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  1. sparkyweasel

    Raising Ricefish From Eggs Ordered Online

    Hobby Protogen is good for emergency infusoria.
  2. sparkyweasel

    When to add fish!

    It makes me feel old when you call these newfangled ideas 'traditional'. lol :)
  3. sparkyweasel

    How much of hard water can bettas tolerate?

    What were the symptoms?
  4. sparkyweasel

    Dwarf Gourami Help

    I'm sorry, but I don't think it will be very comfortable, with at least two wasting diseases. And as @Gill says the HITH is likely to spread to your other fish. I would treat the tank for HITH as a precaution.
  5. sparkyweasel

    Statement fish?

    How big is the tank?
  6. sparkyweasel

    Corydoras Glass Surfing

    Are there suitable places for them to settle? Sheltered spots in the shade and out of the flow? Suitable substrate for them to rummage in? I believe it's stress. I've never seen them do it in my tanks; they have only swum against the glass for egg-laying. I'm sure you're right, BUT when people...
  7. sparkyweasel

    Apistogramma Borelli Health and Breeding

    I find it excellent, I always keep some in case of unplanned spawnings. The only drawback is the price, which is why I don't use it for large, planned spawnings. You can also use it to start a culture. Microworms are good too. Java Moss is good, probably full of tiny creatures. If you try...
  8. sparkyweasel

    Keeping otos in a hard water area (~280 mg/L of CaCO3)

    I've had them in hard water. They do need a mature, stable tank, as @PARAGUAY says. And you need to find healthy stock, which is not always easy. If they look at all underfed they are unlikely to recover; if they have been starved during shipping they can lose essential bacteria from their...
  9. sparkyweasel

    Long post regarding my tank

    Have you see the BiUbe? Similar but cylindrical rather than spherical so it might be better for planting.
  10. sparkyweasel

    Long post regarding my tank

    If you changed one eighth of the water and your test shows the nitrate has dropped by more than half it's time to bin the test strips. :) "Total Hardness - Between 75 - 150" is that ppm? If so, I would stop worrying about hardness. (IF we can trust the test strips, but your water supplier says...
  11. sparkyweasel

    ID this hitchhiker?

    They were also known as Millions Fish in English when they were first introduced to the hobby, but the use of that name faded away and Guppy became the usual name.
  12. sparkyweasel

    Long post regarding my tank

    Please don't rush into getting a smaller tank, they are not easier to keep, and usually much harder.
  13. sparkyweasel

    Long post regarding my tank

    Limnophila seesiliflora aka Ambulia as others have said, Hygrophila difformis Water Wisteria, Hygrophila corymbosa, Elodea densa or E. crispa - you can often get a big bunch from pond shops. hth
  14. sparkyweasel

    Long post regarding my tank

    Adding more plants now will help your existing plants to thrive, and improve your water quality. Cheap stem plants are good, as they grow fast. You can replace them later with fancier types if you like. hth
  15. sparkyweasel

    Ethics of wild caught fish

    And give an incentive to preserve the habitat.
  16. sparkyweasel

    Marking on Harlequin Rasbora

    It looks like an injury to me too. Are there any sharp items (eg rocks) or aggressive tankmates?
  17. sparkyweasel

    Molly with potential dropsy? What to do.

    Mosquito larvae are good food, and free; just put a bucket or tub of water outside and they will appear. Probably a bit faster if you use old tank water.
  18. sparkyweasel

    Egg identification! NVM SOLVED!

    A water change often triggers spawning. Moving to a new tank is like a huge water change. :)
  19. sparkyweasel

    Stocking for hard water…

    Among the Apistogrammas. A cacatuoides does well and breeds in hard water. Madagascar Rainbows are not one of the smallest, but not the biggest either; and they will thrive and breed in hard water. hth
  20. sparkyweasel

    Eggs

    As @Conort2 says, moss is very useful. It will soon get populated with many and varied tiny critters for the fry to eat. And a great hiding place. Finding food and avoiding becoming food are the important things for newly-hatched fry.
  21. sparkyweasel

    Harvesting daphnia

    One reasons for people's different experiences could be that there are about 50 species of Planaria, and about 4500 species of Planarians. If you think they are nasty, don't Google Bipalium kewense. :)
  22. sparkyweasel

    Harvesting daphnia

    Glassworms perhaps? Chaoborus
  23. sparkyweasel

    Harvesting daphnia

    If there are no fish in your pond, there are probably no fish diseases or parasites. The risk would be very small and the benefits of free live food are great. Look out for mosquito larvae too.
  24. sparkyweasel

    Eggs

    Once they start, they will probably spawn regularly. If you don't get any survivors in the community tank you could set up a little hatching tank for a future batch. They are fairly tough eggs, you can pick them off with your fingers. A breeding trap would be OK, but a tank s better if...
  25. sparkyweasel

    New 160l aquarium stock ideas

    I have kept the following in hard water, 17-18°DH; Acanthopthalmus kuhlii Acanthopthalmus semicinctus Acanthopthalmus unknown sp, poss hybrid Acanthopthalmus sp var. albino Acanthopthalmus piperata All except the albinos also bred in hard water. A friend kept and bred A. myersi in the same...
  26. sparkyweasel

    Fish for Hard London Water (20 Gallon)

    Condolences to @pollyandpear .
  27. sparkyweasel

    Fish for Hard London Water (20 Gallon)

    'Bowl you a googly' would fit the bill. :)
  28. sparkyweasel

    Fish for Hard London Water (20 Gallon)

    You've had some good advice here, and it's from people who are not trying to sell you anything. :)
  29. sparkyweasel

    Fish for Hard London Water (20 Gallon)

    Yes it is. A timer switch is even better so you can have a consistent photoperiod. :)
  30. sparkyweasel

    Most of My Fish Seem Stressed and I don't Know How to Fix It

    I would remove the duct tape, unless the makers of the brand in question guarantee it is aquarium safe. You might be able to reduce the current by pointing the flow from the spraybar towards the nearest glass. Definitely get some more plants, cheap fast-growers will do for now.
  31. sparkyweasel

    Fish arriving DOA, freezing cold

    Newly-hatched Brine Shrimps and microworms for the killies. You will probably need infusoria if your Sparkling Gouramis breed, unless their tank is mature enough to be full of tiny food already. My Sparkling, and Croaking Gouramis weren't impressed with microworms, even when they grew a bit...
  32. sparkyweasel

    Fish arriving DOA, freezing cold

    I've raised killies from eggs. It's easy and fun, and the p&p is a lot cheaper :) But I was already set up to produce lots of fry food, which is the main factor in success.
  33. sparkyweasel

    Stocking thoughts?

    This sounds like a perfect excuse to set up another tank. :)
  34. sparkyweasel

    Garra flavatra dying

    Hi Michelle, and welcome!. :) It could just be coincidence that your Garra got sick just after you dosed with potassium, which should be safe. I'm assuming the potassium was in the form of an aquarium product and you followed the instructions. :) I would suggest some large water changes; they...
  35. sparkyweasel

    Blind cave fish

    I don't remember that one, so probably not one of mine.
  36. sparkyweasel

    Blind cave fish

    That one was slate and rainboow rock, and blue light like the top (upside-down) pic. I set it up. :) For either PFK or FKA (same publisher and photo studio). Those pics are polaroids taken before the proper pics for the mag. I seem to remember it looked quite good for the time, and something...
  37. sparkyweasel

    Blind cave fish

    Was it this one?
  38. sparkyweasel

    Corydora health

    That's an industrial abrasive.
  39. sparkyweasel

    Guppy variation ID’s

    I would stick to the first of those links. :)
  40. sparkyweasel

    Coldwater nano fish

    WCMMs look better in a decent-sized tank, and they will be happier. White Clouds love to swim about, dashing from end to end of the tank and chasing each other around, in and out of plants and round the hardscape.
  41. sparkyweasel

    Getting neon tetras spawning?

    and it's hard work trying to teach them to read. :)
  42. sparkyweasel

    Can theese cichlids go together?

    And so tactfully expressed. :)
  43. sparkyweasel

    Can theese cichlids go together?

    Pair for these, harem for (most) Apistogramma spp. That depends very much on the tank decor. They like hiding places/caves which are out of sight of each other, eg with plants or hardscape blocking the line of sight from one to another. Apistogramma cacatuoides is a good first Apistogramma and...
  44. sparkyweasel

    Heat getting to neon tetras/minnows?

    That temp alone shouldn't be a problem, but warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen. It also raises the fish's metabolism so they need more oxygen. It you can't reduce the temp, you could try increasing the aeration. I've kept White Clouds in a greenhouse which got much hotter in summer, but...
  45. sparkyweasel

    Can theese cichlids go together?

    I find that hard to believe. I have kept both, and I wouldn't try keeping them together. Rainbows can be aggresive, and are much bigger than Bolivians, I would think about Keyholes (as @Conort2 said) or Laetacaras. These also will be safer with your plants. Edit; Or Nannacara anomala. :)
  46. sparkyweasel

    Stocking Choices For 25L Cold Water Tank

    But Oscars like to lurk in their spot, whereas White Clouds (for example) like to dash about from one end of the tank to the other, chase each other in and out of plants, round and round hardscape and so on.
  47. sparkyweasel

    Breeding CPDs - food stages

    Try searching "culture green water". :) 1 2 3 4 5
  48. sparkyweasel

    Will domestic Apistogramma Macmasteri breed in white water or do they need clear water ?

    I had a female Nannacara anomala who tried to herd Daphnia. :)
  49. sparkyweasel

    Can air pumps stress fish?

    You could get a splitter valve and use it to bleed off some excess air. Something like this; Valve
  50. sparkyweasel

    How to feed and raise honey gouramis

    Hobby Protogen is dried, dormant infusoria. It has worked well for me, but can be hard to find. If your LFS has it. I would recommend getting some. Liquifry also works, but you have to careful not to use too much as it can foul the water; little and often is ideal. Most aquatic shops stock it...
  51. sparkyweasel

    Help Needed With Treatment!

    Thanks for a moment of light relief in this serious thread. :) Now I have to teach my fish to play. Sharkmonica
  52. sparkyweasel

    Help Needed With Treatment!

    And a lot of farm-bred fish are in poor health too.
  53. sparkyweasel

    Help Needed With Treatment!

    A lot of advertising is very carefully worded. Claiming a product can be used to treat a disease is not the same as claiming it can cure it. :)
  54. sparkyweasel

    otocinclus disease

    Absolutely! And particularly with Otocinclus, because if they go through a period of not being properly fed they are unlikely to recover.
  55. sparkyweasel

    Fish size question

    Depends how big your home is. :)
  56. sparkyweasel

    Alternative to corys

    If the substrate is too abrasive for Corys, I think it will be bad for any other fish that feed from the substrate.
  57. sparkyweasel

    Endler with swollen belly

    Pics, and any more info you can give may help.
  58. sparkyweasel

    Dwarf Pencilfish bloated/deformed?

    Found it; Pencilfish
  59. sparkyweasel

    Dwarf Pencilfish bloated/deformed?

    I think that's a good plan. I think there's a thread on here about pencilfish being sensitive to some meds.
  60. sparkyweasel

    German Rams COMING SOON - what are your top tips and tricks?

    The golden, electric blue and other mutations are even more inbred and harder to keep alive. And they don't fit in a biotope as they don't exist in nature. Bolivian Rams are a different species, and they are usually healthier and less delicate than Rams. They are also happy at a lower...
  61. sparkyweasel

    German Rams COMING SOON - what are your top tips and tricks?

    And the seller calling them 'German' is no guarantee that they are not Asian-bred, which are usually much poorer quality.
  62. sparkyweasel

    Suspected ich

    Agreed; hiding and flicking can be symptoms of many different problems.
  63. sparkyweasel

    Platys are dying

    Sadly this is very true. But people on this forum just want to help, and have nothing to sell you. If you follow the advice above I am sure you will soon have a beautiful and healthy tank. As @dw1305 says, a photo(s) of the tank could be very useful.
  64. sparkyweasel

    Platys are dying

    Absolutely, and remember to bring the new water up to the same temperature as the tank. Then post as much information about your tank and fish as possible.
  65. sparkyweasel

    Do you switch filter off when feeding

    I set up a tank for some-one with serious arthritis and used a product like this; Plug handle It helped in her case, and the family got a load more for all their plugs once they knew they existed. Maybe they would be useful for your f-i-l.
  66. sparkyweasel

    Rapidly spreading infection on a female betta - columnaris?

    I would keep her at a healthy temperature, she will be more able to fight the infection. And I wouldn't mix different medications unless they have been shown to interact well with no adverse interactions.
  67. sparkyweasel

    Best Aquarium Fish Retailers

    @Olympia Welcome! :) You might like to start a separate thread for your problem. And more information would help.
  68. sparkyweasel

    Otocinclus troubles

    A couple of questions; how big are those 'egg-like things' and where were they? In the stomach itself or in the body cavity generally, or? And as @jaypeecee asks, what are you feeding them, - and has this changed recently?
  69. sparkyweasel

    Starting to think fish!

    Definitely consider Nannacara anomala as mentioned by @Wolf6 . Full of character and happy in hard water.
  70. sparkyweasel

    Poorly Hasborus Cory

    Fluke-Solve is shrimp safe. Fluke-Solve hth
  71. sparkyweasel

    Has anyone ever seen a female Scarlet Badis?

    Well. that gave me a laugh; "Males and females are exciting to watch and often give birth to lots of small fry."
  72. sparkyweasel

    Favourite fish

    They were rare and expensive once; From Tropical Aquariums, Plants and Fishes by A. Lawrence Wells 1937; "Shortly before the 'Neon' (now known as Hyphessobrycon innessi) appeared, another fish, known by the delightful title of White Cloud Mountain Minnow, held sway. This in turn had stolen the...
  73. sparkyweasel

    Personable (possibly group/harem) centrepieces for 240l community?

    I'd go for seven; odd numbers look better. :)
  74. sparkyweasel

    Barbs and plants: how bad is it?

    I've got Rosy Barbs, with Vallis, Hygrophylla difformis, H siamensis 53B, Cryptocoryne 'beckettii' and Hydrocotyle tripartita. No signs of nibbling. I've had Cherry, Checker and Five-Banded Barbs in planted tanks with no problems. My brother kept Tiger Barbs for many years with various plants...
  75. sparkyweasel

    Cory egg care for a newbie

    When the fry of (most) egglayers hatch they have a yolk sac attached to their throat which nourishes them for the first few days. They usually lay on the bottom or in the nest for this time. Exact time varies between species and with temperature. Often about 3 or 4 days to hatch and another 5 or...
  76. sparkyweasel

    Fish Dying 1 by 1

    It's hard to say without examining the fish, but I would strongly suspect that the Dwarf Gouramis introduced an infection and/or parasites, possibly gill flukes. As @tam recommended I would try Esha 2000, which is effective against gill parasites and lots of other nasties. Very useful when you...
  77. sparkyweasel

    Green Neon Tetra over Regular Neon?

    In 1936 they were the latest thing and hadn't yet been bred. They cost £5 a pair, equivalent to about £100 today.
  78. sparkyweasel

    Dissolving fluke solve

    Yes, I think you need to stir it, and keep stirring till it dissolves. Shaking and stirring are not always interchangeable.
  79. sparkyweasel

    Help! I am Losing fish constantly!

    As well as @Kevin Eades points above; Are the fish breathing normally or fast? Is your CO2 on a timer? Does the CO2 level drop after lights-out? Do you use aeration after lights-out? If another one dies could you post pics of it? A good idea when you can't pinpoint the cause of the problem is...
  80. sparkyweasel

    Corydora Red Blotch Disease

    I agree, those fins look nibbled rather than finrot.
  81. sparkyweasel

    First dip into live food, am I doing it right?

    To raise adult Brine Shrimps needs a lot of aeration. The classic way is to make an inverted pyramid from four glass triangles siliconed together, and put the output from an air pump at the bottom. Opinion is divided on whether an airstone is better, or larger bubbles straight from the airline.
  82. sparkyweasel

    Effective anti-parasite and gill fluke medication in the UK?

    I can't remember now, but if you follow the instructions on the pack you will be fine. :)
  83. sparkyweasel

    Weird Apisto Cacatuoides

    I had one that tried to herd Daphnia as if they were her babies. Changed to the 'come here kids' colour pattern and tried to round them up. Totally unsuccessfully, of course. I stopped feeding them live daphnia after that because it seemed to distress her. She didn't try it with bloodworms or...
  84. sparkyweasel

    Effective anti-parasite and gill fluke medication in the UK?

    That's why you need Fluke-Solve aquarium medication. Not a dog or horse wormer containing Praziquantel.
  85. sparkyweasel

    Effective anti-parasite and gill fluke medication in the UK?

    Yes, the second dose is essential, and a third one won't do any harm even if it's not needed. You will have plenty in the pack.
  86. sparkyweasel

    Low stock - feeding live fish amounts

    You might be surprised at how much live food they do eat. But if the food is of freshwater origin it will live in the tank until it gets eaten, so Daphnia, bloodworms, Tubifex, mosquito larvae etc will be OK. Brine shrimps are good food, but as they live in salt water, they won't survive long...
  87. sparkyweasel

    On the verge of euthanising the entire tank and starting again. Please help.

    That sounds good. I would still give them some Daphnia, it might help and won't hurt.
  88. sparkyweasel

    On the verge of euthanising the entire tank and starting again. Please help.

    @MichaelJ I think it's a combination of lowering the pH, inhibiting pathogens and parasites, and acting as a tonic to boost the fish's ability to resist disease. There's a lot of anecdotal information about, but I don't know of many scientific studies. Not that I've looked very hard; I'm happy...
  89. sparkyweasel

    On the verge of euthanising the entire tank and starting again. Please help.

    That's a good idea, helps with all sorts of problems even if you don't know the cause. Catappa leaves are also often helpful with fish health problems. You could try some dried or freeze-dried Daphnia, it heps to purge the intestines. All of these are safe to try, won't cause any problems even...
  90. sparkyweasel

    Fish options for 240L tank

    I would get some more dwarf chain loach, they look great in a shoal.
  91. sparkyweasel

    Rams, male or female?

    Yes, six or more Rams would be good if your tank is big enough, and well-furnished. If you do manage to get one male and one female, there's no guarantee that they will like each other. Or that they will get on all of the time. You need to have the tank scaped so that they can stay out of each...
  92. sparkyweasel

    Gold tipped fins on white cloud mountain minnow

    It could be the start of your own new strain. :)
  93. sparkyweasel

    Discus has white on it, have pics that I am going to try and post. The discus swims around and eats but it looks like its getting on the eyes.

    It's good that he's still active and eating. There are dried foods you can get (over here anyway, not sure about the US) with garlic in them. They sometimes help when a fish is sick but you don't really know what's wrong. Unlike strong medications you don't have to worry about using it, and it...
  94. sparkyweasel

    Discus has white on it, have pics that I am going to try and post. The discus swims around and eats but it looks like its getting on the eyes.

    Good info there, unfortunately nothing jumps out as obviously wrong. :) Hopefully if you can get some better pics that might help. I'm pretty sure there are some Discus specialitsts on the forum who might be able to see something useful. Meanwhile the salt is useful for a wide range of problems...
  95. sparkyweasel

    Ideal food to feed Rainbow Fish for Optimal health.

    Or Calanus perhaps? :)
  96. sparkyweasel

    Discus has white on it, have pics that I am going to try and post. The discus swims around and eats but it looks like its getting on the eyes.

    Hi, he certainly looks ill, but it's hard to say why from the photos. It's always wise to suspect the water conditions. If you could give a lot more detail about your tank, water parameters, filtration, maintenance, water preparation etc it would help. Also, how old are your Discus, how many are...
  97. sparkyweasel

    Has anyone ever seen a female Scarlet Badis?

    If you want to search for info, the colour-changing cells are called chromatophores. Wiki has the basics, and a nice microscope video clip of how they contract. Wiki
  98. sparkyweasel

    API White Spot Cure - Safe?

    Protozin is not shrimp or snail safe. Octozin is the one in the Waterlife range which is s&s safe. Waterlife
  99. sparkyweasel

    Chilli Rasbora fry!!

    A lot of Corys can be encouraged to spawn by a water change using cold water.
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