Lamprologus tetracanthus  

This pics are of a pair of Neolamprologus. tetracanthus "yellow fin".  They are both about 1 year old. Interesting story about these two... I once had two males and the single female.  Male #1 was actively breeding with her, and the current male I have was never aloud to get even close to them.  Then one day I found Male #1 that fathered the current group of eggs dead on my carpet...I guess he jumped out of a small hole in the back. That very same day I found the other male now watching over the eggs from the other male.  And now he is a pair with the female and is turning out fry like a factory.  Could of been a aquatic homicide, we are not sure yet! They are housed in my 125g Tanganyikan community aquarium, with the frontosa, calvus, similis, leleupi, paracyprichromis, brichardi, and synos. Unfortunately these guys are EXTREMELY territorial with fry in the tank.  Even my hand is fair game during tank maintenance, been nipped several times by the male. 

My best guess is that there is over 300 fry in the tank right now all in a big swarm.  I also have leleupi fry on the right side of the tank, and brichardi fry on the left side. I have always fed them a mix of high protein foods like freeze dried krill, plankton, and white shrimp...along with occasional OSI flake and spirulina pellets.  With the fry in the tank I am adding some freeze dried brine shrimp.  It is so funny to see a fish that small grab a tiny piece of food.  AMAZING! Water is at 8.8ph, and a temp of 79*.  GH and KH are very high and stable.  I also use RO/DI water then add buffers and such to get the parameters where I want them.  I add several Seachem products such as Tang buffers and salts, and Mark Weiss vital.  Living in a farm area, tap water nitrates are high...so with this technique I am able to keep nitrates at around 5ppm between water changes and still harden up my water.

As a side note, I have decided to sell this entire aquarium and all stock.  I have had the bug to go Marine for many months now, and have just completed my 5th marine book...The Conscientious Marine Aquariast.  I am setting my 200g up as a Fish Only tank, and my 55g as a reef.  I just do not have the room for more or I would keep this tank as it is special to me.

 Photos and text by Randy Burchfield.