Mbuna That Eats Duckweed?

[Sonny Disposition]

I'm not sure if the species long pelvic is going to make it.

If they don't, I'd like to try some other mbuna. One of the guys at the Chesapeake Killifish Association meeting said that years ago, he had kept Melanochromis johanni. Unlike the kind common in the hobby today, where both males and females are blue, he had a strain (subspecies?) where the males were blue and the females were yellow.

Anyway, he said they really plowed through the duckweed from his planted tanks.

Since I'm on hiatus from goldfish, it would be great to keep something else that would eat the duckweed that infests almost all of my tanks, rather than just throwing it away. (There's no such thing as a little duckweed.)

 

[longstocking]

Get a BIG mean Petrochromis and you won't have a single plant left in your tanks :lol:

Just kidding.... what's in the tank currently? anyhting other than the long pelvics? how big of tank?

 

[Sonny Disposition]

I have about sixteen tanks with something or other in them: yellow labs, aulonocaras, black banded sunnies, cories, ailing species long pelvics, daphnia, and red cherry shrimp. Not all in the same tank.

But what I'd like to do is set up a species tank with a duckweed-eating fish. Periodically, I collect the duckweed off the tops of the tanks. When I had goldfish, I dumped it in the goldfish tank. They'd eat it and grow big. I was wondering if I could duplicate the same principal with a colony of some herbivorous cichlid that would appreciate the duckweed and grow fast in response to it.

Get a BIG mean Petrochromis and you won't have a single plant left in your tanks :lol:

Just kidding.... what's in the tank currently? anyhting other than the long pelvics? how big of tank?[/b]

 

[longstocking]

WHat size of tank do you want to do this in?

Most mbuna will eat it... I think lol

THere are some tangs that would as well.

If you want a bit of a challenge along with something that would eat the stuff. I'd honestly set up a tank of Trophues Bob.

 

[Sonny Disposition]

That's a thought. I saw some nice red one's in the fry baby lady's slide show. To answer your question, I have sixteen or so tanks, tens, 20s, a 55 long, a 65 high, and a 29 high. I'd start them off small, say in a 20, then move them to the 55.

WHat size of tank do you want to do this in?

Most mbuna will eat it... I think lol

THere are some tangs that would as well.

If you want a bit of a challenge along with something that would eat the stuff. I'd honestly set up a tank of Trophues Bob.[/b]

 

[longstocking]

Get some babies ... 15 or so. Start them in the 20 and them move them up to the 55. It will be a fun and very active tank.

Mikey
Daniel
and myself

We all have fry of different variants.

 

[animicrazy]

If you want to bring duckweed to the next meeting I'm sure people (like me) would be glad to bid on it.

I have lots of Tropheus (sp. red Ndoel Bay) and I didn't know they would enjoy plants.


P.

 

[Sonny Disposition]

I'll try to remember to bring some. Be careful for what you wish for, though. Duckweed is the gift that keeps on giving.

If you want to bring duckweed to the next meeting I'm sure people (like me) would be glad to bid on it.

I have lots of Tropheus (sp. red Ndoel Bay) and I didn't know they would enjoy plants.


P.[/b]

 

[cyradis4]

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dad, you are very bad!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent several hours yesterday trying to clear the ductweed out of one of my tanks. I know you know I was, cuz you watched me!!!!!!!!!

NO MORE DUCTWEED!!!!!!!!!! Other plants, ok. But our tropheus can just make due with what is produced by the other tanks.

Say, Sonny, do you want some tropheus? They DO eat ductweed. I put a bunch in their tank yesterday and its gone now!!!!! These guys are those dad said he might be bringing to the Feb meeting. They are two to three inches, and I have WAY too many!!!!!!!

Later!
Amanda.

 

[longstocking]

oops sorry guys didn't know you had them as well.

Bob the variant they are talking about is a nice red variant. If you are good on your water changes you shouldn't have any problems keeping them. Just keep everything consistant.

If you want babies.... you know where to go

 

[Sonny Disposition]

Hey, thanks Amanda! Let me think about it. Are they one of the tropheus with a lot of red?

I have to think. It looks like the three surviving species long pelvic are going to pull through, so I'd have to do some rearranging to find room for new fish. Thanks for offering!

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dad, you are very bad!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent several hours yesterday trying to clear the ductweed out of one of my tanks. I know you know I was, cuz you watched me!!!!!!!!!

NO MORE DUCTWEED!!!!!!!!!! Other plants, ok. But our tropheus can just make due with what is produced by the other tanks.

Say, Sonny, do you want some tropheus? They DO eat ductweed. I put a bunch in their tank yesterday and its gone now!!!!! These guys are those dad said he might be bringing to the Feb meeting. They are two to three inches, and I have WAY too many!!!!!!!

Later!
Amanda.[/b]

 

[marge618]

I'm not sure if the species long pelvic is going to make it.

If they don't, I'd like to try some other mbuna. One of the guys at the Chesapeake Killifish Association meeting said that years ago, he had kept Melanochromis johanni. Unlike the kind common in the hobby today, where both males and females are blue, he had a strain (subspecies?) where the males were blue and the females were yellow.

Anyway, he said they really plowed through the duckweed from his planted tanks.

Since I'm on hiatus from goldfish, it would be great to keep something else that would eat the duckweed that infests almost all of my tanks, rather than just throwing it away. (There's no such thing as a little duckweed.)[/b]

Hi Bob: I have a Mbuna tank - 4 or 5 species. Will try adding duckweed and see what they think of it. At the moment there are no plants in the Mbuna tank at all. I thought they needed rocks, minerals from shells, and hard water. (no driftwood) They have been doing very well on cichlid flakes, algae wafers, and bio blend pellets. (There's a lot of duckweed in my planted tanks.)

What's a 'species long pelvic'?

Later,
Marge

 

[Sonny Disposition]

I've got a ton of duckweed, so if I get a chance to remove some of it before Saturday's meeting, I'll put some in a plastic bag for anyone who's actually silly enough to put it in one of their tanks.

"species long pelvic" is short for Pseudotropheus zebra, sp. long pelvic. [http://rkdzines.com/cichlidcellar/Malawi Photos.htm]

I bought a half dozen of them, but they came down with Malawi bloat. I treated them with clout, and lost three of them, but now it's looking like the remaining three might just make it. This morning, they were swimming, and their breathing wasn't stressed, and their stomachs weren't distended. Although they're still young, two look like they might be males (egg spots). With any luck, the remaining will turn out to be a female.

<div class='quotemain'>I'm not sure if the species long pelvic is going to make it.

If they don't, I'd like to try some other mbuna. One of the guys at the Chesapeake Killifish Association meeting said that years ago, he had kept Melanochromis johanni. Unlike the kind common in the hobby today, where both males and females are blue, he had a strain (subspecies?) where the males were blue and the females were yellow.

Anyway, he said they really plowed through the duckweed from his planted tanks.

Since I'm on hiatus from goldfish, it would be great to keep something else that would eat the duckweed that infests almost all of my tanks, rather than just throwing it away. (There's no such thing as a little duckweed.)[/b]

Hi Bob: I have a Mbuna tank - 4 or 5 species. Will try adding duckweed and see what they think of it. At the moment there are no plants in the Mbuna tank at all. I thought they needed rocks, minerals from shells, and hard water. (no driftwood) They have been doing very well on cichlid flakes, algae wafers, and bio blend pellets. (There's a lot of duckweed in my planted tanks.)

What's a 'species long pelvic'?

Later,
Marge
[/b][/quote]

 

[animicrazy]

I'm sure you already know this stuff - and I generally attempt to refrain from offering specific advice - (the disclaimer)

What has worked for me (or not):

1) don't like the med you used; I consider it a 'last resort'

2) metronidozole (in pure form) can work wonders

3) vegie flakes for a bunch of days can clear out a lot of intestinal junk

4) epsom salt works well - easier on the fish then meds

5) salt in general (yes, I know that lots of people don't add it to their tanks on a regular basis and their fish still live) but: I use salt in all of my tanks - in varying amounts (species dependent) - and my meds usage has dropped to almost nothing except for when I clean out wilds.

for what it's worth,

Paul.

 

[cyradis4]

Sonny,

I will be bringing a bag for the auction. They are the Red Ndole Bay. Maddog has pics up somewhere around here.....

Later!
Amanda.

PS: Dad says he posted this else where. If you hadn't figured it out already, Animicrazy is my father.....

 

[Sonny Disposition]

Thanks, Paul. Maybe I'll try that next time. I did use Epsom salt with the med, but it wasn't enough.

I'm sure you already know this stuff - and I generally attempt to refrain from offering specific advice - (the disclaimer)

What has worked for me (or not):

1) don't like the med you used; I consider it a 'last resort'

2) metronidozole (in pure form) can work wonders

3) vegie flakes for a bunch of days can clear out a lot of intestinal junk

4) epsom salt works well - easier on the fish then meds

5) salt in general (yes, I know that lots of people don't add it to their tanks on a regular basis and their fish still live) but: I use salt in all of my tanks - in varying amounts (species dependent) - and my meds usage has dropped to almost nothing except for when I clean out wilds.

for what it's worth,

Paul.[/b]