What Do You All Use

[flamepony12]

Starting to set up my spawn tank, since Spring Break starts friday.

I've heard IALs are good, but we can't find those a-n-y-w-h-e-r-e around here. Don't know where we'd find banana leaves either, but I'd really like to have an IAL. It'd be great if you could post a site that sells IALs, if you know of any.

So, I was wondering what other things some of you have successfully used as bubblenest anchors. I'd just like to have backup in case I can't find an IAL.

Also, I've heard pennplax corner filters are good for when the fry start freeswimming. Maybe it's just that the pet and fish stores around her are super lame, but nobody has those either. -___- What other filters have you used for spawn and growout tanks?

Thanks,
Devon

 

[Joby]

For a nest have used half a poly cup, IAL leaf, piece of bubblewrap or floating riccia plant.

I use sponge filters for my spawn tanks from the start, tried the box ones but sometimes fry would get sucked into there and if you didn't notice then they would perish

 

[ILM]

We've used floating cut-in-half styro cups taped to the side of tank to keep it from floating, floating plants since some of our males preferred putting the nest among the leaves of watersprites and duckweed (I prefer the floating plants since they also encourage infusoria which the babies will feed on). I once tried a almond tea leaf but it started getting moldy after about a week and if it takes your pair a few days to get it on, by the time the babies are born it could be more than a week and who needs fungus in the tank anyway so quit using that. We use a well-seasoned sponge filter after the fry are 2 weeks old (until then, no water movement at all) set at a low bubble (increasing as they get older and get stronger--don't want them wasting all their energy just trying to fight the flow. When we start conditioning the breeders, we also pull out the watersprites we're going to use in the baby tank, set them in a sunny window so they will get healthy and start breeding infusoria; if it's a new sponge filter, we set that up and throw it running into one of the tanks with fishes so it can prime with the necessary bacteria, make sure all the equipment is thoroughly clean and functioning properly, make sure the baby food is thriving (do whatever subculturing needs to be done) and all food stuff supplies are ready (bs eggs, salt, etc). By the time the breeders go into the breeding tank together, all the other baby things are ready.

 

[Amerce]

PM'd you with regards to IAL.

 

[Fighterfish]

PM'd you with regards to IAL.

Hi,
Does anyone know what i can do to start start my two female siamese fighters mating with my male. They have been with each other for a year and still haven't mated. PPPleeease help.

 

[Styx]

There's your problem right there SiameseFighter. They are not guppies. You can't just stick them together and expect them to breed. And sticking them together is a bad idea anyway. They have to be conditioned for weeks and have the right water conditions and temperature to spawn. In addition to that, you cannot have two females in the spawning tank with the male.

Read all of this carefully:
http/www.bettysplendens.com/articles/pag...p?articleid=722

Then you need to read every single artical listed here:
http/www.bettysplendens.com/articles/catview.imp?catid=856

If you expect to have any success, you need to do a lot of research.

 

[Betta_Lovex3]

Sorry, I can't help with the question, but yay Devon! It's finally time to see Kale and Akela's beautiful babies!

 

[fawnmodel]

you can use anything tank safe that floats to anchor the nest - a margarine lid, a piece of styrofoam, an IAL, half cup....etc etc. Even duckweed provided that the top of the tank is covered to prevent the bubbles from popping.

You can make a sponge filter for about $3. Just get an airstone, and a piece of Aquaclear white filter int eh right size (or cut it in a few), and put the airstone inside the filter. Season it from a good tank for a week first.. Anchor it to the side witha suction cup, or weight it down. Tie a knot in the airline so you have about one bubble every 1-3 secs.

 

[JBN]

Where in California do you live? I live in SoCal and there's a LFS that sells 3 large packaged IAL for a buck each. I use IAL leaves and live floating plants as the anchor for the nest. For sponge filters you can either build one or buy this for $10 shipped: http/underbid.com/action/display/item/10...u/5-121683.html

For online IAL, here's 100 dried leaves for $28 shipped:
http/cgi.ebay.com/100-Tropical-Indian-Al...1QQcmdZViewItem

There are different quanities avaiable so just click on the seller's store and 'other items' for other sizes.

 

[Animation]

Sorry to sound a bit of a newb.
But what exactly is an IAL?
James

 

[JBN]

We were all noobs once so no need to apologize . IAL stands for Indian Almond Leaves which can be thoroughly explained here: http/bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=898

 

[flamepony12]

Thanks for the help everyone, I can easily order a sponge filter of IBC or make one, do you think that'd be the best thing to use?

Where in California do you live? I live in SoCal and there's a LFS that sells 3 large packaged IAL for a buck each.

I live in Agoura Hills .. is that anywhere around you? what's the store called? >.<

 

[JBN]

I just check google and you live about 50 miles north of me . The store is called 405 Tropical fish where I bought the OHm in my avatar and some other amazing fish for $3-7 dollars . You can buy these two filters for $10-$12 bucks shipped. The pictures are reversed:

Doubles (picture is in the "Singles" page)
https/www.underbid.com/cgi-bin/underbid/u...item=1049220383

Singles (Picture is in the "Doubles" page)
https/www.underbid.com/cgi-bin/underbid/u...item=1049220384

 

[flamepony12]

Wow, I've never been to a pet store holding such beautiful fish -- your HM is gorgeous. ^____^ I'm leaning towards ordering a sponge filter from IBC, to be safe, until I hear otherwise. Thanks, everybody, for your help!

 

[splashluff]

Majestic (majesticbettas.com) will send a ton of huge IAL's for very cheap, and they arrive within 2 days. "Small World" carbon/sponge filters also work, and they're at my local Petsmart, so hopefully they'd be at yours. Making one with simply a bubbler, an empty plastic fish food container, and an aquarium sponge also works.

GOOD LUCK! You need to update us every step of the way, for sure.