carla

See snookie the problem is always where in NZ. In the middle of Whangarei you can keep a paradise probably in a bucket outside, as it won't freeze, but what happens in Poroti? Or in Rotorua or Taupo? Unless somebody tries it out we won't know. And to sell these things as coldwater = pond fish, I think is NOT the way to go.

I had this discussion in the LFS recently. They reckon the Corydoras paleatus are "cold water" fish and sell them together with the minnows and the gold fish as cold water fish = fish suitable for ponds. I thoroughly disagreed saying that only a few kilometers inland the people could well have ice on their ponds for a couple of days in winter and I do not think the cories would stand this. I feel we should really make a distinction here between an unheated tank in the house and a pond outside! How about you native people (as in "english as your first language" speaking people) come up with a suitable english expression for these two different cases and then we can all market our fish to the LFS's accordingly and educate them that indeed there is a difference between the two. Good idea - or not??

I use old potting mix same as Alan. However I put them into an ice cream container (2l) with NO holes in the lid and they love it. Always nice and moist. They sit on my kitchen bench so I see them and do not forget to feed them (same as the micros). They love very thin slices of home baked wholemeal bread soaked in water. Very thin because then they have eaten it before it gets moldy! Have tried Caryl's suggestion of luncheon meat but they were not impressed with any of the 5 types I bought for them ("...can I have one slice of chicken luncheon 96% fatfree please - and while you are at it also one of these other 4 types - yes just 1 slice of each - and yes every one in its own bag please so I know which is which - thank you..." )

Mine are down to 12 or 15 degrees at the moment. In summer however they will easily get to 25 or even a bit more during the day. I am not sure if they will live very long if they are always that warm. You can keep your guppies at 20 to 22 degrees too, they do not need to be at 25. However did you not say you were worried about them interbreeding? In that case I wouldn't put these fish together into one tank!

It is a weed alright. Its a certain type of wiry stringy algae. Luckily it doesn't attach itself very well and is easily removed. However it keeps growing and growing if it likes the conditions. I did some nasty water changes and then fertilised it to death

Maybe I feed mine too much as both my killies and my guppies do not eat them. I wonder if they have a hard exo-skeleton or something and are too crispy??

Give him a flower pot or some other "cave" so he can hide and doesn't have the girls hassling him all the time LOL

I wouldn't have any idea, as I never saw them do it. However they seem to be quite slow in reproduction so I guess not more than 20, maybe even much less than that. Probably also depends how much food they get and if they like the food. They seem to do better on live foods so they can pick and choose when and how much. This time of year I only have daphnia for them and the odd moskito larvae, so its a bit boring I guess. So they get flakes in addition.

In fact Ian, it is other way round - unfortunately - the imported guppies survive and all the ones that you had since 20 generations and which are finally doing what you thought they should be doing, colourwise etc., will DIE !!!

They will eat little bits of crushed flake - I think, as they get nothing else on my place, except the odd daphnia - I am sure they will survive in a heavily planted tank, lots of stuff there for them to hunt down and eat.

My rams have all died too, bought some more, they got sick too, now I have given up on them. Nobody found anything really wrong with them. They just waste away while the other fish in the tank are fine. Had them "professionally" checked out in the end and its supposedly a "virus". Guess that is what one says when nothing else fits...

Do you think Warren that this could be made entirely out of vegies for the BN's?? Cause they are getting thoroughly sick of courgettes, zuchini and cucumber (which have been keeping very well into winter this year). Currently I have lots of carrots, spinach and silverbeet in the garden, but need something to bind it together. Would this gluten work? Or shall I try gelatine?

Now I suddely have these jumpy thingies too in one of my tanks. The fish do NOT eat them, so now I wonder what they are and where they came from? There is a good fitting glass lid on the tank, so it is a bit of a mystery.

Well you could invent Aquarium World Parties (modelled on the tupperware ones). Every time at another fishroom or livingroom and distribute the mags there LOL

So where is the Java Moss going? On top of the netting or under the netting? or a bit of both? Or are they going to throw their eggs around anyway, Moss or not? I have read that the marbles also trap all the fish poo (as you want to feed the adults too while they are having fun for a week or two) and that the eggs have not enough oxygen to hatch. Any truth to that? You can see I am all excited, cause I saw another 4 babies yesterday.

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/gm-fis ... 23353.html

The male breeds when he feels like it. It is HIM that sits in the cave waving at the girls. Whoever of the girls is faster, sneakier etc. will get in first. Sometimes the other ones will try to sneak in too. I have seen them hang upside down outside (especially when full of eggs) and look in to see if they could fit in as well while he is at it LOL Often you then find one lot of eggs kicked out. They will hatch if fertilised in the heat of the moment and can be hatched in a net breeder hung into the tank. I only had 1 lot that fungused and was obviously not fertilised. He had 7 wifes at the time LOL ...

Yes it seems to be spring with fry popping up everywhere. In addition to the killi kids I saw a small Galaxy yesterday in their parents tank und just now I have spotted "Oto the First". He is so tiny I cannot even take a clear pic of him. There he is sucked to the front of the tank wiggling his 2 mm of tail. Very cute!

Could you elaborate on what a "spawning trap" is Stu? Thanks.

That "grass" is a swamp plant and will not live long if completely under water - cold or not. The same as mondo "grass" which is also not suited to be wet all over the top. I think I will start a thread soon on plants that are sold in pet shops and on TM which are NOT suitable for fishtanks. Give me a couple of days and I will come up with a long list.

Well if you produce these eco-bulbs and want to sell them then you better make sure that you tell the public about how good they are for the environment! For example: "... Ecobulbs actually have a net effect of reducing mercury in the environment...." This came from here. Then this article here states that: "Other much larger household sources of mercury include thermometers and barometers, which should be treated with even more caution if they break. Coal fired power stations also emit mercury into the environment. Energy efficient lights reduce the burning of coal for electricity generation thereby reducing mercury pollution from this source" So whichever way you look at it we MUST pollute our environment one way or another to have the standard of living we all seem to need.

You mean a really FULL pause?

"Something" is called mercury. These environmentally "friendly" lightbulbs will be a HUGE disaster in years to come when people will simply throw them into the household rubbish once dead where they will break. If you breathe in the fumes you will get poisoned. The soils will get contaminated, houses will get contaminated.... In years gone by hospital rooms have been sealed because of a dropped thermometer, cause the mercury rolled around the floor in little silver droplets and one was never sure if one got all of it. The rest would evaporate slowly and poison the patients. Although there is less mercury in one of these lightbulbs than in a thermometer, the sheer volume of these bulbs will make for a major disaster.

In fact we will all be lining up here to buy virgin females LOL - me included.

You sure? Nothing in my inbox.