A sad farewell to Small Fry and the Little Pink Girl

[merlyn2221]

I lost two of my favorites this past week and I am very upset about it.
:bawl:

Small Fry was a fuelleborni female that I have had since she was less than a half inch.

The Little Pink Girl was a trewavasae female that I have had for a three months.

Both of them died when I made the transition between the 55g and the 120g. Everything was good: all the water conditions were the same, temp was the same, etc., but both of them must have found it hard to adjust more than the others. I was so worried for Small Fry, and almost didn't mover her, but I didn't think it would be good for her to be in with the Tangs in the 55.

I feel terribly guilty because I moved her; she was an OB female and so cute. I hope she forgives me for my bad choice. :bawl:

[SGypsyMermaid]

:( :confused: it's really weird that you lost 2 labeotropheus species. sorry to hear it.

[merlyn2221]

I thought the same thing. I wonder if they are more sensitive to moving than Pseudo., Lab., or Melan.?

Either way, I'm still upset. :bawl:

[matt1066]

Sorry for your loss, it really stinks when you loose a fish, especially when it grew up with you. But you did your best to make them happy. Just think of the other tanks they could have ended up in? Just keep on doing your best thats all we can do. the rest is out of our control, so don't be so hard on yourself.

Life goes on.......

Regards,

Matt

[merlyn2221]

Thanks Matt.

[Frontosa29]

you know I have had a lot of problems keeping trewavasea alive..i bought my female as an adult and have never had problems w/ she constantly has a mouthfull of eggs...but i decided to buy her a male...im sure she doesnt really care but for my own pathetic piece of mind I did it....male #1 fine for two weeks eating frolics among his peers no problems...out of no where dead..mind you perfect water and no signs of fighting...ok i get another one and while i was cleaning my filters i removed the sponge from the penguin powerhead and i come back the power head making a strange noise i look only to find an evicerated trewavasea stuck underneath...what luck im on my third male trawavasea things look hopefull cross your fingers..

[merlyn2221]

Geez. Front...I thought my luck with them was bad.

What's with them, I wonder?

I replaced the Little Pink Girl with a new Little Pink Girl and she seems fine now for the past several weeks.

Small Fry's sister is still hanging in there, too. So are her four brothers. Those guys chase each other around the tank like crazy! I'm trying to farm them out because I don't want them killing each other in the future.

[Overawed]

I know it hurts Merlyn. I am sorry for your loss. I am fascinated with fuelleborni and trewavasae and wish I could keep one or two. They are beautiful. Here's to you for keeping them!

[merlyn2221]

Oh, you know it's horrible. Especially if you have them since they were fry. Anyway...
I think my OB female trewavasae is holding! :dance: Doesn't that just beat all!

Too bad you aren't closer; I'd give you Small Fry's brothers (fuelleborni). They fight constantly now that they are getting bigger.

I love the trewavasae's and fuelleborni's little "bronty noses." (My husband's term for the fatty deposit feeding adaptation - short for Brontosaurus nose.) :D

Their behavior is definately amusing, especially the marmalade cat that is the father of the OB female's possible mouthful. He's a trip! Flits around showing himself off all the time. He has 4 females he chases constanly and displays fins for. And boy is he gorgeous! (But he knows it.) :lol:

[Overawed]

I remember you talking about the cat, he sounds like trouble :)

I hope Small Fry's bros don't wreck your tank. I would love to have one. I have no more room. I don't have room for what I have now. :(

[merlyn2221]

Originally posted by Overawed I hope Small Fry's bros don't wreck your tank. I would love to have one. I have no more room. I don't have room for what I have now. :(

Me either! :wink:

[stefanos.f]

After I readed all the things you guys wrote I must say I was shocked!!! I never had problems with Lab.trewavasae, not even once! To tell you the truth its the only group I still have exactly the way they were (1male + 3 females) when I first got them and started with them! So far they have produced more then 400 babies and I still have 150 - 170 of them in my tanks! I have sold the rest! I also move the females around very often as well as the male... I never had any kind of problem with these fishes!

[matt1066]

Hi Stehanos,

Where are you? Would love to get a small harem.

Regards,

Matt

[SGypsyMermaid]

forget it, matt...he's in greece.

[JonZeigler]

I going to say that I know how you feel. At least 4 years ago I re-explored as a hobbist. I puchased 7 Cichlids at once. I think two died within a year. I think I stressed them. One got caught in the filter. Later, after they grew and mutured, I realized female was holding. Thought she had parasites when I looked in her month:lol:. Lost all fry (between being suck into filter and just dissappearing). Lost a couple more of sickness. By now its over two years. Now the good part; had beautiful productive female, do tank cleaning, place fish in holding bucket, go to LFS, return, and female has jumped out of bucket. The same aggressive Estherae I've been talking about in the other thread was in the bucket with her. That why I don't want to let him go. His been with me from the beginning.
I was about to give up. Few months later, puchase a couple of new Pseudo Zebras. One dies, the other matures. A few months later, she holding. Remove her from the tank, place her in holding tank, and she dies(heater won't work correctly-she frys). Fry live. All seven doing fine. I am scared to put them in the main tank.

Hay, but what U gone'a do????

[stefanos.f]

Yap Matt I m sorry but I do live a bit far from you! ha ha haaaaa ha If not I would give you as many Lab.trewavasae as you could take, I promise!

[matt1066]

Ya soo, SGM

Thanks

Matt

[merlyn2221]

Unbelievable!