I keep a substrate that has sand with particles up to about 2mm in size. Most of my tanks are planted and this works well for the plants. It also works well for any fish, especially catfish, which dig in the substrate. A few of my tanks have play sand in them but I don’t like it as well as the sand ...

I just let the tubs overflow when it rains. If I know we are going to get a lot of rain I sometimes lower the water level an inch. However, rain overflow allows for water changes and if we get rain on a regular bases I get regular natural automatic water changes. The trick without losing fish when i...

You should have lots of fun with your tub. It is just about the right size to keep and breed 2 species in if you do it right. I don’t think that I have ever kept any Australian fish species in my ponds or tubs but I have kept and bred rainbow fish (Melanotaenia boesemani and Pseudomugil gertrudae) i...

This is turning out to be a good discussion. Blackhawker, on the AH they have very good instructions on how to wire the kits and it is pretty easy. They actually call them retro kits as you can mount them inside of existing florescent fixtures and since there are so many different types of fixtures ...

I make my own lights as well, actually just put them on 2x4's but use a little different fixture. I by my lighting from a company called AH Supply http://www.ahsupply.com They are not hard at all to put together, really I am not much of a DIY guy especially when it comes to electrical things but the...

What fish are you keeping or maybe breeding in those little round ponds or in the heart shapped pond? Small ponds work great for breeding small aquarium fish even catfish. I wouldn't put any in with the koi as they would be a quick snack for them. I wish I had a bigger yard or was in the suburbs so ...

It has been some time since I have updated on my progress with these fish. I am now on Batch # 4. First let me say thanks for the tips on feeding. I think it has helped me develop my current successful strategy on feeding. Batch 1; Four fry survived, most eaten by snails. Fry are about 1-1/2” long B...

That is a great looking tank! I really like the way you did the background. I am going to try my hand at something like that. Thanks for sharing.

So now it is a week later and all of the eggs hatched, about half Tuesday and half yesterday. The picture is of one fry. I am amazed at how fast they sucked up their yoke sacks. The sad news is I know some of the fry were eaten by snails after hatching and before they were able to swim away. But I h...

Thanks for the compliment on the picture. I am steadily getting better. Thanks for the ideas on food. I have been thinking about that since this is a 29 gallon tank. However, my most immediate problem is to figure out where to move the school of Poecilia gilli that also call this tank home. I am not...

So I have been working for some time with these fish. I purchased them in the fall of 2009 at a Michiana Aquarium Society auction, and was given a couple more last summer by someone who only had two left. The bag was labeled as Sturisoma Sp. Aff. festivum aquarium strain. They do appear to be Sturis...

Thanks for all of the input. I have been busy this week with work and have not had the opportunity to take some more pictures. I am going to try to take some better ones this weekend and will post the best of what I can take. However, I am now thinking that it is C118 as people are suggesting. As an...

Hello, I purchased a group of 5 Aspidoras catfish at one of my local club meetings. It was labeled as Aspidoras "Black phantom" but clearly they are not. I have had these for a few months and true to form they are breeding really well for me. The closest that I can come to identifying them...