DanGofCalgary

Too funny. I was a runner when that fish came up, and we were looking them over and noticed she had spit a few fry out. she was trying to get them back in her mouth from the tiny crease in the bag that she couldn't quite reach them! Typically the club has a record of who the vendor was, so you could check with the CAS at their website. It is entirely possible that whoever sold them, isn't on this website so you're probably better off contacting the CAS. Also if it wasn't a CAS member (look at the vendor number on the bag, that will tell you a lot. If it starts with a C it is a club member), they may not have a contact phone number. (not sure if they insist on a phone number or not). but they might have an email address for you. I am far far from an expert on africans, barely a novice at best, but typically my experience with mouthbrooding africans was that they are really good parents and will defend the young very well. Where you run into problems is if there are fish big enough to eat the fry, sooner or later a fry will wander a bit far from mama, or a hungry fish will make a meal run through the fry when they are out of her mouth. Keep in mind, those 24 fry are going to grow in to 4 inch fish. You'll need a fair amount of tank space, or to selll off a good amount of them at some point. At that time you should consider the postings in the recent hybrid thread and be sure to warn whoever you are selling or transferring the fish to that they are hybrids. Good luck with them! Dan

Bettas would work, also a lot of the killies are fine at room temperature. Obviously you don't want to go with annuals, as you want to delay that teary phase (the one you get when a hamster or fish dies.) as long as possible. Some of the smaller SA non annuals would work I think, but a lot of them are very subtle in their beauty. As Wack said, white clouds would work really well. I'd stay away from goldfish, they give off a lot of fishy slimecoat smell. Not very pleasant for a little girls room.

I understand what you are saying Val, but I am suggesting that perhaps the determination of what is and isn't a species isn't that accurate. Again, I don't have the knowledge of genetics, and what is and isn't the same species based on what X scientists have determined is and isn't a distinct species vs. what is line bred and is the same species. How do you determine that a gold angel is the same species as a wild caught angel? Again, I accept that you are correct and I am not, based on having no direct knowledge of how a true 'species' is determined. My thinking is, if the fish in the wild will do it (like birds do it, bees do it) I would add a question mark in my mind of whether they are truly distinct species is all I am suggesting.

I do not judge others for what they might or might not do with Hybrids. I personally won't buy or otherwise trade in them. But with that said, I am not sure I am even capable of judging what is a hybrid and what isn't. To me, and this is far more simplistic than what I have seen, if a fish will voluntarily breed with another species then I think of it not being any different than mixing two dogs, or two humans of different races. (e.g. crossing a rottweiler with a golden retriever, or an Asian girl with a Caucasian man). If you mix endlers and guppies and they voluntarily spawn, I question whether they truly are a different species. I am no judge of this, and certainly don't have the genetic knowledge to make that distinction, but it seems so to me. In creating a mule, does a horse voluntarily inseminate a donkey (or vice versa? i really don't have that info) or is it done by artificial insemination? When they cross fish species, are they putting some kind of hormones or drugs in the water or the fish? Or will the fish just voluntarily spawn because they are together? I don't really get that part, but if it will occur naturally I question whether it is really Hybridization or just the same species with variations (like the variation between a Spanish person and a Lithuanian). Just my thoughts. Peace

As a policy I don't use vinyl or rubber garden hoses. All my hoses are the 'drinking water safe' types that you can buy for motor home/cottage useage. Typically they are white, or sometimes blue, but the color isn't a guarantee, just how the industry tries to differentiate them. With that said, some fish are not going to be as susceptible to this as others. Some will be hyper sensitive. Whether or not this caused it? I would guess very possibly, and I buy too many sensitive fish to take that chance. I have other far more interesting ways to kill them off. Also, as a note, keep in mind that the older the hose is, the more likely all the chemicals that might be leaching out are gone. So an 8 year old hose might have killed some fish when it was first used could be fine now. Personally, for the amount that some fish cost me, and the cost of these drinking water safe hoses, I don't like to take the chance. just one mans opinion. Peace.

bah. you beat me. I was gonna do that.

very nice Blake. What is the tds on your water?

No, Aquari-sol is not safe for shrimp. It contains copper which will kill shrimp. If used in the tanks, it would be many months, maybe never, suitable for shrimp. See this site: http://www.fosterand...cfm?pcatid=4720 good to know. I'd suggest getting some Asolene spixie snails then. I don't know if the hybridized ones eat hydra. From what I understand, the hybrids eat plants, whereas the 'pures' don't. I might put a small amount of them in the Calgary auction.

no. My snails (non hybrid asolene spixi) take care of it. They can't get it all, and that is why I was looking for a chemical cure. I had hydra in 4 tanks, 3 of them I have done a full tear down on, the 4th is just holding a bunch of fish that I am going to spawn at a later time. I have to look really closely to find a hydra that the snails haven't gotten already, but they can't get them all.

ya, there's always ways to cheat a system. I was just interested in how the various clubs processes work.

Hi. Wasn't sure where to put this, so this seemed like the most likely spot. This question is for Aquarium club folks around BAP. Been a long time since I entered any fish in a BAP, and working on some annual killies, so wondering how the different clubs handle annuals in the BAP. my assumption is breeder has adults, eggs are layed, stored, hatched then falls in the normal cycle of spot at 10 days, spot again at 60. the question I have is, assuming the above is true, do you have them spotted 3 times? Typically with egg layers or livebearears, the adults are going to be around for the spotting, whereas with annuals, the parents are likely to be long dead by the time you hatch out the fry. Or do you do an 'honor' system. The other possibility (and less likely) is that you can get BAP points for eggs you have bought, with the fry spotted at 10 days and 60 days. How does Edmonton handle that? Other clubs in Canada (or US)? Thanks! Dan

Nothobranchius Korthasae - Rungunu TAN 02-11 : 3 pairs! N. Kafuensis Kayuni ZAM 07-1 : 2 pairs! Xenotoca eiseni : pair Lacustricola Maculatus Red Kongowe TAN 03--28 : pair Lacustricola Katangae, Kayasa river ZAM 07-11 : pair kryptolebias marmoratus, Dagriga (Stann creek) Belize (this is the hermaphrodite) - bought 2 of them, even though I only needed one! haha! http://www.biol.vt.edu/faculty/turner/rivmar/ ok, so a total of 18 fish, 6 different species Yah, as to how late I was up in fairness, when I got home I chatted with my wife for a bit before she called it a night, talked to one of my daughters, then poured myself a Rum and coke (Appletons of course for work of this nature! haha!), then mapped out where everyone would go for the night. I've learned from past mistakes to take my time in putting this many fish away. right from conditioning them to the water, to writing their name and info (I use permanent marker, then just scrub it off when I move them) on the front of the tank, to ensure I don't get them mixed up later. This isn't the first time I have bought a lot of fish that I wasn't overly familiar with, or didn't have a lot of knowledge about, but I go in to an auction with a general 'type' of fish that I am looking for and open to what species that might be. My current targets are Killies - preference to annuals, but room for a few non annual species if they are interesting, well priced, healthy and I like them. (hmm. I don't think I've met a killie I didn't like yet though?). All of Bill Bishops fish are so healthy it just amazes me. Saskatoon is very lucky to have someone of that calibre. I think he should move to Calgary! haha! Catfish - Corys for the main part. I have enough 'sucker mouth' species to work with right now between the Nicuaragaun (sp?) BNs that I bought as babies and the group of L204s I am working on. All the other cats are 1-2 years from now projects., although I do get tempted when I see the synodontis species around. Apistogrammas - although I might expand that out to 'dwarf cichids' as a whole in the next 6 months. The only other fish that I will breed for the next while will be target fish on the Merit award for CAOAC. There are a few groups of fish that never really interested me (anabantoids, tetras) that you need a certain amount of. I can substitute out some, but I really should become proficient in spawning them to feel truly deserving of the merit award... Then there's the senior merit award - that is more like a 5+ year project unless I triple the number of tanks I am running. haha! Sometimes unusual or interesting fish just find their way in to my tanks too though. That is how I ended up spawning rhinogobius wui. It showed up. I bought a bunch and spawned them. They were cute. If I saw them again I'd probably try to find a spot for them. I liked them a lot.

I only got one pair of those. I was up till 1 a.m. getting everyone settled in to temporary homes. The red tail goodeids went with a little fishie that better be fast!

What??? Some of the killies got away from me??? haha! Yah. that was awesome! Really enjoyed that. I just had to buy the hermaphrodite fish! that was too cool.

I thought I posted this previously, but can't seem to find it, so sorry if this is a repeat post. I will be in Edmonton this coming weekend and want to check out some of the LFS there. What are the 'must see' stores in Edmonton? Thanks in advance! Dan

I would suggest very likely yes. I know I'd get some if they were reasonably priced.

That's a good idea. Do ACE and other clubs reciprocate? (just curious) Like can a CAS member sell at their auction?

It was me, and it was spixi. They are doing a good job but I want to eradicate it fully.

Thanks. And that would be Grand Master on her title. Even if that title isn't used any more, I still recognize it. - I know who you mean, and miss her input on my fish keeping, but not surprised to receive it 'second hand'. I will get some and give it a try. Do you use it as 'pretreatment' for plants before adding them to a tank as well?

So, I have emtpied out all but one of the tanks that have a hydra outbreak in them, leaving only the plants and pest snails behind. I intend to commit genocide on the Hydra - Hydracide! but I want the plants to live, plus I want to come away from this with a plant treatment method, so that any future plants I bring in to my tanks will be treated to a hydracide bath before being introduced. The Spixies are doing a good job of munching down the hydra, but I want to eradicate it and have a pretreatment for plants that I bring in. I have read of flubendazole working, and that it wouldn't harm the plants, but woudl have the added benefit of possibly killing off the pest snails. I intend to treat the tanks, let everything die, then remove the plants and wash them off in fresh water, as well as a full tear down of the tanks and restart. Any experience with this? There will be no fish present so as long as the medication can be removed when I complete the 'cure' I am willing to try it. PS: please post only personal experience you have had related to this topic. I am not interested in your google skills, I can google it up too. I am not interested in that you think hydra comes in with the brine shrimp eggs, so can't be eradicated. I am not interested in the protests of the "Save the Hydra foundation" I am just trying to find a way to pretreat plants for hydra and hopefully pond and pest snails, and anyone's personal experience with same. If no one has had personal succesful experience, then I will 'trail blaze' and post my success or lack of success regarding same. Dan

that's kind of a personal question. haha! just kidding. No, I am not using a lubricant. Didn't even realize till now that I should or could. Thanks for that. You made me smarter!

Anyone here a good glass cutter? I am probably the worst. Trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. I have a good quality glass cutter, and glass cutting pliers, but I keep getting a little about in the center that runs off and makes a bad cut. I flip it and crack it from the other side and end up with a little piece in the middle. any thoughts, suggestions?

you keep a 6" Oscar in a 7 gal tank???

The first step is admitting you have a problem The second step is setting up more tanks... wait. I might be wrong about that... that might be the third step. second step, buy more bettas

It doesn't appear that Heiko has kept up with the flowerhorn craze (genetics wise), but personally I think that it's rather funny that Heiko would even associate his fish purist name with a filthy hybrid mutant such as a FH. Thanks for that interesting link. We each choose our own stand, our own 'line in the sand' if you will. I don't impose mine on others beyond stating what I believe in, and what I support financially, and vocally. If you choose to hybridize fish, that is your business and your conscience. Nothing to do with me. I however, will not buy them, support or otherwise engage in the hybridization. Not to say I couldn't accidentally, but once I know, then I will move away from it. With that said however, I find it interesting that Heiko is saying that the FH and the Parrot cichlid are NOT hybrids. I was very curious about the FH, as I too (as Heiko also stated) believed that Hybrids (the base example being the mule) were born sterile. He is also indicating that some hybrids are not born sterile but become sterile (I have not understanding of this, just relaying what I have read). I had always believed that the Parrot cichlid is sterile however. In any case, if the FH is NOT a hybrid, but the result just of linebreeding etc (which more closely fits with my belief on hybrids being sterile) I have no opposition to it in any way, and would even become interested (not likely, but possibly) in line breeding it at some point. I (and again this is just personal choice) have no opposition to Angel, discus, guppy, or other line breeding where species haven't been crossed, hormonally induced to cross, or otherwise messed with to induce interspecies breeding. Same species is open game, and line breeding for certain traits I have no issue with. If the DNA testing could show the same DNA from a FH as the original species that Heikel has mentioned (and seriously, that should be a pretty simple thing to do. I think you can get a DNA test done at local labs these days??), I'd support FH breeding etc. (In fairness, my support and 75 cents will get you a cup of coffee. haha! My 'support' doesn't have much weight). Just one man's opinion, and why I had weighed in on this orginal discussion. My belief was also that the FH was a Hybrid species, not just an exploitation of a mutation (which is pretty much what most line bred fish are, yes? Just a natural breeding program to exploit a desirable genetic feature, whatever that mutation might be.) Within limits of course. Breeding fish for that 'balloon' look just strikes me as wrong... But to each his own. I just won't buy them or breed them. Peace. Dan