# Tropheus Advice



## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

Hey All,

Hope everyone one had a good xmas!

Just wanted to get some info on tropheus. I have read most of all the articles in the tropheus corner and done some research. I just wanted to get some advice from all you guys out there that have first hand experience.

First thing I want to know, is if the tank I have is suitable, it works out to 90 or so US gallons, it is 32 long 22 wide and 30 inches tall. I was ready once with a 6 footer which i know would have been ideal but with the way life is and all, i had to let it go. many years later i now have this sized tank. i have heard of people in the reaserch i have done, that they have managed to keep tropehus in a tank this size or even a bit smaller.

Reason, i want to move into tropheus, is i spend more time than i think i should on my tank :wink: so i want to keep something that would benefit from all the attention i give it. i have kept cichlids before but am currently keeping true strain black bar endlers.

So if anyone can advice, that would be great and then i will take it from there.

p.s. i have many people around my area from who i can get a hold of tropehus and some which are already breeding groups (adults).

Sorry for the essay


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> First thing I want to know, is if the tank I have is suitable, it works out to 90 or so US gallons, it is 32 long 22 wide and 30 inches tall. I was ready once with a 6 footer which i know would have been ideal but with the way life is and all, i had to let it go. many years later i now have this sized tank. i have heard of people in the reaserch i have done, that they have managed to keep tropehus in a tank this size or even a bit smaller.


Depends on your m/f ratio. I certainly wouldn't recommend this for a first time tropheus keeper. Of course, many things are possible, and you'll always find someone who's done it successfully. If you must, then start with a group of juveniles and be ready to intervene. If going with adults, I'd try 2m/10-12f. I do like the 30" height, that'll help.


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

I have a 90 gallon but it is the normal 4 ft tank and works fine.
Yours can work but don't stock as heavily yet you still need some numbers.
I'd say 15 max, but don't go under 10 fish.


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

What sort of filtration do you plan to use?


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

i already have two externals running on the tank, a eheim 2073 and eheim 2217, and i might add the addition of an extra powerhead or water pump for circulation with some sort of under gravel water jets to keep detrius in suspension, if i go with trophs.

i am already in the habit of and mantain a bi-weekly water change, rather than a single large one once a week. my water is hard and ph is high. my routine and water are all suitable for trophs, its just if the tank is....


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

Filtration is excellent! Tank size is questionable, but so long as you are aware of the possible consequences.....


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

of the possible consequences, are they not possible in even a larger sized tank, its just the nature of the fish, right? obviously, in my sized tank the females will have less space to escape harrasment, but if i get the right numbers, things should work....?


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

Yes, it's the nature of the fish. It's more than just the numbers being right. It's about good stock and being aware of what to look in a struggling fish. Bloat is the killer, and bloat can be brought on by mere stress or aggression. It always starts with one fish.

I once had a colony of 16 sp reds. They beat the snot out of each other in a 75 gallon. Constantly every day, new woulds and injuries. No females holding. I finally decided to vent the fish. 15 of the 16 fish were male.  Not a single case of bloat and I had this colony for almost 18 months.

That proves they are tough and resilient fish, but again all it takes is the one to start. The one that isn't eating, and hangs out at the back of the tank or hides on the corner.

It's good you say you can give them lots of attention, because you'll want to make sure they are all eating when you feed. They are voracious feeders, so it's not that hard to see if they are all eating.

You could go with a vented group and shoot for 2m/14f, and you could start with a group of fry. I do think it would be easier to go with fry, but you can't vent fry. You would need to start with a slightly larger group and then cull excess males. And then again, I know of many colonies that do just fine with a ratio of 1/1.


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

thanks for the information northshore. there is always a good variety of trophs available around my area or within travelling distance by car. so being able to get a hold of something a little bigger than fry might be possible. or in some cases get a already established colony.

shocked to hear about the 15 to 1 female, that is shocking! good to hear all were ok though, that is encouraging!

and yes, i think attention is the key. i want to prepared before i do get anything, so want to get meds for bloat etc, what do you use? i have read how to dose etc, but i think its more a issue of sourcing it.


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

I use clout, despite its reputed toxicity. Some use metro. Clout is not available in many areas, but I've used metro and lost fish. Never lost a fish with clout and I've used it in tanks with brooding females and fry with no adverse effect.


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

*** been looking around for these particular ones, but i cant find them. what exactly is it that you use, is it a med used specifically for fish?

I did read somewhere someone used metro pills, from a pharmacy, but need a prescription to get it.

Am i looking for the wrong thing?


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

Here are links to both products. The metro is the same as what is sold for human consumption. Clout was heavily used in fish farming but was banned in California due to fears it could cause cancer in humans who consume the fish.

Do keep in mind Clout will stain clear or white silicone in the aquarium to a blue colour.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... catid=4724

http://www.nationalfishpharm.com/products3.html


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

Thats exactly what I need, but being based in the UK, i dont think I can source it from them. It seems more difficult to get it here


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

Sorry, didn't realize you were in the UK.

Contact this member. He is in the UK and quite experienced and knowledgeable. I have a feeling he will be able to guide you further. 

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/prof ... le&u=33781


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

Thanks for that northshore, i have made contact, will wait for a reply.


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## stav (Nov 4, 2005)

Welcome to Tropheus keeping, here in the UK we cannot legally buy Metro or Clout over the counter, you can get Metro from a vets but they usually want to see the fish. Octozin at 12x the recommended dose seems to be the way to go. Hope you have fun and a lot of enjoyment from them. :roll:


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

thanks for that stav. *** had a look up for it, availibility is good. so thats one thing off my mind! :wink:


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## Bluetangclan (Jan 6, 2011)

I have had two colonies of Tropheus so I will toss my .02 in. My first colony were orange Bembas. I had 11 in a 55 gallon tank with enough rock scape to cover the back wall and thus massive hiding places. This colony was great, they loved the tank. I had a coworker who used to be a breeder want to get back into breeding Africans and I wanted to use the tank for something else so I sold the colony to him. He is regularly getting and raising fry now.

My second was to be a more advanced colony. I ordered Blue Chaitikas F1s from 2 vendors for genetic diversity, got 19 in my 75 gallon tank. I set up 3 distinct rock outcroppings for territories, had around 3-5 males and all went well for a few months. I was even about to order a couple WC females. Then after about 3 months they started dieing off one every couple days. I had 2 Acei ditherfish and a couple cories as well for cleanup, and these showed no sign at all of anything bad. Eventually I got down to 1 single Tropheus who I still have. Nothing worked to help these guys. They only got vegetable based food, I even skipped a few days so they could work stuff out of their system, epsom salt was a standard additive during water changes, water parameters were perfect, Metro had no effect, no external visible problems, treated with melafix and Pimafix. Tried carbon. The Aceis even started breeding. The only thing I ever noticed that was on a freshly dead one, its gill area was red. They were not very aggressive to each other given the territories either.

I tell this story so you know you are dealing with a fragile fish and even the best of intentions might not work out. My successful tank had simply the rock and a cheap canister filter. So my advice is to start small, find some cheap Trophs, Duboisis are the first ones to come to mind, buy 10 with a low male to female ratio and keep them for awhile. If they start breeding, you did something right. Sell off the Dubs and start hunting for more expensive flashy fish you are interested in and keep the same fish keeping regimen.


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## b_ron007 (Oct 1, 2009)

I too have been using clout with much success.
If its been a couple of days of one not eating, he'd get a treatment if not the whole tank.


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## mosuhu (Jul 11, 2004)

Thanks for your posts guys.

I hear what your saying about starting off with something cheaper, and thats what I intend to do. I have sourced a few people on local classifieds from where I will get some.

And if all goes well, then I will move on from there. The only thing everyone on here have in common is that everyone have different success stories, and what works for one doesnt for someone else.

I have read and been given a lot of useful and helpful advice which will surely come in very handy!


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I guess thats me. The only place in the UK I would buy new Tropheus from for breeding is Mikes Rifts. 
http://www.riftvalleycichlids.com/
(best quality and advice no dodgy hybrids or man made types no silly prices for common stuff and not too shabby on prices though not a cheap dealer). Not saying there are not good dealers elsewere but I have not spotted any. You can even get em delivered. Even with this guy I would still have bloat treatments on hand.

For sure start with stuff from classified adds but be aware they may not be breeding stock just learning hardy TB stuff that may or may not even be in good condition.

If Mike knows of a good local breeder I am pretty sure if asked he will tell you.

Better than taking pot luck I think.

All the best James


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