Scuba Sam

Hi Caryl, Thanks for your helpful comments. It did look so natural that I thought it must have been born that way. I am reassured now. Cheers, Sam

Thanks David for your comments, I was thinking a couple of months so a couple of weeks sounds ideal. In that case I will probably do weekly 20% water changes and just replace with fresh - that will bring it down slowly. I am not sure of the does you are recommending - what is the sea-water strength? I guess I am looking for a recommended number of teaspoons per litre of marine salt.

Hi there, I was given a few livebearers over the weekend, and the beautiful silver long finned Molly male has a gill cover missing. No sign of recent injury, fish seems ok. Any ideas or comments please?

Hi there, I recently inherited a tank of livebearers, only to discover that it is brackish water. The instructions that came with it are that "a few tablespoons should be right for that tank" (80 litres) - can anyone give me more precise instructions please, and also how quickly can I change them back to fresh please? One other question - the beautiful long-finned male molly has only one gill cover - I have never seen this before - gills exposed, but no bleeding or sign of recent damage - any clues please?

Hey If you want him, I could bring him down on Sunday afternoon perhaps? What part of Auckland are you in? I guess it depends if your tank is ready yet. I would love to check out their tanks, and they are on my way south. Just an idea...

I have one large peaceful silver dollar - he is very cool and all my guests reckon he looks like a piranha. There is a large silver dollar on trade me up here - if you do a trade me search on silver dollar you can find it or pm me for the trader name if you like - not on me at the mo. They are great traders - I have dealt with them several times.

Thanks Sharn and Mystic for your thoughtful suggestions. A spike is a possibility I hadn't thought of - I did move six fish into the tank fairly quickly - gouramis - so the tank condition doesn't bother them as much. All is well at the mo, and my new angels will come out of quarantine in the next few days freeing up a tank. Cheers, Sam

Hi Lorraine, Well done on your babies making it to the hatching stage. My angels ate all their eggs the first time, then the next three times they made it to hatching. I love watching the tiny babies wriggling. All three times the babies have been eaten by the parents - day 2, day 4, and day 3. I am still trying to learn how to look after the babies, but as it is only 13 days between successive layings (new batch again yesterday), I have got past the point of getting upset when they are eaten. I will have a suitable tank set up soon!! All the best with your babies!! Sam

If people do want medical grade oxygen, it might be worth while talking to the local dive shop. Even if they don't fill tanks with oxygen (Nitrox as mentioned earlier), they will probably have oxygen supply kits as part of the medical part of rescue training. These need to be refilled regularly, and will be opened and used as part of diver training in administering O2 to a sick diver. They are refilled before empty most of the time. Cheers, Sam

Hi Sharn, Thanks for your suggestions. Nothing I can think of that would hurt him, not sure about bacteria, but he is coming right. The redness is half as intense now, and there is less swelling. I have a theory which I thought someone on here would no more about. I wondered if it was too high a level of CO2 in the tank. The tank has an underwater filter which I recently turned down, and now can't turn up again. I also moved some new fish in there - gouramis so they are at a different level to everyone else. I wonder if there was not sufficient oxygen being added to the water causing the redness to show up. I added a waterfall filter with a huge flow rate and he is slowly improving in colour. Any comments? Thanks, Sam

Hi Mystic, Thanks for your suggestion. He occasionally gives the silver dollar a hard time, but no-one hassles him - he is top dog. It does not look like a wound at all, more inflammation. Thanks for your suggestion - all ideas welcomed!!

Sam, whats your poison? I'm a reefer up in Kerikeri. Hi Skippy, I keep fresh water fish - I tend to keep the marine stuff for when I have a tank on my back and a camera in my hand!! I have MTS - four tanks at the mo, trying to breed angel fish to maturity, but I really need another tank... I have a mix of fish - a golden severum who is my pride and joy, several angels, and I also have a soft spot for cory's. Marine tanks are a bit out of my league, so fresh-water will do nicely at the mo. Cheers, Sam

Hi there, my golden severum has a sore left pectoral fin. For a few days now he has had redness where the fin meets his body. The fin base looks a bit swollen, and is red in colour compared to the other side. He uses it normally, and is eating at least as well as usual, but he has just started waving it around occasionally. Flapping it back and forward fast, with the other one just flapping normally. Any explanations please? Thanks, Sam

I was pretty excited to see your photo - I have one too. Doesn't have the pale patch in front of the dorsal thought. I have looked at pictures of melanistius as well - doesn't it have black on the front spines of the dorsal? Mine doesn't. I will await further comments with interest. I spent a while at the LFS looking up my guy in their colour books and couldn't find them. Northland chic - if you are going to be down this way sometime soon, feel free to pm me if you would like to come check my guy out - see if he looks the same as yours - he is my biggest cory by far, and I call him (or her) "Bandit". Mine came with a tank from Auckland, I was told he was wild born but no other info.

Hi Ludimac, I wish you all the best with your next batch. I have had two batches so far, first eaten as eggs, and second eaten as free-swimming fry - Things I will do differently next time - make sure nitrates are lower as they come into breeding condition coz feeding the fry pollutes the tank - and take out tank mates to another tank asap. You ask about three angels - I had a pair and a third angel - the third angel killed the male of the pair, and subsequently died himself about a week later - injuries to his swim bladder from the fighting I think - not sure. I would agree with other advice about having just your pair in the tank. Cheers, Sam

Hi all, thanks for your comments. I spoke to the friendly and knowledgeable young lady at the LFS, and on her suggestion moved the gouramis out of the tank. Sadly I returned home a few hours later to find just two fry left. They lasted another twentyfour hours. So at least I will be prepared next time... Thanks again for your suggestions.

Hi there, I just wondered how old the worms are - if they have been sitting around for a while, either in the LFS where you bought them from or at your place that may affect how much your fish like them. I was amazed to see that the new can of Tubifex worms was exactly the same packaging as the one I bought over ten years ago with my old tank. New ones were eaten quicker though...

Hi Raven, Good to see another Northlander here. This forum has helped me heaps and I've only been here a short time. All the best with getting your tank sorted out. Sam

alanmin4304 said: Thanks for your comments Alan. What is the best way of obtaining some freshly hatched brine shrimp please? I seem to recall seeing some dried eggs in the LFS - is this correct? Sam

Hi there, I am interested in your comments about fish travelling without heat packs. I recently had some fish sent on a day courier, well packaged in a poly box, and the temperature on arrival (at 3.30pm) was 20 degrees. The fish seemed fine, and soon warmed up in their new home. What is the experience of others on fish being in cooler water when travelling?? Thanks, Sam

Hi Billaney, Thanks for your reply. I am not sure how small a tank I need for the wee fry to find the food - they are in my middle size tank - 80 litres, and it also has six baby blue gouramis who are currently hiding behind a tree stump - Dad angel is doing a great job of protecting his babies. I read your thread earlier about your babies - are both groups doing ok - the ones you separated and ones with Mum and Dad? Thanks, Sam

Hi there, I have about a hundred angel fry (or maybe more). I purchased a new male angel last Tuesday, and my female was making advances before he was even out of the plastic bag. They laid eggs two days later on Thursday, and when I arrived home from the weekend away yesterday they had all hatched. WOOHOO!! Big excitement as my only other batch of eggs was eaten before it hatched. I have some questions: 1/ I understand that I wait til they fry are free-swimming before I feed them - is this correct? 2/ I have micro-worms available - is this suitable first food? 3/ I have Wardley's Small Fry liquid food - any use? 4/ How do I feed them - drop the food on top of them and hope for the best? 5/ Any other suggestions please? Many thanks, Sam :bounce:

Hi there folks, will corydoras of different species interbreed? I now have two different species, and have been wondering... the bigger two are getting rather cosy...

Hi guys, I have just started keeping fish again after ten years away. I would be interested in getting in touch with others in the area if a club is formed. I have a mix of freshwater fish, from guppies to a golden severum, so far!! Cheers, Sam

After reading these posts last night I had vinegar on my chips on the way home. Can't see why I liked it all those years ago. I will stick to hot chips without it from now on, but great to have the trip down memory lane thanks Sirkus. The snapper I had with it (no tarakihi sadly) was delicious!! At least my local fish and chip shop looks after Poms!!