# Demasoni Fry pics



## Super Turtleman

Just thought I'd share some pics of my Demasoni Fry. I came home last night and there were 5 swimming in the tank, so I stripped mom and removed 2 more from her. They all seem to be doing great. I have another female holding in the breeding net pictured and I will probably strip her tonight or ina couple days at the latest. So anyway, I got 7 fry from the mom (who is about 2" long). I didn't think she could hold that many...oh well. I have a 10 gallon tank set up for now and I have a 29 I will be setting up this weekend. Enjoy the pics...




























This is the holding mom (below). I can see the eyes of the fish in her mouth and am planning on stripping her soon.


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## Super Turtleman

This is the Fry Tank. Once they get bigger, they will move into the 29G Grow Out.


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## TheeMon

make sure the ph is correct, i just moved all my older fry from a 20long to a 29 and thinking i knew everything added maybe 2 or 3 more scoop fulls of crushed coral then the 20long, thinking that the same amount(in the 20long) + 2 or 3 more scoop fulls were enough. well the next morning(did it at night) when i went to check on them/feed i noticed 3 dead and 1 almost dead... i was like wtf, so i tested the water and the ph was really low  so i added like 5 more pounds of crushed coral and it fixed it, but lesson learned.


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## cichlidaholic

Aren't they the cutest little ones? Just tiny miniatures of the parents!

I've had 1 1/2 inch females hold as many as 18, and a 2 inch female held 23 one time!

Get ready...They are quite prolific!

Kim


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## Super Turtleman

Stripped the other mom and she had 9 fry. So I've got 16 to work with. I hope most of them survive.  A big thumbs up to Joea and Fogelhund for the excellent video on stripping. :thumb:


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## herny

iam gald it worked out i beat they will live all of them :fish:


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## Super Turtleman

Just thought I'd give an update. Stripped my 3rd female tonight and got 4 fry out of her. That puts me at a total of 20 fry this month. I can account for 18 of them, 2 are MIA. I saved 2 from the filter and put stocking over the intake to keep them out. The 2 MIA could be anywhere, no dead bodies yet so who knows.

The oldest fry look like miniature demasonis now. They are about 1/2" long and you can clearly see the stripes on them. I've got a 29G set up and waiting for them to get big enough to move into it.

Anyone know how long it'll take them to hit the 1" mark?

:fish:


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## Joea

Super Turtleman said:


> Anyone know how long it'll take them to hit the 1" mark?
> 
> :fish:


With good diet and water changes at least every other day, about 6 to 8 weeks.


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## Super Turtleman

Thanks Joea.

BTW, after stripping mom and having her recovering in the breeder net, I found another fry swimming in there. I was pretty sure she wasn't holding any more cuz I tried her several times, but I guess one snuck in there. You never know.


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## bccromer

Have a quick question for you. Did you just purchase the 12 demasoni and just let whatever ratio of male to female it was go? I am thinking of purchasing 12 myself but I'm not sure if I will have to worry about the ratio or if it will be ok with that many in a 54g.


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## TheeMon

i would get more, 15, 18 or something


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## nicholas316

kim?!?! WTF/??. hows that even possible. i have 20dems...what if some females are holding     :-?


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## cichlidaholic

nicholas316, you've got to keep in mind that these are dwarf mbuna, so they are going to reach sexual maturity at a smaller size than regular mbuna.

bccromer, if you have space, I would go with 15-18 to start with. You can later remove excess males, and this will allow you a couple of losses. Unfortunately, it happens sometimes. I started out with 23 in a 40G tank. I culled one due to irregular barring, 2 vanished off the face of the earth, and out of the 20 I had left, there were only 5 males, so I was extremely lucky.

But, when I bought those 23, I had a larger tank (55G) to move them to if they all survived! I wouldn't have tried housing that many in the 40G long term.

Kim


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## Super Turtleman

Sorry bccromer, didn't see your question. Yes, I bought the 12 and kept them. I'm still not sure how many females I have...I can positively say I have 3 females and 2 males...the others are up in the air still.

I currently have 3 more females holding. The 20 fry are all still alive and doing well. I'll post more pics soon.


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## Super Turtleman

Just thought I'd give another update. I have around 18-20 fry still going strong (they move alot...it's hard to count). The 3 holding moms have mouthfuls and are ready..I will be stripping them this week...after I transfer the fry from the breeder to the 30g growout. Below are some pics of the fry as they have been developing.

3-11-08









3-22-08









3-31-08









4-6-08









I'll update with some more recent pics in the next few days. These guys are a lot of fun. I'm setting up fry piles in the main tank because I currently have a yellow lab and another dem holding and no more room in the breeder right now.


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## punman

You asked about growth rate.
I stripped a female demasoni near the end of Dec. 2007 and now 4 months later, the fry are 1.5 to 2 inches long.


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## Super Turtleman

Another update. I moved my 20 (confirmed) original fry to the 30g grow out tank. I stripped my 3 holding females and got 20 more fry. I accidentally killed 1, so I have 19 new fry in the 10g breeder tank. All the fish seem to be doing well. I haven't found any dead newbies, so my setup must be working ok.

:fish: :fish: :fish:


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## Desi&lt;3

Good job!

Hope to hear some up-dates soon!


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## ziyaadb

man u juts convinced me to get a setup for demasoni with those pics, well done on the fry


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## Biguzas

i have the conditions for it... I have 6 demasoni, the are all about 6-8 months old, but they never breed, ? I just love your pictures, looks like a little nemo from that movie  swiming in the open water


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## Super Turtleman

Yet another update. All the fry are doing well. I have a yellow lab holding and she should be ready to be sripped in the next 3 days or so. About 10 days ago, I went to strip her (thinking she was a different lab I saw holding) and she released about 6 fry that were still mostly eggs (looked like a little egg with a head and tail). I left her with them and she took them back in her mouth. So she's in a net in my breeder tank holding.

Today I went to do a water change and a little aquascaping in my main tank. After moving a few rocks, I stumble upon a couple of demasoni fry. So I remove some more rocks and manage to catch them and I check out my fry pile. There I spot another demasoni fry and several good sized yellow lab fry. I figure they must be from the previous female yellow lab I saw holding and was attempting to catch when I netted the egg-fry holding mom. So, I managed to remove the ones I could find and have them in my grow out and breeder tanks. The fry piles must really work, because the fish in there were looking really healthy. Also, yellow labs must grow really fast, these guys were HUGE compared to demasoni fry. Anyway, an active day in my fishkeeping.


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## TheeMon

according to your sig, do you have the 2 red zebras in with the labs? just curious

also whatcha doing with the demasoni fry? im sure u dont need them all... and hows your aggression going? i dunno if youve read my problems or not but i lost a good bit of my demasoni due to aggression, im currently raising all the fry, and got the adults in "jail" untill the fry hit a certian size


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## Super Turtleman

My Red Zebras are in with the labs and demasoni. I know they can cross breed, but I have no other tank to put them in, so they're staying in there for now. I'll see how the fry look and then I'll either keep or cull them.

As far as the demasoni fry, I'm hoping to sell them. I'd prefer to sell them to another hobbyist, but I may trade them in at a local lfs if I can't find any nearby buyers. I'm going to look into what it takes to ship live fish, so if anyone has info on that, feel free to post in here or send me a message.

As far as aggression, I don't really have any problems with that. The dems chase each other around a little here and there, but nothing serious. I do need to get rid of one of my zebras and get some more in hopes of finding some females.

:fish:


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## Peacock88

To get your holding females do you tear apart the tank every time. It's got to be a lot of work.
You just inspired me to add some demasoni to my future 90 gallon. Great pics.
Keep up the breeding :thumb: opcorn:


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## Super Turtleman

Yeah, if I decide to get them, then I basically have to tear the tank apart. I don't have a ton of rocks in there like some people do, but now that I see the fry piles work, I might be willing to leave some of them in there. It's definitely a lot of fun though. I'll be posting some more pics in a little bit.


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## Super Turtleman

Here is the 10G breeder tank with some of the latest fry.









This is the 29G Grow Out tank with Demasoni fry (1 Yellow Lab fry)









Fry in the 29G Grow Out









And here are some pics of the main tank


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## Peacock88

Very nice pics! I was warned about the demasoni and that they can be VERY aggressive.
One of my buddies lost all his fish (yellow labs,mbuna) when he introduced a colony of dems. If i do get some will they kill off my acei and lab hongi? I'd get about 12 or so dems and 6 of each of the other types in a 90.

Just wondering, but have yours become over aggressive toward any other fish or do they typically bother each other?


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## stuckinthemiddle

How many of these guys could you put in a 20 long - species tank only?(if any)

you find out about shipping? If so, I might be interested in purchasing a few.

thanks!


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## DJRansome

IMO a 20 long is too small for mbuna. I use mine for a quarantine tank. Better odds of success with a 36" long tank minimum, and then I would put 12 Demasoni in it. Best of luck!


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## DeViANtX

I have about 25 - 30 demasoni in my 125 and there is no killings or horrible aggression. I have about 6 dominant males that have amazing color. I usually have about 3 females always holding. They are an awesome group of fish. I would get 12 - 15 for your species tank. Get then small 1" and let them grow up together.


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## stuckinthemiddle

even though are dwarf mbuna? Guess Ill stick with my con pair in the 20 long....*sigh*..

In my 55 I have 
2 red zebra 
3 yellow labs
1 cobalt blue
2 Melanochromis auratus - 1 is still a fry
1 kenyi fry

4 tiger barbs
6 danio
1 pleco
1 rafael catfish

Is there any more room for 2 demasoni?


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## Super Turtleman

I don't have any problems with aggression. They get along very well...once in a while I'll see some dems chasing each other, but that's not a problem. I've had them all together since August...about 1.25" then. So far everything's good and the tank looks great (IMO). I have 2 dominant males and I think I only have about 5 females...not positive on that though.

I would suggest you go for 15 dems and the others as planned, Peacock.


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## Peacock88

Thanks a lot Super Turtleman


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## Dewdrop

stuckinthemiddle,
If I were you, I'd get only one demasoni for your 55g.tank. I've heard that one can do ok but if you get 2, one will kill the other and you'll just end up with one anyway.
You'll probably run into trouble with the auratus as they mature, especially if they both turn out to be males and maybe the one kenyi too, they can get mean. These aren't pairing fish and it's recommended to keep at least 3-4 females per male for most of them, unless you're going for an all male tank. Good luck.

Love the pics Super Turtleman. You're doing great at breeding those dems :thumb: .


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## stuckinthemiddle

The auratus has already become the dominate one in the tank and the Kenyi is still very small (about 1 inch) so at least I dont have to worry about that just yet. Planning on getting another 55, but that will be much later. Didn't really plan on getting an all male, but I guess its kinda shaking out like that.

I went to my LFS and he said that demasoni will run about 20 bucks per each. Seemed a little high. Does this sound right to everyone else?


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## TheeMon

actually thats kinda cheap.
around here there like 35-40$


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## DJRansome

Around here, NYC suburbs, $15 daily and $10 on sale.


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## jhunbj

Up here LFS charge around CAN$12 for a 1" fry :x and LB charge CAN$5  .

Just thought I share some picture of my 3wk - 1 mth. old dems.(1/4" - 1/2") 




























I got 22 fry from 2 mom.


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## Super Turtleman

Here's a pic of a yellow lab fry with egg sac still attached. This is what you see when you accidentally strip the wrong fish. She took them all back in and they all survived.


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## DeViANtX

Im thinking about selling my dems for 3 bucks online from my breeding colony


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## Gibbs

Whilst we are on the subject, sorry to butt in. If you do strip the fry and the fry still have the egg sack still partly attached (toward the end of the development stage), are you meant to feed the fry anything or do you wait until the egg sack has completely gone?

Back to the demasoni here in Perth Australia we pay about $60 bucks each, thats if you can find a shop that sells them, yes we get ripped off :x


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## Super Turtleman

I believe if you strip the fry and they still have the egg sac, then they will be okay until the egg sac is used up (food wise). However, I think they still need to be tumbled. I left mine in with the female and she took them back in her mouth and held them until they were ready. Like I said, they all survived.

Too bad I can't ship mine to Australia, I could sell them for $45 and still make some money. :thumb: I bought my dozen for about $75 shipped on eBay. :dancing:


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## Gibbs

you would clean up of you can ship them down under


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## spoiler73

How old are the dems you have?


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## Super Turtleman

The dems in my show tank are about 8 months old. My fry are about 10 weeks and 3 weeks.


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## Desi&lt;3

Any recent pictures?


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## Super Turtleman

I'll try to take some pics later. Looks like I have 3 more females holding. I might let these spit in the tank cuz my breeder and growout tanks are currently in use. The fry pile should help some. Who knows, maybe I'll break down and remove the fems and let them spit in safety...we'll see.


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## Desi&lt;3

Good luck w/ making the decision!

You are one lucky person to have them all holding! You could make a million bucks off of those guys!


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## DeViANtX

they breed like rabbits I just also stripped 2 more that brings me up to over 60 fry at the moment. hehe


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## Desi&lt;3

Like I said anybody w/ dems could be rich!
Wish I had room for some!


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## gaqua

Dems are my favorite fish, appearance wise, but their prices are weird. One place near me has them for $8.99, another for $12.99, another one has them for $19.99 each, and one guy sells them $6.99 each or 6 for $36.

These are all 1.5"-2" Demasoni or so, none of them are babies or full-grown. And on here some of you guys seem to be paying $20+ for these guys! I can't imagine paying more than $20 for a single fish unless it was something rare or full grown. I guess it's a local thing, like how Multipunctatus are hard to find out here and super expensive ($30+) whereas my friend in Minnesota seems to be able to find them just about everywhere for $10-15 each.


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## Desi&lt;3

Here they are around $12.
The cats are $18-32 depending on the species.
It does depend on the area!


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## Sulfurhead

under $20 here in eastern Kansas, but not by much


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## Desi&lt;3

I think they are over priced, I mean like he said they breed like rabbits! (dems)
Even some Syno species breed good with the right conditions!


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## Sulfurhead

*** stripped many of my fish, but *** never done fish this small. Im scratching my head when i look at my 2" Dems thinkin about it. Seems tough to A, catch small mbuna in a rock filled tank, and B, strip the little suckers.


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## Super Turtleman

Stripping is actually very easy. The video Joea and Fogelhund made shows you exactly how to do it. :thumb:


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## DJRansome

I've been wanting to try cichlidaholic's turkey baster idea. Pull off the bulb, fill with tank water, put the mom in head towards the squirting end, replace the bulb and squeeze gently. The babies are supposed to come right out.


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## Super Turtleman

I thought about that DJ, but since I haven't had any issues stripping, I just never got around to it.

Here are a couple random pics I took today.

Dem









Yellow Lab









:fish: :fish: :fish:


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## Sulfurhead

Super Turtleman said:


> Stripping is actually very easy. The video Joea and Fogelhund made shows you exactly how to do it. :thumb:


Its not the stripping im thinking of. *** done many different species of fish, its just the size of these guys thats intimidating. Never had to strip anything under 4" before. I guess i'll see in a couple of months :thumb:


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## Super Turtleman

Sulfur, I use a toothpick (the ones with flat ends) and it works like a charm. I have huge hands (I'm 6'5"), but I haven't had any trouble stripping 2.5" fish. Good luck!!!


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## fishwolfe

i used the flat rounded end of a small plastic tip tie.


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## TheeMon

i use a unbended paper clip, but i leave the last bend in place... so i get a strait line with a V at the end, but its rounded... kinda hard to explain


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## Super Turtleman

Updating once again. I did a water change/re-decorating today and removed two of my holding dems. I couldn't spot the 3rd one, so either she swallowed or she spit and they're hiding in the tank (or in someone's belly). All the fish look healthy and happy. I'm contemplating adding one of my older dem fry to the main tank to see how it does with the adults. They are about an inch (or slightly bigger), so I'm wondering if I should or not yet. I guess we'll see.


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## Sulfurhead

lets us know. Im interested in knowing if they accept the newer fish


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## TheeMon

i put my demasoni fry in at like 1/2 inch and the're not bothered at all... though 1/2 my population is fry so that might make a difference


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## Super Turtleman

I'm still thinking about adding the fry. i'm worried about the Red Zebras. they are about 4" and could easily swallow them....so I'm not sure. I may just wait another month or so.


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## Super Turtleman

Update: One of my holding Dems spit 11 fry in the breeder net. The other one is still holding, but I will strip her this weekend if she hasn't spit. I also located the 3rd holding Dem in my main tank...she looks like she'll spit any day now. I'll let her spit in the tank and the fry will take their chances with the fry pile.

In other news, I have a lead on a 150G tank. It's just the tank, stand and canopy (standard 6' size), but I may be able to get it for $350. I was able to talk my wife into letting me start to negotiate on it (with promises of giving up a few things...you never know...I actually may give something up :lol: ), so we'll see how it goes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

:dancing: :fish:


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## Super Turtleman

Well, I stripped the other holding female and she had 14 fry. So 25 new fry to raise. The one in the main tank is still holding, so she'll spit in there. Hoping to get ready to ship some of these guys soon.

The 150G tank didn;t work out, but I'm still looking. Hopefully something in the 125G range will pop up soon.

Here are some pics of the grow out tank.


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## TheeMon

im surprized your divider works. i tryed one with yellow labs/demasoni and the smaller ones always snuck over to the other side... i made sure the edges were 100% touching glass too(no gravel inbetween or anything).

anyways congratz  my lone female has populated my main tank again, im awaiting the time they can start breeding


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## shamish

I just read this entire journey.... very cool!! I love it! Great job! :thumb:


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## Tula

> I'm still thinking about adding the fry. i'm worried about the Red Zebras. they are about 4" and could easily swallow them....so I'm not sure. I may just wait another month or so.


I would be careful, it may and it may not work. I have a 4" Acei that is temporarily in my 30 gallon long (I'm trying to trade him in and while cleaning the main tank i randomly caught him-figured I'd keep him out while i got him-I would in no way keep him in this tank long term)...anywho, I had 6 demasoni fry in the tank that were about 1/2", after i put the Acei in the tank there were only 4. It really depends on how good the little guys are at hiding and getting into small spaces.


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## Muhammed

Just read the whole post. Very well done!! Good luck with the fry!


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## Super Turtleman

Update: All my fry are doing fine. I put 2 more holding dems in my breeder tank to let them develop their fry. Everything else is going well fry-wise.

I did a water change today and removed the 2 Red Zebras and 5 of the yellow labs. I then added 6 of my older dem fry into the mix. Everything is going good so far...their not bugging the fry at all.


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## noj33

Hey Super Turtleman,
I live in buffalo, if your willing to ship some of the fry I'm looking to get a group of them 15-20 to go in my 90 gallon... let me know. I was going to keep some yellow labs in with my Dems, but I saw you took yours out, any reason?
Jon


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## Super Turtleman

I still have labs in with my dems. I just thinned them down a little. My sig shows the current stock list of my tank. I'll add you to the list of others who'd like some when I start shipping them. Hopefully, I'll be ready to ship the first batch this week.


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## football mom

Well, in spite of my concerns for keeping them in quarantine longer, I transfered the "fedex dems" into the 55 with "mama" and the "tribe".
A 10 gallon in spite of rocks and plants, is just too small to keep 8 1 1/2 inch dems! There was too much aggression going on in there, and a few of the fish were looking really stressed. 
Anyway, all are doing great and appear happy in their 55 home. I added lots of rock and a big pile of 
holey rock in the center, that they seem to love. "Mama" appears to be less shy now, and is out of her
cave and swimming more. It's really cool to see them all come swarming up to the front whenever I approach. There is one small guy that is really colored up, and was busy digging himself a shallow hole under a rock, I am assuming he is a male? I will keep my eye on him. Tonight I will try to get some 
pictures, if I can remember, too much glare from the windows for daytime pics.
Right now there are in the tank: one adult female (mama) 8 older juvies, and 8 younger juvies.
I'm so excited to have my dem colony started!
j


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## Super Turtleman

Congrats, football mom.

Update: One of my dems spit 12 this morning. So I've got about 35 fry in my breeder as of this morning...plus one more dem holding in there.


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## Super Turtleman

Update: Yesterday, my last holding female spit a few dems out. I was about to leave for the hospital (had a piece of metal in my eye) when I noticed, so I took 10 minutes to strip her before I left. She had 22 fry. I contemplated keeping them in the net while I was gone, but decided to take a chance on leaving them with the 3 week old fry...I figured they'd probably be alright. WRONG! This morning I went to check on them and found a bunch of demasoni fry skins in the bottom of the breeder tank. Only about 8 or 10 of the little guys made it thru the night. I had another 10G I was preparing for a breeder but didn't have a sponge for the filter intake, so I was waiting on using it. So I put pantyhose over the intakes and put the survivors in there for now. Lesson learned.

No dems are holding at the moment (one looks like she might possibly have a batch of unfertilized eggs starting), so I have a little time before new fry. Seems like it's been non-stop for the past 3 months. Oh well...fun fun fun.


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## cevvin

how can you tell when a female is prego?


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## Linka

Congrats with new fry ST. 
I had to smile when I read about the scelletons and skin on the bottom. Been there and like u I learnd the hard way. The fry seem so innocent when they are just a few weeks old, but boy are we wrong..lol..
So we learn by doing.

Good luck with ur fry. Demasoni is a beautiful malawi. One day I will have some but now I don`t think they will go so good with my maingano.

Linka


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## football mom

By the time my "tribe" was 3 weeks old, they were big enough to do some real damage, lol.
Sorry about losing your baby fry.
j


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## Super Turtleman

Cevvin, you know the fish is holding when you see the "throat" gets swollen. They will also generally stop eating and may become either aggressive or very passive/skittish.


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## football mom

Mysterious "dem"-mise.
Last night I came in from work and noticed one of the juvies (nicely colored one, too) hanging out at the top of the tank amongst some plants. I tried to net him, was unsuccessful, so left him to his fate. This morning, he was dead. Not a mark on him that I could see. I did a water
change early this morning, and the rest of the tribe seem to be acting normal. I hope this was an isolated incident.
j


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## TheeMon

football mom, i bet it was stress related.


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## Desi&lt;3

wow I havnt kept up with the thread for a while but I just read everything and Im sorry I havnt!  :lol: 
Its good to hear that you have had such a great success with these little guys!
Cant wait to hear the up dates and how the little guys are doing.


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## Super Turtleman

Update: Three more dems are holding. I will be removing them by this weekend into the breeder nets to stay until they spit or are stripped.

I picked up a 140G Tank and that will be my new show tank. The 55G will become my setup for breeding dems and labs.


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## Super Turtleman

Update: I stripped 2 dems for a total of 27 fry. All are doing well. I currently have 3 more dems holding and a yellow lab holding as well. Staying really busy with these guys.

In other news, just completed my first shipment of fish. From MI to GA successfully. :thumb: I was a little nervous, but I did plenty of research and everything went great. WOO-HOO!!!


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## ccwb333

Thanks Super Turtleman. The fry you sent me are doing great :fish: . Will try to post some pics in a few weeks so everyone can see them all settled in. Great job on your first fish shipment.
:thumb: :thumb:


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## Super Turtleman

Update: I will be moving the 3 dems and lab into breeder nets until stripping time. Here are some random pics I took this morning (7-14-08):

10G Fry Tank









Albino OB Bristlenose Pleco (I think) in 10G Fry Tank









Snail in 10G Fry Tank









29G Growout Tank









Dems & Labs in 29G Growout Tank









Long Fin Bristlenose Pleco in 29G Tank









Those Bristlenoses keep the tanks super clean...it's amazing!!!


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## Super Turtleman

Update: This afternoon I went ahead and did a WC and redecorating. I discovered 5 dems holding (  )...plus one yellow lab. Fortunately, one of the dems started to spit in the net and she had fully formed fry, so I stripped her and got 10 fry. The other 4 dems are sharing a 10G, each with their own "maternity suite". The yellow lab is in a breeder net in another 10G which is housing about 40 fry. So my current status is: 4 dems holding...one Yellow lab holding....and about 100 fry in various sizes. You guys weren't kidding when you said "once they get going...."

Lots of fun. Still waiting to set up my new 140G...hopefully by the end of the month. It's going in our dining room (I would put it in the living room...but I'll be putting hardwood floors in there and don't want to wait that long). Finished drywall repairs in the kitchen and dining room...now to replace some trim and get it all painted. Hopefully the fish will appreciate the new digs... (lol)


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## ccwb333

Good to see things are going well. The 18 dems I got from you are doing well waiting on the new 55gal home I have for them.


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## iverson387

*Super Turtleman*
HI *** been reading your post on all of your demasoni fry and noticed that you have shipped some. I am very interested as *** been wanting to add around 12-15 to my tank. I am located in new york and was wondering if you had some you could sell me. If so could you pm me a price shipped to farmingdale ny 11735. I could send you paypal or whatever method of payment you prefer. If you dont currently have any extra to ship but will soon let me know. I would prefer you wait to ship until you feel the fish are ready for it. I have a grow out tank set up and ready for these fish to go in. this will be greatly appreciated.


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## Joea

iverson387 said:


> *Super Turtleman*
> HI I've been reading your post on all of your demasoni fry and noticed that you have shipped some. I am very interested as I've been wanting to add around 12-15 to my tank. I am located in new york and was wondering if you had some you could sell me. If so could you pm me a price shipped to farmingdale ny 11735. I could send you paypal or whatever method of payment you prefer. If you dont currently have any extra to ship but will soon let me know. I would prefer you wait to ship until you feel the fish are ready for it. I have a grow out tank set up and ready for these fish to go in. this will be greatly appreciated.


Please use PM's for this type of discussion.

Thanks.


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## Super Turtleman

My dominant male dem has been usurped. Apparently 2 others decided to gang up on him and beat him up pretty badly. I've tried to net him and put him in his own tank to recover, but he refuses to cooperate and remains in the tank. The new bosses each control one half of the tank. I finally have the 140G in the house and ready to be cleaned and set up. I will start cleaning it tonight and am hoping to have it filled with water and getting the temp adjusted by this weekend. Then I can just move my filters over and start re-homing the fish (plus buying new ones).

As for fry, I've got about 80 at the moment that are growing out. I have a spare room which pretty much houses my 3 tanks for fry and my inventory from my eBay business. My wife says she doesn't understand how I can keep track of all the things I've got going on, but I'm working it. Looking forward to ordering new fish... :thumb: :dancing:


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## Super Turtleman

Well, I stripped another dem today with about 20 fry. There are 3 more holding in my main tank...which is now a 140G, so they will remain in there and spit. The tank has several scratches on the glass...which is annoying me more than I thought it would, but I have to deal with it for now.

Anyway, have plenty of fry growing out and staying busy...I think I will be ending up with the proverbial fish room that many fishkeepers seem to end up with.


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## gmaschke

I feel ya I am on my way to a mini-fish factory of my own. In fact I have 6 Dem. due to arrive in about 12hrs from now and am looking forward to them. Currently I Have small colonies of Hap ahli's, various peacocks, and Lab. sp. mbamba that all must be half rabbit. I am hashing out plans and building permits that can come to a compromise with marriage law as we speak LOL. I also have 9 Syn. Multi that I really want to get going.

I just read this whole thread now and you gave me energy to keep the wheels turning. The thread was an absolute joy, thanx.


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## Dewdrop

Yep I've enjoyed this thread alot too. Love the pics! Someone posted here that they would like to have dems but they have maingano and didn't think it would work. I know they are about the same colors but the maingano have horizontal stripes while the dems have vertical so would it really be a problem? :-? I think they would look kinda neat together, now that I think of it.


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## Super Turtleman

Yeah, I've thought the same thing too, Dewdrop. The mainganos stripes are horizontal and there body seem more elongated to me, so maybe they could work. I don't know if I'll try it though...we'll see.

Off to the fish auction tomorrow. :thumb:


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## gmaschke

According to a chart on compatibilty I found in a link somewhere recently, the are compatible. It doesn't discuss hybredization but they are diff. species so that should not be an issue either.


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## Joea

gmaschke said:


> According to a chart on compatibilty I found in a link somewhere recently, the are compatible. It doesn't discuss hybredization but they are diff. species so that should not be an issue either.


Compatibility charts are always inaccurate. There are to many variables to consider with the huge variety of species available to pack compatibility into a nice neat package.

_Ps. demasoni_ and _M. cyaneorhabdos_ can co-exist in a suitably sized tank, but don't let the fact that they're different species make you think they can't cross. It's less likely with these two but it's a fact that _any _two mouth-brooding cichlids can cross.


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## Super Turtleman

Well, I came home with some new fish yesterday. Spent all day today setting up two new tanks as well as re-decorating the 140G. The two new tanks were extremely dirty so it took a while to get everything good to go. I will be updating on my new fish in the 140G tank thread (which can be read at the link below) since they have nothing to do with my dem fry...

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=175143


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## jen0cide

Wow. I had a lot of fun reading this thread. I'm contemplating getting some demasoni as well. I currently have a 24g nanocube for the growout tank until they are about 1-1.5" and am securing/stealing :thumb: a 55g from my fiance (turtle lover) for more of a long-term set up and turn the cube into a breeding/isolation tank.

How many demasoni juveniles do you think I could house in the cube for now? Is there any way to sex demasoni when they are that small?


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## DJRansome

You can barely sex Demasoni when they are mature, LOL. Be careful with reptile tanks, the urine can be absorbed by the silicone and then leach back into a fish tank, poisoning the fish. I've heard people have the problem, and other's not have any problem. FWIW.


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## Super Turtleman

Update: I stripped my last holding female (that I have access to) and she had 29 fry.  That is by far the most I've gotten out of one fish. Pretty impressive.


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## baza

hi

WOW Super turtleman you are out of control i just read this post from the start what an amazing journey. You really got breeding these things down to a fine art lol.

You have inspired me to get some demasoni unfortunately in my country these things are as rare as diamonds. I have never actually seen them in a fish shop. I asked a well respected lfs if they could get some for me, they hadnt even heard of them lol.

Man please ship to australia lol there is plently of business here for you.


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## Dewdrop

It sure is impressive. I think the batches or is clutches the proper word  will get bigger as the fish mature. Sounds like you're doing a great job and it *is* turning into a job it sounds like :lol: Glad you're enjoying it though :thumb: Now I've gotta go check out the thread about the 140g. tank. Can't wait to see what you have in it. This thread has been great reading =D> thanks for sharing


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## Mobius1230

Super Turtleman said:


> Stripped the other mom and she had 9 fry. So I've got 16 to work with. I hope most of them survive.  A big thumbs up to Joea and Fogelhund for the excellent video on stripping. :thumb:


Could you send me a link or something to search in a site?


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## WHITE KNIGHT

they look cool, never had them before always wanted to get some what are they like( as adults of coarse )


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## fishwolfe

> Could you send me a link or something to search in a site?


http://www.cichlid-forum.com/videos/stripping.php


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## Super Turtleman

Dewdrop, I think you're right about the "clutches" getting bigger as they mature. I stripped my last holding dem and she had 29 fry.  These are all from that dem (there are only 28 in the pic...I checked her one more time and found one last little guy). 









White Knight, they do have conspecific aggresion (they chase each other alot), but keeping them in good sized groups is the key to success. I would definitely recommend having some...I think the colors of dominant males are one of the best!!!


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## Mobius1230

Super Turtleman said:


> I would definitely recommend having some...I think the colors of dominant males are one of the best!!!


I agree. Those males are awesome! :dancing: :dancing: :dancing:


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## Super Turtleman

Another Update: Did another waterchange/redecoration. I found five dems holding...stripped 4 and got about 60 dem fry plus 10 yellow labs. The last one needs another week or so before stripping. I also found several newborn fry swimming in the tank, so I scooped those up as well. Things are going good in the tank and it looks great. Still waiting to add more fish.

I also have some dem fry about .75" to 1" for sale. Check my ad or send me a PM.


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## Super Turtleman

My last holding female in the nursery spit tonight. She had 29 fry. So I've currently got about 120 fry growing out. 

I sold all my ready-to-ship sized dems. Lots of people contacted me, so I'll update again when I have more available. Thanks everyone.


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## stellarbabe316

This post is awesome...making me want to get some demasoni when I get my big tank. They are beautiful. I can't wait to see more pictures!

Josie


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## Super Turtleman

Hmmm...it's been awhile. I currently have about 60 dem fry and about 100 Acei (Msuli) fry. Those 100 came from two moms (  ). I also have 2 dems which should be ready to spit in the next week. Needless to say, I'm staying busy with fry. I'm hoping to be able to sell some to local LFS's for a little cash or store credit. So things are going good here...can't wait for my hongis to breed.


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## Maddog

awsome progress pics!


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## Desi&lt;3

Oh my gawd! How many fry tanks do you have??!?
Its really neat how many fry one girl can have! The babies are sooo cute too.
Good luck :thumb:


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## Super Turtleman

I've got 3 10G tanks and I'll be picking up another next week. I also have a 29G with dems in it, but I might need to free that up for growing out some more fry.


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## YeLLowLab60

It was this very thread alone that made me fall in love with Demasoni and everything mentioned is the very truth if I ever saw it myself thanks for sharing STM.


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## tchoked

read the thread from start to end
all i can say is WOW
i was interested of getting demasoni.. i think i will definetly get them now
however i wouldnt know what to do with all those fishes if they just
**** them out like that :lol:


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## Dasasa

these things breed like rats, I always have 3-4 females holding. I used to try to keep up with them but after having literally hundreds of fry at a time, I've given up. My LFS couldnt keep up with what I was bringing in, so now I let nature take its course. Most of the fry dont make it but still my Dem. pop increases.


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## Super Turtleman

Yeah, right now I'm at the point of letting the dems in the 140G spit in there. I have too many fry at the moment, so they're just gonna have to take their chances in the tank.

Right now my Acei are flooding me. I've got well over 130 Acei fry and two more are holding in the tank. They tend to have between 40 and 60 fry each time!!!


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## tchoked

o my thats a lot of fry's
i just started my demasoni and yellow tank
now im worried these guys will over populate


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## Super Turtleman

Got some more fry today. My hongis finally bred, so I got a dozen of them. Plus some more acei and acei eggs. After I put the hongi and acei back in the tank, it looks like they may still have 1 or 2 more in there....their chins are still swollen. Oh well, they're on their own.


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## BoostedX

Geeze. Sounds like you got some happy fish!!


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## Super Turtleman

Yeah, they seem to be pretty happy! Plus the babies are fun.


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## iplaywithemotions

Question, I currently have about 30-40 acei and zebra fry in my 20 gallon grow out tank. I also have 3 more females currently holding in my main tank.

How was your experience with keeping your holding females in breeders nets? How long did you keep them in breeders nets? And in which tank?


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## Super Turtleman

I kept the holding females in nets in a 10G tank...usually for about 7-10 days. Worked ok for me. Most took it well, some seemed to take it a little harder than others. I'd just keep an eye on the fish...and keep the top of the net about an inch above water level. That helps to deter them from trying to jump out.


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## iplaywithemotions

^^ Thanks!


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## Maddog

i cant wait to star tot get some fry!


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## tchoked

i love reading this thread and using it as a refference
this morning my first time holding female had 1 fry out in her breeding net
i saw the fry and asked my self if she ate the other ****
i decided to strip her and got 18 ****  
they still have a tiny sac i was assuming they are about 16 days, they are free swimming in a breeder net in the main tank.


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## benny71

Cool! :thumb:



Super Turtleman said:


> Stripped the other mom and she had 9 fry. So I've got 16 to work with. I hope most of them survive.  A big thumbs up to Joea and Fogelhund for the excellent video on stripping. :thumb:


Can you point me in the direction of this video?


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## DJRansome

Menu > Library > Videos


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## quentin8

I cant wait for my demasoni to breed. The fry are adorable.


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## The King Crabb

Excellent pictures! I'll be getting 20 (ish) Demasoni when I build my 125G, hope they get breeding as much as your's!


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## Super Turtleman

Just read through this again. Boy those were good times. Currently doing some small breeding but no dems at the moment. Maybe one day I'll get back into them...


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## Gags

@Super Turtleman 
Thanks for sharing this with all of us...
Would love to see more.


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## Super Turtleman

Unfortunately I am currently not breeding dems. If I ever get back into it I will pick up right here where I left off.

I'll start a couple new threads on some of my current tanks and the breeding I'm doing soon.


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