Mike's Cichlid's

Convict FYI

Convict cichlids fish is very easy to keep and breed in aquariums and is therefore an ideal beginner’s fish and especially suited for those who want to keep their first cichlid. The name convict cichlid describes these beautiful fish and its black stripes on a white background very accurately.

kd0ar's Wonderful Convict Video



The small floating rice like pieces are the tiny Convict Babies

Product Review

I recently purchased the Marineland Bio Filter 100B which is for a 20 gal tank, the reason for this purchase was that I was frustrated with my Internal Aquarium Filter.
Not only did it take up tank space I was unsatisfied with how it performed there was not enough water flow or current as some call it, and now and then I would have to add Crystal Clear to clear up the cloudy water to help it along.
Sometimes when you purchase Aquarium Kits you get stuck with a internal filter and whatever comes with it and not all that comes with it might be the best.

I've only had this filter a day or two but I notice the difference right away there is more water flow and current, it runs much more quiet then the last filter and my water is crystal clear.

kd0ar had mentioned that he had purchased the 30 gal Bio filter days before and he seemed pleased with it so
I decided to become a copycat and I'm really glad I did the fish even seem to swim more then they did before plus I really like what I read about these filters which I will include below.

---

The Penguin BIO-Wheel Power Filters deliver easy, three-stage mechanical, chemical and biological aquarium filtration. Convenient Penguin Rite-Size Filter Cartridges come ready to use with each filter …ready to mechanically and chemically remove waste, discoloration and odors. Each contains new faster-acting Black Diamond Premium Activated Carbon for maximum efficiency. Biological filtration is provided by the revolutionary and patented BIO-Wheel - proven best at removing toxic ammonia and nitrite. All BIO-Wheel filters feature Noise-Reducing Two-Piece Vented Covers, and Adjustable Mid-Level Intake Strainers.

So before you pull you hair out give it a try it might just be what you and your fish need .
Feel free to check our sponser links out to find this product .

Hypostomus Plecostomus Ok What The Heck Is That?

OK you purchased your tank and the plants even purchased the decorations for it and the heater & filter also all the accessories with other stuff to make your tank beautiful you even purchased beautiful fish but wait...did you get a Hypostomus Plecostomus?.

I know some are like what the heck is that?... well a Hypostomus Plecostomus is just a technical name for a algae eater being it eats the algae inside of the tank thus keeping the tank cleaner.
It isn't one of your prettiest fish but more like a worker fish so don't look for glamor in this fish
as it is quite ugly especially when it's stuck to the glass of your tank.

The algae eater can grow up to 18 inches room permitting the bigger the tank the bigger your algae eater will grow also the reverse can happen in smaller tanks their growth is stunted and there isn't enough algae to eat and some do die.

Not all algae eaters get 18 inches the (Bristlenose Plecostomus) reaches about 5 inches in size and is more suitable for most tanks...I advise putting only one to a tank as when they age they become more territorial and that's when fights between them are more likely to break out.

Also it is best to supply your algae eater with some algae wafers or discs and feed them at night when you have fed all your other fishes and have turned the light off for the night as they mainly are nocturnal fishes and come out and eat at night it is important to feed them at night after all other fishes have been fed because the other fishes will eat and not leave enough for them thats why the algae wafers or discs are good to have that way your algae eater won't starve to death.

Bottom line although it lacks beauty it has a beauty all of it's own and will keep your tank beautiful so I recommend getting a Algae Eater for beginning and serious Aquarium Enthusiast.
Less work maintaining your tank gives you more time to enjoy it and makes it less chore like.

Designing Caves For Aquariums

Recently I felt the need to give my tank a little more pizazz so I thought a nice stone cave would be the answer something where the fishes could hide and play.
I visited all of my local pet shops and Walmart's and found that for what I was looking for would cost anywhere between 29.99 and 59.99 as I didn't want anything small.
Well maybe for some that is the easy answer for them something that is pre-made but I rather buy more fishes instead of buy rocks, so off to the local Park I went.

I went and got some rocks and placed them in a bucket of warm water with lysol which says it kills 99.9% of germs and since I was paranoid about bacteria and other germs
being on the rocks I thought this route was a good idea.

Well it didn't turn out to be a good idea no matter how many times I rinsed the stones the lysol smell didn't come out so thus I couldn't use those rocks because they would kill my fish faster then the bacteria and germs that I thought might be on the rocks.

Off I went to the Park again this time I decided to get some round and elongated stones and some flat ones, this time I placed them in very warm water and scrubbed them with scrub pads until all the dirt was off then rinsed them well with warm water.

So I preceded to design my cave I placed the rocks in a layered pattern and tested it for stability so the rocks would not shift or fall and cause harm to the fish or the aquarium glass.

Well I really wasn't that impressed after a few hours it looked nice and it was two tiered but it was not cave like enough for me.

Off to the park I went again for more rocks me and the Park starting to become best friends this time I got larger stones and more round flat rocks

I built them up and I did like it although it had one major flaw I made it too big there was more stones then water it seemed to me as the space left for fish to swim in wasn't plentiful anymore and I didn't leave enough room for them in the back so this setup wasn't going to work either.


So guess where I went again ...correct the famous Park I (wonder if I should have setup camp there lol) this time I got much flatter rocks and preceded to build again, after the customary wash and rinse, this time I hammered the top rock smaller and hammered jagged edges down so just in case they wouldn't harm the fish.

I made sure there was enough space left on the sides and back and the top which is essential if you have angelfish, this time I indeed had the look I wanted to achieve it appeared more cave like and I was pleased.

Sure I could have went and got the already made stones and accessories at the store but making something out of nothing not only saves you money it gives you a sense of accomplishment and you can make your tank look like what you envisioned in your mind.

So visit your nearby Park, Lake, River or Stream and let the Aquatic Artist come alive in you.

Information About Breeding Albino Corydoras Catfish

The Albino Cory Catfish or any Cory for that matter is not one fish that appears to be commonly bred by most aquarists. I have mentioned to several pet stores that I have successfully bred these species, few actually believed me!

I have kept Albino Cory Cats on 2 seperate occasions, and both times they bred quite readily. I have found them to be a relatively easy species to breed, and they will actually spawn in the community tank.

I will tell you about the most recent breedings, and some things I have learned while breeding these fish. Lets talk a little about the fish themselves. The Albino Cory Catfish (Corydoras aeneus) is a rather hearty species, and are easy to keep. Many owners keep them to take care of uneaten food from the bottom of the aquarium. They are a small fish, typically about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in length. They are bottom feeders, and they have short whiskers that help them locate food. They will adapt to a varied water chemistry and temperature.

These fish can be sexed easily. The females are larger then the males and are a bit "wider".

If the fish are well fed, they will breed right in your community tank. When they breed, they will deposit eggs right on the aquarium walls. Time of day doesnt seem to matter with these guys, although normally they are somewhat nocturnal, but not totally. It almost seems these fish never sleep. They will breed either during daylight or at night.

Eggs that are laid in a community tank will almost certainly be eaten, and if they arent, the newly hatched fry will be. Therefore if your Cory's are laying eggs, it would be a good time to move them to a breeding tank soon after they are finished. Some aquarists have been able to move the eggs from the community tank over to a breeding tank by peeling them off the glass with a straight edge razor blade. I personally have not been successful in doing this, but its worth a try to try to save some eggs from this breeding. A better approach if you wish to intentionally breed these fish is to move the fish to a breeding tank set up specifically for the purpose. They will breed again in about 2 weeks after the first breeding.

When I bred these fish, I used a bare 10 gallon aquarium with no gravel. I kept the tank about 3/4 full. I kept a power filter attached until the eggs started hatching, and replaced it with a sponge filter. I put the adult fish , in my case, 2 males and 1 female in the breeding tank. After a day or so, they started eating readily. I fed them well, keeping some food on the bottom of the tank. I just fed them flake food, in this case, TetraMin. The well fed female packed on the weight quickly and was soon ready to breed. They will breed several times doring a couple hours time. If this is the first or second breeding, about 100 or so eggs will be laid. She will release the eggs into her cupped pelvic fins with the males swimming frantically about her. in a short time, she will stop and will "rest" on the bottom of the aquarium for a couple minutes, then proceed to "paste" them to the sides or bottom of the tank. This will occur a number of times until they are finished. When the spawn is complete, the fish need to be placed back in the community tank.

Now is a good time to "vacuum" up any remaining fish food and debris from the bottom of the tank, being careful not to disturb any eggs that may have been laid on the bottom of the tank.

The eggs need very little care, however they will need to be in an environment where the water is circulating well. This is why I left the power filter in the tank to keep the water circulating. An alternative would be to place a decent sized airstone in the tank. If the water is not constantly circulating, a mold or fungus will attack the eggs. This is what happened to me on my first attempt. Out of the 100 - 150 eggs, I only had about a dozen actually hatch. The rest were damaged from the mold, which, for lack of a better term, looked like little "white fuzzballs". Healthy eggs are white, smooth, and are easily visible. For egglayers of the fish's small size, the eggs are rather large in comparison to other egglaying fish.

The eggs will hatch in 3 days. When they hatch, they will break loose from the egg and sink to the bottom. Now is when you want to replace the power filter with the sponge filter, and remove the airstone. One trick I did, was put the cylindrical sponge that I used over the intake of the power filter. That will work also.

The fry will live off of the contents of the yolk sack for a couple days, and within a week they will start eating fry food. When they are first born, you will see them "hopping" almost uncontrollably on the bottom of the tank. They will soon be able to control their movements better and will scour the bottom for food.

I have read online that the babies do best on live food, but being a newcomer to all this, and not knowing how or where to get live baby bloodworms or not wanting the hassle of hatching live brine shrimp, I opted to try a product made by "Hikari", called "First Bites". The fry seem to gobble it right up. This food is basically dry fish food in a very VERY fine powdered form. A small pinch between your fingers is enough. Because this food is so tiny, it will stay suspended in the water for a long time if there are strong currents flowing in the tank, this is why I removed the airstone. The sponge filter will restrict the flow of water from the power filter to the point where it will not create a strong current.

Feed the fry a small amount each feeding. Keep some on the bottom of the tank, not a lot, but these fish eat constantly when theyre young. You may have to feed 2 - 3 times a day. Feed when you see they have about run out of the "dust" on the bottom. They will grow rather quickly, and after about a month's time, they will be large enough to be placed in the community tank. I was able to place them in my community tank when they were about 5/8 inches long. Although that is a small size, the other fish didnt seem to bother them. I have angelfish, gouramis and the like in my tank, and they left the little ones alone.

If you plan to sell them to a pet store, you will want to keep them till theyre about an inch long, I would imagine. That is about the time when I plan on distributing my fish.

The videos on the right sidebar show my actual fish spawning, and the babies after theyre a couple weeks old.

I hope this narritive helps you in successfully breeding these fish. They really are easy to breed, and are a lot of fun to watch them grow.

Cory Cats Bred Again

Well, my Cory's bred again. This is probably the 4th or 5th time now, but most were done in the community tank and the eggs were eaten before I knew they bred. This time, however, I moved them into the "baby tank". She laid far fewer eggs this time than she has in the past. Maybe a total of 20 eggs, and she appears to be finished this time. She only had 2 sessions, the first, she laid 7 eggs, and I'm guessing the second, she laid a dozen or so. She also stuck these eggs to the bottom of the tank. There are still other babies from the previous spawn, and I'm hoping they dont attack the eggs.

Stay tuned, I'll provide updates on this group of eggs, and will write a longer story telling more about how to raise baby cory cats from the spawn thru caring for the fry.