Sophia

the rafts are black to start with I think, then they go brown like bits of leaf. As the eggs hatch they break up so you might only find bits of them about if you search for a thread called Mosquito Larvae 2010 or such like you will find some photos as I posted some when I first discovered some in my trough Simon, my bugs don't have anything to land on, though they can land on the sides of the trough and put their bottoms in the water??

39cm is still good :nfs:

:facepalm: complications :digH:

To start with I reckon 10-15 rasbora would be great, and up to that amount of pygmies (6 minimum usually), 1 or 2 dario - depending if there are lots of hiding places and plants for them to easily work out territory. While it's not something that the scientists recommend I usually judge how many there should be by eye and watching behaviour - how much room do they appear to need to get along together, how much floor space for the size of the group and do they like to swim fast in one direction etc. If you can reasonably easily get all the fish you would like to keep then you could start with 6 or 7 of each and then build up the numbers as you prefer later on. Generally I think rasbora maculatus (dwarfs like mine) are available more often than mosquito rasbora and they get to about the same size or smaller even. I don't think you can do the judging by eye with bigger fish like livebearers and catfish that make a lot of poop but once the filter is established a few more little fish doesn't seem to make a difference.

:rotf:

Today's update If anyone didn't see my thread in Diseases about accidentally poisoning my fish, this week I killed the 5 CPD (had moved another female in to get more eggs) and the 2 remaining fry by using rubber as a divider seal. When I have made sure the toxins are gone I will start Tank 1 again. Tank 2 - erythromicrons - they have settled into their stoney bottom area well but I haven't seen any fry yet. I thought that the stones wouldn't give them any hiding places but my plan backfired (again) and they have become cave dwellers living among the stones. However if I shine the torch in to the terracotta pot cave on top of the stones there is usually someone in there. Can see they have coloured up very nicely with very prominent stripes.

4 tanks since October - I would call that Rapid Onset Multi Tank Syndrome :slfg: :happy2:

in my experience what the others say is right about the combinations of fish and the behaviour of the little fish. You may find that you would like to have more than 6 of them as they are so pretty when their colours come out. I went from 7 to 12 in my tank and there are now no stragglers where before there was often a grumpy one not hanging out with the others. Perhaps now because there are lots more females than males they are happier, I'm not sure. I wouldn't have more than 2 dario in that size tank, they do get a bit quietly aggressive to each other - I have seen the lead dario chasing the other one but never any biting or nipping, more like headbutting. My 2nd one has since died, I can't tell if he got caught somewhere or died first. Copper, I reckon you could triple the numbers at least, you will be really pleased with the results. I don't think they are heavy on the bioload as they are little eaters 8)

The polystyrene would look like icebergs :gigl:

Indeed those were options, was also going to get a new bigger tank, divide them with glass and drill holes as per my previous thread but I was trying to do it cheaply and alter an existing tank without having to take it down and dry it etc. In any case it's all over now. Last 2 fish were still alive just now, but their tail ends had developed white cottony fungus and they were very limp. They are now resting in the big aquarium in the sky after a dose of clove oil. I think even the 2 snails are packing it in as well, they took longer to look affected but now they look like they are closing shop too. So in total I've done about a 40-50% WC, 3 x 20%, a 60-70% - do you think that is safe enough to put fish in again or should I do carbon in the filter first to be safe? I wish to err on the side of safety after this stink episode.

I have a tea strainer attached to a wooden rod that I use for fishing the larvae out

black rubber seal, the sort you get on car windows and the like. in all the dead fish they all looked reasonably normal, no red gills - in any case I expect the last 2 will be dead by the time I get home.

hello

I am thinking seriously of doing a road trip to Paeroa Countdown for a blueberry/white chocolate muffin and perhaps a trip to the historical village in Tauranga... depends on how much driving I can be bothered doing. Is a long way for a muffin but I would ...

I have lots at the moment in my trough/pond and have had enough through winter to feed a few once a week. They like all sorts of water if you go by the different states of the troughs at Cornwall Park. The first lot I hatched lived in pretty stagnant vege cooking water before even they got stunk out.

au contraire monsieur... this is the What's Up thread, you can post what's up and we will rattle on about it as usual :smln: don't feel bad for the person who gave them to you, they did it for their own reason and it might not have been just to make you happy - could have been politely offloading stuff there was no room for, trying to butter you up for another sale, or maybe just misjudged you. in other news I have one more week at work and then 3 weeks off work on holiday :happy1:

I mean in real life, without rescaping :digH: :cofn:

I like the tank how you have it now :digH:

Ain't no pleasing some people :roll:

DO TELL........ This afternoon's update is that there were 3 definitely dead when I got home, another thinking about it and the one that has been quite good. I may have further upset the 2 remaining fish as I moved them to the CPD display tank in the net box thinking that good mature water would be healing for them but that doesn't seem to have helped and possibly made them worse. :-? I might have double-noobed them. I think I made a new slogan. Now I had better leave them alone until they die or get better. Have done a 70% wc on the original tank but now I'm worried about starting a new breeding project in there. Could there be toxin in the filter?

:nfs:

ok, thanks to both

Did another 5 litre WC before work this morning. 1 fish seems to be quite dead, another is quite good and moving about quite normally, and the other 3 are in between. Looks like I could lose another fish or 2 at most. Snails are still mooching about in a snail-ish fashion. Without knowing if it was a chemical reaction with the rubber depleting the oxygen (is that a reality?), and/or toxins leeching out, do you think I should get some carbon and put it in the filter? If not, do I need to take the tank down to remove any supposed residue or will frequent water changes most likely solve the problem? Should I get some sort of wunder tonic or other remedy to help them recover? thanks

minus 14 is convenient, are you sure you aren't turning 40 but just can't face it?

No, I don't have any carbon. The most affected fish is now having 'nap' on it's side but the others are no worse. I will take out another 5 litres and then I will leave them alone for the night. The biggest snail is now moving around again at least.