Freshwater Aquariums's topics - tribe.net

rosy barbs and neon tetras

2009-11-25T04:47:46Z

I have a 55 gallon tank that had died back to one rosy barb and two ghost shrimp. I took some water to the local fish store and had it tested. The water quality was fine-pH, Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, etc all good. No rosy barbs were available that day, so I bought a small school of neon tetras (three) and two bee shrimp. The next day I added four more neons, and four rosy barbs, because my lone barb in the tank was stressed with no school mates. In 48 hours, I lost one rosy barb and one neon tetra. From my limited experience, the rosy barb didn't appear to handle the stress of being netted, purchased, driven home and put in a new tank-so I didn't think that one was going to make it, even though I took steps to accimate them properly. I've read opposing opinions on neons-ranging from hardy to delicate-but I'm not too surprised to have lost one. Upon closer inspection of the rosy barbs, it appears that two of the four I bought are missing scales in a stripe down their body. They have scales on the dorsal surface, and on the ventral surface-but none on their sides. In fact, you can see right through one. It's internal organs are visible. They don't appear to be sick-they are eating and swimming just fine. They are just weird looking. Anybody seen fish like this? I went back to the pet store, and alot of the rest of them in the tank look the same. Is this just temporary due to the stress of being shipped to the pet store? I'm curious as to whether I should just watch them for any impending signs of illness or go ahead and do some preventative treatment. Which leads me to my next question. Can melafix and/or aquarium salt be safely used with neon teteras? Sorry for the longwinded post, but thanks in advance for any advice.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

attack of the duck weed monster

2009-08-05T00:08:28Z

anyone have any clue a good way to get rid of it, I have just been netting it out and no one at work has any better suggestions, just a stab in the dark that maybe someone has a good method to get rid of it

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

new koi pond

2008-10-26T01:29:42Z

Well I finally finished the new koi pond, all 16,000 gallons of it. Three days of digging with a tiny backhoe, and enough manual digging to kill (it nearly did) and it looks great, too bad you can't see the fish, they hide under the plants sadly, but the water is crystal clear and the lilies are blooming, even some of the bog plants are blooming already,

Next project, the aquariums in the house.............

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

Gravel Disappointment

2008-07-12T05:32:50Z

I finally got around to setting up my larger tank. I took a lot of time in picking out my tank plants and decor. I found what I thought was a beautiful deep brown gravel and once it was all set up, I turn on my tank light and POW.....much lighter than the package looked at the LFS. And it looked more multicolored than I anticipated.

Not that it is ugly, it is still a pretty gravel....the color is called "Jade Beach" and I do like it now, but I would have preferred a darker brown. Too late to change it now!! Guess I'll have to wait til I get another large tank.

On the up side, the fish seem to like it better and the gravel size is much larger.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

Bolivian Rams and the new tank

2008-07-04T03:58:33Z

After fully upgrading to my 20 gallon tank, I have made lots of changes to make my tank seem like more of an environment rather than a containment vessel. Aside from the gravel issues I have - the tank is just about the way I imagined it should be.

I got a nice big resin rock-reef thing with lots of spaces to hide and swim through and little plastic plants on it. I also got a smaller hollow resin log with some silk plants on it which my little blue lobster has taken as his condo....the blue lobster rocks, BTW and in the past 2.5 weeks, he has molted twice.

I also put in one of those resin driftwood pieces where you can attach plastic plants to it - Water Wonders I think is the brand name - so again, more places to swim thru.....and I also put in a 12" bubble bar along the back which the fish seem to enjoy as well.

I have finally abandoned live plants as they were really not thriving at all and just looking horrid with the chewed leaves and exposed roots which never stayed down more than a day.

BUT my favorite part of my new tank are the new critters, the Bolivian Rams. I wanted Blue rams but my LFS only had German and Bolivian. I had a german before and was unsuccessful in keeping him so they told me Bolivians were hardier and since they have been spot on in the past, I took their advice and I couldn't be happier. They are somewhat slow fish and they do not seem to hide very much which is great since you can really get a good look at them and admire their fuschia and white fins.

I also have one long fin rosy barb which is beautiful and seems to encourage the other fish to play more.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

Reef Aquarium Tribe

2008-06-06T02:05:29Z

Couldn't beleive there wasn't a reef aquarium tribe, and I bet I am not the only one here that has both freshwater and saltwater aquariums, not to mention pond fish, but there is a great pond tribe already.

If you are interested here is the link http://tribes.tribe.net/reefaquariums

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

Attack of the toads

2008-04-28T19:02:14Z

unfortunately these are bad toads, these are an invasive species of cane toads, wonderfully toxic to basically everything that bites touches or eats them and they have invade the fish pond with thier young, we have thousands of tadpoles, anyone have a good method of getting rid of them before they turn to toads and over run the yard and potentially kill a dog?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 8 replies

Ethoxyquin in fish food?

2008-04-22T01:59:31Z

I was reading fish food labels the other day and was surprised to see ethoxyquin in all but one brand of fish food. Ethoxyquin has been used as a preservative but has been taken out of most foods (pet and people) because it has been proven to cause tumors and liver damage in lab rats. So why's it still so prevalent in fish foods? Needless to say, I did not buy any of the big name brands, (Tetra, Wardley, Hikari) but found one, Aqueon that is ethoxyquin free.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

My new toy

2008-02-23T01:54:48Z

I just got an eheim gravel vacuum today and It is wonderful! I have a small, 16 gallon planted tank, and the gravel siphon I have takes water out of my tank too fast for real, proper vacuuming. This thing is great for cleaning debris when water changes aren't enough.

http://www.aquatichouse.com/Maintenance_files/sludgevacuum.asp

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

clown loaches

2008-02-18T00:14:22Z

I was gonna get a couple but have read on line that you should have no less than 5 in a tank or they are sad.... and they get BIG. I wanted them to eat the snails who have now also moved into the canister filter and plugged it (cleaned out now)

what is your experience?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

omg a bazzilion little snails

2008-02-12T02:27:15Z

out of no where! no new nothing in the tak and tonight we turned the light on and they are covering the glass... they dropt off and skittered into the rocks... little white dudes... are these dangerous? should I vacume them out?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 15 replies

What plants....oh what plants...............

2008-01-21T23:44:22Z

Dammit! Those stinking little shrimp are devouring my anubias. Gotta find a plant that is easy to keep that no sea creature will want to nibble on. Does such a plant, other than plastic, exist?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

perhaps off topic

2008-01-16T15:13:43Z

i am trying to figure out what a certain kind of fish i once read about is called. the fish light up. i thought they were called nautiluka. maybe i'm spelling it wrong, but can't seem to find it in google. i'm working on a short story for which i need to know the name of those fish. any idea?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 7 replies

Shrimp like a fish

2008-01-10T07:01:28Z

This is hilarious. I have 6 leopard danios that pretty much swim circles in my tank and 6 red cherry shrimp. One of the shrimp has taken to swimming - dodging in and aournd the danios. It's hilarious. It's like the little shrimp who wanted to be a fish. I smell a children's book in the making.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Corydoras breeding behaviour, etc. ...

2008-01-08T19:17:05Z

I have 4 Albino and 3 Emerald Corydoras in my 30g planted... 2 of the Albinos are at least a couple or three years old and the others are a year or so younger. I've recently noticed quite a bit of "dancing" and particularly "fresh" fishy behaviour amongst the 7 ...even crossing the two "species". I'm not sure if they are even compatible... Albino and Emerald ...but they are trying. LOL

A couple of days ago, I saw a lot of egg looking things adhered to the tank glass... one corner had about 15 eggs scattered about ..and the other corner under the filter output had about 30+ eggs scattered. They were there for a couple of days and now there's nothing. The glass is completely clean and my Corydoras have settled back down to normal playfulness.

Were those Cory eggs? Is it possible there are little Albino/Emerald Cories hiding out in the plants in that tank? Hehehe...

The other inhabitants in the tank are: a Plakad Betta boy, 2 Bamboo shrimp, an albino chocolate Pleco.. small'ish, 5 Emerald-eye Rasboras, and an African Dwarf Frog. I don't have snails anymore ...and I know what those egg clusters look like. I have Malaysian Trumpets, but they don't reproduce like that, as far as I know. I feed all of the "pond snails" to the tortoise and the skink... and I know what those egg clusters look like, as well. I am stumped! Those things had to be Cory eggs... I'm pretty sure, anyway.

Any ideas?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

Shrimp Eggs

2008-01-07T20:41:51Z

My freshwater shrimp are having sex!!!! YEAH! Anyway, yesterday, I saw eggs under one shrimps tail...there is no doubt that it's eggs. Is there anything I should do to help the eggs survive? I am kind of pessimistic about it since I have a clown loach and I assume they will go after the fry (as will the other fish).

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 5 replies

fuck china

2008-01-06T03:37:14Z

from the bbc-

Rare river dolphin 'now extinct'
Yangtze river dolphin (Image: Stephen Leatherwood)
An extensive survey of its habitat failed to find any sign of the baiji
A freshwater dolphin found only in China is now "likely to be extinct", a team of scientists has concluded.

The researchers failed to spot any Yangtze river dolphins, also known as baijis, during an extensive six-week survey of the mammals' habitat.

The team, writing in the Royal Society Biology Letters journals, blamed unregulated fishing as the main reason behind the dolphins' demise.

It would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate for over 50 years.

The World Conservation Union's Red List of Threaten Species currently classifies the creature as "critically endangered".

We have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet
Dr Sam Turvey,
Zoological Society of London

Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), one of the paper's co-authors, described the findings as a "shocking tragedy".

"The Yangtze river dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over 20 million years ago," Dr Turvey explained.

"This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life and emphasises that we have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet."

'Incidental impact'

The species (Lipotes vexillifer) was the only remaining member of the Lipotidae, an ancient mammal family that is understood to have separated from other marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, about 40-20 million years ago.

The white, freshwater dolphin had a long, narrow beak and low dorsal fin; lived in groups of three or four and fed on fish.

The team carried out six-week visual and acoustic survey, using two research vessels, in November and December 2006.

"While it is conceivable that a couple of surviving individuals were missed by the survey teams," the team wrote, "our inability to detect any baiji despite this intensive search effort indicates that the prospect of finding and translocating them to a [reserve] has all but vanished."

The scientists added that there were a number of human activities that caused baiji numbers to decline, including construction of dams and boat collisions.

"However, the primary factor was probably unsustainable by-catch in local fisheries, which used rolling hooks, nets and electrofishing," they suggested.

"Unlike most historical-era extinctions of large bodied animals, the baiji was the victim not of active persecution but incidental mortality resulting from massive-scale human environmental impacts - primarily uncontrolled and unselective fishing," the researchers concluded.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 13 replies

Re-homing fry

2007-12-28T06:07:43Z

My guppies are breeding like crazy. How old should they be before re-homing them - I want to give them away as soon as I can. I figured that if they are too small, they would be more susceptible to the stress of moving or a new environment but I am not sure.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 7 replies

Sick fish

2007-12-24T04:53:20Z

I just moved my plecostomous to a smaller tank and now he is obviously not acting himself. This has happened before, I can tell when they are not themselves. Very listless. Is there anything that I can do so he doesn't die? I actually thought he was dead and was going to remove him, but then he swam away!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 5 replies

Moving Advice

2007-12-24T04:48:24Z

I'm going to be moving soon, not far away, maybe a half hour drive from my current place.

I have a small 10 gal tank and 8 fish.

Any advice on how to handle the move?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 7 replies

stupid baby fish question

2007-12-23T17:17:09Z

ok I am no idiot I know where babies come from.

I had ONE male Guppy in our tank along with 4 blind cave fish 3 aquatic frogs and a chinese algae eater.

now three weeks ago there were a mess of babies I though cool the cave fish... wrong GUPPIES!

the babies are growing and there has been two fresh batches since one each week...

they are all looking like guppies.....

ok folks educate me on the guppies and the bees, please

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

Ideas welcome....

2007-12-06T22:48:04Z

I just got a 20 gallon tank the other day and will be setting it up in a few weeks after my stand is built. have an issue or two....

1. What is the best method of cleaning a pre-owned tank.....it came to me after my friend upgraded to a larger tank. Do I need to nuke it or just a good cleaning with plain ole hot water? I did the hot water cleaning, brushed off the calcium deposits and it looks great...anything else I need to do?

2. Tank decor. My present tank is black gravel with some red (about 1/4 - 1/3 red) which is nice BUT the red is kinda dayglo and harsh on the eyes under the lights - it's not bad, just dark. I was thinking a natural river rock or large sized gravel but would like some color in there as well as appropriate substrate for live plants.

3. Aeration.....how many air tubes or air stones should I use? (tank is 30" long)

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 14 replies

Fish Lovers Heaven

2007-11-18T06:00:16Z

I spent most of this last weekend going to aquarium shops around the Tampa Bay Area and man what an awesome variety! If you don't know, Tampa Bay is home to some of the largest aquaculture (fish farms) of ornamental fish in the US, I guess this is why the prices here are so low and there is such a huge variety of freshwater fish. The one thing I did notice though is that most saltwater fish are about the same price if not a little higher than the prices in the San Francisco area, except Red Sea fish then they are far less. The abundance of freshwater plants here is also greater and less expensive. It seems to be a much popular hobby here as well than anywhere else in the country I have lived,

If you ever want to live in an aquarium lovers heaven, this is the place to be!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Emerald Eye Raspboras?

2007-10-29T06:08:35Z

Has anyone seen these in their LFS? I bought the last three at Albany Aquarium and they don't know when they will get more in. I am so fascinated by them and I think they need a much bigger school... I want to get about 10 or 15 more for my planted tank.

If you see them, would you mind letting me know? Anywhere in the SF Bay Area is fine... I'll travel.

Thanks,
~Aminah

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Planaira

2007-10-21T19:42:23Z

so, on another board where I was able to put a photo in my post, a member suggested that I have planaria in my tank. and that it was likely due to overfeeding. where all of a sudden does this planaria come from? can it cause sudden fish die off? I have had on the average of about 1 fish per week die on me. at first it was all just females. then one male, and just yesterday one female passed. she looked emaciated. was swimming and eating fine up until yesterday at which point I knew where to find her when I got home.

should I nuke this tank to get rid of the planaria (theres a LOT and they all "hatched" or watever over night, I didnt see any last night, but this morning they are very clearly the newest members in my tank) will they continue to grow? how large will they get?

I feed a very small pinch of flake food once a day, and I grind it up pretty fine. Plus the frog gets 4-8 pellets dropped in the tank per day (alot of them end up as fuzzy "dice" on the filter intake after a day or two). I do a fast for them on Sundays. no food at all.

so what can or should I do with this possible planaria infestation?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

When to add fish

2007-10-21T17:04:02Z

Im getting Bio Spira from my LFS and was wondering....can I add the BS and fish at the same time? I mean, the BS has to have something to eat, yeah? and fish waste is what they love....so, it reasons to believe that I can add the BioSpira and then add the fish once I have acclimated them to my tank's water.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Filter recommendations?

2007-10-21T16:50:04Z

I have a 75 gallon tank (usually only filled about 3/4's full) that houses a plecco, two slider turtles (both full grown, or almost there) and an assortment of feeder fish that are too fast for the turtles. We had an eheim filter but the power went out in our neighborhood over the weekend and when the power came back on the pump turned back on but didn't start pumping water and now we can't get it working (we think the motor burned out). Anyway, we are in the market for a new filter that is easy to take care of and easy to find parts for (or big complaint about the eheim was that it was hard to find the supplies). We need a canister filter but are open to suggestions. It would be great if anyone knows of a brand that will start back up after a power failure or will not come back on without us manually doing it. The power company is doing a lot of work in our neighborhood and I suspect we may be in for a few more blackouts. We are currently doing half water changes every other day until we get a new one. My bf spent several hours today trying to clean it out on the chance it was clogged from growth while it wasn't running but we just can't get it going and now the side is cracked from uneven pressure.

Thanks!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

6" tinfoil barb needs a new home....

2007-08-13T16:24:20Z

He needs a good home in a 30+ gallon tank where he might have some fish friends more his size, and maybe a bit more room to cruise around. He's currently living in a healthy, happy 30 gallon tank where he's by FAR the biggest fish.

I purchased him (her? I dunno. It's a fish...) about 6 months ago, and he's quickly outgrowing the tank. (it was my first fish purchase, and I neglected to see how big he was going to get! I've since learned my lesson).

He's not aggressive to other fish, never had any disease or health issues, and seems happy...if fish can be happy, that is. I'm not sure he's going to get any bigger, he seems to have stabilized at around 6 inches.

He's pretty much all white and shiny (looks kinda like this: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/743/73707.JPG ) and will look nice in your aquarium.

Please adopt him! Or alternately.... do you know somewhere I could give him? Pet stores don't apparently take back big fish, ha... for some naive reason I thought they might!!

p.s. my boyfriend says...his name is Homer. The fish, I mean. Not my boyfriend.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Aquatic plants...

2007-08-13T00:50:18Z

If anyone in the Phoenix, AZ area is weeding out their aquariums, I would love to take those plants off your hands. Mainly looking for Valisnaria spp. but am interested in all aquatic plants. Please e-mail me through tribe, Thanks!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

months into this and

2007-08-08T00:53:40Z

at last I have stable tanks. everyone living happy little fishie lives the last 3 -4 months. No deaths all levels staying perfect. I am so happy and the tanks are amazing ALL 40 of our fish have names and personalities we can identify. they respond to us when we come to the tanlk it is so much fun.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Nevermind that last one, check THIS out!

2007-08-07T21:36:15Z

Im tryign not to spam this tribe, Im just posting it on here to get support from fellow fish keepers. Can you guys join my website? Its www.allmusic.freeforums.org

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

Check this out

2007-08-04T19:41:23Z

Can you guys join my new website. Its not big, in fact theres only 5 people that are members. But still join please.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

YO'landa the YoYo Loach needs a new home

2007-07-16T03:04:25Z

Hey folks! Last year, I rescued poor little YO'landa from a horrid situation... a mud puddle, basically... and she has thrived in my home. She even grew a couple inches and is now probably past her normal size/length. She's a sweet girl (I call her a girl... have no idea really)... playful, even with me... but she really needs a home with more YoYo's and/or more aggressive fish.

I love her and want her to go to an experienced home... another Loach home, if possible.

The reason I'm seeking to rehome her is due to the many "missing" fish and "mauled" fish in my 30g community tank. She lives with 3 cories, a pleco and some guppies... she has killed all of my male guppies, my Molly babies, and my last 3 Betta girls. It's been over time and not all at once (I don't overstock my tanks). I've been in denial and defending her to the last breath, but it has to be her.

Anyhow.. if interested, please let me know. I hate to do it, but she's become "too big for her fishy britches" and she needs a different home.

Thanks,
~Aminah

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

American Cichlid Association Annual Convention

2007-07-10T10:19:15Z

For anyone who is interested in cichlids....the American Cichlid Association is having their annual convention this year in Sacramento on July 19 to July 22. The conventions change city location every year ....so this is a great local opportunity to see some interesting fish and hear some knowledgeable speakers.
Here's the web link:
http://www.aca2007.com/

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Japanese Ranchu, TVR, anybody keep these?

2007-07-09T18:44:20Z

I've been collecting rare Japanese ranchu for accouple years now, and I'd like to find others who have these kind of fish. I've got Oishi bloodline, which hopefully will be ready to breed next year.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

How long to wait.....

2007-07-04T04:06:24Z

after a fish dies to make sure it was nothing that could have affected the other fish? My angel died 2 days after starting to drift with the current. No other symptoms. No fungus or injuries, was still eating, just started drifting and would rest on its side on the plants.

When will I know when I am out of the woods so to speak. The rest of the tank inhabitants seem just fine.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

I know it is bad but

2007-06-28T00:18:40Z

Boy was it tempting.

We went to camp at Bass Lake this weekend.

I was snorkling in the lake all weekend. fields and field of beautiful grass growing at the bottom and so many other amazing plants. and snails, HUGE snails I will post some picts.

I wanted so bad to take "samples" and bring them home for my tanks. I resisted.

tell me it was a good thing not to bring home the cool stuff I saw.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

HOB vs. UGF

2007-06-27T02:39:23Z

I just got a 10 gallon set up from a sale on craigslist (20 $). It had been used before but Im going to totally clean it (maybe even nuke it) and start over. It has both an under gravel filter and a hang on the back filter. Which is better? I can use both or one or the other? I have read conflicting information about this. My current 5 gallon tank is an Exlipse Hex 5 with a bio wheel and it pretty much takes care of its self. I do a gravel vac when I change water every 2 weeks. Is there a +/- relationship/benefit in having both? It stands to reason that the under gravel filter will pick up all that gunk on the bottom. Does that then mean I have to think about the size of substrate? I probably wouldnt want to use sand with the UGF?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Keeping live foods ALIVE! :o)

2007-06-07T18:23:16Z

Occasionally, I buy a few black worms for my fish and frogs. It's a clean source... no parasites, etc. ...but I'm having a hard time keeping them alive lately.

I used to just put the excess in the fridge with a brown paper coffee filter and change the water ever so often. That worked for awhile. Recently, I went out and got 2 oz. of the worms and it was suggested that I put them in a small container and keep an air stone going. Well, I can't figure out how to keep them refridgerated and have an air supply going... so I put them on the counter in a cool place and left the air stone going. Three days later... they are dying off.

Any suggestions? tips? anything?

Thanks!
~Aminah

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

Snails are taking over... help!

2007-06-07T17:24:12Z

It all started with a couple of freebie snails that came from the fish store with my fish. We thought they would help to keep the tank walls clean.
Now, at last count of visible snails--- there are over 75 of them! Most are about 1/4"-1/3" long.
I've noticed in the past couple of weeks an increase in little clear egg sacks on the inside of the glass of the tank and on the plants--- and there are a lot of these (at least 20 visible)!! I'm assuming that they are snail eggs?
I've only got one fish in the tank at the moment (have had him for about 2 years)- but I'm wondering if this amount of snails is going to do any damage to the tank's ecosystem. The other two fish we had for a couple of months just died about a week ago within a day of one another. I'm not sure if the other fish got aggressive or if they got sick. They didn't have any growths, but they had some red in their gills before they died.
My tank is a 20 gallon asymetrical hexagon.
Should I give away some of these snails? Should I be feeding them something other than fish food?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 8 replies

Algae Eating Shrimp

2007-05-17T01:43:14Z

I had some sort of green algae issue plus the hair-like algae plus the brown icky bacterial stuff all over the tank....gravel, rocks, plants, glass etc.....or maybe it could have been the diatoms again....not sure bout that.

Anyway, went to my LFS and they suggested algae eating shrimp since I can add a bunch and have very little waste from them. I did as they suggested and scraped the glass and rock clean and left the rest on the gravel and plants then popped in the shrimp. By morning, 95% of the gravel was clean. The next day, the plants were clean. Now my tank looks good once again!!!!

Now that the tank is clean, I assume that they feed off the algae I cannot see or they eat it as it forms. Otherwise, is there anything else that I should be feeding them? I feed the rest of my fish flake food and every few feedings they get bloodworms.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 7 replies

75g Planted Discus Tank Pics

2007-05-07T12:40:51Z

Just thought I would post the link to photos of my aquarium. I'm still working on stabilizing things. For instance, I have JUST cleared up a bad out break of green water algae... YOINKS!

See: http://flickr.com/photos/darter02/sets/72157594552201878/

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 9 replies

Newbie Cichlid keeper- I need advice please!

2007-05-04T16:43:02Z

Hello!
I'm new here.

A couple of I was in the hospital and unable to care for my fish for a number of months, and while my hosuemate fed them, the water quality became terrible and I had a massive die-off :(
Thanks to the generosity of friends, I was able to restock my tank.

I'm a little worried, however. I have a 50 or 55 gallon tank- don't recall exactly, and I went to Albany Aquarium, which has a very good reputation. They quarantine all their fish, and the staff tend to be quite knowledgeable.

I've done research and I believe I know what all three kinds of fish I ended up getting are. They said my tank was big enough, but one site I found said that my moorii need a 125 gallon tank minimum!

Sorry the pictures are of such low quality.

I put them in a bucket and slowly dripped my tank wanter into their water, as the PH was quite different... from 7.4 to 8.0! They seem okay now though, though they are dark with stress.
http://www.niceboots.org/~evergrey/fish/cichlids/newfish.jpg

1 male, two female Cyrtocara moorii (you can see a female of a different species as well)
http://www.niceboots.org/~evergrey/fish/cichlids/numbertrhee.jpg

1 male Aulonocara stuartgranti (I think. I didn't have room for females for him, but the fellow at the store said he should be happy witht he abovementioned females, I hope...)
http://www.niceboots.org/~evergrey/fish/cichlids/numberone.jpg

1 male and 2 female Copadichromis Borleyi(I think?) (no picture of the females, but I was assured that they were of the same species as him.
http://www.niceboots.org/~evergrey/fish/cichlids/numbertwo.jpg

Other than this, I have a single bristlenose pleco.

They're 2 or 3 inches long at this point. I know the moorii will grow slowly, but they can get HUGE. @#$@#$@# store.

So... I need a bigger tank. And I need a cannister filter. And I don't have the money for it. Heh, I don't suppose anyone in the SF bay area has a bigger thank they don't need any more?

Anyway, any advice you can give me is very welcome...

PS one of the moorii females is just swimming up and down along one corner of the tank. Everyone else is acting normal. I just put them in a couple hours ago, however.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

I Love My New Fish

2007-04-22T19:10:01Z

I just added a German Ram to my tank on the advice of the LFS guy when I asked for an unusual and beautiful looking fish. I just took a look at some photos of them when they are full grown and the colors are spectacular.

If anyone here is familiar with these guys, does he need another ram to be happy or am I OK with just one for now?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

cleaning and nuking

2007-04-20T02:13:38Z

Hi everyone.

I got a 10 gallon (glass) set up about a month ago. The folks I got it from had an algae problem (from what I can tell...it was a HUGE problem) and they took the water out of the tank but gave me everthing else. There is an undergravel filter that Im going to get rid of. There is a heater, not sure of the brand. There is a penguine biowheel and activated carbon filter media.

I want to get to cleaning this tank because there is this flakey whitish/greenish build up all over this tank...on the hood on the filter cover, everywhere. I am not using their decorations and probably not going to use the substrate, but I will nuke that too, in case I find a use for it later.

Did I read directions in this tribe somewhere for nuking a tank? I cant seem to find them. Can you please help with that? (Thanks!)

Also, I seem to recall reading about people runing their filters and biowheels (?) while soaking the tank with the bleach water. Since this tank has been dry for some time, I fully expect to have to cycle it again, but...is it Okay to run the bleach water through the biowheel and the filter media? I know then to rinse it with clean treated water, and Im guessing that I could probably remove the filter media but if I could reuse that biowheel that would be great.

Ive got a LOT of cleaning to do! Thanks for your help!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Tank Stands

2007-04-18T15:02:37Z

I really want to upgrade to a larger tank - we have a 10 gallon and I am aiming for a 30-40 gallon. The 10 gal is on a sturdy end table and is just fine since it is a small tank. Going larger is my concern....will I need a special tank stand, or can I use a short coffee table or large TV stand. My aim is to keep it low - could be a bit higher than a coffee table BUT not too too high as the tank was originally for my 2 year old who loves fish - she likes to sit in front of the tank and watch. Is there some formula in calculating if a table (not specifically made for tanks) will support the weight of a filled tank?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

brown algae

2007-04-17T13:44:47Z

is growing in both tanks.... all levels are fine, fish happy, but looks icky. is it ok or should I ?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 9 replies

way so so off topic

2007-04-16T13:40:17Z

but had to share... my foot is better :) what you ask? I drot scissors into it a few weeks back. I got pictures.... from injury to scar

http://diet.sandyland.net/scissors/scissors.html

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

Needlefish Gone Wild

2007-04-09T14:41:44Z

Despite being tank mates for over three months, "Clyde" the NeedleFish attempted to shove "Buddha" the pot-bellied molly into his mouth. The only thing stopping the natural cycle of life is that Buddha is twice the size of Clyde and physically just can't fit into his stomach.

Issue: Buddha is now living in the Freshwater tank minus all his fins and is now white because all of his black scales were lost in above mentioned attack. He is eating fine and getting along with the other mollies in that tank but his wounded scale area seems to have this stringy transparent substance hang off.

I have watched this closely as I don't dare poison my wife's lemon lab cichilids which are the self appointed Queens of that tank.. Buddha sluffs this stringy substance every few days and other than looking like a circus freak is doing well.

Any need for concern or natural healing cycle?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

decoration ??

2007-04-04T16:04:56Z

these decorations I got seem to get a white slimy coating on them that if you touch them sloughs off. they are like a a silicone. I removed them today cause it is keeps getting the sludge on them.

any ideas?

the tanks are stocked and I think stable at last

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 9 replies

New Planted Tank Setup

2007-03-31T08:19:15Z

I took down my too-big 20g long aquarium, which I didn't really have room for. I set up an oddly shaped for it's size tank that I believe is a seven gallon tank in its place. I'm not an artist aquascaper, but I tried atleast to emulate a decent design with some random plants I bought at the store the other day and that I took from my 20g. So far I'm only adding pres. CO2. I'm going to see how it does and add nutrients as needed later.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2835/aquariumlong1smallvt5.jpg

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Parrot fish - ick

2007-03-30T22:53:51Z

i just got some bright orange parrot fish, ciclids....one of them is getting black on its fins. what is it ? he looks healthy other then that... swimming around, eatting....

should i treat it like ick? i though ick was white. could it be from the wood in my tank that he likes to hide under?

Let me know what you think

Thanks !

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

Angel with finrot. Help!

2007-03-27T11:52:39Z

I have a 30 gallon tank with not a lot of fish. I had three angels, one was a bit bigger than the other two. The two smaller ones started ganging up on the big one, leaving me to get rid of the the most aggressive small one. The fish are all getting along fine now (I picked up another smaller angel to make sure I had more than two), but my larger (2.5" in the body) angel had a pretty serious would from all of the bickering.

Now it seems to have developed fungal finrot, at least according to the FINS website. I have treated him twice with methylene blue and it seems to be getting worse not better.

I am unsure how often I should treat him, and how long it should take to heal up. Should I switch to a different treatment?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Tayissa

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Have I tainted my tank?

2007-03-24T19:15:34Z

My dwarf gourami just kicked it today. I am worried that I may have introduced diseased fish into my tank but there are too many variables and I am too much a newbie to figure it out.

I had the gourami and 2 cory cats since last November. The made it thru the cycling.....the swordtail and betta did not. About a month ago, I added a rainbow shark and a molly which I purchased at a differnt store than I usually go to. I also put in 3 new plants, 2 of which came from the same place that the shark and molly came from. I have recently gone back there and I noticed that the tanks had a lot of dead rotting fish that I didn't notice last time I was there leading me to believe that their fish may not have been the healthiest.

Anyway, in the past few weeks, I have had a boom of snails and hydra PLUS I do think I may also have the white spring worms mentioned in the hydra thread.

My first reaction is that I will be sticking with the small local store that I started with since they are the most knowledgable and helpful AND have the cleanest, most well kept store I have seen.

I wanted to get a loach to deal with the snail problem but I am afraid that if indeed the rainbow shark and molly introduced some sort of disease or contaminant that killed them AND my gourami, I do not want to put in a new fish only to have it dies. Plus I want to make suremy cory cats live too so I am keeping a close eye on them as they are the last 2 fish left.

My numbers are low...ammo=0, nitrite=0, nitrate=5 (well maybe alittle less) I do a water change about every 7-10 days. pH 7.4 - 7.6 Temp 82.

Any insight is welcome.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 25 replies

fish acting wierd

2007-03-22T02:11:55Z

in the new tank. ammonia spike .025 we changed out 5 gallons. the fish are at the top of the tank seem to be breathing harder than normal. we popinted the jets more up so they are now making serface contact in and effort to get more air, they dropt back down into the tank. now... what should we do?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 11 replies

tank success!

2007-03-14T20:11:38Z

no dead fish in over a week!!!!!

all tests are perfect on both tanks.

been cycling the new tank with four fish Darling husband picked up (no idea what they are size of Gourami's but clear, we are calling them filet o fish) they seem happy it bloomed light already and cleared in two days.

the molly and the frogs are great tank mates and life is our fish world is happy.

the kids tank is rolling along and we have added three mickey mouse platties that seem content.

all cause of the great adivse I got here thanks

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 13 replies

Fiendish frogs and Mangaling Mollie

2007-03-13T20:23:55Z

well the dwarf frogs ate the guppies so they got their own tank. the dalmation mollie kept nipping at his friends tails and one died which was more than my Darling Husband could handle so he got moved in with the Manaling frogs... I had awful visions but after three days they are all good and living in harmoney and everyone has their tails :)

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

Convict spawned... what now?

2007-03-12T18:20:10Z

I am the proud godfather to two dozen or so fry but now what?

I have a 7" Fat Sleeper Goby and a Needle fish which both make short work of feeder fish in the tank with the fry. The proud parents which are fairly small are beating up everyone else in the tank presently but it is only a matter of time.

Do I scoop them up and put them in a fry net? How do i get them with out killing them or having Momma bear hiding them back in their cave?

I am a virgin to this. Help!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

African cichlids, African catfish, behaviors and relationships

2007-03-12T03:31:47Z

I have a 65 gallon tank that I started about 15 months ago with itty bitty Malawi cichlids. When the fish were small they often seemed to school together. As they grew larger (now 3-4 inches) they became more territorial. They remind me of chickens in that they seem to have a "pecking order" ....and I've noticed that the chasing is primarily targeted at the fish that is immediately below on the pecking order. The chase doesn't last long in distance or duration....and the rest of the time the two fish involved may peacefully be in close proximity to each other.

I've added algae eaters and catfish to the tank in the past ....and the cichlids initially are interested and chase with curiosity, but fairly soon totally ignore the other fish. I tend to think that the cichlids are more territorial (and mainly with their own species) rather than aggressive. Once everyone has established their place and status in the tank....they get along well. I've read that it's better to get cichlids together at a young age because they grow up together, get used to each other, and sort out their status and place in the tank more smoothly. Of course it's wise to match cichlids that are matched in temperment.

I recently introduced a small Siamensis (Siamese algae eater) who (instead of eating algae) spends more time eating spirulina flake food with the cichlids. The cichlids pay no attention to the siamensis....but the little guy doges them like a speed boat in the ocean with tanker ships.

I have several synodontis catfish: Eupterus, Petricola, and Nigrita. The three catfish are different in their behaviors and personalities. The Petricola is my favorite....both in coloration and because it remains smaller in size.

I was looking into getting some Tanganyika schooling fish, but after some research decided that they are too large, too expensive, and not readily available. I've been researching and am thinking of trying to introduce a small school of zebra danios or harlequin rasboras to my cichlid tank. Any other suggestions for a small ( less than 2 inches), hardy schooling fish that mainly stays at the top portion of the tank?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

hydras: the friendly freshwater anemones???

2007-03-10T21:24:19Z

hello all!
a while back i noticed a tiny hydra attached to the tip of a leaf in my tank. i searched out info on them and it there didn't seem to be much in the way of info on effects to resident fish but then it seemed to have disappeared for a few weeks. just this week i noticed atleast 10 - 12 hanging on to plant life and on the side of the tank. they are hardly noticable- so tiny- but do they pose a threat to my fish? will they take over the tank eventually? is there anything that i can do to treat the tank without disrupting the rest of the ecosystem?
i would be grateful for any advice!!! thanks!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 26 replies

New stuff - not set up yet - ideas?

2007-03-10T05:16:04Z

Purchased not set up. so feel free to scream nooooo

new aquarium is / will be corner unit 36 gallons glass with stand.

canister filter by Rena 75 gallon filter up to 300 gpm (adjustable)

heater

blue gravel and light

ok that is all we have in the bed room not set up or anything yet. not even sure what kind of fish deco what.

so ideas are welcome. I am not ready for salt water would like to keep it fresh.

also the canister I read was more efficient than the flow filters, is this correct.

and the box store boy did not like our bigger is better filter idea.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 21 replies

fungal infections

2007-03-09T20:53:23Z

Reading on the recent posts you guys clued me into something I have been noticing in my tank. Could it be fugi? What seems to be appearing is a milky white stain, or smear. I noticed it on the back of the tank one day, then it seemed to go away, but then to come back even more present than before. I scrubbed it off with the algae brush, and then scrubbed my rock, now this milky white smear is appearing on my rock (but so far not on the back of the tank). I havent added anything to the tank since putting the frog in last month. But I have noticed some very small snails appearing in the tank. I removed one snail a few weeks ago that got really large, thinking I didnt want snails (have since changed my mind). I have fed with frozen brine shrimp in the past several weeks, but only twice and have done 25% water changes every two weeks. Any one got some pics of fungi growing in tanks?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

active tribe

2007-03-09T19:15:48Z

We have such an active tribe here and I am so glad we have all these awesome people, Beginners and total fish heads alike, I was over looking at our saltwater counterpart this morning, Marine Aquariums, Seems like a kind of dead tribe, Their last post was febuary 8th, and now one ever responds to the posts they do have, I am really gladd that so many of you post and reply, I know I tend to ramble on sometimes when I post, But its one of my passions and I really truly love the hobby,

Good job everyone for making this such a fun and active tribe.

BC

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

I posted pictures

2007-03-08T18:30:16Z

of my frogs BTW.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

I have some fat frogs

2007-03-08T04:13:44Z

:) they really really like brine shrimp! they look like little Budah frogs now

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

very new fish killer here - long

2007-03-08T01:37:43Z

I have a 30 gallon hex. we set it up January 10.

Never having done this I did what the pet store lady told me.
I got the tank power filter and conditioning drops. set it up ran it 24 hours.
went back got 7 sword tails and 2 black mollies.

they seemed ok for a week then had babies and one by one started dying.

went back the other employee said float driftwood (purchased from store) in the tank to lower PH even though it tested ok.
I did. the tank water turned to milk white with thick mucus all over it. more swordies died.

took out the drift wood

cleaned it stem to stern got a different filter system and the water is staying clear now.

the mollies had babies then the female died (pet store said this is normal)
the babies all vanished after a day. and there is hiding places for them.

we are now into February. Pet store says add more fish. I figure fancy guppies are safe and they also encouraged two small dwarf frogs.

so the 30 gallon tank had 7 guppies, two frogs, two sword tails, and a mollie

well someone ate all the male guppie tails and they died.
another swordie got picked to death,

so now the thirty gallon tank has two female guppies, two little frogs a mollie and two sword tails. I would like to keep them alive.

and I am thinking of buying plastic floating fish cause I feel like a fish killer and am not really trusting the pet stopre any longer.

ideas? I am at a loss

every 2 weeks I take out some water, and the first of each month I change the filter. I got PH strips and they say it is ok.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 37 replies

another question - frogs

2007-03-07T00:47:58Z

did a 10% water change and took out the frogs. I am thinking of just getting them their own tank. do you think that wise or would you put them back. they are very fat by the way and there were lots of fih parts int he gravel. think they are munchers. I am in california and I know they are not suppost to sell african frogs here only dwarf but I am also reading they often get mixed up.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

African Dwarf Frogs

2007-03-06T14:43:28Z

Well, seems my tank has a new member. African Dwarf Frog, Kermie, came into our home on Friday. My boyfriend picked him up and on the advice of the pet store and his father, told me the little guy didnt need special food. After doing research I quickly found that out to be not true. So I decided to start with feeding him frozen brine shrimp. He loves them. So do the guppies!

So, Ive a few questions here about water. I know the frog himself and the brine shrimp that dont get eaten are going to change the levels in my tank. I had just cleaned the 5 gallon tank and a 25% water change the week before the frog, so wasnt concerned about the levels when he went in. But I assume that the water will need a change again soon.

Im working on findind out the info I need by wading through thousands of pages of information but can anyone out there tell me quickly, give me a guideline for safe and acceptable water chem levels to keep this guy and the guppies happy? Help me fill in this table?

pH: 7.2-7.6
temp: 70-75, up to 82
Ammonia:
Nitrate:
Nitrite:

For reference again, I have a 5 galon hex with active carbon filter and biowheel. 7 guppies, one ADF. (The 2 female guppies are HUGE. They are huger than they were just a few weeks ago. Im thinking they are going to give birth. I hope that some of them survive, but I know the frog will eat some, and the parents too. Im okay with letting things happen naturally, but I did get rid of the large snail I found. Im working on finding out a way to feed the frog seperately, so the guppies dont contiue to gorge themselves on shrimp. Im thinking about trying to train the frog to eat from a baster in his hiding spot. )

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 9 replies

Plant Help

2007-02-12T20:42:50Z

Hi guys. Ive posted a pic of my aquarium, best I could get, and was wondering if you can help me identify again the plants? I didnt write down the names when I got them, and have since been taken over by the sheer magic of it all. I remember hearing one of them was an amazon plant, but its not the amazon sword. The one in the back looks like an onion the smaller one in front - its leaves are dense and kind of ribbed. Thanks for your help!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 5 replies

Putting in Plants

2007-02-04T18:44:17Z

I finally got rid of the brown algae, the tank is fully cycled and am finally putting in live plants this weekend and would love some input as to what works best for my tank environment. Here is what I am working with....

-10 gallon tank (will be going to a 20 or 30 gallon after I move)
-medium/low light - filters in through closed blinds - lights run between 6-8 hours a day (once in a while longer)
-I already have a neon dwarf gourami and 2 cory cats...will be adding pink skirt tetras or maybe guppies or mollies - not sure just yet - suggestions are welcome in this department as well

Looking for hardier plants to start with since I am a newbie.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

Does anyone play movies for their fish?

2007-02-03T07:02:15Z

I purposefully set my computer up next to my fish tank wherever I move. Pookie, my sema-prochilodus Insignis (aka fei feng, phoenix) watches Trigun, Baraka, Naruto and a plethora of other films. Knowing that music vibrates water, I also turn up the music for her. Originally I picked up the trait from a friend who had a prochilodus, tigerfish, bichir and Arowana... they all cluttered around the one end of the tank when we would hang out and watch movies or play vids. My buddy would also turn up his pair of 15" 1000W cerwins... I'm not sure if he did damage to his fish or not, but I never saw them get stressed out from it (like losing colour and the like. Its VERY easy to tell if a phoenix is stressed; the pelvic fins go from bright red to basically clear.)

I also enjoy dancing for Pookie. We dance together and enjoy the moment of beauty together. (yes I know I'm personifying an animal... no I don't care :P)

Anyway, do you 'entertain' your fish?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

Beatiful Jellies

2007-01-30T02:35:49Z

http://people.tribe.net/valleyvampiress/photos/eb2b3525-6e15-46d7-a0f5-0f946173634b

Believe it or not, I took that pic with my phone.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

aggressive pot bellied molly

2007-01-10T18:12:20Z

Hi!
I'm new to the group. AND new to having an aquarium so forgive any stupid questions I might ask. My hubby has a nice 55 gallon tank set up and has gotten me interested in having fish too. I have a 10 gallon tank . I bought 2 pot bellied mollies & 2 Cremecicle Lyretail Mollies. Everything was going just fine for the first few days. Then, one of the pot bellied mollies started attacking the other fish. It was actually seeking the other fish out and really going at them. I ended up putting the agressive molly in a 2 gallong tank by itself. I checked both tanks for any baby mollies but don't see any. I'm not too sure what to do with this fish now. Do I introduce him back into the other tank? Any suggestions?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 9 replies

Who took the cherry out of my cherry barb?

2007-01-09T04:38:26Z

I am perplexed. I have 3 cherry barbs all male in my 25 gallon tank and they've been there about 1 year or so.
One cherry barb looks like its turning white. Not tan or orange but white. The other 2 barbs look just fine.
There is nothing else in this barb's appearance that is abnormal, just the color thing.
Does anyone have a clue what's up with my little fella?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Salt-tolerant Bottom Feeder

2007-01-06T23:06:48Z

Hello,

I use aquarium salt in my mollies' tank, and I've read that cories and suckerfish don't like salt (fish without scales in general). Are loaches a good option as bottomfeeders in brackish or somewhat brackish tanks? i know they can swim in and out of salt and freshwater, but do they tolerate it constantly?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Why do shrimp commit suicide?

2007-01-06T23:03:18Z

I have always heard the story of someone's shrimp found dead on the carpet. I had never had it happen to me. I've had a few cherry shrimp and ghost shrimp. My 5g currently has two amanos (was three) and one ghost. It has a glass cover on it with a little room for the HOB. Yesterday I found a dried up shrimp on the bottom floor of the cabinet the tank is on.

I would like to know what exactly is driving them to do this? This particular batch that I bought at a new pet store I visited seemed extra "climby". But I wonder why would they purposely crawl out of a tank? Shouldn't their instincts be telling them the opposite?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 5 replies

Dumb Question

2007-01-04T02:20:02Z

This may be a silly question to most of you who are gifted in the talents of fish keeping. But, Im a newbie and this very basic question has got me here.

When you do a partial water change and some cleaning.....do you guys take the fishies out of the tank first?? My 7 guppies are pretty small in their 5 gallon tank, and have been in their home 3 weeks now. My water chemistry is all fine, I tested it the other day, but I do have some small spots of algae growing that I want to get to right away, and a little bit of plant trimming to do, plus I want to fill up the tank by adding some more water (it got a little low when I took some water out to introduce the guppies to the tank). Im not sure what would be more traumatic for them....my hand going all over the place, or netting them 2 times to get them to and from the tank. What do you think?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

Two fish novices "gifted" with plecos

2007-01-03T16:04:48Z

I work for an attorney, another attorney in our office suite is moving on and gave her fish tank to us with two as-yet-unidentified plecostomus in it. She took dreadful care of the tank, the water is so dirty that I can't even tell what kind of plecos they might be, they look to be about 6-7 inches in length. We changed out most of the water in the tank and replaced it with water that we treated with Stress Coat. I'm trying to get the filter clean enough to work again.

Any tips on taking care of these guys? If we get the tank stabilized, what other kinds of fish can live with them? We're two absolute novices who've been juggling this problem since about 3pm yesterday.

And I am so angry at her for not taking good care of her pets. Why buy beautiful animals if you're not going to take care of them?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 5 replies

Brown Scum

2006-12-28T03:31:27Z

Hi all! I have a relatively new 10 gal tank (about a month old). So far most everything is ok....we started off with 6 very small critters, a swordtail, a betta, 2 cory cats, a gourami and a crab. We lost the crab and swordtail but the rest are doing fine. So far the ammonia levels are down to zero (it took 2 weeks) and the nitrite is at about 2.5 (was a tad higher a few days ago) so I am guessing just a week or so til the biological filter is well established (I hope) - I am using "Cycle" live bacteria to help. I also assumed that the filter is established when the nitrite level goes back to zero (please correct me if I am mistaken)

BUT what I have noticed is that we have a brown scum forming on the gravel (just the gravel on the top level shelf) and plants (we have plastic plants for now). I was planning to do a partial water change with a gravel vac but only if I have to....I know that water changes will slow down the formation of the biological filter so I do not want to screw any of it up. What I want to know is what this scum is. Is this normal or a serious problem. Do I go with a 50% water change or should I just remove the plants and gravel to clean them or just try to clean off the objects and let the filter suck up all the crap?

Any feedback is appreciated....like I said, this is my first tank

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 11 replies

feeding new fish

2006-12-27T22:03:57Z

I need help on finding out what to feed my new fish. I have 1 shark beta and 1 dragonfish

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

golden sevron vs parrot fish

2006-12-23T14:54:39Z

i have a golden sevron for about 6 years now "Muni". in the last couple months his appetite has declined dramatically. there are 3 parrot fish in the tank with him and they have lived togehter peacefully for about 2 years. now the parrot fish are as big as him and Im not sure what to do because they eat all the food before him. "muni " is passive and the parrot fish are playfully aggressive mostly towards eachothersometimes towards him. my main concern is the "Muni" not eatting. any ideas?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Substrate

2006-12-23T13:56:35Z

Hi everyone. I am new to the tribe because Im going to become new to the whole thing of keeping fish. My boyfriends dad has some guppies he wants to get rid of, and Im going to adopt them.

I havent started yet, because Im doing some research and reading up (and waiting for my tank to arrive) and just had some general questions that I wasnt able to answer by skimming this tribe. Im sure I will have more questions later, but my first one is this, in re: to

Substrate:

I have sand that I collected for art projects from Monterey Bay. I have had this sand for a few years and it is sealed in plastic ziplock bags. I would like to use this as the substrate for my new aquarium (the colors are so nice and there are bits of shell and glass in there). Is this possible? I realize that I might have to sterilize it first. And how would you recommend that? Bleach solution? Baking in the oven? Boiling. Im also guessing that if there are any metal bits, I might have to clean them out as well.

Any advice you could offer would be added to the research, recycle, and resue categories of "general knowledge" that one builds in starting any hobby. Thanks!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 10 replies

Hazy water - can't figure it out!!!

2006-12-16T03:00:29Z

Maybe someone here can help me cause I'm at my wit's end. I've had a haze in my tank for about three weeks now, I can't suss out the problem. My tank/water specs are as follows:

6 month old, properly cycled 55 gallon freshwater tank with two 4" comets, two 2" fantails. No live plants. Magnum 350 canister filter with two biowheels. 24" bubble wand. pH between 6.8 and 7; no big changes recently. Ammonia is 0ppm, Nitrites are 0ppm, Nitrates are between 5 and 10ppm. I don't over feed. The tank is near a west facing window, but I live in seattle, so excess light these days isn't a problem. I only put the hood light on occasionally, and have had it fully off since the haze started. The haze itself is not white, but I can't really call it green (at least not in comparison to some green tanks I've seen).

It started about a week after I did a major clean - by which I mean, I changed the carbon AND the sponge, and I degunked the hoses/tubing. I didn't touch the biofilters. I vacuumed the gravel - changing about 30% of the water in the process - and wiped the interior glass down with a sponge dedicated for that purpose. I've not had a real problem with algae to date.

None of this was really out of the ordinary EXCEPT the hose cleaning (they were nasty with tan mucus-like schmeck). I generally do 25% water changes about every two weeks; I change the carbon media about 1x a month; I change the sponge sleeve only when it's too nasty to be rinsed well; and I condition the water with Prime. The only other difference I can think of is that I switched from a mixed carbon/diamond media to an all carbon media.

At first I thought I might have disturbed the biological balance by changing so much, thereby causing a mini cycle to start, but as I said, I didn't do THAT much different, the chemistry hasn't changed much, and other than the haze, there are no signs of cycling (foam, the "sea" smell, etc.). I thought it might be an algae bloom, so I used an algae destroyer (following the directions closely), to no effect. Nor have daily 20% water changes over a week done anything. I've tried two different clarifiers - nothing. Most recently, I've put the Magnum's water polishing filter in - thinking it may be an issue of particulate too small to be caught by the regular filter, but after 18 hours, there's been absolutely NO change. The fish seem a bit more lethargic than usual but not by a whole lot. Mostly it's just unsightly.

I'm really at a loss. I'm planning on reverting to the mixed filter media, but I don't know what else to do except start ALL over. The problem is that I don't have a secondary tank running to house the fish while I'm cycling the big one. What else can I try?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 7 replies

adding heat

2006-12-16T02:56:32Z

Hi everyone. Another question here I was hoping you could help shed some light on.

Im getting guppies. I know I will eventually want more/other fish than just those. I have always loved neon tetras as a small child.

Will it be okay to add the heater to the tank later? and what process should I use?

any insights would be most helpful. Thanks.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Wormy things in my tank?

2006-11-10T01:06:52Z

I just went to drop in a vacation food tablet (gonna be gone for two days) and noticed hundreds of little stringy things floating in the water. Upon closer inspection they appeared to be moving and eating the algae on the side of my tank. These are thinner than a piece of thread and not even a centimeter long. They are whitish, almost clear. They seem to be mostly on the right side of the tank, which is the side with window exposure and thus a bit of algae growth. The other side side of the tank has the filter and the heat lamp. They have appeared within the last week or so

About my tank:
2 slider turtles, both with 4-5 inch shells
4 adult guppies, 6ish baby guppies
75 gallons, running an Eheim filter
I bought the tank used in July and have had it up and running since mid August, it sat dry for a few weeks. I added all new innards to the Eheim because the filter had sat for too long and had developed a sulfur smell
There are three large rocks and a "castle" that came with the tank when I bought it
A piece of floating wood that I bought at the pet store and turtle dock
The bottom is covered with river rock left over from landscaping (from Home Depot) and was thoroughly washed before adding to the tank

Anyone know what these are? Where did they come from? Will they hurt my turtles? Should I get rid of them? How do I get rid of them? Anything else you think I should do about it?

I'll be back sunday, hopefully someone knows what I can do

Thanks!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 10 replies

TEN algae waffers!

2006-09-29T03:22:36Z

ok, came home from work and took a look at my aquarium and it was soooo murky I could barely see through it and there was some kind of thick spongy looking grunge all around the pueblo in my aquarium. Turn out my 3 year old grandson put 10 algae waffers in the tank. Hmmm... My fish look like they are going to explode!!

so, I did a water change and gravel clean. Are my fish in danger? They look like pot belly pigs.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

Buffing out scratches?

2006-09-20T03:04:16Z

I am about to buy a used aquarium (acrylic) from a friend but there are some small scratches in it. He says they can be buffed out easily. Anyone know if this is true, how to do it, and have you tried this and has it worked? Im sizing up because my slider turtles are growing rapidly and the tank is a good price but I want it to be attractive

Thanks for any and all input

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 3 replies

New Fish

2006-09-09T21:11:43Z

so after my aquarium disaster where I lost everything but one opaline gourami I have begun to add new fish. Everybody looks happy and is doing well...I think, although I cannot find my cat fish today. Strange.

Anyway, I have 5 new fish that I do not know what they are and am wondering if anyone here knows. They are the same shape and size as neons but thier face is red, body is white and the tail is black and white stripped. Anybody know what these are?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Why can't I keep scavengers alive?

2006-09-07T13:49:16Z

I just don't understand it. My tank always tests out beautifully...ph 7.0., no ammonia, no nitrate, no nitrites. I have tetras who are now over 6 years old....why can't I keep a silly catfish or otocinclus alive?

I've gone through several rounds of this. I will buy 2 otos or 2 cory cats. The first one dies after around 3 weeks, and the second usually follows after a couple months. I feed both floaty food and sinking pellets so that food reaches all levels of the tank. At first I thought mebbe my striped rafael cat was harrassing them at night, so I got rid of it but they're still dying.

I just don't get it. Any ideas?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

fish auction

2006-09-07T05:02:46Z

the san francisco aquarium society is holding a big ass fish auction this friday night at sf state. it's a good way to get nice fish at a low price, and meet some other fish nerds. and i do mean nerds. http://www.sfaquarium.org/

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

a question about travel......

2006-09-07T03:23:25Z

hi... I'm new to this tribe, and new to keeping fish (my son got some recently, but he is 4, so I care for them)..... but we travel frequently in a bus, and will be soon..... I have grown quite fond of his fish--1 betta and 1 pleco-- and want to bring them with us-- is this a crazy thought, or is this possible? We would be able to have the aquarium set up so that there would be no way of it falling over, and I thought I could take some of the water out while driving so it wouldn't splash out. I have a sand bottom--and was wondering if I should switch to gravel, or if sand was okay with vibration of movement, or if the fish would get stressed and die with all of the movement, or if they would be somewhat used to that, as the water moves all the time from the filter and airstone anyways? The last time we had fish and travelled, we left them with someone and they were all dead when we got back.... my son is older now, and really loves his fish--I do too-- and we want to do the right thing, we just hope the right thing is bringing them with us..... if anyone knows anything about travelling with fish, please help..... Thank you so much!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 7 replies

the Optimum Aquarium

2006-09-03T17:52:24Z

Okay so I promised to the do this like two years ago and never got around to it, but here it goes. I am going to retype the entire book, The Optimum Aquarium, out of print now but a great source of information and still relevant. I'll made notations where possible, and scan the pics if there are super relevant. It was originally printed in German by Kaspar Horst and Horst E Kipper. Translated by Albert Thiel, a man whom I have had the pleasure or meeting on several occasions and having great discussions with, a true fish head, Okay beyond a fish head, a fish god practically. Keep in mind that the information is 20 years old, so some of it seems like old news, but it is still well grounded in research and information. Think of it as a reef keeper’s book for freshwater. To my knowledge no book to this date has been as complete in research and information complied into one book, Hmmmm that gives me an idea.....

Introduction

Without fear of exaggeration one can say that in the last ten years the keeping of tropic and ornamental fish in aquariums and ponds has grown (book written in 1986) all over the world. Not only in Germany where according to recent statistics 1.25 million households are keeping aquariums\, but also in other European countries, in The US, in Japan, in Australia and many Asian countries has the keeping of tropical fish become more than just a hobby? Fifteen years ago (1971 when I got my first fish) it is estimated that there were approximately 700,000 aquarist in Germany alone. Today if we include those who keep goldfish, a number of home fish, and carp koi, the number is in excess of 1.6 million.

Comparative figures for other countries are unfortunately not available. In Thailand however we that there are over 100,000 hobbyists and that in Bangkok alone every week 150,000 tropical fish are being sold. Of the 300 pet shops in Thailand more than 150 are in Bangkok. These are really amazing numbers even if the keeping of ornamental fish is a tradition in Thailand.

The substantial number of hobbyists magazine un the US, Japan and the UK are proof that the interest in the tropical fish keeping hobby has really grown substantially. This also allows us to deny the rumor that circulates from time to time that the keeping of tropical fish is nothing more than a passing fad. (ya think?)

Of course, the way in which the hobby is being practiced differs in each individual country. Proof of that is the fact that plastic plants and many little decorative divers, skulls etc… are still being used in certain countries (sound familiar) perhaps the reason for this difference has to do on one hand with the lack of available literature and guidelines, and the lack of adequate products on the other, especially in the US. On of the attempts made by this book is to change that situation, since the book not only will be published in German but also in English.

Side note: At the time this book was written no one in the US was doing much aside from under gravel filters and power filters, and to a great extent not much has changed for the average hobbyist. For the average person the equipment is not available at their local pet shop. Thankfully now that we have the internet most everything can be purchased online. This book pushes a lot of Dupla products which at the time was more or less all there was available; they are still available and work great but are pricey to say the least. The product I am most fond of is Dupla rit, which is their version of laterite, and although it is readily available now for far less money it is the one I keep using. http://www.floridadriftwood.com/subcat.asp?0=242 in case you are curious.

Notwithstanding the differences is clear to us that the serious hobbyist make up the greater majority, and the interest in keeping tropical fish and plants in a professional manner is much stronger than it appears on the surface. The authors of this book are attempting by publication in other languages, to contribute in their own way to the dissemination of information that up to now has only been available in German. At the same time the authors know that in doing so they will give the keeping of tropical fish the necessary impulse to take a more professional direction. We can however not lose sight of the fact that this growing interest in the keeping or tropical fish on represents a portion of the total art of keeping domestic animals. It does require however a much more intensive analysis and a much greater amount of can than is the case for those with other domestic animals.

We do not wish to let this statement stand without proof and risk the strong reaction of those keeping bids, dogs and cats and other animals, unlike for instances dogs which line in immediate contact with their owners, fish have to exist in water. Water in this respect is still a much foreign element. Over the eons the human race has slowly but surely evolved in such a way that it has been removed further and further from the natural element that water is. We could of course not exist without the presence and to a certain degree of closeness to water, however water is not part of the primary habitat, as is the case for tropical and ornamental fish. As a result the aquarist has to engage himself in a much more intensive way in trying to duplicate the habitat of his fish. This requires a greater dedication to the hobby as would be the case with hobbyist keeping birds, dogs, cats and other animals, especially since the habitation in which fish live is so different from what the hobbyist is use to, and so much more complicated to maintain at the required levels of quality.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 2 replies

plants dying! help?

2006-09-01T22:55:04Z

hi, i got a strange mould like substance growing on my plants and they are dying...i can't figure out why.

i moved my goldfish and the plants from the old aquarium to the new 20 gallon, everything is pretty much the same except i replaced the dingy old lighting with a super duper high end flourescent bulb and put down a natural ph substrate rather then those glazed grocks.

the weird thing is in the last aquarium where lighting was poor and space was cramped after a while the amazon swords grew like crazy and didn't have any mould on them. or what i think it's mould.
now that i've improved the conditions they do.

also, the leaves have started going yellow, which i assume is normal for a new aquarium and substrate before the nitrogen cycle stabilizes and plants start to feed off it.

the mouldy, rusty/almost black colored stuff on the leaves is what's bothering me. i can't get rid of it and not sure what it is, no one else knows altho i've consulted two very professional aquarium stores.

i've neurtalized the ph to 7 and also added a bit of fertilizing tabs to the substrate near the plants - that helps the yellowing, the mouldy stuff is still here tho even tho i cut out the infected leaves...it is spreading.

the fish are doing fine tho, the water is clear, no funky growths on substrate, aquarium, filter, fish or rocks...so i dunno what's going on.

any ideas? similar experiences?

oh, i've also been told that i'm 'lucky' that my plants grew under conditions where i didn't have anything to do to them (ie: no fertalizer and bad lighting in the old tank) - i figured this was kinda strange too cause amazons swords are suppose to need a lot of light...?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 10 replies

Ack! Black Algae!

2006-09-01T20:40:34Z

I have this algae that is taking over my tank. It is brownish/black in color, almost rubbery in texture and covering everything, including my live plants.
How can I get rid of it without killing my plants or fish?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 24 replies

Freshwater ponds (outside)

2006-09-01T16:39:57Z

Hello, Does this tribe include outdoor ponds?
We just bought a house and I have a pond with a waterfall. Probably around 100 gallons. Not a natural pond.... it's the kind you get at the store. Plastic or whatever it's made from. lol
I have two goldfish and several frogs that live in my pond. I've yet to ID these frogs.
It's pretty cool.
I'm wondering what kind of plants would be good to put in there.
Also, I have trouble keeping the algae down.
Any advice would be most appreciated.
Thanks, ~B

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 4 replies

red eared sliders with other animals?

2006-08-23T03:29:08Z

Are there any algae eaters that you can keep safely with red eared sliders? I have two that are currently around 3 inches. I've tried apple snails but they ate them right out of their shells. I wouldn't want to try any shrimps either...any suggestions?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 0 replies

build an aquarium?

2006-08-18T18:28:40Z

I'd like to build a large aquarium that I wouldn't be able to afford to buy. I imagine using glass from old doors or something, but I wonder about what type of adheasive they use to bind the edges and if it would work on glass or requires plexiglass to form a bond? Does anyone have any experience with this?

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 6 replies

Sulfer smell in my filter

2006-08-17T14:44:58Z

The saga continues...

When we finally got our new (to us) eheim filter going, we disconnected everything and drained the tank because quite a bit of water had spilled and we have hard wood floors. We decided that the best way to prevent damaging the floors would be to put the stand on casters so we purchased casters and hired a friend who is something of nutty engineer to install them and properly brace the stand.

However, the process took about 2 weeks and we foolishly let our filter sit with water in it. When we hooked everything back up there was a very bad sulpher smell (sounds like anaerobic bacteria to us). We've cycled it through several times and have made about 6 water changes in two days trying to flush the filter but the smell, though more tolerable, persists. My boyfriend, a PhD chemist, insists that we can pour bleach into the water, cycle it through a few more water changes then wait a few days and then the water would be safe for our turtles. I'm not so sure...

So my question is, will this work? Is there a better way? Can I get replacements for the "stuff layers" that are in the filter (would this help?)? Is it safe to put the turtles in without doing anything else and hope the smell will leave with time?

And anyone know where i can get some extras of the tiny metal clips that keep the filter shut. we are missing a few and this is what is causing our suction problems.

Thanks so much in advance!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply

Filter set up HELP

2006-08-05T21:50:36Z

I just bought a used tank set up and have everything all set except I can't get the filter to work. The tank was set up when I looked at it so the filter was working then. It is an Eheim 2215. I can hear it humming, but it isn't sucking and it is pumping water into the tank. I'm sure I've done something wrong but I can't find any instructions/diagrams (in English) to help me set it up. I found one picture of the pump all assembled so I am pretty sure I have the hoses in the right place. Does anyone know where I can find a diagram of one set up, with close detail, maybe I just did something wrong? There are two little levers on the "sucking" hose and I have them both turned perpendicular to the hose, but I have tried the levers in various combinations since I am sure this affects the water flow. Anyone have any advice? I'd greatly appreciate it. My turtles are ready to move into their new house!

Thanks!

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 5 replies

question 'bout air-pump thing-y

2006-07-29T16:03:49Z

i've got a pump that puts a bunch of air-buubles into my tank. i know several people who have seemingly healthy tanks without the airpump. how important is the pump? and can a kick-ass filter supply sufficient O2? i'm on a mission of quiet-ude these days and my pump is kinda lod.

posted in Freshwater Aquariums - 1 reply