A few from the Tropheus Tank

[DogWalker]

I didn't do a whole lot of post-processing on most of these - just having some fun with the fish and camera.

Enter The Swarm...



Some smiling faces. How innocent they look - you'd think they'd gotten into the icing sugar.



Fishy business



The result of fishy business (holding mama)



Bringing up the next generation



Gotta love these guys. Pics just don't do their activity level justice!



After all that partying it's lights out and bedtime for all the rambunctious little T's. They'll usually all huddle together somewhere on the bottom around one of the rock piles.



Probably the keeper from this casual shoot.

[racerc20]

HOLY MOLY BATMAN!!!!!!!!
DOnt know which is better the QUALITY OF THE PHOTOS OR THE FISH...THOSE pics are gorgeous, those fish are GORGEOUS DAMN beautiful stuff....
Racer
PICS OF THE YEAR WINNER....

[DogWalker]

You're much too kind Racer, thanks! (Do I possibly sense a Tropheus tank in your future lol?)

[CichNewfie]

I agree with racer, beautiful fish and great pics. They are actually smiling, amazing. Am I to assume correctly that they are Africans?

[DogWalker]

Thank you Cichnewbie. Yes, Tropheus are from lake Tanganyika. There are many species each with their own color pattern. The appreance of a 'smile' is partly due to the whiteness around the mouths, which is from lip-locking. They do fight a fair amount but so far that's all been more like kids tumbling around the playground than anything murderous - knock on wood. You need to keep these guys in large numbers in a large tank to keep it that way.

[CichNewfie]

I figured they were not SA's. sigh. Thanks for sharing those great pics. If I was to get another tank, I'd definitely would want to get ones like those.

[racerc20]

WELLLLLLLL dogwalker, two weeks ago the mrs and i went to a fish swapmeet and the gentleman who hosted it is a breeder...he a tank full of about 20-25 Tropheus Ilangi...and we fell in love with them...the online hatchery i recd my saulosi from did not have any ilangi available so i went with the saulosi...but if i can find a way to sneak another 55 or 75 into the mix somewehere well you never know...how would yours and the ilangi get along do you know.... and again my photos do not compare to yours...
I bow in defeat lol...(but im gonna practice...)

[DogWalker]

Tropheus species do tend to crossbreed when kept together by most accounts, with the exception perhaps of T. duboisi which is less known to do so. Ilangi and duboisi might make a nice combo, but I would want a 6' tank to contemplate it. As a bonus, duboisi fry are an easy sell with their unique white polkadot on black coloring.

The conventional wisdom for a single colony is a 4' 75g tank minimum. A 55g is testing the limits it seems. I've only ever had this one colony however, and haven't tried it in a 4' tank of any size, except when they were juvies. They are currently in a 125g.

[RustyNut]

DW, Outstanding my man! Outstanding!

[DogWalker]

Thanks Rusty!

[Glaive]

DW, my hat is off to you. Tropheus are some of the most difficult Cichlids to shoot. You have presented excellent pictures of a great looking group.

[Loni]

How beautiful ..... thanks for sharing.

[Seedy]

Wow. Those are some great photos of some spectacular fish in a great looking tank. The cyanobacteria and algae growing on the rocks gives it a nice "established" look. I dig it

[TwistedSister]

I still love these pictures!

[DogWalker]

I still love these pictures!

Lol, I think you're trying to flatter me into dusting off my camera (thanks). It'll be awhile unfortunately due to some family priorities. For what it's worth though that colony is still going strong.