Recent content by JamieBAnd

A slow but steady trick for adding calcium to the water and increase hardness is to get calcium, such as chicken grit, or maybe even broken up cuttlebone, in a mesh net in the filter. Slow but steady release. I’ve a friend who uses it in her pond for acidic water that was too acidic for her fish.

Peroxide is the stuff you buy at the store for wounds. It’s essentially water with an extra oxygen attached. It’s safe for fish in moderation. Scrub your wood, douse it in peroxide, let it dry, apply the other stuff if you want, rinse and try it back in the tank. Test your water, nitrate...

My many, many guppies started at just 8. They’ll breed, and breed, and breed, but if you would like the population to increase, add plants and hiding spaces for the babies to hide in. But once you reach how many you want, the only way to prevent more breeding is to separate the males from the...

Melafix isn’t good for fin rot. It more treats wounds. The teatree oil in it and a natural wound cleaner. Prevents infection, doesn’t cure it.

Not big enough to mate yet, but they could be establishing who’s in charge. Get plants, lots of plants, some hard scape, create areas out of sight to let the chased one get out of sight of the other so it can rest.

I’m told by the guy I got these from these are blue diamond/ blue dream, so I’m gathering that they are the blue variant of cherry shrimp. No java moss, I’ve got java fern, will have a small pot of Anubias once I get it repotted, and dwarf sag. There are other plants I don’t recall the name of...

Everything is worth trying once( except toxic/ deadly stuff, but again, that’s subjective, and can be based on an individual basis). I think I would still qt them, in a high heat area, to see what else may pop out. However, potassium permanganate is a good dip, and neutralized by peroxide I...

I use the API fresh water liquid test kit, it doesn’t have that either. It has ph, high ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. I have seen molting skins from the larger ones, but until yesterday, I had guppies in there so if any babies hatched, I didn’t know, and presumably the fish or nymph got them...

Ok. That’s a commendable idea.

How long has the pond been running? Cement can leach out chemicals. If it’s well established, you’re good. If it has good sun, you might research various water lillies, they bloom, are beautiful, but require a pot, substrate ( pure cheap clay cat litter works) , and you’ll have to pull them...

Guppies, but you’ll want to watch your betta to be sure they aren’t eating all her food. I have a roughly 100 gallon indoor pond of just guppies. I set it up with a mini bog filter, and I like it. My cats like to drink the water from the bog filter! Ignore the purple looking light in some of the...

There are ways to make an above ground pond with plexiglass sides so you can see the fish. This would require skill to build, unless you have an indoor area that can insulate and protect against strong temperature changes. If you do, you’ll need to be on a concrete floor, or risk flooring issues...

Most folks buy their pumps. Ideally, you want to move the pond water volume 1 1/2-2x per hour through the filter, except for bog filters, which require slower flow. For the larger volumes of water, you can either keep fish that don’t require absolutely pristine conditions, or get multiple pumps...

Nope, I’m no expert on the small slimy things. But I’d be washing all those plants in a bleach or potassium permanganate solution, and setting them in a plain water quarantine for about a month before putting them in my tanks. That’ll give you time to see if there are other weird things in there.

From what I’m reading, it sounds like your betta has damaged gills. It picked a spot that provided higher oxygenated water. Before using the clove oil, try adding an air pump, with as big an airstone as you can, to diffuse the air into many tiny bubbles, thus increasing the oxygen exchange. Yes...