Question For Tropheus Experts

[puopolo`]

I keep my tropheus tank

along with all my other tanks in my basement.

There is 2 small windows that let in a

bit of light, enough for them to stay awake while the sun is out.

Do tropheus need a

good source of light in order to breed? or can i leave the light off?

i was told to

start a routine, lights on same time every day, feed same time every day, water change same time

every week.

But wondering if i can leave the light off, just to save on energy.

Thanks

[buntbarsch]

Matt, my advise is to

have a light source over your Tropheus tanks. Consider where these fish live. They live along the

rocky shoreline in the upper 5-10 feet. That is where the sun can penetrate the water enough to

create a layer of algae (aufwuchs) which is the type of food they live of.

I kept my

first Tropheus in the mid 1970's and have never looked back. During that time I have learned

my lessons the hard way (meaning I have killed my share due to not having enough information in the

early years to just plain ignorance and stupidity). If you get some algae to grow in your tanks,

establish a routine and then leave them alone, I promise you to have no bloat problems and your

fish will spawn regularly.

The person who told you these things obviously knows what he

is doing style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[maddog10]

Even if you can not

provide enough light to grow algae in the tank, put a rock or two in a tub of water outside (in

direct sunlight) and let algae cover the rock. Then put it in your tank and watch how quick it gets

cleaned. Tropheus love algae.

[fishmaven]

<!--quoteo

(post=10540:date=Jun 23 2008, 04:44 PM:name=puopolo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (puopolo

@ Jun 23 2008, 04:44 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=10540"><{POST_SNAPBACK}

></a></div><div class='quotemain'>… But wondering if i can leave the light off, just

to save on energy…</div>
<span

style="font-family:Comic Sans MS">Light affects the way the fish color. If you were to

light a tank from the bottom vs the top the belly would color and the top would fade. IMO, the

color is a key element in determining the pecking order of whatever complex of fish that inhabit

your tanks. In a poorly lit fishroom whatever your activity level is… it'd be higher in a

better lit room. Also, IMO, the dominant male will still be the dominant male but the breeding

level will be quite a bit less.

Unlike some here, I prefer for the room to never

go completely dark. I've always provided some sort of nightlight somewhere in the room. I even

did this in both store and wholesale environments. Coral Life and other lighting manufacturers have

used this logic to justify the "moonlight" feature in the lighting fixtures they

offer.

It's also my experience that when the lights are initially turned on after

being off for several hours that the fish tend to jump, sometimes out of the tank.
Dan
</span>

[iowa]

I agree with Maddog--they love

algae dn I do the sem with rocks. TM can be very finikey about eating and do't overfeed.