Hello from Cornwall.

Hello from Cornwall - been keeping fish for about 4 years and have just setup a more "serious" tank.

100 litre 3 foot, heavily planted with bogwood. Currently home to a pair of Apsito Macmasteri, a pair of Apisto agassizi & a small (about 1.5 inch) Ancistrus L144. I'm hoping to add a third pair of Apsito's this weekend and possibly a second Ancistrus if I can source one of the darker varieties. I've always wanted some - and they're really appealling characters. The Apsito's are brilliant to watch as they setup small territories and add a splash of colour.

Registered here to let you know how my little Ancistrus gets on and grows and also to find out more about these brilliant fishes - how fast should I be expecting he or she to grow ?

I feed live food - glass worms, daphnia (home raised), frozen bloodworm, Hikari algal wafers and peas. 25% water change twice per week with 2mls of Flourish every second water change for plants.

I've got some more plants coming this week (tomorrow hopefully) - more bog wood with Java Ferns, hair grass & some floating plants for even more cover.

A few pictures - first the Ancistrus L144 - not big enough to sex yet. I'll get a better picture as soon as my camera is repaired (it died last night when the ancistrus was out in the foreground - typical !)



And a general one of the tank :



I've not seen the Ancistrus feed yet - I drop the wafer and peas in after lightsout in total darkness and they are always gone by next day - just hope he (or she) is gobbling them up.

Welcome mate and thats one of the best intro's weve had here...

Its always good to see new members post pics from the off....

Hello and welcome, nice tank

Thanks for the welcome and words guys. What an amazing resource this place is. I probably won't be attempting breeding any time soon (fish, that is) as the water here isn't the best. I moved down here 8 years ago for the country life having lived in 'Nam (Cheltenham) - the water there was excellent. We have high phosphates here and very little minerals so I have to add coral sand to buffer. I've considered using rainwater for the tank and although it would suit the Apistos I'm not sure if the water will be too soft for the ancistrus. Definitely getting a second for the 3 foot once the last apsisto's are in - and have a 4 foot awaiting setup that I was given for free in the dining room. Wondering about some kind of ancistrus biotype setup. I think these really are the perfect catfish.

I've tried various methods to knock the phosphate off including expensive phosphate removing filter bags - these work but mean I have to rip the filtration apart every few weeks. I've found it best to simply put a bigger filter than the tank needs and leave it. The solution to my phosphate problem ... Salvinia Natans. Helps shade the tank and I just keep it to about 1/3 cover. Grows like crazy and my phosphate levels are back to being very low.

Anyway enough rambling - will be digesting everything on here over the next few days

Lovely job.

good good mark make sure you post plenty mate..

High and welcome to the forum MarkOrm
Sounds like you a decent understanding of keeping fish( especially using specific plants to alter
water quality)
Another word of advice , try feeding your L144 1/2 hour before you turn out the lights, if he's hungry
you should notice him eating- if he stays in his hiding spot then start to watch the Apisto's - being a cichlid
they have primarely a veggie diet too, so just to make sure your L144 is getting the food that dissappears before morning.
Happy browsing and posting.
J

He (or she) has a full belly and has been pooing so clearly now is eating.

I spent a fair bit of time watching him this evening - my Canon 40D died on me (only less than 10k actuations and out of warranty) so I apologise for the poor quality as I had to revert to my 10D for these.




Then I discovered this ... wow. Apisto's have spawned. pH is 7.0 so that shouldn't have happened.



And um double wow.



If they hatch I have no facilities or knowledge to look after them. Eek. But it was a lovely surprise and looks like I need to leave off getting any more fish until their (should be infertile) eggs get eaten.

Oh well- 1 fat full bellied and happy L144 and even happier Apisto's by the looks of it ,
great work MarkOrm.
J

Kurosaki J wrote:

High and welcome to the forum MarkOrm
Sounds like you a decent understanding of keeping fish( especially using specific plants to alter
water quality)
Another word of advice , try feeding your L144 1/2 hour before you turn out the lights, if he's hungry
you should notice him eating- if he stays in his hiding spot then start to watch the Apisto's - being a cichlid
they have primarely a veggie diet too, so just to make sure your L144 is getting the food that dissappears before morning.
Happy browsing and posting.
J

I tend to err on the side of underfeeding - and with Cichlids its very easy to see when they've had enough. I've watched Tetra's with bloodworms coming out of their gills before even though they're full. They way I see it there should be enough extra detritus in any tank to keep them fed. He's not eating that I can see but at his age you can see his stomach and its full. Expect fairly regular pictures and updates (is this the right place ?) I've spent a few years learning with the common species - and now want to keep fewer but more interesting ones. I toyed with idea of buying an larger ancistrus - but instead went for a pricey but small one with the the hope that if I manage to grow him to adulthood I've got a good 10 or so years with him / her.

Quote :

MarkOrm
Expect fairly regular pictures and updates (is this the right place ?)

You can start a new thread for what ever purpose , provided it is in the right section relative to what
your talkin about - by the way bring on the pix and updates , Curby loves it.
J

hi and welcome nice tank and i also love the dwarf cichlids

hi and welcome to the forum seems i will be down your end soon as moving to cornwall in the next few weeks..
im having to part with a lot of my fish as its a 400 mile move ..soo gutted but will be good to no others in area xx kaz x

k.bod wrote:

hi and welcome to the forum seems i will be down your end soon as moving to cornwall in the next few weeks..
im having to part with a lot of my fish as its a 400 mile move ..soo gutted but will be good to no others in area xx kaz x

Hey Kaz - I moved down here 8 years ago. I had a wonderful 6 foot tank which I couldn't find anyone to move - no removal company would touch it. Gutted I had to sell it (for a lot less than I paid for it). I had a wonderful community tank centred around a large school of cories. Happily the fish all found good homes. When I moved down here I didn't get a new tank as I was really upset about having to rip up my old one - though once i'd moved I found and married a Cornish girl who persuaded me a couple of years ago when I'd told her about what I used to have to go for it again. We've now ended up with ducks, rabbits, cats & dogs as well as fish !

Good luck with your move - let me know when you get down here !

In tank news - the apistos eggs were fine for a few days but gradually disappeared. They're looking very healthy - my ancistrus has grown visibily in the last week or so - new plants are in - photo's to follow.

I hope to add my final pair of apistos and hopefully an L183 over the next few weeks - just depends on what my LFS has in. If any one can help source a juvenile L183 (preferably male) I'd be eternally grateful.

**edit**

Just been reading about L183 and as gorgeous as they are thanks to the info on here my water is completely wrong.

I'll start a separate thread about darker ancistrus shortly. I'm looking at setting up the four footer as a species specific ancistrus tank. See what you've all done ?