The big switch

[censeoflife]

Congrats on the saulosi tank. I've had mine for several years now and they have been a lot of "fun"! Of all the mbuna I keep, they are the only ones that bite me (hard enough to break skin!!).

I wondered, I can see the lil pink beaks, I can feel them grazing me know when I work on something. lol..

 

[censeoflife]

I loved my DIY backgrounds.... the only disadvantage is that they do cause a drastic PH spike, so make sure you have them in the tank with water doing several water changes for a week or so, this way ph will go back down.

Maybe I could set up a rubbermaid and cure it first? Or does it continue to buffer?

 

[censeoflife]

Pictures

Bruiser comes right over to me every time im checking out the action. Even waits for me to take his picture. Such a good fish. lol.

Roll with the pack or get left behind! lol

Romain they love it! Feeding frenzy.

Even Ducky (8" plec) got in on some of that green! lol

 

[Mikey]

AWESOME pics! I love it. Breed those babies!! :beer: Nicely done, sir

 

[sandnuka]

SO LUCKY! all my fish hate any fresh vege's I toss in there.... only one that will eat is the pleco and his cucumber.... I have to trick them by feeding them vege pellets after a 2 day fast... Keep them eating it, there color will be great!

 

[censeoflife]

They love that and algae wafers too. They get a staple HBH veggy flake with spirulina as well.

I re setup the rocks and pots today. Take some pics when the sand storm settles.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like you are making good progress!

 

[sandnuka]

Maybe I could set up a rubbermaid and cure it first? Or does it continue to buffer?

Should be fine that way.... Just make sure you keep it soaked for over 48 hrs, and 100% water change 3 -4 times. The higher buffer of the PH is good anyway for your cichlids... you just dont want it to initially spike.

 

[censeoflife]

Wenta different way

So I did rocks with the pots. Here are some shots. lol..

This is before shot

After...

Corner close up

Center close up

 

[sandnuka]

WOW! there are sooo many caves... you can probably get a bunch of extra fish in that tank and not have hardly any aggression cause they will all be satisfied with there caves very nice... looks great. wish I had that much stuff in my tropheus tank....

 

[censeoflife]

I saw that my young ones had no place to really get away from the alpha male, so I wanted to add more. After I got the rocks in I noticed my other juvy male started to color up right away. Since he can now claim a territory...lol. He looks cool, all yellow with black trim. Plus my large pleco in their needed a cave for daytime too.
I was also trying to build the back up nice and high and use the powerhead to create a current along the front. Sorta mimicking their natural environment.

 

[Betty]

Lots of great hiding places in there now.

 

[censeoflife]

I know right, tank looks empty in the morning. lol..

 

[Anonymous]

looks great. I know what you mean about the tank looking empty in the morning. In the 180 all of my Frontosa have hiding spots. I turn on the light in the morning and all I see are my Nerite snailzorz.

 

[censeoflife]

sneaky fish! lol..

 

[censeoflife]

No more POTS!! lol

I also got me a pictus catfish for this tank, I have been trying to get a pic, but he is a fast one.

 

[Mikey]

Looks fantastic! They're gettin bigger too!

 

[censeoflife]

Oh yeah! Right now I have 3 for sure females at 2+" same as the alpha male
1, I thought was female but is starting to lose its yellow (where the black comes in) at the same size.
I have one 1 3/4" looks male and gets picked on like one, runs in the pack.
And I still have all 6 of the F1 babies from Kevin, They are at about 1 1/2" from 3/4" when I got them.
Of the babies only one practices territory / mating dance so far and it is the largest of the group.

I may have 1 to many males here in 6 months or so... lol.


I sit mezmerized for hours on my bed with these fish. friggen awesome!

 

[larry.beck]

Yeah now that's what I'm talkin' about! Looking great!

 

[censeoflife]

A few more pictures

I had some good shots from before I got the pots out I thought I would share.

Coloring up real nice

One of the F1 fry from APFP

My new Synodontis, this territorial catfish has claimed a cave in the lave rock.

Full tank with all the new rock. The yellow / orange soulosi stand out so well.