Rearranging rockwork

[QuarterMiler]

I'm wondering how often some of you rearrange the rocks in your tanks. I just had an epic struggle in my 125 mbuna tank to catch a holding Fuelleborni female. It started with taking a few rocks out, and snowballed to a bunch more before I could isolate her in one section with some screens. Eventually she swam right into one of the hollow cichlid stones I have in there and I carried her to another tank. But I had a feeling there was no way I was going to duplicate the rock layout, and I was right. So is it stressful to them when you rearrange? I had so much stuff in there trying to catch her, and moved so many things around, that I'm afraid they may never come out of hiding now!

[AlishanAS]

I use minimal rockwork just so I don't have to break it down to hunt down fish. I also catch holding females at night after the tank light has been off for at least an hour. The fish are groggy and easier to catch.

The redistribution of the rockwork will serve to break up any existing terrtoriality. They shouldn't be too stressed out.

[Richard B]

I do my 240 a couple times a year I just pick a day and do it I have some Scouts interested in the hobby who are willing to help.
For breeding I use some smaller tanks a 90 and a 120 and while I rearange the 240 I decide whats breeding next and work with them.
I have been in the fishroom with a flashlight plenty to catch females which also works.
RB

[Zippo]

If one has a tank set for breeding they should set it up to make it EASY to catch holding females or whatever. I had one tank for breeding which was set with slate pcs arranged like cubicles attached to the back glass. Each cubicle was 6"x6" and sooo easy to catch anything that went in them. My all male show tank had permanent rock work since i seldom had to catch anything in there. I learned this after many failed attempts to catch anything i needed to catch. Granted it sounds awful looking but it wasn't that bad. The breeding tank was a 150 show tank a 130 and people that saw them liked the 150 better, go figure. :) Slate was .05 a pound back then, not gonna get it for that now. :) Got it from a headstone seller since it was used to ship the stones. Nowadays i think they use plastic.

[QuarterMiler]

Thank you for the help. I have done the after dark method a few times with others. But success with that method, for me at least, all depends on where in the rocks they hide at night, and having help to do it. This one was stubborn and had a difficult spot to coax her from. When I caught others before, I moved them to a small holding tank and they usually spit the fry that night. I then move the female right back into the main tank, and keep the fry in the smaller tank until they grow a bit. I'm hoping to get a few females from the Fuelleborni, because it looks like my ratio right now is male heavy, and I don't see any available right now.

[AlishanAS]

Check out the Atlantis list to see if they have any of your type of fuelleborni.

If so come join us on Jan 23.

[DJRansome]

I never rearrange my rockwork. When I have to tear it down (maybe once a year to catch a fish) I put it back the same way I had it.

[QuarterMiler]

Check out the Atlantis list to see if they have any of your type of fuelleborni.

If so come join us on Jan 23.

Thanks Alishan, I've been watching the stock of several vendors, but no luck, so I've got my fingers crossed that: A) She spits several fry, and B) that she saves me some until I get home from work.

I was seriously considering the Atlantis trip, but there's a real potential I may be working that day.

I never rearrange my rockwork. When I have to tear it down (maybe once a year to catch a fish) I put it back the same way I had it.

That was my plan DJ, but we all know what they say about the best laid plans! The one benefit was swishing out some of the debris caught up in the rockwork into the filters.

[s10jimmy]

Every time I've gotta catch female !
I like a lot of rock work in my tanks and have no Patience .:mad2: So every time I have to catch a holding female I pull all the rock out . I never put it back in the same way . Just to change the tank around a little and to clean under the rocks . :pimp:

[SCMomof2]

I use minimal rockwork just so I don't have to break it down to hunt down fish. I also catch holding females at night after the tank light has been off for at least an hour. The fish are groggy and easier to catch.

The redistribution of the rockwork will serve to break up any existing terrtoriality. They shouldn't be too stressed out.

This is awesome information to know!

[nick a]

I'm with Tom. For tanks I want to be collecting fry from, there are very few rocks in them--mostly larger stand-alone kinda holey rocks. So I might have to pull three rocks out of a 75 gallon tank. I pull the rocks & do a vacuum to get the water level down 25 or 30%....THEN go in with the nets for what's usually a very easy snag on a very un-stressed-out female.

Depending on which type of fish, significant rockwork rearrangement can lead to a new round of aggressive behaviour while territorial males re-sort out which cave is theirs.