An insane day of downs and ups.

[ancientaquarist]

Dear All- This was one of the worst/best days of my life. A shipment from Neil was screwed up by UPS and isn't settled---if any of the fish survive it will be a miracle. While clinmbing the walls-not easy when you are disabled with a broken niock and spine I did a partial water change on my large community tank.

When I siphoned off five gallons I noticed that my Etroplus maculatus had
started spawning under the lowest leaf on one of the "Indian Red" sword
plants. They are still at it but there are so many eggs that the leaf is bent to the substrate. I am so thrilled that out of a tank of 30 or so I picked a
real pair---they were in fact the last cichlids I bred in 1959-60. I just love them and see them as one of the great dwarf cichlids. Now if someone
would find me the xanthistic clone life would be perfect.

So as so often death and life come together. UPS's screw-up began in
Sacramento and continued to Tucson, The poor fish schlepped all over the city by an obnoxious driver in 110degree heat from 8 AM and still going. And the blessing of these wonderful fishes whom I believe will raise some young even in the overcrowded tank of characins and other
dwarfs---the most aggressive are the Mikrogeophagus altispinossus.

I think a huge trank like this with a deep layer of black Eco-Complete and
tons of plants will allow these fish-who are excellent parents to protect their young. The community will continue to get black worms daily and be
kept stuffed.

Wish us all kinds of luck and go breed your fishes-and if you've never bred Etroplus I can't recommend them highly enough!

 

[Mike Wise]

It's odd how different delivery systems work differently in different towns. I guess UPS isn't the way to ship in your town. My sympathies.

I noticed that my Etroplus maculatus had
started spawning under the lowest leaf on one of the "Indian Red" sword
plants. They are still at it but there are so many eggs that the leaf is bent to the substrate. I am so thrilled that out of a tank of 30 or so I picked a
real pair---they were in fact the last cichlids I bred in 1959-60. I just love them and see them as one of the great dwarf cichlids. Now if someone
would find me the xanthistic clone life would be perfect.

Do your chromides show much black? I wonder because I haven't seen a wild type Orange Chromide in over 20 years. All I see, on the rare occasion that they come in, are the "Red Chromide". These look like the wild orange form but have a body that is more yellow-orange because they have less black on the body.

 

[ancientaquarist]

RE: My Etroplus.

Dear Mike: They are the classic E. maculatus except they are so young I
see no red or orange anywhere-not even those wonderful red dots but
the balck is India Ink Black-the ventral and large portions of the pelvic and rear body. The male (much smaller) started courting her about a week ago and there was one day where I think he was 80% black.

I'd love to even see these orange or red chromides. I have a photo
labelled E. maculatus xanthistic form but you can't buy any form in
Tucson and I feel they are among the most enchanting, well behaved
cichlids-beautiful in their symmetry, good natured and loaded with
persnonality.

The Bolivian Rams are quite beautiful but expressionless and very aggressive with one another-I have four. They really give the curviceps-
another favorite-I love the name Laetacara-smiling cichlid-a hard time.
A pair of these is preparing to breed at the antipode of the aquarium and
I'll be damned but I can't figure our who is the male and the female.

Oh, if only 20 of each spp. survives and swims around the 150 with their
parents I will be in exstasy. A pox on UPS. Those poor fish! I'll never
use them again for anything.
Michael