breeding tropheus moorii

[Punetangler]

What conditions and any tricks to breed psuedotropheus moori's :confused:

[aharris]

Pristine water, weekly large water changes, a sufficient group, a proper diet, the right pH, enough space, etc.

Basically, do a google search on Tropheus moori and read up. You'll usually find some articles written by folks who have been successful at breeding them in the past. In general, if you do everything you can to make sure that all the environmental parameters are the best you can make them for the species, they should breed given time and patience.

Here's a link to a family-hatchery that has good tips on it:

http://www.jdtropheus.com/

[hazard]

aharris pretty much summed it up.

I have 5 groups of tropheus and 2 groups are adults and breeding for me. I change the water once a week. I feed Jehmco's veggie flake and I watch them like a hawk for bloat and I still get it every few months. Always have a bottle of metro on hand. I would have groups larger then 10 with 15 to 20 being optimal. I wouldn't have a group in a tank smaller than a 75g but I know people that have groups of 6 in a 55g that get along fine.

Chris

[Punetangler]

I have decided that it is to difficult and expensive to make a simple tank for Morii's of only one certain species to breed. I have a yellow flake1.5", orange flake1.75",firecracker2"(defanatly the alpha male of the entire tank), duboisi1.5", and 4 Nbumba's1"-1.5".
There are 4 other fish in my tank. A neolamprologus cylindricus, a small frontosa, and a male and female pair of some fish of witch i have no clue. I think resembles a miniature altolampralogus calvas(without spots), about 2" from nose to the end of the tail. They are definately a pair, and a male and female(male has a knot on his head and protects the female.)
I am on my water conditions like a madman. I have only a 55g w/ a xp, xp3, uv sterelizer, and a jerry-rigged large bio-weel I took off of a return from magnum350 canister filter. I use seachem tanganyikan buffer and lake salts, along with kent's cichlid essentials. Feed them O.S.I. spirulina 3 times a day along with small amounts of Spectrum Cichlid Formula mixed in.
How large do the tropheus morii's have to be before they will breed? Will different sub-species of Morii's interbreed? Are the other fish O.K in the tank? Is it possible I might see some action?
Should I just go all tropheus?

[Punetangler]

Any chance of a brood anywhere? Any species? How can I post picturesof unidentified fish?

[tom]

Originally posted by Punetangler

How large do the tropheus morii's have to be before they will breed? Will different sub-species of Morii's interbreed? Are the other fish O.K in the tank? Is it possible I might see some action?
Should I just go all tropheus?

In order: The better part of two years in age. Yes. Not advisable. Eventually. Yes.




How can I post picturesof unidentified fish?

http://cichlidforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1292

[aharris]

I've advised before. If you are serious about tropheus in your tank size, you need to get all the other fish out first off. Second, you need to get rid of all the tropheus except for the duboisi. When it's your only fish, you need to get about 10 more duboisi. T. duboisi is the one tropheus that has the easiest time forming smaller breeding groups. It can be done with the others, but it isn't likely to go well, and like some mbuna, you may wind up with just one fish when all is said and done.

One mroe thing that I forgot to add:
A frontosa has no buisness living with tropheus. Romove one or the other. The Front is a piscivore; he eats all protein in the form of other fish. The tropheus are herbivores; they eat all veggies in the form of algae. There is no way you can maintain the two together without one species or the other not receiving the food it needs to be truly healthy. Too much protein will literally kill tropheus (bloat), and while your Front might subsist on veggies, he's not going to be healthy either no matter what PETA may say.

Besides, if a group of tropheus has the potential to outgrow your tank size, one Front will definately outgrow it. A single Front could conceivable be kept in a 75g tank, but it would be a tight fit. 55g is just right out.

[tom]

Originally posted by aharris
If you are serious about tropheus

IMHO, that pretty much hits the proverbial nail square on. Keeping Tropheus is an exercise in both patience and perseverance. Unless you simply have to have wild-caughts, consider beginning with several--twenty or more--juveniles at or near once, regardless of species, particularly if you're now limited to a 55g, although the tank should fit the fish and not vice versa (while they're growing, you can plan out a tank with more area for territories). While Trophs aren't slow growers physically, they do take their time maturing sexually and to exhibit accompanying characteristic aggression (although juvies are themselves pretty feisty). Consider, too, that keeping Tropheus--any fish, really--is (or ought to be) a fun educational experience, and observing them as they grow up is an important part of that learning. After the upteenth month, you'll know your fish better than anyone on any forum possibly could and can then begin exhanging breeding tips, etc. with other keepers of this beautiful genus. If you're serious about breeding Tropheus, your chances for success will be greatly increased as a result.

- just a thought.

[hazard]

My T. bemba started breeding at about 9 months. The females were 2.5" and the males were 3". I was only getting 3 fry at a time. I also have a group of duboisi that are almost a year and at 3" and don't like they willl be breeding for awhile

Chris

[tom]

hazard

I noticed you depend on metronidazole to battle bloat. When you suspect one fish with bloat, do you immediately treat all the tankmates with that medication? If so, have you had a situation where a single fish died but no others were affected in the same tank ( at least shortly thereafter)?

[hazard]

Now my method of madness is if I see a fish with bloat I treat the whole tank for one treatment of metro and a few cups of Morton pickling salt and if the infected fish is not cured, I then put it in a 10 gallon tank for a double dose treatment. I have had fish die during the treatment of the main tank because I didn't notice it in time. Generally if the fish have had bloat a few days before I catch it they are toast no matter what I do.

At first I seperated the infected fish and had done a metro treatment in a 10g but didn't pay attention to my main tank and I had bloat within a few days and payed the price for my laziness.

I recommend treating the whole tank right at the start of bloat. Metro isn't cheap when you have to treat a 125g but it is better then losing 50 tropheus

Chris

[tom]

The reason I ask is this: Right now I have two tanks each with a colony of T. duboisi. The inhabitants of tank A have not been treated at all with medication of any sort. The fish in tank B, after introduction, were fed metronidazole (Flagyl 250mg tabs) as a paste, mixed with flake. What got me on this was an experience with bloat where I couldn't save one fish but immediately treated with metronidazole after I noticed the familiar symptoms of the stricken fish, and no other fish fell ill. Isolated case? We'll see.

[hazard]

Tom

I have been stew'in for the last half hour after I read your post. The reason this is, is that I just got over a treatment of metro in my 125g and I found another one with bloat. So I have to go thru the whole process again. They were all eating fine on Monday. This sucks!!

The reason I am getting bloat is kind of my own fault. I have so many fish right now that I am combining tanks to make room for more. In my 125g I have 9 WC kala(4-5"), 11 duboisi(2-3"), and chilanga(2-3"). I added my 18 kala fry (1-2") in about 2 weeks ago. I got bloat about 3-4 days after I introduced them. The smallest ones in the group get the bloat.

I have started to notice a pattern in my bloat episodes. The subdominant males and the smallest fry get stressed out and get bloat. I have great water quality and I use probably the best food on the market(Jehmco graze flake) so it isn't that.

Your number 2 option sound very good. The next time I order from Jehmco I was going to get the flake mixed with metro.

Chris

[tom]

In case anyone reading this does decide to treat (either reactively or proactively) their Tropheus with metronidazole, here's what I've done with success (remember: your mileage may vary, and metronidazole as described here does require a prescription from a board-certified physician; your veterinarian may also be able to prescribe it):

This assumes that your fish are still eating.

A single treatment for 20 younger Tropheus requires no more than 100mg of the medication (simply take a 250mg tab and split it; the tablets crush and powder easily), mixed with just enough water and flake to make a paste that holds together just long enough for your fish to ingest. Of course, much of the medication will practically dissipate after introduction into the water. Use water changes to remove remnants, although I have found that the drug used in this quantity and manner is not at all harsh. Once-a-month preventive treatments have proven safe.

Because metronidazole is an (gram-negative) antibacterial and antiparasitic, I've added no other chemicals to attack such potential pathogens, and I'm unsure if their addition is therapeutic for any creature other than the fishkeeper.

Please note that I am neither a veterinarian nor a physician :eek:; my semi-attentive guide is just a cardiovascular surgeon, and NOT a fish expert by any means! If you have any doubts, you should contact a fish vet (see if your local university has an aquatic animal health program).

[Punetangler]

Thanks for all the dreat info, I realize that my greatest limmitation is my tank size. There are many other things I got to iron out and wait for before I get some results. Thanks again