--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBC00024 Date: 06/30/97 From: JIM FOLEY Time: 07:27pm \/To: JAMES MCGRAIL (Read 1 times) Subj: Moderator -=> Quoting James Mcgrail to All <=- JM> I've decided to drop out of FIDO Net in the near future. So If anyone JM> wants to to become the moderator Let me know, if more then 1 wants the JM> job, I'll start the annual election. I am sorry to hear that you are leaving. I have lurked and posted in this echo for quite a while now and you have kept the echo on course as long as I have been around anyways. I would be willing to take on the post. I have been keeping fish for a number of years now and I help people in my local areas with questions on fish or in tracking down a certain kind of fish for them. I am currently moderating two echoes on a local net and I am sure I could handle this one as well. Take care and best of luck in your future. ... Can People get Ick from Stress...? --- FMailX 1.02 * Origin: ERIDU BBS - Red Deer, AB Canada (403) 342-1548 (1:3417/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00000 Date: 07/06/97 From: DON REHS Time: 05:55pm \/To: CAROL SHENKENBERGER (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Koi CS> Good info and thanks! Might ship the heafty fellow before building a CS> pond as it is. Yard just too popular for the kids! Might manage it CS> though as my husbabd and I are thinking of how much the kids in the CS> neightborhood will like a live yard 'fishtank'. CS> 2 of the local kids now have fish tanks and have been looking at ours CS> for easy care ideas. One of the parents is here now, looking over CS> how we stocked ours with fish that dont cost and arm-and-a-leg to CS> buy. Looks like they will try pretty looking guppies and the other CS> family has bought cheap simple goldfish and is looking to a CS> livingroom tank of angelfish and neon tetras. xxcarol Whatever you do I am sure the Fish wil love it!! As Far as placing Tropical outside such as Neon Tetras, they will have to bring them in for the winter as they will not tolerate low temperature too well. As far as Angel fish I stoppes keeping them in my tanks long ago. The reason being that when they grow larger they tend to dominate the tanks and get mean. Good luck!!! Let me know what you decide to do??? Don --- FMailX 1.20 * Origin: The Back Door BBS (810)979-2411 Sterling Hts Mi. (1:120/510) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00001 Date: 07/08/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 07:00pm \/To: CHRISTINE LABONTE' (Read 1 times) Subj: An old new one........... The Misers guide to Native fish keeping by Robert Rice A lot of us would like to Native keep fish. We enjoy watching and learning about our local species but just don't want to spend the kind of money the folks at the pet store tell us we need to just for a basic tank. I have a solution, treat those fish the way they deserve. Treat those fish the natural way. You can have an inexpensive attractive tank that is not high maintenance. Contrary to what they tell you a power filter on the back of a tank is not necessarily the best way to run a tank on a budget. Power filters do a good job of pulling wastes and debris out of the water but do not do a good job of Biological filtration which is much more important. Think about it ,how good for a tank can it be to have the water run through a sponge full of fish wastes all day? So follow my step by step plan and you will have a clean tank the envy of the neighborhood. First off stop buying retail. If you really are on a budget keep you eyes open for used tanks and hoods at a garage sale or the local paper. I make it a rule to never spend more than 1$ a gallon for used setups. A setup must include a tank and hood with lights. For tank stands I bridge the tank between cinderblocks covered in sheets, curtains, or whatever looks nice. Half used chemicals like pH up or down or whatever go right in the garbage You do not know the age or usefulness of these chemicals so get rid of them. Besides we are on a budget and can't afford the extras , right? Now comes the placement of this tank. Anywhere is fine as long as you stay away from windows and heat vents. I have kept rows of tanks in my basement, garage and carport. The second thing to do is to decide weather this is a tank for shiners and darters or a sunfish tank. If it is a darter /shiner tank you will need a powerhead and a undergravel filter. The place to buy your undergravel filter and the gravel is ,surprise, the chain hardware stores (Lowes, Menards, Home Depot etc.) They have 50 pound bags of river pea gravel in a variety of colors for about 2 -3 dollars. They intend it for landscaping purposes . However with a scrubbing with the hose you've got your gravel. They also sell a variety of plastic grids used for light covers and what not for about 1-2 dollars. Take one of those, cut it to fit and punch a hole for the powerhead intake tube and you are in business. Of course old undergravel filters and old powerheads are usually available for a song at garage sales. So keep you eyes peeled If it's a sunfish tank, all you need is a gravel bed. Here's the trick you need a thick gravel bed. I like about 6 inches be it for shiners, darters, or sunfish. This gravel bed performs a very important purpose and without it you will have a high maintenance tank. This bed provides homes for the good guy bacteria that break down fish wastes. This biological filtration breaks down wastes and keeps the water fresh and pure. So get that gravel bed going first. Next step after you put 6 inches of gravel and the optional powerhead setup. It's time to get creative. First off, go ahead fill up your tank you might have to add one chemical . Nowadays you just cant let water "age" like the old days. The chemical complexity of chloramine makes water unsuitable for fish until it is completely removed from the water. You could call your water company and find out if they use chloramine. Perhaps they just use chlorine. If so you can then avoid the chemicals by letting the water age 72 hours. If not use something that removes,. chloramine, your choice of brands, but make it inexpensive. OK you have your garage sale tank setting on those charming cinder blocks. You placed it away from windows and heat vents. It's full of water and gravel and looks pretty good. Congratulations you are a third if the way there. It's time to take a look around and find a place tocollect some plants. EEEK you say collect plants ! Yepwithout suitable vegetation this whole mix will not work and you would be forced to purchase (yuk) some more higher tech equipment. Find some rooted plants that aretolerant of lower light and grow well in cooler waters. In the Native category watersprite, cabomba, elodea, and giant val, come to mind. In the non Native category several types of swords and Java fern fit the bill. You don't have to "collect" all of them borrow a few from another tank or from a friend. You will need 3 plants per gallon ultimately. However for now 1 per gallon should get you started. Go ahead and plant them in the tank. With that thick gravel bed the plants should be easy to bury in the bottom of the tank, completely covering their roots. It's getting close to fish time. Now you have waited a few days, set things up on a budget and are pretty proud of what you've got going on. If you have the powerhead option, turn it on. The lights should stay on at least 10 hours a day. Biology should start kicking in and things are starting to cook. Find the healthiest tank you can find and beg , borrow or steal a handful of gravel. Take the gravel and put it in your tank. The old gravel will "seed" the tank. The good guy bacteria will have the inside track on things. Now that you have done the above it is time to add fish. You can add fish but not many and not to fast. Start with either 1 sunfish or 4 darter/shiners. That's it. OK you got your tank, your plants and your fish and suddenly your tank gets cloudy, what's wrong ? Nothing, you are on the right track. The cloud is caused by a bacteria bloom. The seeded bacteria has found a new home and has gone to town. In a few days things will clear up . You have your few fish, your few plants what next ? Stick by your guns and do NOT give in to your desire to feed the fishes three squares a day. This set up is dependent upon a more natural food schedule . Feed 2 times a week and that is it ! No more, in nature fish get a large meal once a week or so and spend the rest of their time nibbling on plants and what not. Simulate that at home. Besides who wants to pay for all that extra food anyway ? If all is going well after 2 weeks it is time to add a few more fish. Remember how many you added a few weeks back ? Add the same amount this time and continue every three weeks or so until you reach the 1 sunfish per 3 gallons or the 1 shiner/darter per gallon limit. Now comes the extremely difficult, time consuming maintenance of this setup. Twice a month use a gravel vacuum and remove 20% of the water while vacuuming r of the gravel. A gravel vacuum for those who don't know is a siphon with a big end and a small end .The big end gets pushed into the gravel and the little end goes into the bucket. The gravel pulls up about halfway up the big end and then falls back while the dirt heads to the bucket. For a 20 gallon tank this will take about 10 minutes. Exhausting isn't it? At some point algae will build up on the tank. Go to the grocery store pick up one of those plastic brillo pad looking dish scrubbers. The ones without any soap or chemicals on them please. When it is necessary, use it to wipe the glass clean. That's it your tank maintenance is done. If the plants prosper and you don't get to crazy with the food and the fish you are home free. With a little luck your natives will thrive and perhaps even spawn. This low tech setup has served me well I have kept and bred a great many species in them with little expense or problems. I hope it does the same for you . Until next time good luck and good fishing! --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00002 Date: 07/08/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 06:57pm \/To: CHRISTINE LABONT (Read 1 times) Subj: moderation Yeah I have actually had a dozen or two out since last we talked I have gotten a small following ................ --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00003 Date: 07/08/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 06:58pm \/To: CHRISTINE LABONT (Read 1 times) Subj: NANFA It is a common species here so It is possibble.........:) --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00004 Date: 07/08/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 07:01pm \/To: YOU (Read 1 times) Subj: NANFAE The North American Killies by Robert Rice 2213 Prytania Circle Navarre Florida 32566 1-904-936-9261 Battered and abused, unknown and unloved. Sounds like a movie of the week doesn't it ? Well in fact it describes our North American Killies. North American Killies ? I didn't know we had any you may say . You are not alone in thinking that, and nothing could be farther from the truth ! We have an excellent variety of Killies on this continent , brackish and freshwater, they possess a multitude of dramatic sizes, shapes and colors and are a hit oversees. Here sadly they are a flop relegated to use as an occasional bait minnow ! C'mon folks we can do SO much better than that! While we talk about the rain forest and other ecological crisis we let our ignorance of local flora and fauna and thus our local Killies go unchallenged. These poor guys lie waiting for SOMEONE, anyone to notice them. Why not you ! If tomorrow your local newspaper ran a story saying XYZ Killi was now extinct. Would you be surprised ? Would you know what they were talking about ? Would you be ashamed ? Maybe we all should be at least a little ! For those of you unfamiliar with our native Killies they are a broad family of small (under six inches) minnow like fishes. With a large degree of color variation and temperaments with in the species. Almost all of them however are suitable aquarium specimens. They have several characteristics that make them something your average Aquarist should look into. First and foremost they are tough as nails. Their tolerances to heat cold, poor water conditions and jumping on the floor are legendary. I've had individuals who jumped from the tank and have been unnoticed for hours when I finally find the dry, dusty, pitiful looking victim he flip just a bit in my hand. So back in the tank he went and by the end of the day was back to normal ! Second they are colorful, no not a neon tetra type of colorful, but they are colorful, as colorful as a great many tropical's out there and a heck of a lot easier and cheaper to keep. Finally they are very interesting behaviorally speaking. Your average Aquarist has an excellent chance at successfully spawning most Killies. Sadly so little is known about the triggers to spawning that well documented breeding data is not generally available. On the positive side when you discover how to breed these gems the data would be a real bonus to the University or Department of Natural Resources folks out there. Who by the way are finding it is the Killies not the Gambusia family that are the real mosquito fish. A Killi will eat 5-10 times more mosquitoes than a Gambusia. They are truly mosquito munching machines ! With all that going for them they still have been virtually ignored by Sportsmen, Naturalist, and most Aquarist. Only a few of us Nuts out here keeping the faith and the Killies! That's been the hurdle our native fishes have had to conquer ! They don't lack in durability , they don't lack in looks , they certainly don't lack in interesting behaviors. What they lack in is advocates ! Very few people care enough about them to speak up for them. That is their downfall. Book after book contains no relevant breeding or rearing information. They all say the dreaded, see species description. Why is that ? Is it possible that all Killies, Sunfish , Darters and Shiners are alike ? Needing the same water , conditions, food, and temperature requirements? Is it possible that the entire continent is inhabited by only a single species of Killi, Darter Sunfish etc.? Of course not . It's just there is not enough information available. There is great diversity out there and for the Aquarist there is great opportunity to work with species of which little or nothing is known. Imagine you could be first one to document breeding conditions of a seldom studied Killi and you would not even have to fly to Africa. You could begin to document the range of a species that has been passed over in the past as only a unnamed Killi ! It's not SCI FI it's reality! All it takes is for folks all across the continent to get busy investing their time and resources into studying the world around them. You could make a great difference, without significantly changing your hobby. Keep doing what your doing just change subjects a bit. It matters it really does ! OK, OK, you say, you've convinced me I'll try a few Killies now where do I start? First check out your local library and see if you can Find Peterson's Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes by Brooks M. Burr and Larry Page. This resource book will give you a real good idea of what Killies are available locally. You should also check out and see if any people in your area are involved in keeping native Killies. Check with your' local Fish club or find out if there is a local Chapter of NANFA (North American Native Fish Association) or the AKA (American Killifish Association) both clubs are active across the country in keeping and rearing Native Killies and are great places to start (see side bar). So what Killies do I recommend you ask . I recommend a ton of them but for brevity's sake and to help the cause I'll cut my list down to five . Based on overall beauty, durability , availability and authors bias. Here's my top five in NO particular order. The Plains Killifish (Fundulus Zebrinus)- This charming fellow looks like an escaped convict with his vertical bars and golden backdrop. In the tank he is very hardy and I have had them spawn in both the pond and the tank. He takes to food like he takes to life ,with hardy abandon. One of the finer specimens of a fish you can keep. It occurs in the midwest. Sporadically from Colorado to Texas Lined Topminnow (Fundulus Linnelatus)- Hard to find but easy to love this guy is cool. The male takes on horizontal striping on a light gray background while the female takes on the vertical stripes. Which makes them a striking pair to say the least. They are as hardy as you can believe and make an excellent species for study or home enjoyment. Golden Topminnow (Fundulus Chrysotus) The Classic North American Killi . Large, Colorful, exceedingly tolerant of poor conditions and a bit on the mean side. Readily available in the pet trade or through fish clubs. Bluefin Killie (Lucania Goodei) Probably the most well known of the American Killies this small Killi is an excellent pond or aquarium species . The male is strikingly colorful with fins of blue and red. It's small size and excellent temperament make it suitable for small tanks and jars. Occurs in southern regions but is available commonly in the pet trade or through fish clubs Blackstripe Topminnow (Fundulus Euryzonus) An excellent addition to any community tank. This small colorful Killi has a shy temperament and an unusual habit of living almost exclusively in the top three inches of a tank. Very common across the midwest and south. Very easy to collect my five year old daughter has caught them on many occasions. Here's a non comprehensive list of places to start good luck and good shing. NANFA (North American Native Fish Association) Membership 15$ USA 17$ All other countries TO: Konrad Schmidt 1663 Iowa Ave. E. St. Paul, MN 55106 Membership Includes a Quarterly Magazine American Currents a BI Monthly Newsletter The Darter. Regional groups and meetings an active on line email group and a trading post. AKA (American Killifish Association) Basic US Membership 24$ other rates apply . Membership Inf. Contact: Ronald Coleman 903 Merrifield Place Mishawaka IN 46544 Membership includes twelve monthly issues of the Business News Letter. Six BI-Monthly issues of the Journal of the American Killifish Association --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00005 Date: 07/08/97 From: ROBERT RICE Time: 06:58pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: Trading post........ NATIVE FISH ON-LINE TRADING POST ALWAYS CHANGING ALWAYS GROWING: June 97 EDITION.... ALL TRADES SUBJECT TO STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS !!! For those people who want to hook up with other Native fishheads aroundthe World........Anything Native Fish related is OK HERE........Plants, tanks, eggs, fish books !! Please remember that any folks out there who are unable to collect for physical or other reasons, don't be afraid to place a want list. Native fish people are notoriously generous. If you will pay the postage sooner or later you will get some fish! Robert Rice- 2213 Prytania Circle Navarre FL 32566 Phone # (904) 936-0097 e mail robertrice@juno.com HAVE Flagfin shiners, various pygmy sunfish, bluespotted sunfish, dollar sunfish, Leptolucania ommata, Fundulus chrysotus, bluefin killie, F. Cingulatus and many southern species WANT: aquatic plants, carnivirous plants, blackside snubnose, Tennessee snubnose and cherry darters, Blackbanded Sunfish ,heading up a Florida regional meeting in the spring check for times and locations. Clarence Waldron Ph.D. 75 Joliette Drive Napoleon Ohio 43545-2224 Phone # (419) 599-3510 (voice) e-mail kwaldron@wvu.edu I have the following books in like-new condition: Spotte, Fish and Invertebrate Culture (new $23.50)-$10, Spotte, Marine and Aquarium Keeping (new $12.95)-$5, Bower, The Basic Marine Aquarium-$5, Friese, Marine Invertebrates-$5, Brusca, Common Intertidal Invertebrates of the Gulf of California (New $26.95)-$10......All 5 books $30.00 plus actual postage......Micro worms starters $1, Fruit Flies starter culture (4 varieties) $2 all cultures plus actual postage. Have 1992-1995 American Currents free, you pay shipping. Bill Voiers- 96 Angle St. POB 388 , Eureka Springs AR 72632, Phone # 501-253-9558, FAX # 501-253-9558 . Will trade Etheostoma juliae, E. euzonum and other Arkansas native darters (excluding E. Moorei) for any species of Nothonotus, excluding E. rufilineatum . Ray Wolff- 6510 Helke Rd., Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin 54494 Phone # (715)424-0259 HAVE: TONS of Northern Midwest species, including gar, shiners, sticklebacks, blackstripe topminnow, pumpkinseed sunfish,northern redbelly dace, central mudminnows, madtoms, bullheads, a variety of darters etc...WANT: many southern and unusual species especially Elassoma species, Bantam Sunfish...also has a limited supply of killie eggs of various species. Joseph R. Tommelleri 2219 Washington Blvd., Kansas City KS 66102 Phone # 1-800-240-3378 HAVE : Fine art prints, color scientific illustrations $25 each 5 for $100 a great variety of species call for free brochure. Nothing like this quality anywhere. Tim Wolfe -2911 Belle Aire Blvd. Theodore Alabama 36582- Phn : 334-973-2524 Wants : Various Carolina Shiners , Darters for breeding program. HAVES: Flagfin shiners, Sailfin shiners, Ellasoma species many other, tropicals including Angels, Guppies , Cory cats. For sale or trade Warren Lund 1916 Indiana Ave. Kenner LA 70062-6223 Phone # (504) 461-8169, HAVE: Heterandria formosa, Poecilia latipinna, Gambusia affinis, Etheostoma swaini, Elassoma zonatum, grindle worm , vinegar eel, hornwort, cabomba and java moss starters. WANT: Elassoma species, Etheostoma blennioides, E.spectabile, Enneacathus sunfish, others Jerod Elder 42775 San Julian Place, Temecula CA 929591, Phone # (909) 699-1099 HAVE or can get : Spotted Bass, Juvenile Largemouth Bass, Arroyo chubs, least killifish, gobies, sculpins + many other kinds of California fresh and Saltwater fish WANT: black mottled gambusia, any kind of madtom, any Elassoma species, small pickerel any type, any type of trout (legally obtained), Enneacanthus sunfishes, rainbow shiners, Sacramento Perch, any kind of darter, 1 bluenose sucker, bluenose shiners, longnose gar, any aquatic plants. I also would appreciate information on culturing any live food especially brine shrimp. WILL BUY OR TRADE Peter Rollo--2308 Cedar Lane, Secane PA 19018- Phone # (610) -543-1660 HAVE for SALE domestic raised ( fall 96 ) Banded and Black banded sunfish, Elassoma evergladei (Pygmy sunfish), Heterandria formosa, also seasonally avaliable tadpole madtoms, eastern mudminnows & bluespotted sunfish WANT: Wild caught H. formosa and E. Evergladei , L. goodei Jim Sternburg- 107 E Florida Ave. Urbana IL 61801 phn: 217-367-9857 HAVE: for trade only,a great variety of Killies, Madtoms, Darters, Sunfish, Rainbowfish (non native) and midwestern shiners including Southern Redbelly Dace and many types of madtoms and darters. WANT: Many Southern shiners and sunfish, any other interesting species you may come across Bill Ballard- 6811 Moss Oaks Lane, Elberta AL 36530-PHN: 334-987-1112 , HAVE: many fresh and saltwater coastal species available for trade or sale. Including bluespotted sunfish, Dollar Sunfish, Flagfin shiners, Broadstripe shiners, F. Crysotas, F. Cingulatus, F. Notatus etc. etc. and pygmy sunfishes.... Mike Whitfield- 7005 Antler Lane, Harrisson, Tennessee 323421 PHN: 423-344-8119 HAVE: a variety of snubnose darters and Tennessee shiners. Interested in meeting with locals who collect and keep natives ! Garold Sneegas-716 Lake St. Lawrence KS 66044, 1-913-842- 1407 , email -Gsneegas@juno.com has Native fish photos available for commercial use...check for available species. Heads up the Kansas Region check with him for meeting times and locations. Elmer Guerri 8401 Lakewood Place., West Terre Haute, Indiana 47802 , Phone # (812)-535-4175 heads up the regional chapter for Indiana and Illinois contact him for meeting information and contacts with those in the state. Live Earthworms the best natural food around ! 15 $ delivers 14 ounces to your door ( around 1400 worms) live arrival guaranteed. Please make checks payable to John Ehle 406 Anacortes Ave SE, Renton Wa, 98059 B.G. Granier 608 Maureen Dr. Baker LA 70714 Call Phone # (504) 775-6400 or e-mail me at bg@te6000.otc.lsu.edu : HAVE or can get Fundulus chrysotus, Lucania parva, Fundulus olivaceus, Elassoma zonatum, Heterandria formosa, Fundulus grandis, Adinia xenica and other species. Interested in trading for Redlip Shiners, Saffron Shiner, Greenhead Shiner, Pinewoods Shiner or other shiners not native to Louisiana. Heading up Louisiana regional meeting in the spring. Kris Haggblom, 21 Palmer Ave. Nanuet NY 10954, phone # (914)-623-7866 WANT: Fundulus zebrinus, F. euryzonus, F. julisia, Adinia xenica, Lucania goodei, any Elassoma species Bruce Scott 520 E Lake Hazel Road, Merdin ID 83642 Phone # (208)-888-7143 WANT: Notropis lutrensis, Etheostoma nigrum, Noturus leptacanthus, Heterandria formosa, any Elassoma species, prairie crayfish (Procambarus gracilis) Have dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii) Dave Schleser ,310 Appian Way , Dallas Texas 75216 Phone # (214) 943-2025. E-mail natimg@flash.net Want F. Leneolatus TRADE OR BUY has many species sporatically avaliable. Laura Burdge, 1711 Cleveland Ave. Hamilton Ohio 45013 WANT: Lepomis humilis, Chrosomus erythrogaster, Enneacanthus chaetedon, Cottus bairdi semiscaber, and Catostomus commersoni. Robert Carillo, 509 Genessee Ave. Warren OH 44483 Phone # (303) 847-1714. Want: Sources for marine native coldwater species suitable for the aquarium. Heads up the Ohio region check with him for more details! Herman Meeus, De Reet 6, B 2160 Wommelgem, Belgium. WANT: Back issues of American Currents, Darters and Lateral Line for use in the Belgian Killifish Association's Killi Kontakt magazine. Also interested in articles on North American killifish and pupfish Peter Unmack P.O. Box 1454 Tempe AZ 85280 Phone # (602)-965-1578 Organizing an Arizona-Nevada regional group. Things are at the early stages and collecting trips are sporadic but do occur. All are welcome to join this ASU student out to the ditches ! Andrew Borgia P.O Box 4346 Key West FL 33041Phone # (305) 294-8739-WANTS: Interested in a great variety of North American species for a private preserved collection. HAVES: A great variety of marine specimens and inverts for trade...Also has some Key West herps for trade... --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Emerald Coast/2 (1:366/47) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00006 Date: 07/08/97 From: JASON KOZEY Time: 03:27pm \/To: LYNDA KENDRICK (Read 1 times) Subj: New tank I am glad to see you are waiting with your tank! I just got a 25 gallon tank the other day and i only let it sit for 24h that was kind stupid because my fish almost died. The reason they almost died was i used a chemical (very very little of it) to clean the tank and i guess it was still in the water. I don't know how casue i let water sit in it for 2h then rinse and repeat. but oh well it is fine now. Also one thing to watch for on a new tank with new fish is watch for the water to turn green within a couple of hours of putting the new fish in. What happens sometimes is the fish begin to "nitrate" which is a chemical reaction their skin does to protect themselves from something in the water but while they are doing this they are getting weaker and weaker and if you don't change the water imediatly the fish WILL die. i know 2 fish that react in this way for sure they are oscars and pirrhanna(i know it is spelled wrong) by the way I keep pirrhanna and they are extremly cool fish!!!! --- TriToss (tm) Professional 1.0 - #42 * Origin: SkyWatch - Your Astronomy Connection (1:140/118.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00007 Date: 07/08/97 From: JASON KOZEY Time: 03:30pm \/To: ROBBY DITTMANN (Read 1 times) Subj: New tank get pirrhannas!!!!!!!! They are cool they will get about 8" in you tank the guy at a pet store said that too me. i noticed someone said tiger barbs. I got them in a little tank they are nice fish and very hardy but with a big tank like that i suggest you get something cool I mean something that gets big and is mean! /s --- TriToss (tm) Professional 1.0 - #42 * Origin: SkyWatch - Your Astronomy Connection (1:140/118.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 229 AQUARIUMS Ref: EBD00008 Date: 07/08/97 From: JASON KOZEY Time: 03:35pm \/To: LYNDA KENDRICK (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: New tank with a 29gallon tank you can have almost any type of fish! GET PIRRHANNAS /s --- TriToss (tm) Professional 1.0 - #42 * Origin: SkyWatch - Your Astronomy Connection (1:140/118.0)