The wait's finally over and the mbuna experience has kicked off. They arrived and got settled into their new home earlier today, and they're absolutely loving it.
Top Fish, they seem like a great mix - only time will tell for sure, but for now, they're looking good. And considering how small they are, 3-5cm, they're showing plenty of colour already. As for activity, it's non-stop.
We're over the moon.
my first mbuna experience
Re: my first mbuna experience
Looking forward to seeing them, any pics?
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waterworlds - Posts: 18
- Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:15 am
Re: my first mbuna experience
Great to hear they're settling in well and you're enjoying them, looking forward to the updates
Re: my first mbuna experience
Shot of the tank, half of it anyway
Re: my first mbuna experience
4 days ago, I noticed one of my albinos was acting strange - quiet, alone at the bottom, and not feeding like the others. Closer inspection showed it was swollen - classic bloat symptoms. The other fish were checking it out, which got it moving.
I quickly set up a hospital tank, using an old 80L I had lying around. Cleaned it up, cut some filter material from the main tank, transferred some water, and moved the sick Mbuna in. I also dosed the new tank with 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt - had to act fast.
From reading the forums, I knew Clout and Metronidazole are good for bloat, but couldn't find either in the UK. Luckily, my partner managed to grab some eSHa 2000 from the local LFS - it's a fungus, finrot, and bacteria treatment. Administered the treatment as directed on Day 1, and the Albino was even more swollen by the evening - it was looking like an acorn.
By Day 2, the Albino had improved slightly - it was swimming around a bit. But then I noticed a Demasoni in the main tank that was stationary and hiding. It wasn't swollen, but something was off. Moved it to the hospital tank and administered half the treatment dose. The Albino was looking much better, but the Demasoni was struggling - vertical in the corner and not moving.
Day 3, and the Albino is almost back to normal - no more swelling, and it's active again. The Demasoni, though, is not doing well - it's not swollen, but barely moving.
Day 4, no treatment - sadly, we lost the Demasoni. On the bright side, the Albino is looking great. Did a 50% water change and fed it a pea to help clear its digestive system - it ate hungrily. I'll keep monitoring its progress for a few more days.
The rest of the fish seem fine - did our usual 200L water change. We might've been overfeeding slightly, so we'll reduce the amount and see how it goes.
I quickly set up a hospital tank, using an old 80L I had lying around. Cleaned it up, cut some filter material from the main tank, transferred some water, and moved the sick Mbuna in. I also dosed the new tank with 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt - had to act fast.
From reading the forums, I knew Clout and Metronidazole are good for bloat, but couldn't find either in the UK. Luckily, my partner managed to grab some eSHa 2000 from the local LFS - it's a fungus, finrot, and bacteria treatment. Administered the treatment as directed on Day 1, and the Albino was even more swollen by the evening - it was looking like an acorn.
By Day 2, the Albino had improved slightly - it was swimming around a bit. But then I noticed a Demasoni in the main tank that was stationary and hiding. It wasn't swollen, but something was off. Moved it to the hospital tank and administered half the treatment dose. The Albino was looking much better, but the Demasoni was struggling - vertical in the corner and not moving.
Day 3, and the Albino is almost back to normal - no more swelling, and it's active again. The Demasoni, though, is not doing well - it's not swollen, but barely moving.
Day 4, no treatment - sadly, we lost the Demasoni. On the bright side, the Albino is looking great. Did a 50% water change and fed it a pea to help clear its digestive system - it ate hungrily. I'll keep monitoring its progress for a few more days.
The rest of the fish seem fine - did our usual 200L water change. We might've been overfeeding slightly, so we'll reduce the amount and see how it goes.
Re: my first mbuna experience
After a series of problems, we've had our first fry.
Re: my first mbuna experience
I'm itching to get my Mbuna tank up and running, but it's great to see yours thriving despite the setbacks - sorry to hear about the Demasoni, such stunning fish. Would you mind sharing a list of your current tank inhabitants and the tank size? I'm eager to learn from your experiences, so please keep the updates coming - the more I know, the better prepared I'll be for my own setup.