# Build a colony from a pair?



## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

I'm looking for those who have tried (and achieved success) to build a Tropheus colony from a very low starting # of fish as a "colony"?

I acquired one pair of Nkonde Orange Sunspot from the LFS I deal with who had lost their colony brotehrs and sisters several months before. This misfortunate pair was living with a "mixed cichlids" setup of Malawi.

Upon bring them home to live with my Duboisi Karilani colony, this pair has given me 2 broods of 4 juvies, for a total of 8 offspring, which now live in my growout setup with 44 Duboisi Karilani juvies.

Has anyone else been able to build a colony of at least 20 fish from a pair, like I am trying to do?


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## worm (Jun 1, 2003)

hi i tried and successfully made a colony from 4 tropheus in a span of about 6 months i think... just by accident though, i put them in a pond together with my 5-7inches front colony, they were about 2in in size then, saw the first brood 3 months after.. there are around 50+ in the pond now, just can't get an exact number due to my ponds size... i've also relocated may fronts to lessen the chance of the fry's getting eaten.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I tried but did not manage it a few years ago. I was a bit neive and useless as a breeder back then and tended to get just one surviver per brood.

Newer attempt, I had a male and female dub which I kept with a Kasanga group. The young dubs actually formed a colony and outbred the Kasanga.
The adult female dub though sadly did not last this long.

I guess I would say its not the easiest or most productive way of breeding either but I see no reason YOU should not be able to do it.


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## mcfish (Mar 30, 2007)

I am trying that now with 3 Illangi, a female F-1 a male F-2 and an unsexed F-2, in a group of Duboisi. I was all fired up last week when my female was holding, but she no longer is. :x I hope to follow your success B.B., but I have a way to go.
Mark


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Heck, when I first started keeping cichlids, I had a bonded breeding pair, mated for life of Tropheus duboisi. :lol:

That was how they were bred back twenty five years ago.. I probably raised a couple hundred fry over the years I had that "pair"....


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

I did it with 4 bembas. Threw them in a 75 gallon literally filled with plastic plants. Had 25 or 26 within about 6 months, if my memory serves me correctly.


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## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

*MCfish*: Sorry to hear of your loss.  I had been wondering how that was coming along. Don't get discouraged, I think my Nkonde female swallowed on at least one occasion.

*Fogelhund*: That is very positive news for me! It gives me the hope that after a couple of years, provided I don't do anything to disrupt the pair, that I should look forward to 2 to 4 clutches per year and maybe by 2010 I can have a full colony close to grown out. 

*24Tropheus*: Are you inferring that the original Duboisi female may have expired "before her time" due to repeated stresses of reproduction?

*worm*: Are those the sp. Black Caramba that you mentioned in another post? Or am I confusing you with someone else?

*NorthShore*: Are those your sp. Black Bemba currently in the LFS?


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

BrownBullhead said:


> *NorthShore*: Are those your sp. Black Bemba currently in the LFS?


Not those. The colony of bembas he had about a year ago were the offspring.


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## worm (Jun 1, 2003)

BrownBullhead said:


> *MCfish*: Sorry to hear of your loss.  I had been wondering how that was coming along. Don't get discouraged, I think my Nkonde female swallowed on at least one occasion.
> 
> *worm*: Are those the sp. Black Caramba that you mentioned in another post? Or am I confusing you with someone else?
> 
> hmm yeah i think so...  hehe im not sure...


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

24Tropheus "Are you inferring that the original Duboisi female may have expired "before her time" due to repeated stresses of reproduction?"

And harrying by the male. (He was quite nasty to her when she strayed from His territory, even when holding). If doing it again I would try to give her more time off from the male in a separate tank or use more females per male.


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## mcorbeil (Jan 16, 2007)

Interesting thread BBH. I have a pair of GK's, the larger one is a female for sure, i've seen her drop an egg only to be eaten by tank mates, she never tried to retrieve the egg. I'm hoping the smaller of the two is a male, he is far more aggressive,does more flashing. I would have to catch and vent him to be sure. no spawning action yet, he may be to young for mojo :lol: My question is this, did you notice your group pair off, or did you not get to witness the spawn? If it turns out I have two females, i'll be trolling the tropheus dating sites for a suitor LOL!


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## Xenomorph (Aug 6, 2007)

Never tried it, but in a big enough setup ...with a good rockwork I think it would work. But you might want to improve your chances by getting at least a group of 6 (2m/4f)...

They usually come for sale in that ratio 1m/2f and it wouldn't be very wise to get only 1m, I mean so many things can happen and if he dies you're back at square one.

Also... putting together two small groups, in a large enough setup also works as an incentive for the groups to outspawn the others.

Good rockwork, frequent water changes, and good quality food ...I don't see why one wouldn't get a decent number of fry in a certain time.


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## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

Female Nkonde Sunspot is holding again, and I've never seen her mouth this "full". I think she may be holding as many as 6 fry this time (4 each time from previous 2 broods). All 8 previous offspring still growing out, 3 of 8 are just under 2".


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

The Nkonde orange sunpsots are rare fish. I have not seen them in a long time.

The last place I saw them for sale was in Arizona and Utah.

If your getting them to reproduce that is just awesome, I'd just be real careful on what I am keeping, and always be on the look for new blood.

Best of luck with the operation!

Geoff


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## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

*Geoff_Tropheus*: A gentleman from Trophs.com has a colony of 47 adults, but he is in Toronto. Ironically, he lives about 6 blocks from where I spent 24 years of my life! I was thinking of popping in to see his colony next time I go back to see my parents.

My female is now holding her fourth brood (0 from first brood, 4 from second brood, 4 from third brood) since I acquired them 9 months ago. The largest offspring are now approximately 2Â¼" and the smallest about 1Â¾". The female is now holding again and looks to be about 10 days from spitting.

The offspring have recently been moved back in with their "folks" into the Duboisi colony. the Cyprichromis that were with the Duboisi colony never really fit in with the Tropheus, so they're down in my growout with about 25 Duboisi in the 1" size or so.

Speaking of which, I sold 20 on my 2Â½" Duboisi two days ago for $180 to PiDD, who sold me my wooden rack for less than the cost of the wood to make it!


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

Awesome you found a source. Its amazing sometimes how small the world really is.

Got any pics of the fishes?

Geoff


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## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

If you're on Trophs.com you will likely know who the guy is who owns the Nkonde Sunspot.

I don't have much time for photography lately as I've been studying like crazy for an exam for school this Friday. Today, I was off work but I went to the library for 7 hours and just came home 45 minutes ago.


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## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

I lost my female yesterday. 

I looked into my tanks for the morning observation yesterday and I saw her swimming loop-de-loop, and her left eye was quite popped out, but her right one was normal. She died several hours later.

I took the opportunity to move her 8 offspring I ever got from her down to the growout with 20 or so Duboisi Karilani juveniles. My Duboisi colony (where the Nkonde sunspot were) had slowed down breeding as of late so hopefully they will pick up again now with no distractions.

My adult male Nkonde srtill remains with the Duboisi colony but I may move him down to the growout tank with the 8 Nkonde fry and 20 Duboisi fry.


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## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

geoff_tropheus said:


> Awesome you found a source. Its amazing sometimes how small the world really is.
> 
> Got any pics of the fishes?
> 
> Geoff


I also saw on a page that Old World Exotics in Florida is offering 50 Ã- F1 juveniles of Moorii Nkonde Orange Sunspot but I saw this on another vendors page (in California) who offers transshipping. I think I'll be growing out these remaining 8 and see what happens. Wish me luck. A couple of them that appear to be males are leading in growth at about 2.5".


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## mcorbeil (Jan 16, 2007)

Sorry to hear about your loss BB. Any idea what caused the female to go belly up? I have been trying to build up a colony of the Kasakalawe and recently lost 1 of 3 females to bloat. Crying shame i tell you! Good luck with the fry, I hope they grow quickly for you! The Nkonde are a beautiful varient. I hope to trade some with you one day. :thumb:


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