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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Sexing Lamprologus meleagris????

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03 Mar 2011 20:55 #1 by Clarke.. (Clarke..)
Sexing Lamprologus meleagris???? was created by Clarke.. (Clarke..)
OK have a problem here need to sex these fish big time i have 5 ill be down to 3 tomorrow i would like to have 1 male 2 female obviously!!! Iv looked it up everywere and numbers of people have told me size is the main key but honestly unless you have the fish a long period of time (long enough for fish to grow) how are you suppose to tell its female or if its a young male not fully grown??? is there a way??? iv also read on a few sites that coloration means nothing and that a fully flared female can be just as colorfull as a male sumtimes even more???? well there my problem all comments and help greatly appreciated ;) cheers ;)

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03 Mar 2011 23:28 #2 by SSS (Sion S)
I've never kept shell dwellers so not sure if its possible or not, but have you vented them?

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03 Mar 2011 23:39 #3 by Clarke.. (Clarke..)
Replied by Clarke.. (Clarke..) on topic Re: Sexing Lamprologus meleagris????
:laugh: im not even sure if venting them is possible definitely not by the eye or standard magnifying glass there tiny fish especially the meleagris so iv bin told but ill take any advice on this cheers mate ;)

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03 Mar 2011 23:59 #4 by derek (Derek Doyle)
it is not really possible to sex these monomorphic fish if they are juvenile. too small and immature for venting which is hard enough when dealing with larger fish such as tropheus or frontosa.
the best you can do is guess, based on larger male size. it is usual and best to raise a small group and watch for the greater aggression in the developing males. if you keep only 2 individuals the bigger one will bully and harass the other to death.
if you really have to reduce the group to a pair or trio you could try the following tricks which should indicate gender if both gender are present in the group. put one shell into tank and the first one to take ownership should be a male, then watch out for the most docile ones and these might be female.
ps
although adult at a couple of inches these fish have all the pugnacity and character of their larger cousins and before maturity the stronger males will see females as weaker compeditors rather than future breeding partners. thats why it is best to keep groups rather than duo's or trios until mature enough to pair off. they are sometimes referred to as the pearly occelatus but i have found them to be tougher than this species.
hope this helps paul

30 tanks specialise in african cichlids, angelfish and various catfish

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04 Mar 2011 00:13 #5 by Clarke.. (Clarke..)
Replied by Clarke.. (Clarke..) on topic Re: Sexing Lamprologus meleagris????
Any help at this stage derek ;) like i said i have 5 nioce little group in a 60L i was to understand it would be large enough!! i have 10 to 12 shells in the tank the day i put them in the 2 larger ones snatched them straight away without hesitation!
(presumed male but only a inch and ahalf in size mayby not fully grown) i have the shells split in small groups around the tank 6" as much as posible , it took a day or 2 for the third fish to take his own shell and make a territory 3 in the tank are thriving but there is 2 that are constantly hideing under filters and on top of them being challenged any time they they try come down from the filter, this is what has made me think that the tank is not big enough, i have even tryed adding large narrow rocks to break line of sight from each other but to no avail ????

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04 Mar 2011 00:20 - 04 Mar 2011 00:23 #6 by derek (Derek Doyle)
it needs dither fish to distract them from targeting each other. its likely but not certain that the weaker fish are females.
but keep the group together if possible.
tank is big enough, just keep water quality good.

30 tanks specialise in african cichlids, angelfish and various catfish
Last edit: 04 Mar 2011 00:23 by derek (Derek Doyle). Reason: add script.

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04 Mar 2011 00:26 #7 by Clarke.. (Clarke..)
Replied by Clarke.. (Clarke..) on topic Re: Sexing Lamprologus meleagris????
brilliant derek ;) i would love to keep them all maybey more shells aswell??? curious derek what would you recommend for a dither fish that would suit this tank and species??

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04 Mar 2011 01:06 - 04 Mar 2011 01:07 #8 by derek (Derek Doyle)
smallish rainbows are best as the water will suit.
best food for shelldwellers is frozen cyclops.

30 tanks specialise in african cichlids, angelfish and various catfish
Last edit: 04 Mar 2011 01:07 by derek (Derek Doyle).

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04 Mar 2011 01:12 - 04 Mar 2011 01:14 #9 by Clarke.. (Clarke..)
Replied by Clarke.. (Clarke..) on topic Re: Sexing Lamprologus meleagris????
good stuff,, is there s specific name for these rainbow fish tryed to google it but got nothing but kids drwaings :laugh: , as for the food ill look into the frozen cyclops im currently feeding them the nls u gave me and recommended!! my malawis love it went out and picked up large tub earlyer this week ;)
Last edit: 04 Mar 2011 01:14 by Clarke.. (Clarke..).

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04 Mar 2011 12:03 #10 by Clarke.. (Clarke..)
Replied by Clarke.. (Clarke..) on topic Re: Sexing Lamprologus meleagris????
Cheers for all the help and advice i picked up 3 or 4 rainbows today ;) gonna redo layout of tank and add the dither fish and hopefully things will pick up ;)

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