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I sent Mark a PM on the other forum. It's Mark N right?

Hey all, I was at a thrift store the other day and ran across a full 33 ounce co2 bottle. Here are some pics: Could I use this for pressurized Co2?

I was thinking that this time I wanted to try a cleaner method of hatching brine shrimp. What do you think of this product? Or should I try freeze dried rotifers?

M. Parva sound good to me. I've never kept them before but always liked them, and they don't get too big for my tank :D Sounds like a good match.

Well then... lol I talked to the wife and she said I could raise a mop of eggs! I could actually get this started now, and by the time they are large enough to need a bigger tank it will be cycled. I just have to get the supplies ordered and get a vinegar eel culture going. What species...

Ok Mike, thanks for the tip! Sent him a PM. Hopefully he still has some left.

Well from what I gather, Bolivian rams stick mostly to the mid to bottom areas. If I provide 3 distinct territories with open swimming area in the front and top areas of the tank, I think it might work. The only problem I see is if the rams breed, the rainbows would be attacked every time they...

Mike, Do you think the species of rainbow suitable for a 30 gallon long would be compatible with bolivian rams?

Awesome!

Actually Gvilleguy, if you wouldn't mind, can you donate a small piece of media to speed things along? :D It's been running since since Monday, and so far my tests are to be expected: Ammonia 5.0ppm Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 pH 8.4 Temp 80F GH >1 KH >1

Yeah, I was thinking that it would be the same as a tank. I have a small filter that has room enough for a filter sponge that fits the filter for the new 30 gallon tank, and a large air driven sponge filter that I plan on cutting up and jump starting my 110 gallon (well, I get the tank, stand...

What are your water test results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Often a small ammonia problem can cause a rainbow to become more susceptible to disease.

What do you guys think, is it possible to cycle filter media in a 5 gallon bucket using standard fishless cycling methods?

In the US, we have access to www.aquabid.com. Right now rainbow breeders are busy with the warm months ahead. These rainbows are going to be really nice fish if taken care of. Some of the best breeders sell their stock here.

I've found that when trying to ID fish, it's always good to compare known pictures of wild specimens. In some cases though, the species may not still exist in the wild. This is a pair of males displaying from a reputable rainbowfish website. Here is a mature male boesemani. If you compare...

No mike, I don't have those dubs anymore, I had to sell those too. Right now I'm teetering on the edge: My mother in law has a 110 gallon tank sitting empty in her living room, and there has been talk of giving it to me. It would cost me about $300 to $350 to set it up properly, but an...

The hardest part I have found is getting to the bbs stage. Usually once they get large enough to eat bbs, they survive. The last group of M. lacustris I bred, I think had 137 fry hatch (from one mop!) and I believe I raised 133 or 135 of them to juvenile size before I sold them. Here's a few...

A lot of people don't like ammonia removing media. There is a misconception that your bacteria will die off due to lack of ammonia (food) but that depends on where you put the ammonia remover. As long as your bacterial media comes first in the flow, the bacteria will have access to ammonia...

Yeah, hardness shock can be a killer. What size tank is it? If the tank is not very large, most fish shops will sell RO (reverse osmosis) water. In a situation like this, you could fill your tank with half RO water and half local watter supply and halve your hardness making it a little easier...

Oh yeah! I forgot the baking soda. Thanks mike :D

It could be a dominant fish, or one who is developing slightly faster than the others. Once you switch over to brine shrimp, the others will catch up. It's very easy to hatch brine shrimp. They only require a few things to hatch. You need to heat their water to 80F and provide the right kind...

Yeah, I'd have to agree with matlee. Fish need a stable pH, not a perfect one. Most fish can adapt to a range of pH.

I. Werneri (threadfin rainbowfish) have tiny mouths. When all else fails, most fish will eat baby brine shrimp. They are really easy to hatch and feed to your fish. Hatching Baby Brine Shrimp

Yes, looks like a congenital defect. This sometimes happens when line breeding. Those particular fish should have been culled way before getting to your tank. It seems like whatever supplier your LFS uses doesn't practice quality control.

There are only a few situations in which you need to use carbon. The best use of carbon is for removing medications or chemicals from the water. The other uses include removing tannins from the water (tea colored). http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/348425-cloudy-water-again-grrrr/...

I had a group of these for a while to contrast with my M. lacustris. Mine were about 2 3/4 inches, but I have read that they can reach 3 inches. I enjoyed mine. Pictures do not do them justice.

Wow, those are nice!

Don, If the tank has been running for two weeks, then it most likely isn't particulate matter in the water. To me it sounds like a bacterial bloom, and it is quite normal in newly set up tanks. If it is indeed a bacterial bloom, we can try to explain what is happening. Our water...

Generally speaking, I only pay $1 a gallon for a used tank if it's large. As for the stand, it would depend on what it was made from, the construction and finish, and it's general condition.

That is not unheard of. 2 months is still a new tank. I really don't consider a tank mature until you have past the 6 month mark.

Michael, I would have to caution you on the use of pH up or down. These chemicals will change your pH for a time, but all too often your pH will return to it's original value. This is because these chemicals do nothing to buffer/debuffer your water, and this rapid change in pH is not...

Is this a new tank? If so, it sounds like diatoms. Diatoms wipe off real easy, and they seem to go away on their own as the tank matures. It is very common.

Hi Michael! Firstly, as you have no doubt discovered, you are not alone in this! Many many fishkeepers have gone through this "trial by water", and many have been discouraged greatly by their subsequent failure due to bad advice, but it seems that this in not your case. You have stumbled onto...

I know that 80 ppm seems high, but most fish can tolerate levels higher than that. I believe that waterdrop has more information on this than I do, so hopefully Terry will pop in and enlighten us all.

You would be surprised at how fast a fish can disappear. Sometimes it can happen over the course of a few hours.

I agree with OM47. Baking soda is a great tool to use during a fishless cycle. Besides, the bacteria we are trying to grow like the water to be a little alkaline anyway, and adding the baking soda will help to put it in the optimal range.

I'd have to echo what everyone else has said. It can certainly take some time for rainbows to settle in. Offer a small amount of different foods every day and keep their water clean and I am sure that they will come round.

Believe it or not, rainbows will benefit from your tankk being understocked. Remember that rainbows are sensitive fish afterall, especially dawrf neons.

Simply put, the males are more colorful than the females.

Actually, that would depend on the fish. Some groups are fine more females than males, but most of the time it isn't. When we recommend more females than males we are recommending something that works 100% of the time, not sometimes, and to a new rainbowfish keeper this should be essential...