Fish Lore Tropical Fish and Aquarium Forum

New Game for us all

TedsTank — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:02:43 GMT

How old are you??....Don't tell us please!!!
List the earliest Historical Event or just happening in you life!!!
So I will start! No actual age guessing...just events.

I was in Germany when Elvis Presley came over to do his military stint!!
I know who Andy Williams is, and can sing the words to "Moon River".
I was in High School when President Kennedy was assasinated.

Question: is this normal!?

binskiboi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:01:27 GMT

over the past few days my two blackfin catfish have been swimming highmiddle to the top of the aquarium, my water params are fine! I'm not sure hwo to sex one, is this typical mating behavior? they are acting fine, i just always thought catfish should swim on the bottom of the tank! Help please :) Thanks lots

`binskiboi

Looking for advice on shelldwellers!!

platy ben — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:00:12 GMT

Hello everybody :)

I currently have an empty 45G tank however throughout the winter I will be raising some baby koi in it until the weather warms up a bit.

Once the koi are out in the pond I intend on turning this tank back tropical and I am looking at shelldwellers, im just looking for people personal experience with them and wondering is my tank too big for shelldwellers?

Ben

Question: Whitish yellow crusty stuff

ErinM — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:36:38 GMT

Hi everyone :-*
I am new to this site, I just discovered it yesterday and I've learned a lot already from reading threads. I didn't see anyone posting about this tho, so I figured I'd ask.
I have two tanks, one fairly new 10 gallon and an older 50 gallon. On my 50 gallon tank, around the rims, and on the back of the lighting unit, is all of this whitish yellow crusty stuff, that is very hard to clean/get rid of. I can see it starting to build up on my new 10 gallon tank, and I have no idea what it is! Is there a way to permanently get rid of it? Or is it something that I just have to deal with?
In my bigger tank, its been there for quite some time and doesn't seem to be doing any harm, other than the fact that it's ugly.
Thanks!

Farlowella

Neil — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:15:47 GMT

Got my first webcam so I obviously thought of my fish :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of9Yp7vWjjg

Drum Roll Please!!!

TedsTank — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:02:39 GMT

You may merge the threads if you want....was thinking the other was a bit long....and started this without thinking again!

:;banaman "Something tell's me I'm into somethin gooood!!!" :;banaman
!!! TAH DAH !!!!!
So you all might be interested to know that MM and I have been communicating!!!

:;hf I have ordered 2 Male bettas!!! :;hf
A Pink for my Granddaughter, for Christmas
A Green for myself....of course his name is 2012...since I was told I must buy one to save the Universe!!!...lol
They both are Butterfly type with that nice white border on the fins.

And if they are even half as cute and sweet (and patient, bless her heart) as Karen has been.... these fish will be stunning!!!

Karen, I release you from your silence now....lolol

55 Gallon Tank: Oops!

bolivianbaby — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:43:17 GMT

Uh, I need a little advice. I just walked by Shelby's JD tank. She has a male blue JD and a female gold JD. There's a couple hundred fry swimming around. I hope they show up in the vid. I wasn't expecting this. How do I care for JD fry? I'm used to convicts, but this is my first JD spawn and I didn't do it on purpose:;voices

http://s650.photobucket.com/albums/u...12009JDfry.flv

firemouth??

fishingman001 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:55:57 GMT

My neighbor bought this at Petsmart yesterday and he thinks it is either a convict or firemouth.

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10 Gallon Tank: sponge filters for 10gallon tank?

steed1172 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:45:36 GMT

hello all!!.. that's a good way to start, :P
well i am slowly coaxing others in my family to start with fish, and my sister wants me to get her my old 10 gallon started up for. The inhabitants are to be
1 bala shark(whos growth is most likely stunted)
3 neon tetras
and a cory or two/pleco and i was wondering if a sponge filter is okay with 10 gal and the fish stock above, as ive heard they are pretty much the best thing for biofilter.

Water changes

weljer61 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:06 GMT

Im about 9 days into my nitrogen cycle, the ammonia and nitrites have leveled off and I have a nitrate reading a around 5. I have been putting fish food in every 12 hours and am noticing alot of fish food on the bottom that is starting to get hairy. Is this normal? Should I get a gravel vaccum? When should I start doing water changes? Do you think it is ok to start adding fish.

I do have 3 ghost shrimp in there that have done perfectly fine throughout the cycle.

Baby Yellow Lab cichlids

ilikefish — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:19:29 GMT

I have 3 baby yellow lab cichlids and they are all born within a month or two. However I've noticed that on two of mine they are developing a black colored line through their body. Does this mean they are a different type? or are they maybe a different sex? Ive never seen a yellow lab with a stripe that runs from head to tail fin in the middle of their sides.

Also, the fin above their heads is MUCH more pronounced in one of the fish... Does this mean anything?

Am I just over observing and are these differences just like the difference between blonds and brunets in the human world? lol

Thanks

Good morning!!!

TedsTank — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:50:11 GMT

Good morning Bettaphiles and fishlorians!! The sun is out and beautiful day is shaping up!!! Hope you are all well!!!!

Help Sick Cichlids

hop2jr — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:55:53 GMT

Hi all. I have a 35gal planted african cichlid tank. had 7 fish but I lost 2 to unknow illness. Water checked out fine o ammonia, 0 nitrites, and under 10 nitates pH 7.4. did 2 water changes since then and now my Acei is showing signs of fin rot and is doing tail stands with no signs of ICH. Then last night my Livingstoni started freaking out tail stands rubbing the sand and jumping out of the tank an hitting the glass top of the tank. dosed the tank with Mardel Brand Maracyn first day Acei stopped tail stands but Livingstoni still freaking out. I know the ph is alittle low and going to add some Barnacles to rise it up to 7.6 7.8. Is there anything else I can do?Would a drop in temp from 76-78F to 74F cause this? (Heater quit working, went i caught it it was 74f for I think 1 day).

washable,reusable filter recommedation

willypct — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:34:37 GMT

I got a 125 gal tank with two canisters. a xp2&xp3 by Rena.
I was wondering if their is any filter media out their that I can
just wash and reuse for a long time.

Star Trek

aquarist48 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:46 GMT

Good morning :;co
I bought the new Star Trek movie yesterday. Watched it. Loved it. I'll watch it again :) I wish they would make a new series out of it. I checked the Star Trek website a while back when the movie came out and there was no mention of a new series though.

Did anyone else enjoy it? (I know I'm a little late but I wait for movies to come out on DVD) :)
Ken

Happy Birthday

aquarist48 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:20:08 GMT

:;balloonsHappy Birthday Aquatic Mouse! I hope you have a wonderful day today!
Ken

How Do I: "favorite" a thread that's not mine?

iloveengl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:56:57 GMT

Is there a way to add a thread that is not mine to some kind of favorite thread area? Sometimes I read a thread that I really like or find really useful, but I have nothing to add or it's old, so I don't want to post to it just to file it for later. I've got a folder in my bookmarks for "favorite FishLore threads," but I was wondering if there was a way to keep them under my settings or profile or something like that on the forum.

Hope that made sense. Bookmarking them is working well enough, I was just wondering if I could keep it in FishLore.

Thanks for your help. :)

Molly with distended stomach upside down in tank

r_masetti — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:30:08 GMT

Fed my fish this morning as usual and when I went past the tank a few hours later my big molly was upside down with a distended stomach. I have had all my fish about 3 years now have only lost 2 silver sharks (they were on a death wish kept jumping out of the tank). So presently have 2 x clown loach, 2 x mollies and 3 leopard catfish. Upgraded to this larger tank about 6 months ago haven't had any problems change out 1 third to hal a tank monthly clean filter system fortnightly add ammonia detoxifier week to ten days, water conditioner around the same time. Also his mate is constantly at him (while he is upside down) is that because it's trying to stimulate activity or because it's 'pecking' please help (though I think I have lost him he's not looking to good! Ren

changing to saltwater

CichlidKid55 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:04:08 GMT

Hello,
for christmas im changing my 65 gallon tank into a saltwater tank.:;shat
ive never kept marine before and have a heap of questons

1) Filteration:is A Jebo 835 1000 l/h canister and a aquaworld 1000 l/h Okay for 65 gallon tank.
2) instead of a protien skimmer can i keep a UV Sterilizer instead.
3) how many whats of lighting do i need ( i wont really have many corals, if any it will be elegance, or frogspawn.)
4) how do i set it up lol !!!:;dk
thanks

How well should I vacuum the gravel?

TheKayman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:32:17 GMT

Hello,

Whenever I do water changes, I try my best to syphon out any detritus that fall off from plants and mosses and also from the animals. However, when I add the replacement water into the tank, detrirus that didn't get sucked up or was stuck in the mosses will suddenly appear and make the tank look really messy. I use fish net to manually filter out any visible and filterable particles out, but there are just too many smaller particles that I have no control over. I am wondering if it is okay to have these small particles in the tank as long as I do water changes. Or should I get some vacuuming device to get rid of these particles?

After few hours from a water change, the particles seem to settle, but as soon as I agitate the water or swish gravel around, I get back the cloudy water. The parameters 0-0-5. Also, my tank is almost full with mosses that I dont even see alot of gravel to vacuum. Please advise me~

Hello from Oregon

Omgami — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:18:40 GMT

After 7 years of storing my 75 g tank I have set it back up. Its still fishless but its had water, pea gravel substrate , rocks and plants for about three days now. I just bought a new test kit but have not tested the water yet so do not have any readings. The water is a little cloudy even though i rinsed everything for what seemed like hours. I plan on getting two Orandas, Two lack moors and maybe a fifth fancy goldfish after the tank cycles. I can't believe I let the tank sit empty so long! The fish will join: two llamas, two dogs, five cats and my very special flock of chickens.

Any Experience w/ Reef Gently AccliMate

fishnchips — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:59:32 GMT

does anyone have any experience w/ Reef Gently acclimate?

will they be ok with kribensis

kribensis keeper — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:50:48 GMT

after my krib babies have gotten bigger i was thinking if selling them in exchange for store credit and with that store credit i was thinking of buying some kuhli loaches but my question is will kuhlis be ok with kribs

Help: ok looking better but still need help

gcdj — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:23:10 GMT

i have beenposting about the last 2 weeks on my milky white tank... bio bloom i know ... the ammonia has hit upwards of 8ppm ... daily doing 20% water change with API ammo lock added every day... my milkiness is decreasing however my ammonia level is not ... is this common .... it has been about 2 weeks since my bloom started cause because a filter got rinsed in tap water... i know that is a no no however my little girl was trying to help so who could get mad at a 7 year old that shares your fascination with fish. I also discovered that my power filter was on its last leg and not filtering nearly what it should so i went and got plenty of api ammo lock i of course you api stress coat to get rid of cholrine and such ... the new filter is a mariland 350 for a 70 gallon tank mine is only 29.... so i am just wondering when can i expect the ammonia to begin to lower ... when i do my water test my nitrites are slowly starting to rise maybe .25 PPM to .50 ppm but seems like they have always been there ...even before the prob ... my bloom is definately getting less i can through the tank now but my ammonia is still through the roof ... any ideas ??

My 10 gallon Tank

RedRumBetta — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:02 GMT

Pics of my 10 gallon freshwater tank. Includes platys and black skirt tetras and I've added in a pic of RedRum(died) the betta.

RedRum

Do nitrates mean the end of a cycle?

fishingman001 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:57:33 GMT

My nitrates are at ~6. Doesn't the presence of nitrates mean it's the end of the cycle or near the end?

ph ~6.4
ammonia less than .25
nitrite less than .25

My nitrites and ammonia have been slowly dropping.

New Babies

navyscuba — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:55:02 GMT

So here are the new videos of the new baby eggs, Red Ob's, Electric Blues and Babies from my Acei. The last video is the free swimmer Angels.
Enjoy Enablers. :anim_35: :anim_65:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSA7St1qOVg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPjJkNIkS1c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J-KC5b1w_w

Question: what levels do you want????

Betafish305ca — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:43:53 GMT

:;scuba
:;nin2

So I've had my fish tank for a little over half a year now, and I'm still confused about what readings I'm looking for.... None of my fish have died (well not from the water.... thank you cats) but what are good readings?

My test kit doens't have a reading for ammonia yet, but I'm looking into that. I do know that; ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrates... and when it changes, the previous show go down.

But what should the readings be????

My latest test results are:
Nitrite <NO2-> : 0.5
Nitrate <NO3-> : 100

So what does this mean? When NO3- gets high, does that mean water change??? Or is that good? Cause when you cycle a tank and you get Nitrate levels, and no nitrite and ammonia levels.... thats when you add fish, so ya.....

help please

thx every1
:D

Help: New balloon ram died

Cableguy9872 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:02:29 GMT

I have had my tank up for 3 months now, it cycled a while ago with 2 zebra danios and 2 black skirt tetras. I was told about 1 1/2 months ago it was ok to add more fish, i decided neon tetras, i got 4 of them acclimated them put them in my tank, and with in a week they were all dead. I let my tank recover(for 1 month) added a rubberlip pleco into my tank, and he is doing fine. After another 2 weeks, i got 2 balloon rams(2 days ago) and today, 1 of the 2 has died, the other one is still sitting on the bottom of my tank(resting on the rocks) breathing fairly fast(i dunno if this is normal for them) They both showed great color(LOTS more than when in transit from the store). I fed them Brine shirmp today(they ate a little bit, what made it to the bottom of the tank) I am concerned for my other ram, is this normal behavior for them almost 3 days of being in the tank?(it took my pleco a week before he is out and eating the algea off my tank)

My water levels are as follows:(with API FRESHWATER MASTERKIT)
Ammonia-.5ppm
NitrIte-0ppm
NitrAte-10ppm
Temp 81 degrees
PH 8.2

Tap water-
Ammonia-.5ppm
NitrIte-0ppm
NitrAte-0ppm
PH 8.2

I also have the seachem ammonia alert, and that shows .02ppm of ammonia

my water conditioner is Prime, I have added some Stability when introducing new fish, did not use it to cycle my tank.

My other fish all seem to be doing fine, when my light is off the zebras are always swimming about, and when its on, they are more lathargic relaxed.

Could this be caused by stress from one of the black skirts? He has always been the mean one in my tank, he chases every other fish around(except my pleco) and when I added these rams, he chased them right away, then let them be. I did notice the next day, my smaller tetra has part of his dorsal fin missing(like someone took a bite out of it) and hes the nice one, he has been the one that just sits with my other fish when i have introduced them(almost like a pet does if something is wrong)

Please give me any ideas as to why I still have ammonia in my tank(or could it be a false reading caused by prime?) I have also tried the Aquaclear ammonia remover(that didn't do anything)

Any ideas as to why there is ammonia in my tank and/or why my balloon ram died and should i be worried about my other guy?

Thank!

30 Gallon Tank: Rams!

anunez91 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:57:37 GMT

Ok, so ive recently decided for my (currently empty) 30 gallon tank, that i want two rams to be the focus, with that i plan on having about six corys (not sure on specific ones yet) but i also want mid level schooling fish, ive been told tetras are to timid for rams, and someone suggested semi-aggressive fish, would tiger barbs work? i need some suggestions people? 2 rams, 6 corys and 6 or 8 *insert compatible schooling fish here*

thanks

I hope I pass the inspection...

MissMTS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:37:04 GMT

My apartment complex sent out notices yesterday to everyone telling us that we are no longer allowed to keep anything other than plants, bikes, and patio furniture on our patios. They are inspecting everyone tomorrow. A lot of our neighbors have rediculous things on their patios like weight machines, treadmilles, beach towels hanging over the railings, etc and its totally tacky. I understand why they are doing the inspection, but I don't really know how my tub ponds are going to go over. Technically they do have plants, and I guess they could be considered furniture, but I don't know, and I really hope they don't make me get rid of them. My patio is very clean and always looks nice, so I am hoping that they let it slide. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Happy Birthday JaneAustenAddict

Shawnie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:11:42 GMT

:;balloonsI hope your day was faboo!:;hb

Can I have kribs in this tank?

eyesofgreen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:37:27 GMT

I am considering turning my 35 US gallon - 24"L X 16"W X 21"H - into a krib tank - is this enough room for one or two pairs of krib?

What other species may I put in there that would not pose a threat to any spawn?

Are there species of catfish/corydoras/loaches that would get along with kribs?

10 Gallon Tank: Cuddles Planning

bolivianbaby — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:33:52 GMT

Cuddles my JD is around one or two months old. He's in a 10g tank right now. I'd guess he's around 1/4". He's still black/white striped. I'm planning on putting him in a 55 in the spring. Will be need to be upgraded to a 20g or a 29g before then? I just want to make sure I have a tank ready if he will.

Thanks everyone!

Pictures of my new Albino Corydoras! :D

iloveengl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:02:53 GMT

Yay! These are my new albino corydoras. I upgraded everyone in my 12g to the 20 and added the cories about a week or so ago. They're SO much fun. They just fly across the tank non stop (sometimes they even bump into the mystery snails, pause, and then just keep going) until it's time to eat and then all of a sudden everyone's at the bottom scrounging for food. :p They're a beautiful iridescent color that doesn't come out well in the pictures. I love love love them! :happy0064:

Sorry a took a billion pictures, but they're just so flippin cute. I didn't think they would like the mollies' peas, but I guess they do! :D

Thanks for looking at my new fishies! :;rocker

Q & A With Tetra about Tetra SafeStart

Lucy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:58:25 GMT

Since we have so many questions about how to use Tetra SafeStart an e-mail was sent to them with several questions that come up.
I hope this helps answer the many questions about this product.
Shawnie will be adding some info she recieved from them.

TO: TetraCare Customer Care Team

Hi :)
I belong to an on-line forum and several questions come up about the use
of SafeStart.
The directions on the bottle aren't very clear.
Many members have had luck with it but some haven't.
We'd love to be able to answer questions about it's use.
If you could send step by step instructions so that I may pass them on,
it would be great.

Some of the more popular questions are:
Will conditioners that detox ammonia effect SafeStart?
If so, how and why?

Do you add water, conditioner, SafeStart and fish all at once or should
you:
a) Add fish, wait a day to add Tetra SafeStart?
b) Add Tetra SafeStart wait a day to add fish?
c) Do you add your full stock of fish at once or start off with just a
few?

If you've already added fish and have an ammonia reading, will Tetra
SafeStart still be effective?

At what ammonia reading will Tetra SafeStart still be effective.

Is there too high of a reading that would render Tetra SafeStart
ineffective?
What would that reading be?

Can it be refrigerated without harming the bacteria?

After adding Tetra SafeStart:
How soon should you test the water and why?
(I've heard it said you'll get high ammonia readings if you test within
10 days of adding TSS. Isn't that harmful to the fish? If not, why?)

How soon should you do a water change after adding the product and why?

Does TSS effect the pH?

What is the key to the success or failure of Tetra SafeStart?

I'm sorry, I know I have a lot of questions but the forums goal is the
same as yours, happy healthy fish.

I appreciate your taking the time to address my questions.
Feel free to add any other information you think would be pertinent to
the success or failure of SafeStart.

Thank you!

Hi there,

Wow, lots of questions! All are pretty simple, and we get them a lot
too. I'll suggest marketing address them on our website, next time they
update it. Out of curiosity, what forum is it?

So...where to begin? First, ideally you should set up the tank, and let
it run at least 24 hours, then, shortly before you head off to the store
for your first fish, add TSS to the tank. Within two hours, you should
add the fish. Our normal recommendation is to add one small fish per
ten gallons of water. However, you CAN fully stock the tank, you just
need to keep a close eye on it, and be sure to not complicate matters by
overfeeding as well. We recommend this method for African cichlid tanks
since it is best to fully stock such a tank from the beginning due to
territorial issues. For a novice fish-keeper, we'd recommend the one
small fish per ten gallons rule for the first two weeks. Within two
weeks, TSS should have fully cycled the tank and they can start slowly
adding more fish, one at a time.

In regards to ammonia products, yes, they kill TSS. Any type, whether a
chloramines remover or detoxifier, etc, anything that says it locks up
ammonia or removes ammonia. Do not add TSS for 24 hours after using
such a product, and do not add such a product for at least 7 days after
using TSS. The bacteria is housed in a special stabilized solution of
ammonia, so if you remove/lock up the ammonia, you remove all of the
food the bacteria require to live.

If you already have fish, and are having an ammonia issue, it is best to
get the ammonia levels down to below 4.0. 4.0 and higher is just as
toxic to TSS as it is to fish. While 2.0 -3.5 ppm ammonia may harm some
of the TSS bacteria, it should still have some effect. You may want to
do a second dose several days after adding the first one, if you are not
seeing the results you want. Keep in mind, these are bacteria, not a
chemical, so results are slow to see. Give the product at least 5-7
days.

Best temperature for TSS is between 40 and 80 degrees. Freezing and
extreme heat will destroy it. Refrigeration is okay, but not necessary.

You can test the water any time, but really, you should probably wait at
least 48 hours. We expect TSS to start slowly seeding the tank, and
making a difference in about that time. You have to have some ammonia
occur in the tank to provide the cycle needed, so it will usually create
levels or reduce levels to around 1.0-1.5 ppm, and they should stay
there for a week to 14 days, and then come down. Sorry, these levels
would be for both ammonia and nitrite. These are considered stress, but
not toxic, levels, and should not cause any long term damage to the
fish.

We recommend waiting two weeks before a water change. Of course, if for
some reason, the levels go up to a high level again, we would recommend
a change at that point, and another dose. Usually, the hobbyist has
done something wrong the first time, in such cases.

Nope, bacteria should not affect the pH.

Hmmm....be sure the levels are not already toxic, shake the container
thoroughly, be sure to add the right dosage, do not use an ammonia
detoxifying product, and be patient. It won't give you zero readings in
an hour, like some folks think. By the way, carbon does not affect it
but uv lights do...we get those questions too. :-) And just an
interesting point...the large aquariums, such as the Georgia Aquarium,
and the Shedd Aquarium, as well as huge research labs in this country
and other countries, also use TSS as well as the saltwater version Bio
Spira.

If I have not addressed all of your questions, please let me know.

Regards,

Tetra Care

any suggestions to help my brilliant child?

Shawnie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:31:42 GMT

:whistling:seems she got into some stinging nettles ..and her arms are totally inflamed and itching like crazy (like duh sweet child of mine!!!)
anyone know how to help her ?(short of me handing her a :;smack upside her bum!)

How Do I: Clean my Fluval 105?

click — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:13:50 GMT

I have a Fluval 105 canister filter and I am a bit confused on how I am supposed to clean it and what I am supposed to replace. For those who know, the 105 Fluval has 4 sponges (2x2) right where the water enters the filter, then the water goes through a drawer with a sack with (I assume cos it's black) carbon like pebbles, then through an empty drawer and then through the drawer with the media pellets (whitish). I was told by the LFS that I am never to replace the media pellets but I forgot to ask when/how to replace the other parts.

I think it's about time to replace some of the sponges. Last time I opened up the filter I rinsed them in the water that came out of the tank, but they are still dirty. I assume that's the reason my water is turning clowdy lately. I bought regular sponges and carbon sponges but I'm in doubt if I should replace all sponges at once, or 2 in the first month and then the other 2. Also, should I replace the sack with the carbon pellets? I can't tell if it's dirty obviously since it's black. Should I leave the empty drawer between my carbon sack and my media empty or is better if I add something there?

Sorry if there are too many questions. I did a forum search but I came empty. Any help is appreciated.

Changing filters

RonDutt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:59:44 GMT

Curious, how does one go about changing the filter? Mine (EX45) is showing as almost time to change (the white strip is almost completely black). Replacing the filter outright would remove quite a bit of bacteria from the ecosystem, but theres no room in the filter to stick in two filters. Do I just leave the old filter in the tank (floating) or...?

My first Aequidens sp. Gold Saum

CarlosN — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:43:38 GMT

This are my young Green Terrors (I know, not real ones...), they are 6cm (about 2,4 inches)

Male

Female

Pair

Now I�m just going to enjoy watch them grow

Do Arowanas and Gold Fish mix?

DRock914 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:17:46 GMT

I just picked up dinner from the Chinese place around the corner and decided to take a look in their fish tank. They had a 1 foot Arowana mixed in with 3-4 inch gold fish in a 55 gallon tank that was only 3/4 full of water. I don't know where to begin with all those problems.

Got a special delivery this morning :)

MissMTS — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:16:44 GMT

Allow me to introduce my new boy "Taz", my new little boy from the Lady in the Shoe :) He arrived this morning and he is so cute and tiny, I can't believe it. I am keeping him in Kawaii's empty 5 gallon (don't worry, I filled the gap in the back of it). Honestly, nothing heals a broken heart like a new little betta to love, and he has done just that for me.

He is the craziest little betta I have ever seen, hence the name "Taz" after the Tasmanian Devil. Most bettas after being shipped look dazed and confused, but this little guy started wiggling around and flaring at me as soon as I opened the box. Talk about a boy with attitude :p Anyways, here are some pics and a short video. Karen sent me a pic of him that is way better than the pics that I took, so I'll have to dig it up later today.

http://s285.photobucket.com/albums/l...t=PB190139.flv

http://s285.photobucket.com/albums/l...t=PB190140.flv

Karen, thanks again! I just love him :)

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Question: will a german and a bolvarian

Camacho — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:55:12 GMT

will the 2 mate with one another?

Volcan died just now, Haka is struggling. :(((((

redgal — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:35:21 GMT

Volcan is dead. I tried one last time to get him to eat but he refused. I sat and watched him for an hour and he took his last breaths and died. I think I must have killed him. I am so sad and feel like a terrible owner.

Here I am lecturing all my friends and family who have bettas in a 1g unfiltered and unheated prison and now one of my dear boys is dead. I tried to save him from a bad life by giving him 5g to himself, a filter, a heater, very good food, treats, interaction, hiding holes and plants and it wasn't enough.:(

I can't figure out what happened or why he died or why Haka is dying. I wanted to save them not kill them. I am a bad owner. :( :( :(

Haka is still struggling. I fed him this morning and now he is lying sideways on the gravel again. Here are the details - I was posting under this thread:

http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/be...boy-dying.html

I think they had swim bladder...or maybe my nieghbour didn;t feed them enough whilst I was away, I don't know. :;dk:(

If anyone can give me some insight on a possible cause so that I can learn from this, I'd really appreciate it.

I feel like such a terrible owner, I am so sad. Poor boy, what a horrible way to go ( whatever it was) and I failed to help him.

RIP Volcan., You were such a handsome, fiesty boy. I am so, so sorry my poor boy. I'll really miss you :(

How to take gravel out of tank?

gazz2005uk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:23:15 GMT

I bought a tank about a month ago from a friend..it came with some gravel..i washed the gravel and put it in the tank..I now have an axolotl in the tank but as the gravel is quite small it tends to try and eat it. I countered this problem by buying a bag of big stones and layed them over the top, but the axolotl still managed to get to them. I noticed earlier that the small gravel is getting really dirty. I want to take the small gravel out and just leave the big gravel in to solve both these problems but doing this will make the water really dirty. How can I do this without releasing all the dirt in the tank? Would it be better to take half of the water out along with the axolotl and then take the stones out and change the water?

Rena xp1 (need help!)

eiginh — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:20:31 GMT

I set up my rena xp1 without cutting the proper measurements with the hoses. Now it's too long and bending so I did some adjustments so it wouldn't bend and reduce the flow. How do I get all the water out from hose and how do I unplug the hoses from the quick disconnect valve?

Thanks!

Marimo Balls

aquarist48 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:16:27 GMT

Good afternoon.:;hi2 I went shopping today. Guess what I bought! :whistling:

I bought 2 XL Marimo Balls $10 each and 2 moss balls $5 each. The moss balls are attached to fishing line with an anchor so they look like they are floating mid tank and you can't see the fishing line.
LOVE 'em! I placed them in my Goldie tank because I have a feeling my Silver Dollars would have a feast on them if I put them in my 265g. Too they should be kept at room temperature (so I've read) with low light so I think they'll do well with the Goldies. The Goldies seem to be cleaning them but not eating them. We'll see. However, on my next trip to town I may purchase a couple more of the Miramo Balls and give the Silver Dollars one for Christmas and see what happens. They feel just too cool :) Here is a link for those that may not know what they are:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marimo
I hope to find a digital camera next week and will share some photos when I get it.
Thanks!
Ken:animal0028:

New saltwater addiction!!!

platy ben — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:11:29 GMT

Hello :)

On the 5th of August I filled my first salty tank with water, 1 month and a bit later I filled my second saltwater tank.
And Oh Yes, im now thinking about a 3rd saltwater tank!!!

My smallest tank is 15G and I have a false gramma in there.
Next is my 34G, I have 3 green chromis' and 1 yellow coris wrasse.

The 3rd tank will be 45G and the reason I have decided this is because I would like to keep slightly larger marine fish, the biggest fish I would put in a 34G would probably be a dwarf angel, so I was just wondering what kinds of fish would I be able to keep if I do start my 45G, would any tangs be an option?
Any other fish would be greatly appreciated :).

Bettas and Filters

JaneAustenAddict — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:02:57 GMT

So I noticed that when I place a betta in my 5g tank with a whisper filter 10i, even on the lowest setting, it is just too powerful for the fish. The 10i is the filter that came with the tank. I have a whisper 3i and I was wondering if using the smaller, less powerful filter would be okay? It says the 3i is for 1-3 gallon tanks, but I am really not sure what elese to do. I really wanted to rescue another betta, but I don't want to have any problems like in the past.

The betta I have now is in a 10g with a whisper 10i and he is doing fine. When he was in the 5g with the whisper 10i, even on the lowest setting, he was getting either tossed all over the tank or nearly sucked up the filter. I actually ended up having to leave the filter off for two days while I set up the 10g tank for him.

He is not sick, he is very active. Always swimming around checking out the plants and decorations and flaring at my dogs whenever they stop to check him out. I know the problem is because the bettas from the pet stores are poor swimmers.

So, does the fact that the filter says it is for 1-3 gals mean it will not work in the 5g? I was kinda hoping that since it will only be one fish it would be okay.

Change of heart

metal_fish — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:58:17 GMT

I've been a huge fan of Marineland Bio Wheel Filters since I've gotten into fish keeping. But yesterday my 150b was acting slugish after some proper maintenance I filled it up and plugged it back in, and NOTHING after hours of frustration trying to get the thing to work. I threw it all back in the box and back to PetSmart.
I wanted to get another BioWheel but of course they were out of them. For the same price I decided to try the Aqueon Quiet Flow 30.
I do like the Aqueon brand they are not as "cheap" as I thought I've used there fake plants and water conditioner before.
The filter is huge for my 10 gallon I had to shave of all the plastic i could on my hood and it still had to be propped up for the filter to fit.

It has an auto start pump, even though it takes more space in the tank I love it no priming!
The filter has a sufficient enough of room for media, I placed a Aquaclear sponge in it as well as some extra blue bonded padding.
The motor is silent but the waterfall noise is pretty loud and i love that.
Anyone else use Aqueon filters? This filter seems to have the most power compared to other brands I've used in the past.

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Change of heart

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