# Trials and Tribulations... Pt. 1



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I recently posted something in the Health and Illness section, here: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=239823

Happy to report all the 'ladies' are in fine order, and hate eachother(that's good!)

Last weekend I broke down a 125 and upgraded to a 180. Most hectic day I've had in the last 10 years... and I've been through a lot. I moved my male L. Hongi from a 40 breeder growout to the 180 but left the ladies behind(see above post). He seemed lost in the new tank, and kindauva jerk. I can only imagine what an all male Mbuna tank would be like...

Anyways... I moved the girls to the show tank 20 minutes ago. 5 fish added, so not too rough on them. They've settled in... OK. First time on sand and spitting it everywhere... when not being pursued by their handsome loverboy.

Guys(and gals)... I can't tell you how amazing it was to see my young lad light up when the girls were introduced. It was, and still is, crazy behavior. I've had a 'pet' for my entire life. Especially reptiles. Since I was 5, I've had a scaly friend to look after. At one point, I had 8 turtles, several snakes, breeding anoles, frogs and toads, etc. My room was a **** reptile house. And I was 14 years old. All I own now is one rescued box turtle. She is the ugliest box turtle you will ever see, but nonetheless, my girl. She's probably older than me. I digress... this was the first time I sat back and witnessed all mighty nature to it's fullest extent. My eyes teared up watching the young male(2.75") chase and dance his life away. It was amazing. This is why I'm in this hobby. This is why I've spent thousands of dollars. I'm selfish.... or so I hear.

Just thought I'd share.

P.S. I have a brand new 125. I'm going CA this time around, and excited about it. The Mrs. isn't completely in the loop on this one, yet. Maybe after I give her this engagement ring she'll be more receptive on the idea... I mean... what would you do with an empty 9' section of space? :fish:


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

Sounds nice iggy. how about some pics.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Well I don't have a good camera. I'll try for a full tank shot tonight.

One of the females is holding after 24 hours or so. Saw some of the spawn.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Congrats on your new 180G setup and its great to hear your story and have you share experiences. I have upgraded (over the last 6-7 months) several smaller tanks into larger tanks moving to 125G tanks (would love to have a 180G...but don't think my floors could accomodate that) and found that the fish I have moved to those tanks have been more productive and much more peaceful, healthy, and happy overall. I am sure you will continue to love your new setup.

As for the CA tank. Can't wait to see how that turns out and see what you stock there. Have fun with it.


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

Cannot wait to see your tank pics Iggy. You don't need a good camera, do what we all do...use the iPhone...LOL


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Thanks Donna!



> As for the CA tank. Can't wait to see how that turns out and see what you stock there. Have fun with it.


Here's me kicking around ideas in the CA section. Getting a lot of help from CjCichlid... http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=265426



> Cannot wait to see your tank pics Iggy. You don't need a good camera, do what we all do...use the iPhone...LOL


Preliminary pictures don't look too bad on my old Droid. Promise I'll take some tonight and post. Had to spend some quality time last night and catch up on a couple of shows...


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Can't wait to see pics!


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## fishing12 (Dec 15, 2012)

Good luck with the tank and the ring! Post some pictures!


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Okay so here are some pictures. The ones of the fish are poor quality, but the tank shots turned out OK.

Still some work to be done: slight rescape on the left and right sides, upgrade the lighting, build a canopy(for some reason Marineland/Aqueon do not provide a 72x24), etc.

Hoping for some growth on the BG soon...




































Some young, and promising M. sp. Elongatus Chailosi


















My favorite fish. I've had this fish from the start, and has been through a lot...









A blurry photo of my dominant, and smallest M. estherae. The picture is not representative of how colorful his finnage is.









His nemesis(an older photo). Note the pelvic fin egg spots!









L. sp. Hongi male









Holding female









Cat fight!









I have Pseudotropheus sp. Williamsi North in the tank as well. Just purchased some extra female Chailosi, since I appear to be male heavy. They will be quarantined for a period along with some extra Williamsi and a small colony of Saulosi. I hope to add the Saulosi to this tank, but do have concerns about the males looking somewhat similar to the Hongi. Any thoughts on this?

All comments, criticisms and advice welcomed. Thanks for reading/looking!


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Nice work!


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

Love the tank and especially the background came out great. I don't want to sound over critical or anything but I couldnt help noticing the big contrast between background and your rocks. I wonder if you maybe you colored some of the rocks the same as the BG if that would help tie the whole tank together better, just a thought.


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## Zoolander (Jan 20, 2013)

walzon1 said:


> Love the tank and especially the background came out great. I don't want to sound over critical or anything but I couldnt help noticing the big contrast between background and your rocks. I wonder if you maybe you colored some of the rocks the same as the BG if that would help tie the whole tank together better, just a thought.


"The rug really tied the room together."

Seriously though. Although I agree, I think this would be a negligible issue eventually, as I believe Iggy is trying to grow some algae on the background. I bet it would look amazing in a few weeks!

+1.


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

Zoolander said:


> walzon1 said:
> 
> 
> > Love the tank and especially the background came out great. I don't want to sound over critical or anything but I couldnt help noticing the big contrast between background and your rocks. I wonder if you maybe you colored some of the rocks the same as the BG if that would help tie the whole tank together better, just a thought.
> ...


Yes this is true, was just trying to give some constructive criticism.


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## k7gixxerguy (Jan 12, 2012)

Wow, really love the look of that tank Iggy, nice work!


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Thank you for the compliments.

Regarding the contrast in colors, it drove me nuts. I knew that it was lighter than my rockwork. I used acrylic paints for touch up spots and seams. I was going to go over the whole thing to darken it up, but in the end I decided against it. I tried it in a few spots, which you cannot see to test it, and it came out ok. I have never had a problem developing diatoms, so I just finished the project. I am now glad that I did not. Every spot that I used paint has drastically changed it's color after being submerged for a few days and started to come off the background. Painting the rocks is out of the question.

This is a 125 I had last year, a month after being setup. A decent amount of growth...


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

Absolutely beautiful Iggy; the background is something you created? I think once the algae covers the back, the color difference will be less of an issue. I am so jealous, wish I had the room for a tank this size.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Great tank Adam! Love the background and the rocks. As for the fish...the stock list is as follows then

M. sp. Elongatus Chailosi (blue w black barred and yellow highlighted males/blue with black bar females)
Pseudotropheus Acei (blue body yellow finnage both males and females)
M. estherae (light orange faint blue males/rich orange females)
L. sp. Hongi (light blue body with dark blue barring and yellow orange finnage males/brown purple females)
Pseudotropheus sp. Williamsi North (orange with pale blue highlights males/orange with black marks females)

and wanting to add Pseudotropheus saulosi (pale blue with dark blue barring/yellow females)

I guess my only comment on adding the saulosi would be that there would be another "barred" species in the tank, seems to be enough differences in the females but not sure how all the barred males would "show" in the mix. Maybe others would have real experience...and I'm terrible at stocking mixes... :lol:


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

NJmomie said:


> Absolutely beautiful Iggy; the background is something you created? I think once the algae covers the back, the color difference will be less of an issue. I am so jealous, wish I had the room for a tank this size.


Thanks!

I bought the background. It's made by AquaTerra. I did make one out of foam, and I think it looks pretty good, but not entirely practical for water flow and hiding equipment.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

cichlid-gal said:


> Great tank Adam! Love the background and the rocks. As for the fish...the stock list is as follows then
> 
> M. sp. Elongatus Chailosi (blue w black barred and yellow highlighted males/blue with black bar females)
> Pseudotropheus Acei (blue body yellow finnage both males and females)
> ...


Thanks for the compliments, Donna.

As for the fish... I am concerned about too many barred fish. The Chailosi should show more of a yellow background/dark bars and a blue face. Will probably have to whittle down to one male. My Hongi really looks purple with some faint barring, although more noticeable when he's excited. Hoping the Saulosi male will be different enough. If not, I can raise the colony in a 40 breeder I have, or rehome them. They seem to be in high demand...


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

cichlid-gal said:


> M. estherae (light orange faint blue males/rich orange females)


I am so happy to read this because that means I have 1 male and up to 5 females in my tank right now....


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

NJmomie said:


> cichlid-gal said:
> 
> 
> > M. estherae (light orange faint blue males/rich orange females)
> ...


Some more info on your zebras: an excerpt taken from the species article...

Males usually grow to 5.5 inches /14 centimeters and females to 4.0 inches/10 centimeters. Juveniles of the "Red x Red" variants are hard to sex: they all have the same orange color. Sub-adult males, however, start to show a shade of light blue on the anal fin. At about 2.25 inches males will start to put on a light blue shade all over their body and fins, and thus become somewhat unworthy of their name. The females just put on a brighter orange color as they mature. Both males and females have "egg spots". Juveniles of the wild "type" "Blue x Red" are distinguishable right from being released by the mother.

The article itself: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/met_estherae.php


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

So I already have the very attractive brown diatoms on my rocks and the background. Not sure why it grows faster and concentrated where my lighting hits the most... was that way in my 125.

Have another female L. Hongi holding today. The spawn happened sometime after I left for work this morning. I figured it was close, since I saw the ovipositor(is this the correct term?) visible last night. The male has been doing his damndest to get the ladies in his territory, but they don't stay long, until today apparently.


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## Austinite (Jul 27, 2013)

I was also thinking of the Hongi with Saulosi, but then decided against it after reading some old posts on the forum..........people were saying there were troubles because they are both barred species


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Austinite said:


> I was also thinking of the Hongi with Saulosi, but then decided against it after reading some old posts on the forum..........people were saying there were troubles because they are both barred species


I will be sure to let you know when I have them together. My hope is that it may work in a 6' tank, but mostly since my male/source has very faint barring against a purple/blue background. The barring does become more apparent as he gets fired up. Now that the male is settled in, he is the tank 'boss' even at his small size. He chases much larger fish out of his zone, but nothing violent. My larger acei male seemed to challenge him at one point, but it ended in a flash.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Updated picture. I need a new phone...


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## Michael_M (May 31, 2012)

Looking good. I also really like the thread title, being a LCD soundsystem fan.

I was very tempted to buy some chailosi last month despite the fact they'd probably mean another tank. How aggressive do you find them?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Love LCD... saw em live last year? Maybe 2 years now. Incredible.

Well I can't give you a definitive answer on the Chailosi. This batch is young. But I have 2 males for sure that have claimed territories adjacent to one another. Time will tell if they can coexist long term. At 2" they're a lot of show with some lip locking, and no clear victor. They look great all colored up even at this small size. I do have some females around 3-3.5" that I've been quarantining for approximately 6 weeks in a 40 breeder. I find them aggressive to one another, and not suited at all for a 3' tank. It's packed with rocks, so they are OK. Plan is to move them to the 180 very soon.


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## Austinite (Jul 27, 2013)

The tank really looks great Iggy!

Keep us posted on the Hongi with the Saulosi....how they get along...


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Looking good Iggy ... and all that brown will turn to green before long... saweet!!! Looks like you are enjoying your fish and tank setup along with some good music!!! Have fun


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

> The tank really looks great Iggy!


Thank you for the compliments. Means a lot!



> Keep us posted on the Hongi with the Saulosi....how they get along...


So far so good. No fighting/extreme aggression/exiled fish. I have 2 saulosi males that are very near full adult coloration, with a third in that weird yellowish transition phase. The first 2 males were in this phase when added to the tank. The other 8 are solid yellow, with one little dude that has a slight dark line through the dorsal. We'll see how it goes...



> and all that brown will turn to green before long


Thanks Donna. And there actually is green showing up all over the rocks that are in the center of the tank, and a little on the BG. It's weird for me, since I didn't have any green in my 125. Only brown for over a year. The only green I ever seem to grow is in a smaller tank...


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

Tank looks great! Looks kind of like mine with the large rocks. Mine has mostly brown algae too, which the fish eat all day. I only just started getting some green patches on the rock in the last 2 months or so.

I have 8 saulosi, 4 females and 4 males. Three of the males are fully colored up and one is sub dominant only displaying slight blue, mostly at night. The three have their territories and actually respect each others area to some extent. I have seen the main dominant male actually color down when he is in the others territories, though most times he is the boss. Actually my rustys I think I have 4 females and 5 males, and they fill in the spaces between the saulosi areas. It's fun to watch them posture at each other. Most times it looks like they are playing tug-of-war without a rope. None of them have actually hurt anyone. They have been together for 10 months now, and I think chances are good that yours will coexist semi peacefully.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Updated photo.
I got a new phone that takes ridiculous pictures, but the quality goes to absolute garbage once I upload it here. I'm guessing it's my computer. The pic below is not representative of the actual picture I took and the tank itself.


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

Still nice Iggy. Are the fish in there full grown?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

NJmomie said:


> Still nice Iggy. Are the fish in there full grown?


Thanks NJ. They are not full grown. Range in size from 2-4"+. Majority are sexually mature in terms of size, but the only spawns in this tank have been from the L. Hongi.


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## shelbynjakesdad (Mar 13, 2013)

Don't know how I missed this thread... Nice looking tank - keep the updates and photos coming!


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)




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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

shelbynjakesdad said:


> Don't know how I missed this thread... Nice looking tank - keep the updates and photos coming!


Thanks man!


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## JP_92 (Aug 2, 2013)

a slam dunk of a tank! =D>


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

I enjoy your rockscape, well done.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Thanks for the comments guys. Appreciate it!


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