Aquamaniacs

Bettas :: RE: Cycling 1 gallon bowl?

alpha_betta — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:12:58 GMT

Author: alpha_betta
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:12 pm (GMT -4)

Just an update: I took a reading today and my nitrites are 0, my nitrates are about 10 ppm and most importantly my ammonia reads as 0. So my tank has cycled I'll see about adding some cory catfish sometime in the future ... I'm not sure how my betta will react though. Thanks again.

Bettas :: RE: Cycling 1 gallon bowl?

BeckyAndKristinsMa — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:44:40 GMT

Author: BeckyAndKristinsMa
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:44 pm (GMT -4)

Alpha, you are sure taking great care of your lucky guy!

General Aquarium :: MAY TRY ANGEL FISH AGAIN

Jack — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:32:32 GMT

Author: Jack
Subject: MAY TRY ANGEL FISH AGAIN
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:32 pm (GMT -4)

My fish are all doing very well. In my 90 gal tank I have several Tiger Barbs some Cory cats and 7 Kuhlii Loaches. Im thinking of getting rid of my Tiger Barbs and putting maybe 4 or 5 Angel Fish in the tank again. I didn't have very good luck with them last time but that was before I started using R.O. water. Since using R.O. water all my fish seem to be doing real good. Guess my question is can I remove the Tigers and put the Angels in without changing (ALL) the water in the tank? I do frequent water changes always. About 25 gals every two weeks. And also will my Kuhlii Loaches be ok with the Angels? Would love your opinions as they always guide me in the right direction. Thanks Jack
_________________
90 Gal tank with (12) TIGER BARBS, (6) BLACK RUBY BARBS,(5) Cory Cats and (7) Kuhli Loachs . Also a 20 Gal with (10) Fancy Guppies, (4) Kuhli Loachs and (4) Cory Cats and a 10 Gal with several baby guppies and (2) Cory Cats.

Goldie Town :: RE: Golden Oldies

GiraffeMSW — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:25:14 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:25 am (GMT -4)

I think, like with training anything, the trick is to figure out what motivates them. You can teach an older goldie to perform his normal behaviors on cue (meaning you can't teach him to sing the national anthem, but you can teach him to swim in a certain direction and if that happens to be through a hoop or over a barrel, so be it) if you can properly motivate him. So what's his favorite food? Try training sessions (just 1-3 minutes) just before his regular feeding time, when he is at his most piggish.

Goldie Town :: Golden Oldies

keep_calm — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:07:32 GMT

Author: keep_calm
Subject: Golden Oldies
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:07 am (GMT -4)

Hey,

Just for fun, I have started teaching my fish to swim through hoops with a system kind of like the r2 fish school thing, but the poor mans cobbled together version because I am just a poor student. It's still early days, but my young betta has taken to it with flying colours where my old-ish comet goldfish seems to have no idea. So has anyone trained an older goldfish (around 8-10 years old) to do any sort of tricks? I assume it will just take some time. All the fish on the r2 site seem to be about 2 or 3, but I would have thought operant conditioning would still work. My blind fish has learnt to eat off my finger when the other fish starts eating but this seems to be as far as I've gotten (don't worry, I'm not trying to train the blind one to swim through the hoops).

Also, has anyone had any luck with younger ones? I'm getting a few soon, any tips?

Thanks

Bettas :: RE: One month and 4 days betta-less...

Trekker215 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:05:55 GMT

Author: Trekker215
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:05 pm (GMT -4)

That is wonderful that he has lived so long. He's been well cared for.

Post Your Pictures :: Kapampa pics

elusiveflounder — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:43:24 GMT

Author: elusiveflounder
Subject: Kapampa pics
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:43 pm (GMT -4)

Bettas :: RE: One month and 4 days betta-less...

GiraffeMSW — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:36:58 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:36 pm (GMT -4)

Wow. For a pet store fishie, you've done a great job for him it seems.

Goldie Town :: RE: Fruits and veggies

GiraffeMSW — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:34:01 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:34 pm (GMT -4)

Veggies can easily be left in the tank for 24 hours without needing to be removed. Some of the stinkier stuff (broccoli) needs to be removed at that point, while other stuff like lettuce and sweet potato can stay in another day or two after that even.

Bettas :: RE: One month and 4 days betta-less...

BeckyAndKristinsMa — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:24:37 GMT

Author: BeckyAndKristinsMa
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:24 am (GMT -4)

Can you believe Rainbow is still alive? I searched for this post to find out his age. 2 3/4 years!!

Unfortunately, I don't expect him to make it to 3. He is really showing his age. He's skinny and finless, and I expect him to pass fairly soon.

Still, having him for 2 3/4 years, not bad!!

Goldie Town :: RE: Fruits and veggies

jinkun — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:35:52 GMT

Author: jinkun
Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 11:35 pm (GMT -4)

I've only ever dared to put in citrus fruits and, back when I attempted snail-keeping, string beans/broccoli. But now that I have some...visually impaired goldies, I must try more variety.

I've got a tank with Preston, my mixed breed telescope/...something else... and Meredith, the bubble-eyed goldie (Is "celestial" the same thing as "bubble-eyed" by the way?.) And then I've got a nice big tank with Desdemona, my mixed breed oranda... Cassio, my calico rhyukin...Othello, the telescope.... Cesario, the feeder fish I kept... and Viola, another feeder fish I kept.

The rhyukin and oranda mix are just...absolutely insatiable when it comes to food....and, as a result, all the other goldies in the tank get little to no scraps. I keep giving them orange but I don't want them to get bored. I'll try spinach and see how that works.

How long do I leave the food in? Since Othello is visually-challenged it always takes him at least 15-20 minutes to find any food that drifts to the bottom of the tank. By the time the food sinks and everyone's done eating, the poor guy is usually at the surface in search of the food party that's already been over.

Goldie Town :: RE: Fruits and veggies

GiraffeMSW — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:03:21 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 9:03 pm (GMT -4)

Any leafy greens are great (spinach, lettuce, kale), as well as slices of sweet potato or anything in the squash family (zuchinni, yellow squash and even winter squash slices.)

I've never tried bananas, but apples, pears, oranges, kiwi, etc are all good options. I might be inclined to give the banana peels, but not the actual banana since it gets mushy and slimey when wet. (Hey! No waste that way! You eat the fruit, the fish gets the peel!)

And blanching is just a fancy way of saying cook it for a few minutes until softened. If you use a microwave, put slices (veggies mostly, not fruits) in a shallow bowl with water. Run the microwave for about 30-60 secs until the item has softened. Then immediately drain the hot water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. If you do this stove top, plunge the veggie slice into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds and then pull it out and put it in a bowl of ice water. Once cool, put it in the tank. You don't want to overcook and make the items mushy or lose their nutritional value, but they do need to be soft enough for fish without teeth to eat them. Honestly, if you put the items in the tank hard, they will still soften over time, they just foul up the tank as they break down.

Goldie Town :: Fruits and veggies

jinkun — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:34:15 GMT

Author: jinkun
Subject: Fruits and veggies
Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:34 pm (GMT -4)

Is there a list somewhere of what fruits and veggies are acceptable for goldies to eat? Mine love anything in the orange family but I'm almost afraid to give them anything else. I was thinking of bananas, since those are soft.

Also, I keep hearing about "blanched" veggies...but I honestly have zero idea of what blanching entails. Is it just softened, cooked veggies?

General Aquarium :: RE: Broken filter? =(

GiraffeMSW — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:32:29 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 4:32 pm (GMT -4)

The intake tube seems to be what applies the pressure to truly seat the impeller and make it run. It really is dumb luck, but I think I will try using hemostats next time to get the impeller in. That is a good idea!

General Aquarium :: RE: Broken filter? =(

JaredsBack — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:13:19 GMT

Author: JaredsBack
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:13 pm (GMT -4)

Ive also found tweezers can help you get the impeller adjusted so its running right. Can you get it running correctly without the intake tube attached? Start there then gently put the intake on
_________________
Jared & his Swamp Collies

Those that say high school are the best years of your life never held their newborn child.

This message brought to you courtesy of the RED, WHITE, and BLUE!!!

Bettas :: RE: Help!: what to treat first and what exactly is wrong?

GiraffeMSW — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:28:59 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:28 am (GMT -4)

LOL.....LOVE the name and the reason!

Bettas :: RE: Help!: what to treat first and what exactly is wrong?

Asha — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:38:49 GMT

Author: Asha
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:38 pm (GMT -4)

Fair enough, thanks Giraffe. He is stil on RidIch, so is getting 100% water changes anyway, but I will keep them up until that has healed, scabbed or something healthy is covering it so it's not just a deep hole. And I think your suggstion about isolation is probably the best idea, so thanks again.

Oh, and I decided that his name is Act, because if it weren't for that particular brand of mouthwash only being found at Wal-Mart, I wouldn't have gone there and wouldn't have found him.
_________________
My first betta, Sparkle Star

Goldie Town :: RE: New to goldfish...looking for advice...

GiraffeMSW — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:05:53 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 6:05 pm (GMT -4)

Yeah...pond snails can survive a nuclear holocaust so I'm not surprised that you couldn't hurt them.

Goldie Town :: RE: New to goldfish...looking for advice...

jinkun — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:25:26 GMT

Author: jinkun
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:25 pm (GMT -4)

I don't have a kit to test for water hardness but a friend who's had snails since I can remember (so jealous) suggested that I give my snails things like tofu, broccoli and other veggies high in calcium in case there was a problem with the water. I did. They still died. I've had them in a tank with tetras and goldfish so the water was never cold and there was always ample algae and left over fish food on the gravel. But I'm looking at my 10G tank right now, and I can count 4 snail shells right off the bat of apple snails that have bit the dust while being under my care. I keep their shells as part of the decor.

However, I once purchased an aquarium plant which came with a few aquatic snails which were too small to be noticed at the time. They looked like this.

And for some reason, those lasted me for yeaaaaars. They did quite well in my tanks and reproduced beyond belief. Apple snails just hate me.

Goldie Town :: RE: New to goldfish...looking for advice...

GiraffeMSW — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:04:20 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:04 pm (GMT -4)

Your water params may have been dramatically different than those of the store...and jinkun, if yours were lasting a month or longer and then dying, I would wonder if perhaps you had soft water?

Tips, Tricks and DIY projects :: RE: Terrarium Concrete?

Karbon — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:29:46 GMT

Author: Karbon
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:29 pm (GMT -4)

Nobody has any words of advice?
_________________
I am Karbon's signature

Goldie Town :: RE: New to goldfish...looking for advice...

jinkun — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:41:34 GMT

Author: jinkun
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 12:41 am (GMT -4)

Aw that always makes me so sad. No matter what I do, I can never keep apple snails alive. And I love them so hard, too! They just always die for me within a month of having them. I had one get eaten by my tetras (I always pick such violent tetras, jeez) and the rest just died naturally even though I gave them veggies to eat and there was plenty of algae in the tank.

Goldie Town :: RE: New to goldfish...looking for advice...

saral — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:47:11 GMT

Author: saral
Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 10:47 pm (GMT -4)

Well...I woke up to find the snail dead this morning and my betta started to eat it! I think I'll steer clear of snails and stick with my fish since they seem to be doing great!
_________________
Sincerely,

The Best

Bettas :: RE: Help!: what to treat first and what exactly is wrong?

GiraffeMSW — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:20:24 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 10:20 pm (GMT -4)

That's a hard call. It's likely either a cyst that naturally ruptured and drained, or something that might be viral. Personally, I would do a large water-only change just to be safe (water changes are never a bad idea anyway) and keep him isolated from others. I think the rupture and ridich use are purely coincidental. If it had been an anchor worm or something causing the blister, you would have seen the tail portion, so I don't think it was a parasite.

Goldie Town :: RE: New to goldfish...looking for advice...

GiraffeMSW — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:17:29 GMT

Author: GiraffeMSW
Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 10:17 pm (GMT -4)

Dry foods, not air intake, can cause pressure on the swim bladder of a fish that is already mutated beyond all normal limits. This is the case of most fancy goldies. They are susceptible to constipation, impactions, etc. All of that adds pressure to the innards so to speak.

And your snail will do fine in either tank. If it's a big snail (mystery or apple) they should be stocked at no more than 1 per 5g of water, preferably 1 per 10g. The bigger breeds of snails shouldn't be in a small betta tank, but if your betta tank is 5g or up, they make fine tankmates there too. They eat bioslime too, not just algae...so even if you can't see anything in the tank, I'm positive there are things for them to eat. Watch for snail poo to be certain.