# Speckleback moba be here tonite!



## Tanganyika (Apr 4, 2015)

Hello, Just want a little more info. I heard people talking about getting new fish and keeping them in the dark to keep them calm. Any advice on this? Also I checked my kh gh hardness and it seems high. Can it be to high? I put 12 drops solution. Its suppost to turn yellow. It is still dark blue after 12 drops. The chart only goes up to 12 drops? Should I be concerned. I have some danios and bristlenose pleco in there for awhile now and they seem happy. I pick fish up tonight at airport at Midnight. I think Ill take a few buckets out of tank. Does that sound right. Thanks all!!


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## Cich-ness (Apr 2, 2014)

You're fine, my tank takes 14 drops. If plecos are fine and they prefer soft water, then tanganyikan cichlids will be perfectly fine. I usually keep the lights off all the time, so I would definitely keep them off with brand new fish, sometimes I even cover the front of the tank to minimize stress, but probably not necessary. I wouldn't start messing with the tank. Also definitely don't drip the fish, float the bags in the tank for 20 min or so and net the fish out or use your hands (make sure they are wet first) and drop them in, don't dump water from bags into the tank. Good luck!


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## Tanganyika (Apr 4, 2015)

thanks, ill let you know how it goes.


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

Google floating bag method of acclimation. The safe process is more involved then simply floating for 20 minutes.


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## Cich-ness (Apr 2, 2014)

Not to be contrary, but adding any tank water to the bags can be fatal to the fish if any type of ammonia locking chemical has been added for shipping, unless you are positive that none has been used don't add tank water to the bags.


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

Cich-ness said:


> Not to be contrary, but adding any tank water to the bags can be fatal to the fish if any type of ammonia locking chemical has been added for shipping, unless you are positive that none has been used don't add tank water to the bags.


Please explain


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## Cich-ness (Apr 2, 2014)

A lot of long distance shippers use a chemical such as ammo-lock which locks the ammonia rendering it safe to the fish inside the bag, when fresh water is introduced to the bag it causes an immediate spike of ammonia in the bag. Most shippers regardless of whether they use ammo-lock or not do not recommend dripping or adding tank water to the bag prior to adding fish to the tank.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

cich-ness is right about this. Importers match the temperature to the boxes and net the fish out shaking off the shipping water before adding them to the tank. Opening a shipping box in anything but very subdued light is wrong. These fish have been in total darkness for days and don't have eyelids they can close. In a room as dark as you can make it without needing night vision goggles, crack the lids slightly and then open them a bit at a time. If you flip the lid off in bright light, the fish inside can go into shock; some species will die instantly from this mistake.


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

Interesting. I have always done the water out water in method sometimes using a bucket and have never lost any fish. In fact I received 4 telmats and 5 caudulpunks a while back and all are doing fine. Since hearing this I have googled and it's changed my thinking.


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## Tanganyika (Apr 4, 2015)

THanks all. I floating fish for 30 mins. Then I opened bags and dumped in 5 gallon bucket with net over it. Then put them in. ALl went well. No causualties. My one suspision is if he dumped all his males on me. I had asked him prior if they were sexable. He said no they werent. So he sent fish in 3 bags. 1 with 5 fish 1 with 6 fish and 1 with 2 females written on bag. He had given me 1 extra fish. I dont see any black on fins of females he sent in that bag. But all other fish seem to have black on fins or bluish tint. I would love some input on sexing Cyp speckleback mobas. WHen they are sexable to an experienced breeder. I didnt want all males. I invested over 300 bucks total and really want to have some knowledge on subject before I email him and say something I may regret. Any info on this would be great. THankyou


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## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

Mcdaphnia said:


> cich-ness is right about this. Importers match the temperature to the boxes and net the fish out shaking off the shipping water before adding them to the tank. Opening a shipping box in anything but very subdued light is wrong. These fish have been in total darkness for days and don't have eyelids they can close. In a room as dark as you can make it without needing night vision goggles, crack the lids slightly and then open them a bit at a time. If you flip the lid off in bright light, the fish inside can go into shock; some species will die instantly from this mistake.


Great info! I learn something new and will be useful when some day I buy imported fish directly.

So for imported fish we only need to match their water temperature, and not the parameters?


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## Cich-ness (Apr 2, 2014)

Ideally it would be best to match both, but that is not practical in most instances, as the parameters in a shipping bag have usually deteriorated to an unsuitable state, nitrates will soften water and lower pH, chemicals used to lock ammonia further affect chemistry, even the oxygen used in the bag can affect the parameters. In my opinion it is best to make the transition as stress free for the fish as possible, to me a drawn out acclimation with possible chemistry ramifications does nothing for the fish, best to acclimate to temperature, gently introduce the fish to the tank and keep the room dark for 24 hours. Just my 2¢.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I do both.

I float for 15 minutes and then net into the tank.

But I also either talk to the shipper or test the water if I purchased from a hobbyist and make my quarantine tank match. Then any acclimation can occur when making water changes to the quarantine tank. Example is the quarantine may initially be given a higher pH which is lowered when making water changes with my lower pH tap water over a three week period.


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## T-Royale (Jul 24, 2012)

Hey how are your cyps doing and what size are they? I recently recieved 30 cyp kitumba from site sponsor toms tanganyikans (great guy with great fish) which are very similar to the moba. Mine range in size from 2"-3.25". The males with moderate to strong color are all in the 3" range. I see some smaller ones that have a hint of blue on them but not sure if they are males yet. I think that although the females remain silver they might have a small hint of color to them that can only be seen in natural room light. I plan to watch them as they grow out to determine.. Im definitely enjoying the array of colors the males have thus far. I would ask the shipper how did he determine if those two are females and not the others considering he said they werent sexable.


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## Tanganyika (Apr 4, 2015)

I lost 2 out 13. The rest are all doing great. I believe one of those females is holding? they are around to 2 to 3 inch mark. I dont know if he sent me all males. Like you said the females may show slight color, so I will wait and see. I didnt think females had black on their fins. So I Just assumed they were males. Good luck with your kitumbas and maybe we can trade fry down the road!! :thumb:


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## judyok (Aug 12, 2014)

I had specklebacks and the females can have some black in ther fins not as saturated with color like the males. Sometimes the females would flare a display to each other which makes the ID a little more difficult until the males really start to color up.


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

I have owned Kekese and Mpulungu cyps and both females show colours to a point in the fins. Primarily the dorsal. I suspect this is normal in all cyps but others may have differing observations.


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## Tanganyika (Apr 4, 2015)

This is good news!!!! One cyp is not eating, she is hanging out though. How many days until its time to catch her and defry her?


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

Are they in a species only tank. If so you could let them spit in that tank. Your just going to have to make sure that they get food.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Any cyps I have ever kept have always ate their fry. I usually wait until they can no longer keep their mouths closed and the buccal cavity is completely black
(around three weeks).


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## judyok (Aug 12, 2014)

I was going to say the same thing about 20 - 21 days.


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