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Joined: Jun 2007
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame  Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
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Rainman:
Did Bruce get his fish from the same spawn I did? Yes, How are yours? Size? Spawned yet?
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2007
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The biggest one (as measured a little over a week ago) is 6.75". I can now celebrate knowing that I beat THE Bruce Condello at something.  I currently have 24 of the 27 tilapia I started with, but have never seen a dead one, nor any pieces of a dead one. The first one to disappear was the one hybrid that I had. The smallest are about 3.5" and are much darker than the larger ones, I am asuming these are the females. They have not spawned yet, possibly due to them all still being confined in one 30 gallon tank. The largest male has had a nest of sorts since about late december. Hopefully moving some of them to a 125 gallon tank this weekend will get them to start breeding. They have all been eating game fish chow with occasional orange slices. The oranges are for Vitamin C since my game fish chow is getting a little old. I have been keeping the tank at ~84. I tried warmer, but I am only feeding 3 times/day and at warmer temps they were digesting food so quickly by the next feeding their stomachs were sunken. If you guys want to know more, let me know.
Every person should have an interest in life - I think I'll go fishing. ~ Thoreau
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099 Likes: 23
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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I have yet to find anything that they wont eat. I have tried grass. leaves, bark chips. apples, meat, paper, etc. Some things they need to get pretty hungry for but most of the time it is instantly devoured.
Chris, your males will lighter considerably and the dominant males will get darker fin tips and the females darken overall when becoming sexually mature.
I think being in the tanks DOES slow their maturity, but once they start to spawn, it will happen about every 4-6 weeks.
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Joined: Jun 2007
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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This is the food I give mine. The food for the fry is 54% protein but is otherwise the same.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein 45%
Crude Fat 11%
Crude Fiber 3%
Ash 12%
Sodium 2%
Vitamin A 10000 IU/KG
Vitamin D 5000 IU/KG
Vitamin E 250 IU/KG
INGREDIENTS CR45 Fish Meal, Soybean Meal,Wheat flour, Blood Meal, Stabilized Fish Oil (D), Wheat Germ, Dried Whey, Lecithin, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal Sterol, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Folic acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulphite Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine, Hydrochloride, Thiamin, Biotin. DL Alphatocopherol (E), L-ascorbyl 2-polyphosphate (C), Choline Chloride, Cobalt Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Ethytonediamine Dihydroiodide, Ethoxyquin (Anti-Oxidant), Added Mineral Matter not more than 2.50%.
Last edited by Rainman; 04/03/09 12:20 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 167
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 167 |
Whats the biggest one you have from the same spawn? I know a month or two ago you posted a picture of one that was IIRC near 7" already. Better nutrition probably would help my fish, but I had the GFC and am in no huge hurry to grow out my fish.
I am amazed at the amount of filth fish these fish will not only live in, but also thrive in. I have purposely let the tank water get nasty a couple times just to see how it affects them. 27 fish, 30 gallons of water, 3 weeks without a water change, and they would still eat. Although at that point they would "pipe" at the surface for an hour following feeding.
Really neat fish.
Every person should have an interest in life - I think I'll go fishing. ~ Thoreau
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099 Likes: 23
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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FWIW, I don't change water UNLESS feeding slows, then I change 95% twice and add a cup of salt in the 55 gallons. I have not measured since that last pic, but I would say they have not grown more than an inch. I HAVE noticed their mouths are catching up yo their body size and all have reached maturity. I expect all to have spawned before the end of april.
Last edited by Rainman; 04/03/09 12:35 PM.
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Lunker
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Cichlids are very territorial fish. Actually, the denser the population, the less aggressive they are toward each other. A good RAS can support 1.5lbs of tilapia for each gallon of water. Anybody see Theo's pics of the Newport Aquariums Cichlid tank...notice there's a lot of fish in there. The higher the density the better...as long as you can maintain water quality.
 "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." Stephen W. Hawking
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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OP
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 8,854 Likes: 1 |
The biggest one (as measured a little over a week ago) is 6.75". I can now celebrate knowing that I beat THE Bruce Condello at something. I currently have 24 of the 27 tilapia I started with, but have never seen a dead one, nor any pieces of a dead one. The first one to disappear was the one hybrid that I had. The smallest are about 3.5" and are much darker than the larger ones, I am asuming these are the females. They have not spawned yet, possibly due to them all still being confined in one 30 gallon tank. The largest male has had a nest of sorts since about late december. Hopefully moving some of them to a 125 gallon tank this weekend will get them to start breeding. They have all been eating game fish chow with occasional orange slices. The oranges are for Vitamin C since my game fish chow is getting a little old. I have been keeping the tank at ~84. I tried warmer, but I am only feeding 3 times/day and at warmer temps they were digesting food so quickly by the next feeding their stomachs were sunken. If you guys want to know more, let me know.  Beat me like a drum! Hey, I think the reason you haven't had as much cannibalism is the same reason your's are much bigger. You're feeding them more! 
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 167
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 167 |
You could always switch them to the food that created your latest super-sized bluegill. That would probably catch you up in what, like 3 or 4 days??
Every person should have an interest in life - I think I'll go fishing. ~ Thoreau
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