Pleco breeder, thanks for the response. I think I have narrowed it down to velvet. What is the best way to treat velvet? I have scanned several sites and haven't found any definite answer for fighting it. This is the first time I have encountered it and surprisingly it has flared up in the tank that...

Thanks again Barbie, I'm glad I can always count on you. I did a few searches on oodium (velvet) this morning and it seems that it is what it is. I have done additional waterchanges and medicated with malachite green and coppersafe velvet remedy. In addition I have raised the temp , added salt and c...

My albino ancistrus tank has turned from first spawn to disaster. The fish are not just gasping for air but covered with tiny spots - on the albino ancistrus it looks more yellowish then white but it is more then I have noticed on any fish ever having ick - in combination with thes the tailfin and s...

I used Melafix yesterday , before that I can't recall. I'm trying to figure out what would make these 2 tanks different from others I have - since water- chemistry, changes , parameters and temperature are same or similar for a number of tanks I have as is feeding. On the ancistrus tank I did daily ...

Thanks CE, as I mentioned in the initial post the tanks are 20 and 30 g with an AC200 HOB on the 20 and a PH with venture + aquasponge with air on the 30. IMO the fishload is moderate on the 20 and very low on the 30g. The 30 also has gravel. I mentioned the readings in the previous post as I usuall...

I have lost a few fish that originated in a particular tank - thinking that it was my own fault for the most part but the deaths seemed pretty unexplainable. The original holding tank where the fish were for about 3-6 months was a 20g with an AC 200 , temp 82-84 , PH7.8, GH 11 (tapwater) no additive...

Danger is my middle name


Well - not really.

Magnum4,
any idea how much they run?

Have you used them?
How well do they last and how often do you recallibrate?
Thanks

OK, I think I may understand it a little better now. Bakingsoda will boost the KH but also the ph which isn't what I want. Mixing RO water(0 GH) with 25% tap water( 10 GH)make my water about 2.5 GH which would be pretty good and soft. At this point I should add the PH reducer? And pretty much any co...

I'm no expert but I think it looks a bit like the L-015. I would like to get some of those but the last fish I saw labled as such was quite grey and listless so I didn't bother, had it looked like yours I would have gotten it.

I understand the buffering of water (I think) . By adding bakingsoda ( not sure what quantity) to the water , it will be better able to hold the PH steady. What I would like is to take my incoming water (PH7.8 and GH 10) bring it to GH 0 and closer to a neutral 7 PH . Then add however much buffer (I...

If attempting to keep/spawn blackwater species from soft and acid water - how do you recreate that water? My first step will obviously be and RO/DI system to bring the water hardness to 0 but if I understand it correctly the PH will be neutral (7) . Now how do you get it to 6 or 6.5 ? I've heard tha...

Thanks pturley, I got a response from another board about the probes not lasting long - really shortlived in SW I was told. By not lasting long what do you mean? Lets say 50 tests a week - how many weeks until it has to be recallibrated and until the probe wears out? I have only come across the Pinp...

Bottomdwellin,
What store and where did you get those from?

Thanks Barbie, it's good to know I can always count on you :D I couldn't get the link to work but I assume that it is the same as Marcus posted to my Q in Aquarium maintenence on Aquamojo. Apparantly the units go for $68 (?) Do you know if the company ships to theUS? So after getting that I should h...

I am thinking of getting a PH monitor and a hardness monitor so it will be easier to check the tanks . Especially when trying to simulate a rainy season by lowering the PH & TDS. The Milwaukee units have caught my eye - anyone used them? I saw these advertised by Thatfishplace and am wondering i...

Well I am concidering taking a plunge and getting an RO unit for some species that I am having a hard time with and also to try using purer water to induce breeding. Since I know nuthin' , I figured I would ask the braintrust here - someone always seems to have experience with what ever it is. I am ...

Thanks Caol_ila,
yes you are right , I looked at the panaque maccus and it appears that it is what it is, thanks.
It may be aqualog I was thinking about - sorry. I just happened to see one at a store under the other number and felt confused.

Very cool!

Caol_ila, I see what you mean about the proximity of the two dorsals - they are not as close on mine as on the L-003. L-017 seems to be more like it, I have a couple more pics and one shows the mouth quite well too. It is unfortunate that the Cat-e-log doesn't seem to conform with the Datz or some o...

Barbie, the clowns are not in the best of shape ( a little ragged) but I picked them up since I already have one which I guessed was a female - very plump. As you mention , once they settle down and heal up a bit they seem to attain a bit of a lyre tail and the dark color darkens while the bands lig...

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL22/551337/2987853/46085686.jpg http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL22/551337/2987853/46085645.jpg I bought it as an L-003 - is it? And is the one behind an L-204 (clown pleco) ? I'm assuming it is. If that is the case I have a question about sexing, breeding , feeding an...

The question has been burning in my mind for a while but culminated this past week. When I was getting some food for the fish and stood in line at the LFS I overheard one lady in front of me discussing Otocinclus with the clerk . They were both complaining of otos eating some of their fish - the cle...

Metallhd -
thanks that's a good one!
I'll definitly try it - not only will I remove them from the tank I don't want them in but I can feed them to the clownloaches!

I've had ancistrus suck the life outof numerous large plants - by the time I caught on. And then you have to chase them out of the tank :evil: Depending on what kind of algae you are looking to control , there are different choices but none will magically clean everything up. You have to do some wor...

The tanks vary between 10 and 40 , I guess they must have come in on plants. I don't really mind them in fry tanks as they eat any food that falls to the bottom and any fry that die but don't really bother the live fry. With eggs it's another story.

I just had some apistos spawn and I'm afraid the snails got the eggs - I try to pick them out every day but it seems they breed quicker then rabbits. I have a tank where I am hoping to see some albino ancistrus action soon but that one has a number of snails too . In the future I'm hoping to get the...

I have a few that I need to do and since I just completed the first I thought I might share in case it is of help to someone else:
http://208.51.130.220/~mojo/cgi-bin/yab ... 8;start=15

First I would like to congratulate and thank you (Barbie&Rusty) for creating the contest. I think it is a really great new feature and am looking forward to try to partake in it. Now for input: - when I try to check up on the contest I am having a hard time finding my way to it. Could a link be ...

First I want to thank all and everyone for the replies. Eventhough this is a catfish forum you have helped me very much and not scolded me for bringing up the unthinkable ( cichlids) :shock: It has given me a lot of perspective on keeping some fish like rams but also the though of other species and ...