Melody

LOL You people are scaring me....

They'll drop their first batch sometimes. Otherwise they are either infertile or she got stressed about something. That's the only causes I know about anyway. I'm sure its discouraging but you'll have more babies than you know what to do with soon I'm sure.

Nice knowin' ya buddy :guns: . BUT seriously, Thorite (by Thoroseal?) is supposed to be good. I doubt it would be worth the trouble for wood... or footwear for that matter. :smokey:

That's a good idea! Like I'm going to argue with anyone who thinks like that....lol.

Tannins are miserable to remove, so hopefully they won't stain the tub. You may need an abrassive bleach cleaner if it does. The bleach in the water may prevent it anyway. The things we do in this hobby hmmm? Makes me thank the good Lord that I don't have a spouse to answer to....lol....I have had my kitchen cupboards and half the table covered in q-tanks on incoming fish day before, I'm sure that would go over well with a significant other. Now if I could just convince the kid that I need a fishroom more than he needs a bedroom....

Had to Google that one. Sounds good in theory anyway, and I like the looks of it. I'm in the midst of planting a 90G along with a few other new tanks, so the worst that can happen is they start to eat the plant and I chuck it into one of the tanks. That's why I'd prefer emmersed aquatics - multi-functional. Either that or I can establish it in a tank and just keep replacing it, but the voice of experience named Christian has left me highly doubting the success of that course of action...lol. Now if I can just figure out a way to enclose the plant within the terranium without it being a huge eyesore, I'd be happy. Finding one that they'd leave alone would be perfection... How about bitter plants? I know that several land species use things like oxalic acid to keep from being eaten by snails, but I don't want to hurt them either. Java Fern is supposed to taste bad (needs salt )... anything else? Thanks!

Now you're scaring me... do I need those gloves that they use to train police dogs to handle these snails? Should I keep them away from small children? Do I have to cook steak for them? Will a plastic canvas cage even keep them away from the plants? OK Seriously, its good to know this stuff before I waste my time learning the hard way like I usually do. I'm going to try to fashion some sort of enclosure that isn't TOO ugly so they can't reach the plants. I want to keep the air from getting stale. Yes, I over-fuss. No, can't see that changing.

<Nods wisely like she knows what a Wardian case is> It was a humidity issue. Considering an 8 year old can build a website these days, I'll take your word over that...lol. Yup, them's the ones alright. They sound like the Aquatic Cana snails & their cousins. Bok Choy is the fastest thing I've seen them devour, which is fine since its full of Calcium & all sorts of other good stuff. They inhale green beans almost instantly. Haustrums are the only ones I've seen eat an Anubias, including the rhyzome. Maybe the plant cage will have to be earlier in the habitat development than I anticipated.

Bacteria and anything else that calls the wood home should be removed before adding it to the aquarium. Boiling also helps it sink faster. If you can't boil it, you can soak it in a bleach solution and then soak in dechlorinated water, with the water being changed frequently. You can combine that with the waterlogging process before adding it to the tank. It will also bring out the worst of the tannins. You can use a pure salt treatment for sterilizing as well. My (self-proclaimed) expert opinion is that you're not swearing at it enough.

My Son calls the Ryukin/Orandas 'Wigglebutts'....lol....their movements alone are charming. My niece refuses to buy any other fish. I was visiting NB in December & gave her the run of the store to buy what she wanted. She already has 'Wigglebutts', so I'm showing her all sorts of other fish to put into the smaller tank once we moved the Golds into the new one I got her for Christmas. Nope, more 'Wigglebutts'. I showed her Mother what those 'Wigglebutts' would need for a tank soon - she was SO impressed with me . You may do better to wait until Spring to try to move the Serasa. Most Pond enthusiasts are trying to figure out how to overwinter their fish right now so it might be more difficult. Unless of course, you know more Pond enthusiasts than I do. That's what I ran into when I had to move mine many moons ago anyway. By the same token, you'll probably find lots of people trying to get rid of them soon so you should find your Ryukin.

I think you just have to discipline your snails Christian :P . I'm sure you're right, I've just been reading too much again. That just goes to show how much you can put into online information sources though...lol...the one plant specifically mentioned as not appropriate? African Violets. Although definite plant eaters these, apparently, are not the avid plant eaters that the "pest" variety are, hence my hopes. What I would like to do ultimately is have the plants separated from the snails, but in the same environment. Their presence is supposed to be good for them. In the meantime I was thinking that it might be much like the aquatic snails - they'll take garden vegies over plants, so if there's a constant supply even the plant eaters don't do as much plant damage. Dreaming am I? Nothing new there. I'll take a reputable voice of experience over random online information any day. Thanks again!

Do they all have to be kept pretty much wet? I have Wendti Green & Red, Polysperma and Nana. Oh and I have Java Fern 'narrow' too.... I guess I'll be doing some experimenting. Thanks!

ROFL I think that is a wise and socially acceptable course of action.

I knew a breeder who used to walk around with them in his pocket to hatch them out if they were stubborn...lol....sounds strange to me, but he's been a successful breeder for years so what do I know? Best of luck!

Good point - the humidity levels will be high but not wet-high. Maybe I'll start with good ol' Java Fern since I have lots, and go from there. Java Fern isn't a fave of plant-eaters either, so maybe it will have a reasonable chance. I also have Windelov & Bolbitis. I have a huge Sword but no small ones - I'm guessing that's just a matter of time though. Thanks for the replies - much appreciated.

I am setting up terrestrial snail quarters. First of all, they're plant eaters so I'm not holding out much hope here...lol...but I don't mind replacing them frequently. Are there some emmerse grown plants that would be suitable for Terranium life? Could I grow them submersed and then bring them into the humid emmersed setting? That way I could replace them often. If I'm not mistaken, Anubias is often grown emmersed. I would like to try that as they would be more difficult for them to eat, but others are just fine too. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Many t(h)anks!

Goldfish have such charm - shame they get so big. A tank of them is on my wish list for when I'm rich & famous. They're lucky you found them... or they found you. Nice shots!

Now that's talent! Beautiful shots. I could never own enough Cory's. If you are interested in shipping some of your spawns, please let me know.

Did you boil it? Gotta kill the nasties :grr: . Do you know what type of wood it is? Some aren't suitable for aquariums. Soaking will also help bring out the tannins, otherwise you'll probably see a change in Ph so I'd keep an eye on it for awhile. It may also yellow the water. If you already knew all that, consider it unsaid . As for weighting, I've heard great things about slate for the larger pieces. I siliconed mine to beach rocks, but I use smallish pieces. Most importantly, don't forget to call it names. This method also applies to computers, things you stub your toe on, and pretty much anything or anybody during PMS week.

I believe the leopards are one of the fish known to change their coloration according to the background, so maybe that's what you're seeing? My BN's have lighter patches down their back too, so maybe its a pleco thing. A pic would be great. Very striking creatures aren't they? If they didn't get so aggressive/territorial and HUGE....lol....I would be tempted to try one. They must be quite a sight at full size.

I am currently building a website for a store which includes a disease chart. Frankly, I know next to nothing about marine creatures, but since I have the format & all that mapped out for freshwater fish, it would be easily converted to the AA community and adding to it would be simple. As in the store's case, it can be easily integrated with affiliate programs which would support the website. Before anyone objects, keep in mind that the next question upon ID'ing a disease is 'How do I treat it'? I do not condone or recommend that any one solution be pushed for monetary gain, however, since the question has to be answered, linking the solutions to affiliated companies wouldn't hurt, as long as the other solutions are also represented. I would view it as a fundraiser more than anything, since chances are the people are going to buy the same product elsewhere anyway. That aside, the content would be invaluable. The search engines would eat it up, and the opportunity for referrals is beyond limitation. How many times does sickness come up in forums? Linking to the chart would be an excellent promotional tool. As for pictures, that's where the community supports the fundraiser. When a fish is suffering from something, they contribute the photo. Eventually you could have a comprehensive diagnosis tool that would be the envy of other forums. I think that all around, its an awesome and useful idea.

ROFL Weiners definitly should not own fish. We should protest - make signs & stuff! Captions anyone? "Sell it to Mikey, he'll buy anything..." <GROAN>

I'm not sure about there, but here the best selection of them is at Home Depot & London Drugs. Since they're chains it should be similar there. Good luck!

Ah that makes sense. I have no idea if it met all of the criteria, although it did have the slate bottom but it wasn't in pristine condition. Thanks, I'll stop kicking myself quite so hard .

Those things fetch big bux. I know because I was stupid enough to sell one at a yard sale. It came with a stand and I wanted a newer tank - I only bought it for the stand. I got it for a song and resold for the same amount without the stand so I was quite proud of myself.... until someone told me what they're worth. I can't remember the going rate, but it had me kicking myself. :grr: Stop glaring at me - its not like you were going to get it anyway...lol.