Colour_genes

What did you enter as filtration for the tanks ? I think that is what makes the difference. Otherwise Aqadvisor mainly seems to calculate for oxygen exchange based on surface area (ie the area where water meets air). So a deeper tank doesn't increase that area but a longer one does. If you were to add a really powerful filter, or a second filter I think you would see the stocking rate go up.

Welcome to the forum, hope the tank goes well. I have lots of spare pieces of hardy aquarium plants to give away, if you would like some, when you get to that stage of your set-up. Just send me a message (PM) if you are interested.

There was someone from the North Is advertising them on TM last year, I'll see if I can find any details. He did ship them.

Check out 'Rodney's Tropicals' on Facebook, he seems to have the silvers in there quite often.

Update on my collection. Common name: Golden Black Eyed Bristlenose (GBA) Scientific Name: Ancistrus cf cirrhosus L number: --Sexing (numbers of) Males : Females : Unknown : 2 --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : not yet Common name: Longfin Brown Bristlenose Scientific Name: Ancistrus cf cirrhosus L number: --Sexing (numbers of) Males : 1 Females : 2 Unknown : 15 + --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : Y Common name: Calico Longfin Bristlenose Scientific Name: Ancistrus cf cirrhosus L number: --Sexing (numbers of) Males : Females : Unknown : 2 --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : Too Young Common name: 'Spotted' Bristlenose Scientific Name: Ancistrus sp 'Rio Ucayali' L number: --Sexing (numbers of) Males : 1 Females : 1 Unknown : a few --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : Y, but lost most fry

Thanks for the advice everyone. As I have a copious supply of home-grown zucchini, I am putting several slices in the tank at a time and replacing them daily. Can't see any live fry atm but there is plenty of cover where they might be hiding, so will just wait & see. Male fish is out of the cave and resting & eating around the tank, will hope for more eggs soon, and a better result the next time around.

Forgot to say that yes, there are a couple of big lumps of driftwood also in the tank.

Read up some of the posts in the Catfish section, which should give you some info and ideas.

This evening I can see 3 or 4 more dead fry near the cave entrance, also counted 8 live fry on the glass, so probably a few more I can't see as well. LA - Not sure exactly how old they are, didn't see parents spawning and took me a few days to realise the male wasn't coming out of the cave. But this is the first time (ie yesterday morning) I have seen any fry outside the cave, so not very old at all. Have been feeding blanched green peas 2 days a week and mix of JBL, Omega One or Wardleys 'pleco/ algae tabs' on the others. Will start adding a slice of courgette or cucumber from now on. Cam - Quite possible the male has inadvertently chucked them out before they are ready - I did see him zoom out of the cave, chase the female away from some food, then dash straight back into the cave at high speed last night, would have thought it was a bit rough on any fry still in there Alexay - Don't have a Nitrate kit atm (run out) , but typically low (I do a 20 -25% water change weekly.) Feeding as above, but the fry have not been out of the cave to feed before this (unless they have all been sneaking out after dark, and then all heading home in the morning!), so don't think that is the problem. Rechecked the thermometer from a better angle (down on my knees !) and temp is probably closer to 25oC in fact; would you suggest higher? Thanks for the feedback / suggestions.

I purchased a couple of young 'spotted' bristlenose at the start of 2015, they were being sold as starlights, but they do not have any white edging to the fins, just a small rusty orange-red tip and general 'undertone' to the dark brown body colour. From looking at other posts etc, pretty sure they are what are being called 'Rio Ucayali. Anyway, they have matured into a pair, and have now bred for the first time. There has obviously been a problem of some sort however, as this morning I noticed a dead fry at the entrance to the 'cave', and by the time i had finished siphoning there were between 25 -30 dead fry spread across the tank, mostly near the front. There are still some live fry, I have counted 6 -8 on the glass of the tank and there may be more in the cave, which the male is still fiercely guarding. Has anyone else who has successfully bred these had a similar problem, and what do you think may have caused it? I have tested water parameters (23oC, 6.5 pH) and there is no ammonia or nitrites detectable. The tank is 70cm x 35cm base, has a shallow layer of gravel, several live plants (java fern, java moss, ambulia), 3 large sponge filters, and a range of hides and shelters. Gets some indirect natural light from skylights during the day, sufficient for the plants to grow and look quite healthy. There are also 25 or so guppy fry less then a week old in the same tank, with their parents, and none of those have died or look unhappy at all. I wondered whether the standard sized terracotta cave may have been too small to keep enough water/oxygen flowing over that many fry? Or the fry were not mature enough to leave the cave? You can see in the photo that the live fry have quite yellowish bellies, is that the yolk that has not been totally used up yet? Any suggestions to improve survival rate on the next lot of fry much appreciated.

Try a large plastic storage container (or more than one depending on the size of your tank) , the type you get from the big red shed or similar places. Give it a good wash and rinse first to get rid of any manufacturing residues. You can usually set up the heater and hopefully move your filter into it without problems. Always handy to have one available in case of unforseen problems.

I would second what Cam says re air compressor or pump and foam filters. It is cheaper from the point of view of electricity costs, and has minimal moving parts to go wrong or to need replacing. Anything that keeps the electricity costs (and the 'loading' on whatever type of electrical supply you have in your garage) is going to be a good thing. Especially when the electricity bill arrives and someone else has to pay it! I run 10 tanks in an otherwise unheated garage, and even with lots of polystyrene sheet insulation it has still increased our power costs by a quarter, or more. I'm looking into dividing off my 'bit' of the garage with a low-cost, lightweight wooden framework 'double-glazed' with plastic sheeting for next winter in an effort to conserve the heat. Something worth considering when you decide where to site your tanks, perhaps.

Breed fish species that you like, because if you don't personally like them, then you won't bother with them so much. Might be good to start with egg layers that actually look after their eggs/fry, then if you are at school when they lay them, the eggs won't all be eaten before you get home. So Angel fish, maybe Bristlenose Ancistrus, I'm sure there are others but I don't really know which ones, so you might need to do a bit of research. Killiefish might be good to try as well?

Welcome. My best suggestion is to have at least 3 tanks per breeding group/pair. So that's one for the parents, one for eggs/fry/rearing, and one for growing-on or similar. Especially if you have fish that produce 40 or more kids per brood/spawning, you will need way more room to rear them than you think you will. Start small, and build up numbers of tanks over time as you get to know what works best for your own situation, is my second best suggestion! Third suggestion - have fun.

Thanks for that info Caryl. Brilliant idea, all sorted.

Anyone?

Feeder guppies, 20 or more, healthy but with bent spines or poor shape/colour. Pick up only, in Shirley, Chch. Evenings or weekend only, really want them gone by Sunday. Please message me for address and to work out a time.

I'm pleased to say that both the little cats are still alive, and seem (fingers crossed) to be doing quite well. I eventually put them in a fairly tall 40l tank which has a 2-3oC temp gradient from top to bottom with a couple of gentle flow sponge filters, so they are able to pick the temp they prefer. There are plenty of plants and they nestle in amongst these at varying levels throughout the day. They share the tank with some female guppies. Food - they are eating microworms & freeze-dried brine shrimp as their main diet (possibly picking up some scraps of guppy flakes), and occasionally appear to be hoovering either algae or biofilm off the tank glass. Both are looking a little fatter and darker in colour than when I first got them (will try to take some photos) and have grown a little. I have no idea what sexes they are, and hoping to buy at least one more, to up my chances of having a breeding pair / group.

Try their facebook page, maybe that will work for you https://www.facebook.com/pages/Redwood-Aquatics-Aquarium-Water-Garden-Centre/362922040384854

If you actually stop to read the instructions at the top of the plant listing it clearly says - We are starting to list our normal and rare plants and will eventually have buy now options, but until that is done here is a list of what can be supplied (not all always available, if in growing stage) Please e-mail any queries for price/size/supply availability That means you cannot buy them online - you need to email them to ask about the plants!

To make easy partitions / dividers / 'cages' you might want to look at stuff called 'plastic cross-stitch canvas' , you can buy it from most handcraft shops or try this link http://www.stitchnz.co.nz/product-category/73/ It comes in a couple of different grades (ie mesh size /density). I have used the transparent /white '7 count' version to make dividers for a Betta tank and it worked very well. I used all-plastic cable ties to join it together, and it made quite a rigid container with a good water flow through.

Look at this link. There are about a dozen different varieties listed. http://www.redwoodaquatics.co.nz/

Those are very pretty display tanks, love the plants growing emmersed too. And really lovely fighters, I think the white ones with blue edgings are particularly attractive. Welcome to Christchurch!

Still looking for any type of submerged pond plants please.

Yes, some pictures would be great please. Are your yellow females blondes or metallics?