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
shyness in mbuna's
- tippstar (colm norris)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 48
- Thank you received: 0
I moved my sub adult mbuna’s into a trigon 350 tank there about 3 months ago and ever since whenever I go into the room to either look or feed them they hide underneath all the rocks.
The water temp is around 25.5 and I do a weekly 40L water change and they all look healthy so I can’t understand what’s happening. In the past they were in a 180l rectangular tank and at feeding time where always up at the top fighting for food. I have not changed their diet so I don’t think that is the issue.
Has anybody ever come across this issue and know of a way of curing it. I was reading up about using dither fish with certain types of cichlids but never came across using them with mbuna’s.
thanks
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- gerryberry (Jeff Daly)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 480
- Thank you received: 4
How does the decor of the tanks differ, just thinking maybe they need more hiding spaces to feel more secure, thus they should come out more.
had something similar in my own mbuna tank, it was positioned beside the sitting room door and every time i walked by they would scatter into hiding. I rearranged the rockwork, especailly putting pieces of rock down low at the front of the tank and it worked a treat.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- tippstar (colm norris)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 48
- Thank you received: 0
i added a lot more rocks and caves than before but i thought that was what the mbuna's needed. The rock structure is mainly between the middle and the back of the trigon.
i might try your idea and move the structure out closer to to the front but that will leave a space in the back.
maybe a trigon 350 tank is not suited to a malawi setup!
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- igmillichip (ian millichip)
-
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 3366
- Thank you received: 536
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Gavin (Gavin)
-
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 518
- Thank you received: 24
dont make me come over there.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- igmillichip (ian millichip)
-
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 3366
- Thank you received: 536
mmmm tanks by the door believe it or not can some times cause problems,door shutting can scare fish!also heavy traffic areas (like a door) can cause the fish to hide, from their perspective dark shadows moving by can look like large predators. I'd try and add a shoal of ditther fish to help with their confidence. If youre not pushed on mixing I've had great success over the years using rainbows for just this purpose.They love hard water too and are a beautiful fish.(boesmani seem to be the best)
The “ditther fish” (as Gav calls them) are very useful with shy fish.
I use ‘ditther-fish’ if needed and where they can be used (and some are surprising additions that work very well…and eventually add that little bit of a difference to a tank, and may even become a nice focal point).
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- tippstar (colm norris)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 48
- Thank you received: 0
they hide down at the bottom of the rock formation. i will try get a picture up of the rock formation if i can.
i might try using dither fish. i have a shoal of tiger barbs in another tank. would they be suitable?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Gavin (Gavin)
-
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 518
- Thank you received: 24
dont make me come over there.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dar (darren curry)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 1539
- Thank you received: 17
Check out the angling section, it is fantastic
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- tippstar (colm norris)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 48
- Thank you received: 0
thanks for all the help so far
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- KenS (Ken Simpson)
-
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 940
- Thank you received: 10
It's not often somebody is told to add more fish:)
Regards,
Ken.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- tippstar (colm norris)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 48
- Thank you received: 0
can i add smaller mbuna to an existing setup?. Would i be better off trying to get females or does it matter.
i am currently using a eheim 2075 external filter so was wonder what type of stocking level shound i have?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- KenS (Ken Simpson)
-
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 940
- Thank you received: 10
That filter should be ok on a 350l. Make sure you add fish slowly over a few weeks so as not to trigger a mini cycle.
Regards,
Ken.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- derek (Derek Doyle)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 1397
- Thank you received: 133
if adding new tankmates to a malawi set up it is easier to add smaller size fish which are not seen as a threat. if you add bigger fish they will be seen as a threat and will be attacked and maybe killed.
rainbows are a good dither fish with most tanganyikans, haps or victorians, but will be hammered by mbuna. best dither fish for mbuna are a group of the shoaling acei.
30 tanks specialise in african cichlids, angelfish and various catfish
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- SSS (Sion S)
-
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 168
- Thank you received: 10
Please Log in to join the conversation.