Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
I screwed up the overflow box, had to send it back for modification. )^:
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hobbies New aquarium!
- Thread starter Uncle Eckley
- Start date
CaneDog
eXtreme
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
Well shoot, Unc. How long are we going to be waiting to see some fish, here...
Another month, minimum.
I've been working on this off and on for a year now. The build is a huge part of the fun! Lining up with good shipping weather, too!
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Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
Here you go. This is the species I'll be ordering. They're kinda cheesy in African aquarist world, but I kept the fancy rare fish years ago and I've always wanted a big colony of these guys. Here's a group of young'uns.
And here's a big male swimming around looking tough.
I'm really looking forward to this. It's been a long time since I've had a proper aquarium. For those who may not be familiar with African rock cichlids (mbuna), these are not goldfish that just sit there blub blubbing and staring blankly into space. These little guys are aggressive and contentious, always going at each other - chasing, nipping, posturing, eyeing each other up. It's not uncommon for them to fight to the death, especially when starting a new group. A healthy, stable colony establishes a hierarchy of dominance with sometimes frequent shifts at the lower levels, but there will be far fewer fatal skirmishes.
Aquascaping is the ticket. If there aren't enough suitable spots to build bowers (these guys have elaborate breeding behaviors), there will be trouble. Blood. They're tough as nails, so you'll usually discover the loser still alive, bonking around in a corner with no fins, missing chunks of filet, all the females hovering around gawking. You can almost hear them jeering at the poor bastard. Very unpleasant. Anyway.. aquascaping! These guys live in Lake Malawi in the African Rift Valley between Malawi and.. Tanzania, I think. There's a tectonic boundary running along the valley, so lots of moving rocks. This fish's habitat is pretty bare, just water and a floor of rocks and boulders. They live among the rocks, munching on the algae that grows on them, where they shelter and breed in the nooks and crannies. They will shred any live plants you try to grow in the tank with them and enjoy slices of cucumber. :^) So you build a rockpile, creating lots of attractive, defensible overhangs and caves and such, and also sort of delineate the display space into sectors with larger, landmarky formations. Oh, and it's got to look good. And be cleanable. And structurally stable; the fish dig. They will excavate all the sand out from under a rock to the point it can move in the tank. I've seen guys' tanks shattered this way. I'm starting to feel like I'm rambling, so will quit here, lol. I'd go on and on about them. They're smart, too! They come to recognize individual people and will play games through the glass.
And here's a big male swimming around looking tough.
I'm really looking forward to this. It's been a long time since I've had a proper aquarium. For those who may not be familiar with African rock cichlids (mbuna), these are not goldfish that just sit there blub blubbing and staring blankly into space. These little guys are aggressive and contentious, always going at each other - chasing, nipping, posturing, eyeing each other up. It's not uncommon for them to fight to the death, especially when starting a new group. A healthy, stable colony establishes a hierarchy of dominance with sometimes frequent shifts at the lower levels, but there will be far fewer fatal skirmishes.
Aquascaping is the ticket. If there aren't enough suitable spots to build bowers (these guys have elaborate breeding behaviors), there will be trouble. Blood. They're tough as nails, so you'll usually discover the loser still alive, bonking around in a corner with no fins, missing chunks of filet, all the females hovering around gawking. You can almost hear them jeering at the poor bastard. Very unpleasant. Anyway.. aquascaping! These guys live in Lake Malawi in the African Rift Valley between Malawi and.. Tanzania, I think. There's a tectonic boundary running along the valley, so lots of moving rocks. This fish's habitat is pretty bare, just water and a floor of rocks and boulders. They live among the rocks, munching on the algae that grows on them, where they shelter and breed in the nooks and crannies. They will shred any live plants you try to grow in the tank with them and enjoy slices of cucumber. :^) So you build a rockpile, creating lots of attractive, defensible overhangs and caves and such, and also sort of delineate the display space into sectors with larger, landmarky formations. Oh, and it's got to look good. And be cleanable. And structurally stable; the fish dig. They will excavate all the sand out from under a rock to the point it can move in the tank. I've seen guys' tanks shattered this way. I'm starting to feel like I'm rambling, so will quit here, lol. I'd go on and on about them. They're smart, too! They come to recognize individual people and will play games through the glass.
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thems pretty
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
The poor fishies in the first pic are stressed. All facing the same direction, hugging the floor huddled together (the eternal beef is on hold in situations like this) with the largest male out front, lots of slack dorsal fins, washed out coloring.. They've got no cover. Poor little fellers. Probably taken in some pet store.
I've always wanted a pet octopus
CaneDog
eXtreme
Yep. Project builds are always a huge part of the fun and sometimes the bigger part. Just kidding you a bit. I am looking forward to seeing the finished project though!Another month, minimum.
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
I really don't know. They're pelagic - they stay in open water above the rocks. They probably eat smaller cichlids. Those rocks are swarming with dozens of species of mbuna and they speciate extremely quickly.
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
Making me want to get a aquarium. I have no place to put it though
I've got no good place in this house, either. I improvised with a custom-height stand.
That would be really something! Amazing animals. It would cost a fortune to keep one properly, and I'd bet they're on various protected lists, besides. You'd probably need credentials.
They're just too intelligent to keep in a box like this. Keeping him engaged, entertained would be challenging.
I gotcha, bud. ;^)
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HellfireFarm
eXtreme Business
OT What did you use to make that drawing?
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
SolidWorks
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
Sump lid.
I know and I would never keep one confined. After reading a book, and watching a TV programme, about them I can't bring myself to eat them anymore either.
There's so many good films on youtube about octopus it's my favourite waste of time
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme
I know and I would never keep one confined. After reading a book, and watching a TV programme, about them I can't bring myself to eat them anymore either.
There's so many good films on youtube about octopus it's my favourite waste of time
I like octopus escapes on YouTube.
yes! That's the ones - love those
Uncle Eckley
eXtreme