Fishy Update for February

WOW January whizzed by so fast and now February has gone hot on it's heels... where does the time go?

2010 is shaping up to be a really strange year thus far with loads of changes good and bad. I recently have been on a decluttering rampage and the aquariums were not passed by.

The kribensis parents and some of their older babies were sent back to my favourite aquarium shop and swapped for another pakistani loach to add to my collection. The large convicts were packed off to be elsewhere and tanks rearranged to accommodate some common bristlenoses that my friend Mick brought over for me.

Since my albino bristles have not breed again, despite large water changes and conditioning food I have relocated some platys to their tank. The platys breeding cycle will release hormones into the tank water which should jump start the bristles into reproducing again... *fingers crossed*

My first batch of albino bristle babies are growing like crazy. Some went off to live with my friend Ruth, and some to Mick. I have seven good size ones left that I will keep as backup breeding stock. So all future batches will be raised and sold :)

The male and female Princess Cichlids are in a 2 foot tank set up (bottom row of 6ft stand) with lots of caves and rock formations. They have a little way to go yet to reach breeding stage. By next summer they should be producing which I am going to find fascinating.

With the tank reshuffle another 2 foot tank is now available which the polka dot loaches will be calling home. Even though they still comfortably fit in the nursery tank they are currently in, I want to establish them in a more permanent home. They will be kept by themselves - so a species only tank - as I have read in numerous articles how they are ferocious savengers and will even try to get to food inside other fish... weird huh. So definitely not taking any chances LOL

The last 2 foot tank on the bottom row of my 6 foot stand houses some kribensis babies. I am going to keep them around and perhaps keep them for breeding much further down the track. I am still undecided - it will largely depend on available tank space really.

So this reshuffle leaves me with 2 available nursery tanks out of the 5 on my stands top row... hopefully the albino and common bristles will be filling them up with babies soon. :)

The community tank at the end of my hall is looking a little sparse of late. Especially now the platys are with the albino bristles. So this is the tank I am going to be concentrating on for a while to get it to fabulous again ;)

I have decided not to set up the second 6 foot stand with tanks at this stage. With a couple of new active kittens arriving soon I need the extra play room in my bedroom for them. Maybe set it up next summer... time will tell.

Hasitha is going to be so proud of me that I actually sat down and blogged today! hahaha I have promised him and myself that I will be more consistant with the blogging again. ;)