Search found 163 matches

by aquaholic
14 Feb 2024, 01:32
Forum: South American Catfishes (Callichthyidae - Corys et al)
Topic: Breeding corydoras
Replies: 3
Views: 405

Re: Breeding corydoras

I use a dedicated cory spawning tank that is 4 foot long with a shallow water depth to reduce egg predation. Aim one end of tank towards a window to catch sunrise and introduce specific broodstock the afternoon before. The broodstock have been separated by sex and preconditioned with protein heavy f...
by aquaholic
31 Dec 2023, 23:50
Forum: South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)
Topic: Help acclimating and feeding new Scobinancistrus
Replies: 6
Views: 918

Re: Help acclimating and feeding new Scobinancistrus

You could put in a tank divider? Doesn't need to be glass.

Or set up a holding tank from any water tight container. Large bucket, wheelie bin, box lined with plastic sheet, wheelbarrow etc. It's only for a few weeks.
by aquaholic
24 Dec 2023, 03:53
Forum: South American Catfishes (Everything else)
Topic: Update on Batrochoglanis cf. villosus
Replies: 10
Views: 3705

Re: Update on Batrochoglanis cf. villosus

Adding my sympathies and condolences as well. I have been through similar episodes several times. The more fish you keep, the more chances this will occur. One episode was particularly traumatic for me. I had a 15,000L Intex above ground pool that was heavily stocked with large exotic fish. Most exo...
by aquaholic
13 Dec 2023, 00:12
Forum: South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)
Topic: Panaqolus claustellifer (L306) spawn after long break
Replies: 8
Views: 2506

Re: Panaqolus claustellifer (L306) spawn after long break

Good news and nice update! Yes there is a progressive maturity in fish keeping skills. Initially keeping fish successfully, then getting spawning and then being able to spawn fish on que. Finally becoming more efficient and effective at doing so. (Higher success rates and with less effort). That all...
by aquaholic
09 Dec 2023, 23:25
Forum: Tank Talk
Topic: Nitto Kohki Medo LA80B blower, opinions
Replies: 1
Views: 2052

Re: Nitto Kohki Medo LA80B blower, opinions

Hello Duzzy, I had a look at those a few years ago but opted for diaphragm style air pumps instead. I have tried turbine blowers too. So not able to directly answer your query but happy to provide my observations. What air volume (how many tanks) and what water depth (pressure) do you require? And h...
by aquaholic
16 Nov 2023, 03:28
Forum: South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)
Topic: Problem keeping L172a alive
Replies: 3
Views: 1858

Re: Problem keeping L172a alive

If starvation is suspected, I would add some raw shrimp meat or mussel into their hiding spots at night.

Preferably in their own smaller species only tank for a few months so you can monitor them properly.
by aquaholic
15 Nov 2023, 01:33
Forum: South American Catfishes (Callichthyidae - Corys et al)
Topic: Mortal disease: treatment ?
Replies: 5
Views: 1338

Re: Mortal disease: treatment ?

There is a huge amount of information online. For example https://eshalabs.com/how-to-take-a-skin-scrape/ Corydoras are armoured fish which makes skin scrapes and visually spotting skin ailments much harder as the armor hides their skin (white spot for example is best identified behaviourally for co...
by aquaholic
15 Nov 2023, 00:22
Forum: Tank Talk
Topic: Tank age and leaks
Replies: 16
Views: 4016

Re: Tank age and leaks

Some of those public aquarium tanks were over 150mm thick and would have been professionally designed and installed. I'm sure all tanks can fail. It's just that big tanks may fail spectacularly. I've had glass tanks fail too. As previous owner of several retail aquarium stores which provided install...
by aquaholic
14 Nov 2023, 02:59
Forum: Tank Talk
Topic: Tank age and leaks
Replies: 16
Views: 4016

Re: Tank age and leaks

What size(s) of tanks and what materials were you considering? For larger and deeper tanks, it's actually best to have small spacing (1~2mm) between panels whether using silicone or PU. Silicone technology has improved with longer warrantied working life, structural grade strengths, modulus (amount ...
by aquaholic
13 Nov 2023, 09:44
Forum: South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)
Topic: Panaqolus claustellifer (L306) spawn after long break
Replies: 8
Views: 2506

Re: Panaqolus claustellifer (L306) spawn after long break

If you have an oxygen gas cylinder, you can boost the dissolved oxygen in the late afternoon for an early morning spawn. Either with a slow bubbling airstone (more wasteful) or an underwater trapped chamber of oxygen (inverted bowl - repurposed media reactor - etc) that will reduce down as oxygen ge...
by aquaholic
12 Nov 2023, 02:01
Forum: South American Catfishes (Callichthyidae - Corys et al)
Topic: Mortal disease: treatment ?
Replies: 5
Views: 1338

Re: Mortal disease: treatment ?

Sounds like gill or skin flukes but without a microscope check everything is speculation. Do you have access to a low powered microscope? Even a cheap USB or plastic kids microscope is sufficient for 200X magnification. Some smaller protozoan parasites (example - costia) are harder to find than huge...
by aquaholic
12 Nov 2023, 01:29
Forum: Tank Talk
Topic: Tank age and leaks
Replies: 16
Views: 4016

Re: Tank age and leaks

Copying the trend from public aquarium, I've started using PU for my new aquarium builds and re-builds as the technology provides better tensile strength, gap bridging and longevity over silicone. Especially for larger deeper tanks including glass - glass, glass - steel, glass - acrylic, etc. The be...
by aquaholic
24 Oct 2023, 02:03
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Auchenoglanis mess
Replies: 14
Views: 2586

Re: Auchenoglanis mess

Posting a comment for all readers, not just previous parties: Another significant consideration to this is the actual fine print in the TERMS which users agree to on whichever platform an image is publicly posted. Facebook for example can (and will if needed) claim complete IP ownership of posted im...
by aquaholic
21 Oct 2023, 01:58
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Auchenoglanis mess
Replies: 14
Views: 2586

Re: Auchenoglanis mess

Hello Viktor, no criticism at all towards you is intended otherwise I would have contacted you privately.

My post was more of a supportive comment for Cory-headache.
by aquaholic
20 Oct 2023, 00:33
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Auchenoglanis mess
Replies: 14
Views: 2586

Re: Auchenoglanis mess

Interesting question Viktor. I've no idea and it would be extremely difficult to determine even inaccurately but as Cory-headache claims photo ownership, I suspect it does bother him. Having my photos taken definitely bothered me considerably but I was able to retain my interest in fish photography ...
by aquaholic
19 Oct 2023, 06:06
Forum: South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)
Topic: help sexing these 2 groups of L-236 RB line
Replies: 8
Views: 1114

Re: help sexing these 2 groups of L-236 RB line

I hope you didn't skip over my advice about the best way to sex fish is their behaviour. Especially interactions with another fish of a known sex. Spending lengthy time is next best as fish shapes and body profiles can change dramatically from minute to minute. Trying to sex fish from a photo is les...
by aquaholic
19 Oct 2023, 06:00
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Auchenoglanis mess
Replies: 14
Views: 2586

Re: Auchenoglanis mess

Posting nice or informative images online is essentially inviting someone to copy (steal) and use - often mis use elsewhere. It's a sad fact of life. I am an avid hobbyist fish photographer. I have terrabytes of photos spanning decades of fish keeping and collecting however I stopped posting photos ...
by aquaholic
16 Oct 2023, 23:10
Forum: South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)
Topic: help sexing these 2 groups of L-236 RB line
Replies: 8
Views: 1114

Re: help sexing these 2 groups of L-236 RB line

If your trying to breed, the best advice I have is to buy both groups (and more) giving you the chance to sort for quality, personality and sex by behaviour and interaction over time and which I find more reliable than external differences. Having a bigger breeding pool saves you a lot of time overa...
by aquaholic
04 Oct 2023, 00:18
Forum: Tank Talk
Topic: My Public Aquarium: exhibit blues - how to make them?
Replies: 1360
Views: 432137

Re: My Public Aquarium: exhibit blues - how to make them?

Today is the day... The wels makes me uneasy. It's a gamble either way you slice it, to my mind. The pros are that the wels is relatively docile, he doesn't like large items to swallow dead or alive, the pima are alert, they get a chance to grow in the big tank which may eliminate their desire to j...
by aquaholic
10 Sep 2023, 08:03
Forum: African Catfishes
Topic: Featherfin sores
Replies: 3
Views: 1336

Re: Featherfin sores

One of the golden rules for fish keeping is that if you have an unknown problem and fish aren't happy then do a large water change.

It wouldn't hurt to do a good clean on substrate and filters too.
by aquaholic
10 Sep 2023, 07:58
Forum: Tank Talk
Topic: My Public Aquarium: exhibit blues - how to make them?
Replies: 1360
Views: 432137

Re: My Public Aquarium: exhibit blues - how to make them?

Great video on cleaning the sump Viktor. This method seems much easier? Even more enjoyable as we all get to watch without having to get dirty ourselves. As you already know, I use several joined rain water tanks to create my sump total volume. This multi chamber approach allows you to accurately pl...
by aquaholic
19 Aug 2023, 10:41
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Neoarius graeffei (?)
Replies: 13
Views: 1924

Re: Neoarius graeffei (?)

Unfortunately it's a fact of life when fish get too big for your tanks. You can either get rid of the fish or get bigger tank(s). If you only have one of this fish, it will mostly stay in one of the back top corners of your tank where it can see its own reflection (from 2 adjacent glass sheets). The...
by aquaholic
19 Aug 2023, 10:22
Forum: South American Catfishes (Callichthyidae - Corys et al)
Topic: White spot
Replies: 1
Views: 956

Re: White spot

Flubendazole won't affect white spot. Corydoras like other armoured catfish can easily get whitespot very badly since you can't see their skin. If you want a safe chemical free treatment, use an overpowered UV filter with a tank turnover at least once an hour. You need at least 60,000 µWsec/cm2 dosa...
by aquaholic
18 Aug 2023, 07:37
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Pleco Identification
Replies: 54
Views: 22522

Re: Pleco Identification

About thirty years ago there were Bushy Nose Plecos - (Ancistris spp) in Australia that had very long and double branched, possibly triple branched bristles. A huge mass of pronounced impressive headgear. Some of the older text books and fish magazines might have examples. Australia would follow wor...
by aquaholic
16 Aug 2023, 01:42
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Neoarius graeffei (?)
Replies: 13
Views: 1924

Re: Neoarius graeffei (?)

A tigrinum catfish is considerably more sensitive with water quality and aquarium demands than a RTC and in my opinion will require a bigger tank than a RTC. Not just theoretical, that's been my experience. What is a "normal size" tank? The technology and availability in glass and adhesive...
by aquaholic
15 Aug 2023, 09:41
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Neoarius graeffei (?)
Replies: 13
Views: 1924

Re: Neoarius graeffei (?)

by aquaholic
15 Aug 2023, 09:32
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Neoarius graeffei (?)
Replies: 13
Views: 1924

Re: Neoarius graeffei (?)

I've no idea why data bases copy each other but it's a good wake up call not to believe everything you read including some well respected text books. If you search for forktail catfish or salmontail catfish in Australia you should find plenty of examples of larger fish. I've got 2 myself that I've k...
by aquaholic
13 Aug 2023, 08:04
Forum: What is my catfish?
Topic: Neoarius graeffei (?)
Replies: 13
Views: 1924

Re: Neoarius graeffei (?)

Neoarius graeffei will get to 80cm despite what literature says. Becoming quite wide and solid (heavy) fish. They will eat almost anything. The mouth gape is a good indication. They prefer to school so get at least another 3 or 4 (and a much bigger tank or pond). Squeak - grunt when out of water.
by aquaholic
10 Aug 2023, 15:54
Forum: Tank Talk
Topic: In your experience, has artificial turf hurt your fish?
Replies: 5
Views: 2122

Re: In your experience, has artificial turf hurt your fish?

Hi Viktor, Having the filtration within a tank is fundamentally simpler, safer and cheaper than external filtration but access for cleaning becomes less convenient. A small fluidised sand filter using an inverted traffic cone either above tank or submerged would provide ample biological fitration. A...
by aquaholic
05 Aug 2023, 03:21
Forum: South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)
Topic: Rio Itaya black Rineloricaria lanceolata spawned
Replies: 48
Views: 5644

Re: Rio Itaya black Rineloricaria lanceolata spawned

Looks like your raising lots of fish successfully! Since you have so many babies, I suggest you grow algae on 200mm x 20mm x 20mm lengths of hardwood stakes instead of plates. (Most garden suppliers sell stakes). I drill a hole at one end and use coat hanger wire to hook onto tank sides and algae ta...

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