Jennifer

You can usually see the onset of columnaris as an area of the scales that is not shiny and coated with slime, it then progresses to a lesion and finally the white cottony growths. Considering the virulence (contagiousness) of infection in your fish I would guess that it is bacterial (possibly columnaris, but that is not a certainty without testing). You can try treating with antibiotics (e.g. oxytetracycline) but I have seen many of these cases resolve very successfully with daily water changes and salt.

If there are hair-like white structures (like cobwebs) it may be saprolegnia (a ubiquitous tank mutlicellular organism). If not, it could be columnaris although you will usually see black or yellow lesions underneath the white fuzz in that case. It could be other things as well. Any chance of a photo or some more details? In the mean time, do a water change, lower the temp below 24 and add some salt if you can. Short salt baths can help in either case (15 grams to 20 litres of tank water, gradually introduced over 2 minutes and remove the fish after a total of 5 minutes or sooner if it looks really stressed).

Yep. I just bought some more anubias minima this past week at the LFS.

If they are used to it they will be fine. My neons spawn all the time in ordinary Chch tap water which is about pH 7.4.

Very nice!

Well done! You must be doing something right. 8)

For the scale of that tank you might consider going for anubias minima over anubias nana. You can get quite a bit of it to cover the wood and it will look very nice. I prefer either anubias or java fern but not both in the same tank - but that is just me - they are two different looks IMHO. Would be nice if you could get some valisneria or crypt balansae as well since these would create a lot of plant for very little root space (but I am sure they would get eaten in no time). I grow M. pteropus (normal, windelov & needle leaf) as well as bolbitis (congo fern) all under two 15000k T8s and two 8000k T8s and they are an absolute jungle with very fast growth (growth is slower without CO2 and added trace nutrients).

Good idea. I have thought of that. Was wondering if it would be worthwhile to run a drip system and an overflow to simplify the water change system and get it out of the filter/sump altogether. I have never had a canister with a built-in heater, but that isn't a bad idea. There goes the FX5 idea though right?

Why is that? I have been contemplating this issue recently and was really thinking of going with a canister instead of a sump again because I like the idea of it being tidier, more quiet, easier to clean... but then again I like having the increased volume of a sump - and the added benefit of an auto water changer and a place to hide the heater... ...what to do? :roll:

Joe will be down for conference so that might be a good opportunity to buy some plants.

"I am Jack's inflamed sense of rejection."

Nice pic! I must say that the green fire tetras have really won me over. When I got them I wasn't thrilled but they have really developed into beautiful fish and everyone always notices them in my tank. The males are especially impressive with their iridescent sides and fancy white fins - I love the little sparring dance they do!

LOL :lol: that sounds like something I would do! Great that you liked it though and didn't think it was naf...that would have been really bad.

Green fire tetras are nice. Everyone who sees them in my tank always wonders what they are and comments on how gorgeous they are. The photos don't do them justice, especially the white tipped males. Stunning.

No....do tell!

How about the Sawbwa resplendens (asian rummynose)? They do well in hard water and they are the next big thing overseas in planted tanks but are hardly seen here yet. You could beat the oncoming trend as it moves to NZ. They have amazing colouration when seen in a big school - gorgeous blue sheen. I Googled them and found this helpful thread: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/ ... -info.html

Well, I liked the positive spin you put on everything, after reading it I ended feeling very optimistic about our hobby and our common vision. I also liked learning about some fish that I didn't know much about before (carnivourous plecs) and I enjoyed seeing the great DIY aricle - it really was great with those photos. I thought Simon's article was very good for those who may be considering live foods - this kind of article is fantastic, a review of the basics is good for new and experienced keepers alike. Also, it was very interesting to see the bloodworm allergy article (of course I enjoy learning about most things that are medically related :oops: ). Similarly, it was brilliant to see an article about osmosis, a little science never hurts anyone. Great plant article (of course I love to see anything related to plants) and a super review of the HBAS sleepover (wish I could have been there!). I could go on.... really I thought it was a great - something for everyone and detailed enough to keep us all interested.

Yep. The only potential problems you would have are with aggression between the two pairs of rams. A bigger tank is better though. I would probably only keep one pair in that size tank.

Well, remember, authors of textbooks are human (I can attest to that with personal experience :oops: ). Besides, the concept can be..err...difficult to understand - so it is simplified for 'general consumption.' Yay! Anal people unite!! :lol: You mean it removes the solutes from the water. :oops: Chem lesson over folks- go back to your business (not you Caryl, keep at it so we get another great issue in a couple of months time ).

Hate to say it but those signs are signs of a myriad of disease conditions including bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, protozoal infections and parasite infestations. In the absence of any other signs (or water problems) think what you would do if you had similar symptoms - rest. If you want to start treating, start with what is likely to kill the fish first. You can't treat for a virus but you can treat for some bacteria. Furan is easy to get so you can start with that. Treat for the specified time and then see if the fish is better. If not, you might not have used an effective antibiotic for the bacteria that you have - or it might not be bacterial. :roll: You won't truly know without diagnostic testing. Deworming is pretty safe, even for mildly debilitated fish, but parasite burdens rarely cause significant clinical signs in healthy fish. Sorry, I know that is probably not the answer you were looking for.

I can't really comment too much on treatment since we haven't really narrowed down what this is. If you are certain they are clinging to the fish then they could be parasitic although this is not always true! There are free living organisms that when hungry enough will feast on anything they can find. Anyway, if they are clinging to the fish, you can try adding salt to the tank (1g/L) and that might solve all your problems. Alternatively, you can use a fish specific dip. My preferred ectoparasite dip is Seachem ParaGuard (http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... Guard.html). You can alternatively increase the dosage of salt (up to 15g/2L) for 2-5 minute baths and that can dislodge just about anything. Take care, salt can stress fish so be ready to rescue it if it shows any sign of stress. If these don't work, drugs can be used, but let's take it one step at a time. I would increase the water changes in any case.

Correct! The phenomenon of osmosis (warning: physical chemist in the house) is characterised by a tendency of a pure solvent to enter a solution separated from it by a membrane permeable to the solvent but not to the solute (such a membrane is called semipermeable) when the chemical potential of of the solvent on both sides of the membrane is equal. In other words, the solvent can be anything that will pass through the membrane, and if the membrane is very porous the solvent can include ions and even protein fractions. Btw Caryl, this was one of the best editions yet! I sat on the couch in the sun today and read it from cover to cover.

No, don't use gladwrap. Believe it or not, most aquatic plants will grow emersed without a humid environment and that is good for you since you can avoid the fungal issues. 8) Just keep the roots moist and try to water a little every day to keep everything aerated.

That is always the way I have grown it whenever I have grown it in the past. I just plant it out in the preferred nutrient rich substrate and keep the substrate very moist. With good lighting and warmed roots it forms a thick carpet in about a month (if you have planted it out rather thickly). Then gradually increase the water level so that the roots and stems are are submerged but the leaves are floating on the surface of the water. Within two weeks the plants will have plenty of submerged growth and you can cover the plants with water and add CO2. Ensure the light is very good and close to the plants if possible. Easy as, quicker than submerged growth and no algae at all!

Looks like one of the filamentous algae like Oedogonium. Its all that light (believe me, I have been there!). You need to starve that algae. More water changes (small amounts daily if you can). Cut back on all nutritional sources (ferts, food etc.). Remove what you can.