Whatever happened to my five footer...

[seamonkee]

Hi folks... it's been a long time really since i have been "tokking" fishes..

Ahh.... now that I switch from marine to freshwater tanganyikan setup... less headaches.... less ich problems and stuff... less sticky floors...

Anyway, here's how my previous five footer marine looks like (for those who dunno...)

[seamonkee]

Here's how it looks like now... just to share.... with tanganyikan fishes...

I have removed my skimmer, change my sandbed from coralsand to fluvial river finesand.... Sold my live rocks and bought this granite pieces.... hehehe... other than that, equipment still the same...

I have in my tank (for those who knows tanganyikan fishes):

1) 8 Cyathopharynx foai

2) 16 Cyprichromis leptosoma

3) 8 occellatus (or known as shellies... interesting behaviour cause they live in discarded shells in the wild)....

[seamonkee]

Another close up...

[seamonkee]

Under actinic lights...

[seamonkee]

Here's a close up of one of my fave fish... the Cyathopharynx foai... now in juvenile stage... so look a bit dull.. but the male colours are starting to show....

Sori... lousy pix... cause lousy digicam

[Lester]

are theses feshwater fishes ??????

[seamonkee]

This is what it will look like when it becomes a full male.... cool! I can't wait...

The female are more drappy and silver in colour...

[seamonkee]

are theses feshwater fishes ??????

Yes...

I have converted my marine sometime back in June to African Tanganyikan... most reefers here know about it and they have been asking me for pixs when the conversion is done...

Hardly hang out here these days... but now over at petfrd.com more often... and cichlid forum...

[hotlemond]

seamonkee, the rocks looks cool.

Are you not gonna to get some more of it to create caves and holes?

[hotlemond]

This is what it will look like when it becomes a full male.... cool! I can't wait...

The female are more drappy and silver in colour...

my goodness, thier body shine!!

[Lester]

Yes...

I have converted my marine sometime back in June to African Tanganyikan... most reefers here know about it and they have been asking me for pixs when the conversion is done...

Hardly hang out here these days... but now over at petfrd.com more often... and cichlid forum...

hehe ... i miss ur marine tank .... but still good to have you back

[seamonkee]

seamonkee, the rocks looks cool.

Are you not gonna to get some more of it to create caves and holes?

Thanks... I prefer the natural feel... when it comes to emulating ecosystems... I am a real sucker when it comes to having something close to the system's natural habitat and surroundings...

My wife says coral sand ok what but I still find it too "white" as compared to the fluvial river sand... haha... my wife said I "crazy" for I rather took out the coral sand even though it was an arduous task...

Tanganyikan lake (in Africa) is one of the largest freshwater lake in the world and with its own unique species and all...

They are amazing in behaviour!

The tank setup I have is a community tank... with occellatus (bottom shell dwellers), cyprichromis (taking the upper strata) and foai (taking the mid strata)...

The rocks and caves are there more for aesthetic reasons... and yeah, in an event I want to add a calvus (one of the most coveted cave dwelling fish in tangyikan setup).

[seamonkee]

my goodness, thier body shine!!

Cyathopharynx foai are described as one of the most vibrant freshwater fishes (male) in the world....

They are a rare oddities here in Singapore... I got mine from Cichlid Forever... these 8 babies cost me $300+++ because they are F0 (meaning wild caught) fishes (direct import from Africa).

Best of all, they all come in juvenile so u won't know if u sua sua got all 8 females (drappy silver colour) or if u are lucky u get one or two males in the group of harem (that's the best combi)...

Thank God out of the 8, I suspect 3 are males... their colours are starting to show )(as above)...

[seamonkee]

Here comes the shellies (occellatus)...

Very small fishes (2 inches)... in fact, shellies are the world's smallest cichlid species ever know, the smallest being the brevis...

Perculiar behaviour and you will not be bored watching them "shift" houses or cover and decorate their shells with sand...

[seamonkee]

Last to introduce to all... my Cyprichromis leptosoma...

Sorry, tanganyikan cichlids has no common names... as I realised...

They are schooling fishes so I bought 16 of them... thank God again, out of the 16, I have 3 males which is a good combi...

The thing with tangnyikan fishes is that the females are often silver and drappy as compared to the flashy males..

Some males exhibit interesting behaviour when territorial or when in courtship... they can turn "on" their colours even brighter!

That's why it is good to have some female harem to a male as well as some submales as territorial challengers...

Here's a male cyprichromis leptosoma flashing its colours to a passing babe...

[daimy068]

Wow, Cool! Nice to see you back here chatting!

How's work?

[Dispar_Anthias]

WOW... nice tangs.... Hmm my fav being frontosa and calvus

[seamonkee]

Wow, Cool! Nice to see you back here chatting!

How's work?

Thanks.... tough boss lah... tahan tahan abit.. .

hehe... sometimes still miss my marine a bit...

[klim]

If u miss marine, ur staff is in my tank, anytime can pop over to c c. Anyway, which boss not tough. I kana jia lat, jia lat from my new boss but what to do, just shallow back the saliva lor.

So, still many activities in your work place...I mean those exercise activities? When can bring me for c c at your workplace..u know what i mean...hehehe

take care.

[Ancelot]

Hey where did you get these fishes?

I used to be in this aspect of the hobby before moving to marine. Cause the price of the tanganyika fishes to that of marine not so faraway so change for something brighter and more colourful. But tanganyika fishes are nice too! Well, try to give them more rock structure.and be careful not to choose too big or too small for your fishes, cause they will end up in fights. Thats what i hated most. I personally prefer juvenile Tropheus Dubosi and some other Tropheus genus. Very nice head form and colours.

Also there's a common catfish around called the cuckoo catfish. Very nice colouration. Brown body with black spots. Kinda like a leopard. Price wise is around $38 but very nice and VERY RARE!

Anyway there's a shop called H2O at kembangan. Very near to the MRT station. Sells alot of nice cichilids, including rare ones from tanganyika. So check it out. Or you can try those at C328 the auntie has some common ones sometimes but equally nice as well. or you can try this fishshop at Beauty World there, owned by a uncle. He's an expert in these fishes. If you request, he will bring in some rare and nice fishes. Once he brought in a cichilid less than 2cm long i was fascinated. but i didnt buy.

anyways hope my input helps.

[rainbowdarter]

yup bro, very gd input for those wanted to start ot have been in cichilids including me.heheheh....

Mine will be coming soon...

Anyway nice setup.....

[hammy]

i think it is a very nice clean set up.

[Rocks]

Here's how it looks like now... just to share.... with tanganyikan fishes...

I have removed my skimmer, change my sandbed from coralsand to fluvial river finesand.... Sold my live rocks and bought this granite pieces.... hehehe... other than that, equipment still the same...

I have in my tank (for those who knows tanganyikan fishes):

1) 8 Cyathopharynx foai

2) 16 Cyprichromis leptosoma

3) 8 occellatus (or known as shellies... interesting behaviour cause they live in discarded shells in the wild)....

Hi SeaMonkee...

I have followed your thread from marine to freshwater...

saw those granite rocks you have in your current tank.. I used to have a 6 feet koi pond with some granite rock... I think it will add on more rock scape option to you tank. do PM me if you are keen.

p/s: granite rock are rather heavy...

CHEERS!

[Rocks]

Hi SeaMonkee...

I have followed your thread from marine to freshwater...

saw those granite rocks you have in your current tank.. I used to have a 6 feet koi pond with some granite rock... I think it will add on more rock scape option to you tank. do PM me if you are keen.

p/s: granite rock are rather heavy...

CHEERS!

Sorry... forgot to mention... i am giving the rocks away FOC...

[FuEl]

Anyway there's a shop called H2O at kembangan. Very near to the MRT station. Sells alot of nice cichilids, including rare ones from tanganyika. So check it out.

Yep I agree..used to work there for few months few years back. Cheap rocks.. Lots of tanganyikan species he used to bring in...I remember the ocellatus...one of my favourite tanganyikan species. They just look so cute living in the shells with their big eyes. Anywaym think your tank could use some orange from Neolamprologus leleupi..

The C.foai are cool species..think I saw it featured in TFH once..not sure which issue...might dig it up for you when I'm back end of the year.

Ancelot..how you find Tropheus in general? I find them to be a rather aggressive genus...certainly one of the more aggressive genus within Tanganyikan cichlids.. And I find juveniles extremely prone to dropsy..