210 gallon Frontosa build

Caperguy99

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 12, 2022
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Nova Scotia, Canada
Looks great mate. Any news about which fish you're getting as yet?
It sounds like Alison is going to be able to ship me some c. gibberosa (Kipili). Thanks so much for inspiring me to look stateside for international shipping options.

I’m hoping to get the fish towards the end of the month. I have another FX-6 with cycled media arriving this week, and so I think after that I’d be comfortable adding 6 small fish.
 

danotaylor

Dovii
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Jun 26, 2024
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My absolute pleasure mate! Glad Alison can assist you. You’ll be fine w 6 fish to begin with especially since you’re getting a cycled filter! Can wait to see your tank with the Gibbs! Let’s go 🥳🥳
 

Caperguy99

Piranha
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Mar 12, 2022
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Nova Scotia, Canada
A brief update -

A few days after filling the tank, I noticed a lot of floating substrate dust. Wasn’t sure what to do, so turned my FX-6 outlet upward and decided to wait it out. Seems to be settling out.

Today, I added my second FX-6 stocked with pre-cycled media in advance of the arrival of my fish. Alison from Cichlids and Herps is going to be sending me 6 c. gibberosa - they’ll be shipping out on Monday and (hopefully) arrive hearty and hale. Keep your fingers crossed.

I’ve got the temperature set to 78 and it’s holding. Pumps are working well. I’m going to take some water parameters tonight and look ahead to arrival!

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Caperguy99

Piranha
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Mar 12, 2022
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Nova Scotia, Canada
Arrival day! After a delay at the Canadian border of about a day, my 6 juvenile c. gibberosa (Moba) have arrived safe and sound from Alison at Cichlids and Herps. Thanks so much to ken31cay ken31cay for recommending them, and to danotaylor danotaylor for prompting me to look stateside. Without your suggestions, I definitely would have just wound up with Burundi’s. And thanks again neutrino neutrino for all your help, as well.

Four are settling in perfectly, even took a few pellets this evening.

Two seem to have been affected by shipping stress. One heavyset guy has been sitting on the ground in the caves, but is moving around more tonight. And there’s a small guy that hid in the rocks all afternoon, but seemed out and about a bit this evening as well.

Wish me luck growing this guys out!

IMG_4363.jpegIMG_4368.jpegIMG_4370.jpeg
 

danotaylor

Dovii
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Jun 26, 2024
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Awesomeness mate. My pleasure to assist. Looking forward to tracking their progress.

Do you know what the hold up was at the border?

I would leave the tank lights off for a couple days to assist the de-stressing process. They look in great condition so I would give them another day before feeding again as well. Let them completely settle in you beautiful tank with nice clean water. Once you see them actively sifting for food start slow and build from there!

Get after it mate! Whoop 🥳
 

Caperguy99

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 12, 2022
198
351
77
Nova Scotia, Canada
Awesomeness mate. My pleasure to assist. Looking forward to tracking their progress.

Do you know what the hold up was at the border?

I would leave the tank lights off for a couple days to assist the de-stressing process. They look in great condition so I would give them another day before feeding again as well. Let them completely settle in you beautiful tank with nice clean water. Once you see them actively sifting for food start slow and build from there!

Get after it mate! Whoop 🥳
Not sure what the delay was at the border - all taxes and duties had been paid. Altogether it took nearly 72 hours for the fish in transit - poor guys!

All seem to be settling in nicely now. The two that were more skittish at the beginning are swimming around now and starting to colour up. I am noticing, though, that they’re not quite bold enough to outcompete the others at feeding time. I feel like some are getting the lions share of the pellets while they sink, while the more timid ones are still scrounging around the bottom. Any ideas to make for a more even disbursal?

Also, if anyone wants to give me an approximation of how many small pellets I should be putting into the tank during a feeding for these little guys, I’d appreciate it. I don’t want to foul the water, but I also want to make sure they’re all getting their nutrition.
 
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neutrino

Goliath Tigerfish
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One heavyset guy has been sitting on the ground in the caves, but is moving around more tonight.
If this is one of those not eating much yet, it's probably not such a bad thing for now. Cyphotilapia get to be chunky fish, but they shouldn't look roundish. In any case they can go a while without eating much, so if a couple are a little slow getting acclimated it shouldn't be a problem. It's not unusual, really.

I don't know that I can precisely describe feeding amounts, it also depends on what you're feeding, size of pellets, etc. I tend to think in terms of a pinch or two at a time, which makes sense to me as the one doing the feeding but not precise. What I can tell you is I feed according to body profile, fish looking a bit skinny and I add a bit, but if they start to look round I adjust down a little. Getting them all the same doesn't always happen, but for the most part fronts should have a flat lower profile, not rounded out underneath. Not so flat at a small size is okay, kind of like a bit of baby fat, though it's not really the goal and by the time they're 3-3.5 inches I didn't want mine looking rounded. What you don't want is a bulging belly area, not healthy for them at all, can cause bloat, fatty liver, etc. An adult female carrying eggs is the exception.

I mainly do two things trying to distribute food evenly when some eat more aggressively than others, keep pellets small enough that a single fish can't gobble up a lot too easily and (for lower level feeders like Cyphotilapia tend to be) put food close to filter outlets to blow it around and make it sink faster.

...Some people don't like small fish in a big tank, but I don't mind it. To me it's closer to scale in the wild, so I actually enjoy that stage.
 

Caperguy99

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 12, 2022
198
351
77
Nova Scotia, Canada
If this is one of those not eating much yet, it's probably not such a bad thing for now. Cyphotilapia get to be chunky fish, but they shouldn't look roundish. In any case they can go a while without eating much, so if a couple are a little slow getting acclimated it shouldn't be a problem. It's not unusual, really.

I don't know that I can precisely describe feeding amounts, it also depends on what you're feeding, size of pellets, etc. I tend to think in terms of a pinch or two at a time, which makes sense to me as the one doing the feeding but not precise. What I can tell you is I feed according to body profile, fish looking a bit skinny and I add a bit, but if they start to look round I adjust down a little. Getting them all the same doesn't always happen, but for the most part fronts should have a flat lower profile, not rounded out underneath. Not so flat at a small size is okay, kind of like a bit of baby fat, though it's not really the goal and by the time they're 3-3.5 inches I didn't want mine looking rounded. What you don't want is a bulging belly area, not healthy for them at all, can cause bloat, fatty liver, etc. An adult female carrying eggs is the exception.

I mainly do two things trying to distribute food evenly when some eat more aggressively than others, keep pellets small enough that a single fish can't gobble up a lot too easily and (for lower level feeders like Cyphotilapia tend to be) put food close to filter outlets to blow it around and make it sink faster.

...Some people don't like small fish in a big tank, but I don't mind it. To me it's closer to scale in the wild, so I actually enjoy that stage.
I’m enjoying watching them a lot - even though it’s a big tank, they make use of it. They’re back and forth exploring the different rock piles all the time - definitely not just sitting around.

I have Hikari Discus Bio-Gold sinking pellets and I think I’m going to try and grab some Northfin sinking cichlid pellets also. Might supplement a couple of times a week with some frozen brine ship, as well. Good advice watching the body types - I’ll keep that in mind. I just feel bad for the little baby - it’s smaller than the others and that’s the one that’s been hiding more. I’ll try to make sure he/she gets some.

They’re definitely an interactive fish, as well. Four of the six seemed not bothered by the shipping at all - they’re always out front wiggling for food when I come in the room.
 
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