I was trying to look up Synodontis ornatipinnis in the cat-elog and found I get the same message when I click on the species name. For instance, this link: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=552 Gives me this error message: [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file /home/webcat/pla...

Sorry--didn't mean to be mean, just humorous. I believe I have already conversed with wet-handed before--I don't consider him/her new here. Barring any info one can glean from the links provided in my link, I think Dave Rinaldo gave good info: find a good LFS and ask them for info. If they don't kno...

I'm not from your area, but this might help :
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=michigan+aquarium+society

Shane, do you have a thermometer on your pond? We've been having some very hot weather here. I imagine it's similar by you. Any idea what the temp is going up to during the day?

One recommendation I have is to remember to keep an eye on your pH. When you have a tank full of wood eating fish, the pH tends to go south in a hurry. I recommend putting crushed coral or dolomite in one of your filters in order to help buffer the pH.

Welcome. I was just hanging out with your friend Sativa the other night. She says to say high.

While not a "royal pleco", I would highly recommend Panaque sp(l204) as a beautiful panaque that does not get large. You can even keep this particular species in high pH water. I've kept them in the past in my riverine tank and there was nothing special I had to do for them--besides keep a...

It's probably no surprise I'm a big fan of primitive fish. As such, those are some lovely gar. What type of external parasite was the culprit? Gill flukes? If you don't mind sharing, what's the story behind the rescue of the 'gator gars? Don't tell me it was some teenager who thought it would be coo...

Viktor Jarikov wrote:tongs

I would think something like this would be perfect:

Ahh... just a heads up and addendum to my previous post. I didn't realize Route 4 Aquarium changed hands recently. I have heard some unsavory things about the guy who runs the fish department there from a former employer of his. Not looking to start any trouble, but I thought I'd provide full disclo...

This should really be in the "Wanted (USA & Canada)" section, no?

Redtail sharks can become quite nasty--especially towards anything that has a black dorsal fin. Assuming your tanks are large enough to accomodate more fish, I would think the oto cats would be fine in either of your tanks. Corydoras cats would also probably be okay too, but they NEED to have a sand...

Ahoy! Welcome aboard

Yes, it is definitely Synodontis angelica . What size tank did you have it in? Were there plenty of places to hide? I ask because I think it is somewhat unusual that your S. angelica was attacking your discus. My S. angelica have had a few battles with my Uaru cichlids, but that was mainly from terr...

They sell them as swai in the local supermarkets here. Imported from Vietnam. The method of capture helps with the flavor.

I am looking to acquire a group of ~9 Ranchu (fancy goldfish), preferably all from the same bloodlines, which I eventually will attempt to breed. As such, I'm looking for quality greater than common LFS stock. I would definitely prefer to get them locally, however, I am open to receiving shipped fis...

Richard B wrote:Iridescent get huge and are easily startled

They also are great fileted and pan-fried with olive oil, garlic, and pepper.

Looks great. I'll bet your back is feeling better by now too. Keep taking those rum drinks, as needed, for prophylaxis.

I bet if you keep small enough species of fish, nothing as far as raccoons, bears, nor piscivorous birds are going to try to eat them.

Now where did I put the butter, garlic, and lemons?

Viktor Jarikov wrote:VJ: I am a low-level hobbyist.

Understatement of the year!

I find it pretty sad that the guy didn't take the steps necessary to properly record his catch. He spent at least 45 minutes trying to bring the hooked fish in. Could have been a state record, but now we'll never know. He should have called someone from the TX department of parks & wildlife to r...

Indeed. Anything that mechanically increases exchange of atmospheric gases in your water will usually benefit the whole biocycle. As I have no plans for adding CO2, I will put the airstones back in. A lot of new substrate floating in the tank this morning. The airstones will help sink 'em. Exchange ...

That's what I thought you meant. Just wanted to clarify. Thanks.

I added about 20 more lbs. of substrate to the tank. I'm using Kahuna Soil by Carib Sea. Will rearrange the java fern and anchor it all onto the driftwood today during a water change. I'll try to take some pics tonight.

2wheelsx2 wrote:

Scleropages wrote:I wonder if the plants would do better without them (airstones).

It's a bit complex to answer depending on your setup, but in general no.

Just so I understand, you are saying that you think plants in a non-CO2-injected tank will do better with an airstone than without?

One other thing I've been thinking about regarding my tank are the airstones. I have had two airstones running continuously in it (one as part of a large sponge filter) since I set up the tank a few years ago. I wonder if the plants would do better without them. I also have an Eheim canister filter ...

Thanks for your help, everyone. I think I am going to add another cm of substrate to my tank--a 45gal (36" x 12" x 24"). I have fertilizer pellets but don't add them much because I think the plant growth is mainly limited by my current available lighting. Right now, I have one Coralif...

Darrel, that's some lush plant growth you got there. As Borat says, verrrrnice. If you don't mind sharing, what are the tank's dimensions and what type of lighting do you have on it? Also, when you write "thick" and "thin" to describe substrate depth, how thick or thin? Can you g...

Do you want an active catfish that swims a lot during the day? Or, does visibility of the catfish not matter to you? Synodontis alberti was the first thing that popped into my mind when I read your post--long barbels, looks cool, will be fine with your current stock. They don't quite reach 7" T...

Thanks for your answers. I have a planted tank with a substrate depth of 1-2cm and I wonder if it would benefit the plants (Crypts & Java fern, mostly) for it to be more like 3-4cm. I have plenty of extra substrate--I just don't want to add more than the plants need--easier to keep clean with le...

I finally got out for four hours of trout fishing on the Rockaway River this morning and... nothing. My friend caught a couple sunnies and a couple chub. We saw a few trout, but they were not biting on anything. My friend told me that, a month ago, they were biting like crazy. Oh well. We're going t...