Hi all, Then said these don’t look right for what they were sold as. Nice fish, they look in tip-top condition. They look more like Panaqolus sp(l002) or Panaqolus sp(l169) ? If they were Panaqolus sp(l169) they would be more orange coloured as juveniles, which might explain the confusion (or allow ...

Hi all,
It says "video is private".

Cheers Darrel

Hi all, no one to help me I don't think any-one can give you a definitive answer. This is what Ian Fuller (Coryman) said : .....These two species are not always that easy to differentiate between by colour pattern alone. In C. duplicareus the black strip tends to be broader, the body slightly deeper...

Hi all, TY for posting this Darrel. Years ago I used to read the bacteria came into tanks from the air. I did not accept this as the normal route. I worked in Saudi Arabia int the late 1970s. I was there when it was 130F in the shade and you could not see your sweat because it evaporated as fast as ...

Hi all, Thank you for the article suggestion. Interesting but inconclusive reading creating unsatisfactory learnings. I think you are right, we are still very much in a " shades of grey " world. Personally I think we are at the beginning of the discovery of novel ammonia oxidising microbes...

Hi all, ...... I culture 3 x 2000L tubs of green water algae on a weekly rotation which is flood fed (opening a valve) through my tanks - adult brood stock and growout stages all benefit. Additionally I have a 6m long bed of scoria containing edible pandan plants. The water table level rises and fal...

Hi all, ....... Maybe a bit off-topic, but I have always used plants to control nitrogen... all of my tanks have live plants, and there is never any measurable nitrate in them, in fact I sometimes add a general fertilizer to help grow the plants. I've got a recent setup (50 gals) going that's almost...

Hi all, .........From Darrel's post, this affirms my experience that a "good squeeze" from a dirty sponge filter into a new clean tank with a new sponge filter can cycle the tank in days. For the most part, that's all I do now...... I think you are right Eric, I'm guessing that nearly all ...

Hi all, Three years on I'm going to resurrect this old thread, because it contains bits that are relevant. I've recently had some correspondence with Dr Newton at the University of Wisconsin (his is the lab. referenced by @TwoTankAmin earlier in the thread ). I contacted him after reading: Bartelme ...

Hi all,

Aqua1967 wrote: ↑27 Nov 2022, 11:54Also, I’ve never found a fish that would eat them here at my house. About 15 years ago when I first experienced planaria I did try to find fish that would do the job.

I've never had any fish that eat them either.

cheers Darrel

Hi all,

sturiosoma wrote: ↑24 Nov 2022, 14:34 With my experience with Synodontis is they're a cool looking, slow moving fish that you don't get to see to often, you could try removing some of the hiding spots.

I'd go the other way, give them some more cover, even if you don't see them very often you'll know their happy.

Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Diana Walstad's book, "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist". Unfortunately she doesn't address the suitability of corys, but the book is pure gold with regards to the rest of the information it provides and is a truly in...

Hi all, .......has anyone ever kept Corydoras in a Walstad tank? I am in the process of planning my first and was wondering wether corys would mess up the bottom? ...... It depends a little bit on how you define a Walstad style tank. Personally I don't think any Corydoras sp. are suitable for a tank...

Hi all, So here's a question for everyone... how hard should I try to keep Malaysian trumpet snails out of tanks I intend to breed fish in? I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle with them, recently having contaminated another tank with a piece of wood that had been out of water and dry for the be...

Hi all, If nitrates haven't budged after such a big water change, then there are a limited number of explanations: the nitrate test kit is giving you meaningless numbers. (Or if it's color-based, maybe you're not reading the colors right). your nitrates are "through the roof" high, such th...

Hi all, .... I have removed the assassins but wondered if there was another approach I should be taking? Embrace your Ramshorn snails? They are plant and egg safe and a great tank janitor. Have a look at https://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42862 - "Live tips to save Cory eggs&qu...

Hi all, .........I’ve certainly learned a lot from my mistakes. When I look online there are tons of reported experts touting which l# is best to start with. Wondering in your opinion which non-ancistrus L# would you tell an intermediate aquarist to work with?......... I'm really sorry for your loss...

Hi all, .... I do not need to get a call that my fish are being boiled alive, I need a controller to prevent that. I am willing to pay more to get less because it will be a lot easier to use and a lot less prone to screwing it up. I am a big believer in the KISS theory. Same for me, as little electr...

Hi all,
You may struggle to find them, they have a very limited range in the wild. There are details in the COTM article.

cheers Darrel

Hi all, ......IDK if fenbendazole is efficient against hydra and Co. But I appreciate the info and the links and will take a read. Thank you. It is. I've used "Panacur" worming powder. Very effective against Hydra and Tricladia Planarians, Rhabdocoelas flatworms are fairly resistant and I'...

Hi all,

bekateen wrote: ↑14 Dec 2021, 18:32 Thanks. I'd appreciate a copy.

Cheers, Eric

If Jools doesn't forward it, PM me your email address.

cheers Darrel

Hi all,

bekateen wrote: ↑13 Dec 2021, 18:22
It'll have to come from someone else. I have an embargo period to wait before my univ gains access.

I have access to it, so hopefully heading in your direction.

cheers Darrel

Hi all, Thanks!:) I tried drying some and grinding and mixing it into repashy , so far my pleco still ate the food. Won't it be too high protein for baby bristlenose? I would think it should be fine, it is high protein for a plant, but they are plant proteins (mainly RuBisCo) so it isn't like them e...

Hi all,

jd_7655 wrote: ↑17 Nov 2021, 15:12 I can't figure out why my Corydoras always lose their whiskers.

My water parameters are stable. ........ I do a 50% water change once a week. The tank has lots of flow and good filtration. Temp is 80F.

Is it a planted tank?

cheers Darrel

Hi all, Haven't tried it but I don't see why it wouldn't work. You could also grind it wet in a food processor/blender and add a binder like gelatin to it. I used to make homemade mixes for quite some time and the fish seem to enjoy it and I've seen good results with growth and overall health. Duckw...

Hi all, I have an outbreak of green algae in my 46G tank. Is there any catfish, loach or snail species that I can add to the VERY peaceful community tank that will actually eat the algae? I have live plants and I don't have any snails or "algae eaters." Red Ramshorn snails are excellent al...

Hi all,

Woodh wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 00:09 Great looking tank, is that pennywort to the right? (I know close to nothing about plants but it looks very good!

I was just thinking that and I'm pretty sure it is "Brazilian Pennywort" (Hydrocotyle leucocephala).

cheers Darrel

Hi all,
@Jon2101 where do you live in Wiltshire? I live in Corsham.

cheers Darrel

Hi all,

Woodh wrote: ↑31 Aug 2021, 11:06 it could be due to corydoras being inherently slightly poisonous but I don't know if that's a thing!

Self-poisoning in

Corydoras(ln7)

spp. definitely is a thing.

cheers Darrel

Hi all, I use Seachem Equilibrium to boost GH with the RO water :) That is fine for dGH. Seachem won't tell you exactly what compounds are in "Equilibrium", but they are calcium chloride (CaCl2.6H20) and magnesium sulphate (MgSO4.7H2O). Details are at " UKAPS:Alternatives to Seachem E...