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If the bacteria are stripping the ammonia from the chloramine, that should release chlorine I would think - the same way a simple dechlorinator like thiosulfate would. Would the free chlorine not then act to kill things like E. Coli, and even the bacteria doing the stripping? I don't think any...

It sounds like you may be getting variable nitrate test results. If you use an API or similar test using test solutions (not test strips) this link may be helpful. http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=180830&hl= Good luck on the cycle getting completed!

I have a female Gold Dust Molly that was originally all yellow. As she's getting older she's getting a lot of black on her now. Someone I know with all black mollies has a few that are getting patches of white scales now (not diseased). I've always assumed that the color changes are just a...

My opinion - I wouldn't use it. It'll be dirty, may have oil on it from cars & trucks, etc. that may be very difficult or impossible to get washed out.

You should never fill a tank right to the top edges. If that what you've done any water movement will have it sloshing over the edge, or possibly contacting a hood if you have one and leaking out from the hood by condensation, capillary action, etc. Sounds like you may have a leak elsewhere...

USA - had 2 a couple of months ago & both perished within a couple months. I wasn't sure what the cause was - if it was ulcers or something else. I didn't check for ulcers at the time, and no other reason was apparent.

Hahahahaha! I was correct in assuming "bog roll" is what we refer to in the states as toilet paper, or TP for short, and I knew you were kidding. One or more thicknesses of "bog roll" would work as well as kleenex type tissue. And yes unused bog roll (or kleenex for that matter) is a must! :shout:

I agree on the inbreeding and increased chance of deformities, but unless you can get 2 different sources of the fish and be guaranteed that they're from different breeders, the chances for getting fish from 2 different broods at a single lfs are about nil. I was just addressing the question as...

Yep - same with mine - after a couple days they starting moving around a lot & eating like little pigs! And the color will improve too. As far as sexing them I was able to get a lot of help in a forum that specializes in cichlids only, and there are some real Bolivian experts in there. Here's a...

Information I've found is that the Texas Cichlid is the only one native to the USA (and Mexico) and they are listed as aggressive fish. I think some call them Rio Grande Cichlids also, so they must be found in the Rio Grande river (Lower Texas). Nothing native any further north than that.

If you mean can the pair be from the same parents - yes they can. They'll still breed OK as long as the male & female are compatible with each other. I'd get 2 females & a male to increase the chances.

Hi. Still getting the hang of the fish picture taking & haven't done a lot of it, but here are 2 pics I took last week of some young Bolivian Rams, showing the difference that one thickness of kleenex made: No tissue - really washed out: Same tank, different fish, but same age ram - one...

Hi Boboboy. I wasn't using tissue to avoid flashback in the pictures. I've found that simply angling the camera will still caused washed out fish pics due to the intensity of the flash, especially with fish that aren't darkly colored and have a lot of reflective silver scales. The tissue (as you...

I've found with my digital camera, with limited exposure control, that I can get pretty good closeups of my fish by putting one or two layers of tissue (kleenex type) over the flash to get the benefits of the flash stopping the motion of the fish, but avoid that washed out look. I also get the...

I think the lack of knowledge by most (not all by any means) lfs personnel, especially at most of the chain store lfs, is that the pay is low. I wish I could work at one, but I couldn't afford it with house payments & all the usual bills. Might be a nice retirement job, but most of these...

Did you do any water tests after you noticed the fish loss? Probably not as you were probably in shock. I'm just wondering if disturbing the sand could have released anything that would have caused a quick ammonia spike, or released a lot of oxygen eating organics that could have quickly...

Not sure on 2 females doing the liplock. I know you can have dominant females, so who knows? I guess anything is possible.

I also got the Marineland Stealth after my disaster. Good choice. Not the cheapest, but they were highly rated by a lot of folks. Nothing lasts forever, but it should give you good service. I just wish when heaters failed that they would stick in the off mode, rather on on!

Hi. The sexing can drive you crazy! I think it's even worse with the Bolivians, and to every "rule" there are exceptions - females with some male traits, & vice versa. One thing that helped in my case was to move some decorations around a bit so that the 2 males at least could have something in...

Hi. I had enough difficulty sexing my Bolivian Rams that I had to get help in another forum from some Bolivian experts, so I won't attempt to sex yours. They may still be a bit young to tell the sexes. Concerning the liplocking, I've seen the same thing with my still immature Bolivians. From...

Same thing happened to me about 2 months ago & I lost most of a tank of fish before I figured out what was going on. After that I also threw away the dang strip thermometer & got an accurate digital readout with a probe in the tank. The strip wasn't able to tell me my water temp. was off it's...

I don't know anything about the rainbows egg laying method, but it sounds like one is laying eggs & the other fertilizing them.

Sounds like they're very close to spawning. Keep an eye out for eggs to show up.

If there's any hint of greenness at all, it's probably .25. If you've added anything to tie up ammonia in the past, that non-toxic form will still give a reading in the API test. The API test really gives total ammonia. One of the API ammonia test solutions raises the pH to 12, which frees up...

Found a couple older posts on leeches & damselfly larvae. Maybe what you have looks like one of these? http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...89&hl=leech http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...mp;hl=damselfly :sick:

ITHURTZ: As Miss Wiggle stated, the API test kit for nitrates can indeed be dodgy, and I've also found the strip tests very undependable. If you get the API test kit, read the instructions I got from API that I posted a while back: http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=180830&hl= As I...

Does this "caterpillar" have legs? If it has legs it might be a dragonfly or damselfly larvae, which can also attack fish. In either case leech or some insect larvae, I'd get it out of there as soon as possible.

Hi. Not meaning to be rude, but since the original ad said "Welcome to 'UK Only' Aquarist Classifieds ..." I assumed the seller was from the UK. I think they still speak English in the UK? Just joking with you! :rolleyes:

"a cute multy lighted aquarium with a with two goldfish giving a beautiful intertendment in the house.it comes with all directories. " Here's a possible translation to American English :rolleyes: A cute multi-lighted aquarium, with two goldfish, resulting in beautiful entertainment for your...

Hi. I have no experience with buying fish online, so hopefully you'll get a lot of other responses. I got an email notice just a few days ago that Petco has started selling fish online now, and seems to have a fairly good selection. No idea on the quality or health of what they ship online, but...

Now if you could remove one side, silcone the top to the bottom section, and turn it on it's side, that would be an awesome tank with a lot of depth to it! :rolleyes:

Hi and welcome to the forum. Lots of good information here! :rolleyes:

Well, I guess they can call the dead fish extremely peaceful. It sounds like that's about all they can do right!

I think most of us expect to see a dead fish here & there, but when there are dead fish in numerous tanks, and the rest of the fish show signs of disease or ill health it's a real turnoff. A few dead fish is one thing, but when it's obvious the place has a major problem with their tanks &...

For me it was a snakehead. this was many years ago and I got it for free with some other fish, as the lfs owner had no idea what it was. It was very tiny when I got it, but as this mystery fish grew the rest of my fish gradually disappeared, until it became big enough to identify. Those things...

I;m no disease expert, but from the bottom picture I'm guessing it may be septicemia: Distinct bright red streaks on fins (caused by vascular inflammation due to systemic/bloodborne bacterial infection) and occasionally patchy red discoloration on the flanks of the body. Depends on severity of...

Hi. From what I've learned in a cichlid forum I just joined, it's a natural thing for the nudging & liplocking to occur between ram pairs. They are testing each other's strength, and the female in a pair is testing the male's strength and fitness as a potential mate. The same can happen between...

Anyone know of the mechanism by which Prime reduces nitrite toxicity? Is it a chemical reaction, or just that something in the Prime that at 5X the normal dose protects the fish by doing something to the their slime coat or ? I've always wonder about that claim.

Hi . I had this posted at the end of another long thread, so excuse me for reposting my questions. I’ve had 3 Bolivians for about a week now, and they confuse the heck out of me. Still trying to figure out what sex they are, and their behavior. They have been doing the liplock thing, and...

Hi. Is the base flat on the bottom of the tank stand or are the 4 sides of the base raised up a bit? If it's flat, I'd think that would distribute the weight evenly across the area of the bottom, meaning less lbs/sq. inch (or less kg/cm). If it's not a flat base on the tank stand, you might put...