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PCS & Stuart M. Grant - Cichlid Preservation Fund - Details here


Cawdor

Member Since 26 Dec 2005
Offline Last Active Private

#367785 Black Diamond Loepoldi Stingray Fish.

Posted by Cawdor on 29 September 2020 - 10:16 AM

especially at that location....


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#364409 International Guest - Adrian Indermaur

Posted by Cawdor on 16 December 2017 - 07:15 PM

Well done guys!




#364097 Moving Large Aquariums

Posted by Cawdor on 12 November 2017 - 11:29 AM

You can personally only move up to a certain size. I wouldn't move anything bigger than 6x2x2 - you need to keep in mind that if YOU or your mates break it, it comes out of your pocket. If a company breaks it, they pay for it. Helpful equipment:

 

  • trolleys with large, soft wheels (will make the job MUCH easier)
  • glass suction cups (the pros usually have those when they move large tanks)
  • gloves
  • temporary stands like wide, long, flat blocks of wood if you need to set the tank down on uneven areas

Biggest I have personally moved was 6x2x2 with just one mate - never again. ( I can't lift heavy anyway these days, bad back).

Generally for a large tank, 4 guys is the go. Plan your move - make notice of potential set down areas, potential hazards along the way like steps, potholes etc where people can trip or slip. Make sure the target area is clear and all angles are ok for the tank size. You don't want to go half way and then there is a corner you can't get around. And of course empty the tank as much as you can, ideally you just want the glass.

 

Most important: tell your crew your plan! Tell them which way to go, what to do if they need to set it down, and to speak up if they need to readjust their grip.

 

The largest tank I have seen being moved is my 8x3x2.5 - it has been moved twice, both times by pros who have done this before. The last move they had suction cups, scissor lift and 6 strong guys - it was still a huge effort to lift it up on the stand which is higher than normal. They had 4 guys lift one end up with suction cups, then change side and had all 6 lift the other end, then slide into place. A few selfies with the tank were taken afterwards to show their boss :)




#363023 An Expensive Meal

Posted by Cawdor on 15 August 2017 - 05:43 PM

Anyone remember Peckoltia's thread about one of his TB's that jumped???

 

You mean this one?

http://www.perthcich...?showtopic=8143




#361593 Stocking Levels And Food Types

Posted by Cawdor on 07 May 2017 - 06:14 PM

It's not ideal to mix African cichlids with other types of fish like south americans, as their diet and water requirements are different. Africans like high pH, hard water. Your tetra and other south american fish like soft neutral pH water.

Most definitely stop feeding bloodworms, the cichlids will get bloat sooner rather than later.

So my suggestion is to sort out which type of fish you want to keep or get a second tank and split the fish up. It may "work" for now, but longterm you are not doing the fish or yourself any favour by keeping a mix like this.




#361070 Gas Attack

Posted by Cawdor on 12 April 2017 - 12:29 PM

Aussie politician with intelligence background also thinks it's unlikely Assad is behind it.

 

http://www.abc.net.a...ad-role/8438606




#361055 Gas Attack

Posted by Cawdor on 11 April 2017 - 05:55 PM

As much as it sounds like a conspiracy theory, I do believe this was a false flag attack. Think about it - what did Assad gain by using chemical weapons like this? No strategic advantage for his army, only civilian casualties (and not many compared to other attacks), massive international condemnation, a reason for the US to intervene...they don't sound like good outcomes of using chemical weapons. The attack literally served no purpose for Assad. Yet it's a perfect excuse for the US to bomb the crap out of that airfield. Which in itself was an illegal act as the US has not declared war on Syria...




#356588 What Cichlids Can't Be Mixed?

Posted by Cawdor on 06 November 2016 - 04:23 PM

My first large tank I bought second hand came with a variety of fish - Africans and Americans mixed together. I didn't have any issues but I would not do that sort of thing again.

 

General rules to avoid trouble and dead fish:

 

  • stick to species that share the same habitat in the wild
  • if you want to mix it up, make sure they are the same size
  • avoid putting two or more known aggressive species together in a small tank

There are ways to handle aggression - one is to provide a clear territory for each group in a tank that is large enough so they can be out of each other's way. The other is overcrowding - doesn't always work. Any fish that is already weak will get smashed.

 

The number one rule is to observe any new setup and look for signs of trouble. Have a plan B if things don't work out.




#354515 How To Easy Water Changes Big Tank?

Posted by Cawdor on 07 August 2016 - 04:09 PM

Since I posted two years ago I have upgraded to a faster pump and I'm draining 1100L and refilling in just over an hour. That's roughly half the water out of my 6 tanks.

I refill using two taps and 18mm hose so it's faster. I use the same hose for draining & refill. Very easy.

 

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#351329 Attn Cichlid Breeders

Posted by Cawdor on 15 April 2016 - 07:03 PM

One of the hardest things to do as a fish enthusiast and animal lover in general is to kill them. Especially the ones you have bred yourself, maybe even after trying very hard to get them to breed. But in the end, it has to be done, unless you personally will keep the deformed ones separately. I myself am guilty of keeping some deformed ones alive for longer than I should have.

 

So my tip for newcomers: learn how to kill your fish humanely. You WILL need to use that knowledge either for breeding purposes or to euthanize a sick fish. A bottle of clove oil has been standard in my fish stuff inventory for years.

A few drops of clove oil into a small water bottle with a little water in it, shake it up, tip it into the small container that the sick/deformed fish is in. They will go to sleep in seconds. Put the container in the freezer to finish the job. Done.




#344696 10 Foot Tank Cycling.

Posted by Cawdor on 19 September 2015 - 07:53 PM

The absence of ammonia doesn't affect nitrosomonas bacteria long term - as bigjohnnofish said they can remain alive without ammonia for up to 342 days (http://jb.oxfordjour...4/4/811.short).

But the conditions have to be right - ie right temp, pH, no harmful substances.

 

In short, if all you did was to remove the fish (ammonia source) from the tank and kept the filters running, the bacteria will be fine and will start oxidising ammonia as soon as fish are reintroduced.




#338864 Neolamp. Multifasciatus Colony Video

Posted by Cawdor on 12 May 2015 - 09:56 PM

Just a short vid of part of my colony, plenty of babies around at the moment which is pretty cool.

 




#338070 Finally! Success With My S. Petricola

Posted by Cawdor on 25 April 2015 - 02:01 PM

After my recent tragedy with my cuckoos (here), today I saw that my S. petricolas have finally successfully bred! I had given up a while back and just left them in their tank by themselves, often thinking about selling the colony off. Today during my water changes I saw two little ones darting around the tank (about 3cm), it really made my day. My setup is very similar to what other people use for breeding, an upturned flowerpot with two holes in it, sitting on marbles on top of a grate. I also have another flowerpot just sitting on top of a mat of plastic plants. So I don't know which setup was successful but I'm glad one of them was :)

 

Very happy today :D




#337717 Deathmatch Of The Multis - Size Doesn't Matter

Posted by Cawdor on 16 April 2015 - 10:20 PM

I have kept synodontis multipunctatus in my 8ft tank for a while together with their host fish, no problem. I had the tank sectioned off to give a smaller section to the neolamprologus multifasciatus colony. That colony just kept growing and growing and eventually individuals started to migrate into the area of the "big" fish. No problem. I have a few flowerpot caves in the tank for the cuckoos and they crowd in them like no tomorrow, they love em. I could see the shellie's territory growing by the areas of mounds of gravel.

 

Now I always knew from watching the shellies, they can move gravel like no tomorrow, efficient little workers day and night.

 

So last night they must have gotten together and hatched an evil plan to get more territory and get rid of those pesky cuckoos. What did they do? THEY BURIED THE CUCKOOS ALIVE!

Yep, one of the most inhabited flowerpot caves was mysteriously missing, I noticed it just now. I also saw that territory much "hillier" than usual. So I dug down and found the cave, along with the rotting corpses of 9 cuckoos. Ouch. How much is a breeding adult worth? 50-60 bucks? I don't want to think about it.

 

I thought I'd pass this on so people know this can happen. I didn't think fish would be this stupid to let themselves be buried. I was wrong :(

 

Thankfully I still have some offspring in another tank and a few that chose a different cave.

 

 




#335853 Ad Konings & Juan Miguel Tickets

Posted by Cawdor on 01 March 2015 - 12:32 AM

Big thanks to the committee for realising a true milestone for the club. My member number is in the low double digits so that shows how far we have come in growing and being able to afford such an event. Our list of international speakers is something to be proud of and to get Ad and Juan here is money well spent. The venue was good, the food was delicious and I have so much information about cichlids in my head I'm sure I keep seeing them when I close my eyes!

 

Good on ya for those who came to this event - I would have liked to see a few more bums in seats though.

 

Special thanks to Juan for being such a trooper and basically stepping off the plane to give a talk. I hope he got some rest on the couch :)