Caryl

All talk and no action so far

Just algae. Won't harm anything.

BNs either breed or they don't. Does not seem to have anything to do with what we do to encourage them :-? I had mine for about 5 years before they suddenly kept producing spawn after spawn. They did this for a few months then stopped for another few years. They have started again recently but I have no idea whether the parents are the originals, or some of the previous fry. I just leave them to go as they want in the tank. I definitely have at least 10 adults (that is as many as I can count in one view as the tank is heavily planted) but I know there are more, just can't get them to line up in the front - plus fry of varying sizes. I know there were 16 adults (and no fry) about a year ago when we cleaned out the tank to get the plants under control because we counted them as they were caught :roll: They are not that prolific in a community tank as only a few survive to adulthood.

Welcome Melanie. No need to "do" anything with those bristlenose fry. They will look after themselves. No need for special food or anything as they can suck on the bottom feeder pellets just like mum and dad 8)

They could be! It is hard to tell but perhaps they slipped by MAF by being mislabelled You don't think I will get a MAF visit do you?

Don't buy the cheap no brands as they are not made of as good a quality plastic as the dearer branded ones IME

Hi there. Hope you enjoy your time in the fishroom.

Definitely not copperus or metallicus :-? We have not managed to sex them but assume the one looking lost is the male. Until I learn more about them I am loathe to offer any food at all, in case it is the wrong sort! So far it does not seem to bother them - neither has the lack of water so I guess it is a moot point whether they are fresh or marine :lol: I did wonder if they were modelled on an actual species though, and if so, what?

I can't register the breeding if I can't ID them but I am going to try and breed them once I know what they need. I assume the 2 big ones are the parents of the small ones 8)

I got some from Animates last time they had a big sale as they had a big pile of them sitting on a table Your lfs ought to give, or sell, you some. As said, an ordinary clear plastic bag will be fine. Either upsidedown or tape the corners down so the fish can't get stuck in them.

It is not often I buy fish when I do not know anything about them but in this case I couldn't resist. I suspect they might be marine. Is anyone able to ID them please? Assuming they are not hybrids of course :-? I posted here as I didn't know whether to put them in the freshwater or marine section. I should have asked at the time of purchase :oops:

Welcome. Fish keeping is a lot more fun, and easier, if you have a partner also into it.

It does not have to be your own fish. If you don't know what the fish is perhaps we can have a "Name that Fish" competition :lol:

Going from 6.0 to 7.0 is a big jump (remember it is a logarithmic scale) so it is quite possible as I believe these fish are sensitive to pH (don't have them myself so can't comment on experience :-? )

Hi and welcome. I too wonder how much sunlight your aquarium is getting as you mention small dots on the glass. Where are you? (It would help if you added your location to your profile - click on the User Control Panel at the top right of the page and find where to add it there). Where does your water suply come from? Mine is artesian and I find algae can be a problem over the summer months when the water table is lower. I suspect a higher concentration of nutrients for the algae to consume. What size is the tank, how long has it been running and what species, and how many, fish do you have? What is the pH? Have you tried cutting back on the feeding? What sort of lights do you have and have you changed one of the tubes/bulbs lately?

Hi from overcast and windy (but warm) Blenheim. I have goldfish in ponds outside too. Not a fan of shubunkins though, I like the solid red forms.

I have 3 hoplos but have not tried to sex them. The males have thicker pectoral fins when they mature. Spawning is triggered by large water changes, using cool water, and thereby quickly lowering the temperature. Males that are in breeding condition have a blue/purple sheen on the under belly. The parents should be removed from the aquarium after spawning or they will eat their own eggs and fry. I remember a Dunedin club member spawning these a number of years ago. They build big bubble nests!

I have always liked them but they do not stand out in the tank. This is why I didn't put them in the bathroom display tank in the end as they are so well camouflaged against the dark substrate and plants etc that they are too hard to see.

I have kept BNs in with goldfish over summer months. I think if you kept them at 22C or above they ought to be fine. They will survive at lower temperatures but there is a difference between surviving and thriving.

I realise that is probably the case smidey but that hotel one is better 8)

and fools never differ Stunning with or without the discus but... if I was building a tank that long I would make it higher.

No idea as test kits are all different. :-?

You say there is no nitrate which doesn't sound right. An established tank should have 0 readings for ammonia and nitrIte but 25ppm or lower nitrAte. Goldfish produce a lot of waste, even the small ones! Tank looks lovely though.

I agree with ryanjury, with those small fish and numbers you would barely notice a spike. Just make sure you continue to add the rest of the fish slowly so the bacteria in the filter can keep up with the increasing bioload.

Very true 8)