bdspider

I was having to remove algae daily (new to fishkeeping, so am obsessed with having tidy tank)... I put the plants in & haven't seen algae since! It's been months now.

I like the look of sand better, but my gravel tank is far easier to clean. Plants prefer sand though. I suppose it's personal preference. In future, I think I'd probably stick with gravel, just cos it's so easy to vacuum (although some people say that vacuuming gravel isn't important?)

I haven't had to manually remove any algae since I bought $20 worth of plants for the tank. It's great!

Hope no one minds if I field this question My understanding is that it's not yet illegal for the shops to have them, they haven't been formally id'd yet. It's ethical for the shops to not sell anymore until further notice, but they can if they really want....

They seem to like being in tight places, mine are more likely to dig themselves a little hollow between the substrate and wood than to use a big cave. Makes them feel more secure if they can feel the walls around them.

I'll (probably) be there!

They are good jumpers. Was very amusing watching my boyfriend's one trying to jump out of his bag when he was being introduced to the tank. They can jump really high!

I love my wee baby! Really need to get a new photo of him sometime. He hasn't grown very fast lately though. Still only about 10cm.

Just because you advocate cruelty to a *tropical* fish, doesn't mean you should encourage others to do the same!

I nuke courgette for my dudes, those who say it breaks up are doing it for too long! I do a thin (.5cm) slice for 1 minute in a little bit of water (bottom of a glass or something) and my 4 babies (all under 4cm) will eat all of it before it gets a chance to break up. My bristlenoses prefer cooked over raw courgette!! :lol:

They're threatened, only found in a few places. Leave them alone, they don't need people catching them for pets, further declining their numbers.

Maybe he's hoping the girls will come join him in the cave, wink wink.

Lol, welcome. Glad you didn't just give up when they started dying!

I went to buy a borneo sucker the other day but my fave shop was sold out! They are so cute looking. Can't wait to have one.

Mine are the same. One of them has strange lighter patches over it's body, I'd think it was a fungi if I didn't know better. It seems healthy. An enthusiastic eater etc.

...are you planning on giving away/selling any??

My young whiptail disappeared over a month ago... I still have a vague hope he'll appear again one day

Males are broader than females. It's not exact, and easier if you have a bunch so you can make comparisons. But look at them from top down (or bottom up) and see who has wider bodies.

I was under the impression it was not a good idea to keep turtles and fish together. Unless you want the fish to be food! Although the fish can outswim turtles, in a tank the turtles can trap them in a corner. Little fish will be eaten whole and larger fish will be nipped at. Tiger barbs might work out, but don't be upset if they disappear.

Mine all eat frozen bloodworm. Even fussy Mr Fighty (Betta) will eat that, but not flake or dried bloodworm.

I had the same thing, it only grew on the rubbery bits of my heater. After I'd wiped it off once of twice, it never came back, so I guess the new tank theory is right.

What do you need to do with wood from beaches to make it safe for tanks?

Just put it straight in. Christchurch water makes fish keeping so much easier

You can buy in petstores, but it's not that cheap + the nicest pieces always seem to be the ones you find yourself. Anytime you go visiting a lake in the Southern Alps, look out for bits.

who said the iguanas were smuggled in? MAF? My understanding was that they had been in the country for years and were brought in legally when this was still possible.