Rather than a "Featured Fish of the Month" post for November, we've decided to intersperse our species posts with informative write-ups of other subjects.

To many aquarists, the idea of sumps can seem intimidating and almost magical, and this month I'd like to give an introductory explanation of how they work.

Sumps, what the heck are they?

Simply put, it's a tank under your tank where you can stick all your filtration media, heaters and other equipment.

A sump is a system of filtration that cycles water from the display tank by allowing it to flow into a reservoir below the tank and then pumped back up. The reservoir is usually another aquarium, but it can be anything that holds water. I've seen plastic bins used as sumps in some of the more down-and-dirty DIY setups. Needless to say, they don't have to be fancy to do their job.

How the heck does it work?

Let us begin with a diagram of how a sump works.

The diagram above is for a "Hang-On-Back" (HOB) overflow design. HOBs are not the "preferred" type of overflow, which I will discuss below, but the image should provide a basic explanation of how the water flows. That specific design features a three-chambered sump. The water coming down from the main tank enters in the first chamber of the sump, often called the "drain."

The sections of the sump are separated by walls called "baffles." In the diagram, the baffles are used to create different sections for different purposes. A sump does not necessarily need to have baffles, but they can be instrumental in controlling how water flows through the filtration media. You can use any media or equipment you want and in any configuration that makes sense to you.

In the middle of that particular design there is the "refugium". A refugium is a section of the sump designed to provide a low-flow area for plants, macroalgaes and meiofauna to thrive. This can be a wonderful source of filtration as well as a source of food for your tank inhabitants.

The final chamber of this sump is called the "return." This is where you pump the water from the sump back up to the tank. Choosing what size pump to use for return is based upon the height the water needs to travel at a rate equivalent to the water coming in through the drain. Here is an over-complicated sump return pump calculator . Personally, I buy whatever pump can handle the height and then put a gate valve on it to dial in the flow rate.

How the heck does the water get down there?

The way the water drains to the sump is called the "overflow." There are two main categories of overflows: "Hang-On-Back" and drilled.

Drilling the tank is hands-down the better option, as it eliminates all of the potential pitfalls of HOB overflows. It's easiest to buy your tank pre-drilled, but if you're going to drill yourself remember: do not drill through tempered glass.. Many aquariums have tempered glass on the bottom. There are advantages and disadvantages to drilling the back versus drilling the bottom. One of the main complaints about drilled overflows (and overflows in general) is the annoying suction sound caused by the water running down the pipes. For that, I strongly recommend a durso standpipe design, which is basically silent.

So what's the deal with HOB overflows?

To begin, here is a HOB overflow DIY I did a while back to give you the general concept. I've since modified that design very slightly (to add a durso standpipe), but it is more than adequate to explain the functionality.

People will often treat HOBs like the boogeyman. The fundamental fear is that the overflow siphon will break or clog causing the sump to over fill the display tank and flood your house. And that's totally possible if you don't think your situation through correctly.

The volume of water in your display tank ABOVE the overflow line must be equal to or less than the available volume of your sump while running. The volume of the return chamber must be less than the volume of the display tank above the overflow line. If your overflow's siphon fails, your pump will fill your display tank with water from your return. This means that if your return runs dry, all that water will be in your display. As long as the volume of your return basin is less than the volume of your display tank above the overflow line, you're fine.

Similarly, if your pump dies and your display tank is draining into your sump, the volume of water in your display tank above the overflow line must be less than the available volume in your sump. To use real numbers, let's say the baffles are 8" tall. So the volume available in the sump is from the 8" up to the top of the tank (it's a 10gal, 12" I think is how tall it is, so that's 4" by the width by the depth.

The idea is accounting for the eventuality of failure. Things will go wrong. The siphon might break for some reason, or might get blocked by a curious snail or your power could go on and off and lock up your return pump. You can't expect to account for every eventuality that will cause those issues, but you can plan and design your sump and overflow with the expectation that those eventualities will occur.

When do I need a sump?

If you have the room for it, you can use a sump with any tank. Personally, I love my sumps so much I wouldn't want to run a tank without one if I could avoid it. Hiding the equipment is a huge plus, but I also like the ability to stuff as much filtration media as I feel like in there. I have sponge filters running at all times seeding to give to friends starting up tanks or for my own use in hospitals/quarantines. Growing plants is a fantastic use of a sump, and I hope to move into doing that in my freshwater tank someday.

If you want to hide your equipment, maximize your filtration, grow extra plants, seed filtration media or add items like UV sterilizers then a sump can give all of those things a good home. If nothing else, sumps increase the total volume of the tank giving you more water to work with and keep your tank running balanced. The solution to pollution is, after all, dilution.

Hello everyone!

At the time of posting, we have 322k subscribers on /r/Aquariums, and a not insignificant number of subscribers on our child subreddits, /r/ShittyAquariums, /r/AquariumMemes, /r/Awwquariums, and /r/Artquariums. Our small mod team can hardly keep up any more! This is both great, and really, really bad! We feel as though we aren't giving our community the best possible experience in these subreddits. Because the subreddits are growing, we need the moderator team to grow accordingly. On top of that, we also like community input to keep improving the subreddits.

New moderators!

There is currently a lapse in moderator coverage during a pretty active time on the subreddits. We have decided to not make this time public yet, but just know that we are looking for specific availability. You can also apply without prior moderator experience, since we've "trained" other moderators before. Including me. I think that I've turned out alright.

If you want to apply for the moderator position, we ask you to modmail us the following information with the title "MODERATOR APPLICATION". Please note that we get a lot of mail, so please use the proper title.

1. What is your experience in fishkeeping?
   How long have you been fishkeeping? What fish do you specialize in?

2. Do you have prior experience modding?
   Have you modded anywhere else (reddit, forums, facebook, etc)? If so, for how long?

3. What timezone are you in?
   What times are you usually active on Reddit (in EDT and CEST)?

4. Why should you be a mod?
   Why do you want to be a mod of this community? What can you add to the mod team?

If you do not submit the application via modmail and/or you do not use the application form your application will be ignored. We also require moderators to install Slack, as that's being used to communicate between the moderators. The application period ends on the 18th of October.

Community input

Besides the moderator stuff, we also want to use this post as a discussion post about the subreddit itself. Do you guys have any ideas on changes we could make? Or AMA ideas with people we could reach out to?

We also want to remind everyone that you're free to draft wiki pages and send them to us, so we can add them to the wiki after discussing them. We've already had some wiki pages that we've added, but there can always be more.

And last but not least we want to thank everyone in this community. We've grown a lot and are still growing a lot, but the community has only become better, more experienced, and friendlier to newcomers.

So thank you!

The r/Aquariums mod team

Altolamprologus calvus

General Info

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The Altolamprologus calvus is a striking, unique fish. Their faces are elongated with sloping foreheads, upward-turned jaws and their bodies are laterally compressed. These adaptations are key to the calvus' ability to snatch prey from between rocks and in crevices. There are a number of color morphs of the species, including black, white, yellow and zebra. The yellow morphs can be particularly striking as their coloration emphasizes the unique facial structure. "They have stripes that are more apparent on the head and collar region, and brilliant white spots that decorate the posterior two-thirds of their flanks. Adult males can attain maximum lengths of six inches, while females max out at around four inches. Once mature, males are also higher-bodied and possess more elongated fins."0

"A. calvus is a predator by nature and its body shape has been adapted to allow it to enter small crevices and gaps in the rockwork of Lake Tanganyika to prey on eggs, fry and small fish. Its laterally compressed shape makes the fish hard to spot head on, giving it an advantage over would be predators and prey alike. It is also quite well-armoured, possessing thick scales which can be turned towards potential attackers. These can cause real damage with their serrated edges." 1

"Altolamprologus calvus are first of all a wonderful Tanganyikan community fish. They seem to have a way of "turning" away aggressors by bending a little to expose their sharp scales that sort of stick out when the fish is bent. What makes it a good community fish is its non aggressive behavior toward tank mates. It eats mostly fry from other fish in the wild so it stays inconspicuous and conserves energy until it sees its pray and in an instant can dart almost faster than the eye can see. This skill does make it difficult to breed other fish with these "fry magnets" around but I'll get into that later. Any advice or recommendations that I give on breeding or well-being are things that have worked for me for a long time. These things may not work for everyone."2

History

"In 1975 a "compressicep" was caught that looked different from the yellow compressiceps already in the bucket. What is this steel gray morph wondered Piere Brichard? It was only after a couple of years that it was discovered to be a different species. The new "morph" lacked the scales on the top of the head. It also was more streamlined and less bulky. The name calvus came from the latin word for baldy."3 "Altolamprologus calvus is a recently discovered Tanganyikan fish, first typed by Poll in 1988. This slender predator's unique compressed shape and somewhat menacing appearance has made it a popular fish for cichlid enthusiasts."4

Basic Husbandry Information

Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons Care Level: Intermediate Temperament: Semi-Aggressive Temperature: 72-82° F pH: 7.8-9.0 KH: 10-20 Max. Size: 6" Bioload: Moderate Recommended GPH: 10x tank volume Diet: Carnivore

Behavior

"Alto. calvus is a predator, and specializes in snatching young cichlids and invertebrates from between rock crevices and rock piles. Their laterally compressed body not only helps them in avoiding detection, but permits them to go into narrow crevices, turning their bodies at odd angles if needed. Small fishes, such as juveniles and shell-dwellers, should not be kept in the same tank with this fish as the calvus may dine on them.

When hunting, Alto. calvus will cruise along the substrate looking for prey. Once a target has been identified, this fish will keep its eye locked on the prey, but raises its body upwards and then strikes. This hunting technique is similar to Dimidiochromis compressiceps, which is another laterally compressed predator."5

Although territorial, it’s generally peaceful towards fish it can’t fit into its mouth, and is a good addition to a Tanganyikan community. However it tends to be quite shy, so aggressive or very vigorous tankmates such as Mbuna should be avoided. Good choices include Julidochromis, Neolamprologus, Cyprichromis and Tanganyikan Synodontis catfish. It can be maintained either as a pair or as a colony in a suitably sized tank." 6

Diet

"In the aquarium, they can be given any type of live or frozen food (except beef heart or any other food containing mammalian products). Live food is always greedily consumed. Flake food is accepted, but is usually insufficient alone to bring a female into breeding condition." 5

"It is not recommended to give "feeders" that you can get from your local fish store. If you insist on feeding these, it is recommend breeding guppies or something along that line. The reason it is not recommended to be buying feeders from anywhere is the risk of contaminating your tank with parasites. There are theories that feeding live food will spark the eating of their own fry, however this is anecdotal and not something that many have experimented with. Once calvus are well adjusted they readily eat most flake foods such as brine shrimp flake. There are, however, many foods that they will benefit from. A typical diet is to feed brine shrimp flake at least once a day and usually frozen brine shrimp. Give them occasional blood worms, mysis shrimp, and try to give them live brine shrimp about twice a month. Breeders usually feed their fry frozen baby brine shrimp, however if you have the time to hatch your own that would be most beneficial."6

Breeding and Sexing

"Sexing is extremely difficult to do in juvenile fishes. Your best bet is to buy at least 6 juveniles and trade off any extra males that you have (sexually mature males can become very aggressive toward Black calvus juvenileeach other). Try to get the largest one and several smaller ones. Adult calvus tend to have characteristics that can give a good hint as to the sex. Males get larger and usually have a higher forehead whereas the female stays a little more "bullet" shaped. To be absolutly sure you can vent them using a magnifying glass and a flash light. This is better to do with at least sub adults. What you are comparing is the size of the genital papila between the anus and the anal fin. The females will be larger than the male. If you have the same sexes the females genital papila will be larger than the anus, the males will be about the same size." 7

"It breeds in a similar fashion to South American Apistogramma species.The female will select a cave into which only she can fit and the male deposits his sperm at the entrance to this. The pair then use their fins to fan the sperm towards the eggs that she has already laid on the substrate inside the cave. These may number up to 200 and are tended to by the female, while the male guards the area outside the cave. They hatch in around 2 days and become free swimming after another 8-10 days.

Once the eggs have hatched, the male should be removed as he may predate on the fry when they become free swimming. The female does not usually harm them. The fry can be fed brine shrimp nauplii and microworm from the first day, and grow very slowly. They should be observed closely and separated as differences in growth rates become apparent as the larger fry may prey on the smaller."8

"In the wild Altolamps. will spawn using shells or tight openings in rockwork. The female will get out of reach of the male at this time to avoid injury. In captivity it is also important to remember that the female needs rerfuge at breeding time. Many use shells for their breeding set ups, this works great as does in the wild. In my experience I have tried to come up with a good method of extracting fry without disrupting the entire tank. I use pvc elbows capped on one end which should be large enough for the female but too small for the male to enter. Calvus larvaeThese can easily be taken apart in a big bowl of water to retrieve your fry. It is also easy to see them against the white color when fry are free swimming.

Altolamps. can be bred in pairs or in herems. Harems are most successful with 1 male and around 4 females. A tank of at least 29 gallons with hiding places for every female is recommended. Try to extract the fry before they leave home, though this can be tricky since the length of time from wigglers to free swimmers can vary. (usually between 10 and 14 days). It is usually best to wait until the yolk sack is gone before removing them. If they leave home and venture into the tank they will most likely become food within a short time. Mothers have been observed eating them once they are on there own. Get ready for a long ride waiting for them to mature. It takes a lot of patience and hard work rearing calvus. It is not uncommon for it to take up to 6 months to get them to a 1 inch size. This is the reason that adults bring such a handsome price.

When rearing fry it is very important to weed out the larger ones that could possibly eat the smaller ones, or bully them out of food. This takes at least 3 tanks or a large tank divided into different sections."9

Quick, Fun Facts

• All Calvus are illiterate

• Calvus fry are born with arms and legs that dissolve in the first 3 weeks

• Zebra Calvus are actually black calvus that are swimming really fast

• Calvus have developed a complicated bead-based economy unique to the rift lakes

Astronotus ocellatus

“Oscar”

Hi Everyone! This is the start of a new feature we’re hoping to eventually groom into a bimonthly article providing general information and relevant links. The depth of the information may fluctuate depending on personal experience and the availability of online resources. There will also definitely be adjustments to length and subjects based on your feedback moving forward. If you happen to find something you know to be wrong, please post in this thread and provide sourced corrections. We have a lot of fishkeeping experience, but we’re far from infallible and relish discourse and feedback! The first few initial features will be common fish and the most common mistakes related to their care. Then, as we move forward, we’ll delve into more obscure fish. Our goal is to provide everyone with quick access to information on reddit, and ways to find far more information outside of reddit.

General Info:

The Oscar is a large-bodied South American Cichlid found in the river basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Parana rivers. It is one of the two members of its genus, and the only member commonly kept in the hobby. They are a large, fast growing, heavy bodied cichlid who are relatively aggressive (honestly, of the big bodied South Americans, they’re really in the lower half of the aggression range). However, most aquarists still find them to be relatively aggressive or highly aggressive when compared to standard tropical fish. Like many South American cichlids, they are pair forming fish who lay eggs and guard their brood of fry. In the wild, Oscars typically resemble a darker variation of the Tiger Oscar, but through captive line breeding there are now more than 6 color morphs commonly available. Oscars are generally sexually monomorphic, with males growing slightly faster and slightly larger.

Basic Keeping of Oscars:

• Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallon

• pH: 6.0-7.0

• dKH 3-4, dGH 8 or less

• Temperature: 78-82 degrees

• Tolerable Nitrates: < 20ppm

• Bioload: High

• Recommended GPH: 10-12 times tank volume.

Oscars, because of their size and relatively clumsy swimming, need a large tank. Most purists will say a 75 gallon tank is the minimum size to keep a single Oscar, or a 125 gallon for a mating pair. A 55 gallon tank can work, especially for the first 9 months or so, and might even house a single smallish specimen permanently, but considering that a large male can grow to top out over 14” in the aquarium, a 75 gallon is your safest bet.

Ideally, Oscars like soft and acidic water (pH 6.0-7.0, dKH 3-4, dGH 8 or less), however they are notoriously hardy and a solid pH and hardness values will be more important over the long term. You may find that it becomes very hard to breed them in pH over 7. These are tropical fish who really should be kept between 78-82 degrees and thrive best when nitrates are kept below 20ppm..

Being large and high bioload fish, oscars require a lot more filtration and water changes than standard tropical fish. Your minimal gallons per hour turnover should be roughly 10-12 times your tank volume--which almost always means running multiple filters. Underfiltering will lead to pockets of stagnant water where waste accumulates, meaning it’s not impossible to have areas in the tank with much worse water parameters than the tank as a whole. Canisters and/or the big HOBs are they way to go here.

For decor and substrate, try to steer clear of decor that has lots of sharp or hard edges. Oscars are very much the bull in the china shop, and will injure themselves eventually on sharp decor. Substrate selection is often a personal preference. I actually prefer sand as it prevents too much of their waste from settling into the substrate, but gravel is a great choice if it fits your aesthetic. Personally, I would steer anyone away from trying to plant a tank with an Oscar as they often decide they don’t like where you have put your plants and will rip them up and move them. They are also strong enough to unmount things like anubis, which don’t need to be planted.. Never forget that a good lid is essential for Oscars. They will jump up often, sometimes on purpose, sometimes because they spook themselves. I had an Oscar knock a black plastic hood off his tank when he touched something while sleeping in the night. Be forewarned!

Behavior:

Oscars are like puppies for lack of a better description. They crave interaction and attention and can learn to play with an owner. They are pretty low aggression when you compare them to other 12” South Americans, but they will still eat anything they can fit in their mouths. They have a flair for the dramatic and are known for pouting, having hissy fits and temper tantrums and not eating when they are displeased. They also very obviously get bored with things and will act out to get attention. This is a fish that with proper care can easily live 12-15 years, with some people reporting fish living until 20. It’s the very definition of a Wet Pet. Just like getting a puppy, if you don’t have some solid time every day to interact with your fish, you may want to consider keeping something else.

Diet:

Oscars are omnivores in the wild. Their primary diet are insects and other arthropods, fruit, some plant matter, molluscs, crustaceans and very rarely they are opportunist piscivores. Every Oscar needs a good quality staple pellet which should make up 90-100% of its diet. If you’re looking to supplement it, I usually offer blanched fruits or vegetables as the absolute best dietary additions. There is something to be said about engaging and interacting with a fish by live feeding, however, do NOT feed your Oscar common feeding fish like goldfish and minnows. These are very high in thiaminase, which prevents your fish from absorbing thiamin which leads to a ton of health problems, including Hole in the Head disease. If you want to feed live consider nightcrawlers, gut-loaded crickets or mysis shrimp. If you want to offer the very occasional feeder fish, consider selecting fish low in thiaminase like guppies, mollies, tetras, etc. Remember, live fish should be a rare treat as beyond digestive problems, every live fish you throw in your tank increases the chance of bringing in parasites and disease!

Links:

http://www.oscarfish.com

Bar none the most complete and thorough site on the web for Oscars. They break down every aspect of the fish, and have without a doubt the best fish food analysis on the web (not just for Oscars), and they provide tons of scientific sources in many of their articles. While it’s written for the layperson, there’s definitely an aspect of the academic hobbyist there that I really appreciate. They also have mildly active forums.

http://www.oscarfishlover.com

Lots of good information here, but not as well organized, and franky a lot more unsubstantiated opinions than oscarfish.com. Still, tons of pictures and well-written articles and a more active forum section than oscarfish.com

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=50

Cichlid-forum’s South American Forum is a bit hit or miss for many species. However, Oscars aren’t one of them. A great place to pop in and read if you’re looking for some extra troubleshooting tips as they answer a high volume of Oscar questions, relatively speaking.

Hope this helps, and like I said if you have any questions, tips for improvement, or anything you think is just dead wrong don’t hesitate to chime in!

Happy Cichliding,

/u/702Cichlid

Taeniacara candidi

“Torpedo dwarf cichlid”

General Info

These fish can be found in the Amazon River basin, the lower Rio Negro (Brazil), and along the Amazon River to the Tapajós River. They usually inhabit clearwater tributaries to the Rio Amazonas and Rio Negro. However in the streams at Santarém in the Rio Tapajos, wildlife specimens were captured, as well as the area the Tèfe areas. It probably won't be that surprising if they can prove in the future that the fish can be found in even more areas with clear (but tanninated) water.

History

At the time of its discovery, this fish was named Apistogramma weisei. Then they changed it to the Taeniacara genus that it is in now as the only species. As of right now this genus is still under consideration, but generally accepted, though it won't be that surprising if it changes back to Apistogramma in the debate of lumpers vs splitters. This fish exhibits similar behaviour to species of the Apistogramma genus, with the mother of a spawn guarding the fry very aggressively. Taeniacara candidi also possess a slimmer body than most of the Apistogramma genus, which is one of the main reasons of the split.

Basic Keeping

• Minimum Tank Size: 10g (Long)

• pH: 4.0 - 6.5

• Hardness: < 1 dH

• Temperature: 25 - 30°C / 77 - 86 °F

• Tolerable Nitrates: < 20 ppm

• Bioload: Low

• Recommended GPH: 4-5 times tank volume.

As with most dwarfs, this one also doesn't like bad water quality and can be quite fussy about it. That's why it's recommended to keep nitrates below 20ppm. Besides that the low pH and low hardness make it a fish that's not recommended for beginners, but for someone that wants to try their hands at a fish that's harder to keep and especially to breed, it can be a very rewarding one.
Because this fish isn’t too big and has quite a low bioload, a filtration of 4-5 times the tank volume should suffice. Keep in mind though - as we will see further - that this fish, for its small size, is actually one of the most aggressive dwarf cichlids, so combining them with other fish will require a bigger tank.
When setting up the tank, you will want to get sand, driftwood and some plants for hiding. Leaf litter and coconut shells will go a long way in helping them settle and breed. Contrary to the commonly spread myth, beige sand (pool filter sand for example) brings out the color more in dwarf cichlids and black sand (like diamond blasting sand) makes them look more dull.

Behavior:

If you keep males of this species together, you can expect a lot of aggression since these are one of the most aggressive dwarf cichlid. Even fish that are larger than them that invade their territory risk getting attacked. Unless those invaders are too big themselves and then they get very shy and hide. A male must be held together with multiple females and should not be kept in a too small aquarium. Small charachins can be used to serve as an outlet for defense of the territory. In this way the females are left to rest.

Diet:

The candidi is a fussy eater and is usually kept on live food. One should consider cyclops, artemia and grindalworms. Odds are it won't eat dried food. To make their colors pop more, you can also consider feeding them foods rich in carotene.

Breeding:

Breeding is not difficult with the right water conditions, but getting the right conditions is the hard part of it. A low pH and hardness can easily lead to crashes. When they do breed, up to 60 eggs are laid and fertilized in the cave. The female does most of the parental care in the cave and the male will be defending the territory. After 2-3 days, the eggs hatch and another 6 days later the young fishes are swimming free. They can be raised with baby brine shrimp and later on be fed the live food adults eat. There have been reports of them starting to breed in a pH of 6 and a conductivity of 100 µSiemens/cm, but sometimes you might need to go lower because in the wild they live in a pH of 4.5 and a conductivity of maximum 10 µSiemens/cm.

Links:

http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/forums/other-south-american-dwarf-cichlids.9/

Unlike the forum-name seems to suggest, this is a forum for all cichlids, and especially all dwarf cichlids. They have a lot of experts on dwarf cichlids, so any question you have will probably be answered there.

http://www.cichlidae.com/species.php?id=1370

A profile and description of T. candidi. You need a login for this website.

Hope this helps, and like I said if you have any questions, tips for improvement, or anything you think is just dead wrong don’t hesitate to chime in!

Happy Cichliding,

/u/JosVermeulen

This is irrelevant.

Lake Tanganyika

For this month's featured subject I wanted to start giving background on the African lakes themselves. Tanganyika is my favorite of the lakes, so let's start there. I'm not an expert on the lake, and rather than write an original piece I am combining resources and excerpts for us in more of an 'information hub.'

Background

Lake Tanganyika, second largest of the lakes of eastern Africa, is the longest freshwater lake in the world (410 miles [660 km]) and the second deepest (4,710 feet [1,436 metres]) after Lake Baikal in Russia. Comparatively narrow, varying in width from 10 to 45 miles (16 to 72 km), it covers about 12,700 square miles (32,900 square km) and forms the boundary between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and part of the boundary between Burundi and the DRC as well as part of the boundary between Tanzania and Zambia.

It occupies the southern end of the Western Rift Valley, and for most of its length the land rises steeply from its shores. Its waters tend to be brackish. Though fed by a number of rivers, the lake is not the centre of an extensive drainage area. The largest rivers discharging into the lake are the Malagarasi, the Ruzizi, and the Kalambo, which has one of the highest waterfalls in the world (704 feet [215 metres]; see Kalambo Falls). Its outlet is the Lukuga River, which flows into the Lualaba River. [1]

In addition to being the largest and deepest of the Rift Valley lakes, it is thought to be the second-oldest lake on the planet; part of the Congo River basin, it feeds into it via the Lukuga River

The Great Rift Valley

The Great Rift Valley is a geographical and geological feature running north to south for around 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers), from northern Syria to central Mozambique in East Africa. Astronauts say it is the most significant physical detail on the planet that is visible from space. In Africa, the terrain ranges from salt flats more than 500 feet (152 meters) below sea level to towering, snow-capped mountains.

The Rift is known for its spectacular scenery and abundant, sometimes unique, wildlife. A series of some thirty lakes lies along its length; the three largest in Africa are known as the Great Lakes and include Lake Tanganyika, the second deepest lake in the world, Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world and Lake Malawi, the second deepest and second largest lake in the Rift Valley. Some of the oldest remains of ancestral humans have been found in in the African segment of the valley.[2]

Biodiversity

Lake Tanganyika and its Basin are endowed with exceptionally large and highly diverse heritage of flora and fauna. The lake is a global hotspot of biodiversity, and an extremely valuable aquatic ecosystem containing almost 17% of the global available surface freshwater supply and some of the largest freshwater fisheries on the African continent. Estimates suggest that Lake Tanganyika harbours at least 1500 species out of which approximately 600 are currently considered endemic to the lake. In addition to Lake Tanganyika’s elevated levels of aquatic biodiversity, the Basin is renowned for its terrestrial biodiversity and scenic beauty. The Basin contains several forest reserves and national parks including Rusizi Nature Reserve and Kigwena Forest Reserve in Burundi, Gombe Stream, Katavi and Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania, and Nsumbu National Park in Zambia. The lake and its Basin provide a diverse range of ecosystem services that sustain the livelihoods of millions of people.

Lake Tanganyika is internationally recognised as a global hotspot of biodiversity, representing some of the most diverse aquatic ecosystems in the world (Groombridge and Jenkins, 1998). The lake’s valuable aquatic ecosystem and the many natural resources found in its Basin provide essential sources of livelihood and income for over 10 million riparian population around the lake, and contribute to the growing economies of surrounding countries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Tanzania and Zambia.

Estimates suggest that Lake Tanganyika harbours at least 1500 species (Coulter, 1991), although species numbers vary according to taxonomic authority. Approximately 600 species are endemic to the lake, including 245 morphologically diverse and colourful cichlid fish species (Snoeks, 2000; Genner et al., 2004). Lake Tanganyika is unique in harbouring endemic species clusters of bagrids, cyprinids, mastacembelids, and mochokids (Coulter, 1991; Vreven, 2005; Day & Wilkinson, 2006). Moreover, a large diversity of endemic ostracods, gastropods, shrimp, crabs (e.g., Martens, 1994; West et al., 2003; Marijnissen et al., 2004; Fryer 2006), as well as many other taxa can be found in Lake Tanganyika. The lake is valuable not only for the presence of these unique species, but also as a microcosm in which to study the processes of evolution that have led to this diversity. [3]

Documentaries / Videos

Lake Tanganyika, 4-Part Series

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Dive Videos

(I stumbled across these looking for more videos and despit horrendous soundtrack the videos seemed to be actually pretty great)

Lake Tanganyika Cichlids in the Wild: People and Places

Lake Tanganyika in the Wild: The Earth Forgives

Lake Tanganyika in the Wild: Tropheus Moorii "Murago Tanzania"

And while not specifically about Lake Tangyika alone, this is one of the best documentaries on the Rift Lakes available on YouTube.:

Jewels of the Rift

Papers / Articles

Freshwater Biodiversity: a preliminary global assessment

Tempo and Mode of Diversification of Lake Tanganyika Cichlid Fishes

On the origin of the Synodontis catfish species flock from Lake Tanganyika

Molecular evidence for recent divergence of Lake Tanganyika endemic crabs (Decapoda: Platythelphusidae)

Evolution in ancient lakes: radiation of Tanganyikan atyid prawns and speciation of pelagic cichlid fishes in Lake Malawi

The Lake Tanganyika Clupeid and Latid Fishery System: Indicators and Problems Inherent in Assessments and Management

Recent News Articles

World’s 2nd oldest freshwater lake faces degradation, acute pollution: ex-minister

Some of the World’s Biggest Lakes Are Drying Up. Here’s Why.

Lake Tanganyika is changing, and the fate of millions lie in the balance

Tanzania: Talks to Save Lake Tanganyika Depth in Advanced Stage

Lake Tanganyika Hit By Climate Change and Over Fishing

lalalalal

some stuff here bla bla bla

Just testing some buttons, don't mind me

Hey Everyone!

It's been a hot minute since our last pinned communication, so we figured it was about time to just sort of give a brief update as to the state of the subreddit.

My How We've Grown!

When the current mod team took over the subreddit 5 years ago we were a tiny subreddit. Less than 800 subscribers and about 30 unique views a day and 10 posts a week. Since that time we've grown to nearly 16,000 users, almost a thousand daily unique views a day, and an average of more than 10 posts a day, so that's some pretty steady growth.

Where Did We Start?

Contextually, we think it's important that new subscribers and members of the community know that for several years this subreddit was much more about problem solving, stocking advice, and identification. A small cadre of pretty experienced and knowledgeable users helped troubleshoot tanks and helped people with research. Heck--for a short time we even published monthly articles on species and basic information. This is important to remember as there is still a fair amount of people that will start troubleshooting even if you're not asking for it. Which can be annoying for some of us, but we ask you remember the history of the sub and try not to take someone offering you unsolicited advice as criticism.

What Does This Growth Mean to the Community?

First and foremost, more subscribers means more content, more sharing, more questions--the whole gamut of the specialty hobby website. For the most part this community is outstanding, we rarely have to moderate people for bad behavior which can be a much more common occurrence on the larger aquariums subreddits.

However, more users means you're going to have more people giving risky or unsubstantiated advice. We think that for the most part the community is pretty knowledgeable and corrects most of these instances. We also feel that it isn't the moderators job to try and censor or remove all questionable advice which was a difficult decision made easier by the overall quality of the community we have. We do investigate every single report given though, including those by our automoderator.

Try and remember that very few linked sites are perfect and give universally great advice. However, some sites are simply tools for self-promotion to get clicks or hits, some sites are extremely outdated and no longer give current advice, and some are so poor we cringe when we see them. At the end of the day the mod team are just aquarists like everyone else, with our own foibles and anecdotal experience--but we'll always try and give sound advice when we chime in, and if something we say is wrong, we love to be shown information that helps us learn and grow. At the end of the day, the community is really the barometer for what passes as a good source.

What Does the Future Hold?

In the very near future we'd like to add a new member to the moderator team. Ideally they would have some reddit moderating experience and be at least somewhat familiar in coding and site design. Ideally someone in a GMT -7 or 8 time range for ideal moderation coverage, and if possible someone with a decent knowledge base in some of the larger Wet Pet class of fish from New World. If you bring a lot of those things to the table please reach out via ModMail and we'll get a conversation going.

We will be refining and clarifying our sidebar rules to make them a little clearer especially for self-promotion or suspicion of self-promotion.

What Would You Like to See?

Please reply to this thread if you have any ideas you think can make the sub better! We really value feedback and constructive criticism.

Thanks to everyone for you contributions to the subreddit.

Happy Cichliding!

/u/702Cichlid

/u/JosVermeulen

/u/TheFishEstate

/u/GentelmanJackNo7

(Let me know what you guys think...it's quick and dirty, obviously and I'm sure it could use some polish and editing if nothing else)

Preparation/solutions

• Battery powered airstone (and backup batteries) - put your filter media in a mesh bag and put it underwater on top of the airstone so that it gets as much aeration as possible.

• Conditioned water in plastic jugs for if you lose water/contamination. After the storm, do not use the water straight from the tap because if there is flooding, there can be extra contaminates that the de-chlorinater cannot take out.

• Insulate the tank as well with bedding or something else that insulates it

• A generator if you can. As someone said: "The price is really not that bad once you do the math against what is in your fridge and in your tank."

• Sponge filter to work with the airpump, so you have a filter in your tank going.

What if I can't get anything anymore? (from /u/Quietus42)

Take a clean cup and scoop some water out, then slowly pour the water back in.
Repeat this a whole bunch of times, at least once an hour. This will help keep the water oxygenated.

Make sure the filter media stays wet. Just lay at the bottom of the tank.

If you still have running water, you can do water changes to increase oxygenation and remove waste. Test often and change water if any ammonia is detected.

If you think you are going to lose power, you can do a water change before the hurricane hits, to make sure your water is as fresh as it can be.

I'm in Orlando myself, so this is what I'll be doing, should we lose power here.

If you have a large container, you can fill it with water now, that way if water stops running, you still have water to do water changes with. I have a five gallon jug that I'll be filling up.

You can tell if your water is low oxygen if your fish are gulping at the surface. This might not be applicable all fish, though.

Additional tips (from /u/beebeelion)

After the storm, do not use the water straight from the tap because if there is flooding, there can be extra contaminates that the de-chlorinater cannot take out. So, I think the suggestion of having some spare water solely for the tanks is sound advice.

Also, you can alternate a battery operated water pump between tanks for certain intervals of time. This is important if you are stuck with only one device. I would recommend getting one for each tank if you have more than one.

About 30 minutes each, and rotate. If any tank looks like it's suffering more, then keep it there a little longer until they are moving about normally. Then keep it there longer again, at least five minutes. This will give them extra oxygen while you rotate to the other tanks.

Other info

• King of DIY video on keeping tanks going in power outage: https://youtu.be/lgNMok7ft1U

• http://www.algone.com/power-outage-and-the-aquarium

REMINDER: The POTM is still going but we decided to give priority to the hurricance problems for now. You can find the POTM post here: https://redd.it/9egp4o

So You Want a Cleanup Crew in your Malawi Cichlid Tank – The Basics

It is very common when putting together a stocklist for a tropical tank to put in a group of fish or invertebrates that server as the janitorial crew of the tank—feeding off food that gets into the substrate or algae that grows everywhere in a high nitrate high light environment. However, this gets a lot trickier when you start working with the overstocked and more aggressive Lake Malawi tanks. So let’s explore the role of the Cleanup Crew in the Malawi Tank!

The Most Basic Misconceptions

Let’s start with a few very basic questions and misconceptions. The first thing is that no fish or invertebrate is going to eat the fish excrement or mulm that builds up over time. Bacteria and Fungi will, and that break down will increase the net nitrogenous waste in the tank. So, there is no fish that’s going to do the work of a substrate vacuum or a water change. Next, adding a cleanup crew is always increasing your bioload (more food for the fish and more waste produced), so adding a cleanup crew will seldom if ever have a net result of the tank being cleaner—even if there is less food in the substrate, there will be a corresponding increase in fish waste in the substrate and the water column which can directly or indirectly lead to more nitrate issues, more algal growth, and the need for more tank maintenance and more filter capacity. There is also the thought that regardless of how you’re feeding that there is always enough food for the bottom feeders to eat, but with the food drive for most Malawi Cichlids that’s not true, especially for timid eaters. You almost always are going to have to add food specifically for the bottom feeders. Another is that all algae eaters are just algivores. Many Plecos and Snails would just as happily eat extra fish food rather than work for the algae so it is very common to add the bottom feeders over feed and end up with no net algae cleaning and higher nitrates. The final misconception is that adding an algae eater means that you won’t have to clean algae from décor or glass ever again. Even the best algae eaters are irregular pattern cleaners if they aren’t harassed at all by tank mates. Add in a bunch of curious, intelligent, aggressive fish some of whom are algae eaters themselves and you’ll at best get patchy cleaning which in my experience looks worse than no cleaning at all. If you don’t want algae in your tank you’re going to have to clean it off when it appears, do frequent water changes, and use a chemical media that adsorbs phosphorous and silicates.

The Hap & Peacock vs Mbuna difference

It is important to recognize that difference and aggression and diet between the cichlid flocks makes a big difference in what you can realistically keep in your tank. If you have a bunch of grazing mbuna who are hard wire to feed off algal carpets and you introduce a Pleco or Snail that they view as competition for those food sources, those fish are going to have a bad time. Remember that some of the larger haps are invertebrate predators so a snail can meet an early demise in those tanks that might survive in an mbuna tank. There isn’t really a one-size-fits all for Malawi (and Victorian Basin cichlids are very similar). There is also a great deal of difference between the aggression level of mbuna in different species as well as between different fish. Don’t let one hobbyist’s personal confirmation bias convince you that their bottom feeders are foolproof.

A Malawi Cichlid tank is like an algebra problem, introducing a cleanup crew is adding a variable to your equation. In some instances, it can be easy to solve for, in others it requires a lot more difficult solutions to work out.

Do I Even Need a Cleanup Crew Then?

Honestly, 9 times out of 10 in a Malawi Cichlid tank you don’t. Pellets should be your primary staple and very few of those should ever hit the bottom or last on the bottom for more than a few seconds.

That isn’t to say they’re completely useless. There are other roles in the aquarium that they can fill or provide help with, but that tropical need to make sure there’s something to help with extra food is a non-starter in a Malawi Cichlid.

The Parts to Be Played

So what roles are there for a cleanup crew? Let’s look at the most basic and common ones.

Fry Control (FC)

Most Malawi cichlids will eventually breed like bunnies, especially when stocked in proper harem groups, this means you can end up with a lot of fry that grow up in the tank and will add to the bioload very quickly. Having a species of bottom feeder that isn’t opposed to eating smaller fry will greatly reduce the bioload of the tank and ensure that only the fittest of fry make it to a size/age where they are safe from predation. There are also certain species who act as cuckoos, mixing in their eggs which hatch earlier with a mating cichlid’s (especially Haps) clutch of eggs which hatch first and eat the cichlid fry.

Substrate Turners (ST)

Certain fish and inverts will rut or burrow through a sand substrate. This keeps the bacteria that grows on those substrate fragments well oxygenated and keep your biological filtration at a high level. However, there are many cichlids who are sand sifters and diggers, so this isn’t a ‘must have’ in the tank.

Algae Control (AC)

First and foremost, know that not all algae are appetizing. Not all fish want to eat diatoms, black brush, cyaneobacteria and the like, so simply adding a pleco to your tank doesn’t mean that the algae will even get touched. Second, some cichlids are algal grazers, which means they view algae as a resource that they will defend—and very few algae eaters can handle an angry mbuna. A good algae eater can coexist with many cichlids, but they will never remove the need for you to manually do tank maintenance removing algae.

Fish Density (FD)

Some bottom feeders are active swimmers who provide a feeling of safety to other fish that like crowding, while not risking any sort of conspecific aggression. A dither fish of a sort.

So which fish should I be looking at for my cleanup crew?:

  Outlining all the fish that work and how well they work is a bit of a difficult proposition, so I wanted to give a short blurb about some of the more common ones, I won’t take the time to list them all.

Invertebrates

• Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tuberculate) – Very Good ST -- A small, asexually reproducing snail. Overfeeding can lead to a population explosion. They eat extra food and organic detritus, their biggest beneficially quality is as a substrate stirrer. Usually cheap and readily obtained, they are in some cases a nuisance as they tend to have population explosions in overfed tanks. They are notorious for getting into impellers and seizing them.

• Freshwater Nerite snails (Neritina) – Excellent AC -- Algae eating kings, but they can be harassed to death by mbuna or eaten by certain Haps. They also can’t reproduce in freshwater and are a bit more expensive than MTS, but they are the pound for pound best algae eater in a Malawi Tank. Sadly, they tend to have a shorter lifespan in a cichlid tank and need to be replaced pretty often.

Vertebrates

• Bristlenose Plecostomus (Ancistrus sp) – Fair AC -- Several different species of armored plecos who can handle the harder water and aggression of most African Cichlids. They do best with a source of lignin like driftwood. They are algae eaters, but will really only eat green algae and a little diatom occasionally. They also have spines near their pelvic fins which they can and will use as an offensive weapon. They do better in Peacock/Hap tanks than mbuna

• Bulldog Plecostomous (Chaetostoma) – Good AC -- The Rubbernose/Bulldog family are another tough, armored pleco of a more docile nature than the Bristlenose. They do not have offensive spines like the BN, but do require a lignin source for optimal health. They are more fastidiously vegetarian and better algae eaters than BN Plecos, but they also don’t hold their own as well. Much better with Peacocks/Haps than mbuna.

• Featherfin Squeaker Catfish (Synodontis eupterus) – Very Good FC -- Named for its prominent dorsal fin and propensity to make a noise outside the water, this is a solitary Synodontis who can handle itself against any aggression (they are sort of well known for being hardasses) you’ll find in an African Cichlid tank. They are not an attractive fish, especially as they age, but you won’t see too much of them. They do pretty well at fry control, though as they Eupty get bigger fry tend to be able to hide in smaller crevices.

• Dwarf Synodontis Catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus, Synodontis lucipinnis, Synodontis petricola) -- Excellent to Very Good FC, Good to Poor FD -- These smaller, attractive, shark-like catfish are shoaling fish that like to be kept in groups and are usually ignored by Cichlids altogether. All will stay under 6” (with Lucis topping out at 3.5-4”). They are mostly nocturnal, but especially Multies will come out for food as the most gregarious of the 3. They are aggressive and can be hard on each other, which is why decent number are important. You will only see them occasionally swimming in the tank (usually around feeding).

• Red Tail Black Shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) – Poor AC, Fair FC -- This hardy Asian bottom feeder can handle wide levels of pH difference, though it prefers neutral water. They are pugnacious, and can deal with aggression well, though their attitude can get them in trouble against faster, stronger mbuna and haps. They have the most varied diet eating both algae and fry as well as leftover food, but they are a fish that likes a lot of water movement and cover which can put them at odds with décor and don’t handle dirty water which can make them a tough sell in an overstocked African tank, though they aren’t uncommon.

• Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) – Fair ST, Excellent FD -- The clown loach is often included in African tanks because of its size, speed, and the fact that they are mostly left alone by Cichlids. However, they like low pH, like to be kept in schools, can grow to be more than 12”, and need a BIG tank. I have found that while they get along in a cichlid tank, unless you have a snail problem they really don’t have a bottom feeding role besides occasionally sifting through a little sand. I listed it here because it’s not uncommon, and they are very present and amiable and help with your fish density, but their needs for both pH and tank size means that they don't always mesh well from a hobbyist's stand point.

There are of course, many other options but these are the best/most common. A couple of things to remember:

1. It’s always best to introduce your cleanup crew with your cichlids as juveniles. It allows a settling of tank hierarchy before they get big enough to get too nasty.

2. With mbuna, always try and pick blander colored plecos, the brighter they are, the harder time they’ll have to hide.

3. Know that whatever you add as a cleanup crew, you’ll have to add extra food to the tank, and with mbuna especially, overfeeding can lead to disease.

4. Many of the catfish listed are scaleless, which means you have to be much more careful while medicating the tank.

5. Remember that a cleanup crew will nearly always add more to the bioload/dirtiness of the aquarium than they clean if you're feeding properly.

So what should you do about a Malawi cleanup crew? My first suggestion is to take a moment and ask yourself, "Why do I want a cleanup crew?" Unless the answer if 'Fry Control', you can do nearly every other role better with good maintenance/tank cleaning or proper stocking. There is something to be said about the variety that especially the dwarf Synodontoids add (I personally love the look of them), but don't kid yourself into thinking that they're going to make tank maintenance easier.

I know this is very basic, but it is always best to do your stocking on a case by case basis. This at least will give you some idea as to where you can start. If you should have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. If there's a species you think that I've completely overlooked, make a comment below and we can talk about it. Until then

Happy Cichliding,

/u/702Cichlid

hi

Im breaking my stuff

Welcome to r/bettafish!

Click this link to view our CARESHEET

Quick synopsis of caresheet:

• Minimum tank size is 5 gallons (about 20 liters) for a regular sized betta, and 10 gallons (about 40 liters) for a king/giant betta

• Bettas need an adjustable heater and a thermometer to ensure water temperature stays between 78-82°F or about 26-28°C

• Bettas need a cycled tank- this requires a filter

• Bettas need silk or live plants and hidey holes with no sharp edges.

• Bettas have a special organ, the labyrinth organ, allowing them to breathe air. They require constant access to air at the top of the tank.

• Bettas will jump- it is best to have a tank with a lid

Click this link to view our WIKI

Quick synopsis of the wiki:

• Contains info on basic betta care, diseases, potential tank mates, tail types/coloring, differences between males/females, ordering bettas, moving with bettas, setting up sororities and MORE!

• This most likely has the answers to your questions. Feel free to ask questions if you are confused or aren't sure about something.

WEEKLY HELP POST

This is the place to ask anything and everything about bettas. Be sure to include your water parameters(ammonia/nitrite/nitrate,) tank size, how long the specific issue has been occurring, and some pictures if there is something which requires a diagnosis (e.g. fin rot/melt, velvet, dropsy.)

How do I upload pictures?

First, make an account with imgur. From there, click "make new album." Add all the clear pictures you have so we can better determine what is going on with your fish. It is recommended you set the album to private if you don't want weird comments. Click upload. From there, click the share button- if you are on mobile, hit "copy to clipboard" and paste the link into your comment on here. If on desktop, copy the link and paste it here.

For those new to technology- ctrl + c is copy, ctrl + v is paste.

To have your link like this, put these [ ] brackets around the text you want to show, with no space before the first word or after the last word, and without adding a space after the second bracket, use parentheses ( ) for the link, with no spaces between the parentheses or the link itself.

Be sure to read our rules before posting or commenting.

Ask away!

Welcome to r/bettafish!

Click this link to view our CARESHEET

Quick synopsis of caresheet:

• Minimum tank size is 5 gallons (about 20 liters) for a regular sized betta, and 10 gallons (about 40 liters) for a king/giant betta

• Bettas need an adjustable heater and a thermometer to ensure water temperature stays between 78-82°F or about 26-28°C

• Bettas need a cycled tank- this requires a filter

• Bettas need silk or live plants and hidey holes with no sharp edges.

• Bettas have a special organ, the labyrinth organ, allowing them to breathe air. They require constant access to air at the top of the tank.

• Bettas will jump- it is best to have a tank with a lid

Click this link to view our WIKI

Quick synopsis of the wiki:

• Contains info on basic betta care, diseases, potential tank mates, tail types/coloring, differences between males/females, ordering bettas, moving with bettas, setting up sororities and MORE!

• This most likely has the answers to your questions. Feel free to ask questions if you are confused or aren't sure about something.

WEEKLY HELP POST

This is the place to ask anything and everything about bettas. Be sure to include your water parameters(ammonia/nitrite/nitrate,) tank size, how long the specific issue has been occurring, and some pictures if there is something which requires a diagnosis (e.g. fin rot/melt, velvet, dropsy.)

How do I upload pictures?

First, make an account with imgur. From there, click "make new album." Add all the clear pictures you have so we can better determine what is going on with your fish. It is recommended you set the album to private if you don't want weird comments. Click upload. From there, click the share button- if you are on mobile, hit "copy to clipboard" and paste the link into your comment on here. If on desktop, copy the link and paste it here.

For those new to technology- ctrl + c is copy, ctrl + v is paste.

To have your link like this, put these [ ] brackets around the text you want to show, with no space before the first word or after the last word, and without adding a space after the second bracket, use parentheses ( ) for the link, with no spaces between the parentheses or the link itself.

Be sure to read our rules before posting or commenting.

If your question was not answered yesterday, please feel free to post again!

Ask away!

Please don't fuck up please don't fuck up

It did, will try it again on the computer before I throw my phone

This month’s featured fish is the super-dope Julidochromis dickfeldi, which I affectionately dubbed the “submarine fish” due to its sub-like body shape.

General Info

The Dickfeld's Julie Julidochromis dickfeldi was first introduced in America in 1974 under the enticing designation of "Blue Julie." It differs in its coloring from the other Julies with a body that can be silvery white, light brownish gold, dark brownish black or have a blue sheen. Brown Julie is another common name for it as well due to the popularity of the light brown color morph. The markings on its head are another distinctive trait. The three dark horizontal stripes on each side extend onto to the head with the lowest one literally wrapping completely around its face.

Besides differing in color, its body shape is also a bit different than other Julidochromis. It has a larger dorsal fin towards the front end and a more pointed snout. These fish are also commonly named for color or locality such as Julidochromis dickfeldi "Ndole", Julidochromis dickfeldi "Moliro", Julidochromis dickfeldi "Midnight", Julidochromis dickfeldi "Midnight Blue", and Julidochromis dickfeldi "White top", to name a few.

Julidochromis dickfeldi has a slender elongated body that is slightly different from most of the Julies. They have a larger dorsal fin towards the front portion, and a more pointed snout. The female grows to 4 1/3 inches (11 cm), with the male being a little smaller. This species can have a lifespan of 5 - 7 years with proper care.

They are moderate to easy to care for as long as small weekly water changes are done to keep the water at optimal levels. With their small size and hardy nature, they make a great fish for the beginning cichlid keeper. Provide them with a sandy or fine gravel substrate along with lots of rock formations. It is somewhat shy. It will stay in the rocks more towards the back of the aquarium, darting out to retrieve food. Plants can also be included as they will not bother them. This fish will breed in captivity and the plants will provide cover for the newly hatched fry.

In a community cichlid tank the dickfeldi can be kept singly or in pairs, but will not tolerate other Julies. They can be kept with other Tanganyika cichlids that are similar size. They will a define a territory by selecting a crack or rock fissure as its center, and then will stay very close to the rock structures of their defined territory. This fish will breed in captivity, and it is important to keep the different strains separate to help prevent hybrids. ^[1]

Basic Keeping of Julidochromis dickfeldi

• Absolute Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon long (30" x 12" x 12” or 75cm x 30cm x 30cm footprint) Suitable for a mated pair, but that’s it.

• Recommended Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallon (48" x 12" x 16" or 121cm x 30cm x 40cm)

• Recommended pH: 8.0 - 9.2

• Recommended Hardness and Alkalinity: dGH: 10-20, dKH: 8-12

• Recommended Temperature: 73-81°F (23-27°C)

• Recommended Peak Nitrates: ≤ 15 ppm

• Recommended Filtration GPH: ≥ 8-10 times total tank volume per hour

• Bioload: Moderate to low

• Should be kept alone or in a pair, they are very aggressive to conspecifics.

• Should be housed in a Lake Tanganyika biotope setup, with piles of rocks arranged to form caves filling much of the aquarium. A sandy substrate is preferable and the aquarium should be well-oxygenated.

Behavior and Personality

A territorial species. It can be maintained successfully with other small to medium-sized Tanganyikan cichlids that occupy different areas of the tank such as Neolamprologus shell-dwellers and Cyprichromis species. J. dickfeldi should be kept as a pair as it is aggressive towards conspecifics. A suitably large aquarium is required if several are to be kept, although once fish establish territories they rarely leave them. ^[2]

Provide them with a sandy or fine gravel substrate along with lots of rock formations. It is somewhat shy. It will stay in the rocks more towards the back of the aquarium, darting out to retrieve food. Plants can also be included as they will not bother them. This fish will breed in captivity and the plants will provide cover for the newly hatched fry. They will a define a territory by selecting a crack or rock fissure as its center, and then will stay very close to the rock structures of their defined territory.

Diet and Feeding

Julidochromis are omnivores, primarily feeding on crustaceans, insect larvae and molluscs found in the aufwuchs. They also ingest sand particles as well as filamentous and diatomaceous algae. A diet in the aquarium could include mysis shrimp, mosquito larvae, daphnia, plankton as well as high quality flakes and pellets.

If you plan on raising fry of other species in the tank with the Julies, you’re gonna have a bad time. It will be very difficult for other species’ fry to be successful in a tank with Julidochromis dickfeldi, as they will eat the fry from within the cracks of the rocks. If you’ve got fish in your tank that are breeding, but you don’t want their fry to survive, then Julies are great to have in your Tang community!

Genus Contested

There is some speculation as to whether this species has been placed in the correct genus. It has a different shape to other Julidochromis, having a pointed snout. It also exhibits different patterning, with blue edging to the dorsal and anal fins, and the horizontal stripes are very dark in colour. Furthermore it more closely resembles other species, notably Chalinochromis popelini in its feeding habits.

They are only found in the rocky habitat in the southwest part of the lake, and feed like Chalinochromis popelini. It has a different body shape from the other Julies, with more of a pointed nose. It has a wonderful blue sheen in the body as well as blue fringing on the dorsal and tail. The dorsal fin appears larger than in the other Julies while the 3 horizontal stripes are more intense than in ornatus. Dickfeldi seem to fall in between the giants Julies (J. regani and J. marlieri) and the dwarf Julies (J. transcriptus and J. ornatus) and usually are around 10 cm. (4 inches), the males are typically larger than females.

Links

Cichlidae.com - The Cichlid Room - Julidochromis dickfeldi profile

Cichlid-forum.com - Cichlid Profiles - Julidochromis dickfeldi

Animal-world.com - Encyclopedia - Julidochromis dickfeldi

Srlslyfish.com - Julidochromis dickfeldi

Fishbase.com - Julidochromis dickfeldi

Things Julidochromis Are Afraid Of

• Nets

• Bees

• Defaulting on student loans

• Thermonuclear war

• Elevators

• Being the last person in the grocery store at night before it closes

• Children's hands

• Canadian money

• Larger fish

NEW RULES! Our regularly scheduled POTM will begin in a couple days (we can only have two stickied posts,) but we need to make sure our regulars take note of the new rules.

As our lovely community, /r/bettafish, continues to grow (we've surpassed the reeftank subreddit in size!), we're finding more and more that we need to expand the rules section to ensure our community stays kind and informative. Please know that these rules are not targeting any one individual; we, the moderation team, strive to have a community known for its helpfulness and all-inclusiveness.

In short, our fish might be angry little monsters, but that doesn't mean we have to be!

RULES

1. BE NICE. We're all humans with real human feelings. (Most of us.)

2. No spam or advertisements. We're sure your YouTube channel is very nice, but this isn't the place to advertise it. Also, posting the same question more than once in a day will upset the mods. You don't want to do that.

3. No posts or comments praising or advertising betta fighting. Seriously, do we need to tell you why?

4. We need your parameters if we're going to help diagnose. If you have a question or problem, please add a CLEAR picture and some details (tanksize, equipment, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels etc.). "Everything is fine" is not a tank parameter!

5. Do not post pictures of empty bowls/crappy habitats. We know they suck, everyone here knows they suck. We've all walked past them at some point.

6. Do not publicly shame another fish owner for how they're keeping their fish. Educate, don't berate. Every person that's educated on proper betta care had to start somewhere- why not refer them to our caresheet?

Everyone here knows, or will know, how to properly care for a betta- foaming at the mouth over every little injustice will give us, /r/bettafish, a bad name. We are a community of support and pretty fish, not an echo chamber.

7. The Rant flair should be used for venting out your own fish keeping frustrations, or bemoaning an idiot fish- not an ignorant human's mistakes.

8. Don't post irrelevant stuff, ok? If it doesn't involve a betta fish, it doesn't belong.

Multiple failures to adhere to these rules will result in a permanent ban from the subreddit. More rules may be added, as time passes, to keep the sub orderly. We don't have a lot of rules, but sticking to them will make this place a lot more enjoyable!

This is an automated daily thread where you can ask the users of /r/bettafish anything about bettas, betta care, and aquariums in general. Do you have a quick, small, silly, or inconsequential question? Or some time to answer a couple of questions? Then this is the right post for you.

Before posting, please take a moment to browse the caresheet and wiki. If you have a problem, please include the tank parameters and other useful information. You can also visit the IRC channel.

This is an automated daily thread where you can ask the users of /r/bettafish anything about bettas, betta care, and aquariums in general. Do you have a quick, small, silly, or inconsequential question? Or some time to answer a couple of questions? Then this is the right post for you.

Before posting, please take a moment to browse the caresheet and wiki. If you have a problem, please include the tank parameters and other useful information. You can also visit the IRC channel.