Guest book - Please Introduce Yourself

[Altum]

Hello and welcome. If you're new to the group, please take a moment
to introduce yourself by replying to this post. Google closes old
messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
find one with a "Reply" link. Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
an email and not post to the group!

You can read older intros in the threads below:

http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/86c2d65bbef3e6c7
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/fec867379240146b
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/b6ac4e8e45c35183
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/941d83a3f41b4e8f
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/7ae845e3e686e9e5
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/c0d084cf3b5c899f

[crazyaboutfish]

Hiya, I hope I am doing this right, I hav just joined, am a fairly
newbie to fishkeeping and have a community tank and also a coldwater
goldfish tank. I also help run a tropical fish forum which is good
fun.

On 5 Dec, 19:39, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello and welcome. If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> to introduce yourself by replying to this post. Google closes old
> messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> find one with a "Reply" link. Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> an email and not post to the group!
>
> You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

> http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr...http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr...http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr...http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr...http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr...http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr...

[Andy Gratton]

Hi  Welcome to the Group , 

You will find a very  good bunch of people here  with lots of advice,

We have some  links  to FAQ,'s  and various sites with helpful  Information  for newcomers to the Hobby , but dont be afraid to ask  questions .

 

[Logan Heckendorn]

Hi.
I am Logan.

I am quite into freshwater aquariums already. Just new to the group. I
knew there were resources online just didn't know there were also
groups.
I am currently working setting up a site about this thing (the site is
actually online already).

Anyway, that was it. :)

On Dec 9, 3:20 pm, "Andy Gratton" <anglerfis...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hi Welcome to the Group ,
> You will find a very good bunch of people here with lots of advice,
> We have some links to FAQ,'s and various sites with helpful Information
> for newcomers to the Hobby , but dont be afraid to ask questions .
>

> On 09/12/2007, crazyaboutfish <hoskins...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hiya, I hope I am doing this right, I hav just joined, am a fairly
> > newbie to fishkeeping and have a community tank and also a coldwater
> > goldfish tank. I also help run a tropical fish forum which is good
> > fun.
>
> > On 5 Dec, 19:39, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Hello and welcome. If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> > > to introduce yourself by replying to this post. Google closes old
> > > messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> > > this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> > > find one with a "Reply" link. Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> > > an email and not post to the group!
>
> > > You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

> >http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr....
> > ..

[Javadan]

On Dec 15, 2:10 pm, Logan Heckendorn <loganheckend...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi.
> I am Logan.
>
> I am quite into freshwater aquariums already. Just new to the group. I
> knew there were resources online just didn't know there were also
> groups.
> I am currently working setting up a site about this thing (the site is
> actually online already).
>
> Anyway, that was it. :)

Hi Logan, Welcome to TFA! Take it from a guy who looked into dozens
of online FW fish groups, you just found the best one.

Lots of friendly, helpful people here, lots of info in searching the
archives, & quick accurate answers when you need them. Being that
you're experienced in the hobby, look forward to your input to the
group. Feel free to join in & also post a link to your web site.
jd

[Gukumatz]

On 5 Dec, 19:39, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello and welcome. If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> to introduce yourself by replying to this post.

Hello, I'm new to the group but I've been keeping fish for about 10
years, specifically the Amazon biotope.

I'm happy I found this group. :-)

guku

[Andy Gratton]

Hi  Welcome to the group ,  You will find a lot of helpful  people here  feel free to ask  questions or offer advice .

[ClaudiaHaworth]

Hi all
My name is Claudia and I am new to fish keeping. I am totaly
facinated with it so far. I have guppies (and one has already
produced 5 fry) neon tetras, clown loaches and barbs. I am prepared
with a maternaty net and a smaller tank all set up for the baby fish.
I have just put another 2 guppies in there that look fit to burst.
Its a sharp learning curve. When we moved here to the new house I
inherited an outside pond with 2 platinum carp and a dozen huge
goldfish. I am just outside Brighton in the UK and look forward to
being part of the group.

love
Claudia xx

On Dec 18, 11:16 am, "Andy Gratton" <anglerfis...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Welcome to the group , You will find a lot of helpful people here
> feel free to ask questions or offer advice .
>

> On 18/12/2007, Gukumatz <ivan...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 5 Dec, 19:39, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Hello and welcome. If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> > > to introduce yourself by replying to this post.
>
> > Hello, I'm new to the group but I've been keeping fish for about 10
> > years, specifically the Amazon biotope.
>
> > I'm happy I found this group. :-)
>

> > guku- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Gill Passman]

On Dec 18, 1:40 pm, ClaudiaHaworth <claudiahawo...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> Hi all
> My name is Claudia and I am new to fish keeping. I am totaly
> facinated with it so far. I have guppies (and one has already
> produced 5 fry) neon tetras, clown loaches and barbs. I am prepared
> with a maternaty net and a smaller tank all set up for the baby fish.
> I have just put another 2 guppies in there that look fit to burst.
> Its a sharp learning curve. When we moved here to the new house I
> inherited an outside pond with 2 platinum carp and a dozen huge
> goldfish. I am just outside Brighton in the UK and look forward to
> being part of the group.
>
> love
> Claudia xx
>

Hi Claudia and welcome to TFA :-)

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want - there are a lot of
very helpful people here.....

Gill

[Andy Gratton]

Hi Claudia,

Welcome to the group, lots  of help and advice available  for both tropicals  and pond fish  as well

Your  not that  far away  from  me lol   only about an hours  drive  I live  just outside Portsmouth,

 

Andy

 

[ClaudiaHaworth]

Thanks ~Gill and Andy~ for the warm welcome. Spending time reading
the files, and the fry count is up to 11 now. Been to Portsmouth
Andy, its very nice.
love
Claudia xx

On Dec 18, 2:11 pm, "Andy Gratton" <anglerfis...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Claudia,
> Welcome to the group, lots of help and advice available for both
> tropicals and pond fish as well
> Your not that far away from me lol only about an hours drive I live
> just outside Portsmouth,
>
> Andy
>

> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Gill Passman]

On Dec 18, 7:02 pm, ClaudiaHaworth <claudiahawo...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> Thanks ~Gill and Andy~ for the warm welcome. Spending time reading
> the files, and the fry count is up to 11 now. Been to Portsmouth
> Andy, its very nice.
> love
> Claudia xx
>

Good to have another fellow Brit - I'm in the South as well
(Reading)....congrats on the fry. It's a real buzz to find baby fish
in your tank :-)

Gill

[marc]

I am new to the group but have spent countless hours reading posts
over the last 90 days. I am setting up a 55 gal freshwater tank after
having had numerous fish tanks including a 180 gal reef tank, I am
back to what I really find to be the most satisfying....freshwater
tetra tank ! This holiday I plan on setting up my filter which is a
reverse under gravel powered by an eheim 2028. It took me 2 months to
decide against a plants...anyways....( too much coffee ) ....I am
psyched to have joined this group!

[Andy Gratton]

welcome  to  the group  Marc

[ole]

Hey! Im a boy on 12 year. I have 3 aquarium and live in Norway.
I hope Im welcome here in this group.
If im welcome I will tell more about my selves

[Mister Gardener]

Hey Back At You! We don't have age requirements here, we only require that you enjoy aquariums. Please tell us about yourself.. And welcome!

Mister Gardener

[NetMax]

Hi ole, welcome.
When I was 12, I think I had one 15g aquarium. I wish these groups
existed then.
~~

On Dec 26, 7:34 am, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
wrote:

[Frank Bayne]

ole <ole.ka...@lyse.net> wrote:

       Hi ole - I'm sure your more than welcome. I'm Frank from the US, and was 12 years old almost 50 years ago, but I'm sure there are a lot of people here in the group a lot younger than I am, and mabe 1 or 2 even older.  Hmmm, Norway - I for one would like to hear about your tanks and what kind of fish you keep, when you started into the hobby, and how people there do things. Hope to here from you...............Frank

[shaggy]

Hi everyone,

I am one of those Killinuts you here about! I have 10+ tanks with six
dedicated to Killifish. I am from Australia and have been in the hobby
for about two years.

I look forward to chatting with all of you

Shaggy

[Andy Gratton]

Hi Shaggy , Welcome to  the Group , you will find a lot  of good  people here  with a huge range  of experience,  in all forms  of the hobby ,

[Joe Rosero]

Hello I'm Joe.

I received an aquarium as a gift and now I'm setting it up. I had a
small aquarium with goldfish when I was a kid, but this is my first
large tank. I found this group through Google and I thought I could
find some tips. There's a lot of information I found by searching too.

Thanks for letting me look around.

On Dec 5 2007, 1:39 pm, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello and welcome.  If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> to introduce yourself by replying to this post.  Google closes old
> messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> find one with a "Reply" link.  Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> an email and not post to the group!
>
> You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

[anglerfishuk]

Hi Joe Welcome to the group, you will find a lot of help here
from members, plus links to other help via the links section .

On Jan 3, 12:41 am, Joe Rosero <smokin_...@live.com> wrote:
> Hello I'm Joe.
>
> I received an aquarium as a gift and now I'm setting it up. I had a
> small aquarium with goldfish when I was a kid, but this is my first
> large tank. I found this group through Google and I thought I could
> find some tips. There's a lot of information I found by searching too.
>
> Thanks for letting me look around.
>
> On Dec 5 2007, 1:39 pm, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hello and welcome.  If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> > to introduce yourself by replying to this post.  Google closes old
> > messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> > this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> > find one with a "Reply" link.  Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> > an email and not post to the group!
>
> > You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

> >http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr......- Hide quoted text -

[guru...@gmail.com]

Hi all,

I hope I'm posting right.

Obviously I'm new to the group. I started with aquaria about 2 years
ago. I keep freshwater planted with mostly angels and gourami (which
I've successfully bred). I've kept a few apistos and rams and had a
shrimp only tank (RCS & Amanos) this last year. I still have much to
learn.

Cheers!

[NetMax]

Welcome aboard. That's the nice thing about this hobby. You can keep
learning about it for years and years. You've done pretty well if
you've already bred gouramis. Feel free to jump in on the posts.
cheers
NetMax
~~

[guru...@gmail.com]

Thanks for the warm welcome NetMax.

Funny you mention the gouramis. I always thought they were easy which
is why they are cheap fish. Angels are supposed to be easier, I
guess, but I lost several batches of eggs to fungus before I got my
first big spawn. With the gouramis, as long as the water isn't too
pristine and there is a good enough canopy of plants on the surface,
BAM!

They just had another big spawn in the tank that became free swimming
yesterday. I've been too busy to intervene so the male is terrorizing
everyone. I don't raise the fry any more. It's just not worth the
effort. I literally had to give the last batch away. I was hoping my
rams would get a good feast of the fry. I'm going to give most of
them to the young angels in the grow-out tank again.

I only wish I had more time and space (& I was a better aquascaper).
Then my hobby could get really interesting...

Cheers!

> > Cheers!- Hide quoted text -

[NetMax]

What kind of gouramis are they? Some gouramis like Giants, Dwarfs and
the Thick-lipped are not too hard to breed, but gourami fry are
small. Other gouramis like the Kissing, Licorice, Pygmy and
Chocolates are a bit trickier to breed. I'm not sure how hard the
Opalines are (Golden, Blues, 3 spot), but I can see territorial issues
with these more aggressive types. Pearls are one I'd like to try to
breed. One trick I remember is to saran wrap the top of the tank on
day 3 of free-swimming, to make a humid first breath for their
developing labyrinth organs. Once you have the 'recipe' for breeding
a type of fish, it becomes relatively easy, to the chagrin of someone
else who is still trying ;~) It's often feast or famine.

I think a lot of gouramis (ie: Dwarf, Golds etc) are inexpensive
because they are indigenous to areas of concentrated fish farming and
exporting (Thailand). The farmers have the recipe down, and the
fish's air-breathing capability might even let the breeders work with
higher fish loads (or higher water temperatures to grow them faster).
~~

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Melissa phillips]

I found the pearls very easy to breed, as well as the opalines.  They are kind of like bettas in their breeding behaviors, but the fry were easier to raise.

On Jan 5, 2008 1:36 AM, NetMax < comput...@hotmail.com> wrote:

What kind of gouramis are they?  Some gouramis like Giants, Dwarfs and
the Thick-lipped are not too hard to breed, but gourami fry are
small.  Other gouramis like the Kissing, Licorice, Pygmy and
Chocolates are a bit trickier to breed.  I'm not sure how hard the
Opalines are (Golden, Blues, 3 spot), but I can see territorial issues
with these more aggressive types.  Pearls are one I'd like to try to
breed.  One trick I remember is to saran wrap the top of the tank on
day 3 of free-swimming, to make a humid first breath for their
developing labyrinth organs.   Once you have the 'recipe' for breeding
a type of fish, it becomes relatively easy, to the chagrin of someone
else who is still trying ;~)  It's often feast or famine.

I think a lot of gouramis (ie: Dwarf, Golds etc) are inexpensive
because they are indigenous to areas of concentrated fish farming and
exporting (Thailand).  The farmers have the recipe down, and the
fish's air-breathing capability might even let the breeders work with
higher fish loads (or higher water temperatures to grow them faster).
~~

On Jan 4, 10:21pm, "guruma...@gmail.com" <guruma...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for the warm welcome NetMax.
>
> Funny you mention the gouramis. I always thought they were easy which
> is why they are cheap fish. Angels are supposed to be easier, I
> guess, but I lost several batches of eggs to fungus before I got my
> first big spawn. With the gouramis, as long as the water isn't too
> pristine and there is a good enough canopy of plants on the surface,
> BAM!
>
> They just had another big spawn in the tank that became free swimming
> yesterday. I've been too busy to intervene so the male is terrorizing
> everyone. I don't raise the fry any more. It's just not worth the
> effort. I literally had to give the last batch away. I was hoping my
> rams would get a good feast of the fry. I'm going to give most of
> them to the young angels in the grow-out tank again.
>
> I only wish I had more time and space (& I was a better aquascaper).
> Then my hobby could get really interesting...
>
> Cheers!
>

> On Jan 4, 9:16pm, NetMax <computeral...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Welcome aboard. That's the nice thing about this hobby. You can keep
> > learning about it for years and years. You've done pretty well if
> > you've already bred gouramis. Feel free to jump in on the posts.
> > cheers
> > NetMax
> > ~~
>

> > On Jan 4, 8:27pm, "guruma...@gmail.com" <guruma...@gmail.com > wrote:
>
> > > Hi all,
>
> > > I hope I'm posting right.
>
> > > Obviously I'm new to the group. I started with aquaria about 2 years
> > > ago. I keep freshwater planted with mostly angels and gourami (which
> > > I've successfully bred). I've kept a few apistos and rams and had a
> > > shrimp only tank (RCS & Amanos) this last year. I still have much to
> > > learn.
>
> > > Cheers!- Hide quoted text -
>

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

--
Melissa:)

[Guru Magoo]

They are opaline gouramis.  I love 'em.  Graceful swimmers, good community tank makes, very tough fish, they flash pretty colors when the mood strikes, nice sized but not too big.  IMHO really good starter fish (some of my first actually). </gushing>

 

When I saw the first spawn I was nervous about whether I could raise them.  Yes the fry are small and I thought they needed special diet i.e infusoria, egg concoctions, etc (which I did actually try).  But really once the fry are free swimming they'll accept brine shrimp (I forget which kind is smaller- but it might not matter).  Up until that point, in my tank, they're in with a whole mess of plants and some algae near the surface where there is probably a feast of infusoria and other micro bits for them.

 

Basically it's easy for me when I let the tank go.  When I've been religiously maintaining the plants and water quality it doesn't work; the poor guy can't get to build and maintain a good bubble nest and even if he did there probably wouldn't be enough micro treats for the little guys.

 

On the other hand the angels in the tank typically need a water change to spawn.

 

What I did in the past with the opaline gouramis was to wait until the fry were free swimming then I siphoned them off and transferred them to a rearing tank.  Yes I did do the saran wrap bit.  I did experiment with micro foods but like I said I found it took very little time before they accepted BBS.  Once you get to that point it's simple, just a lot of BBS hatches and water changes.

I've never kept any other kinds of gouramis so I'm not sure how this compares.

 

What you say makes sense about why the price is low.  That makes me look at things a little differently.  Yet I think though its a little more then simply that Asian commercial farmers have their recipe down for local fish.  After all if it was so challenging that even the best recipes involved unusually high resource expenditures or were prone to failure it either wouldn't be commercial viable or prices would be very high (provided there was enough demand of course).

 

But of course there's still no way a hobbyist can compete with these Asian commercial farmers.  For me it was purely for fun and to learn.  I probably spent more on foods, water conditioner, electricity, equipment, and time then what the farm raised fish go for.

 

Cheers

 

 

On Jan 5, 2008 1:36 AM, NetMax <comput...@hotmail.com> wrote:

What kind of gouramis are they?  Some gouramis like Giants, Dwarfs and
the Thick-lipped are not too hard to breed, but gourami fry are
small.  Other gouramis like the Kissing, Licorice, Pygmy and
Chocolates are a bit trickier to breed.  I'm not sure how hard the
Opalines are (Golden, Blues, 3 spot), but I can see territorial issues
with these more aggressive types.  Pearls are one I'd like to try to
breed.  One trick I remember is to saran wrap the top of the tank on
day 3 of free-swimming, to make a humid first breath for their
developing labyrinth organs.   Once you have the 'recipe' for breeding
a type of fish, it becomes relatively easy, to the chagrin of someone
else who is still trying ;~)  It's often feast or famine.

I think a lot of gouramis (ie: Dwarf, Golds etc) are inexpensive
because they are indigenous to areas of concentrated fish farming and
exporting (Thailand).  The farmers have the recipe down, and the
fish's air-breathing capability might even let the breeders work with
higher fish loads (or higher water temperatures to grow them faster).
~~

On Jan 4, 10:21pm, "guruma...@gmail.com" <guruma...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for the warm welcome NetMax.
>
> Funny you mention the gouramis. I always thought they were easy which
> is why they are cheap fish. Angels are supposed to be easier, I
> guess, but I lost several batches of eggs to fungus before I got my
> first big spawn. With the gouramis, as long as the water isn't too
> pristine and there is a good enough canopy of plants on the surface,
> BAM!
>
> They just had another big spawn in the tank that became free swimming
> yesterday. I've been too busy to intervene so the male is terrorizing
> everyone. I don't raise the fry any more. It's just not worth the
> effort. I literally had to give the last batch away. I was hoping my
> rams would get a good feast of the fry. I'm going to give most of
> them to the young angels in the grow-out tank again.
>
> I only wish I had more time and space (& I was a better aquascaper).
> Then my hobby could get really interesting...
>
> Cheers!
>

> On Jan 4, 9:16pm, NetMax <computeral...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Welcome aboard. That's the nice thing about this hobby. You can keep
> > learning about it for years and years. You've done pretty well if
> > you've already bred gouramis. Feel free to jump in on the posts.
> > cheers
> > NetMax
> > ~~
>

> > On Jan 4, 8:27pm, "guruma...@gmail.com" <guruma...@gmail.com > wrote:
>
> > > Hi all,
>
> > > I hope I'm posting right.
>
> > > Obviously I'm new to the group. I started with aquaria about 2 years
> > > ago. I keep freshwater planted with mostly angels and gourami (which
> > > I've successfully bred). I've kept a few apistos and rams and had a
> > > shrimp only tank (RCS & Amanos) this last year. I still have much to
> > > learn.
>
> > > Cheers!- Hide quoted text -
>

[guru...@gmail.com]

On Jan 5, 12:11 pm, "Melissa phillips" <melg...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I found the pearls very easy to breed, as well as the opalines.  They are
> kind of like bettas in their breeding behaviors, but the fry were easier to
> raise.

Hi Melissa!

So you've bred bettas? What were the challanges you encountered that
made the fry harder to raise?

[Melissa phillips]

Lots seemed to die off as they were starting to breath air.  Even with the top saran wrapped, 100% humid air at about 82*f.  They just seem more sensitive than lots of others I have bred and raised.

On Jan 5, 2008 2:36 PM, guru...@gmail.com <guru...@gmail.com> wrote:

--
Melissa:)

[Bryce]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Bryce. I am very excited about joining this furom. I am 22
years and own 2 tropical aquariums. (50 and 100 gal) I really love my
fish and this hobby and hope to learn a lot and share what knowledge I
have. I have heard a lot of great things about this furom and I am
happy to be a part of it! I have been a hobbist for about a year now,
and am like a sponge soaking everybit of info I can get! Thanks

On Dec 5 2007, 11:39 am, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello and welcome.  If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> to introduce yourself by replying to this post.  Google closes old
> messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> find one with a "Reply" link.  Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> an email and not post to the group!
>
> You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

[Andy Gratton]

Hi  Bryce,  Welcome to  the group ,  you will find a host  of people here with varied experience,  so  dont  be afraid to ask questions, You will find  the links  page  very  useful  as well, 

 

Andy

 

On 09/01/2008, Bryce <bryce...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hello Everyone!

My name is Bryce. I am very excited about joining this furom. I am 22
years and own 2 tropical aquariums. (50 and 100 gal) I really love my
fish and this hobby and hope to learn a lot and share what knowledge I
have. I have heard a lot of great things about this furom and I am
happy to be a part of it! I have been a hobbist for about a year now,
and am like a sponge soaking everybit of info I can get! Thanks

[purity control]

Just wanted to say Hi. I had a 90 gallon salt tank for the last 10
years. Unfortunately it was destroyed in a Tornado about 3 months
ago. So I'm going to see what I can do with freshwater and a 6 gallon
eclipse. Don't really have a clue as to how I'm going to stock it,
but plan to look around and see what's going on in here.

Brian Lewis
Nappanee Indiana

[Melissa phillips]

Welcome to the group, sorry to hear about losing your tank:(  I'm sure you will have fun with the eclipse though, I did when I had mine:)  Plants did well in it too.

--
Melissa:)

[samg27]

hi, i'm sam and i'm new to this, me and my partner bought an aquarium
3 weeks ago and have 3 bristlenose catfish and 6 zebra danios. it is a
tropical fresh water aquarium. we are hoping to get a couple siameese
algae eaters next week.

On Dec 9 2007, 1:01 pm, crazyaboutfish <hoskins...@btinternet.com>
wrote:
> Hiya, I hope I am doing this right, I hav just joined, am a fairly
> newbie to fishkeeping and have a community tank and also a coldwater
> goldfish tank.  I also help run a tropical fish forum which is good
> fun.

>
> On 5 Dec, 19:39, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hello and welcome.  If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> > to introduce yourself by replying to this post.  Google closes old
> > messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> > this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> > find one with a "Reply" link.  Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> > an email and not post to the group!
>
> > You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

> >http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr......- Hide quoted text -

[denizen]

On Jan 13, 11:13 am, samg27 <sam...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> hi, i'm sam and  i'm new to this, me and my partner bought an aquarium
> 3 weeks ago and have 3 bristlenose catfish and 6 zebra danios. it is a
> tropical fresh water aquarium. we are hoping to get a couple siameese
> algae eaters next week.
>

Welcome to the hobby, Sam! What's your setup like - tank size, plants?
3 weeks may be a bit soon to add more fish to a new setup, because it
needs to fully "cycle" first.
d.

[samg27]

the tank is 180L with plants, gravel and bogward.

[eelfish]

Hi,
I am a manager for an aquatic store in the western suburbs. I have
been in the business/hobby since about the 70's, so please don't ask
how old I am!

I probably won't be much help in answering questions, as I rarely get
on line because I work all the time! But I love to read through them
all and will participate when I can.

Dotti

On Dec 5 2007, 1:39 pm, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello and welcome.  If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> to introduce yourself by replying to this post.  Google closes old
> messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> find one with a "Reply" link.  Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> an email and not post to the group!
>
> You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

[Andy Gratton]

Hi Dotti  welcome to the group ,  dont worry about answering questions   just  chip  in when  you have time ,

 

Andy

 

[ngyrs]

N9YRS here,a Filipino in Kuwait.just wanna ask,how can i recognize the
sex of my fish.im new to this hobby.i hav this gold fish passed on
over by an expat friend.

[ngyrs]

hello N9YRS here..how would i know the gender of my goldfish?

Altum wrote:
> Hello and welcome. If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> to introduce yourself by replying to this post. Google closes old
> messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> find one with a "Reply" link. Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> an email and not post to the group!
>
> You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

> http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/86c2d65bbef3e6c7
> http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/fec867379240146b
> http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/b6ac4e8e45c35183
> http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/941d83a3f41b4e8f
> http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/7ae845e3e686e9e5
> http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thread/c0d084cf3b5c899f

[NetMax]

Welcome N9YRS,
It's unlikely that you could know, unless it was large, sexually
mature, female and full of eggs. If you would like to start a new
topic, indicate the fish's size and type and how big the aquarium is?
The aquarium size & setup won't effect the sex, but definitely the
life expectancy.

NetMax

On Jan 25, 12:20 pm, ngyrs <square_j...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> N9YRS here,a Filipino in Kuwait.just wanna ask,how can i recognize the
> sex of my fish.im new to this hobby.i hav this gold fish passed on
> over by an expat friend.
>
>
>
> Andy Gratton wrote:
> > Hi Dotti  welcome to the group ,  dont worry about answering questions
> > just  chip  in when  you have time ,
>
> > Andy
>

> > On 23/01/2008, eelfish <eelfi...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > > Hi,
> > > I am a manager for an aquatic store in the western suburbs. I have
> > > been in the business/hobby since about the 70's, so please don't ask
> > > how old I am!
>
> > > I probably won't be much help in answering questions, as I rarely get
> > > on line because I work all the time! But I love to read through them
> > > all and will participate when I can.
>
> > > Dotti
>
> > > On Dec 5 2007, 1:39pm, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > Hello and welcome. If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> > > > to introduce yourself by replying to this post. Google closes old
> > > > messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> > > > this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> > > > find one with a "Reply" link. Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> > > > an email and not post to the group!
>
> > > > You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

> > >http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr....

[MikeHelm]

I'm just getting back to aquariums, something I did when I was
young but haven't tried in many years.

I'm trying to set up a small (10g) community tank to get
the hang of things in the 21st century, and if I can keep
that alive, set up a larger marine tank later.

Right now I'm trying to learn to cycle the tank fish-free.

[Frank Bayne]

MikeHelm <cecin...@gmail.com> wrote:

Right now I'm trying to learn to cycle the tank fish-free.

       It's easy, faster cycling time and doesn't harm or kill fish that otherwise would go through the cycle. Fill the tank and use a dechlorinator. I use hypo (sodium thiosulphate) used in photo film processing. You get a lot more at a cheaper price than what you would buy from a pet shop. You will need it for the 20%+ weekly water changes after the tank has been cycled... Buy pure ammonia from the supermarket and add 5 or 6 drops per gal. This is enough to cycle the tank for a full fish bio-load after the cycle is over, or 5ppm. Don't add any more ammonia (feeding the filter) as some sites will tell you to - otherwise you chance what has been called a "never ending cycle". If you 'seed' the filter with some bacteria from an established filter, it will speed-up your cycling time. Live plants such as java ferns will also help. Turn the filter on, raise the waters temp to 80ş, and let it cycle. Should take 10 days to 2 weeks................. Frank

[NetMax]

On Jan 27, 5:37 pm, Frank Bayne <frankr...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> MikeHelm <cecinit2...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>   Right now I'm trying to learn to cycle the tank fish-free.
>

>        It's easy, faster cycling time and doesn't harm or kill fish that otherwise would go through the cycle. Fill the tank and use a dechlorinator. I use hypo (sodium thiosulphate) used in photo film processing. You get a lot more at a cheaper price than what you would buy from a pet shop. You will need it for the 20%+ weekly water changes after the tank has been cycled... Buy pure ammonia from the supermarket and add 5 or 6 drops per gal. This is enough to cycle the tank for a full fish bio-load after the cycle is over, or 5ppm. Don't add any more ammonia (feeding the filter) as some sites will tell you to - otherwise you chance what has been called a "never ending cycle". If you 'seed' the filter with some bacteria from an established filter, it will speed-up your cycling time. Live plants such as java ferns will also help. Turn the filter on, raise the waters temp to 80º, and let it cycle. Should take 10 days to 2 weeks................. Frank

With so many cities switching from chlorine to chloramine, I'm not so
sure about the hypo being as good an idea as it used to be. The
sodium thiosulphate doesn't do anything about the ammonia being
released. Perhaps it's time to only recommend dechlors with ammonia
binding properties.

I with you on the fishless cycling. Not sure about the dosage, but as
long as the tank gets to somewhere around 4 to 8ppm, should be good.

NetMax

[elusiveflounder]

Hi everyone.New to this group.I've been into aquariums for about 2.5
years and the bug bit me bad.I started out with a 120 and now have a
225 gallon african cichlid tank and a 280 gallon largemouth bass tank.
These are some of my videos of the cichlids and largemouth bass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Gjo0B6ixQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYB3cERnjqk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuJVPsfgS64

Hopr you enjoy.

On Dec 5 2007, 1:39 pm, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello and welcome.  If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> to introduce yourself by replying to this post.  Google closes old
> messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> find one with a "Reply" link.  Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> an email and not post to the group!
>
> You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

[Mister Gardener]

Frank Bayne wrote:

Buy pure ammonia from the supermarket and add 5 or 6 drops per gal.

I've never seen pure ammonia at the supermarket. I'll take another good look when I do the shopping today.

MG

[Techie Burp]

oops - my first post never appear - I think i clicked reply to author
by mistake! Sorry!

Hi Guys,
My name is Beki, I have a Betta.
I am quite new to this whole thing.
Umm... Anything else? :P

[Mister Gardener]

Techie Burp wrote:

oops - my first post never appear - I think i clicked reply to author
by mistake! Sorry!
  

And that must have been me. I was wondering why the message went to my Mister Gardener mailbox instead of my TFA mailbox.

Welcome aboard, Beki.

MG

[NetMax]

Cool, welcome aboard. I think you could have a warning about the
feeder 'action' with the Largemouth bass in the first one. Lots of
goldfish owners here.

NetMax

On Jan 27, 11:54 pm, elusiveflounder <bradmca...@cox.net> wrote:
> Hi everyone.New to this group.I've been into aquariums for about 2.5
> years and the bug bit me bad.I started out with a 120 and now have a
> 225 gallon african cichlid tank and a 280 gallon largemouth bass tank.

> These are some of my videos of the cichlids and largemouth bass.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Gjo0B6ixQ

>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYB3cERnjqk
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuJVPsfgS64
>
> Hopr you enjoy.
>
> On Dec 5 2007, 1:39 pm, Altum <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hello and welcome.  If you're new to the group, please take a moment
> > to introduce yourself by replying to this post.  Google closes old
> > messages to replies so if there is only a "Reply to author" link on
> > this message, keep looking down the thread at newer posts until you
> > find one with a "Reply" link.  Hitting "Reply to author" will send me
> > an email and not post to the group!
>
> > You can read older intros in the threads below:
>

> >http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/browse_frm/thr......- Hide quoted text -

[Frank Bayne]

Mister Gardener <misterg...@email.toast.net> wrote:

I've never seen pure ammonia at the supermarket. I'll take another good look when I do the shopping today.   MG

        It's normally the cheapest - shake it and it dosen't foam........... Frank

[Mister Gardener]

Found it. It comes in plain and lemon scented. Back label listed a whole mess of uses, filter cycling was not among them.

MG

[NetMax]

Going off topic a bit, but the scouring pads I'm using in the kitchen
are marked as 'not suitable for aquarium use' (probably treated with
bacteriacides or fungicides). Is bacteriacide even a word?

Finally some recognition for our fishies.

NetMax

On Jan 28, 12:34 pm, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
wrote:
> Frank Bayne wrote:

[Mister Gardener]

NetMax wrote:

Going off topic a bit, but the scouring pads I'm using in the kitchen
are marked as 'not suitable for aquarium use' (probably treated with
bacteriacides or fungicides).  Is bacteriacide even a word?
  

No. But bacteriocide is. And I've also been noticing the "not for aquariums" note on the packages of some of the brand name kitchen scrubbers. Very handy. It pays to read even the tiniest labels.

MG

[Ded Objekts In Veevoh]

I've been around this stuff, seriously, for about a year. I'm into
about two other arts. Sometimes it seems like six trades of which I've
mastered, perhaps one trick in mycology that any doctor would know. I
could tell you about science that I've studied and forgotten, more of
it informally than formally. Everything seems like an art (or maybe
agricultural enjineering) to me, especially if I want to save money on
it or do it outside of my home. I'm hoping that the moss culture in my
tank's filter will grow around the oak tree in front of my balcony. If
it doesn't, then I know some stuff in a can that probably will, so
it'll probably happen.

Hydroculture is a fine way to learn patience.
_______
<a href="http://ecn.ab.ca/~brewhaha/">BrewJay's Babble Bin</a>

[BillyBass]

Hello All,
My name is Billy Tully I am a Staff Sergeant in the US Army and
stationed in Iraq. I joined this group as an assignment for an
internet class, I am happy to find this forum and hope to learn alot.
I enjoy natural tank settings I have had bass, bream crawfish and
catfish ..the Crawfish were a blast they meld and continually crawled
out of the tank and terrorized the family. Rite now my Daughter Ciara
(10) is monitoring our small tank at the house she is very interested
in maintaining a tank and i can depend on her to keep it up. We have
no game fish in the tank now..
Look forward to commnicating with you all , Billy T

On Dec 9 2007, 4:01 pm, crazyaboutfish <hoskins...@btinternet.com>

wrote:
> Hiya, I hope I am doing this right, I hav just joined, am a fairly
> newbie to fishkeeping and have a community tank and also a coldwater
> goldfish tank.  I also help run a tropical fish forum which is good
> fun.
>

[Mister Gardener]

BillyBass wrote:

Hello All,
 My name is Billy Tully I am a Staff Sergeant in the US Army and
stationed in Iraq. I joined this group as an assignment for an
internet class, I am happy to find this forum and hope to learn alot.
I enjoy natural tank settings I have had bass, bream crawfish and
catfish ..the Crawfish were a blast they meld and continually crawled
out of the tank and terrorized the family. Rite now my Daughter Ciara
(10) is monitoring our small tank at the house she is very interested
in maintaining a tank and i can depend on her to keep it up. We have
no game fish in the tank now..
Look forward to commnicating with you all , Billy T

Hey, welcome aboard, Billy. Nice that you can get a break from your daily routine by jumping into this aquarium crowd. Not a lot of people keep native species, I find it fascinating. What kind of aquatic life is Ciara taking care of while you're away? Aquarium keeping is a wonderful hobby for youngsters.

MG

[BillyBass]

hey great to be here, Ciara is taking care of a few gold fish now. Mom
is not very interested in the tank so we just keep it simple when im
gone.
BT

On Feb 7, 1:50 pm, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
wrote:

[marypage]

Hi everybody, I'm really new at this fish thing and this posting
thing, hope I'm doing it right, on both acccounts.

I have a 10g with 2 adult comets and 2 baby comets in unheated
freshwater. I had a 10g with mollies, they eventually died, I'm
afraid I didn't change the water enough. Now I'm changing the water
twice a week, about 20% and the comets seem very happy, is this
enough? The comets seem so easy and hardy, which is good for a
beginner like me so I don't kill them. I did fishless cycling for a
month, adding bio balls for the good bacteria, maybe that's the
difference this time. I'm researching the comets, but haven't found
out a whole lot of anything, except that I'll probably have to get a
bigger tank the way they're growing.

Thank you so much for this site, I read it every night and appreciate
everyones' posts, it is so informative. I'm glad to see so many fish
junkies out there, I need all the help I can get:}

On Jan 4, 10:21 pm, "guruma...@gmail.com" <guruma...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for the warm welcome NetMax.
>
> Funny you mention the gouramis.  I always thought they were easy which
> is why they are cheap fish.  Angels are supposed to be easier, I
> guess, but I lost several batches of eggs to fungus before I got my
> first big spawn.  With the gouramis, as long as the water isn't too
> pristine and there is a good enough canopy of plants on the surface,
> BAM!
>
> They just had another big spawn in the tank that became free swimming
> yesterday.  I've been too busy to intervene so the male is terrorizing
> everyone.  I don't raise the fry any more.  It's just not worth the
> effort.  I literally had to give the last batch away.  I was hoping my
> rams would get a good feast of the fry.  I'm going to give most of
> them to the young angels in the grow-out tank again.
>
> I only wish I had more time and space (& I was a better aquascaper).
> Then my hobby could get really interesting...
>
> Cheers!
>
> On Jan 4, 9:16 pm, NetMax <computeral...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Welcome aboard.  That's the nice thing about this hobby.  You can keep
> > learning about it for years and years.  You've done pretty well if
> > you've already bred gouramis.  Feel free to jump in on the posts.
> > cheers
> > NetMax
> > ~~
>
> > On Jan 4, 8:27 pm, "guruma...@gmail.com" <guruma...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Hi all,
>
> > > I hope I'm posting right.
>
> > > Obviously I'm new to the group.  I started with aquaria about 2 years
> > > ago.  I keep freshwater planted with mostly angels and gourami (which
> > > I've successfully bred).  I've kept a few apistos and rams and had a
> > > shrimp only tank (RCS & Amanos) this last year.  I still have much to
> > > learn.
>
> > > Cheers!- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Suzi McMullen]

Welcome Mary :) Since you have been reading I am sure you know that I am
new too. It's nice to meet you. :)

Suzi

[NetMax]

Hi Mary, if Suzi's new, then I must be old ;~)
ps: just an FYI, I think an adult Comet would be somewhere between 6"
and 8" long.
NetMax

[Mister Gardener]

NetMax wrote:

Hi Mary, if Suzi's new, then I must be old ;~)
ps: just an FYI, I think an adult Comet would be somewhere between 6"
and 8" long.

We have a goldfish faq hanging around here somewhere, don't we? I can never remember where to find things.

MG

[NetMax]

This one? It's on both Altum's and my site:
http://www.blue-canoe.com/netmax/goldfish/gffaq.html

NetMax

On Feb 21, 4:58 am, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
wrote:

[Javadan]

On Jan 12, 8:49 pm, purity control <brian.h.le...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Just wanted to say Hi.  I had a 90 gallon salt tank for the last 10
> years.  Unfortunately it was destroyed in a Tornado about 3 months
> ago.  So I'm going to see what I can do with freshwater and a 6 gallon
> eclipse.  Don't really have a clue as to how I'm going to stock it,
> but plan to look around and see what's going on in here.
>
> Brian Lewis
> Nappanee Indiana


Hi Brian,
It's been many years, but I remember driving through Nappanee, IN.
Welcome to the group!
jd

[Mister Gardener]

NetMax wrote:

This one?  It's on both Altum's and my site:
http://www.blue-canoe.com/netmax/goldfish/gffaq.html

Yeah. Just wondering since we've been seeing new goldfish people here recently. I'm too lazy to go and look to see if it's listed at the Google TFA site links page.

MG

[denizen]

Welcome Brian! Don't know Nappanee Indiana, but I've been to Napanee,
Ontario - home town of well-known young singer Avril Lavigne!
d.

[NetMax]

It was supposed to be on our Links & FAQ page:
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/web/FAQ%20and%20Links
.. but I couldn't find it, so I added it. Now it's probably listed in
two places!

NetMax

On Feb 21, 12:17 pm, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
wrote:

[marypage]

On Feb 21, 12:51 pm, NetMax <computeral...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> It was supposed to be on our Links & FAQ page:http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/web/FAQ%20and%...

> .. but I couldn't find it, so I added it.  Now it's probably listed in
> two places!
>
> NetMax
>
> On Feb 21, 12:17 pm, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > NetMax wrote:
> > > This one?  It's on both Altum's and my site:
> > >http://www.blue-canoe.com/netmax/goldfish/gffaq.html
>
> > Yeah. Just wondering since we've been seeing new goldfish people here
> > recently. I'm too lazy to go and look to see if it's listed at the
> > Google TFA site links page.
>

> > MG- Hide quoted text -

>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanx Suzi, NetMax, and mister gardener for your warm welcomes. I
visited one link from the Google TFA site about goldfish and found it
very informative.

My adult comets are between 4and 5" and the fry are about 1 to 2". I
realize I'm pushing it, but they seem so happy! Whenever I come home
they rush up to the front glass and jump up and down. Jump up and
down? Well, you know what I mean. Of course, they're probably
screaming "get us a larger tank you fool", who knows? Can anyone tell
me the approximate cost of a 15 to 20g tank setup with filter and
airstone? Or where I can get a 15g?

Thanx again for the welcomes, and Suzi, you've been on as long as I've
been reading, so I consider you an old timer:}

marypage

[marypage]

On Feb 21, 12:51 pm, NetMax <computeral...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> It was supposed to be on our Links & FAQ page:http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/web/FAQ%20and%...

> .. but I couldn't find it, so I added it.  Now it's probably listed in
> two places!
>
> NetMax
>
> On Feb 21, 12:17 pm, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > NetMax wrote:
> > > This one?  It's on both Altum's and my site:
> > >http://www.blue-canoe.com/netmax/goldfish/gffaq.html
>
> > Yeah. Just wondering since we've been seeing new goldfish people here
> > recently. I'm too lazy to go and look to see if it's listed at the
> > Google TFA site links page.
>

> > MG- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text - Thank you everyone for your kind and informative responses. I did go to one link last night on goldfish, but I'm interested in blue-canoe, I'll try that tonight.

My adult comets are about 4" - 5", the babies are 1" - 2", I realize
I'm pushing the limit, but they seem so happy and they are so
friendly! Every time I come home they rush up to the side of the
aquarium like puppy dogs and jump around. Jump around? Well anyway,.
they're probably screaming 'get us a larger tank', I don't know. Does
anyone know the approximate cost of setting up a 15 or 20g tank, no
heater, just filter and airstone?

Thanx again for the welcome and Suzi, you've been here ever since I
started reading, so I consider you an old timer:}

marypage

[Melissa phillips]

A 15 gallon tank has the same footprint as a 20 high and usually is the same price or more because the 20 high tanks are mass produced and usually bought in bulk.  So, you would be better off purchasing a 20 high style tank.  Tank prices vary greatly depending on where you live.  Here a 20 high tank set up without a stand is about $50, that includes a cheapy filter, a heater, water conditioner, some food and I think an air pump and stone.  You should forego the air pump and air stone for a better filter if the option is available to you.  You probably don't need a heater either if your temperature in your house is stable and above 65*f.  The 20 high tanks have a 24" X 13" footprint.

On Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 4:24 PM, marypage <mpt...@gmail.com> wrote:

My adult comets are between 4and 5" and the fry are about 1 to 2".  I
realize I'm pushing it, but they seem so happy!  Whenever I come home
they rush up to the front glass and jump up and down.  Jump up and
down?  Well, you know what I mean.  Of course, they're probably
screaming "get us a larger tank you fool", who knows?  Can anyone tell
me the approximate cost of a 15 to 20g tank setup with filter and
airstone?  Or where I can get a 15g?

Thanx again for the welcomes, and Suzi, you've been on as long as I've
been reading, so I consider you an old timer:}

marypage

--
Melissa:)

[Mister Gardener]

Melissa phillips wrote:

A 15 gallon tank has the same footprint as a 20 high and usually is the same price or more because the 20 high tanks are mass produced and usually bought in bulk. 

I think that any filter that comes with a new tank starter kit is going to be totally useless for the filth that goldfish produce. I don't know of anyone who has purchased a starter kit and been satisfied without having to upgrade some or all of it within a couple of months. The new hobbyist really needs an experienced friend, or one of those endangered species; the knowledgeable store clerk.
Petco has a dollar a gallon sale twice a year, I think the next one is due in the next month or two. We have Petco employee spies in our group here and I rely on them to give us advance notice of the next sale so I can be standing at the door at opening time on the first day. The tanks go fast. I agree that 20H, or my favorite, 29 are ideal for first tanks. The extra gallonage is much more forgiving of hobbyists errors than a 10 or 15. Craigs List and FreeCycle are good sources to keep your eye on. My local freecycle listed a free 40 gallon complete with equipment last week; I did not get my request in quick enough. Yard sale season is just around the corner. Well, around a few corners where I live.

It would be a really neat public service if our members put together a list for outfitting a given size tank, listing brand names and model numbers of the most appropriate filters, heaters, et cetera, complete with which dealers have the best prices on the specific list items, but I'm afraid that might displease some of the manufacturers and stores. For openers, if you haven't discovered it yet, web merchants are nearly always significantly less expensive, 30-50%, than brick and mortar stores. A few of the big guys are

http://www.thatpetplace.com/
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/
http://www.petmountain.com/
http://www.bigalsonline.com

A couple of these sites also offer a good selection of articles and in-depth information on various aspects of fish keeping.

MG

[marypage]

On Feb 22, 6:31 am, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
wrote:

> http://www.thatpetplace.com/http://www.drsfostersmith.com/http://www.petmountain.com/http://www.bigalsonline.com

>
> A couple of these sites also offer a good selection of articles and
> in-depth information on various aspects of fish keeping.
>
> MG

Thanx Melissa and MisterGardener, I'll be looking into that in the
near future, I bookmarked those sites and will look into a 20 -29h
tank when I upgrade. I am changing my filter every week to week and a
half, so if I stay with this tank much longer I am going to upgrade
the filter. Wish I had gotten into this sooner, instead of some of
the things I did get into:} No regrets, just thankful for this
website.

[NetMax]

> website.- Hide quoted text -

In regards to changing the filter weekly, keep in mind that fish can't
climb out to use the bathroom, so they have to do it in the water.
What removes these toxins is a bacteria which coats everything under
water, particularly in the filter where there is lots of water
movement. A brown slimy filter is a good waste removal system, and
changing it for a brand new one may cause the toxins in the water to
become very concentrated harming the fish.

NetMax

[littlecich]

IMO it would really depend on the number of goldfish in the tank and
if the tank was cycled first. I have a friend who has had goldfish in
such a starter setup for two years. She has had absolutely no
problems. However, there are only 2 fish and the tank has some
"goldfish proof" plants in it. I believe one of the most important
things is that the tank be cycled first before adding the fish, that
maintenance, i.e. water changes, gravel wacuuming, etc., be done
regularly. Don't overstock the tank and make sure there is enough room
for the fish that are going into the tank. Yes, an expensive filter
will allow more fish, but if needed, another HOB filter could also be
added a less expense and still do a good job

Helen

> I think that any filter that comes with a new tank starter kit is going
> to be totally useless for the filth that goldfish produce. I don't know
> of anyone who has purchased a starter kit and been satisfied without
> having to upgrade some or all of it within a couple of months. The new
> hobbyist really needs an experienced friend, or one of those endangered
> species; the knowledgeable store clerk.

> MG

[marypage]

Thanx for the help. The issue I'm currently dealing with is water
that is soft, the ph registers about 6.4 - 6.8 not 7.2 -7.6 like it
should and the alkalinity registers about 50ppm. I read the blue
canoe.com and found it extremely helpful. As was suggested, I'm going
to add crushed coral to my tank this weekend, which should help
slowly, I hope.

My adult comet, Sam, had two cuts on his left side this morning. I
added aquarium salt like the blue canoe suggested for quicker healing
and by this afternoon I could barely make out the lines on his side,
which is great! I am vacuuming once a week and changing 20% of the
water twice a week, and I did fishless cycling with bio balls for a
month before I added the fish. I've had them now for over two months,
(I put them in together out of a tank where they were together) so I
hope the cuts? on Sam are not a sign of disease. One of the fry has a
white spot on his head which I read could be a spawning thing, I hope,
I have no idea. Anyway, between blue canoe and TFA's forums I should
be a more responsible fish keeper this time around.

I have a philapine bamboo aquarium housing outfit, so I'd like to find
a 15g tank that would fit into that to give them more room. I did
take out all the little decorations I had to make more room for them,
leaving driftwood, a small plant and a vase they love. Now they swim
back and forth quite freely, but they'll need some more room as they
are growing before my very eyes.

Thanks again y'all for putting up with a newbie like me, I started
this when I retired at 47, not at 12yrs. old like I should have! And
thanks for this site, it is terrific!

marypage

[Mister Gardener]

marypage wrote:

Thanx for the help.  The issue I'm currently dealing with is water
that is soft, the ph registers about 6.4 - 6.8 not 7.2 -7.6 like it
should and the alkalinity registers about 50ppm.  I read the blue
canoe.com and found it extremely helpful.  As was suggested, I'm going
to add crushed coral to my tank this weekend, which should help
slowly, I hope.

My water is extremely soft; the 7.0 pH, 1 or 2 ppm KH that comes from my faucet slides down close to 6.0 in less than a week so I use crushed coral to boost the KH to 3 or 4 which holds the pH steady. Although I raise almost exclusively angel fish, and angels prefer the super soft acidic water, bouncing back and forth between 6 and 7 all the time is no fun for them or me. I use crushed coral, anything from a tablespoonful to a generous handful in a tie string mesh bag placed in the filter of my permanent tanks. I use primarily Whisper filters so the biobags are a perfect place to add the mesh bags of coral. Aquaclear has a nice big media chamber suitable for a bag of crushed coral as well. With each filter media change, I rinse off the mesh bags to remove the bacteria layer that forms on the mesh, otherwise the crush coral is maintenance free and seems to last forever. I used to get a pound or two from my lfs, who kept it in a big bulk container for his marine tanks, but he's switched to a liquid now so I had to shop the internet stores to find some. The smallest quantity I could find was a 20 pound bag, 17 or 18 pounds are sealed in a storage box behind a bunch of stuff since I won't be needing it for a very long time. Let us know where you find your crushed coral - hopefully your lfs has some hanging around and is willing to part with a cup or two.

MG

[Vampyre]

Hi all,

I've recently started up a new aquarium, around 400 litres / 100
gallons.
I've been looking around for some decent sites / information on the
net, and found this group.
Current set up is tropical; guppies, neon tetras, mollies, sword
tails, betta, black ghost knife, and an angel fish.

Location is Melbourne, Australia.

[NetMax]

Welcome aboard. For sites, this is my fav, for links, we got 100s.
Post your interests and we'll be sure to find you something.

Seeing as how I'll be asleep long before you in Aussie, here's some
link pages to tweak your interest:

http://groups.google.ca/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium/web/FAQ%20and%20Links
is our group's link page, and
http://www.blue-canoe.com/netmax/links/links.php is off my site but
badly outdated now.

Links are great but nothing beats the group discussions imo (though we
do go a little OT sometimes ;~)

NetMax

[Alex]

Hello,

I am new to fishkeeping. My wife and I have taken this up at the start
of this year as an interest for our retirement (we've retired early),
and have been surprised and delighted by how fascinating it is. Even
the problems along the way are part of the fascination (a snail
invasion, and a betta that jumped out of the tank). I'd never thought
of fish before as having any kind of character, certainly not in the
sense of our cat Lucy, who sits for ages staring at the tank trying to
work out a strategy for getting inside to get a paw to the bright
shiny things darting around inside. But my word, they do. When our
children come to visit (sometimes with their laundry in tow), instead
of seeing us relaxing and watching TV, they find us (and Lucy) more
often than not sitting watching the aquarium.

There's always something new. As we come to know the tank more and
more, we begin to see how the different fish behave, in different
patterns, sometimes darting around, sometimes hovering quite still.
It's not the chaos it first appeared to be. There seems to be endless
interest, and I'm beginning to be aware that, in order not to appear
'geekish', we're having to restrain ourselves from fish-talk in the
company of non-fishy friends.

We've started with a 90L/20G(imperial) tank, and populated it (over
time, restraining the urge to fill it up all at once) with zebra
danios, platies, harlequins, and the unexpected favourite, a cute and
thoroughly entertaining little bristlenose catfish.

Looking forward to making the acquaintaince of the other fish
enthusiasts in this forum, and learning more about this engaging
pastime.


Alex

[denizen]

On Feb 26, 6:14 am, Alex <amacphee...@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
> We've started with a 90L/20G(imperial) tank, and populated it (over
> time, restraining the urge to fill it up all at once) with zebra
> danios, platies, harlequins, and the unexpected favourite, a cute and
> thoroughly entertaining little bristlenose catfish.

Welcome to the group! My second aquarium was a long 20gal one with
shiny metal frame and lighting hood.Now I have 90gal, 20gal high and
15gal glass aquaria, plus a 2gal plastic one with only snails and
plants.
d.

[Mister Gardener]

denizen wrote:

Welcome to the group! My second aquarium was a long 20gal one with
shiny metal frame and lighting hood.Now I have 90gal, 20gal high and
15gal glass aquaria, plus a 2gal plastic one with only snails and
plants.

Welcome to the new about-to-become-fishaholics and a question for Denizen. Do your snails harm your plants? I've read that "most" snails and herbivorous catfish do not harm plants as long as they have some algae to munch on. In my experience, the only times  that my plants get chewed up by snails is when I've allowed a population explosion to occur, jeopardizing the regular algae food supply. What's your experience?

MG

[denizen]

On Feb 26, 7:53 am, Mister Gardener <mistergarde...@email.toast.net>
wrote:
>

> Welcome to the new about-to-become-fishaholics and a question for
> Denizen. Do your snails harm your plants? I've read that "most" snails
> and herbivorous catfish do not harm plants as long as they have some
> algae to munch on. In my experience, the only times  that my plants get
> chewed up by snails is when I've allowed a population explosion to
> occur, jeopardizing the regular algae food supply. What's your experience?
>

My snails are red ramshorns and they do not seem to harm the plants.
However they do a good job of eating algae and I feed them an algae
wafer now and then too. Because they multiply, extra snails are
occasionally fed to the clown loaches in the snail-free 90gal plant
aquarium.
d.

[Gill Passman]

Welcome to TFA Alex :-)

Glad to hear that you are enjoying your new interest - sounds like you have
all the symptoms of becoming a fishaholic - lol

What part of the UK are you in?

Gill (from Reading)

-----Original Message-----
From: The-Freshwa...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:The-Freshwa...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Alex
Sent: 26 February 2008 11:14
To: The Freshwater Aquarium
Subject: [TFA] Re: Guest book - Please Introduce Yourself

Hello,

Alex

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.1/1298 - Release Date: 25/02/2008
20:45

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.1/1298 - Release Date: 25/02/2008
20:45

[NetMax]

Welcome aboard Alex (& Lucy ;~) Glad to have you here. You can fish-
talk to your heart's desire and then some.

NetMax

On Feb 26, 6:14 am, Alex <amacphee...@googlemail.com> wrote:

[Andy Gratton]

Hi Alex 

Welcome to  the group ,  another brit  here  (Portsmouth)   yes  the Bristlenose Catfish  are  very nice in a tank  and can become quite  personable as well , ( I got oodles of them ) lol

 

[Alex]

Hello all,

Many thanks for the warm welcome!

We are in Surrey, just outside Guildford, in the UK (for our
transatlantic friends, about thirty miles from London), although we
are originally from Scotland. Funny how life begins to revolve around
the tank, although at least it's reassuring to be in the company of
people who don't find that a spooky admission!



Alex

[Phat Lady J]

Hi All,

I normally wait and read for a while before barging into a group but
as fate (and hubby) would have it,I must leap into the frey
immediately...

My name is Julie and years ago I was a huge addict of freshwater
aquariums. But health issues caused me to shut down and give away my
tanks. I had 7 of them for about 20 years, ranging in sizes from 55 to
20 gallons. Oh and several fry tanks but those don't count,hehe.

Now that the health issues are resolved I have a recently started 30
gallon long with 6 guppies and 3 mystery snails,a modest restart of
the hobby... but I know that will change,the kids are grown and on
their own now so I have two free bedrooms to use for many future
tanks,lol!

Anyway, I look forwards to chatting with you all,it's so good to be
back in the hobby again.

(I can't wait for the summer auctions in St.louis,I hope they still
have them after all these years!)


Julie

[Mellie]

Welcome Julie to the group. So happy that you are 'barging into the
group', hope you have plenty to say to us.

So jealous that you have 2 spare rooms to get some tanks into. I've
been banned from going above 6 :-)

Good luck at the auctions. Let us know what you get

Cheers
Mellie

[Phat Lady J]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mellie" <mell...@hotmail.com>
To: "The Freshwater Aquarium" <The-Freshwa...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 11:50 AM
Subject: [TFA] Re: Guest book - Please Introduce Yourself

Welcome Julie to the group. So happy that you are 'barging into the
group', hope you have plenty to say to us.

So jealous that you have 2 spare rooms to get some tanks into. I've
been banned from going above 6 :-)

Good luck at the auctions. Let us know what you get

Cheers
Mellie

Thanks for the welcome Mellie, I have sooo many plans for the extra space
already,lol! Once I wrestle this first tank under control that is.

I am excited at all the new varieties/color variations of fish out there
now,the newer equipment (I found an INTERNAL power filter,goes right in the
water rather than on the back of the aquarium ::shock::) and the prices are
far cheaper than I remember.

I guess what was "new" and expensive back then is old hat now, I can't even
find a simple air driven box filter any more. I have a lot of catching up to
do apparently,lol.

Julie

[Mister Gardener]

Phat Lady J wrote:

I guess what was "new" and expensive back then is old hat now, I can't even find a simple air driven box filter any more. I have a lot of catching up to do apparently,lol.

3 sizes, the largest is only $3.55.  I use about 20 of them. The Triple Flows work much better than the old kind that drew the water in through a grate on top. (MG)     http://www.kensfish.com/boxfilters.html

[Phat Lady J]

Wow, thanks,that's exactly like what I was looking for,or at least a newer version of it! I'm going to look into ordering a few,you never know when these things will come in handy. I prefer having full control over my filters media over just the pre-measured cartridges that power filters use for more standard filtration.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Julie

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Mister Gardener

To: The-Freshwa...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:47 PM

Subject: [TFA] Re: Guest book - Please Introduce Yourself

[Javadan]

On Feb 27, 12:45 pm, Phat Lady J <wildyar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> (I can't wait for the summer auctions in St.louis,I hope they still
> have them after all these years!)
>
> Julie

Welcome to the group, Julie! Here's a link to a web site that lists
many fish club auctions:
http://www.kingfishservices.net/events.asp

jd

[FeliciaS_NH]

Hi All,
I just *today*, after years of being a google fan, realized that there
are discussion groups too!

I have been a tropical fish hobbyist in one form or another for the
past 20 years; in my 'heyday' about 7 years ago I was heavily into
breeding Bettas for about two years. Bettas still remain a passion
for me, although I am no longer breeding them. Killies are another
fave, as are the dwarf cichlids. I currently have only 1 30 gallon
tank going, and will probably keep it at that level for a while since
this hobby/obsession can get very time consuming if it is allowed
to!!

Looking forward to the wealth of information I'm sure I'll find here,
as well has hoping to have the chance to enrich other's experiences
with fish keeping by sharing my own trials and tribulations with
everyone.

Stay Dry!

-Felicia

[Andy Gratton]

Hi  Felicia 

Welcome to the group  we are a friendly  bunch  of  Fishaholics here and some of us suffer from MTS  as well, Your input of experience will be gladly received I am sure .

 

[Boston at www.maxtanksgalleries.com]

hey all
nice to find you
Ive been nuts about fish ever since my fathers company ( Vappi
construction ) built the new england aquarium
way back when I was about 8 or 9
I had free passes and went as often as I could
that was eons ago
and the thrill is not lost
thanks for setting up a group folks
I look forward to staying in touch
hey
Im looking for a critter I owned way back in the day
it was called a fire eel in common terms
(Mastacembelus erythrotaenia)
to get silly with it
I want one again
he was a great pet and Ild sure like to find one again
but no one has one
any ideas


On Mar 3, 11:46 am, "Andy Gratton" <anglerfis...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> Hi  Felicia
> Welcome to the group  we are a friendly  bunch  of  Fishaholics here and
> some of us suffer from MTS  as well, Your input of experience will be gladly
> received I am sure .
>

[Javadan]

Welcome to TFA! Free passes to the public aquarium sounds great! I'm
not far from the Camden NJ aquarium, across the river from Phila.,
but haven't gone since they changed it over to what appears to be a
theme designed more to draw kids in.

When they first opened I spent the entire day, (uncrowded week day),
enjoying the place. Indoors they had a huge central tank that was a
representation of what you would find off of the coast of NJ. Might
not sound so great, but actually it was incredible! Unfortunately,
from what I hear, people wanted more colorful stuff, etc.

I took the liberty of putting the fire eel topic into a new thread so
more people would see it. Feel free to join in any of the discussions
any time.
jd


On Mar 7, 2:15 pm, "Boston at www.maxtanksgalleries.com"

> > > -Felicia- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[MrFar]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the group. I used to have a few aquariums and enjoyed
them immensly. I have recently begun again. I browsed the old
newsgroups and found that very disappointing. I found this link there
and I am sure glad I did.

I keep a community type tank with mostly tetras, danios, clown
loaches, rainbows, etc. Unfortunately where I live the fish selection
is very limited. I was spoiled when I lived in Hawaii, the selection
there was much better.

Does anyone have experience ordering fish online? I have seen a few
websites, but I am a little hesitant. I am used to selecting
individual fish.

It appears there is quite a bit of experience here and a diverse
'level' of tank keeping.

I look forward to learning.

Respectfully,
MrFar

[Mellie]

Hi MrFar and welcome to the group. I too live in an area where the
fish selection isn't brilliant and get very jealous when I hear of
some of the fish that people have just gone out and bought.

I don't have any experience with purchasing fish online, although Mr
Gardener has his own anglefish business and I was sent 3 of his angels
last year. shipping went perfectly and the angels are gorgeous. I am
about to order some live rock online so we will see how that goes.


There is a lot of experience here on TFA and we help beginners as much
as we can. I don't even think I'd still be in the hobby if some of
these guys weren't around for me when I started.

Look forward to hearing from you

Mellie

[NetMax]

Welcome aboard MrFar !

NetMax

On Mar 19, 9:10 pm, MrFar <far21...@yahoo.com> wrote:

[Andy Gratton]

Welcome  Mr Far ,