Tillie

sure it needed to be. The fish I have require softer water at around pH 6.8. The answer to my question as already been answered external to this site, thanks anyway.

Hi guys, stuck on something and second guessing it because what's I've been doing doesn't seem to be working. My tank is on 7.2 and I want to bring it to 6.8. Now, do I use PH up to bring it "up" the chart to 6.8, or do I use PH down to bring it down to 6.8 numbers sequence-wise? Thanks

The log should be fine, as there would be water flow through it, it's just the ornaments with a tiny ballpoint pen girth sized hole that are in issue I think. You could try chipping a bigger hole from the existing one, or you could get a wet concrete saw and saw off the whole bottom? Having an airstone running through shouldn't make it float - the ornament should have sufficient weight to keep it down. I would either put a small airston inside (sawing off whole bottom would facilitate this) or put just the tubing inside and have bigger bubbles coming out - but that may be noisy and you would have to have a hole at the top too. Good luck!

oops I mean cooked!

Good to know - thanks everyone I'm guessing these prawns would all be raw? Or frozen? Sharn - what veggie/homemade recipes do you have? Could you impart your wisdom onto me?

Just wondering you can do this? I'm wanting to give my fishies a varied diet, but obviously don't want to do anything to potentially harm them! I would grate finely a frozen prawn. Any other suggestions for a varied diet? Veges/meat?

You guys seem nasty saying all these things. Of course to those who know more than the averge Joe about fish it is logically impossible but you don't need to employ mockery... give him the benefit of the doubt till you have PROOF it's all a farce at least...

Just looking at Takashi Amano's tanks and wondering how you would clean the gravel?!? it can't be easy with all the plants etc. growing like a lawn! And then I see some of the members tanks have the same effect with plants all throughout... how how how would you clean the gravel? i would love to do the same if I knew there was a sane way which didn't involve uprooting all the plants at every gravel siphon!!

Great thankyou everyone will look into it all!

Hey guys Was recommended NZ couriers, but I rang them and they said they didn't deal with shipping fish? Are you meant to just be sneaky and send them? cdan any one please tell me who I could use to ship the fish ( relatively cost effective) Thankyou !

I would have suggested Furan, but you've already tried that... hope some one comes by soon to help you out!!

Thanks!! yes, we are all happy again By the way, I posted a reply to the ornament discussion!

This is how i understand dropsy: (there is a lot of good literature on the net) Dropsy is a symptom, not a disease in itself. It indicates internal bacteria, and causes the fish to swell as it cannot expell the excess fluid building up inside them. Often the swelling causes internal injuries and therefore the fish cannot recover (hence the rarity that dropsy is curable). I had one fish that got dropsy, I treated it in a separate tank with an airsotne and melafix and tonic salt (although its recommended against using this type of salt because of the contents are of that which the fish already cannot expell)- Epsom salts are recommened.A nd he fot better and is fine now! Furan 2 has been suggested if it's mild dropsy. Dropsy can be curable but it is rare. Make sure if you have a fish with dropsy to isolate it, as if the fish dies in the tank with other fish the internal fluids will ooze and be contagious to other fish. if teh dropsy is quite bad, then it's best to euthanise the fish as it suffers and may even internally explode. DROPSY IS CAUSED BY: Poor water conditions and /or stress. Poor water conditions is the main culprit. Are you doing water changes and siphoning the gravel? You need to have had your tank cycled too - you can find info on here to do this. Good luck!! I hope this has helped

I guess cleaning it when you do your weeklies would work? Mine isnt in any longer - It was a hassle trying to keep the water in it so it didn't all spurt into the tank the first time - I don't think I want to be doing that every week! (It's a large ancient ruins statue) I think I may have to make a bigger hole in the bottom and have airline going in to flush all the water around, as the last poster said. Yes, the smell, I agree - was bad. Very bad. My partner has to rush from the room!

I had a pure culture in a 10L bucket which subsequently died after not having green water to feed them. I put this bucket outside ( I think I tipped out water or most of it) and it has been sitting there for months. Today I looked in and saw i the shallow green water lots of Daphnia! I think they are the 2nd generation eggs that must have hatched after to first lot died. Anyway, i would like to know if they are safe to use to feed my tropical fish and goldfish? I did find a dead and algae covered weta and bee in there too which I scooped out, but other than that the water is rainwater (they must have been living off their dead friends too!). I don't see any cyclops in there, or mosquito larvae, but then I haven't looked that hard. Can I use them? (Even if there is mozzie larvae?) Thanks!

I actually think it was the stagnant water inside the ornament. I had the same thing happen - I was getting a really high nitrate reading, and thought there couldn't possibly be something decaying in my tank - when I thought about the ornament (previously in another tank and when taken out to close down that tank got the same rotten smell) and took that out of my curennt community tank. Yep. Same smell. Like really bad rotten eggs aye? It was the water rotting inside the ornament as it didn't have a flow in and out of it. It's no longer in my tank and nitrate returned to stble level.

Just an update: Got Furan 2 and treated for two rounds as 1 wasn't quite enough. Yesterday was gong to return him to the comm. tank but saw that the fungus had gone but where it was was all red. Advised to return to comm. tank and treat with melafix to regenerate fin. This morning both fins red, but tonight it's only the original fin affected and the redness has gone down considerably. Angel is feeding well, darting around the tank and has his black stripes on really dark. He is back to mating rituals with his mate so I'm glad I didn't lose him. Thanks everyone for your advice and support. I appreciate it!

Sharn, Hiya I must admit it sounds odd, but I really think he is an oddball. I did used to worry but there was just to plausible explanation except for an odd personality!! I find that he goes sideways, backwards and all angles to navigate very gracefully between the foliage. He's the only one doing it and has done it for months on end! I'm hoping there's nothing wring then...?! Have has water tested and everything, and have a UV steriliser too! Just an odd kid haha

My angel swims sideway often just because he can! He's fine and sometimes even swims upside down. When I sometimes wake him at night by turning on the lights I find him sleep swimming upside down. I hope someone has a more definitive answer for you soon though

H Sharn, Yeah he's holding up really well. I have to start a 2nd round of Furan because it's not all cleared up. He's eating and has got his black stripes shining a really strong colour. He seems happier and I can't wait to have him back in the tank. Thanks for your support, it's really encouraging to know someone cares!

why not raise the temp? Does it make the meds less effective? I read on an angelfish site they were raising the temp on their sick fish to 32C-35C? Is this a wrong practice for them to do?

Have just rung a petstore (I know they arent exactly a wealth of knowledge!) and was advised to try Furan 2 as it will treat both the fungus and the finrot as quote "they are the same bacteria causing them both" so will give that a go - will buy both anyway, and hopefully will have some second opinions from you guys? Thanks

that he has teh beginnings of fin rot aswell.... please tell me how I should treat for these both: fungus + finrot. Treat with Meth Blue and add Melafix too? Or would that be too much? Or is there a good med out there that will do both? (Have tried Tonic, it's not effective) Thankyou

should I return him to the community tank after treating, or put him back into the hospital tank? Should I be doing anything extra also such as - raising temp (tank already at 28C and has other fish in tank that can't go much higher in the temp. scale) increase aeration to max (already well-aerated) adding any other medication such as melafix, reducing salt dosage etc? THANKYOU!

I there, would love for moderator Alan to see this! Using the direct 1 drop onto the fungus, I was wondering for how many days etc to treat like this? I am getting some meth Blue this afternoon for an angel with fungus (greyish and fluffy in patches) on the base of his side fin. Thanks for any help, I apprciate it as my angel isn't too happy in his hospital tank and I'm wanting to get him as well as possible as fast as possible. (I've also raised the temp to 30C)