Adrienne

Rubbish to glass letting paint chemicals or anything through it (unless there is a crack). Acrylic paint works well and is easy to remove if you decide you don't want it any longer. It took me about 5 coats using a roller to get a good even coverage on my tank.

Are any of them 'flashing' (flicking themselves or scraping themselves on plants, rocks? Any with clamped top fins? Are both the gills on each fish moving freely and are any of them clamping one fin to the side all the time?

Rainbow fish do tend to get cysts on their mouths - which often pop and go away, although it seems a coincidence that they both have it now. I am wondering if perhaps you may have some parasite but unless you have a microscope to look under you won't be able to see it.

Giving it a couple of days - the bubble seems to have disappeared during the day but it may just be the lighting. Needle will be the next option.

Why do you ask Hovmoller?

Hope you're talking about Caryl Godly. :rolfl: Overnight an air pocket formed, right int he middle of the tank. With the tank full it took a considerable amount of squishing my arm down the back of the tank to make it dissipate enough to not be seen.

Have you thought about taking up scuba diving and photographing the local marines?

First two male, third unsure Males - the second ray on the top fin is longer than the first.

I used oil. I never realised how oil stuck! It took me about 2 hours to fit it properly but it looks good.

CF1200 would be fine Is the tank one metre long or is it high?

Out the gap maybe. Possibly the ghost knife got hungry. Fire eels are very good at hiding. Not tucked up between the filter intake and the glass?

What do you use to put backing on your tanks? I know there is a glue available but wondering if there is a better way. Before someone asks, no I do not want to paint the back of my new tank. Thanks

haha - by the time my Red Sea Max lands your tank will be bigger than it :sml1:

Can you take a photo during the day without a flash/torch on? Try putting a mirror up against the tank to get the fish to flare and then take the photo. Is the fish still eating? How is the fish behaving - is it swimming normally, is it hiding, lying on its side?

86ppm Epsom, Auckland

Thanks Godly

where are you located junglejim? I'm in Auckland and my TDS is .86 before RO. Thats fairly high! I know out east Auckland it can get to over 1.

You need to get rid of the ammonia before it kills what you do have alive in the tank. Do a further water change of around 100 litres and continue to do 50% per day until the ammonia goes back to 0. Gouramis are labyrinth fish so they always breathe air. However the ammonia will be damaging the lining of their gills. The oil slick is probably off your hands or arms - the water change will help remove it. Fine filter wool in your filter will also help get rid of it if you have good water movement at the surface of your tank. What have your ammonia readings been in the two weeks your have had your tank?

How many bpm are you running and how many hours a day? My cylinder is 6kg, I filled it about 8 weeks ago, it runs 91/2hrs a day, 120bpm and is still going strong.

You could try some of the specialist fish shops i.e. Hollywoods, Pupuke.

I was at the AFA club meeting last month and the speaker was saying that depending on the lighting in the room sometimes things moving outside the house - even cars coming down the road - can cause a sudden reflection which will spook and/or stress the fish - I guess like a bolt of lightning, sudden and sharp. So wondered if that was more it than people.

oops I didn't realise you were keeping it as a biotope.

Do you have a refractometer? You will need to do a regular test. I need to top up my barrel 3 weekly to stop salinity going too high. I water change four weekly. Same thing applies to a tropical tank if you put salt in it on a regular basis. You need to top up evaporation with fresh water so need to calculate the amount of water you actually remove on a water change.

Is there some sort of reflection spooking them when you get near? Could be lighting? Do you have staphire glass? Some sort of dither fish perhaps.

Gourami? Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish?