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Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:53 pm
by Smashtoad
Hi all,

Well, my search didn't take as long as I thought it would. I found this guy today in a LFS. I planned to get the tank changed over to sand first, but didn't want to take a chance on losing him, so I nabbed him. In the LFS. he was being housed with big spanner barbs, and they had nipped his tail somewhat. The nine juvenile Julidochromis marlieri that are in the tank will have to prove their cichlid intellect to make it to Saturday when I switch to sand and net them out.

I have read that miurus doesn't feed on snails..could that be true? Surely he will eat ghost shrimp, right? Anyway, this is the best shot I got so far. He was more orange that this at times throughout the afternoon, though. I plan to get some pool filter sand this weekend and set him up proper.

Image

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:56 pm
by edmlfc1
He's awesome. :D That's a great picture.

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:31 pm
by Dadof4
Arrrrrghhhhh! You guys are torturing me! I want one so bad and can't find one!

Beautiful Congo! We need more pics!

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:24 am
by Jase
Awesome! :)

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:42 am
by Pufferpunk
With your subject line, I was thinking he was on the carpet when you stumbled on him. :lol: You can change over to sand after he's settled in. Is the tank cycled?

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:20 pm
by Smashtoad
Pufferpunk wrote:You can change over to sand after he's settled in. Is the tank cycled?
Yeah...I cycled it with aformentioned Julidochromis.

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:28 pm
by Pufferpunk
Ok then, just keep him in a bucket of tank water, while you do the changeover.

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:44 pm
by Sponge bob
POTM pic for sure..there wonderful puffers.

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:30 pm
by yunachin
That is a fabulous picture.

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:11 pm
by marksrush
Wow, gorgeous puffer. I'm with Dadof4 - I really want one, too, told the boss to keep an ear out for one of them. I don't even care much about the color, I just want one!

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:12 pm
by Smashtoad
Thanks, guys. I love my 100mm Macro for sure, but shooting through glass sucks. I guess it's a decent shot, but once I have the sand and he starts burying himself...that's when I hope to get a money shot of him...maybe even him blasting a Rosie...we'll see...that won't be easy with the low light. I'll have to flash it, and that adds a whole nuther dimension of crapola when shooting through glass.

The Julidochromis are doing really well at avoiding him. Hopefully they'll all make it to this weekend so I can move them out. I don't know what I was thinking getting africans...they are smart and all...but this puffer is just amazing. I fed him two rosies tonight with hemos, and it's crazy how much his belly extends when they are first swallowed...little lumps that move around.

Is there any sexual dimorphism when it comes to size on these guys? I mean...he's about 2". If he is a male...that isn't full grown, is it?

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:15 pm
by Smashtoad
That Punkster...now THAT is one gorgeous miurus...how long have you had him?

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:24 pm
by Myaj
Beautiful!

You might want to read the article in the library about feeding live feeders, especially rosy reds. Very fatty and usually full of parasites. It really sucks to get a rare or unusual fish and then kill it with cheap feeder fish.

If you are going to feed live feeders, try a different species, livebearers are best, and breed them yourself so you know they are healthy (obviously quarentine, deworm, etc).

I'm not that familiar with murius, but I think at 2" he's still got a lot of growing to do yet. And no, no external way to sex these guys unfortunately.

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:43 pm
by Smashtoad
Hmmm...yeah. That is probably a good idea. What is the gestation on livebearers? I mean...it's weird that you say that because I have been thinking all night, watching the rosies swin around, "man those things are ugly...and I really don't want those things swimming around all the time."

He is gonna live in a 38 gallon tank. I wonder if I could maybe breed the livebearers in his tank? Green swordtails are pretty nice looking fish...maybe I could look for gravid females and raise the babies...I bet they'd go up the intake though.

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll look into livebearers and see what the possibilities are...I really don't want to set up another tank if I can avoid it...

I took this one a few minutes ago...their eyes are freakin weird.
Image

Re: Stumbled onto a Congo...

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:03 pm
by Pufferpunk
Punkster died about 3 months ago... :( Had her around 6 years.