Nannochromis Transvestitus Experience

[cockroach]

Third time was the charm
The silicone curing


The male not so happy after being left on his own in the previous quarantine tank.


I have put the female alone in the tank to start with. I want to fatten her up and condition her as well as give her a week to get to know the tank well so when the male is added, she knows where to go and what to do.


The tank setup

 

[cockroach]

Added the male tonight.
I am glad I waited before adding him. The moment they saw each other they started changing colors. They were swimming side by side happily.

I have a 6L container I use to condition and soften the water for these fish with leaves and other botanicals. About an hour or so before adding the male, I placed the container in the freezer to chill the water. After the male was in the tank for about 30 mins or so I added the cool water. It has small pieces of decaying leaves and mosquito larvae and was COLD.

Within 10~15 mins of adding the water they started courting. The male wanted to lure the female to a corner with leaf litter. But, the female had found a small cave and dug it out. Eventually the male followed.

I have noticed, besides the male dominating through aggression, the female seems to be in charge of all other matters and how fast/slow they happen. She initiates courtship, has the male follow her, selects the space, etc.

Here are some pics from this evening. Sorry for the quality. They have not been cleaned up or sharpened.

 

[Milingu]

The male not so happy after being left on his own in the previous quarantine tank.
View attachment 1468762

Is this picture showing the male?

 

[jake37]

This article suggest that after you breed them you will have to separate them... was that the actual case ?

Experiences with Nanochromis transvestitus | TFH Magazine

Nanochromis transvestitus may be a challenge to keep, but it can yield big rewards if managed successfully. The author explains how.

www.tfhmagazine.com

 

[cockroach]

Is this picture showing the male?

Yes. Right after a huge water change (90%+). Took him about 24hrs to settle back in.

 

[cockroach]

This article suggest that after you breed them you will have to separate them... was that the actual case ?

Experiences with Nanochromis transvestitus | TFH Magazine

Nanochromis transvestitus may be a challenge to keep, but it can yield big rewards if managed successfully. The author explains how.

www.tfhmagazine.com

I read this a few times. To mitigate the need for this, I designed the tank (hopefully) in such a way, that the female will have more than enough cover to get back into breeding condition. If not, I have space to house the male until he is needed again.

I also have space to move the fry and separate them if need be.

 

[Milingu]

Yes. Right after a huge water change (90%+). Took him about 24hrs to settle back in.

Oh. That looks like a female. Males do not have vertical white stripes in the caudal fin, but a horizontal white border in the upper part.

 

[cockroach]

Oh. That looks like a female. Males do not have vertical white stripes in the caudal fin, but a horizontal white border in the upper part.

Ah crapsticks.
I see what you are talking about. I didn't even pick up on that.
The smaller fish dug a cave under a rock. Will see what happens.

 

[cockroach]

Yeah they both turned out to be female. The shop said they will ship me a male as soon as they get one in. Which I am going to assume will not be that soon. In the meantime, the tank is maturing splendidly for the eventual breeding and fry.

I added a guppy breeding box on the back and seeded it with all sorts of microfauna that slowly spill over into the main tank but remain out of reach of the tank inhabitants. This should save the population from obliteration while keeping a steady flow of critters to feed on.

 

[fishguy1978]

Yeah they both turned out to be female. The shop said they will ship me a male as soon as they get one in. Which I am going to assume will not be that soon. In the meantime, the tank is maturing splendidly for the eventual breeding and fry.

I added a guppy breeding box on the back and seeded it with all sorts of microfauna that slowly spill over into the main tank but remain out of reach of the tank inhabitants. This should save the population from obliteration while keeping a steady flow of critters to feed on.
View attachment 1474313

Bummer deal on both being females but hey once you get the male and can move him between females your spawn production should be incredible. ?