stribbelldk

I would board them if i was you. Like you said, you have a long drive to buy new in Ont. and if some of those fish are hard to get unless you buy minnows. If you need a place to board, I could set up a temp tank for you and send them once you got settled. Derek

This is what I saw when I got home from work This is me cutting the barb off. Apparently my electric blue was looking for a snack. He must have thought the petricola was tasty looking. Petricolas have some pretty sharp barbs. He couldn't swallow it but he couldn't spit it either. I quickly netted Blue and started an "operation". I took some small scissors and started cutting barbs off to free the petricola. The tail was in the way so I cut that off too. After about 5 minutes I freed the petricola and Blue was able to swim off. he seem alright. His jaw seems to have came back to normal and he is swimming around. The amazing part was, after I got the petricola out, in half I will point out, he was still alive!! Knowing there was no chance for him, I was forced to kill him. Neat to see but scary at the same time. Derek

I am looking for some information on Astatotilapia burtoni cichlid. There is not a bunch on the net. About 2 years ago I bought 6 of them from the ACE auction. They are very slow growers and the male, as I found out, is very aggresive. I am down to a male about 2 1/2" and a female about 2". Due to some aggression I had the female separated from the male. Her tail was just a stump! She is doing fine now so today I put her back in with the male. I thought I was going to have to split them again as the male was all over the female. It turns out that they were not fighting but were actually breeding. She has a mouthful. Now I need some info on how to get these fry to survive. Anyone know who has/had these? I think someone one here has them. Any help is great. Thanks, Derek

I guess if the fish thinks he is safe in a "cave" the stress levels go down and spawning goes up. Or at least that my mind works!!! Great Idea. Let us know if they work Derek

Well this morning I saw a little round thing floating across the bare bottom tank. Definately an egg. If I had to guess, I would say she is holding dead eggs. But wait and see. Derek

I am feeding 1mm NLS to her and NLS Grow to the fry. the items in her mouth are yellowish white. And I thought I would test the food theory. So I have quite feeding her a few days ago. She still has something in her mouth. Derek

The other fry that are in the tank are about 2-3 weeks old and are a nice size. I do not believe she has picked up her other "babies". I definately looks like eggs in her mouth. She is always hiding and will not eat. whereas before, after she spit the first batch, she was out swimming and eating like a pig! I'm buffaloed.

So here is the situation. I had an electric yellow that was holding so I put her in a 15 gallon tank. After she spit the babies, I usually keep her there to recoup and get a few good meals before I transfer her back. The other day I was going to move her but to my surprise, she is holding again!! The only other tankmates are her babies, 5 babies (her 2nd time holding) and 2 albino bristlenose. How did she get prego again? Can a fish have both male and female? I don't think so. Or can a cichlid hold sperm to fertilize her own eggs?? Or is she holding non fertile eggs? Like I said, just a dumb question! Derek

I had 3 clown loaches and they love to wedge themselves in anything! Look in every hidey hole in the tank. I find that even my blue botia loaches like to hide. Most be a loach thing. Derek

With my red empess 2m/6f I have electric blues 2 m and 5 f and electric yellows. Derek

Thanks Rd. he is about 7 inches. That is my best picture of him and I have been trying to get one for 6 months. I have a bout 700 fish photos and this one worked. derek

A few synodontis petricola in my 50 gallon My Red Empress yawning The 90 gallon Derek

here is some pics Hopefully it helps. RD they have been like this for a month! Derek

I have two Red empress cichlids that look like their lips have dropped from their faces. The are fully extendended forward and have never settled back into place. It is starting to effect their eating and well of course the breeding. How can I get the lips back on their face???? I tried push and hold but did not work. Derek

In my opinion, I would not buy that place. I would set an aquarium store in Sherwood Park that dealt with only fish and fish related items. There is not a store here like this. But I would like to see a mixture of pleco, cichlids, tropicals and salt fish but also a selection in equipment would be nice. Good luck with your adventures.

Thanks Jason. That is kinda what I was thinking but wanted confirmation. Derek

Hey. I came home yesterday and decided to do a water change on the 5 tanks. I usually do about a 50% every 10 day, and have been doing this for 2 years. yesterday I only did a 35% WC because I was out of Prime and was feeling too lazy to go buy some,. I did use a franchise name brand "multi-purpose Bio-support" that removes nitrate ammonia and chlorine from water. After all the WCs, I thought I would treat the fish to some mysis shrimp. The Mysis shrimp are about a year old but I soaked them in garlic for taste. I woke up this morning and went looking at my fish. My 90 of cichlids is fine, the 15 with Tangs is fine, the hospital/nursury is fine, the 50 with sunshine peacock and goldheads are fine, but the syno and fry tank was not. I had 5 dead synodontis petricola and 5 dead electric blue fry. I had about 15 synos, 7 electric yellows under 2" and a boat load of electric blue fry(50-60). I immediately removed all the dead fish and did a test to the tank. ph 7.8, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, but the nitrate is about 20-30 ppm. I know this is a little high but I am worried if I do more water changes, I will get the same results. Dead fish. Could this be from the water quality, the shrimp, the water changesor something else??? As you see I could transfer fish to different tank but if it is the fish and not the water...... Do I ride the storm and pray for no more causulties??? Comment sugestions?? Derek If you will excuse me now, I have a funeral to attend to.... :cry:

Umm I would say continue doing 10% waterchanges for a few days to try and get the levels normal. Did you put new filters on? Or did you use the cycled filter you had? Any new fish added lately?Are the fish looking beat up? Good luck Derek

Blue Botia loaches!!! I had malasian trumpet snails in my 90. I now raise snails in my other tanks so I can feed the Botias. But with a piranha, I don't know how other fish would interact with each other. Pick and squish method works to control of snails, same as cutting back on feed. Maybe a larger clown loach that could fend off the piranha?! Good luck, Derek

I have seen another parrot lay completely flat in order to get into a hiding spot. I asked the pet store, where it was at , I pointed the "dying" fish to the owner. She told me that this parrot has been doing that for a few months in a custumers tank too. So it may not be that serious, but I have never owned fish like this. Derek

When I set up the 90 the wife phoned and was told that regular insurance would cover the flood damages but nothing else. IMO there is no set "laws" or guidelines when it comes to aquarium and the possible damage they may cause for insurance brokers to follow. Derek

I was always told that a tank should have between 3-5 watts per gallon. That being said, you do have a plywood tank and it should hold heat better than glass. But for 50 buck, I would throw an extra heater in for the "just in case factor".

80% seems a little on the high side. I do a 50% every week, but I also have a over stocked cichlid tank and the fry tank and grow out tank. I use Prime and tap water. You don't have to let the water sit by I have heard that it is good to do. Maybe some one else can explain as to why. Derek

Thanks Chris, I would rather do 20 tanks at $75-$100 plus expenses than do 2 tanks at $300. Custumer satisfaction and word of mouth travel fast. It can either build your business or ruin it in a matter of a few months. I know Chris could have set up hundred of tanks and shown the business how to look after it. But for $75 buck I would rather have some one else do it for me. At $300m, I would learn, and fast. Derek

That being said, should a gas station jump the price of gas because the see someone who is driving a big rig??? Dentist go to school for 7 years to make that big bucks. They deserve it. Why does the grade 12 drop out deserve to make $70- $80k as a labouror in the patch?? Just because some one makes a large amount of money or has a nice house or fancy cars does not mean that a business has the right to soak them for services. Derek