniatus moliwe [Kribensis]
Apistogramma hongslio /bitaeniata /irinadae
Microgeophagus ramirezi /Electric ,German , Balloon and Hydbrid electric/German [Rams]
Yellow long fin platies and regular fin
Long fin swordtails [ red]
Lyretails swordtails with King Lyre males
Alpha swordtails *
Green spotted "wild' swordtails
Red tuxedo swordtails
Jet black swordtails
Electric blue acara
Red picta *
Self cloning cray fish

* Still awaiting first spawn from these fish


I am Tom Muller of the Capital District area of NY .I am found on various aquarium advice forums
as 'coralbandit'.
I also sell fish on AquaBid as 'coralbandit'.
I have been in this hobby for over 30 years .
I have got many great fish over time so in return I now enjoy sharing my fish with you.
I hope you enjoy what I have bred myself as much as I enjoy breeding and keeping them.
Tom
I can be contacted by email @ seamme@aol.com

 

[coralbandit]

Santa showed up early dressed as a Fed Ex delivery man with new air pump This morning.
I think I am close to maxing out the 2 Alita 15a that I use so to be safe I ordered the Alita AL60. The AL60 blows 68 lpm @ 2.18 psi compared to the 15a that blows 20 lpm @ 1.4 .
The AL60 use 60 watts opposed to the 15a @ 26 watts X2 so this should be a win in both air volume and electrictity..4 watts for so much more is an easy choice for the fish rooms future.
Now I have 2@ 15a and the 6a as emergency back up on the shelf...
I have done this long enough I know it is important to plan for 'unplannable' events ,so I feel more comfortable now with some back up.
The AL60 is a beast on unboxing . Puts Billy Fucillo to shame ...It is HUGE !
Weighing in at over 12lbs it measures 8"X8"x7" !
I think I will make a manifold from PVC and run 3 PVC supply lines off of it with one going to each 'room' . I think it will be possible to have atleast 1 sponge in every tank ..Only a couple of the 40bs and larger tanks do not run air now as they are AC 70s and 110s but the sponges will be a good add IMO.

 

[ApistoShane]

Santa showed up early dressed as a Fed Ex delivery man with new air pump This morning.
I think I am close to maxing out the 2 Alita 15a that I use so to be safe I ordered the Alita AL60. The AL60 blows 68 lpm @ 2.18 psi compared to the 15a that blows 20 lpm @ 1.4 .
The AL60 use 60 watts opposed to the 15a @ 26 watts X2 so this should be a win in both air volume and electrictity..4 watts for so much more is an easy choice for the fish rooms future.
Now I have 2@ 15a and the 6a as emergency back up on the shelf...
I have done this long enough I know it is important to plan for 'unplannable' events ,so I feel more comfortable now with some back up.
The AL60 is a beast on unboxing . Puts Billy Fucillo to shame ...It is HUGE !
Weighing in at over 12lbs it measures 8"X8"x7" !
I think I will make a manifold from PVC and run 3 PVC supply lines off of it with one going to each 'room' . I think it will be possible to have atleast 1 sponge in every tank ..Only a couple of the 40bs and larger tanks do not run air now as they are AC 70s and 110s but the sponges will be a good add IMO.

Awesome. I am trying to find a similar system for my room... but things are constantly moving around that it is not worth it at the moment. Through which vendor did you purchase the AL60?

Shane

 

[coralbandit]

Awesome. I am trying to find a similar system for my room... but things are constantly moving around that it is not worth it at the moment. Through which vendor did you purchase the AL60?

Shane

Kensfish had it at a good price $179.00
It shipped direct from Alita..
I picked a copper manifold that fits 4 @1/2 inch pex tubing and a bunch of accessories since I remembered I have a big roll of pex from building my shop.
I will run 3 or 4 1/2 lines from pump [1 to each room] and take the 1/2 right to each rack..
I'll get pics as I go with this .

 

[Delapool]

Just saw the suckth news on the ich. Hoping all is going well there.

 

[coralbandit]

The hatchet fish seem 100% cured of the ich and the tank has handled the treatment with rid ich really well. No losses of fish or plants. The hatchets were covered with ick so I am very happy they are well now.
The hatchet fish amaze me .They are just so interesting and such pigs they will quickly learn to like me .They leave nothing behind when the golden pearls hit the surface..
I have read breeding the silvers is very difficult and rare.. I did ask for 3 of the big and 3 of the smaller not knowing how to sex them well and thinking while young size is a huge identifier with many fish.. They do this funny dance now with each other in the tank...Anyone have any ideas what they are doing ?

 

[ApistoShane]

The hatchet fish seem 100% cured of the ich and the tank has handled the treatment with rid ich really well. No losses of fish or plants. The hatchets were covered with ick so I am very happy they are well now.

The hatchet fish amaze me .They are just so interesting and such pigs they will quickly learn to like me .They leave nothing behind when the golden pearls hit the surface..

I have read breeding the silvers is very difficult and rare.. I did ask for 3 of the big and 3 of the smaller not knowing how to sex them well and thinking while young size is a huge identifier with many fish.. They do this funny dance now with each other in the tank...Anyone have any ideas what they are doing ?

Little is known about them. There is a species of hatchet that grows to be a foot long... people say they bite when bathing in the river during collecting expeditions...

I will need to try hatchets at some point.