smidey

Show us your clown loaches, these are my favourite fish.

don't panic, just don't feed them tomorrow & they will finish the rest. It will probably take 3 days or more to become an issue.

hi from the wet north

Second Opinion! The doctor said, 'Joe, the good news is I can cure your headaches. The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache.. The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.' Joe was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for. He had no choice but to go under the knife.. When he left the hospital, he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself. As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life. He saw a men's clothing store and thought, 'That's what I need.... A new suit.' He entered the shop and told the salesman, 'I'd like a new suit.' The elderly tailor eyed him briefly and said, 'Let's see.... size 44 long.' Joe laughed, 'That's right, how did you know?' 'Been in the business 60 years!' the tailor said.. Joe tried on the suit it fit perfectly. As Joe admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, 'How about a new shirt?' Joe thought for a moment and then said, 'Sure.' The salesman eyed Joe and said, 'Let's see, 34 sleeves and 16-1/2 neck.' Joe was surprised, 'That's right, how did you know?' 'Been in the business 60 years.' Joe tried on the shirt and it fit perfectly. Joe walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, 'How about some new underwear?' Joe thought for a moment and said, 'Sure.' The salesman said, 'Let's see... size 36. Joe laughed, 'Ah ha! I got you! I've worn a size 34 since I was 18 years old..' The salesman shook his head, 'You can't wear a size 34. A size 34 would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a headache.'

i try to imagine what it would be like i the wild, the water temps must go up & down with rain etc so they should handle it fine.

none & gravel vaccing is also not necessary

i have not gravel vaced for maybe 3 years & haven't lost a fish from that tank due to illness. I have only lost 1 or 2 fish from this tank but that was due to injuries from other fish. the substrate, being bright white shows all specs of dirt & there simply are none. With the fish swimming around they also stir up the water & as the particles float around the flow sends them to the filter.

i haven't used tomtom but can recommend navman as being very good. its NZ made & the people there are very helpful which often makes a difference. I worked for a company that had them installed in the company vehicles which helped us plan & analyse trips etc. The flip side of that was big brother was watching but that just stopped the slackers from slacking.

Hi from up north, what fish are you keeping?

if you increase the flow or get the flow circulating right you won't need to vac. I have two filters so i put an outlet at either end of the tank & the spraybar returns the water in the middle so all the waste gets sucked up by the filters. I don't have a vac, i used to use one in my smaller tanks but since i got my larger tank i have not done any "vaccing". I have white arogonite as a substrate so you would see if it was dirty.

combining empathy with consequence to cover all bases.

the correct punishment is required, something that the kid will remember & dislike alot. This doesn't mean a smack or violence but something that really puts the kid off doing it again which will be different for each child.

i don't believe that it is always the case that things like this happen due to parents not caring or doing what they should be. When kids get to understand that their parents can only send them to their room "cause my teacher said you can't touch me" they will do things they normally wouldn't when there were much more serious consequences to their actions. Kids will always push the boundaries, especially when their parents try to stop them. Lets face it, if speeding fines were next to nothing or didn't exist we would drive alot faster, i would have punched over the guy that was abusive toward me for no reason if i knew i wouldn't be charged with assault. This is why we have consequences to our actions but at the moment i don't think there are suitable consequences to actions of children. I don't know what the right consequences are but as a parent we can only do our best to show our kids right & wrong & try to punish them in a way that reminds them when they go to do something terrible that this is not the right thing to do.

these days if kids cut off the paws of a kitten they are sent to their room, taken to counselling or similar & asked how they feel, what were you thinking etc. What sort of consequence is that for such a serious action? I know what would've happened to me if i had of done that when i was a kid & i would've deserved it. I don't believe kids get tough enough punishments these days so they know they can try "over the top" stuff like this & not be punished to severely. I can't wait to see what headlines they make as adults

neons don't last, thats just how it is & why they are cheap

which is why they are popular feeder fish, there are always bigger fish that can be costly to feed so owners of large fish will happily take excess fish of you.

if she gets sick & has to go to the vet she will certainly have control of your finances

here's a few: if it's got tits or tyres your going to have problems! I cannot help you, for I am just a cookie. The best years of your life have already been lived. Your colon will self destruct in five seconds.

the guy that created that had nothing better to do?

i have nine, three have their bands & the rest are starting to fade their spots. i expect that i will have fry in the next 3 months.

what sort of fry are they? I lost my first batch of african fry i had because i didn't feed enough.

these aren't mine but yes i do have T dubs that are nearing adulthood & are starting to mock spawn.

your fish will adjust to it & be fine. I have had both ends of the spectrum, high Ph for south american community fish from the town supply water, i then changed to africans which suited the higher ph & now i live in the country & am on tank water which has a ph of 7.0. my africans have not changed in any way, colour, behaviour & come to think of it have possibly even bred more in a "not ideal" ph.

i don't agree, they are stunning in both morphs.

i live next door to the Lion man's lion park. The paddock next to use is full of un-wanted horses that get used for one thing ..... they are all very friendly. most of them were peoples pets & they interact with our kids alot, unfortunately the nice ones aren't there for long enough to enjoy them. it's an unfortunate reality of living, getting old & dying.