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Hi there, I have read the lighting FAQ, but still find it a little complicated. My 4ft tank has an aqua one double fluro on it currently. There is a 1500k 40w Tri Power Light which has just blown, and a 8000k 40w Super Light which is still going. I no longer have live plants in my tank. Just standard tropical fish, gravel base, black back wall, driftwood, schist rocks and (dare I say it), artificial plants. Have had a problem with black hair algae, so don't want a light that encourages plant growth, but want a light that will highlight the fish. I am not sure what is the purpose of each of the tubes I currently have, (e.g., is one for colour and one for plant growth). Could someone please advise, if I go into Redpaths, which type of tube to get to best show off my fish and perhaps not stimulate the algae. Many thanks.

Thanks for your replies. I brought some Avitrol Plus on Sunday and dosed my tank at 1.5 drops per litre (decided on this from searching the net - so hope to goodness it is right). No changes noted in the tank. At lunch time today we did notice a tiny little white worm wriggling around in the tank, so not sure if it came out of a fish or not, but it looked alive rather than dead. We have done a big gravel vac and 40 to 50% water change at tea time. Now since refilling the tank, and turning filter back on, the tank is really murky and it looks like smoke moving around in it. (best way to describe it). This has never happened after a water change before. Is this the avitrol pumping out of the filter? How come the water remained crystal clear when we dosed it yesterday and right up until the water change tonight? Just need confirmation that this is normal. Also, if the fish does have worms, should we see them floating to the bottom of the tank dead?

Thanks for your replies. I have wondered about worms. How much of the avitrol do I dose?

Hi there, wondering if anyone can help me with my beautiful parrot fish who is wasting away. He was a beautiful big fish, but is now just a skeleton. He is still swimming around like normal and seems to be eating when I feed them. A couple of months ago I lost a clown loach with the same thing. Have just done a water test and ammonia and nitrites are all okay, but my nitrate is right at the end of the card (not sure if the colour is either 80 or 160 - but either way it's not good). Have been having major problems with Black Brush Algae. Gave the tank a really good clean out last Sunday with a 40% water change. Have bought some Flourish Excel to try dosing my tank, but in the mean time how can I fatten up my parrot?

I currently have a hailea HL BT400 filter in the fry tank (with pantyhose covering it so as not suck the fish up). Saw a sponge filter at the pet shop tonight for around $11.00, do you think I would be better off buying one of those?

Sorry, still learning the fish lingo. I put a breeding grass in the bottom for the fry to hide in, although I'm not sure that they actually used it. No gravel. Do I need to put the whole filter into my big tank (which will look ugly) or can I just put the piece of black sponge from inside it in there?

Thanks for your replies. Not sure what model the tank is. Just bought it second hand and don't see any name on it. Perhaps I was overfeeding a bit too much. Liquid Fry 2 to 3 times a day and then some crumbled up flake food once a day. Microworms towards the end. My guppy is pregnant again, so I will empty the tank out tonight and put water from the main tank back into it and leave it going for a while and hopefully it will be cycled by the time she is ready to drop the next batch. I don't really want to have the little tank set up all the time, but is this the only way if you need to use it suddenly for babies?

Just over 2 weeks ago my female guppy gave birth to about 30 fry. I have a little 15 gallon tank which I quickly set up with about 2/3 of water from my main tank and 1/3 of fresh water. Within about half an hour of me transferring her she started to give birth. We put a piece of pantyhose over the filter to stop the fry being sucked up. After about a week or so I could only count 10 fry. (they were starting to grow quite nicely). On Sunday morning I only had 3 left, then one and now none. I was doing partial water changes every 2 to 3 days. Have just checked my water last night and ammonia = 0, nitrates = 20, and nitrites were 5! This is obviously the reason my babies all disappeared. Can you tell me what might have caused this, when ammonia and nitrate levels are okay. We are wondering if it is because we covered over the filter with pantyhose? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Cute! We tried to take some photos the other night, as I think our tank is looking quite nice now, but everything turns out blury. Fish move and some bits are still and others are fuzzy. Think we need a new camera. Will try some pumpkin tonight.

Thanks BikBok, do you need to cook the pumpkin, or can you just put a raw slice in? I put the courgette in raw.

He was actually sitting out in full view on my driftwood this morning when I turned their lights on, so at least I know he is moving about. I was looking everywhere (in behind heaters and filter pipes etc) because that's where he usually is, and just as I gave up, there he was right in front of me all along! Usually feed courgette for the bristlenoses (although it seems that everyone loves them), but they are really dear at the moment and not always in the supermarket. What other veges could I put in for them?

So far so good. He's very hard to find, but mostly seems to be hanging out stuck to the glass at the back of the tank and in behind the filter hoses and heater. Haven't seen him eating, but hopefully he will get more comfortable and eventually come out into the tank a bit more. I am just so relieve that he is still alive.

I couldn't see him anywhere, and then had to leave for work, so am just hoping he is hiding somewhere. He could be behind the driftwood where I can't see. He is nearly the same colourings as my gravel and quite often I lost sight of him last night, but then found him sitting in the gravel right in front of me! It will be a long day until I get home to check on him tonight.

I put him in tonight, and so far so good. He just went down to the bottom and sat there. Didn't try to hide or anything. My bigger Kribs were very interested and started poking at him, so I quickly fed everyone to take the attention away and now they seem to have forgotten all about him. He has started moving over the driftwood and is fantastically camouflaged. My fingers are crossed that everything stays okay with him, as I would love to see him grow up to be like yours BikBok. Thanks for everyone's advice, its much appreciated.

I got them off TM - the guy Collis. Went in with my friend who got some cichlids too. She also got a whiptail but hers is about 3.5cm, so you really need to look twice before you can even see it. I am hoping that once my one goes in the big tank, I will be able to see him from time to time. Fingers crossed that he grows quickly - anything special I should feed him up on?

Thank you so much for your reply and the gorgeous photos! This forum is great! Yes my wee guy looks like your pics, but I am glad to get a good indication of what size he should be when all grown up. Thankfully I only got one, but did also get 2x 3.5cm albino kribs with him, which I think are possibly smaller than advertised, so they are another problem as I think they would get eaten in my big tank. I have one little spare tank, but last Sunday (first time ever), managed to catch my female guppy in time to put her in there and she had about 20 - 30 babies, so they are all in there, and if I put the kribs in that one, they will probably eat my babies. (What dilemas). So I have them in the net with the whiptail. They were all okay this morning, but now you have me a bit worried, so can't wait till the end of the day to at least get him out and into the big tank. Kribs will have to stay in the net until they get a bit bigger I think.

Thanks for that. I will put him in when I get home from work tonight. Am worried about him in the net, as I know they like to hide and he is probably feeling very exposed. My tank does have lids, but the back corners are cut off to allow for the pipes and cords etc, so better look at covering them up (thanks for the warning).

Hi Guys Think I have possibly been a bit silly, but I guess you learn by your mistakes. I bought a black whiptail 6.5cm and had him freighted to me only to find he is so small and skinny, I am too scared to put him in my tank. I have 3 fully grown bristlenoses, so thought he would be about that size, but didn't realise they are so thin (he looks like a little stick). My tank is community with neons, guppies, gouramis, red tailed shark (really peaceful thankfully), clown loach and 2 largish angels. Do you think he will be safe to put in there. I have lots of big bits of drift wood (4ft tank). At the moment I have put him in a breeding net in the tank. Does he have much more growing to do? The angels are my main worry, and the other bristlenose? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks for your replies. Okay, I have been doing a lot of research and am about 100% sure they are the Pearl Mystus Catfish (Castaneus). However from all of my google efforts, I still cannot find any personal experiences suggesting whether or not one would be a wise addition for my tank. Will I ever see him, or will he hide all the time? Will he be agressive towards my other fish, or will do they have nice personalities? Or is it just luck. I have a red tailed shark which I deliberated over for many a month due to mixed comments on their aggression, but he is one of the most peaceful fish in my tank. Just cruises around all day and night doing his own little thing and never bothers anyone. (I love him). Any more advice would be appreciated so that I can make a decision about getting the Mystus.

They looked identical to the pic of the ones for sale in this auction: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 144847.htm

This is where I need advice. My tank is community and 4 foot. I have read that they could turn into monsters? I presume 1 will be enough. Do they spend their lives hiding, or will I actually get to see him out and about?

It's not a pictus. They started off telling me they were, but they definitely aren't. They're selling for $13.90 and look like pics on the net that say pearl or silver.

Hi there I am trying to decide whether to get a Mystus Catfish (silver), as our local shop has some in. Problem is they just seem to hide all the time. Has anyone had experience with these? I can't find much info on the net. Are they okay for a community tank (4ft, gouramis, tetras, bristlenose) and if I did get one would I ever see him, or would he spend his life hiding?

Hi Jennifer, your tank is gorgeous and I just love those rainbows. Did you get them in ChCh? I'm from Dunedin and we never see lovely fish like that down here. One of our shops has "Bosman Rainbows", but it is basically a dull white colour. Would love to know where you can get those colours from.

Thanks guys, i'll give it a go.