# My Trimacs :D



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Iâ€™m quite skeptical of â€œWild Caughtâ€


----------



## lostnight (Jun 3, 2006)

Nice thick Trimacs, can't wait to see more pics. :thumb:


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

So I suck with a cameraâ€¦ but this is what I gotâ€¦

The new maleâ€¦ Feel free to voice your opinion on itâ€™s â€œpurityâ€


----------



## lostnight (Jun 3, 2006)

Look pure to me, I'd say 100%.


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

Those are some great fish! I really hope that I could own a trimac someday, or even better a pair. I wish you the best with them and hope that you will continue to keep us posted on their progress and post some pics.


----------



## darthodo (Aug 27, 2005)

I believe they are pure trimacs. They look really good. Get some fry!


----------



## terd ferguson (Jul 31, 2007)

Good luck Toby. :thumb:


----------



## OceanDevil (Jul 17, 2005)

Nice pair! You going to keep the other 3 females?


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

The Convict fry should be free swimming as of todayâ€¦ but I havenâ€™t seen them yetâ€¦ The Con pair & fry stay under a piece of slateâ€¦ but whenever the Trimac gets near the slate the male Con will sneak out the other side and nip the male Trimacs tailâ€¦ To the Trimac it seems like a cute gameâ€¦ to the Convict it seems a matter of life or deathâ€¦

My females won Trimacs being my #2 favorite speciesâ€¦ and Iâ€™m this male has made them even that much better!

Thanks for the compliments guysâ€¦



OceanDevil said:


> Nice pair! You going to keep the other 3 females?


I donnoâ€¦ One is promised out to a friend (D)â€¦ Iâ€™ll keep the rest for the time beingâ€¦ I still hope to eventually come across a wild caught maleâ€¦


----------



## convictkid (Jul 28, 2004)

I want a trimac, can a single one be kept in a 75 gallon?


----------



## dkebjd (Sep 13, 2007)

That male looks great Toby, very nice pick up :thumb: Sounds like you're on your way to having some fry soon. I'm curious to see how they act during spawning. From what I've read, they're brutal and tankmates won't last long. Keep us posted.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Nice male! Where'd you say got em? :lol:

He is a very nice looking fish, I just couldn't find a place for him here and it didn't seem fair to keep him in the back room. He needed to be on display, and if not on display then he needed to be getting some nookie :thumb: He deserves it :lol:

Keep us posted Toby  I'm glad you're happy


----------



## fishfreak317 (Feb 22, 2006)

fantastic to see they are getting along good. i'd expect some eggs within couple of weeks now. as for aggression of the male, i'd expect him to be quite mellow until they are free swimming. the mother mac however will probably kill off the convicts if she can, before the eggs hatch. :wink:

a 7" momma mac is purty vicious contender to mess with. if she cannot handle the problem, big daddy will get it done. :dancing:

well great updates, and keep us informed on any progress. oh and please take alot of pictures for us. :thumb:


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Thanks guys... for the fish and the compliments 

I recently bought my first house and in doing so crated a fishroom. I haven't gotten around to making an intro thread... I've been too busy making the fishroom 

Here is a "sneak peak"... until I make an intro thread...










The house has a 20'x 24' 2 car garage (attached)... I built a wall dividing the front (approx) 1/3 from the back (approx) 2/3... The front 1/3 still has both working bay doors (one with auto opener). This area is used as standard garage storage and a small wood working area. The rear 2/3 is the fishroom...

In the pic above... Dark Blue rectangles are 175 gallon tiers (50/50/75gal)... Medium Blue rectangles are 90 gallon tiers (30/10-10-10/30)... Light Blue rectangles are 40 gallon tiers (10/10/10/10)...

Each tier is plumbed as one system, but each tier is separate from the other tiers.

Here is a pic of what it looks like...









Here is the 9" Blue Dempsey that inspired me to breed them which required this fishroom...









I'll have a full intro for ya within the next few days...

Oh and the Green box is future big DIY tank...


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Sweet!


----------



## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

*Toby_H*,

Looks like that is really going to be awsome! I'm jealous! I can't wait so see the thread on this room. Good luck.


----------



## convictkid (Jul 28, 2004)

Can a pair go in a 75


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I've heard that a single specimen deserves a 75... larger for a pair...

My 'pair' is sexually mature, but not "full grown"... I feel that my pair would fill up a 75 gal and the tank would not give them room to grow, which they will do. I've also been warned that the fish often get extremely aggressive with one another and need to be separated. I definitely do not think that a 75 gal offers enough space to separate the pair with a divider.

In my opinion/experience a 75 gal is great for a pair where the male will max out at 10" and the female slightly smaller... such as Jack Dempseys and similar...


----------



## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

sweet fishroom.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Can't tell you how happy I am he made it to you... Very cool stuff :thumb:


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Tuesday I went to Virginia for the day to visit family. So the Trimacs were left all day without eatingâ€¦ along with the Convict pair and their fryâ€¦

Here is the female with her very dark colors as well as the scratches all over her head from raiding the Convict nest and eating fry. I guess she didnâ€™t like the thought of skipping a meal.










Their tank gets a lot of evening sun so algae growth is terrible. I usually use UV lights to combat algae (my local water has very high phosphates) but theyâ€™ve all been used in the Fishroom. But anyway, here is their full tank pic (this is a 4x2x2 - 120 gal)










The female has darkened up nicely. She is showing much more red in her fins than ever before, far more than seen in her sisters. Her chest has turned a deep purplish blood redâ€¦ itâ€™s pretty wildâ€¦

She stays in the center of the tank under the slate most of the time as if sheâ€™s guarding the place (This is where I expect her to lay eggs pretty soon), but tucked under the slate where my camera canâ€™t see.

Here is the full picture which I cropped the female out of earlierâ€¦










The male is easy to photo as when I approach the tank he faces me off to defend his territoryâ€¦


































The Convict's nest is under the slateâ€¦










Then as I was putting this post together the pair decided to patrol togetherâ€¦


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Wicked awesome! I can't wait for fry day :lol:


----------



## lostnight (Jun 3, 2006)

I have always loved the dark breeding colors of female Trimacs, goes great with those red eyes. :thumb:


----------



## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Wow, Toby...great work on that fishroom!
And congrats on those Trimacs---that pair looks really good. Stunning, actually. Best of luck with them. :thumb:

BV


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Thanks a ton guys...

This is the first time I've ever kept a pair from the Amphilophus family, they do demand a fair bit of space but as a first impression they seem well worth it...

And just to mention... the Trimacs aren't hidden away in the fishroom... They are in the display tank in the office... and are one of the first things you see when you walk in the house... 

In the negotiations I had to move all of the tanks to the fishroom except for two... the 120 for the Trimacs and the 125 for my biggest Blue Dempsey... The fishroom is awesome but still need something to stare at while she makes me watch chick flicks...


----------



## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Toby_H said:


> I had to move all of the tanks to the fishroom except for two... the 120 for the Trimacs and the 125 for my biggest Blue Dempsey


Awesome show-tanks...excellent choice on keeping those in prime viewing areas!

BV


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Who are you kidding? You like the chick flicks as much as she does... if not more!

My situation is my leather couch needs to get moved to the basement so when she wants to watch a movie we can watch it down stairs... right next to the 800, 240 and 185... and eventually the 265 :lol:

"Yeah, sure honey, which ever movie you want" :lol: "Let's just turn the tank lights on, it'll be the perfect amount of light" :lol:


----------



## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

I screwed up and put the couch between the tank and theatre screen so I cant watch the tank while pretending to watch the chick flicks.


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

tannable75 said:


> I screwed up and put the couch between the tank and theatre screen so I cant watch the tank while pretending to watch the chick flicks.


I used to have the 125 behind the couch... I would always tell her "I'm watching the reflection of the TV on the glass."...


----------



## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

no reflections on a projector screen


----------



## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

I gotta say that I love your trimacs! :thumb: How could anyone NOT love big beautiful aggressive fish like that? You know what though? Usually I have a ho hum attitude towards convicts but I really like your male!! Very nice markings on him!
Love your new fishroom too!! I have a fishroom, although nowhere near as big or with as many tanks as you have. There are still a couple of tanks scattered in other areas of the house too. My hubby insisted I remove the tank in the living room so he could put a pool table in there instead. I was glad to do this as I got a new tank for the bedroom out of the deal! :lol: 
What are you going to keep in the really big "green" tank??


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Some how my Trimacs got ickâ€¦ or some small white spot parasiteâ€¦

When the male arrived (6-25-08) he had no white spots, nor did the other fish in the tankâ€¦ In the first week and a half of having him he had no white spots, nor did the other fish in the tankâ€¦

Nothing else had been addedâ€¦ the heater is working fineâ€¦ I have had the habit of checking temperatures oftenâ€¦ Iâ€™ve done my water changes the same way for a long time and I remember specifically checking the water temp in the tank both during and after the water change and it was stayed consistentâ€¦

So I put an 18W UV light on the tank being powered by a Magnum HOT (rated 250 gph)â€¦

12 hours later I noticed the smallest of the spots had disappeared and the bigger ones were quite a bit smallerâ€¦ 36 hours later I cannot see ANY white spots on any of the fishâ€¦

I friggin love UV lights!


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

They are awesome :thumb: Ich can come about simply from stress, which more than likely there's a bit of stress from some fish in the tank :lol:


----------



## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

Very nice Trimacs! It's nice to see purebred ones. All we ever seem to see around here are flowerhorns. I don't think I have ever seen a nice trimac in a store!


----------



## fishfreak317 (Feb 22, 2006)

any update on these guys toby?


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

This is a 4'x2'x2' 120 gal stocked with a 10" Male Trimac which was a gift from TheFishGuy (thanks again!) and a Wild Caught female purchased from Danny Thacker of TNT Aquatics (formerly Motor City Cichlids) which is currently 7"...

This has continued to be one of my favorite tanks, but not much has changed in it. The female gets beat up after every water change... she has two areas she fits into which the male does not... she's laid eggs where the male cannot get to them at least twice... They've killed a few Adult Convicts (as dithers)...

The male is growing faster than the female so it may be a long time before these two can safely spawn together. But I'm going to do my best to keep them together to continue giving them the chance.

I have a three other F0 Female Trimacs as well. The smallest fits nicely into a big Cichlid community tank... the second smallest is with the male Trimac... the second biggest/nicest is set aside until I find her a great home (I'm in no hurry) and the nicest of the 4 females is in a tank by herself being spoiled rotten hoping she grows big enough to spawn with the male. The second smallest was put with the male first (and still is) just to see if the male would kill her. I'm still not convinced he won't...

Iâ€™ve kept a lot of different fish spread out over a long period of timeâ€¦ but these have been my first Cichlids from the Amphilophus family. Iâ€™ve always shied away from them due to their large size and high aggression. Iâ€™ve learned that SA/CA Cichlids are far more interesting when housed appropriately and I just didnâ€™t want to dedicate 100+ gal tanks to one or two fish.

Iâ€™m not sure how long these two will be able to happily stay in the 120 gal but for now they seem rather happy in it (except for the first few hours after a water change) and Iâ€™ve enjoyed this tank more with them in it than any other stock list Iâ€™ve triedâ€¦ When they outgrow the 120 theyâ€™ll go into a 6â€™ 125 galâ€¦ Iâ€™m going to avoid separating them as long as I can.

But I know what you guys really want are picsâ€¦ Iâ€™ll see what I can do


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

So where are these pics? :lol: It's been over a day!

If I may make one suggestion since I've breed a few members of the amp family... A well secured egg crate tank divider will more than likely ensure a viable spawn. The female tends to lay the eggs right on the egg crate where the male can fertilize them. Then it's a matter of timing on when to remove the male and the divider... Usually right after the eggs hatch is best. I wish I would have done it with the last pair I bred. The male killed the female after getting along perfectly with her for over a month :?


----------



## darthodo (Aug 27, 2005)

I'm very pleased with this thread. I love the pictures and especially the fish. Thanks for sharing! :thumb:


----------



## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

pretty nice for low grade flowerhorns... :lol:, just joking around man, they look awesome, i love the golden coloration of the male!


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Sorry for the delay on picsâ€¦

The male Trimac quickly killed the Convict pair I first put in with himâ€¦ so I put a slightly larger Con pair in who were accustom to spawning in a Cichlid Community tank. They lasted a while but only dared to spawn once (it didnâ€™t go so well for the Cons). The female was eaten (not killed, eaten) last week.










I decided to try W African Jewels as Dithers instead but when I moved them to condition them for the big challenge they are now getting harassed by a Dempsey pair, so I donâ€™t think they can handle Trimacsâ€¦

This is the male Trimac that I got from TheFishGuy (the Mod from this site; Thanks again!)



















This is a full tank shot of the 4â€™x2â€™x2â€™ 120 Gal tank they are inâ€¦










The bad part is I put off posting pics until I could clean the tank real well & redo the filtration. In that process the tank got a huge water change, which got both the male and female all excited, but the female doesnâ€™t like the male when he is excited, so I couldnâ€™t get any pics of her (in the full tank pic she is hiding under the slate under the heater).

But I have a couple other female Trimacs that I got at the same time/place. Here is a pic of the smallest of the 4 females I have (the one with the male looks very similar except a little more beat up).










The tank should be clearer and the female should be out this evening. Iâ€™ll try to get a couple more if things are looking better.


----------



## rjh5791 (Apr 26, 2008)

what is th full scientific name for the male trimac you got from the fish guy?


----------



## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

i think they are classified as Amphilophus trimaculatus now, but if not they are still in 'cichlasoma' trimaculatus.


----------



## TheOscarGuy (Sep 8, 2006)

I love the color on this guy, nice find!
I too have the same problem as yours - my male is too aggressive and eventhough the female "seems" ready, she gets a lot of beating from him for no good reason  Thankfully she has place to hide in the tank, so she doesn't have any major injuries/missing scales etc.
Great job on that male -- they are so good that, I think, more often than not, the females get overlooked  He is beautiful.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Thanks, I'm the one who sent him to Toby


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Yup, all I did to get that male was I befreinded TFG... he's the sh*t... I'm just a lucky lil turd 

PS - The female just laid eggs this morning. I'm not sure if the male was able to fertilize them or not. They are tucked under a shelf where I can barely see them


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

You'd be surprized how the spermies get around


----------



## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

TheFishGuy said:


> You'd be surprized how the spermies get around


:lol:


----------



## fishfreak317 (Feb 22, 2006)

well i'm glad he is doing good. he originally came from me.  TFG was willing enough to take him off my hands. anyways i just wanted to see how he was coming along.

BTW if anyone is interested in some ****.

i have currently about 50 left from the brother of Toby's infamous male. so if anyone is interested in some great macs, get them wile they last. i don't believe i will be breeding macs anymore after this batch....


----------



## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Toby,

This is a *really* great thread. These fish are *beautiful*!



tannable75 said:


> I screwed up and put the couch between the tank and theatre screen so I cant watch the tank while pretending to watch the chick flicks.


We simply put the TV in the closet and put the couch directly in front of the fish tanks. Who needs television? :lol:



fishfreak317 said:


> BTW if anyone is interested in some fry.
> 
> i have currently about 50 left from the brother of Toby's infamous male. so if anyone is interested in some great macs, get them wile they last. i don't believe i will be breeding macs anymore after this batch....


Bah! If only I had a spare tank! You're sooo close. 

-Ryan


----------

