tropheus duboisi

[WorldNation]

any suggestions on how to care for these guys? i purchased one about a week ago, about 1 inch now, and hes one of the coolest fish in my tank. so any health care, feeding suggestions for him would be a great help. thnx

[Rudy]

Do a lot of reading.
http://www.gcca.net/index.htm?content=/fom/Tropheus_duboisi.htm


Tropheus should live in large groups only. Not by themselves and not with most other cichlids.

They are extremely sensitive to protein and one of the hardest fish to keep alive.

Good luck. This may be the excuse you need to get another tank

[WorldNation]

dang! hes one of my best fish too. crap:( i thought he was being overfed.

i wish i could get a new tank, but i just cant. no room and i wouldnt be able to afford keeping 2 tanks. i made a big mistake buying the poor guy. any recomendations on what to do?

[jnorris]

feed them flake food. Or sell him back or he will die.

[Rudy]

I still think he will die. I would suggest you take him back, or better yet, get more and set them up as a colony. From what I hear and know of them if they are alone, they will not do well regardless of what you feed them. There are many fishkeepers that can't stand tropheus as they are one step under discus as far as how difficult they are to keep. Crystal clear water is a must.

I personally wouldn't mind taking a crack at keeping them! Only problem is my wife will hardly let me keep what I got. :oops:

[jnorris]

My soon to be wife just bought me a Frontosa for X-MAS

[WorldNation]

yeh, i took him back yesterday. hes doing much better with his lil budies back over at that store:) i visit him now. lol

but when i asked them what he feeds, he showed me, and it was the same stuff i was giving them, but their all fine at the store, eh, i dunno. oh well, hes gone from me now:)

[WorldNation]

wow jnorris, youre one lucky man*nods* lol

[mash35231]

I have 24 T.Duboisi and I feed them Aquadine spirulina, algae wafers and New Life Spectrum formula.

[SGypsyMermaid]

what size is the tank? got any pics?

[jnorris]

I also would like to know what your using for filtration. Any more than usual. I have considered a tank of Tropheus, but I need to do some good research first. A lot of people get discouraged with keeping them.

[mash35231]

I use a 125 wet/dry, and a Aquaclear 500. I just purchased a protein skimmer but it hasn't had much time in the tank so I don't know if it will do anything for me yet. Oh yea, the tank is 125 gallons.

[jnorris]

Ya I hear protein skimmers are good for Trophs.

Do you have any pictures as Gypsy suggested. Also, if you wish I would like some detailed experiences and perhaps words of wisdom for Tropheus.

I think they are the ultimate in proving ones African fish keeping skills...Just my opinion :D

[mash35231]

Ive only been keeping fish for 6 months so I really don't have a lot of wisdom to share. I chose Duboisi and T.M. Mpulungu after alot of reading and fish shopping. I would suggest a book by Dr. Paul Loiselle called "The Cichlid Aquarium" which is full of information that a cichlid keeper should know. I have an old 1984 edition of the book. I do keep T.M. Mpulungu (9) in the same tank as the Duboisi. I have a few pictures but I'm not sure how to attach them.

[jnorris]

Have you had any deaths?....or learning experiences along the way?

Sounds like you did your homwork before purchasing them (looking at your feeding schedule)...GFY

I hear you are on the right track with protien skimmers, I have been interested in Tropheus since I got into the hobbie.

There is a lacking Tropheus post on this forum...Welcome Aboard!

[jnorris]

Have you had any deaths?....or learning experiences along the way?

Sounds like you did your homwork before purchasing them (looking at your feeding schedule)...GFY

I hear you are on the right track with protien skimmers, I have been interested in Tropheus since I got into the hobbie.

There is a lacking Tropheus post on this forum...Welcome Aboard!

[SGypsyMermaid]

i don't think that protein skimmers work in fresh water. :confused:

[jnorris]

I have heard of more than a handfull Tropheus keepers doing it....I thought they were crazy also....

I have no experience with any of the above.

Well not true, I hooked my Eheim up to a surface extractor (same principle) It does reduce my surface pollution on my 90 gallon.

I don't see myself going out and getting one anytime soon....THey claim it works well for Tropheus (that and wet dry filters).

[jnorris]

I have heard of more than a handfull Tropheus keepers doing it....I thought they were crazy also....

I have no experience with any of the above.

Well not true, I hooked my Eheim up to a surface extractor (same principle) It does reduce my surface pollution on my 90 gallon.

It works well when you have a cat and the assoc. hair.

I don't see myself going out and getting one anytime soon....THey claim it works well for Tropheus (that and wet dry filters).

[mash35231]

I don't know if a protein skimmer will help but with the amount of waste these fish produce I thought it may help. Time will tell. No deaths yet with my colony. I don't baby them either. I add water treatment to the tank along with bacteria "Cycle" and do a 20% water change each week. The water is from the tap ! So far I haven't figured out what the big deal is with keeping these fish. It's not because I'm a great fish keeper.

[aharris]

Sometimes, people just do it right without realizing it, or they've done their research, or some combination of the above.

I'm not a great fishkeeper either, but I've had some pretty good successes. I just try to do whatever I can to make the conditions I have match the conditions the books say the fish come from. So far, so good. At least my julis think so.

My husband swears I have a "scaley thumb." I still don't know why my corey cats spawned, but they did, and that after I'd just got done reading an article about a guy who couldn't get his coreys to spawn until a flood washed them all out of their tanks!

In short, experience helps a lot, but it's not absolutely essential. Just take care to do the very best you can by your fish, and things should come out all right.