Caryl

Well, I emptied the pools today. The weather this year has been so weird. Usually those pools would have sat at 27C+ during the day, dropping to no less than 18C overnight, usually 22C or so. This year they have gone as low as 10C, possibly lower, overnight with day temps only around 17C - 22C :-? The day time temps have swung wildly and I think the hottest the pools got was about 27C, for a very short period of time. Usually they were around 18 - 22C I had seen plenty of spawning activity but no sign of fry at all. Not sure whether the fry died in the cold or whether it was too cold to produce eggs in the first place. I suspect the former. Having emptied both pools I recovered 8 odessa barbs and 9 golden barbs. I can't find the bit of paper on which I wrote the number originally added but I think that was it so, although I got no fry out of the effort this year, I didn't lose any of the adults either, much to my surprise. Might give it a go again next year. I have had great success in previous years, just not this year :roll:

They can damage delicate leaves with their rasping but the majority are fine.

It is possible it is a secondary infection on a small wound. It is also possible, if you keep the water as clean as you can, that it will get better without drugs.

I seem to remember years ago (when I was a teen - many many years ago) seeing a photo of a footboard (I think it was Burt Reynold's) that was almost floor to ceiling and a fish tank. I wondered how it was cleaned. Makes more sense to me than a headboard. After all, you can't lie in bed and watch the fish if they are behind you :roll:

That is what Stu's article is about. Many fishkeepers claim that tiger worms are unsuitable to feed to fish as they appear "bitter" to the taste. Stu found this was not necessarily so

That reminds me of an alcoholic claiming he/she can stop any time they want to :lol:

PS; I don't watch Coronation St or sport either, or any of the other soaps. Much prefer a good book. Last time I saw Coro St Ena Sharples had just found Miniie dead in t'snug :roll:

I think you will find the Eisenia fetida, at least, are commonly called tiger worms. The next Aquarium World has an article by Stuart Lord regarding composting habits and the feeding of these worms to fish. If you would like to do an article on what you are up to there bilbo it would be much appreciated.

Morons raving on about cars? What is good about that? :roll: I recognise minis and VWs and that is about it :-?

I am subjected to endless repeats of Top Gear :roll:

My mother (72) still talks about the day her mother's pressure cooker exploded and spaghetti stuff went everywhere, floors, ceiling etc! :lol:

No, I think you are referring to a pressure cooker. Crockpots used to me made of ceramic. They are now a ceramic bowl inside a stainless steel exterior. These just have an ordinary lid. Meat is cooked on slow for 6 - 8 hours or on high for about 4 depending on amount of meat, and thickness.

Get a crockpot (slow cooker). These are great, particularly in winter, for slow cooking cheaper, tougher, cuts of meat. By the time they have been in the cooker they are melt in your mouth soft and easy to eat. Slow cookers are also good for making soups. Soups are easy to do and very good for you. Also filling.

They are also nocturnal.

Guppies should live at least 5 years. To photograph fast fish you need a good camera speed, a tripod, and a LOT of light in the tank. Try putting the fish in a small clear container where it can't swim away.

The females can store sperm for many months and produce fry without further male "help" for the same time. The dad may not be any of the males she is with currently

You have an odd mix of fish there. Angels, for instance, like an acidic tank whereas the electric yellows are African cichlids that prefer very alkaline water. They should not be together. The plec will tend to uproot plants when it moves :roll:

Platies are almost as bad as guppies. If it is female it is probably pregnant :lol: They can drop fry every 4 - 6 weeks. When due they are very fat and you can see the black spot you noticed. On pale fish you can sometimes see the eyes of the fry through the body.

Hi and welcome. It would be good if you put your location in your profile.

MTS - Multiple Tank Syndrome A disease with no known cure but can be controlled by purchasing more and more tanks to house those "must have" fishes

But how do you clean the filter (and what sort is it?)? I am wondering if you are wiping out most of the colonised good bacteria in the filter so the tank keeps going through a mini cycle each time. Canister filters should have the sponges lightly rinsed in old tank water, although I imagine your tap water supply is fine there, a similar temperature to the tank. I give alternate baskets of noodles a quick rinse so not all are changed at once and rotate their order as I replace them so all noodle baskets slowly rotate through the filter.

It will not discolour the bath :lol: Some fish love the colour, angels particularly.

Welcome. I find visiting kids love watchng the fish and it was great for getting fretful babies to sleep. Park them in their cot or pram in front of the tank and they would soon stop crying and fall asleep 8)

Give them time to settle in. They won't like the new surroundings. The other fish would have helped them feel secure too so having been moved, and lost their usual companions, they will be a bit unsure for a few days.

That is a lot of fish for that tank! What was the water tested for and what were the exact results? pH, nitrite, nitrate and ammonia in particular. Have you got a photo of the tank? That sometimes helps as we may see something. The fish you have lost so far are more sensitive to poor, or incorrect, water conditions. How do you clean the filter?