Bettarazzi

I want some paradise fish AND some Venezuelan guppies. Maybe by the time you're ready to part with some I'll actually have a working fishroom again.

Hmm... Google search came back with quite a range of images. Not sure if any of them were what you're talking about. Guppy genetics completely perplex me. Sorry can't help but all the best with the project.

Aww he was a beautiful boy. Pity you lost him. It's not an uncommon colour pattern. I'm sure you'll be able to find something similar if you keep looking. I got something like that from Coburg Aquarium once. Not sure where Woodford is. You might not be anywhere near Coburg. But I'm sure you'll find something eventually.

Is the light from the window hitting the tank directly? If it's just a bright room, it shouldn't be a big deal. But if it's hitting the tank directly then you should consider blocking off the window or shielding the tank. Once you've got a lot of algae, it's better to strip the tank and start again. What's probably happening is that you don't start off with enough plants to absorb all the nutrients produced by the fish. Are you using plain gravel or one of the substrates which contain fertiliser? I agree it's a hard balance to get right. If there's not enough light, the plants won't grow fast enough to use the nutrients. The other thing to realise is that the balance is a moving state. Planted tanks don't just sit there looking perfect the whole time. They do need a bit of maintenance. Regular water changes and not overstocking will keep the nutrients down. Have some fast growing stem plants or floating plants like watersprite can help stabilise the tank at the beginning. Just don't be shy about regularly trimming stem plants and watersprite needs to be removed regularly. You should probably also do something to stabilise your pH a bit. In highly acidic water, the plants don't do so great. Just a small piece of coral added to the tank can keep pH very stable.

The best algae control would be to try to get the balance of light and nutrients correct. If you wipe down the inside surfaces of the tank whenever you change water you can minimise algae. Wipe it down even if you can't see any algae. Stops it taking a hold. If the tetras are small the shrimp should be able to survive for a little while but I would expect that their numbers will slowly dwindle away. Most fish will have a go at shrimp. Even if they can't swallow the whole shrimp they'll just nibble at a leg or a feeler, an eye... I'd be inclined to give the shrimp a smaller tank so you can enjoy a nice community tank. You could then have your tetras, maybe some rasboras, a few corys, maybe a bristlenose. But don't expect fish to be able to clean up the algae. I've never found it a very good approach unless the algae problem was all that serious.

Are you using artificial lighting or natural? Aquaponics is an interesting concept especially if you can eat the fish as well as the plants. You could have a complete meal right there in your fishroom.

Java moss would need to be a pretty decent quantity. It tends to sink. I find I get more survivors with floating plants. Not sure if it's because they naturally head to the surface or the floating plants make it harder for them to be hunted. But that seems to work better for me than a tank with dense but low growing plants. Maybe tease out the java moss so that it's spread vertically a bit more.

Probably the easiest thing is to time it from the drops. As soon as you notice fry, assume that she'll be pregnant again in a few days and count 3 weeks from there and you should be able to catch the next lot. Alternatively keep them in a guppy only tank with lots of plants and you'll get more fry than you can cope with.

Welcome back Celeste! I love those guppies. I'm trying to develop a double sword wild type guppy-endler cross. The endlers I used were already snakeskin hybrids. Going extremely slowly at the moment because I find the need to sex them early and separate a bit of a pain. I never seem to get around to it.

They take about 4 weeks before they give birth. If you mate them in a controlled manner you could separate her at around 3 weeks. Or if you have some floating plants in there you should have plenty that survive. Assuming there isn't anything else in the tank that's a really good hunter.

Hmmmm.... spinning intersecting Yin Yang. Can't decide if I find that peaceful or disturbing. *lol*

LOL and here I was being cheeky thinking it was an auto-correct issue! Well... Where's my pic,then?

In the full version of the forum what appears in posts is your "avatar" while your profile pic appears in your profile as well as any status comments. In the mobile app your avatar doesn't appear at all, only your profile pic. If your load the same pic as your avatar it should work. When I finally upgrade the forum, there will only be one pic for each user. You won't have a different avatar and profile pic.

I suppose it can't be ruled out. Test the water in the jacket to see what the ph is like. Would love to see a pic too. Sounds like an interesting way to grow water plants. I assume it's a straight jacket. :P

Well it will be interesting to see if it starts to rise again. Have you put the elodea back in?

i haven"t heard of plants raising the pH. Is it fluctuating during the day or steadily rising over time?

You should bring some for the trading table next time you come to a club meet.

Crikey! How many have you got in that tank?

I have a half used bottle that hasn't been touched for years sitting in my cupboard. I did use it on a planted tank for a while. Plants seemed to grow alright but I can't offer much comparison with othe products. What sort of plants are you trying to grow?

Also the Severum will eat everything in sight. How about some rainbows? Can't remember the species names right at the minute but some of them have striking red colouring.

Well you might as well tell us what the rose signifies and are you affected by the floods?

The problem with LFS guppies is that you don't know what the female is carrying. A just try and see what you get. You'll just need to refine the form in subsequent generations.

Oh yeah... Need to make a voting thingy. Still not too late to nominate. But maybe stick to photos and videos posted in 2012.

Looks quite large for a barrel. How much water does it hold? I've always wanted one.

Welcome back Tracey.