Lamprichthys tanganicanus

[keehoe]

I had been having problem with Lamprichthys tanganicanus egg since it first arrive. Fry comes and goes (Refer to 2005 new years countdown of fry for details)

I think i have found out why. The temperature is just not cold enough and when it is too hot. The body colour darken and always stay near the surface. When water is too cold, it goes to bottom, 26C is about right. Hope the remaining of eggs will hatch so that i can keep this species. It looks so shinny and surely would brighten up my dull planted tank.

Costly lesson. Hopes all newbie learn with my experience...

[TyroneGenade]

Sounds like oxygen deprivation. You may only need better aeration.

Regards

[whuntley]

These fish need hard, alkaline water with an excess of Mg, if possible. The high pH makes them ultra-sensitive to ammonia as does their rather high metabolic rate. Rift lake water supports only a few kinds of plants, but having some can help the ammonia problem.

If gills are damaged by ammonia, they will gather at the surface to get more oxygen. Heavy aeration is most desirable, IMO.

My friends who have done best with them used huge tanks, 120 G or 480L. I tried to raise them in a cut-down 40G tank and lost all when I missed just one water change. Because they have an active metabolism, eat a lot, and excrete huge amounts of ammonium, good biofiltration and frequent water changes are most important. The larger the tank, the less they disturb water quality, and as active schooling fish they need lots of room to roam.

That's my US$0.015 (2 cents adjusted for the recent drop in the $),

Wright

[keehoe]

OK thanks, I will do that.

[keehoe]

Wright, once i put the two tiny fry into 18inch by 12inch plastic tank with aeration and filter the fry don't seems to float on the surface anymore. You are the life safer of my lampeyes fry. Would you consider to be their god-father?

[whuntley]

Wright, once i put the two tiny fry into 18inch by 12inch plastic tank with aeration and filter the fry don't seems to float on the surface anymore. You are the life safer of my lampeyes fry. Would you consider to be their god-father?

That depends entirely on what the duties are.

Wright