Adrienne

To give you some idea - I had a tank stored for about 15 years - until my children grew a bit older. Its been back in use the last 10 and is still going strong.

TM is pulling all auctions that have been 'phished', not because there is something wrong with them. I had it happen to. The 'hackers' used my TM account to sell cellphones, when TM picked up what was happening - I was at work - they pulled all auctions under my account including my fish ones. When it was sorted and I asked them to put them back on they couldn't find them. Stu was one of my contacts and everyone I have had contact with this year has also been hit.

Thanks for the ideas and pics. Its always good to see and read. I have always wondered what powerheads are for. Have I got this right - they are used to direct the water flow towards the filter intake or is this just what you are using this one for.

Na, I did wonder when I read it on a site somewhere. Really did have a panic, but I don't think dropsy is infectious, like passes from a fish with it, to another fish.

If you can't find one you could try making one out of stiffer hosing or piping that would fit the hoses you already have. You should be able to get hold of the - sorry, can't remember what they are called, Old Age!!! - things to attach them to the glass from the LFS.

What about asking further down in this forum if someone would come and feed them 2 -3 times. There are a few people in Rotorua who might help and its not that big that you would have to drive for hours to do it.

I don't know what causes it. If you look it up on some of the sites like I did when it first happened and read the info you will probably panic - I did. Suggestions range from fish tb (highly infectious) - parasites. The internal organs of the fish shut down so fluid is retained. Thought I was going to lose all my fish. All I can say is from my observations if it happens it usually happens in 2's or 3's but not necessarily fish all from the same tank. The other thing I have noticed with my fish is that if I feed a lot of frozen bloodworms and live microworms the incidence is higher but that won't necessarily be the case for others. I now feed these infrequently - just for breeding conditioning - and haven't had any in many months.

When I used to add it I was worried what might happen when I sold my fish and they went to a tank without it. I thought it might add to the stress levels.

As Alanmin says or you can leave them to grow up more. As long as you don't muck around by taking some out and putting them in other tanks they can stay together reasonably peacefully. I have a tank of three month old male and females - about 100 or so - still together. Float a mass of plants at the top for hiding places. Unless the males really start to fight don't touch! This is presuming they are in a big enough tank to cope with. Mine are in a 100 litre tank at the moment.

Sorry to repeat pretty much what you have said Sharn. I was typing out my reply and when I submitted it yours was there.

I would think from your description that it has dropsy. Looks like a pinecone from above looking down at it, the fish swells up as its organs shut down and it retains fluid. This causes the scales and then eyes to bulge. Dropsy is pretty much fatal. A good idea to isolate the fish or if you can bear to, euthanase? it. You can try salt baths to draw the fluid out.

If you don't have anyone you can trust (and know what they are doing) you can probably get away without feeding them. Possibly depends on the type and age of fish. If I have to go away I have to leave my teenage daughter in charge. I measure out the quantity for each tank for each time they need to be fed, label each pack with instructions, put each tanks food in a plastic bag and tape it to the front of each tank. Went away for 6 days at Christmas and left about 120 small packs of food. Fish were fine on return and no stinky smelly tanks.

I used to add salt at 1grm per litre for each litre of water I took out at water changes but these days have upped my filters to more externals and do more water changes.

Nice looking tank. What is the plant in the foreground of the pic with the albino ruby shark please?

Whoops sorry, should have read your post properly, you've already done the starters. Maybe a loose wire?

Hi, don't know the tank you have but does the light have starters, you might need to replace those.

Try Kings Plant Barn or Palmers Garden Centres - they have Daltons as well.

Quite often the beach where they parasurf off the Pt Chev offramp on the Northwestern motorway has some good pieces. Walk around near the mangroves at low tide. Should be good after the weather last week.

Hi, I have emailed you. His fins will grow back quite well. If you have some melafix add it to the water to help the healing. Only have one female in the actual tank with him at one time for breeding. Are the females the ones I sent you or others. Did they bar up when they were near him? Was the one that appeared to be egging up the one that attacked him or did you not see it happen?

I find that if I feed bloodworms too often to my fighters I also have problems with dropsy. Seems to be - no bloodworms, no dropsy. Could just be some fish are more prone to it than others.

Hi, that spawn didn't work out - nothing hatched! However, I had a spawn hatch yesterday - Mum is 5 1/2 mths old and Dad is 7 months old. Only put them together because the female was full of eggs. Can't tell how many, counted about 20 so probably 20-50. Fry a good size.

I used to get them cut by a guy at Mangere Bridge for about $10 a lid. Will try and find his details.

I've never been able to get a female fighter that big to successfully spawn.

I contacted the firm and have asked them about it - are working on it at the moment. Don't worry I won't even attempt to import anything not allowed here. They are a pretty big firm, I'm not taling about getting it from a person.

I emailed one of the places in the US about getting this stuff into NZ and they have replied asking what sorts of quantities I would be interested in. Presuming it works out I guess some of you would be keen to obtain some?