Ichthyosporidium

I suppose you could not get a MSDS on the cleaner that was in the bucket? Some chemicals are more pprone to absorbing into plastic than others. or just the name of the cleaner and the manufacturer would also suffice. I personally would not use them for water changes as water has a tendency to leach out most chemicals that are imbedded in the plastic.

All I would be inclined to do is add a little aquarium salt. One Teaspoon per 10 gallons of water is safe for most fish and even live plants can tolerate that level of salinity. The salt will do two things: 1) It will help prevent infections from occuring while promoting healing of the wiunds 2) It helps re-establish electrolytic balance within individual fish. Thus reducing stress which can open up an opprotunity for infections and-or infestations. one other thing to mention, is to keep a close eye out on the wounds of the injured fish. Look for any signs of fuzzy or slimey, white or grey tufts or strands, redness around the wound. these are indicators of possible bacterial or fungal infections and if a fungal or bacterial infection was to form, then time will be your enemy as the best sucess in treatments is to catch it as early as possible.

Sorry to hear about the loss. I will suggest that you watch your tank closely for the next week. The barbs and pleco are more adaptive than the rams. It is possible that being kept in adverse conditions, ie. hard, alkaline water. With a more sensitive genus like Appistogramma, you will find that they get stressed from environmental conditions which opens up the door for disease and infestations.

having that much surface area will still evaporate, but it will definitely reduce the evaporation rate if you use plants to cover the surface. Approximately 70% surface coverage with foliage will not only keep the evaporation rate down, it will help keep algae from growing wild in the pond. If you don't want all live plants, then use an ornament(s) such as a statue or even fake plants such as fake lily pads. Given the surface area of this pond a 1" substrate would benifit the pond, especially if you run coldwater fish such as koi or gold fish. They produce alot of ammonia compared to most tropical fish and when a goldfish grows from 1" to 3", it won't just triple it's output, it will produce the equivalent of 10, 1" goldfish and more if the temp is higher than 20 deg. C. With no substrate, your water might not fully clear. Try and put the pond in an area that has no heat vent blowing on the surface, minimal direct sun, or any drafts that might speed up evaporation. Regardless if you are building a coping around the sides and edge (rocks, wood, plants, tile, brick, etc.). I strongly suggest a liner for underneath the pond liner with some kind of underlay on top of that. Even indoor ponds need to be able to breathe from under your main liner. For a backup liner, you could use a tarp with the edges built up about 2" to 4" from the floor. This can be done by either using a row of standard red brick, pressure treated 4 x 4 post. Or use whatever material you are using to face the tank with. You can adhere the liner to the facing with clear silicone. You will apreciate the extra effort of installing a backup liner if and/or when you wind up dumping a few gallons from a number of possible reasons. A few possibilities are; leak from the filter system, larger fish splashing, the good old missing the pond when dumping water back in just to name a few possibilities.

First off, quarrantine if possible. If the fish is having trouble keeping in a normal, stationary position, I suspect a swim bladder infection. The clamping fins indicate a possible infection or infestation. If this is the case, you need to asess the fish. How many days has it been since you noticed the symptoms. and do you think that the fish will make it another week to ten days as you will need to start an antibiotic treatment asap. If it is a swim bladder infection, then you might already be to late for treatment as it is one of the hardest infections to cure. Also, do you want to spend $30 on treating a fish that probably cost less than that.

Can rays be microchipped? If so, I would get mine done as the price and availability will make them very desireable. It probably would be a good idea and I am sure a vet could make a house call if they are willing to do the procedure in the first place. Damn lucky to have those pairs. Now lets hope for 1 male and three females.

Is this Elodea canadensis? If so, what is the temperature of your aquarium?

What did you use to pan your camera with? Did you use a telephoto lense on your yellowheaded blackbird? If so, what kind?

Just wanted to remind you that irregardless of if you have substrate or not, that humidity will be a major factor. You will need to deal with humidity. Just think if you kept an indoor hot-tub in a room not designed for a hot tub and had no cover on it??? Not trying to be a party pooper but... ... The effects of mould and mildew are potentially disaterous so just think about how you are going to maintain the humidity so that your house does not become a mushroom farm. The resale value of a mould infested house should be of major concern to you alone. :eh:

I would like to see this site be as comprehensive as possible on the subject that it is devoted to as long as it's subjectives are actually used and/or needed by the general population that uses this site. I one day hope that this site is one of the top three to pop up when anyone googles, dogpiles, web ferrets, or whatever search engine that you use, will churn out this site's name. :thumbs: AA is an awesome tool for this hobby. The debates are civil on the most part and there are an unusually high number of truly gifted people on this site for accurate information. So, if another forum truly shows a higher level of comprehension, then I say "Why not?". :eh:

Killies are egglaying toothcarps. livebearing toothcarps include guppies, plattys, swords, mollies, etc. Liberal!!!!......Bite your tongue!!!!....I am a TRUE Albertan thankyou and as such I am Conservative to the bone.

I sure love my Killies.....but I think that the subject is a little exclusive so might I propose a livebearing/egg laying toothcarp section :eh:

Either one is perfectly fine, it just depends on how much you want to spend on plumbing.

I talked to my supplier at Crane supply. It was explained to me that ABS is primarily used for fresh water and PVC is primarily used for sewage. However, I personally and most everyone I know, use PVC for any plumbing associated with aquaria mainly due to cost (PVC is cheaper).

You are thinking of ABS or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

If it is a large stem plant, Then I am thinking possibly Hygrophila corymbosa 'angustifolia' EDIT: I just thought of another one which is Hygrophila corymbosa 'Aroma' brcause it's leaves are even more narrower and L O N G E R. It is nice looking whatever it is.

Hygrophyllia polysperma for shure but the second one..... ...do you know if was grown from a rhizome or root cause I am thinking possibly a cryptocoryne oops, Never mind about the Crypt :&

:welcome: to the site! I too like my Dendrobates and Epipediobates :thumbs: This site it not only active but informative too!

That is kind of strange as Java moss is usually prolific in just about any environment. Ideally, Java moss prefers low light conditions and light, constant current. how exactly do you have it planted? Is it on an ornament? Or is it pinned under something? How bright is the spot you are trying to grow it in? It is best to have it grow on an ornament such as a piece of drift wood, That way you can take it out and trim and rinse the Java moss in some tank water as it has a habit of collecting sediment. I use it as a backdrop in all my killie tanks and I am constantly mowing the bloody thing back about 2" to 3" per week :eh:

Mmmmmm......additives!!! (I know it is addictive you meant to spell :P )

:welcome: to the site!

Just to add a little more. I cannot stress as to how important water testing is, especially in new aquaria. It is consistent and frequent testing that will tell you the nature of your setup and how best to deal with it's requirements. Invest in a good test kit as it will save you money and heartaches in the end. Now I am off to Calgary for some tortise wranglin'.

:welcome: Trish, Hope you enjoy this site as much as I Have. Good community spirit here.

Nice score Connie :thumbs: !! I have allways enjoyed Angels and that is a beauty! Hope you get a breeding pair!! Don't forget to remember me when you have fry if that is the case as I'd be in the market for some. :hey:

There are many factoes at play when it comes to fish jumping. One of them is strange shadows. Fish associate the world outside of the tank primarily by shadows. When a new shadow, for example a swaying tree branch shadow from the different angle of the sun or moon, ballons, and new people or pets in the house can cast new and spooky shadows that make fish jump in a desperate attempt to evade a potential predator. Another reason could be from sarcadian rythyms, such as breeding cycle brought on by the phase of the moon. I have even seen fish jump from highly toxic tanks (nitrite and ammonia for example) All the less, I am sorry to hear about your loss and keep a stiff upper lip.....It comes with the territory