Joe

What is it? Is it the larvae of something? Is it tropical or coldwater? :dunno:

Wow it does! So maybe it's L. ruthiana then?

So about the medication - apparently the vets here do sell small amounts of ivermectin which they out of a bigger bottle so I am going to get some.

Not sure what the Myriophyllum is. Could be propinquum, triphyllum, variifolium or robustum or maybe even something else (I don't know how many fully aquatic Myriophyllum species there are in NZ). I don't know what the other plant is, but it doesn't look like lilaeopsis IMO.

Cool I won't be getting any more new birds yet as I'm trying to breed some fish and I want to focus on my fish projects, but afterwards I might consider getting some more birds.

Haven't tried it but sounds like a good idea T8 or T5 tubes will be best for your tank. The plant (pink) ones work great, coupled with a cool white to make everything nice and bright. Stay away from Aqua One tubes. I have found them to be overpriced for what they are and they don't work that well from my experience. I have found the Hagen AquaGlo T8 to be great for plant growth. If you want to go T5's you could try the Sylvania GloLux (I'm not sure though if they are available in T5 in NZ but I have seen them offered in T5 online in other parts of the world).

A UV light is useless unless you want to sterilize the water to help get rid of a disease. Dalton's Aquatic Mix is useless for growing Java Ferns as they grow on wood. Burying the roots in the substrate causes them to rot and kills the plant. Dalton's is only useful for stems, crypts, echinodorus, lotus, aponogeton etc. Also if you are using it remember to put a good layer of sand or gravel over the top (at least 5cm) because Dalton's is clay and it will cloud the water if it isn't covered. IMO fine gravel is best as I have found sand very hard to remove if you are dismantling a tank as it packs together.

Just boil them for a bit and them put the leaves and water into the tank. They don't need to be put in a bag and don't need to be weighted. The boiling makes them sink. And you might need a bit more than a couple of handfuls...

It clouds the water and makes a hell of a mess. Sophia, how did you manage to use it as a substrate? Didn't it stir up everytime a fish swam past or you stuck your hand in the tank? I use it in my plant pots but it is covered with a layer of sand and it isn't a problem. If you want to lower the pH, try oak leaves, indian almond leaves or elder cones. Also this peat looks good - http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/detail/view/vip-aquarium-peat-150g/m/947/

Thanks Jennifer, great help I am aware of how air sac mites cause them not to vocalize, but I was also told that they come out at night and nibble at the feathers around the face. However I didn't notice any of this with the bird. Also they are all moulting at the moment. Could this be a contributing factor to whatever killed it? Thoughts on this please guys...

You're kidding? The lowest price I've heard of them being sold for is $90 per pair. Also are the different mutations/morphs priced differently? I would just be interested in the normal red headed morph - I don't like any of mutations at all.

Photos please :bounce:

I have been told by a couple of people who have lots of experience with keeping birds that they found gouldians more difficult to care for than canaries, and these are people who have bred birds for many years. Other people's experience with gouldians may be different, and I could only go by what I had already been told as I have never kept them myself. The fact that you guys have found them easy to care for and have had success with them is great to hear, as I have always considered keeping them but have been put off by what I've been told (and also by the cost of the birds themselves)

No canaries are generally very hardy. More like the other way around - gouldians require special care and have to be kept above 20c all year round and are more likely to drop dead than canaries.

Yep too late Found her dead yesterday moring. I looked at her body and I actually don't think it was mites, as mites nibble at the feathers around the face (from past experience) and none of the feathers had been nibbled. Maybe it was worms or something internal? If I was to medicate them orally with the Cydectin, should I make a 50/50 mix of water and Cydectin, and give each bird one drop of the solution? Or should I use the tablets? Thanks.

Cheers guys thanks for you input I actually think it might be mites - the symptoms look very similar to a canary I had ages ago that had air sac mites. Will the Cydecton be fine for mites?

Yep it sounds about right

Edited :thup:

Here's a really good website with lots of info http://www.seriouslyfish.com/profile.php?genus=Trichogaster&species=lalius&id=82 It appears that their latin name has been changed.

Awesome thank you

Hey everyone, I have a canary that is fluffed up and not looking too well. I do not know what the cause of this is. I want to treat her and all my other birds as I haven't medicated them for ages and I also don't want to take the chance that some of the others might have caught whatever the canary has. We have following medications - Trichozole tablets (broad spectrum antibiotic), Baycox (for coccidea), Cydecton (for worms and intestinal parasites), PVM powder (calcium deficiency), garlic, probiotic yoghurt, and apple cider vinegar. I have read that it is not advised to medicate the water or food as different birds eat and drink different amounts of food (e.g. Turquoisines [Neophema pulchella] originate from hot parts of Australia and have evolved to not need as much water so they don't drink much, so if I medicated the water they wouldn't get the right amount of medication as they don't drink a lot). Also putting drops of drench on the back of the neck isn't advised either as it gets absorbed by the bird's body fat and is then useless. I have tried to medicate the water in the past and I removed the main water supply for 12hrs and then gave them a small container with the medicated water which they barely drunk, which pretty much backs up what I have read. Also the canaries started bathing in it after it had been there for a couple of days! So I want to medicate them orally via a syringe and use the tablets. Here is a list of the livestock: - Chinese Painted Quail (pair) - Turtle/Barbary/Ringneck Doves (pair) - Chaffinches (pair) - Turquoisines (pair) - Goldfinch (one male) - Canaries (one female three males) Basically I want to know what medications are best to use, and how much I need per bird. This is what my dad uses for his pigeons (he does medicate the food and water but they eat and drink it all within a specific time frame and so it works effectively and there is little to no wastage and they all get the correct amount of medication): Trichozole tablets - 1/2 per bird Baycox - 3ml per litre (48hrs) Cydecton - 5ml per litre (48hrs) Garlic - Curshed, 4 cloves per litre for 1 week Probiotic yoghurt - in water for 12 hrs Apple cider vinegar - 5ml per litre for 3 days Like I've said, I can't medicate the aviary bird's water and will have to catch them all and do it orally. Any help on dosage and what to use would be greatly appreciated Thanks, Joe

Yep I agree

Just a quick question - is it detrimental to the fish's health if the mirror is left up all day long everyday? Should I only put it up occasionally?

Thanks The mirror is outside of the tank :happy2: