Who Gives A Fish Forums

Consider giving Mike at riftvalleycichlids a shout - might be worth the extra cost for decent stock rather than settling for what your local big-name stores have to offer. Worth a phone call, at least. Alternatively, you could always try rowing to the mainland, see if you can find something better ...

I'd suggest having a word with the LFS and see if they can get the specific stock you're after, rather than settling for what they've got in store.

A drill with a hole cutter attachment does the trick nicely.

looks nice, seems like you've got something holding on the left in that fourth pic too

Not entirely sure, but to me it looks like they've still got a bit of growing room left in 'em

I'd definitely consider adding another filter, especially with Malawi's and those adult Acei and labs being pretty sizeable. Would love to see some tank pics, if you've got any to share.

You can stop the rock going green, just keep the lights off permanently. But let's be real, that's not exactly the solution you're looking for. If you're going for an African or Malawi setup, you've got to accept that algae is just part of the deal - it's a food source for the fish, and it's ...

My tank's a bit chaotic at the moment, but I've got around 200 fry to care for, so I'm not too fussed for the next 6-12 months. The only fish I've got that really shouldn't breed with anything else are my saulosi, but even then, I'll only intervene if I catch them in the act.

You could simplify things by stocking the main tank with species that won't cross breed, then just catch the holding females to strip or spit. That way, you'd eliminate the need for a separate breeding tank. Just make sure you've got a plan in place for rehoming the fish before you start breeding.

Shells and rocks on the way, dispatched Friday, should be here soon. Ammonia's being processed by my mature sponges, got a bit of nitrite showing, hopefully it'll sort itself out by the end of the week. Found some Multis, but not sure about stocking plans yet, might change things up. Need to check ...

Tank and filter are all set. Had a right old trek around the Maidenhead Aquatics stores today, hunting down those elusive Multifasciatus - let me tell you, they're like gold dust.