Want more tips and tricks to care for your fish? Check out these playlists! Best Fish Keeping Tips Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoDLeItfzOiRG8DV-1W9qNX4.html Lowering and Controlling Nitrates Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoD-pzZaHgtIFqurG9HZn2zz.html Every Live Stream is Here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoApHjaPfc6rdr7oipfEbZ-k.html The Water Change Tips & Tricks Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCdEYkD0rQa0OWejFk5-bHD.html SunSun Canister Filter Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCiMWEpBFJFJGxTqJH_MdMg.html Fluval Canister Filter Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoC8gSuqdG1c4nOzlAMFTmiD.html
Hi Ben, about to set up my first African cichlid tank, 125 gal. It's been a dream for a long time and I am jazzed! Have been carefully considering which fish, and exactly how-to. Tons of research. Thanks for this video, and all your others. I am now turned on to haps! Very helpful. Love your fish, the rocks look great!
Great job Ben! I love the new music. The buccochromis nototaenia are my favorite also, I have five in my 150. They are 4 1\2" and still look the same as yours. Like you I love their amazing energy. Keep up the good work. Anson.
Felicidades on the milestone. Well deserved. Intro was cool but I must admit, I fast forwarded after about 25 seconds. Your hap selection is amazing. Can't wait for you to do one on peacocks.
Nice opening intro Ben! It's like a south american samba party vibe, and the rockscape I think is nice! And thanks for the recommendations for these haps! Should get a Placidochromis phenochilus 'Mdoka White Lip' or sp Tanzania "Star Sapphire'. :D
Got to love the red empress, not sure if it's a hap but I have one and it looks like it fits in with what your showing. One of my all time favorites. Changes from a plane greyish color to absolutely glowing where you don't even notice my other fish.
Hello from England 🇬🇧 Good video. The Electric Blue is beautiful, the one with the fire red fins/tail is also lovely. I'm in the middle of making a glass fronted 2 foot wide, 3.3 feet tall & 7.3 foot indoor aquarium, can't make up my mind between Peacocks Haps Mbuna, seems a few Haps, although lovely are a bit dull in colour compared to other types of Afrucan Cichlids.
Ben, nice rescape.....got to get the 120.....if i were to critique the intro..its great, a tad long, maybe loose the unboxing footage....fish look great!!...bravo on yet another stellar video.
Hi Ben , think your intro is just fine ! Would not change a thing , the Aquarium looks Amazing 👍 & the Habs have spectacular colour , I have a juvenile Habi in my 90 gal bowfront aquarium not sure what it is bought it at my local fish store , was only 3.99 also a pearl white ciclid they were both juveniles when I purchased them about 2 month ago ! Guess I will have to wait until the Hab matures to see what he colours to , LOL ! Love / and like your videos 👍🐟 keep on tanken 🐟 Ben , take care by for Now 😃
Like the rock scape! Agree on your picks for fav haps. Your intermedius is a stunner. Maybe add the star sapphire, dolphin, deep water and red cap and make it a top10 list! Dig the intro tune but a bit too long. Keep the vids coming.
nice rescape fella tank is looking very colourful and you have a great selection of "BIG" fish there...you gonna have to upgrade soon pal.....congrats on 2000 subs my man.
will look forward to seeing that in future ochart vids...hope you will be singing in them vids when you do upgrade...i nominate you to sing ddelilah by tom jones haha...all the best..oh check out my new fish box on my channel...peace!!
Z Rock, tetrastigma, protomelas (taiwan reef, red empress, tangerine tiger, imperial tiger ... but they need some veg in their diet) are some of the more peaceful one.
Champion Aquariums, Inc. Hello, I'm using a standard 48" 3 bulb T5. The color that you're seeing might also be related to the Samsung Galaxy (S6) camera and the UA-cam color contrast and color saturation settings.
hi great video I love your Channel question do you think a 60 gallon tank is too small for a haps I can't afford a 75 gallon I have a 60 gallon is that too small
If you get them small and grow them out, yes for about a year or two. Eventually you’ll want to upgrade to a 125 or larger, so start a “tank fund” 😉😀👍🏻
Beautiful fish. The Latin theme music was good. Also theme music could be Mozart very subjective I know, but classical music adds to. The relaxation that the fish give. What are the gaps that are yellow and blue? Also do you use sump filters? Thanks again
Hello Peak Guitars. No, no sump. I use two SunSun 302s canister filters. Regarding your other question, I don't understand "What are the gaps that are yellow and blue?" If you're asking about a fish, can you mention at what point (time) they appear in the video and I'll ID them for you. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks for the info. Beautiful tank. I’m looking to doing something very similar. Home many fish do you have in there? I have a 100 gallon tank, what can i have in mine?
Great video Ben, I've got a choice to make. Its either set up a new marine system or go down the route of these very beautiful Cichlids and i think you've made my decision a lot easier. Cheers Ben.
hi ben . those loaches look just fine. I have a couple of botia loaches in a planted tank and one of them loves to place its self vertical face down behind the intake and take a nap . cant wait to get my 100 gal setup with hap and peacocks . been learning from your videos and thanks for sharing your knowledge .
Yes, love the loaches. One of mine likes to lay on its side, looking like he's dead, but he's just taking a nap. Very funny fish. I'm working on a 135 gal. that should be set up in a month. Resealed it, adding a brace, painting the back, repainting the frame, etc. Can't wait to have it up and running. Thanks for stopping by, watching and commenting.
Ben Ochart yes they are good at playing dead, those loaches are characters. nice look forward to your new tank . what would you suggest for 100 gal filtration , hows does 8x turnover sound from 2 canisters . planning on doing a nice custom background like universal rock or aqua decor but depends on shipping to New Zealand, can be expensive from US . doing research first rather than just going ahead to find out was not the thing to do .
Ben Ochart yes they are good at playing dead, those loaches are characters. nice look forward to your new tank . what would you suggest for 100 gal filtration , hows does 8x turnover sound from 2 canisters . planning on doing a nice custom background like universal rock or aqua decor but depends on shipping to New Zealand, can be expensive from US . doing research first rather than just going ahead to find out was not the thing to do .
Sometimes you get lucky. I once picked up a Frontosa that grew out beautifully for $10. I ended up giving it away to a friend with an all Frontosa tank. Usually I'm disappointed with LFS stock ... but every now and then you can score.
Thats a really nice group of Haps,Ben! I'm getting my dream tank 120 for xmas from the "boss lady" and I'm getting a mental fish map of how I want to stock it.I'll be using an FX4 hybrid hamburgmatten poret foam wall setup.I used these before in my turtle tanks back in the day,it saved the hassle of having to clean the canisters because the mulm gets collected at the foam wall,preventing the biomedia from getting covered with that film that will clog the porosity of the bio media in the canister. In other words I'll be treating my AC tank like it's a turtle tank. We all our thang with filters and that one is mine for sure! Oh btw I had no problem with your intro,thats just my opinion,besides I'm a musician so I love tunes!Lol
Tangerine tigers are awesome! The electric blue iceberg is awesome. Blaze! I got s common Pleco in my tank, he keeps the background spotless. How often are you doing water changes with the California water shortage?
Around 20. Eventually the Haps will go into a 135 gal and that will leave less than 10 in the 60 (but I'll add a flametail, blue neon, yellow benga...)
dwsdarius They are awesome. Aim's Altitude Aquatics on Facebook might have them. She'll give you 20% off if you tell Amy that you subscribe to my channel.
Rahul S Depends on which ones, the amount of water turnover (gph). Come to my FB group page and post your stock list and your filtration details for a better answer.
Can male and female cichlids live well in a community tank? I have a 55g with about 20-24 fish, including clown loaches, but one blue zebra make and two females; the tank has other haps too mostly male and all about the same size; even though I purchased the male blue zebras last, the blue zebra male became the dominant in the tank now... does one (1) male with 2 females promote fights and bullying in the tank?
Big fan! I’m fairly newbie and am sketched out about getting fish sent to me. I’m guessing it’s all good if you do it. Looking especially for red fin borleyi. Any suggestions. Don’t like to admit it but I’m at the shore in Jersey
Michael Hayes I love that T Reef ... I got into Clown Loaches and rock scapes and Hap #6 was forgotten! Look for my next video, "Hap #6: Monster Taiwan Reef!"
Hi Ben I love your fish is beautiful I'm going to buy 200 gallon fish tank soo just 1 questions Ben where can I buy those fish 🐟 is on line what web site can you give me the web site to buy those fish thanks you ben
Hey Ben..I like your videos..and especially the species you have 💯👌🐟...but tell me one thing..how can you accurately identify the species that it is since some Haplos are very similar to the Aulonocaras..I thank you if you write to answer that question I have ..
After a while your familiarity increases. Just like a dad with identical twins. He learns how to tell them apart, LOL! Sometimes, honestly, it's just a guess and very often the fish we are trying to ID is a hybrid and impossible to accurately ID.
Hi sir what raise did you give mr.pleco sir please keep me posted very keen to know so that I can decide what should I give to my pleco thanks great tank 👌🤩😍
Thank you. At the time of this video, I think I was running around 18. Things have changed quite a bit in recent months as you can see in my more current videos. Thanks for stopping by, watching and commenting.
I want to replace my white crushed coral substrate with black substrate, how do I go about doing it without keeping the fish in another tank? Is that even possible? Do I have to go with black aragonite gravel for my african cichlids or any black gravel will work?
I prefer black aragonite or crushed coral because I need the buffering to raise the pH. What's the pH of your tap water? If it's 7.5+ you can save money and just use regular black gravel. I wouldn't recommend blasting sand, and other choices that might be abrasive to the fish who are constantly shifting through it. Keep in mind that your existing substrate has loads of good bacteria. To remove it all at once might give you a new nitrogen cycle (a spike in ammonia that can be hard if not fatal to your fish). Maybe remove a 1/3 at a time, for three weeks. I don't know for sure because I've never done it. I'm sure if you search in UA-cam or ask in the FB groups you'll get people that have done it. Good luck and thank you for watching.
Hi Ben, what Hap/Peacock would you suggest to add to a yellow lab tank with 10 labs and one redtail shark? I'm looking for something peaceful which also won't be as likely to interbreed with the labs when alone as a single male. Your tank looks great by the way!
Thank you so much for the quick reply! Just one more question: So even though the yellow labs are more to the peaceful side for mbuna, they still might terrorize the peacock/hap? Would it maybe help to have a bigger peacock/hap than the largest mbuna?
Hi Ben, I love the colorful haps you have and your tank set up is awesome! I have seen cichlids being sold on Ebay, any thoughts or have you bought fish from a seller on Ebay?
Yes I have. I have purchased a good number from David Estes "FLTROPFISH". You might find it easier to use his web page: Tampa Bay Cichlids. His prices are fair and quality if good.
Hey Ben, awesome tank. I have a question, how does your cichlids get along so well? I have a 55 g with male 9 peacocks and 2 male haps. They always chase each other.
Not entirely sure why but I do feed twice a day and keep the temp at 78f. I also try to keep females out of the tank (but sometimes fish I thought were male turn out to be female...)
Does he eat and are his fins spread out? How's the color? Some fish are like that and sometimes another fish intimidates them and they feel safer hanging out on the fringe.
No real "rule." If it's small cichlids, like South American Rams, you could get away with a good number like 15 - 20, but bigger fish, like Peacocks and Haps would be less. I was pushing 18 - 20 and wanted more fish, so I had no choice but to go into a larger set up. Other factors come into play, like amount of filtration. So, there's no one absolutely correct answer. Some might argue that Haps shouldn't be in anything smaller than a 180 gallon. I'm gonna be putting a good number of them in a 135 gal, so we'll see how long before I need to either sell some off or go get another larger tank.
hey do you think african cichlids would get along with my tiger barbs. let me know cuz they are both agressive fish and i would like to put them together. please let me know. love your videos. and the intro was good but just a little to long and plus maybe change the music. no offense. thank you for all your info videos love your channel
mickey blue eyes Hey Mickey, thanks for the honest feedback. To answer your question, no, I don't suggest mixing a barb with Cichlids. It would not end well. Just my opinion.
Great question. I think I did a peacock video but I'll tell you what my favorites are now: The classics like Flame Tail, Bi-Color 500, Ruby and German Reds and Lemon Jakes, Otter Points and I love crazy OBs, like red and blue ones.
I will hit the fish spot across town today...I’m off... there is a guy over there that’s very knowledgeable like you and I have screen shot the pics and names on your video. He should be able to steer me in the right direction 👍🏿 Thanx for this video
Is the poop long and stringy? He might be under fed. Do the other fish let him eat? Sometimes more dominant fish don't let a fish eat. If he's eating or stopped eating and had long stringy poop you probably have a parasite issue. You'll need to treat the entire tank with a good parasite medication.
Kathryn Brown Depends on the type of fish. African Cichlids originate from Lake Malawi with a pH of 7.7 - 8.6 but most tank raised fish will do okay in a lower pH
Great looking fish, enjoyed the video. Intro could be shorter. Maybe you could list the features on one screen. Have one pop up then another and so on.
scape is nice and simple, like the black background I have black back and substrate. only thing I'd suggest is get rid of small fake plant, kills the natural look. otherwise great, nice video
Want more tips and tricks to care for your fish? Check out these playlists!
Best Fish Keeping Tips Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoDLeItfzOiRG8DV-1W9qNX4.html
Lowering and Controlling Nitrates Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoD-pzZaHgtIFqurG9HZn2zz.html
Every Live Stream is Here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoApHjaPfc6rdr7oipfEbZ-k.html
The Water Change Tips & Tricks Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCdEYkD0rQa0OWejFk5-bHD.html
SunSun Canister Filter Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCiMWEpBFJFJGxTqJH_MdMg.html
Fluval Canister Filter Playlist is here: ua-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoC8gSuqdG1c4nOzlAMFTmiD.html
2:10 video content starts
xBeau Gaming Yup. Shortened considerably in future videos. Was messing around with different ideas. Thanks for watching.
what a waste of 2 minutes
Hey Ben. I’m still going back in time watching your videos. Thanks for your hard work
Hi Ben, about to set up my first African cichlid tank, 125 gal. It's been a dream for a long time and I am jazzed! Have been carefully considering which fish, and exactly how-to. Tons of research. Thanks for this video, and all your others. I am now turned on to haps! Very helpful. Love your fish, the rocks look great!
Thank you Pamela and good luck with that 125. Be sure to post videos to document your journey ;)
Great job Ben! I love the new music. The buccochromis nototaenia are my favorite also, I have five in my 150. They are 4 1\2" and still look the same as yours. Like you I love their amazing energy. Keep up the good work. Anson.
Anson Clark Thanks Anson, I greatly appreciate the encouragement!
very nice fishes indeed, my favourite one is the BUCCHO NOTOTAENIA but your intermedius is a stunner !
My favorite hap is definitely the intermidious n yes he will get alot more color...yours is beautiful...followed by the Taiwan reef.
Amazing colors love it can’t wait to start my own tank
It's a great hobby!
Intro good Ben keep the videos coming.You give me some ideals with my 63 gallon aquarium.
Thank you, I will and I'm glad it's helping.
What pumps you using. The move up and down . Very interesting
Those were from ZooMed
Enjoyed the video! Got myself a second sun sun canister! Can't wait for the peacocks video!
Thanks Aneil. Yes, Peacocks are next. What model SunSun did you get?
colors are looking great. some of the fish look really big. i like the intro as well. thanks for sharing
Brian and Xman's Aquariums Thank you, yes, some have gotten quite large. Thanks for watching.
Felicidades on the milestone. Well deserved. Intro was cool but I must admit, I fast forwarded after about 25 seconds. Your hap selection is amazing. Can't wait for you to do one on peacocks.
Thank you. I agree. I'm going to trim it. Peacocks will be next. Thanks for watching and commenting Frankie.
Nice opening intro Ben! It's like a south american samba party vibe, and the rockscape I think is nice! And thanks for the recommendations for these haps! Should get a Placidochromis phenochilus 'Mdoka White Lip' or sp Tanzania "Star Sapphire'. :D
I like the sapphire, but three or four white lips look epic in a tank. Thanks for watching.
Its your choice, Ben! Anything you decide with, its gonna be epic!
My Rhino Pleco loves fresh Zucchini from the garden! Nice tank
Got to love the red empress, not sure if it's a hap but I have one and it looks like it fits in with what your showing. One of my all time favorites. Changes from a plane greyish color to absolutely glowing where you don't even notice my other fish.
One of the things I love about African Cichlids is the translucent colors and how they can change. Thanks for watching.
Hello from England 🇬🇧
Good video. The Electric Blue is beautiful, the one with the fire red fins/tail is also lovely. I'm in the middle of making a glass fronted 2 foot wide, 3.3 feet tall & 7.3 foot indoor aquarium, can't make up my mind between Peacocks Haps Mbuna, seems a few Haps, although lovely are a bit dull in colour compared to other types of Afrucan Cichlids.
You are right a few of those will brighten up my tank. Thanks for the vid
Thank you for watching.
great vids great info when are you going to get a bigger tank
Michael Stephens Thank you. I should have a 135 gal ready to go by the end of the year. I bought a used one and I'm re-sealing it.
Ben, nice rescape.....got to get the 120.....if i were to critique the intro..its great, a tad long, maybe loose the unboxing footage....fish look great!!...bravo on yet another stellar video.
Pam, I agree. That's the cut I'll make. I appreciate the input and thank you for watching (and you're right about the 120...time and money...)
Hi Ben , think your intro is just fine ! Would not change a thing , the Aquarium looks Amazing 👍 & the Habs have spectacular colour , I have a juvenile Habi in my 90 gal bowfront aquarium not sure what it is bought it at my local fish store , was only 3.99 also a pearl white ciclid they were both juveniles when I purchased them about 2 month ago ! Guess I will have to wait until the Hab matures to see what he colours to , LOL ! Love / and like your videos 👍🐟 keep on tanken 🐟 Ben , take care by for Now 😃
Beauty tank, nice rock arrangement. Thanks for the info on clown loaches
Like the rock scape! Agree on your picks for fav haps. Your intermedius is a stunner. Maybe add the star sapphire, dolphin, deep water and red cap and make it a top10 list! Dig the intro tune but a bit too long. Keep the vids coming.
Agree on all points Sal. I appreciate you stopping by and commenting.
wow you have a beautiful tank and all your fish are in beautiful colour.
Thank you Fred!
Greate information thank you 😊
You are so welcome!
Nice landscape setup Electric Blue Ahli looks good great hap list Ben.
Thank you Reggie. Always a work in progress, as you know. Thank you for coming by and taking a look!
My favorite is the Star Sapphire
nice rescape fella tank is looking very colourful and you have a great selection of "BIG" fish there...you gonna have to upgrade soon pal.....congrats on 2000 subs my man.
Thank you stebbz36 and you're right ... I'm ready for an upgrade.
will look forward to seeing that in future ochart vids...hope you will be singing in them vids when you do upgrade...i nominate you to sing ddelilah by tom jones haha...all the best..oh check out my new fish box on my channel...peace!!
Rocks look good Ben. Nice job!
Thank you Tony and thanks for watching.
beautiful colours Ben 👍z rock is awesome
Thank you EW. I appreciate your on-going support of my channel.
I need the peaceful haps guys.... some of these I may already have. I don’t know what I have to be honest lol. Great info. I need this👍🏿
Z Rock, tetrastigma, protomelas (taiwan reef, red empress, tangerine tiger, imperial tiger ... but they need some veg in their diet) are some of the more peaceful one.
What light are you using on the aquarium?. Great colors on the fish and not too blue. Looks fantastic!
Champion Aquariums, Inc. Hello, I'm using a standard 48" 3 bulb T5.
The color that you're seeing might also be related to the Samsung Galaxy (S6) camera and the UA-cam color contrast and color saturation settings.
hi great video I love your Channel question do you think a 60 gallon tank is too small for a haps I can't afford a 75 gallon I have a 60 gallon is that too small
If you get them small and grow them out, yes for about a year or two. Eventually you’ll want to upgrade to a 125 or larger, so start a “tank fund” 😉😀👍🏻
Beautiful fish. The Latin theme music was good. Also theme music could be Mozart very subjective I know, but classical music adds to. The relaxation that the fish give. What are the gaps that are yellow and blue? Also do you use sump filters? Thanks again
Hello Peak Guitars. No, no sump. I use two SunSun 302s canister filters. Regarding your other question, I don't understand "What are the gaps that are yellow and blue?" If you're asking about a fish, can you mention at what point (time) they appear in the video and I'll ID them for you.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
They look incredible .... very nice video indeed 🤗
Thank you PB, I appreciate your on-going support!
Best hap period is OB eyebiter. Try one
Did you find them to be at all overly aggressive?
Ben Ochart I Have 3 living together. Bit aggressive and very capable in damaging other fish. But not too aggressive like some of them smaller Mbunas.
Thanks for the info. Beautiful tank. I’m looking to doing something very similar. Home many fish do you have in there? I have a 100 gallon tank, what can i have in mine?
Lovely tank! Where do you buy the fish? And your water is super clear Wowsers!
Great video Ben, I've got a choice to make. Its either set up a new marine system or go down the route of these very beautiful Cichlids and i think you've made my decision a lot easier. Cheers Ben.
Christopher Goodwill Good luck and have fun. It's a great hobby.
hey Mr, Ben great Editing man👍 nice new scape! Great fish you know the Tiger is definitely a favorite of mine aswell must have!
Hello Deon! Thanks. Yes, T Tiger's rock. Thanks for stopping by.
Over 2000! Great job Ben!
Thank you KG. You guys made it happen ;)
hi ben . those loaches look just fine. I have a couple of botia loaches in a planted tank and one of them loves to place its self vertical face down behind the intake and take a nap . cant wait to get my 100 gal setup with hap and peacocks . been learning from your videos and thanks for sharing your knowledge .
Yes, love the loaches. One of mine likes to lay on its side, looking like he's dead, but he's just taking a nap. Very funny fish.
I'm working on a 135 gal. that should be set up in a month. Resealed it, adding a brace, painting the back, repainting the frame, etc. Can't wait to have it up and running.
Thanks for stopping by, watching and commenting.
Ben Ochart yes they are good at playing dead, those loaches are characters. nice look forward to your new tank . what would you suggest for 100 gal filtration , hows does 8x turnover sound from 2 canisters . planning on doing a nice custom background like universal rock or aqua decor but depends on shipping to New Zealand, can be expensive from US . doing research first rather than just going ahead to find out was not the thing to do .
Ben Ochart yes they are good at playing dead, those loaches are characters. nice look forward to your new tank . what would you suggest for 100 gal filtration , hows does 8x turnover sound from 2 canisters . planning on doing a nice custom background like universal rock or aqua decor but depends on shipping to New Zealand, can be expensive from US . doing research first rather than just going ahead to find out was not the thing to do .
Ricardo 8x turnover is great. Custom backgrounds are expensive but very good looking. I agree, do lots of research.
Ben Ochart thanks. yes patients and lots of research
Beautiful tank!
Thank you for watching, commenting and for the kind words.
Mr. Ochart,
Where did you get your rocks from?
I'm looking to do the rock scape
Scape looks good
I like those strawberry pink fish
Thank you Donna.
Love the tank man💪🏿
Thank you Stephen
Like all the videos i see by you thanks for your info!
You are welcome Shawn, thanks for watching!
that electric blue is Beautiful and you got it for a steal. over by me they are going for like 30 bucks
Sometimes you get lucky. I once picked up a Frontosa that grew out beautifully for $10. I ended up giving it away to a friend with an all Frontosa tank. Usually I'm disappointed with LFS stock ... but every now and then you can score.
Ben Ochart yea I agree. the lfs by me has a pretty great selection.
Ben Ochart What should the PH br
Thats a really nice group of Haps,Ben! I'm getting my dream tank 120 for xmas from the "boss lady" and I'm getting a mental fish map of how I want to stock it.I'll be using an FX4 hybrid hamburgmatten poret foam wall setup.I used these before in my turtle tanks back in the day,it saved the hassle of having to clean the canisters because the mulm gets collected at the foam wall,preventing the biomedia from getting covered with that film that will clog the porosity of the bio media in the canister. In other words I'll be treating my AC tank like it's a turtle tank. We all our thang with filters and that one is mine for sure! Oh btw I had no problem with your intro,thats just my opinion,besides I'm a musician so I love tunes!Lol
Thank you for the input and for stopping by and watching. Good luck with your 120 and please post video's of that filtration system!
wow! I wasn't expecting a video today.
You sound disappointed (just messing with you Martell)
Lol its just usually on a Sunday when you upload, so when I got the notification I was excited about it
Tangerine tigers are awesome!
The electric blue iceberg is awesome. Blaze!
I got s common Pleco in my tank, he keeps the background spotless.
How often are you doing water changes with the California water shortage?
Once a week, around 50% but I water plants with the water I take out so I don't feel too guilty.
Ben, what are the differences between a super red empress and the ndwie fire hap? Love the videos!
Very nice! How many fishes in your 60gal? Thx
Around 20. Eventually the Haps will go into a 135 gal and that will leave less than 10 in the 60 (but I'll add a flametail, blue neon, yellow benga...)
Great video. Beautiful fish too. That school of clown loaches are beautiful and complement your cichlid community well. Like silver dollars would.
Ben I like those has those are among the few Africans I wanna get when I upgrade to my bigger tank love the rockscape
Highly recommended. Thanks for watching and commenting.
beautiful fish.
malcolm campbell Thank you.
Awesome list, I need to find me a tangerine tiger!
dwsdarius They are awesome. Aim's Altitude Aquatics on Facebook might have them. She'll give you 20% off if you tell Amy that you subscribe to my channel.
Beautiful fish....where do you purchase them from?
i have a 60 gallon myself.... how many haps and peacocks can i put in there...i have 13 appx 3.5 to 4 inch fish in there now
thanks
Rahul S Depends on which ones, the amount of water turnover (gph). Come to my FB group page and post your stock list and your filtration details for a better answer.
yeah you right Ben, also those guys looks awesome
Hello Efrain and thank you for stopping by my friend!
can someone please explain difference between hap and peacock ? im confused on that topic
Go here: www.tropicalfishsite.com/difference-between-mbuna-aulonocara-and-haplochromis-malawi-cichlids/
thank you!
Can male and female cichlids live well in a community tank? I have a 55g with about 20-24 fish, including clown loaches, but one blue zebra make and two females; the tank has other haps too mostly male and all about the same size; even though I purchased the male blue zebras last, the blue zebra male became the dominant in the tank now... does one (1) male with 2 females promote fights and bullying in the tank?
Not always Van, but I'm not an expert on how they behave when breeding. I'd just keep an eye on things and if one fish goes crazy, take fast action.
Thank you Ben, I love your videos!
Big fan! I’m fairly newbie and am sketched out about getting fish sent to me. I’m guessing it’s all good if you do it. Looking especially for red fin borleyi. Any suggestions.
Don’t like to admit it but I’m at the shore in Jersey
Beautiful fish.
ACUARIO RUVIRO thank you!
wat up mr. ochart.. no love for the Taiwan Reef?? awesome video, I you know I'm loving that z rock👍
Michael Hayes I love that T Reef ... I got into Clown Loaches and rock scapes and Hap #6 was forgotten! Look for my next video, "Hap #6: Monster Taiwan Reef!"
2:55 what is that device moving up and down
Loveumielle right? In my 3 years of fish keeping I’ve never seen anything like that and I’m quite advanced in the hobby.
Hi Ben I love your fish is beautiful I'm going to buy 200 gallon fish tank soo just 1 questions Ben where can I buy those fish 🐟 is on line what web site can you give me the web site to buy those fish thanks you ben
Check out thecichlidshack.com and use the code "shackattack15" for a 15% discount at check-out if the order is over $100 (does not apply to shipping).
Hey Ben..I like your videos..and especially the species you have 💯👌🐟...but tell me one thing..how can you accurately identify the species that it is since some Haplos are very similar to the Aulonocaras..I thank you if you write to answer that question I have ..
After a while your familiarity increases. Just like a dad with identical twins. He learns how to tell them apart, LOL! Sometimes, honestly, it's just a guess and very often the fish we are trying to ID is a hybrid and impossible to accurately ID.
Hi Ben.. stunning fish!
DebTim A CANADIAN Girl Thank you DebKim, I appreciate the support you provide me and the rest of the UA-cam community.
Jalo Reef.. is a beautiful hap
What kind of filter is that on background pls tell I too want 1
Hi sir what raise did you give mr.pleco sir please keep me posted very keen to know so that I can decide what should I give to my pleco thanks great tank 👌🤩😍
How can I buy one of each?
There are some great sources out there.
Awsome tank, abt how many cichlids in that tank?
Thank you. At the time of this video, I think I was running around 18. Things have changed quite a bit in recent months as you can see in my more current videos.
Thanks for stopping by, watching and commenting.
I want to replace my white crushed coral substrate with black substrate, how do I go about doing it without keeping the fish in another tank? Is that even possible? Do I have to go with black aragonite gravel for my african cichlids or any black gravel will work?
I prefer black aragonite or crushed coral because I need the buffering to raise the pH. What's the pH of your tap water? If it's 7.5+ you can save money and just use regular black gravel. I wouldn't recommend blasting sand, and other choices that might be abrasive to the fish who are constantly shifting through it.
Keep in mind that your existing substrate has loads of good bacteria. To remove it all at once might give you a new nitrogen cycle (a spike in ammonia that can be hard if not fatal to your fish). Maybe remove a 1/3 at a time, for three weeks. I don't know for sure because I've never done it. I'm sure if you search in UA-cam or ask in the FB groups you'll get people that have done it.
Good luck and thank you for watching.
Hi Ben, what Hap/Peacock would you suggest to add to a yellow lab tank with 10 labs and one redtail shark? I'm looking for something peaceful which also won't be as likely to interbreed with the labs when alone as a single male. Your tank looks great by the way!
Honestly, I wouldn't. I'd stick with mbunas. Maybe add a yellow tail. That many mbuna and one hap or peacock could get ugly real fast.
Thank you so much for the quick reply! Just one more question: So even though the yellow labs are more to the peaceful side for mbuna, they still might terrorize the peacock/hap? Would it maybe help to have a bigger peacock/hap than the largest mbuna?
Hi Ben, I love the colorful haps you have and your tank set up is awesome! I have seen cichlids being sold on Ebay, any thoughts or have you bought fish from a seller on Ebay?
Yes I have. I have purchased a good number from David Estes "FLTROPFISH". You might find it easier to use his web page: Tampa Bay Cichlids. His prices are fair and quality if good.
Hey Ben, awesome tank. I have a question, how does your cichlids get along so well? I have a 55 g with male 9 peacocks and 2 male haps. They always chase each other.
Not entirely sure why but I do feed twice a day and keep the temp at 78f. I also try to keep females out of the tank (but sometimes fish I thought were male turn out to be female...)
Love your music.
Thank you Yolanda!
My male juvy tangerine tiger just chills in one spot most of the time. Anything wrong with it?
Does he eat and are his fins spread out? How's the color? Some fish are like that and sometimes another fish intimidates them and they feel safer hanging out on the fringe.
hi ben whats the rule how many cichlids to 55gal please??
No real "rule." If it's small cichlids, like South American Rams, you could get away with a good number like 15 - 20, but bigger fish, like Peacocks and Haps would be less. I was pushing 18 - 20 and wanted more fish, so I had no choice but to go into a larger set up. Other factors come into play, like amount of filtration. So, there's no one absolutely correct answer. Some might argue that Haps shouldn't be in anything smaller than a 180 gallon. I'm gonna be putting a good number of them in a 135 gal, so we'll see how long before I need to either sell some off or go get another larger tank.
hey do you think african cichlids would get along with my tiger barbs. let me know cuz they are both agressive fish and i would like to put them together. please let me know. love your videos. and the intro was good but just a little to long and plus maybe change the music. no offense. thank you for all your info videos love your channel
mickey blue eyes Hey Mickey, thanks for the honest feedback.
To answer your question, no, I don't suggest mixing a barb with Cichlids. It would not end well. Just my opinion.
Where to buy those beauties?
The Cichlid Shack. Use “shackattack15” for 15% off orders over $100. thecichliddhack.com
How about the peacocks what's some must haves
Great question. I think I did a peacock video but I'll tell you what my favorites are now: The classics like Flame Tail, Bi-Color 500, Ruby and German Reds and Lemon Jakes, Otter Points and I love crazy OBs, like red and blue ones.
You have a very nice group of haps
Down south Cichlids Thank you!
Keep doing what u are for this great hobby
Down south Cichlids Thank you!
I've been in the fish hobby for a long time started with saltwater
What temperature do you prefer to keep your Haps at?
I’m going to search for these
You'll enjoy watching them color up!
I will hit the fish spot across town today...I’m off... there is a guy over there that’s very knowledgeable like you and I have screen shot the pics and names on your video. He should be able to steer me in the right direction 👍🏿 Thanx for this video
I did get my hands on a young tangerine tiger hap. He gave me one that he thought would color up good.... I’m looking bro.... thanks
Ben how did you fix the sunken belly on your fishy? any advice will be appreciated, thank you!
Is the poop long and stringy? He might be under fed. Do the other fish let him eat? Sometimes more dominant fish don't let a fish eat. If he's eating or stopped eating and had long stringy poop you probably have a parasite issue. You'll need to treat the entire tank with a good parasite medication.
+Ben Ochart thank you Ben, what parasite treatment did you use? thank you again
The intro is a bit long but I gotta say your rockscape looks great!
Thank you Liam. That intro will get edited. Thanks for watching and commenting.
What are some good places to order fish?
Depends where you are and what you are looking for.
Is this a 3ft tank??
Picked up a Livingstoni and 3 Dolphins.
What. Should the PH be
Kathryn Brown Depends on the type of fish. African Cichlids originate from Lake Malawi with a pH of 7.7 - 8.6 but most tank raised fish will do okay in a lower pH
thank you so much .
Tramitichromis intermedius. I need like a million of them. With the dots lol
They are beautiful specimens and I highly recommend getting them.
Great looking fish, enjoyed the video. Intro could be shorter. Maybe you could list the features on one screen. Have one pop up then another and so on.
ron foerster Thanks Ron, great advice. I'm gonna do that.
scape is nice and simple, like the black background I have black back and substrate. only thing I'd suggest is get rid of small fake plant, kills the natural look. otherwise great, nice video
Thank you
*neolamprologus tretocephalus* of lake Victoria!
Your ahli is now a fryeri, plus I'm pretty sure its a snowflake subspecies.
intro is indeed slightly long...not too long tho..... but content is really really great..loved the video. thanks
Rahul S Thank you Rahul, I'm going to shorten that intro. Thanks for the honest input, I appreciate you.
You