Hardiest (NOT expendable) Fish for a Fish-in Cycling?...and foods...and art!

Thanksss :)

What do you think of these :



 
@AdoraBelle Dearheart to raise vinegar eels :

a jar filled with 'apple) cider vinegar, some apple peel, buy a live vinegar eels bag then pour them (not the brine) in the jar, top it with a net, wait a few days and 🔔 serve 🍽 (rinsed).

Same way for Daphnias, replace cider by water + spirulina, pour daphnias in (not the brine), then add a pinch of spirulina twice a week and there you go ;)
That sounds pretty simple to master, thank you! Will definitely be trying this soon :D
The Netherlands...sometimes known as Holland...home to Edam and Gouda, Leyden and Nagelkaas...and many more.
*Facepalm* Of course! My brain was stuck thinking of US states, since I had to learn a lot of the initials that people in different states use as a shorthand. Geography has never been my strongpoint :blush:

I've loved Edam since I was a child. Some diced Edam and a cut up apple is a favourite snack. Have an online friend in the Netherlands too, really want to visit someday! Lovely people and of course, the cheese!
Yep.... The Netherlands...
The germans call the dutch "Cheese heads"...

I'd never heard that the German's gave you guys that nickname... :lol:
 
Oh wow, thank you kindly! I would definitely love to know which food he helped to formulate! Don't mean to trouble either of you, but that's so sweet of you! The fishkeeping world is kind of a small world, isn't it? Feels a bit like six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Found the forum when brand new to the hobby and only planning a little guppy/shrimp 15g tank, end up meeting lovely people who can casually message a world renounced expert to find out which foods he helped to formulate... lol! Almost starstruck here :blush::lol:

You are certainly welcome. Ian has responded to my question, indicating it was the FishScience cory food he helped with, and he recommends it as one of the best (he also recommends Bug Bits as I earlier mentioned I think). Ian says there are two cory foods that FishScience make, the other one has earthworm and is also good, but tends to float more so it needs to be soaked before feeding. Maybe you could get both.

The scientists and experts in this hobby are indeed helpful, I have come across this several times. With all the crackpot misinformation and inane nonsense one can readily see on YouTube it pays to go to those who really do know the subject. I remember how informative and helpful Dr. Marcelo Britto was when I was editing some Corydoras entries on Seriously Fish and I emailed him for information relevant to his 2003 reinstatement of the genus Scleromystax for then Corydoras barbatus and three or four species he had recently described in this genus. Wonderful people.
 
You are certainly welcome. Ian has responded to my question, indicating it was the FishScience cory food he helped with, and he recommends it as one of the best (he also recommends Bug Bits as I earlier mentioned I think). Ian says there are two cory foods that FishScience make, the other one has earthworm and is also good, but tends to float more so it needs to be soaked before feeding. Maybe you could get both.

Wonderful! Thank you so so much, to both of you! Linking in case anyone reading along is looking for Ian Fuller recommended cory food; This food is the worm ingredient food he must be talking about, "FishScience Worm Pellets;

"Recreates the natural, worm based diet that many mid water and bottom feeding fish species consume in the wild.
Unique formula using bloodworms, earthworms, mealworms and silkworms - over 40% worm content.
1mm slowly sinking soft pellets for all mid water and bottom feeding fish."

Have now ordered those since I like to feed a (sensible) variety. Better nutrition with a varied diet, and more interesting for the fish too! Having two FishScience products and the Bug Bites as staple dried foods is plenty, along with the live and frozen stuff. Yay! Much more affordable than the Omega One too, for those of us in the UK.
The scientists and experts in this hobby are indeed helpful, I have come across this several times. With all the crackpot misinformation and inane nonsense one can readily see on YouTube it pays to go to those who really do know the subject. I remember how informative and helpful Dr. Marcelo Britto was when I was editing some Corydoras entries on Seriously Fish and I emailed him for information relevant to his 2003 reinstatement of the genus Scleromystax for then Corydoras barbatus and three or four species he had recently described in this genus. Wonderful people.

I love it! People have been so kind and friendly, and despite being busy, giving away their valuable free time and expertise to help beginners like me, for free.

A few months ago, I snapped some pics of one of my otocinclus looking suspiciously rounded, after spotting spawning behaviour. Some others here also thought it looked like she might be carrying eggs (perhaps even visible in her pelvic fins) when I shared the photos here;
DSCF1740 (1).JPG
DSCF1740.JPG


Was unexpected, but I'd love to successfully breed these guys someday! One of my favourite fish, and given how they're often captured using cyanide, and struggle so badly with shipping and starvation when wild caught, if we can produce more captive bred otos for the hobby it would be wonderful.

No fry came from this in the end, but I did email the wonderful experts at WetWebMedia the photos, to see if they thought it could be eggs. Neale Monks responded quickly and was so friendly and helpful, despite being a busy expert! The folks at WWM give away a lot of their time answering questions and helping to problem solve when hobbyists email them, never being impatient or condescending when faced with routine questions or common mistakes. I've whiled away many hours reading through their FAQ sections and learned a great deal. One of the first places I search if I'm having an issue, like the camallanus worms I had to battle once.

I can't think of many other hobbies where scientists and experts in the field are so accessible, helpful and generous with their time to complete beginners and serious hobbyists alike. It's extremely kind and very much appreciated!
Sorry, there have been posts from @AdoraBelle Dearheart and following these I had forgotten the initial thread topic.
My apologies! I completely and consciously hijacked this thread... :blush:

Although in my defence, only after the OP's questions had been resolved, and @itiwhetu had already done his debating thing and taken it off topic, which led to the substrate and cory feeding debate and those posts sparking my own questions d:D It just made sense to carry on with the conversation here, where those posts were easy to reference and quote, rather than make a new thread and drag them over there.

@Byron Thank you - another accessible and generous expert - for being so helpful and generous with your time and expertise as well! :D You're very appreciated. ❤️
 
Wonderful! Thank you so so much, to both of you! Linking in case anyone reading along is looking for Ian Fuller recommended cory food; This food is the worm ingredient food he must be talking about, "FishScience Worm Pellets;

"Recreates the natural, worm based diet that many mid water and bottom feeding fish species consume in the wild.
Unique formula using bloodworms, earthworms, mealworms and silkworms - over 40% worm content.
1mm slowly sinking soft pellets for all mid water and bottom feeding fish."

Have now ordered those since I like to feed a (sensible) variety. Better nutrition with a varied diet, and more interesting for the fish too! Having two FishScience products and the Bug Bites as staple dried foods is plenty, along with the live and frozen stuff. Yay! Much more affordable than the Omega One too, for those of us in the UK.


I love it! People have been so kind and friendly, and despite being busy, giving away their valuable free time and expertise to help beginners like me, for free.

A few months ago, I snapped some pics of one of my otocinclus looking suspiciously rounded, after spotting spawning behaviour. Some others here also thought it looked like she might be carrying eggs (perhaps even visible in her pelvic fins) when I shared the photos here;
View attachment 142374View attachment 142375

Was unexpected, but I'd love to successfully breed these guys someday! One of my favourite fish, and given how they're often captured using cyanide, and struggle so badly with shipping and starvation when wild caught, if we can produce more captive bred otos for the hobby it would be wonderful.

No fry came from this in the end, but I did email the wonderful experts at WetWebMedia the photos, to see if they thought it could be eggs. Neale Monks responded quickly and was so friendly and helpful, despite being a busy expert! The folks at WWM give away a lot of their time answering questions and helping to problem solve when hobbyists email them, never being impatient or condescending when faced with routine questions or common mistakes. I've whiled away many hours reading through their FAQ sections and learned a great deal. One of the first places I search if I'm having an issue, like the camallanus worms I had to battle once.

I can't think of many other hobbies where scientists and experts in the field are so accessible, helpful and generous with their time to complete beginners and serious hobbyists alike. It's extremely kind and very much appreciated!

My apologies! I completely and consciously hijacked this thread... :blush:

Although in my defence, only after the OP's questions had been resolved, and @itiwhetu had already done his debating thing and taken it off topic, which led to the substrate and cory feeding debate and those posts sparking my own questions d:D It just made sense to carry on with the conversation here, where those posts were easy to reference and quote, rather than make a new thread and drag them over there.

@Byron Thank you - another accessible and generous expert - for being so helpful and generous with your time and expertise as well! :D You're very appreciated. ❤️
Fret not...and you weren't the first respondee to veer off-topic.
Reviewing the responses since I first asked my original question, the following was covered;
  • Cycling
  • Fish compatability
  • Substrates
  • A whole load of truly irrelevent (to my question) stuff about Corydoras and their feeding habits.
  • More on substrates
  • More on corydoras feeding, with detailed analysis of certain foods thrown in.
  • More on fish food.
  • Cheese (!)
  • Geography, with a special emphasis on the Netherlands.
  • Art

Very few people actually answered my original question in a useful manner, so thank you to those. I went elsewhere for my research and came up with an order of Cherry Barbs>Harlequin Rasbora (or Copper Harlequins)>Dwarf (or Honey) Gourami>Dwarf Chain Loach.
 
Linking in case anyone reading along is looking for Ian Fuller recommended cory food; This food is the worm ingredient food he must be talking about, "FishScience Worm Pellets
Thanks you :)
However I'm still surprised : it's supposed to be a high quality fish food but it is made with "Worm meal, herring meal, cereals, fish hydrolysate, yeast, potato, minerals, algae, lecithin, antioxidants and colourants." I'd expected whole worm and whole herring....
 
Thanks you :)
However I'm still surprised : it's supposed to be a high quality fish food but it is made with "Worm meal, herring meal, cereals, fish hydrolysate, yeast, potato, minerals, algae, lecithin, antioxidants and colourants." I'd expected whole worm and whole herring....
I would guess that he recommended whole worms and whole fish etc, but the final decisions would have come down to the company producing it, looking at the price difference of whole vs meal, and deciding to go with the meal..!

If he still recommends it though, I imagine it's still one of the better ones on the market available in Europe/UK?
 
Fret not...and you weren't the first respondee to veer off-topic.
Reviewing the responses since I first asked my original question, the following was covered;
  • Cycling
  • Fish compatability
  • Substrates
  • A whole load of truly irrelevent (to my question) stuff about Corydoras and their feeding habits.
  • More on substrates
  • More on corydoras feeding, with detailed analysis of certain foods thrown in.
  • More on fish food.
  • Cheese (!)
  • Geography, with a special emphasis on the Netherlands.
  • Art

Thank you for understanding :D Sorry I couldn't help with your questions, I just don't have much knowledge or experience with those fish yet, but I really like the idea of the stocking you're going with! Still haven't had chance to read your journal thread, but I have it bookmarked to read and follow along :) Then I need to make a couple of threads to get opinions and advice myself. Hope you don't mind if I tag you when I make them, since we have a similar pygmy cory set up!

Shame you didn't get more input. I often read a thread, have no useful experience or advice to give, so I just don't comment since I'm no help on the topic. I'm sure lots of us do the same. I try to avoid derailing someone else's thread, but I'm also scatterbrained, chatty and, um, verbose (you may have noticed :lol:) so sometimes I comment without thinking...

But I kinda love when people get into these sorta convos and the topic goes all over the place. Not in serious threads like a fish emergency, or someone's journal thread or something, but in the less serious threads or ones where the OP has reached a decision, it's kinda fun! We all get to know each other better, and have learned loads from your thread as a result of the randomness, so thanks :D
 

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