Cap'n

Go here: http://www.canreef.com/ and search for the same questions, or ask them of all the knowledgeable folks on the board. You'll find everything saltwater you're looking for there.

:well: :banned:

Mollies would be easier to catch, but they just wouldn't look good in there. I don't want the aro to hurt itself while digging through the rocks trying to catch a quick cichlid, but I don't want guppies floating around the tank either. I would like the small section of breeders to be an attraction as well as the main part of the tank. This way I can have the best of big and small in one unit. Something the aro would eat in the wild would be perfect...

The eggcrate would essentially be a barrier within a pile of rock. The aro would never be able to break it. I thought dropeye was because of a fatty diet (goldfish)? The arrowana would have a regular, high-quality diet. The feeders would only be an occasional treat.

For quite a few years now I have been toying with the idea of keeping an arrowana. I think a big tank with a huge silver fish would make a great room divider. I would also like to supply the hungry beast with quality feeders. I thought of seperating a small portion of the big tank with an eggcrate and rock wall with holes too small for the arrowana to enter. I could build this before the tank was filled and disguise it as just another pile of rock and wood. On the other side of the wall I would keep a breeding colony of some prolific fish, I was thinking convicts. Therefore, the occasional brave juvie would stay a little too long on the wrong side of the tracks and... So? Will it work? Will the arrowana become obsessed with the holes in the wall and haunt them? Will the feeders always stay on their side of the fence? Will the parents get eaten? Suggestions for a good fish to use as breeders? Would they be so spooked that they refuse to breed? Is there any reason why this would be unsafe for the arrowana? Is it ethical? Let me know what you think, Tim

My two female comps have been fighting lately over one shell that is apparantly superior to all others in the tank. They both have very cut and disfigured lips as a result, especially the original occupant. Should I seperate them? What about medicinal treatment? Would it help or hinder the situation if I rearranged the shells?

Been meaning to say how much I love the idea of having the tank located above a desk. Wish I could look up from the monitor to a 230gal right now! The 15gal on the desk helps, but ...

Nice to see an arowana in a tank that size. How old are all those fish?

I have 2 Hagen 55gal tanks. They have each been through various owners and many moves. Everyone I talk to who has owned them used a description such as "army tank" or "monster" to describe the durability of this generation Hagen. Well worth saving IMO. But, if you don't want to try, I'll gladly take it off your hands!

If the tank was built specifically for non-aquatic use then it won't be strong enough to withstand the pressure of being filled with water. But the guy you bought it from could have been using a fish tank for his reptiles. What is the manufacturer? What are the dimensions? Is it all glass? How thick is the glass?

So it's not really fair for me to pit one fish against another, it is more like personal preference of lakes and how each fish fits into a person's tanks. Kyle and RD, you're both right. Leleupi have more of an orange tone to them and they do come in yellow and orange morphs. Kyle, I notice you have some loopies, you didn't happen to bring those back from Africa, did you? Thanks for the input everyone. I have only kept leleupi and was wondering what I was missing out on. Sounds like a good idea for a tank in the furure.

OK, cost and availabilty. Valid points. However, I bought my full grown leleupi for $6 each and have never seen yellow labs cheaper.

The best looking DIY styro backgrounds that I've seen were all in the 3-5" depth range. The best backgrounds I have seen have portions which extend 3" to 5". Used effectively these can become smoothly integrated into the rockwork. To make the majority of the background that size is a waste of space. A filter or heater can be easily hidden by a wrap of 3/4" to 1" of foam, so the only extra space used is that 3/4" to 1". I'm not saying your wrong, Neil, I'm saying that the people who build their backgrounds too large are.

I would like some opinions regarding the huge popularity of labs over loopies. They are both bright flashes of yellow in an african cichlid tank, similarly sized and exhibit interesting behaviour. Why are labs preferred the majority of times? Is it because they are Malawi cichlids which in turn are more popular than Tanganyikan? Is it because the popularity has been there so long than the demand is self replicating? What is it? Thanks, Cpt Curious

I don't quite understand your question, Doc. Do you mean choosing either rocks or a background? IMO, a tank without rocks is just a holding facility for unfortunate captives, not pets. There should always be some rockwork, even if it is minimal (like the tropheus example). The addition of a well built background can only enhance the look and feel of your fishes home. I hate the mismatched rock and background look. There should always be sufficient planning to ensure this obvious mistake doesn't occur. Get your rocks the way you want them, take a picture, and copy. Neil, your beef about the size they take up seems exagerated; a 5.5" background? However, I bet there are examples of such a contraption. Most people forget that the idea of a background is to create the illusion of continuing rockwork, not the recreation of it. My plan for my Tanganyikan tank with slate should be 1.5" at the most. Hey Ty, skip the plexi and start with a thin sheet of foam. I have a sheet here if you want some. Imbed magnets (coated, of course) and use more magnets on the back of the tank to hold it in place. Still have that lava rock as well.

Too late. round and round it goes...

It kind of rounds out from the guppy's body on each side just in front of the tail. Slows down swimming but does not seem to effect it in any other way. Just bought the fish on Saturday. What is it? Should I flush the guppy?

Thanks for the links, Val. (sorry for calling you Bev in my last post). I had already read the first one but the second was new to me. Always good to have as much info as possible. Do you have yours in their home yet? How are you going to set up the tank? I may be getting more of the ones at Riverfront, so if I end up with extras I'll let you know. Tim

Maybe try a small container of water and add salt until it registers. I mix my water in a 5gal bucket and add 1.5 cups of salt before I start testing SG, then add more until I reach desired salinity.

Picked up a trio at the 2-for-1 sale @ Riverfront today. You're right, Bev, much more colourful than expected. I am having a hard time finding any info on these guys, can you point me in the right direction?

Do believe I will be picking up a few of those. Thanks for the tip!

Whoops! Just scrolled through the previous posts, you're not using eggcrate, are you?

Are you sure he didn't wriggle through? I would think a betta should easily be able to squeeze through, what is it, square centimetre holes in eggcrate?

This is Zappa. She is a manx cross who really belongs to a friend of mine but has been in our care for a while now. We agreed to take her in while they went to Korea to teach English for 6 months, which turned into a year, which became 2 years... Then one of them got a really bad bronchial problem so they came home, but she is not allowed to have a cat any more. So, we have been stuck with their cat, which hasn't been too much of a problem, but now that we have a baby in the house we are finding the zoo a little crowded. That means that Zappa is available to anyone who has a good home for her. She is very smart and incredibly affectionate once she gains trust in you. She knows her name, has the stubby Manx tail and a limp from an old injury; full of character! We will miss her, but it has to be done. If anyone knows of a good home please let me know. Thanks, Tim

Here's a picture of Mick the wonder mutt! Not a very good picture, but those are surprisingly difficult with a black dog. Oh, and that's Zappa, the white manx cross, foster cat, free to a good home if anyone is interested! And one more of Mick and I hanging out.