Keri Anne

I've had it in a few new tanks b4 the cycle is going right... added a couple of swordtails as test fish and to jumpstart the cycle - they seem to eat it.

Can you keep an eye out for albino guppies for me?

Where in the HB??

I hear "Wet Pets" is THE place to go down in your area.

Yes.

Are you sure there were no additives in the peat? Where did you get it from? Did you rinse it before use? If so for how long and in what - Tap or tank water?

Just word of advice... If you're going to keep livebearers [Guppies, platties, mollies, swordtails...etc] in a tank that small get males only. Otherwise the tank will quickly get overrun with babies. I have a much larger tank with 20-30 male guppies and 15 or so male swordtails (Silver bodied ones) The guppies think the Swordies are female guppies and chase them which is really funny to watch.

Not much to swap atm... although my baby BN's were free-swiming on the 3rd so maybe them in a few weeks. No guppies for sale atm, swordtails are too young and so are platties.... I do have a double bed base than needs a new home.... (Used to live in what is now the fish room)

Don't you mean "A small lake" Ron?

Interested to know if you have actually proven this theory Matt? I’ve heard arguments both for and against it – personally I’m highly skeptcial.

They are a pest here as there are not enough natural predators here in the wild that eat them. They reproduce really fast and destroy the natural environment. They have already done a lot of damage. - Like most introduced animals they are fine in their natural environment but in a low predator place like NZ can do a lot of damage. If see them in a local waterway PLEASE CONTACT MAF. They are sometimes sold as "Cold Water Guppies" by people that may/may not know better. If any fish in NZ is ever described to you as a “Cold Water Guppy†[apart from Lepord fish] please have a look and see if it is the dreaded “Gâ€. If we don’t help MAF then MAF wont help us.

A little pricey but may interest you. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pets-animals/Fish/Fish/auction-60119146.htm

Yes, this is posted in Private T&E too. WTB Red Moscow/solid shade guppies. (Trio perfered) Hi everybody, I’m looking for some good solid red guppies [preferably line breed] the darker the better. I want them for line breeding as I believe that it is a beautiful form but also have a few projects up my sleeve. Moscow’s preferred – all considered. *Must have strong colouration on dorsal fin please. Also interested in other solid colours, especially dark blues. Will consider any solid colours offered. Thank you, KA

My big male Bristlenose will even come up to the top of the tank and muscle in on a cube of Tubifex worm – so much for being a vegetarian :roll:

I'm lucky, my LFS will recieve fish for me as long as it's not very often. I'm sure they've given every courier driver in the area the riot act already.

I would have to dissagree about the salt - I always add tonic salt to guppy tanks. Please note that tonic salt is not normal salt. I only half dose as that lets me have B/N's or scaleless fish such as clown loaches in there as well when needed. I've found that my guppies are a lot happier and healthier with Tonic salt in the water. I use tonic salt with all my livebeares and have had wonderful results.

My flatmate is already trained to put blankets [mine] around tanks if we get a cut and I am at work and has done so in the past. So it's Blankets, pray and give the fishies the gas heater.... if humans get cold go sit in the fish room.

Oh, I didn't see that bit about the pump!!! Love, they're going to the surface because there is not enough oxygen in the water... Not good. Leave that pump on. You might want to do a bit of a look around here about tank cycles - constant water movement is a must or the "Good stuff" in your water will die. Good Luck.

My guppies go nuts over "Nutrafin Max" Livebearer Food. (Other fish quite like it too.) It's a mixture of flakes and broken up Tubifex worms. I wouldn't be too worried about the new fish... let them settle in and they should be fine. One thing that I would do though is add a little "Tonic Salt" the the water. Just use a 1/2 dose and they should be fine. Give it at least a week or 2 before adding more fish. Personally I'd do a water change (just 15%-25% of tank at most) every 3-4 days for a couple of weeks too.

Guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy, guppy......................... Opps - sorry, thought that read "Addiction"

You were?? Devon is right - I'd be keen. We could call it "NZ-ALBA" New Zealand Albino Livebearer Breeders Association. :lol:

Indian and java fern are also good plants to add to a breeding tank... the fry can hide in them and seem to eat their roots quite happily.

I'd suspect it'd be realatively the same for albino swordtails, mollies or platties as they are of the same family. Great book BTW - well worth what I paid for it.

According to what I've read of that 25% albino you will lose most b4 the're even born. At least that's what they say about guppies and they're the same family. According to Guppies Keeping and Breeding them in Captivity by Homer Mozart (pg 52) heterozygotes: Na x Na

Okay, this is the theory – unfortunately as albinism is not just recessive but also relatively fatal you will only get a small number of albinos at the end of this but this is how it’s meant to work. [Devon and I are both attempting to prove this with albino guppies.] Key: aa = Albino fish NN = Normal fish Na = Normal looking fish which carriers the albino gene. aa x aa = 100% aa [all albino fish] aa x NN = 100% Na [all fish look normal but all fish carry the albino gene] aa x Na = Some aa & some Na [all fish carry albino gene – those that carry 2 of the gene are albino] Na x Na = Some NN, a lot of Na & some aa [some normal fish, a lot of fish that look normal but carry the albino gene and some albinos] *please note that in this case there is NO was of telling NN and Na fish apart.