Caryl

oooh pretty!

I would start with 6 neons. Test the water for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites each week. When they are acceptable levels (theywill go up and then go down again) after a couple of weeks add 3 or 4 more fish. This is how I have always done it anyway and never had a problem

Look forward to seeing it wazza.

I am useless in the litres dept :lol: . What are the physical dimensions of the tank? Is this a 2ft x 1ft x 1ft?

Are you putting all the fish into the bigger tank, setting up the smaller with different fishes, or selling the smaller tank? Have you got the new filter running on the old tank? This will build up the bacteria. Use half the water from the old tank in the new one too.

Cycling a tank is important. The filters work by growing bacteria that eat the fish waste. You need some fish waste (or do a fishless cycle with ammonia, someone might be able to give details about this) to start the bacteria, hence the need to start with a small number of fish (depends on tank size) and slowly add more over time. You need the bacteria to grow at the pace the fish are added. Too many fish at once and they will die due to ammonia build-up as you won't have enough bacteria to convert the waste into good stuff.

Those fish do like current. If you want to try it, reduce the water changes and keep testing. If the parameters stay good then by all means reduce them. If the tests show rises in ammonia etc, then go backto the weekly changes.

Tropical Blues are very helpful. www.worldofwater.co.nz

Quite possible he has damaged himself. They will chase each other but not usually too aggressively. If you only have 2 of them one may be trying to dominate the other and it may remain a problem.

Hmm now there's a thought! :lol:

Very nice wazza, what we can see of it. If you can cut back on the reflections (easier said than done I know) it would be even better

If all is going well I would keep it up. With those fish, and being overstocked, you will find quality drops with less frequent water changes. What do you call 'very well filtered?'

Hi breakaway and welcome. Second hand is the cheapest way to go. We have a for sale section here or check out trademe, the local paper, or auctions. The bigger the better when it comes to tanks. Larger tanks are easier to maintain than smaller ones and are more forgiving of newcomer's mistakes. Prices vary around the country (where are you?) and from shop to shop so it is more what you can find locally that counts. Joining a fish club is good for a beginner as you get all sorts of help and advice (not to mention fish and plants if you are lucky )

Hmmm, looking at the Baensch Atlas 2, page 1132 the M trifasciata looks most likely. He is often greener but when he catches the light a certain way he has a definite orange cast.

He has orange on his fins and looks just like the pic of a M lacustris in the red Axelrod mini atlas page 664. His body colour changes depending on his mood and how he vatches the light but the back end of him has a definite orange tint. I got a load of rainbows from Sid in Otautau along with a bit of paper describing each one but I have lost the paper. Am seeing Sid this weekend so will print out the pic and ask him what he thinks it is. Doesn't look anything like the other pic you suggest Alan.

We make our own too. There was an article on how to do it, written by my husband Grant, in one of the Aquarium World magazines a few years ago but you really need to have some electrical qualifications to attempt such a project as it would be so easy to burn the house down if you got the calculations wrong. We didn't use old wire, we bought new.

I am pretty sure this is the right fish! I had been trying to get a shot of this fish but he kept moving so I finally gave up and decided to take a pic of the plants instead. What do you know? He swam into the shot just as I clicked the button! Here he is tring to eat a bottom feeder pellet

You must feed them! I think they meant not to feed them too much while the tank is still cycling.

Plenty of fine leaved plants will help the fry survive Aaron.

I was replying to Polgara and Catfish_Dude. I was ignoring your post Warren :lol:

Yes actually. The heat pad is made using the same wire they use in electric blankets. :lol:

I am afraid breeding is out of the question as I only have the one fish. I assume it is male since it has a permanent disgruntled expression. Since it is 60cm long already it is not suitable for my community tank :lol:

I vote with Warren too. Having said that, my tank sits on a external heat pad

Hi and welcome Aaron. I too suggest you don't get a plec as they are too big for your tank. Good luck with the pregnant sword. By the way, swords should be kept 1 male to at least 2 or more females or he will harass the female to death.

Yes it can be normal behaviour. Have you sexed the gouramis? The males have longer and pointier dorsal and anal fins than the females whose fins are more rounded. Gouramis are gouramis, whether they are opaline, 3 spot or whatever so they will not differentiate between colour types. It is possible you have 2 males and they are fighting it out for the top position, or you have a pair and the male is showing off. Keep an eye out for any damage caused or signs the less dominant fish is getting stressed.