Caryl

It is fun to suck them up with a turkey baster then squirt them into the tank

When I was using AquaClear filters (same sort of thing as the Clearview) I would remove all except the sponge and add some ceramic noodles.

They will provide them with everything they need but some ask would you want to eat the same thing day after day? There is nothing wrong with what you are feeding though. The occasional live food will be wolfed down. Stock troughs and stagnant water are great places to find daphnia and mosquito larvae as well as all sorts of tasty (to fish) wee critters.

If he is truly the dominant one he will be making sure he is getting enough. It may be that the other one is getting in as fast as he can before the dominant one comes in to take over. Try dropping a bit in then waiting until the faster one is digging in, then add more for the other one further away.

First thing you need to know - FISH LIE! They will always claim they are starving and have not been fed for weeks but do not believe them. Have a look at a pic of basic fish anatomy then look at your fish. Small body right? Now think how much smaller the stomach is inside. Fish will always go for food as they are opportunistic feeders who gulp down whatever they can as fast as they can as they never know when their next meal will appear. Crush a couple of flakes in your fingers rather than drop in whole flakes. Feeding small amounts often is better than larger amounts less often. I think the majority would feed their fish at least once a day (some do it 2x) then fast them one day a week. You need to feed more often if there are fry in the tank. Until you get the hang of it, try one small flake per fish It is better to under-feed than over-feed, especially while the tank is new and cycling. Leftover food will foul the water and the added nutrients will help algae break outs.

Some put a saucer on the substrate and pour the water over that but I have found a hand fine but I have not used sand. If you do more smaller water changes, rather than fewer large ones, you can use cold water, depending on your fish. Some are fussier than others

The water tests will help you decide if that works out OK or not. There are a lot of variables. I usually tell people that if they have a standard 2ft tank, start with 4 danio sized fish. If you have a standard 3ft tank then start with 6 danio sized fish. A 4ft, 8 danio sized fish. If all is well after 1 month, then repeat until stocking level is reached.

It helps if they are similar but no need to be exact. I use my finger :bggrn: I just add enough hot water to the bucket so it is not too cold on my hand when I pour the new water in (pouring it over my hand to disperse the flow so it does not go straight down and make a hole in the substrate.)

I hope you enjoy your new hobby. Remember, patience is the key when it comes to stocking

By "Don't need light" I assume you mean other than natural light. Quite a few cope well with lower light levels. Java moss and ferns have already been suggested. Hygrophila polysperma, Rotala, baby tears, Hydrocotyle, Anubias and dwarf sagittaria come to mind. As for fertilisers, none of the above plants suggested should need extra other than fish waste. I have never added fertiliser to my tanks and have had no problem growing the above. If you don't like plastic plants, there are silk ones available which look more natural.

Ditto :-)

The best kind

My 6 week old grandson - a lovely present :cr2:

This was what it looked like January 2013 before we cleaned it out...

For those who followed the building of our pond in 2006, here is the latest update on how it looks now.... 2006 2014 There were 70 fish when we cleaned it out before winter. No idea how many in there at the moment as they move around and hide under the plants and decks. The hebes along the left side look lovely when they are flowering but they make a bit of a mess on the water surface. It will look even messier later when the Chinese silk tree flowers in a few weeks. It looks beautiful but makes a dreadful mess. I recently cleaned out the right hand garden and it needs re-planting. Water level is also low due to lack of rain and evaporation in the heat (recent week has been 28 - 30C)

Merry Fishmas! :cr11:

I thought I had answered this then realised it has been posted in two different sections. I said similar - it has scraped its side.

Looks like it may have wriggled in, or out, of a tight spot and scraped its side. White spot appears all over the body and looks like the fish has been sprinkled with salt.

Yes, I was going to suggest contacting the Dunedin club.

I ran a local rockpool marine for a couple of years but lack of a chiller meant I could not keep the temperature down at the required level so had to give it up. All I did was set up a 3ft tank, went down the Kaikoura coast and gathered up rocks, water and rock pool inhabitants then took it all home and poured it in the waiting tank (the rocks were carefully placed first ;-) ) I had a HOB filter and nothing else. There were lots of shrimp plus little red jelly anemones, a triplefin or two and a rockfish, a sea cucumber, chitons, starfish, brittlestars, and for a while, a baby octopus that a fishing friend brought in for us. As the room sat at 28C in summer and the water needed to be 15C or below, the freezer worked overtime freezing 3L bottles of water and still didn't get lower than 18C.

Indeed it is. Reminded me about another song I have always liked... Kansas - Dust In The Wind

I have stopped re-potting mine as they outgrow them anyway. I just use a rock to anchor some of the roots down. We cleaned out our pond, which had a thick layer of sludge on the bottom. This was thrown on the garden with no ill effects so a bit of algae won't hurt. Not sure if the lilies will like being re-potted while flowering though. Why not just dump them back in and divide and re-pot after they have finished? Mine sat on the grass for a day or two before we got them back in the pond and all recovered.

I had 8 adults, 4 of them male, living together in a 4ft, 280L, heavily planted tank for almost 15 years with no problems. They certainly fought over food and girls a bit but not in a way that lead to damage or death.

Keepers of what? I assume fish but since it is in off topic...

I have heard people say their BNs have killed each other but mine never have. Perhaps if the tank is big enough with plenty of hiding places, and plants, they have a chance to get away?