Daniel

I too have had good luck with Bolivians and Angels together and if it were me, I would hold out a little longer to see if I could get some. But in my experience the German blue rams would really, really prefer to be around 84°F. The Angels will tolerate that, probably pretty well so that combination is still a possibility if you're willing to raise the temperature.

Rarest fish I have owned recently were Elassoma boehlkei that I collected in cooperation with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Office of Conservation and Community Affairs, Department of Environment and Natural Resources near Wilmington, NC. This endangered native endemic Pygmy Sunfish occurs in only 3 counties in North Carolina and is found nowhere else in the world. I bred them out into a small colony and then traded them to Robert J. Goldstein for a copy of his book, American Aquarium Fishes. I believe he used them to found a species maintenance colony for distribution to other hobbyist. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Book3.jpg.31b936ff8ea402103e3b7f5e1e3e5ccd.jpg These were absolutely fabulous aquarium fishes, small, easy to keep and breed, but with drawback. They will only eat live food. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Elassoma_Gilberti_male_in_breeding_colors.jpg.28c0f7bcd03ea58c17b6e7f7aea7a933.jpg And that live food problem is the reason people don't keep Pygmy Sunfish. Males are pretty when they are breeding. That is not an enhanced photo, that is exactly what pygmy sunfish males (gilberti in this case) look like when showing off for females. And the male nuptial dance involves slow staccato waggling while simultaneously and independently flicking each fin. Probably the most amazing fish dance I have ever seen.

*Excuse the photo problem I am having, but I think you get the gist. @Bill Smith you hit upon the solution exactly which is four big holes drilled through the bottom of the aquarium. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5783.JPG.db3c783c7742fb91e048c618edc005e1.JPG Pipe on the left goes down to the recirculating pump. Pipe on the right is a standpipe overflow that runs the excess water out to a pond. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5786.JPG.58c7bb8492d83372d1d8adb26347f953.JPG This is the inline heater (a hot tub heater) and the Iwaki circulating pump. The tube with the blue ball valve is water from the well/RO system that reaches the tank through Pex tubing embedded in the concrete slab foundation of the house. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5784.JPG.e08cf70d9166c7be842601ed88068277.JPG This is the other side of the tank where water enter and leaves through hidden emitters in the aquarium, and the other pipe is the other side of the Iwaki circulation system. This tank has no filter system, but the water is automagically changed frequently. Lights come down from outlets embedded in ceiling. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5787.JPG.69953d93cba2d0212fd427528919b408.JPG I have made the sleeve to tuck all the lighting cables up on the ceiling but have been too lazy to get around to it. The iLonda (which I purchased on your recommendation and love) cannot go upside down, so I am still think about that one. If I didn't have the lights suspended from the ceiling I would have mounted them like this: //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Kessil1.PNG.c70813db30f61c30482f3416a6636ca0.PNG And discretely snaked the power cables along the black rim. Notice that the Kessil cabling runs through the interior of the gooseneck mounting arm. Very nice! So in summary, plumbing etc. underneath with holes drilled in bottom of tank, and electrical from above or discretely snaked along edge of tank. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5783.JPG.db3c783c7742fb91e048c618edc005e1.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5786.JPG.58c7bb8492d83372d1d8adb26347f953.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5784.JPG.e08cf70d9166c7be842601ed88068277.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5787.JPG.69953d93cba2d0212fd427528919b408.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Kessil1.PNG.c70813db30f61c30482f3416a6636ca0.PNG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5783.JPG.db3c783c7742fb91e048c618edc005e1.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5786.JPG.58c7bb8492d83372d1d8adb26347f953.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5784.JPG.e08cf70d9166c7be842601ed88068277.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_5787.JPG.69953d93cba2d0212fd427528919b408.JPG //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Kessil1.PNG.c70813db30f61c30482f3416a6636ca0.PNG

I have tended towards South American fish so my favorites have been Neon Tetras, Cardinal Tetras or Rummy Nose Tetras. Not the best picture but there are Cardinals, Rummy Nose and Hatch Fish in this picture. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Planted-Tank.jpg.78c09eecfc56c2a0e0623101746bd229.jpg

I think I like all the colors. How could you go wrong?

No, I just scooted over my chair and looked at the ones in the aquarium next to my desk and both males and females have a beautiful blue ring around their eyes when light hits it at the right angle. After I fattened them up with good food, you could see the beigeish, yellowish eggs inside of the females. In video above of Sparkling Gouramis breeding you can always tell who the female is because her belly is more orangey or yellowey. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/992856794_Sparkybreeding.PNG.80ae4c84b75ce3248a0817e1496925a1.PNG It can be subtle but once you notice it the first time you will never miss it again. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/992856794_Sparkybreeding.PNG.80ae4c84b75ce3248a0817e1496925a1.PNG

Yogi Berra once said, "In theory, there is no difference between practice and theory. In practice there is." The exciting prospect we have before us is all of these blue and yellow and red shrimp living and loving together in the same tank. Soon we will learn what comes from mixing strains from different colors.

The blues and and yellows in the my aquarium, the ones you see in the video came from LRB, maybe green is a possibility after all. 🙂

I don't wash, but I do think about what could be on there nasty and if I can't think of anything the hands go right in the tank without washing.

That would be so cool to see!

We live in fish paradise! These are the first 2 sentences of Michael Sandel's dissertation defense from 2011 "The southeastern United States is home to the greatest regional freshwater species diversity found outside the Tropics. Despite a long history of scientific investigation, the mechanisms responsible for generating and sustaining this diversity remain poorly understood." It is an awesome paper if not a bit nerdy. Here is the invitation to his presentation of his thesis to his defense committee. Although he focuses on Pygmy Sunfishes, he basically explains everything we know to date on why there is so much freshwater fish diversity in the Southeastern United States. I have a copy of the paper if anyone is interested.

I have seen something like that on terrestial plants like Tipularia discolor the Cranefly Orchid, or Hepatica americana – the round leaved liverwort. All are green on top and purple on the bottom. It is a pattern I have seen on dozens of species of plants. Most often on plants that are in areas of reduced or more diffuse light (or maybe that is the only place I have noticed them). And despite having a botany background and despite having asked some botany heavyweights about the cause of this phenomena, I still haven’t gotten a satisfying answer. Plant pigments are at the heart of photosynthesis so you would think the answer lies down that path. But it does look cool though.

And that seller has been selling fish on Aquabid since 2002 right? That was 4 years before iPhones were invented or YouTube was started? There was no Gmail and Google had just gotten into the ad business. That person has been selling fish on Aquabid since the 'before time'.

All the purple is on the underside of the leaves right?

The rating/history thing on Aquabid is very useful but you have read between the lines also. What I mean is that there are some very good fish people who are good shippers that possibly have some crappy feedback. Case in point: Shipper has 521 ratings Shipper has 31 negative ratings 4 of the negative ratings are in the last month Those 4 negative ratings are extremely harsh, "Guy is total rip-off artist" or "Complete scam, don't buy from this person" Could be sketchy buying from this person right? Look more closely All 4 negative ratings came from 2 buyers Both buyers were 0/0 meaning they have never received any feedback good or bad, i.e. they were new to Aquabid Other buyers with say a 359/361 rating (long time well respected users) were very positive about their transactions One the best indicators is that the seller has done many transactions. The fact you have survived over time speaks volumes. Anyone can be mad at you for any reason and when something goes wrong malice is suspected instead what is more probable which is just a mistake instead. And one final thing. People who sell fish on Aquabid are an unusual lot. Treat them gently and respectably. No sudden moves and keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times. Pay quickly. Communicate with them constantly and clearly. Read the fine print on the ad 2 or 3 times. Maybe the seller only takes money orders and you only do PayPal. And if they do a good job but 1 out of the 20 fish you bought dies...don't harass them about it. Be happy about the 19 that made it and leave them good feedback.

@BrandyI hope so! That would be so cool if it works that way. It’s probably like mutt guppies where whatever you end up with it’s pretty cool no matter what.

Quicker is better. Overnight is better. Overnight can be twice as expensive and I often choose that because I want the least amount of stress on the fish. That being said, I have had plenty of 3 day shipments on Aquabid with about the same results as overnight shipments, that is, all the fish were in reasonably good shape. I have had a couple of shipments that took 5 days from Aquabid and the fish were in reasonably good shape. When there have been deaths, it was something like 2 died out 15 fish in transit. Or this week I got a shipment where 1 died out 20 fish in transit. The biggest potential problem is that if 1 fish dies in a bag, its ammonia can quickly degrade all the other fish in the bag. Many shippers bag each fish separately. You would be shocked how long 1 fish can live just fine in a teeny weeny bit of water. I have plop and dropped fish that have been on the road for 3 days and 5 minutes later they are perky and eating food like nothing unusual just happened. Others take a couple of days to fully wake up after shipping trauma.

We are watching ‘Time Team’ a humorous British reality archeology show. It ran for 20 years so there are a bazillion episodes.

How do you know it is a female?

It so frustrating, especially when the same pair eats them time and time again! I have had pairs that just never learned. Have you given any thoughts to a cage? But you have to admit, just having a pair that will at least will spawn repeatedly is pretty cool!

That would amazing if you can pull that off! Welcome to the best fish Forum around.

In general it is futile and even a mistake to chase numbers. If the fish are doing well, it is usually a good idea to quit while you are ahead. But as far as nudging water parameters goes, a little crushed coral never hurt anything. If the pH is low, the crushed coral will dissolve faster, if the pH is high the crushed coral (Calcium Carbonate) won't dissolve very fast. But usually if there any doubt, my first plan is to do nothing, wait a week and reassess later.

@ADMWNDSR83 Can you rephrase that. I think I know what you are asking, but I just want to be sure.

More (and better) food equals happier, healthier fish that are eager to breed, but paradoxically more food equals more waste in the tank, so either more plants or more filtration or more water changes or all three. My happiest tanks get fed a lot and get their water changed a lot.