please help me choose a dwarf cichlid

[thing fish]

here is the male

 

[Gillie]

Here is a wild caught cacatuoides in breeding dress.

Oooooh I miss wild caught cacatuoides

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[absolutangel04]

I am impressed with the pictures you have managed to get. Keep them coming! It is great you were able to pick up healthy fish like this. You must have a great store.

 

[Brookster123]

I am impressed with the pictures you have managed to get. Keep them coming! It is great you were able to pick up healthy fish like this. You must have a great store.

A great store indeed..

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[thing fish]

yeah, I love Uncle Ned's

will try to get a few more shots a little later and post them up.

the male has definitely shown a preference for the smaller of the two females. he is with her at all times. the smaller female will chase off the larger if she gets too close. so as it is right now, the male and smaller female occupy the right 2/3 of the tank while the larger female tends to stay in the back corner.

settle into a water change routine. i change out 10 gallons every sunday before kick off. been feeding the omega one flakes as well as the new life spectrum cichlid pellets. i figured out that i need to soak the pellets in tank water for a few minutes before feeding, otherwise they spit them out and lose many of them in the substrate. i am beginning to see some snails, as i expected. i dont really care though, at least thus far. i noticed some hair algae on some of my plants' leaves and scrubbed them off at the last water change.

am looking for advice as to what i should do about ferts for my plants, if anything. so far i have added nothing additional. i currently have micro sword, anubias, and java moss. lighting is a current satellite freshwater LED....18w, 12v, 1000 lumens

 

[thing fish]

i am feeling jinxed. just noticed the smaller female flashing like hell. no outward signs of sickness, hoping maybe it was just a random itch that needed scratching. keeping an eye on it.

 

[Brookster123]

She's just acting up. Scratching is another thing. For ferts I'd suggest root tabs and using both seachem flourish and api leaf zone.

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[thing fish]

after i saw the flashing last night i was too po'd to get any photos....but i ended up only seeing her do that for that brief moment. so i have my fingers crossed that it is nothing. will try to get some more photos later on.

 

[thing fish]

managed to get a couple more good shots.

 

[thing fish]

and one of some hanky panky

 

[thing fish]

and video of some behaviors...

 

[thing fish]

alright, video wouldnt upload, but the pictures were okay.

 

[thing fish]

i like this one

 

[Brookster123]

Lil man looks healthy! We have the same dudes..

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[thing fish]

i have pretty much zero clue when it comes to live plants. i like the look of your plants so ii may be looking for some advice on that soon.

i will pick some of those ferts etc that you suggested.

also, i wonder if i should grab a few otos. what do you think?

**hey the video works now!!

 

[Brookster123]

Don't ask me about plants... I'm luckily barely skating by.. much better assets here in the forum. My new co2 reactor just failed all over my dining room floor.. Otos will be a fine addition to your tank.. neds has a nice collection in the first row,bottom left, under the Viejas reds. They've been in there for well over a month and seem very healthy..

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[Gillie]

and one of some hanky panky

Not necessarily hanky panky, showing her belly is a sign of submission.

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[thing fish]

Not necessarily hanky panky, showing her belly is a sign of submission.

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oh then she is definitely submitting to him, because she does that all the time.

just now noticed the smaller female burrowing underneath the drift wood and then coming out and spitting a stone. the male is overseeing this. she is getting prepared. hopefully for the next spawn, the male wont eat all the eggs again.

 

[Brookster123]

They're cool huh? My smallest fem. Has a whole cave system in a rock wall I built with a plastic divider behind it, colors are amazing on her. The other female swims around almost vertical, almost looks sick but it's the sub. Dom. Thing.. they add such a cool dynamic to the tank. Ned's has some big fat ember tetras now, they'd make a great addition to your tank.

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[thing fish]

yeah they are cool. very happy with these fish.