Melody

The only consistently bad thing I've heard about PHP Surveyor is that its not user friendly, which in this case means its an advanced tool that you need some previous knowledge to work your way through. People these days figure they should be able to sit down and use any program so it gives some a bad rep. I think that WYSIWYG editors spoiled them and now they think everything is that way...lol. It having a steep learning curve is a more accurate description I'm sure. I haven't used it. I thought about it once and then took a nap until the urge went away :smokey: . I don't have time to study it properly, but I will one of these days. Back to the topic at hand, don't forget to note it for your resume'. It doesn't have to always include paid work after all. When I squeezed my way into microsoft a good quarter of my resume' was volunteer work. You should be very proud of yourself both for mastering the program and applying it effectively.

Put it on our fish store tour list Christian!

The ladies say you have at least that many, Mr. Ich....lol...<<BOLTS!!!> Although I won't be able to participate as yet, methinks this format will be an example for other local forums. You should package it up & sell it to them .... aaaallllways the business woman . Awesome job - the forum is lucky to have you!

I'm sorry, let's start at the beginning then . When some fry are born they're far too small for even Baby Brine Shrimp, a typical live starter food. Therefore a smaller organism is used until they grow big enough. Greenwater is basically the smallest starter food and it supplies the newborn fry with protein, fatty acids, etc. From there we have Microworms, Vinegar Eels and Baby Brine Shrimp. Your local fish club or local forums like this one are the place to search out live cultures. You may not be able to bring it all together quick enough for this spawn, but you'll catch the next one if you want to give it a whirl - they're perpetual spawners in my experience and an excellent starter fish to spawn in that respect. Here's some excellent links that should get you started: http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/d...3802&search= http://www.calgaryaquariumsociety.com/Arti...m_Cultures.html http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Phytoplankton.htm http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/d...3788&search= http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA022 http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/vinegar.htm http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Brine.htm Yes, I value that Rainbowfish site...lol...lots of good info there. If you come up with specific questions from your research don't hesitate to ask. We all started at the beginning, just like you, and most of us love an excuse to go on and on about it .

Its not unusual for fish to spawn when the environment is changed, as with your purchase. They spawn easily in the first place so I'm thinkin' your chances are good. Put them into something and add a trickle airstone (I pinch the airline tubing so its very slight water movement). They're not particularly prone to fungus, but if you want to be sure you can add a drop of anti-fungal med's. I'd wing it on the first one since they're easy spawners. Be prepared with some greenwater and microworms if at all possible - the newborns are very tiny. They only take 1-2 days to hatch and should be freeswimming in a couple of days. They're one of the first fish I spawned... although I had little to do with it overall...lol.

I should have defined the edit part...lol...some ferns have spores so I suggested it might be those, then I noticed the fake part. I'm not sure about the black - fake plants can get spotted with algae too, but if your gut says eggs it can't hurt to play it out. I'd pull them - eggs are the stuff McMuffins are made of .

Great ideas! I'll give that whirl, thanks so much!

Sorry, missed the 'fake' part. Cherry Barbs spawn very easily, so you could very well be seeing eggs.

My pleasure . I wouldn't wish those worms on anyone. I haven't experienced them yet but man the horror stories I've heard. About the only change I'd make in Colin's advice, for what its worth, is the feeding of bloodworms. Bloodworms can actually slow down digestion (which is why fish like Bettas shouldn't have too many). High iron content I suspect. They're not a problem for most fish if fed in moderation and the fresh ones are better than the freeze-dried in that respect. However, to move something through quicker you'd be better served by going with vegetation if the fish will eat it. Peas are absolutely awesome for that and most fish who will eat vegies love them. Softened (slightly cooked), pealed & quartered. They're also packed with nutrients and that can't hurt. If that's not possible, flake high in Spirulina will do. Nutrafin makes one that has it as the first ingredient. I'd be interested in hearing how it all goes, if you have time. Wishing you & the fishies a happy ending!

This is an awesome write-up on treatment: http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4401 Edit: If you need to have some sent to you, send a note to Patrick {ptamkee 'at' hotmail.com}. He's a top-rated local seller with over 200 positive feedbacks and not one neutral or negative. He's an experienced shipper, a PhD (I think) in something fishy or other...lol... and one of my fave sellers & friends :-). He is the one mentioned in the article. Good luck!

Glad to hear that the snails are sliming happily for you. I'll be getting a birth announcement in no time! I get those for most of the snails and fish I distribute and I love it. :smokey: I get my aquarium safe silicone at Petsmart, and its outrageously priced. I only use it here and there to make caves or decorations, weight wood or plastic plants, etc, so its no big, but still ... :cry: . Is there a date for the fishroom opening? Should I bring snail treats & fish-shaped jello? Will we drink like fish? Shall I buy a new outfit? Go on a diet and then buy a new outfit? :w00t: I suppose all of the answers will be on the Little Mermaid invitations.

Awesome Blaine. Always nice to know there's tried & true alternatives. I fail to see why the aquarium silicone is so expensive - its just renamed to appeal I guess. Mine always goes hard. I keep the top on, I've tried keeping it in an air-tight container, but every time I go to use it a second time (which admittedly isn't on a regular basis), its hard. Drives me nuts.

Simply put, as long as it takes...lol. The object of the game is to disinfect, then soak it until it sinks and a decent amount of tannins have been leached out. Both depends on the piece of wood itself.

They don't ship to Canada and most of them won't. Anything in the States you can get locally or in Canada, so I definitly wouldn't go that route. I prefer to buy locally. Otherwise I'd ship directly through the airline, who can accomodate things like 'Keep frozen', with guarantees if they don't. Even if you ship in the winter, they can, and probably do, go into heated warehouses and cargo holds. Middlemen means there's more opportunity for them to sit out somewhere. Try your local stores first - supporting them rewards you as a hobbyist and resident on several levels.

Everyone needs a snail. Probably several snails. Its the latest thing in aquatics you know. I am completely unbiased.

That's news . Do you know of anyone who has accomplished it? I've yet to hear of anyone who has. I'm not implying that they haven't of course, its just not known in the 'snail circles'... which are very slimey circles so you can't trust them .

The first that comes to mind are Hillstream Loaches, Glass Catfish, and various Plecos & Loaches. As long as there's a spot in the tank that's a bit quieter so they can rest, many fish will love lots of water movement. You can even go with a river tank theme to make them feel more at home, or take it all the way with a river biotope. A huge river biotope tank is on my dream list . If that grabs you, this is a good place to start: http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm

See Guppylove? Its a good thing you spoke up!

LOL He's a piglet. You can get an Aquaclear sponge insert and cut an 'X' down into it with a knife, then slip it right on - works like a charm. However, it will act as a prefilter and they have to be changed/cleaned quite often. You can try pantyhose or a media bag as well but it won't help the pull much. Otherwise about all you can do is turn the filter down. Mine have no problem getting off the filter, they're quite strong, so it may have been that he was weak from something else.

Nerites aren't your average hitchhiker, unless you're very lucky. The young require brackish conditions to thrive, or so it is assumed. However, there's a bit more to it than that because many breeders have tried to transfer them, etc without success (to my knowledge). Many Nerite species don't seem to be fully freshwater snails anyway. There are many reports of them leaving the water and having to have the salinity increased, for example. Anyways, if there were Nerites in the tank, I'd say that was a very good guess .

There are freshwater crustaceans that fit the bill somewhat, but usually they're green (apparently that's actually what the hard spot algae often is - algae covered crustaceans. Don't ask me where I read that). If that's the case, they should be hard to remove. However, since they've shown up in two tanks, I'd go with the freshwater Limpet theory. Do you have live plants? They hitchhike. Don't expect to see them moving. They don't bother with plants much but they do eat algae. This site shows some decent magnified photos: http://members.aol.com/mkohl2/Fwlimpets.html More here: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site.../Ancylidae.html They seem to be showing up in aquariums lately. I just recently had a local report of them. I hear about them more in Summer so it may be related to pond season / pond plants.

Ebay also has livestock auctions, but you have to have them shipped overnight. A lot of stores, especially the privately run establishments, will order fish in for you. My list of 'connections' went wild after I joined a local fish club. Even if members don't have it, your chances of them knowing someone who does are pretty good. I have since joined other specific fish clubs, which you'll find scattered across the net, and the list of breeders extended for miles. Many of the members will ONLY sell to other members or friends, so I've scored some rarely-seen fish and made many friends along the way. Of course, 'WTB' posts in popular Canadian forums will often work too, but be careful dealing with strangers - lots of scammers out there. In local forums like this one, you may at least be able to find someone who has dealt with the person even if you don't know them personally. If the person doesn't want to give you information about their identity (phone number, address, etc) along with LOTS of references, do not pay by Cash, Money Order, Western Union or E-mail Bank Transfer (I didn't know about the latter being dangerous until recently - no buyer protection). Don't hand your credit card number out to private individuals. Paypal is by far your safest route for payment. Most of all, what goes around comes around. Be good to other fishkeepers and before too long you'll find that getting something that you're looking for will be a simple matter of asking your fishy friends. If they don't have it, they'll be happy to keep their eye open for it. Do the same for them. How people in this hobby work together still blows me away. Good luck with your fishing!

Gorgeous creatures!

Thanks again - aquarium silicone is its last chance before I do something that accomplishes nothing but makes me feel a whooooole lot better . Honestly, $250 for an item based entirely on a water flow-through concept, and they can't make one that doesn't leak . Maybe they need a couple of people to go after them for water damage.

When I got desperate and sealed everything from the threads to the unit base, it did hold for a good five minutes, so you may be onto something there. I used Mono Ultra to seal it, but maybe I'll give aquarium silicone a whirl. You'd think that making a unit that doesn't leak would be pretty basic criteria . Thanks!