Hi AlaskanCorydoras, Maybe for future tanks you could look into getting a freshwater dwarf puffer? They're only the size of a pea but will completely clean out any and all snails in no time. You can't really mix them with anything else -take all your fish, shrimp etc out and large snails will still ...

Thanks Silurus,

It's quite fascinating

Morning guys, Thanks for all the input. I found an interesting link for a sailfin molly hybrids here: http://www.goliadfarms.com/pages/products/fish/livebear/mollies/green_lyretail.htm The slant of the article will be helping regular people keep 'little jimmy's' tank eco-friendly, very general, more...

Hi Racoll, I was just reading other goodies on that same site- thanks, that helps! Also I did find a list somewhere of the common injected/dyed etc species for beginners - like me- to watch out for. Just have to find it again ..no cats on the list though. Thanks psy, I guess I'm more worried about t...

Hi Bas Pels, I should have thought of that when I titled it, sorry. I'll try to change it and see if that works. Here in Canada they've done lots of hybridizing for food fish and of course they escape. Even the inland breeding tanks that were approved by the Ministry flooded once and released all th...

Hi Silurus, Congrats! This may be old hat to some but I think it must be pretty exciting. Can you give me a quick blurb as to how the process happens when someone finds a new catfish after they know it's not something else? Not the science side but the physical process, like take it to the lab/fishr...

Thank Silurus,

That's really sad but I hope the person that got them in by mistake doesn't sell them
Currently ready the other hydridizing articles in the science news bit. whew, my brain is perspiring

Hi, many of you have tried to help me set up my first catfish tank and your input saved me so many hours of trouble or heartache that could have resulted from not supplying my fish proper conditions. Thanks. My recent adventure in buying a fish that might be a hybrid but was not sold as such made me...

Hello again. I'm giving up on trying to take a picture for now. I'll wait til the new tanks ready or keep trying through the holding tank. It's just not going to happen with me so afraid of hurting him. I looked at his humeral with a magnifying glass, he just shows up either black/wet with no detail...

Hi Dave,

It's in the drop down box for HELP!

I looked everywhere but...thanks

Okay, no good pictures, was shaking too much. First time holding a fish EVER and he seems really delicate and weighs nothing. You don't have an emoticon to explain what I'm feeling right now but a smoke and a glass of wine later, I feel confident enough try again when we're both less stressed. Tomor...

Nevermind, found it on google - wish me luck

Thanks Richard B, it suggests their knowledge of synos is not great :( I'm slowly learning which people there are the fish-people and which ones are, um, learning. I should only talk to one of the two guys that always have a line-up waiting. I got the catfish 'sleeping' and have him in a clear plant...

Hi Sidguppy, The little fish store was being more courteous than sneaky I think. I wouldn't want a stranger being given my name without my permission either. Also the person is not considered a 'supplier' but I'll keep trying to find out more. Just to photograph the parents might help. we need a goo...

Thanks Chrysichthys,

I'll check my list and make sure those corys aren't on it

Cheers

Hi Matt,

...they will eat up any small fish in the night.....

By 'small fish', would you think corys would be my minimum size? Say over 1 inch? I have a few on my Wish-Fish-List that are just a bit bigger than that but not too much.

Thanks for your help,
Tana

Thanks Silurus, Plans are finally coming together :thumbsup: Other than the fact that my good-wood pile is under several feet of snow. Digging and cleaning it tomorrow, carving, sticking, pinning the wood bits for the backdrop after they're cleaned. Flourite's due then too and have suitable sand for...

Hi, Looks like I may have a chance to get 2 Agamyxis Pectinifrons (Spotted Raphael) when my new tank's up. How do you like these guys in with smaller cats, corys, hisonotus leucofrenatus. Possibly with the S.nigriventris x6(?) and S.ocellifer? Am I courting disaster here? Only have the S.ocellifer s...

Just spoke to the LFS people about the S.ocellifer breeder and though they can't give up the person's name, they did say that he comes in once in a while and will pass along info about this website and that any breeding tips would be a nice addition to the cat-elog. Asked them to pass along my info ...

Thanks guys,

I feel less panicked now.
I'll find out what I can about the breeder,maybe there's a goldmine in my backyard. You never know.

Cheers!

Hello again, I was just reading up on Synodontis ocellifer and there's a huge difference in sizes mentioned, several state that he can get up to 19 inches! Eek! I think he may have been mis-identified in more ways than one! The cat-elog says 7.9 inches and that's still several inches larger than I w...

Hi Birger,
I wasn't meaning to infer that Silurus was wrong, hope it didn't come off that way

It was just the 'locally bred' thing that made me weary that it would be a true species and not a hybrid. The cat-elog say that they're 'bred' by injection. And he was very cheap

Thanks,
Tana

Hi Richard B, I did mean to say locally bred, that's why I wondered if it was a hybrid. It was certainly mislabeled if it's Synodontis ocellifer. There was only one but the price was right and he's beautiful. The LFS is relatively new and run by people who left a chain-type store went conditions wen...

Hi Silurus, Thanks, that would be nice since they stay smaller, water is consistent with what I have already. I'm going to try to find out who the breeder is to see if I can get a look at the parents. None of the cat-elog pages really talk about growth rate except in extreme cases. Can you give me a...

Hi, I'm a total newbie to catfish but I think this might be Synodontis decora, maybe a hybrid? Locally bred. Waiting out a few months in my danio tank while the other is set up. A positive ID would help make his temporary home more comfy. New to fish pictures too, sorry these are ****. Thanks in adv...

Hi Jools, It looks like you already got a good link to one but I found this one as well. There's also mechanical ones but I can't find them on a quick search. http://cgi.ebay.ca/Horizontal-Float-Switch-for-Aquarium-Auto-Top-Off_W0QQitemZ180320368473QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_2?hash=item1803...

Hi Jools, What a dream you have there! Can't wait to see it finished. Couple of ideas to throw in: Brilliant! Maybe I should set up a home brewing operation in the Fishroom? -Shane Beer and wine brewing make co2 for plants if you decide to do an aquascape thing. Lasts much longer than 3 weeks :D For...

Hi, I've seen quite a few somewhat similar looking catfish (to a newbie :) ), mottled brownish and then when they're identified correctly by the group, the fish in the picture is usually more colourful or marked. I know some fish species are bland as youngsters and colour up with age and the correct...

Hi, This may be handy, it's the co2/PH/KH chart that some people use to check that both o2 and co2 levels are good for the fish and plants. It's not gospel but many people who have heavily planted tanks FOR the fish they keep seem to use this. Personally, I'm still trying to get my head around it :o...

Hi yettsca, I'm certainly not the expert but if you want a really good iron boost for your plants that never needs replacing, try the substate/gravel call Flourite. It's quite fine but not as fine as sand. Don't rinse it but add it through a straw down to the root/crown area (don't bury a crown). No...