Raven

Root tabs seems like a good idea, do they help with growth in low light??

Seen the fry over the week end and they are doing well. Even with ducks visiting the pond they are all still there

ok, the substrate isn't really a issue then? i read about different soil type being used.

6 of the larger fry made the move out to Grandmas pond last week. The others are too small yer and there the 4 new guys from the same mom. The day we went out the pretty ugly and rainy weather wise. do they seemed to adjust just fine. Don't know how they are doing yet, but i'm hoping for the best!

OK, when more gets switched over i'll get a T8 or better for the other side too then. Is their anything else i should do??

Hahaha. I found the male belly up yesturday, diffently need a new man for the guppy girls.

lol. Doesn't that girl need to call 911 and get to the hospital asap??

Quite impressive. If you weren't in calgary i'd ask you for one, lol.

ummm.... so far the 50 has 1 of its 2 lights on since the other is being used to light the 10G fry tank and the 29 has it's own that will be switched over more then likely to the fry. The one of the 50 is brand new a 15 watt Aqua-glo... T8! and the 10 has *blinds eyes* an older Aqua-Glo 15 watt (no mention of T8ness)and the 29 has *blinds eyes again* an All-Glass Aquarium 17 watt Aquarium Lamp Rapid Start. *blinks* I think its about time to replace the 2 older ones, maybe.

Huh, duck weed... do duck eat it? they plants are to provide some cover, would that be effective or no?

Sweet! I wonder how well they will do, and if they'll make like rabbits,lol.

Hmm.... i need more plants.... She has a nice wad of java moss in with her though, seemed to help easy her stress the last time ( and she was in a fish net freaking out that time). Also it seems that if they're are separated they get stressed, so this time it's the breed net in the main tank.

Wow. You sure they didn't cross with some swords or platties or something?? They're huge!

Ok good, so it is a male, lol. wonder what the little one is.... hmmm...

What types are there? I know nothing about ponds plants. I've seen some water hyacinth (sp?) and well.... they just look weird.

That's good to hear, since i was going to wait 2 more weeks any way, lol. How long will good temps last before a heater might be needed again?

OK, wait... If a female had bristle how big would they be?? I've had 2 full grown ones so far. My newest is too small to tell. The first one i had had nothing, and one i have now has some bristles, but nothing like the massive amounts i've seen in some pictures. ( i haven't seen a real life male yet, unless this is one). So that's kind of thrown me for a loop and i don't know what to think now, lol.

Been reading a lot on this lately as I'd like to improve the plant growth on those that the Amecas won't destroy or that they don't bug so much. I have a liquid fertilizer that has only seemed to help algae growth in the 29G, 50 Hasn't had any yet. And I've read that there is quite a variety used, but for most i get the feeling its too late since there is already water and fish in the 50 that I'm upgrading too. So far the 50 just has sand, for plants i have a ball of java moss and i moved what's left of the Anubis in hopes the it would put on a good growth spurt before the Amecas are moved over and start picking on it again. the 29 has gravel, plagued by the dark green fuzz, to be rid of it i am going to try to boil the gravel before adding it to the sand. I hate the stuff and really want to not transfer it. I've even taken extreme pruning measures with the plants. I'm not really sure what to do with all the information i have read. Some of it is just too complex to make sense of right now too. So could i get some help understanding it all? Hopefully in the end i have more of a forest like tank. Thanks a lot!

Guppies and Amecas are my 2 live bearer species. And though i have read a lot on guppies, i haven't been all that satisfied with this topic. With the Amecas, info is a bit harder to get, and some of it I'm not sure i trust. I have noticed regular fating and thinning with my Ameca girl. I have been watching and watching but so far haven't seen any sign of when i should put her in a net to birth her young. So far I have only seen Ameca fry once, and the other fish (the dwarf cichlids) ate them so I've been really trying to catch a good time, unsuccessfully. As far as the mating behavior goes, i have see a lot of the shake dancing they do, but no actual joining that i know of, other then she slowly gets fat again. Then skinny, it's been quite frustrating. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, and the fat and thin cycle is based on food intake, and the boy is shooting blanks. With the guppies i so far have been watching the G spots. Once i noticed that one girls triangle was more square and a bit of a protrusion happening i started watching for a couple of days to see if she'd drop. She didn't and she's now in a net, and I'm still waiting, almost a week later. Her previous batch are about 5 weeks old now, so she should be ready. Why does it take so long? Why when I'm positive babies are coming, so i prepare, does nothing happen too? ( happened with 2 other girls). I know with Ameca the hold for about 90 days and guppies about 30, so i loosely time things to help predict stuff to, but right now it seems impossible! Bah!

I've been looking into pond heaters to be used over night in-case the temps drop too low. I talked to the staff at a LFS in St. Albert and he said they wouldn't have anything till fall, and most of that would be just to prevent it from freezing. I have thought of using Aquarium heaters but i have no idea what i would need watts/gallon wise.... i don't even know how many G the pond is... I'll get on it. Another thought has occurred. Would i feed them differently in the pond?? My grandma hasn't ever had anything in the pond but plants what sort of things would she need to make sure it safe for the fish? Thanks again.

how big is your XL ones??

OK, I'm basically trying my hand at creating hardy guppies again, they seem pretty weak now a days, so I'm looking for a way to get more genetic diversity.

Looking into moving some of the fry to my grandmas guppy pond. She fills it with her well water ( i think) and we are supposed to go get some floating plants soon. I a week or 2 they all will be big enough to make the move. But i'm wondering if the switch from city to well water will be deadly and what i can do to help them adjust better. In canada i have heard of outdoor guppy pond in Athabasca and Vancouver so i don't see a problem with it over then possible getting a pond heater for over night, are the different from regular heaters? Trying to find more info with no success. Thanks for the help.

I know its a practice used among reptile breeder but I'm wondering if the same could be said with fish. I believe the Male Guppy i bought 2 months or so ago is on his last legs, he's been doing a lot of hiding lately and i believe it's because he's been worn out from his wives fighting back and the Ameca and Krib males picking on him over territory and what not. He was a tequila sunrise male and i got 1 batch of fry out of him that are about 5 weeks old now, and possible another batch from the same female.( waiting sucks) So far the Fry have all resembled their mother (black) and the blue and albino red girls did not birth to a batch like i though they would. Probably my fault since i had moved them to the fry tank in net to give birth, waited 2 weeks and nothing. So far, no signs of them being knocked up again since being moved back. I am in the process of up grading the 29 G to a 50 G and adding 7 new fish (another BN pleco that I'm hoping is opposite sex of the on i already have- currently with the fry since its small-, and more dither fish ( the Diamond tetra got 3 new friends and there's 3 Congo tetras). The Guppies will be the last to go, so i was wondering if i could borrow someones boy to knock up my girls for a week or 2, just to see what happens They'll be all alone so there will be no one to pick on them as they get busy and work there magic. If it's not possible, i guess my kids get to pick out a new fish if the selection is good at a store. Thanks For reading this and using up your time, haha!

hmm, ok i'll look into it.