Berlin Aquarium

On a past trip to Berlin, Germany I was extremely excited to find out they had an aquarium close to the hotel I was staying at.  In between the beer gardens and work, I managed to find the time to sneak in and check it out.

Unique overhead view of the Malawi display

Just a ton of Malawi tossed into this display

 Considering Germany is one of the great epicenters of Cichlid keeping, I was really looking forward to visiting this aquarium.  Unfortunately, it is very underwhelming.  The displays are very old and in need of upkeep.  The selection of fish was fairly standard with nothing unique standing out.  The displays themselves were rather small.  All in all, I have seen some better displays at various fish stores.  Oh well!  I guess they cant all be home runs.

Wait, how did this sneak in here?

A nice Discus display

Pirahna's

Review - Beamswork 48" Quad Double Bright LED 72X1W

I have been on the hunt for a quality LED light for my freshwater tanks for over a year.  Certainly there are plenty of good options out there for saltwater enthusiasts, which could also be utilized in freshwater tanks, but I was hoping to avoid spending $500 or more to get there.

Here is the premise:

The LED light must mimic the bright, high noon sun, similar to the bright lights of a reef tank.  At 1/3 to 1/4 the cost.  It must provide a shimmering effect.  It must also have a toggle switch for daylight and moonlight LEDS.  Last but not least, it needs to be in the $150 range.  Not too demanding, but proving difficult.

For this endeavor, I chose the Beamswork 48" Quad Double Bright LED 72X1W.  I went back and forth on the Beamswork website and almost went with their 48" Hi Lumen but was concerned the .20W LED's would not provide enough light for the application I was seeking.

Out of the box, the Beamswork 48" is black and sleek.  It has a toggle switch which allows for all LED's or solely the moonlight's.  It is an attractive piece of equipment.  The weight of the light is next to nothing, a couple of pounds at most.  A simple connection to the converter and it plugs right into the wall socket.  It can't get any easier than that.

First impression:

Wow, this thing is bright!  I tested it on a 24" deep 90 gallon tank.  It is bright clear down to the sand bed.  The color of the lights appear to be a crisp white and the paperwork it comes with claims it is in the 10K spectrum.  I certainly made the correct decision in going with the 1W LED's.  The fixture has much more light than all of the other LED fixtures I have tried thus far.  It is easily double the brightness of my Current USA plus LED and triple of the Aqueon Modular LED.  An added benefit....the light is silent.  No more distracting hum to take away from viewing the fish.

Heat is negligible after running for several hours, which is good as it does not come with an internal fan.  If heat becomes a problem down the road, a simple external fan should cure that problem rapidly enough.

I am not going to get into PAR ratings and other technical data as there are plenty of sites out there which can provide such information if you are seeking it. I would rather give a layman's opinion of the LED fixture.  That being said, I tested the light on my 90 gallon Malawi peacock tank as I wanted to see how the various fish colors would look under this LED.

Whites really pop on my fish!  Ultra bright!  Reds shine through as well.  My Dragon Blood peacock looks sharp under this lighting.  The blues of my Flametails and Lwanda peacocks are showing up nicely as well.  I can definitely pick out individual colors on the same fish easily and clearly.

Cons:

No independent switch or dial to adjust the LED brightness or color spectrum.  I can overlook this feature easily enough because of the price.

No manual or warranty information came with my light.  Here is to hoping it works!

Overall impression:

I am very pleased with this fixture.  While not even close to being on par with today's reef tank LED light fixtures, which usually run at 3W's, it exceeds my expectations for a freshwater tank.  As of today's date, this is the top freshwater LED fixture I have tested under $200.  It is extremely bright and illuminates all corners of the tank equally.  None of my fish seem to be adversely affected by the change in lighting.  I think it hits the sweet spot price wise and just over $150 for this fixture.  I am hopeful the light will live up to the company's claim of LED light endurance.  If that proves true, this light will definitely save money in the long run.  Time will also tell how much my electric bill enjoys this light.

Who says science is boring?

I stumbled upon this article, which is extremely interesting.  Mouth structures of Cichlids

I am constantly reminded of just how unique the fish we keep are.

Profile - Aulonocara Stuartgranti "Ngara Flametail"

Name: Aulonocara Stuartgranti (Ngara)

Trade name:  Flametail, Ngara, Mdoka

Habitat: Provide rocks, sand and caves

Diet:  Ominivore.  A. stuartgranti readily accept most foods: flakes, frozen, pellets, and live.

Potential size:  4"-5" in captivity

Gender differences:  Males as pictured.  Females are a silvery grey color with vertical barring.

Minimum recommended tank size:  30 gallon tank for a group of four

Minimum recommended group size:  Trios do quite well

Recommended group ratio:  1 male to 3-4 females

Breeding:  Maternal mouth brooder

General comments and observations:

The Ngara Flametail is one of the most beautiful of the "peacock" cichlids in Lake Malawi.  Males exhibit a deep metallic blue coloration on their bodies with a red/orange (depending upon local) color starting at their shoulder and going through the tail.  Hence the "flametail" designation.  Females tend to be rather drab and exhibit a brownish to silvery grey color with vertical barring.

They are a peaceful fish and generally tolerate other fish in the aquarium without issue.  During breeding, they can be mildly aggressive to females.  Generally speaking, a good ratio is one male to 3-4 females in a breeding setup.  Several males can be kept together in a show tank type setup without females. 

Breeding is rather easy with this fish.  Provide rockwork and a cave or two and it should take care of itself.  Female Ngara will hold eggs in their buccal cavity for approximately 28 days.  At that time, fry are free swimming and can be fed a variety of small or crushed food.  Clutches usually run from 8-20 fry.  it should be noted, males can continue to be aggressive to females post spawn so it is essential to provided adequate cover for the holding females.

All in all, the Ngara Flametail is a wonderful fish and is one I highly recommend to anybody interested in keeping cichlids.

Article - Is the F0 system a fallacy?

Divers catching cichlids

I would like to preface this article by saying that I have not had the pleasure or visiting Lakes Tanganyika or Malawi. Hopefully, that will change in the next few years. Therefore, the following is based upon extensive research and interviews with exporters and importers. Now that I have the obligatory caveats out of the way, let’s get down to business.

Any of us that have read a book on Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika know that it is very expensive to collect cichlids, hold them, and ship them out worldwide to various wholesalers. Pierre Brichard discusses this ad-nasueum in his book Cichlids and all the other fishes of Lake Tanganyika. Cyhpotilapia Frontosa is a perfect example. It comes from deep water and requires decompression in barrels to be brought to the surface. Even under good care, some still die in the process.

I believe that most of us have the following idea in mind. Hired divers go out every morning, in a boat, and attempt to catch as many cichlids as they can, with their nets or other various techniques, until the sun goes down. These fish are brought back to the "fish house" to be acclimated and held. This occurs on a daily basis. Frankly, the companies working on the lake do conduct this type of operation, though the cost to do this is not very practical. This is why the companies have devised more cost-effective means.

Filial Generation definition:
the offspring of a genetically specified mating: first filial generation (symbol F1), the offspring of parents of contrasting genotypes; second filial generation (F2), the offspring of two F1 individuals; third filial generation (F3), fourth filial generation (F4), etc., the offspring in succeeding generations of continued inbreeding of F1 descendents.

This is where my question arises: Is your prized F0 Frontosa, or any other F0 cichlid, which you paid a premium for, really a wild caught fish?

All of the cichlids are brought to the shore facilities to acclimate and prepare for shipment, but there is more going on here than first meets the eye. I submit that a high number of F0 fish are actually fish that have been produced in vats or in ponds on the shores of Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi or in buildings next to the lakes. There are a multitude of pictures and articles that support my theory. Ad Konings describes this practice, with photographic evidence, in his book The Cichlid Yearbook, Volume 6. In Cichild News Magazine (199, Konings describes in detail how he and an exporter from the lake planned to catch as many Tropheus duboisi "Maswa" as they could to set up a large breeding colony back at the exporter's station. The reason behind this? Money. Various ACA (American Cichlid Association) members have, also, traveled to the lakes and written extensively upon the collecting operations, gracing us with first hand accounts and photographs of the ponds and vats. It appears that this is fairly common knowledge throughout the hobby that this type of operation is occurring at the lakes.

Right now, you may be asking yourself: "Big deal, what's wrong with that?" My answer to you is absolutely nothing! I believe it would be impossible for divers to net catch enough cichlids to supply the hobby and keep prices affordable. I believe they catch enough to keep their breeding stations well stocked and grow the various cichlids there. This is clearly the most cost-effective way to do business. It also ensures the cichlid supply will be greater for cichlid enthusiasts seeking to import the latest, greatest discovery from the lakes. This also helps to drive purchasing costs down. From a purely business perspective, this is the only way to go. If I owned a collection facility on the lakes, I would be doing it as well. That being said, I have to label it a bit of "creative advertising."

Holding/Breeding Vats

The problem arises when you attempt to import cichlids from the lakes. One importer I spoke with stated that he imports fish on a monthly basis from a well known exporter on Lake Tanganyika. This importer has first hand knowledge of the breeding ponds/vats that are on the exporter's facility yet the exporter lists only F0 cichlids on his stock lists. In my mind and the hundreds of others that I have discussed this with, this is a problem. We do not mind paying a high price for a fish that was net caught out of the lakes; in fact we down right expect it. What I fail to see, however, is the difference between a pond raised fish in Africa and a pond raised fish, in Florida. In my opinion, they are exactly the same, the only difference being price. They should be listed and sold as F1 or lower, according to the parentage.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the current mentality. If the cichlid is born in Africa, near or on the shores of the lakes, it should be considered an F0 even though it was not net caught out of the waters itself. This simplifies the classification system and makes it easier for the consumer to gauge what they are buying. But clearly there are differences between lake caught fish and pond/vat raised fish. Their behavior is completely different. In my opinion lake caught fish often look more haggard than their F1 counterparts, their fins often worn and frayed. F1 fish are often bigger than their F0 counterparts and do much better in an aquarium setting. They are far less skittish, breed more easily, and generally appear to have a better quality of life. Being that as it may, many of us still desire to own actual lake caught fish, myself included. We merely seek assurance that our lake caught fish was just that, lake caught.

This is by no means an attack against the exporters that work on the lake. In fact, it is far from it. Without the exporters I would not have well stocked aquariums sporting my favorite cichlids. Nor would I have the inspiration to write this article. It is meant to open people's eyes to the fact that the classification system may be a bit outdated. Perhaps it needs to be amended so that a buyer may differentiate between that precious lake caught cichlid or one that has been raised in a pond/vat. Prices should reflect these differences accordingly. I realize this is an oversimplification but I think it gets the point across.  An easy solution, in my mind, would be to list fish as Lake caught or tank raised.

Lakeside facility

Having said this, I again, ask the question, is your prized F0 cichlid really an F0 lake caught cichlid? Or is it merely an F1 that was born from F0 parents in a pond or vat at a breeding facility on the shores of the lakes? I guess it all depends on your interpretation of the classification system, how happy you are with the price you paid, and how deeply you trust your importers and exporters.

I would like to that the many people who shared their experiences with me in regard to this article. Especially the importers who went out on a limb, describing their first hand knowledge of the exportation of the cichlids from the lakes. Without you, my aquariums and this article would not exist.

Tips on Tropheus

Tropheus Kiriza

I wanted to expand upon my Tropheus article.  Just some quick tips to help improve one's ability to successfully keep Tropheus.  These tips were developed over the years by me and greatly assist me in avoiding losses.  I hope you find them beneficial.

I'm sure many of you have tried and given up on keeping Tropheus. Lord knows I have almost thrown in the towel myself. Hopefully you will find this useful and, more importantly, it will keep your Tropheus alive.

Over the years I have learned a few things that work pretty well. By no means is this a comprehensive list. It is meant to help you successfully prepare and care for your Tropheus once they arrive. This has worked for me, others may have different thoughts.

1) ALWAYS expect bloat when you get your fish in from whoever you buy them from. I repeat ALWAYS! In my experience bloat hits juvi's much worse than adults. Adults seem to take travel much better. You should consider this when making your initial purchase.

2) ALWAYS get some of the food that the shipper is feeding them, this will help you to avoid giving them new food and causing them to bloat. You should slowly wean them off of whatever they are eating and feed them spirulina flakes/pellets only. HBH and OSI make a great flake.

3) ALWAYS have metro ready to treat the tank for bloat. I have found that it works very well if you soak their food in some dissolved metro the first few days after you get them and then feed them. Tropheus will eat like pigs when you first get them so it is a good way to get the metro into their system. This should nip bloat before it begins.

4) NEVER order Tropheus unless you have lots of metro on hand. If you wait to order it when you see bloat appears, by the time your metro arrives, you fish will be too far gone.

5) Over filtration is best for Tropheus. They are pigs and need clean water. If you over-filtrate you can do a water change every 2-3 weeks and it's no problem.

If you feed metro right off the bat and you keep them on their same food source you should be just fine. I made the mistake of not having metro on hand when I got my 16 Kazumbas and, of course, they bloated up. I managed to save 12. I won’t make that mistake again.

Tropheus are actually very easy to take care of once you get them past the initial arrival phase. Keep them on their spirulina based diet and all should be right with the world.

Tropheus Duboisi

There are a couple of arenas of thinking regarding Tropheus and aggression.

Some people like to have a ratio of 1 male to every 3 to 5 females. Others, myself included, have close to a 1 to 1 ratio. I suppose each has its benefits.

In my tank the only aggression comes from the males fighting each other. There are so many other them that I do not have a hyper-aggressive dominant male. All of the males show no aggression to any of my females in this setup. They are more concerned with defending their territory from other males.

Either the 1 to 4-5 ratio it is very common to end up with a hyper aggressive male. Unfortunately you will have little choice but to remove him from the tank. This leaves you with only one or two males left over. It may not be a problem but if they happen to die, you have a tank of females.

As you can guess, I prefer the 1 to 1 ratio, but the other method works well for many people.

As for crowding, you can put a lot of Tropheus into a tank as long as your filtration is good. You could put a single colony of 25-35 in a 75 gallon with no problem.

Article - Care and Maintenance of Tropheus

By Leigh Kissane

Perhaps you are in the initial stages of, what I like to call, the "Tropheus frenzy." This often begins by browsing the internet, looking at thousands of multi-colored fish, and soaking up as much information as you can regarding these wonderful fish. For a few of us, the next step involves a trip to our local fish store in the hopes of seeing some in person. Deciding which variant to keep is one of the harder questions you must answer. Who can keep just one after all?

Tropheus "Red Rainbow"

I'm sure many of you have tried, and given up on keepingTropheus. I have almost thrown in the towel myself at various times. I write this short article with the hope you will find this information useful and, more importantly, it will help to keep yourTropheus alive.

Over the years I have learned a few things that work well, mostly through trial and error, compounded by strings of good and bad luck. By no means is this article meant to be a comprehensive "how to" list. It is merely meant to help you successfully prepare and care for your Tropheus once they arrive. This has worked well for me; others may have different thoughts and experiences.

A wise and prudent aquarist should:

Always expect bloat when you get your Tropheus in from your supplier, be it mail order or your local fish store. I repeat always! If you expect bloat, then it does not matter if the fish actually get it or not. The point is to be prepared if they do. In my experience bloat hits juvenile's much worse than adults.  Adults seem to travel and handle stress much better.  You should consider this when making your initial purchase.

Tropheus Duboisi

Never order Tropheus unless you have metronidazole (metro) available. This medication, in my opinion, is the only reliable cure for bloat. If you wait to order it when you see bloat appear, by the time your metro arrives, you fish will be too far gone.

Having some metro on hand for the Tropheus arrival allows you to treat the tank for bloat in an unconventional way. I have found that it works very well if you soak their food in some dissolved metro the first few days after you get them. Tropheus will eat like pigs when you first get them so it is a good way to get the metro into their system. This should nip bloat before it begins. Using this method I have never had a case of bloat with my new arrivals. There are many advocates that say you should not feed yourTropheus for the first few days after arrival. Supposedly this helps them adjust and lessens their chance of getting bloat. My problem with this approach is that after a few days the Tropheus may not be eating, due to bloat, requiring you to dose the entire tank. A few metro soaked flakes/pellets in their bellies upon arrival may have prevented this from occurring in the first place.

Always get some of the food that the shipper is feeding them, this will help you to avoid giving them new food and causing them to bloat. You should slowly wean them off of whatever they are eating and feed them a spirulina flake/pellet diet. There are numerous suppliers of good, quality spirulina based flakes and pellets out there. Europeans are fond of using a shrimp mix as a staple food source for their Tropheus. While I do not like to use this type of food, they have had success. To keep it simple, I recommend spirulina.  I also wanted to add I have had great success feeding my Tropheus NLS.  NLS has become a staple of my fish room.

Over filtration is best for Tropheus. They are voracious eaters and require clean water. If you over-filtrate you can do water changes every 2-3 weeks and it's no problem. If one of your Tropheus fails to eat, in my experience, it is because they have bloat or it is a female with a mouthful of eggs.

By now you are saying "Ok great, thanks for the info. How do I know my fish has bloat?" Good question.

Tropheus Sp. Bemba

It has been my experience that if you're Tropheus does not eat; you should assume it has bloat.  Clamped fins with a swaying, swimming motion is another sign. Tropheus resting on the tank bottom is yet another cautionary sign. The easiest signs to detect, however, are a swollen stomach and long, stringy white feces. If you see these in your tank, begin treatment immediately. If you can detect and begin treatment quickly you should not lose any fish.

Tropheus are actually very easy to take care of once you get them past the initial arrival phase. Keep them on their spirulina based diet, maintain water quality, and all should be right with the world.