Jennifer

Mine haven't required pots or glosso and the male isn't aggressive at all...but the females certainly are when they spawn.

Bag Buddies

Redddened blood vessels or 'tracts' are a sign of bacterial haemorrhagic septicaemia, as are red bruise-like patches. Also, septicaemia is much more likely to cause rapid deaths than internal parasites.

My post was clearly misinterpreted. I wasn't implying that shops are bad or horrible in any way shape or form, I was merely trying to point out that we have very high expectations of non-medically trained people and even to those of us with a bit of experience in fishkeeping it is a lot of guesswork to diagnose and treat fish diseases so we can't expect perfect answers from anyone. The take home message is to go and talk to as many people as you can and don't expect any advice you get to be 100% suitable for your particular case. The reason I brought up the chemicals and medications at the LFS is because time and again we have discussed less than ideal marketing of pet products (the gold fish bowl/mini tank for instance) and yet these continue to be sold, with or without a good outcome for the animal, but that is the economics of business - if a customer wants something and you don't stock it, they will just go somewhere else so you stock it even if you know it is not ideal, or you hold true to your beliefs and risk the harsh economic impacts. Anyway, a number of over-the-counter medications do not have scientific evidence of efficacy, which is one of the reasons why I question them. That said, I am a huge supporter of my local shops. Even though I can get products and livestock at wholesale prices, I choose to pay my money at local shops to help ensure that they all will continue to thrive in my community. While I know that some shops provide better advice than others, and I do expect them to provide reasonable suggestions about care, I believe it is in everyone's best interest to research the issue at hand and use a broad range of evidence to guide your own decisions rather than make strong judgments about shop assistants who are doing the best they can. This hobby is growing massively and I am happy to see memberships have increased significantly in the short time I have been in office. The Federation is full of members who just want to connect and learn from eachother and while we can't please everybody, we strive to represent all with a clear and positive vision for the future. My opinions are my own. I am not perfect nor do I propose to be any kind of all knowing authority but I do appreciate the privilege to freely post my thoughts and opinions here on this forum like anybody else. I only can draw upon my personal experience in an effort to help others and connect with this great community and hopefully some of our experience will help others who are seeking to improve their success in the hobby. I have put my experience on the line and have accepted a role as an executive and if that makes me a target for personal attacks, so be it.

Keep in mind, Animates is a pet shop, not a veterinary hospital. You wouldn't expect Animates to give advice about your dog with a tumour, would you? The other thing is that fish are notoriously difficult, if not impossible to properly diagnose. I would guess that upwards of 99% of all fish in this country are just treated based on subjective findings rather than any diagnostic tests that can confirm what disease they have. Yes, it is great that some people have lots of experience and can use anecdotal evidence to support reasonable treatment regimes, but give those poor pet shops a break. All they have in shop are a collection of odd chemicals and potions that are sold as miracle cures and there is no guarantee they will even come close to addressing the real problem.

These compounds break down in water to provide plants with usable: Nitrate (N) Phosphate (P) Potassium (K)

The FNZAS Fish Committee is working on a plan that will help ensure that all website articles are up to date.

Is the flow normal? It should be quite fast. You shouldn't be able to hear the impeller spinning but you will hear a hum. Sometimes if the hoses are not in a straight line to the tank from the canister they can make a lot of noise. You can always cut the hoses shorter if they are curving around too much (Fluval makes replacement hoses that you can buy if you ever need long ones again). Might also pay to open it up and have a look at the impeller and see if it is spinning around normally. Also, be sure that the lid on the media basket is securely fastened since this can lift and rattle against the lid and cause noise (as well as allowing media to rattle around and in some cases block the inlet.

Great idea Stella, I am inspired. I am just wondering about the high concentration of organisms for that small space - is that the way it is in ponds?

As I have said, I will be teaching until 5pm and then have to pack up the lecture room so I am not sure exactly when I will be there - probably close to 6pm.

That is a fantastic version. I used to sing that in the band and it was always very popular at weddings. That percussionist has some serious chops!

So true! Mmmm, recipe....cake.....

It does if your man carries it for you. :lol: 8)

Hey! (We might have to revise our plan to take over the world TT guys and girls...) We have some pretty awesome breeders in our group let's hope they can bring home the win for us on that one! 8) :lol:

WOW That is really impressive. We have some serious competition for the most new members trophy this year! Awesome job folks. 8)

Cyanobacteria is in the tank all the time but can take advantage in the right conditions. It usually responds to a good tidy up and increased flow. The uv filter will be degrading the ferts so it would be best if you only use it when you have to (most people think it is beneficial for reducing parasite burdens but this only works with greater than 18 watt tubes which are far less common than the 9 watt variety). You can increase nitrates by increasing plant ferts or increasing the amount of food you feed the fish (within reason of course). Obviously there are risks with other types of algae if you increase nutrients. If it were me, I would just remove what you see, keep on top of hygiene and see how you go.

Cyanobacteria. There is a lot of info on here if you do a search.

...could see that coming a mile away...lol

I have written this on several threads before, but here goes again... Fishless cycling method 1. The tank is filled with water and the heater is turned up to 32 degrees. 2. Ammonia is added until the levels are just detectable (up to 4 ppm (mg/L) using a standard aquatic ammonia test kit. 3. After 3 or 4 days, the water is tested every day and it should be apparent that the ammonia levels are dropping and the nitrite levels are increasing (this process will be very quick if the filter was seeded first with mature media or a biological additive like TLC Smart Start). 4. After a few more days, the nitrite levels will keep rising and eventually will start to fall. Next the nitrate levels will begin to increase. 5. Once there is no trace of ammonia or nitrites the temperature can be turned down and a partial water change can be carried out (do not clean the filter or vacuum the gravel). This process will take 4 days to 3 weeks depending on the concentration of ammonia and the temperature as well as whether you have seeded the filter. A small number of fish can be added as soon as the water is tested to be stable and free from ammonia and nitrites for 24 hours. If a large amount of ammonia was added, the filter will be able to handle quite a few fish, but it is always best to take care. The number of fish can gradually be built up over time as bacterial populations adjust to the bioload.

+1 That's the only way I do it these days. There should be some nice fish people in your area who could swap you some media (you bring them new media and they give you old media). If you have to start from scratch, I personally feel fishless cycling is better. You can seed the filter with something like TLC smart start to really speed it up.

The little boys are starting to get pink bellies this week. 8)

Brain sucking BNs

I got this from Organism, I have seen TLC other places though. Edit: typo

I get that stuff sometimes with relatively new planted tanks. The name escapes me at the moment but it is brown fluffy stuff that is easy to wash off, or siphon off, but it grows like wildfire on plants and wood. It is more of a bacterial problem. I find it resolves quickly with the addition of a TLC bacterial product called SAT. I think adding CO2 helps as well since it allows the plants to use up excess nutrients. Increase the flow too if you can. Nothing else will touch it.

Better than leaving a permanent scar on you where a hamster tried to bite your fingernail off!