Caryl

I think this forum is a nice friendly place to get fish help and share experiences. This is what we want it to be. I was the first member to sign up as Cees used me as a guinea pig to test it several months before it went "live". At that time I did not know what a forum was and had no idea how they worked so he figured if I could follow the site and get signed in etc then anyone could do it 8) I have been a Moderator ever since.

Hi and welcome. Power saving tips hmmm... Polystyrene under the tanks and on as many sides as possible without ruining the view. Tight fitting lids. Reflectors on the lights.

No, he is just jealous 'cos he is not as cute as the kittens

Just because the question was asked does not necessarily mean they are implying you should have gone to your GP, rather than call an ambulance. This question would have been one of several designed to help them gather as much info as possible about the onset of the illness, how fast it had happened etc. I call ambulances fairly regularly (I work for a GP) and get questioned fully by the phone operator and asked whether the ambulance can go at normal speeds or if it is serious enough to require lights and sirens.

There is a commercial place using edible fish. I was lucky enough to get a tour when kiwiplymouth took me there.

I agree with the others. I doubt it was the pH and don't add the chemical stuff as it may make things worse. She could have died for any number of reasons.

How old is she? If kept in a tank so she is constantly breeding they get exhausted and often die young as a result. Perhaps separating her so she can have a rest and feeding her well will make a difference.

Probably just you Ira :lol: Check the seals if you can't find any cracks in the glass.

I've never seen it. Not sure I want to train my fish to do anything like that though :-?

I know it won't make you feel better but actually that is not an aquarist's worst nightmare At least you only lost 3" of water. When the base of my old tank went we woke up to 3" left in the tank. The rest had flooded the lounge, dining room, kitchen and was starting up the hallway! :-? Have you somewhere to put the fish in the meantime?

I suspect stress from the whitespot and meds. I am sure she will be fine next time.

Beef heart tends to constrict and solidify when cooked, rather than turn into loose stringy bits like other meats. They make good kebabs according to a recipe I found... Marinated overnight in ground cumin, garlic, chilli and oregano mixed with olive oil and red wine vinegar, the thinly sliced heart is then concertinaed onto wooden skewers before being grilled over hot coals. Cooked quickly like this means the meat has little opportunity to constrict and toughen up. The light charring of the barbecued meat adds a warm, deep savoury note and the marinade, pepped up with the sharpness of vinegar, really lifts the dish. After 5-6 minutes over hot charcoal, the meat was picked off the skewer onto a hot flatbread and served with rocket, a few spoonfuls of mayonnaise and the leftover marinade cooked down with some tomato puree. And here is a recipe for spiced ox heart... serves 6 1 kg (2 lb) ox heart, hard parts and sinews removed, cut into cubes 1 tbsp cooking oil 3 tbsp (1 1/2 oz) 40 g butter 2 large onions, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tsp salt freshly ground black pepper to taste 375 ml (12 fl oz) meat stock 2 bay leaves or lemon leaves 3 whole cloves 1/2 tsp each Mixed Spice (All Spice / Pumpkin pie spice) and grated nutmeg 2 tbsp lemon juice 4 tbsp plain flour method 1. Brown meat in heated cooking oil and butter in a heavy-based saucepan. 2. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Heat meat stock and add to meat together with remaining ingredients except lemon juice and flour. 4. Cover with lid, reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. 5. Remove bay leaves or lemon leaves and stir in lemon juice. 6. Thicken sauce with a flour and water paste.

We made our own. An article on how to do so was in an Aquarium World years ago and if anyone wants a copy I am happy to email it. Be aware, if you do not have basic electrical certification I suggest you get an electrician or someone who knows what they are doing. If you get it wrong and it overheats, shorts out or something and burns down your house, insurance will not pay out. Our heat pad is not buried in the substrate, it sits under the tank itself. It is wire (like that used in electric blankets) coiled on Pinex. The wire just sits on the Pinex and was taped down with parcel tape. Because it is evenly spread it does not cause stress on the tank base. Like Alan, we got Argus Heating to do the plugs and have them heat shrinked and sealed. Our heat pad has been running for over 10 years now. The only problem we had was when the thermostat died and we had to replace it. That is the hardest part now - finding a suitable thermostat. They only produce all in one heaterstats now.

Our 4ft sits on a heat pad Grant made for it. I think they are a good idea as heat rises and you have less equipment to hide (and large fish to break) in the tank itself.

Can't you hang the filter on the tropical tank? Either that or swap some of the media over. I have cycled a tropical tank using goldfish (cycled cold then threw the fish in the pond, added a heater then the tropicals) so I don't see why you can't do it the other way around.

It was obviously as a result of food, as they had been fed the night before, but I don't know why they reacted like this as it is the same food they get all the time and have never had a problem with it.

Injuries to fin edges often turn black as they heal. Also, goldfish do change colour, seemingly randomly. They also spit out their food a lot. The bit that most concerns me is the clamped fins and we need to find the reason for the stress that is causing it to do this. Black can also indicate a chemical burn. Check your water quality. I know it is only one fish and the rest seem fine but perhaps it is more sensitive, or already was a little ill, so reacted before the others.

15 goldfish is a lot to have in a tank, unless it is at least 8ft+. What size are they? What size is the tank? How long have they been in there? How long since the goldfish stopped eating? Is it smaller than the other fish? Is it not eating, or are the others preventing it from getting food? Was it introduced at the same time as the other fish or is it a new addition? If its fins are clamped that is a sign of stress or illness. I would separate the affected fish in case it has something contagious.

Read the sticky on turtle care at the top of this reptile section

Yes. Danios seem back to normal this morning. Still seems to be a slight swelling but all redness has gone and fish swimming normally, although still frantic. That is more likely to be because they were trapped in a small container though! Poo appears normal. I have released the 2 I managed to catch back into the tank.

Jennifer has suggested the fish might have intestinal inflammation and gas buildup in the intestines is causing the strange swimming. Stop feeding for a few days, add some salt to the water and when you start feeding again, add lots of daphia, brine shrimp and spiruling flake. Add those things for the other fish as well to help prevent it.

I have 4 giant danios. Today 3 of them are head down, tail up and swimming oddly. Occasionally spiralling but mostly swimming frantically all over the place, instead of their usual gentle cruising. All seem to have a lump behind the anal region and all have red vents. All other fish are fine. I have managed to catch 2 of them (in case they are contagious) but in a large tank with a lot of driftwood and plants, they are hard to catch! They may be sick but they can move fast! Any ideas on what the problem could be? No change in anything, no new food, no new additions etc.

I think I have Indian fern (a Ceratopteris pteroides or C thalictroides) growing emersed and submersed but it is in a tank where the water is darkly stained from the driftwood so I might have to move it to get a clear pic.

Looks great! I suspect we will have a few more of these appearing now :lol:

Our club is not meeting regularly at the moment but we do organise trips to other clubs, or go on shop crawls, critter hunts etc.