Barracuda-m

Thanks Jonah! I'll put on another HOB, loaded with carbon for a day or so, do another water change, and maybe boil the bad piece again. The tank is already planted

I recently set up a community tank, as I've had nothing but cichlids for a few years, and I was able to get some Mopani driftwood at my LFS. I had 2 pieces, really nice ones, I took them home, soaked them for 4 days, changing the water 3 times a day, then I boiled each piece for 20 minutes, soaked them for another day, boiled again, soaked for another day, and boiled again, soaking for another day. I changed the water oodles of times, and on the 8th day, when I woke up and checked on it, the water was nice and clear. I figured it was ok to put it in the tank. Not quite. My community tank water looks like strong tea, and I've been doing 25% w/c daily, but theres still major water staining. Any suggestions on how to control this?

I saw an ad online for free fish, and I'm a sucker, so I went to get them. I'd always wanted a community tank, all I've ever had was cichlids. I went to the house, and saw a really bad combination of fish in one tank. I took them all, so I could split them up, somehow. (did I mention I wanted a community tank? In the tank (which was about 50 gallon) was about 20 fish. A bunch I have yet to identify, but heres what I know I saw: 2 black moors, 1 of those goldfish that looks like they swallowed a gumball, really cute, 3 dwarf gouramis, 2 tiger barbs, a small pleco, a java loach (he's pale pink, maybe albino?) and a bunch that I'll try to identify myself. my batteries died in my camera, I'll get some more, and post some snaps. I still have them all together, and I'm setting up a separate tank for the goldfish in the morning. I put them in a 30 gal tank with my 4 danios, and a synodontus. Everyone seems to get along so far. Any suggestions on who should stay and who should go? (besides the goldfish, of course). I'm not sure how long they've had these fish together for, none look very big.

hi, thanks for all the input. I did oodles of water changes, with bottled water (18L at a time) over a couple of days, but they were still doing that "scratching" thing, so I moved them to my main cichlid tank. I kicked out my remaining cichlids and moved them elsewhere, and everyone is doing much better I was scared to death that my darling ahlis would die, so I'm turning the tank they were in into a community tank

I did 2 water changes, both about 30% (thats how big the buckets are) about 2 hours apart. The fish seemed pretty agitated, swimming around like little maniacs and trying to rub against the gravel. They don't seem quite as bad now (still a little rubbing) but I think I'll do another w/c in a couple of hours, just to be safe. My Ahlis are my babies, I can't put them in my main tank because my auratus and a big male cobalt keep kicking their asses.

My kid poured 1/3 of a bottle of melafix in my 25 gallon Ahli tank. (About 3 ounces) How many water changes should I do? I just did about a 35% wc, and have filled a bucket to do another. Should I do a few more today, making it gradual, or should I do them quicker, to get the melafix out of the water. DARN THOSE LITTLE BOYS!

I have a drilled tank, and a smaller secondary tank. I wanted to use a sump for filtration, but I have no idea what I'm doing. What do I need to do next? do I have to measure the hole? What kind of pump do I need? How do I design the separate sections for my media to go in? ANY help is greatly appreciated, as I am quite clueless about the whole thing. Thanks in advance

excellent! thank you so much when I get them set up, and the rocks rearranged, I'll take a snap and post it!

Hi, this is my 100th post! yay me! I also have a question I made some coconut huts for my frog tank, and my frogs don't like them. I took them out, and have been soaking them for a couple of days, and I want to put them in my main cichlid tank. How do they affect Ph?

Thanks again for all the input I doubled up on Prime, and treated with Melafix, and her eye is all better! she's eating normally, and is back to her usual self! I love a happy ending . Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend!

I moved her into her own tank a couple of days ago because she was being bullied by her former tankmates. She's in there with 2 other fish, who have always been non aggressive. The other fish are doing ok. Its a new setup, and the water is fine, it was cycled with a dirty filter and some gravel from the original tank.

hi, my female Ahli has a coudy eye! She looked great last night, but the eye is definately clouded. I can still see her pupil, but you have to look for it. Any suggestions? I have Pimafix and Melafix onhand, and I can go pick up whatever in the meantime.

I don't know about you, but I'm not running out and getting one anytime soon. Click here for Japanese fish weirdness.

I don't know of places closed during the day, and open at night, but the staff that lucky businesses are able to keep are really young, really rude, and really burned out. It's all they can find.

Elza's Tropicals shut down about 10 years ago or so, and the fish store/tackle shop shut down almost 6 years ago. A few opened and almost immediately closed since then. Now all we have is North Star Pet Centre, they've been here 12 years or so, but the only fish food they carry is Omega, and a little nutrafin.

shyte..........thanks for all the input

My friend was in Edmonton last week, and I asked him to snag me some NLS, as I'm running out. He brought back some Top Fin large cichlid pellets. The PetSmart employee said "I'm not supposed to tll you this, but this is what we feed our fish to get great color, its better than NLS!" It sounded fishy to me. NLS is almost 20 bucks for a little container, but this bag was 8.99. Anyone ever try this stuff before? I googled it, but all I came up with was petsmart sites promoting it.

5 nights ago, I was watching Prison break, sitting on the floor next to my 61 gal, and both my ahlis came over to say hi. They looked at me for a few minutes, then proceeded to get busy! I watched her lay egg after egg, and the big man was fertilizing every one! She'd go behind him and scoop them up in her mouth. I lost count after 20..........I'm so impressed! Its the first time I've ever seen them breed. They have a LOT of hiding places. When should I start keeping a close eye on her? I'd like to move her to her own 20 gal, just to save the babies. Any suggestions? oh, the six alhi babies I found in my tank a few months ago are doing great! about 1.5 inches long, and when the light hits them a certain way, they have a slight purple sheen

please please please don't mix frog species in there frogs have secretions that are dangerous to other species of frog. In nature, it's ok, theres lots of room for everyone, but in a small, controlled environment, like a tank, theres a HUGE risk of cross contamination, and you'll wind up with a tank full of dead frogs. Just a little FYI, thanks for reading M

here's my 61 gallon.........I was getting ready to do a WC and they all came out to see me, so I took a quick snap. I have a homemade cover, but I lose that much water every 2 days.

hi, I did a major overhaul of my tank at the end of October for moving, and I found 6 unidentified, itty bitty babies swirling around the tank. I moved them to a 10 gal growout, then to a nice big 29. I initially thought they were Kenyii, because of the colors, but I just looked at them, and it hit me like a hammer...... They're Electric Blue Ahlis! I have a spectacular male, and a boring female who showed absolutely no interest in each other, but maybe it was just a ruse..heheheh Babies are light to medium grey, with the pointy lil faces, and darker stripes. They're still really tiny, but now you can see features better. They cost 25 bucks a piece here, I'm keeping them for my monster tank!

I can't do it myself, and dear husband and crew refuse to do it. I tried, and the best I can have happen is full bracing underneath. I don't like the wheels either, I believed they would be coming off once the tank was in the house, but no, they are staying where they are. Nothing more I can do about it, don't blame me.

I am, but the blocks will be made of steel, and will lift the casters up about 1/8 of an inch. I mentioned it 3 posts up.

Thanks for all the replies I complained and complained to hubby and his little team of engineers for the last 2 days, and after hearing a lot of "the wheels are engineered, they'll hold a truck! You can't get these at Canadian Tire! We use them at the shop for moving everything!" he's finally agreed to brace the entire underside (from stand bottom to floor) with more steel. It'll be nice and flat, and secure. The wheels were put on so the stand could be moved easily into the house, and they left them there.

oh, forgot to mention, it's in the basement, and the wall behind it spearates the living room and dining room. The floor is concrete with hideously ugly lino covering it. I thought the wheels weren't a fabulous idea either, but hubby is the professional, so I trust his judgement