# Tropheus moorii Ndole Bay Red



## vdkelley09 (Sep 7, 2010)

I currently have 1 Tropheus that I plan on housing in a 75 gallon with a 48" footprint. I was wondering would I be able to purchase about 10 or so juvies and place them in there as well without the adult killing them off?


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Idealy lose the adult and start with about 24 juveniles.
For sure I do not know for sure your plan will not work but think it unlikely.

All the best James

PS in Ndole you show excelent taste. :wink: 
adult male and female








breeding group








adult female








juvenile








adult male


----------



## vdkelley09 (Sep 7, 2010)

NICE!!! 24? You spent a nice lil grip to puchase 24! I take that 10 wouldn't be enough to sucessfully start a colony?


----------



## Jamey (Jul 19, 2008)

I recently posed the same question on trophs.com. i have a group of 6 im consideeing either expanding or mixing w something else. You can keep smaller groups, you just have to be a more active observant, be prepared to intervene if needed, and starting with 10 if you get unlucky and wind up with 7 males you're gonna have serious issues. The more you start with the easier success is to achieve with less work is what it amounts to...


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

You would prob get 5 males and 5 females. Then as they grow prob one surviver. Best number is 2-3 males plus 12 or so females when adult.
If you do the probabilities you will prob get that with 24. My own group has not enough females realy as I started with just 18. Prob was that was all the breeder had from his group of WC.

I tried adding more females later but without too much success.
Mixing new guys with old is I think far harder than growing on a group. But even in a group grown on excess males are killed or so bullied they do not grow and you remove em. But they kind of serve the perpose of keeping some of that excess male agression off the females.

Hard life in a 75g Tropheus tank not for the faint hearted.
Bigger tanks you can keep more breeding males but the territory size once adult mean you prob will not get more than two adult territory holding breeding males in a 48" 75g tank plus maybe a few whipping boys.

Yep Troph are expensive but far cheaper to get it right first time. Please belive me I did it the slow learning curve way and have spent a fortune on small groups doomed to failure over the years.

All the best James


----------



## shon982 (Jun 18, 2010)

Hey 

Well first I'm going to have to disagree somewhat (I guess different experiences for everyone)

I've got a colony of 11 Bemba Orange and a colony of 10 Ikola Tropheus
I haven't had any problems with them what so ever
There are 2 males and 8 females with the Ikola, they're about 3 years old
Where at the Bembas look like 6 males 5 females and They're about 1.5 years old and no problems either. Never lost any at all. Both colonies are breeding as well

I guess their cost is the reason why I only have small colonies; large colonies are far better however. Probably easier to get lots of fry since it's cheaper. 
I'm thinking of adding a few more to both colonies as well, but yeah might see problems then though.

They're not as hard to keep as they are made out to be, well in my case anyway. I've heard lots of horror stories as well though. Ideally the more the better.


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

shon982 said:


> Hey
> 
> Well first I'm going to have to disagree somewhat (I guess different experiences for everyone)
> 
> ...


Thanks we can only report on our own experiences.
Wish I had had yours rather than mine. :wink:


----------



## shon982 (Jun 18, 2010)

Just out of curiosity, what are the prices of Tropheus where you live?

Here in Australia they are at the LFS about $60 for Ikola, Bemba, Duboisi about 5cm
For the rarer ones (E.g. Red Rainbow, Ilangi) they're about $100 for the same size 
Where as Wild caught ones are $80 as adults


----------



## Jamey (Jul 19, 2008)

Heh... in the US, fry for ilangi and other more desired breeds run $8 to &12, duboisi and ikola, $6 -$10. Course thats not lfs prices, they charge twice or more. WC range from $25 to $45 a fish depending on what you want. Can usually find a good sized established colony for sale for $200 to $350.


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

In the UK prices varry enormously. From Ã‚Â£32 each for TB 2" in top London and Oxford shops down to as low as about Ã‚Â£5 each at hobby auctions. WC are between Ã‚Â£18-45 each though it depends on where you get em rather than just species or type. Cheapest I have seen is young dubs for Ã‚Â£2 each, most expensive Ã‚Â£120 for two adult Bemba of all things (another high priced shop Oxford).

Ndole are about in the middle range price wise. Young 1" first generation from wild were Ã‚Â£7.50, WC Ã‚Â£25 each last time I checked. Not Ilangi (Ã‚Â£45 each or more for WC) prices but not duboisi prices iether.

Good established colonies are very rairly for sale here, expect to pay in excess of Ã‚Â£400 and grab them quick. I did hear of one yellow Ilangi colony 30+ adults changed hands for Ã‚Â£3000!
I offered Ã‚Â£500 for a good WC colony of 30 Tropheus moorii (Murago) and actually offended the guy selling em the price it seems he thought was way too low.

All the best James


----------



## Jamey (Jul 19, 2008)

I don't think serious keepers in the US deal with LFSs very often... more likely places like reserve stock and the like, or other breeders.


----------

