Fish Folk

That's a good lad! Fish give way to Footy ⚽ 🐟 😎 So is the tank not yet fully cycled? I've recently experienced this with some E-blues. Minimal culling from breeders. Weak stock sometimes "hides" when hormones are added. Juiced fish don't show their weaknesses for a bit. I had one do this for . . . weeks . . . looking worse and worse . . . eventually I euthanized it.

That doesn’t sound good. In my experience, GBRs are more benthic. Sometimes a “night-knock” can occur when a fish is suddenly startled after lights are low, and crash into something. If the swim bladder is harmed, there’s sometimes nothing that can be done but wait. Maybe dim lights to relieve stress. Always double check temperature. A sticking heater is deadly. Add air. If dissolved O2 has plummeted, an air stone always helps. I advise against feeding any bloodworms whatsoever. For some reason, bloodworms mess up GBRs G. I. Health. I’d also avoid large, hard, dry cichlid pellets of any kind.

I’m not a turtle guy, so hope someone else chimes in. Basics first… “peacock sliders” cover a variety of species, from sources as different as Nicaragua to Belize. Here’s a very simple intro video: From what I can tell, they do not reach full size until at least 3-years old. Probably they grow larger after that too. Tail size / thickness appears to be one point of sexual dimorphism: males have thick tails; females by comparison have thin tails. An upward curve on the tail of a juvenile is not something I see much about. It is observed that turtles in distress sometimes curve their tails to the side though. Alright… that’s it for a non-turtle-person novice 😅 Hopefully smarter turtle people will have pity on my weak answer and give you a proper reply 🤣🤣🤣 I will say… a few weeks ago, I was hiking up on this little mountain… And I nearly stepped on this wild Eastern Box Turtle… So pretty! Must have a ton of them up there…

(Almost forgot about these…)

Excellent shot — that Badis snd Rilli (?) Shrimp!

Those EBAs look like my grand-fish! 👴 🐟

If you are trying to breed and sell, pick one species. Avoid the possibility of hybridization for their health sake, and your reputation as a breeder. If you just want a tank full of “wildflowers” and really aren’t looking to sell fry, then it is your call. (Might disgust some aquarists) but extra fry can be fed to larger predatory fish, turtles, etc.

Post photos or videos. We’re eager to help, but need to see

Have you noticed her change colors recently? Darker face, paler / platinum white scales? Mine would do that when spawning. Stress can also affect it. Can you share some photos? Or take a video, post to YouTube, and link here?

Several photos from summer 2023 birding... American Goldfinch American Redstart Spotted Sandpiper

I had no good luck. I’m told that if you use a mop, provided they spawn regularly, just take it out and move the mop to an empty tank / bin that’s got cycled water. They should hatch out if they’re fertile. No need to dry the eggs.

We bred a bunch...

A non-sequitur aside note... I like your thumbnail. We raised EBAs a while back. I have acquired some Congo Tetras, and would love to try them with EBAs again someday.

Let's ping @mountaintoppufferkeeper for any insights here. A 15-gal aquarium may be too small an area to reasonably house many other species if your puffer is "nippy." Especially if there's only one, you might find your'e dealing with a rogue element. In nature, very. very few fish thrive in isolation. Even Puffers are often found in groups. You might consider beginning with a look through all of the Indonesian endemic Freshwater Fish species: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indonesian_endemic_freshwater_fishes You might need to get a larger tank, but certain Rainbowfish might work. Various Betta Species might be considered. Bear in mind that big, hobby-line bred ornamental tails are probably likely to get nipped up. Gianne over at Inglorious Bettas did a little rambling vlog on these years back...

Need more HD photos, or upload a HD video to YouTube, and link here to the Forum. Females carry eggs that can typically be seen through their abdomen.

Poor Aussy Matildas… what a dream run. And to explode their first ever semi-final account with an unforgettable equalizer goal from Sam Kerr at 62’… But the Lionesses 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 have earned the Final vs Spain 🇪🇸

La Roja! 🇪🇸 Women’s World Cup — Spain makes it to the Final. Got to say, this gal is a game-changer. Twice off the bench to open scoring… Salma Paralluelo #18 — look 👀 out!

It’s been a year and a half since I kept Electric Blue Acaras. I haven’t missed them much until this week. I acquired a small group of Congo Tetras from a friend. And it struck me: THESE are the schooling species that I could have kept with EBAs… They’re big, hardy, temperature-variable, and wonderfully colorful.

Use small ones. Feed to large enough fish. They work fine! We do it every week or so. US Native fish devour them. Large Discus and medium-sized cichlids enjoy them. The smaller the worms, the better. Pardon the goofy exuberance. I’m raising all boyz…

An experiment: I’ve noticed that, after lights-out, my Notropis chlorocephalus (Catawba Greenhead Shiners) seem to fire up red. I find this when examining with a flashlight. So tonight, I rigged up a tiny desk lamp overnight to see if this triggers spawning. I do have Tessellated Darters and Fieryblack Shiners in there… maybe an unhelpful distraction, or egg-predation concern… but they are behaving much better, like they’re nearly ready to spawn. Another thing… I’m floating a bag with a 24 oz frozen Uline coldpak… Oh the things we breeders try 😂

@Shadow whaddya think of hey-Jude Bellingham today so far??

This will not be everyone's cup of tea. But this is really remarkable. NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Series is awesome. I was remembering this from a few years back, started listening again and couldn't stop. KF is sometimes goofy; but the dude is backed by a jaw-dropping live band here. Broadcast while many were still staying in isolation during COVID...

Thought I’d share short videos of these two tanks. 40-sec. / ea.

A friend was tearing down a big, random community tank this week. LFS for rehoming his stock was not an option. So… I caved. I am now the caretaker of a group of Congo Tetras, some Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, and two African Tanganyikan cichlids Julidochromis marlieri (??). If they don’t breed, they’ll stay. In my care until a club auction in September.

I do get that! It can take a lot of patience to focus through an equally matched game. There are some sports I cannot bear watching for one reason or another. Golf comes to mind…