First post in a LONG time

Hey everyone,

I'm experiencing with Blogger at home. I can't log onto my blogger account from my home PC, so I'm forced to use either email or another PC at varsity, for example.

Since my last post, my tank population has grown to about 44 fish. It sounds like a lot, but it's not much considering that my tank's plants will still grow nice and big and thus provide hiding space for the fish.

I will post some pics of my fish tank when I get home today. The plants in the tank have grown really well. I use fertilizer and leave the light on for 12-14 hours a day. My tank also benefits from direct light in the morning.

I bought 7 neon tetra's last Saturday, bringing my total number of neon tetra's to 10. Sadly, 3 died overnight (probably due to stress) and another 3 were missing... sounds suspicious ey? I'm wondering if my festive cichlids ate them.

Please please feel free to post pictures of your fish tank(s) on this blog!

How to breed and raise Blue Ramirezi

German Blue Ram (Ramirezi) Dwarf Cichlids are small enough to get three or four pairs breeding in the same tank!


Water chemistry: Blue Ramirezi breed in soft and slightly acidic water, PH of 6.8 or a little lower is fine. The tank temperature should be from 80 - 82 degrees F.

Selecting breeders: The best way to select pairs of breeders is to place about a dozen adult fish into a 30 gallon long aquarium to let them pair off naturally. Pairs will stake out a section of the tank for their own, then protect the territory from other pairs. In a 30 gallon tank you could probably have three to four pairs breeding at the same time without to much trouble. Once three or four pairs have been identified, remove the fish that haven't paired off or any non-paired fish.

Setting up the breeding tank: The substrate (gravel) should be about 2 - 3 inches in depth. Place plenty of artificial plants, large rocks, small clay flower pots or pvc pipes in there. Make sure you buried them deep in the gravel. These will be artificial caves where the fish will breed and hide their eggs.

Fill the tank with a 1-1 mixture of bottled distilled and tap water. The distilled water has no hardness and when mixed 1-1 should make the water soft and acid enough. If necessary, adjust the PH to 6.6 - 6.8. Water changes aren't really needed often so once you get the right water conditions, you're set.

A 150 watt heater set to 82 degrees F. and a few sponge filters will do. A power filter can be used until the fish start breeding.

For lighting you want a something dim or no light at all in a lighted room.

Feeding and conditioning: Feed them a variety of food 3-4 times a day. Live or frozen adult Brine Shrimp, high protein flake, frozen Daphnia etc...

The breeding ritual: Like many other cichlids, when they are ready to breed, you'll notice allot of fin wagging and body flapping. They will start getting very territorial and protective of their spawning area, chasing away any other fish that might happen by.

Now we will get these baby's to breed! Once they have successfully gone through the mating ritual, you're pretty much in the home stretch. Nature will take it's course and before you know it, you have fry. It is not uncommon for one pair to spawn and stimulate the other pairs to lay their eggs on or around the same time! (Note: Temperature should be a steady 82 degrees F. Disconnect the power filter and just run the sponge filters.)

You have eggs, now what? You could take out the eggs to be artificially hatched if you can get them to lay their eggs on or in one of your artificial caves. Or, you can let the parents take care of them. Chances are they will hide their eggs so well, that you won't know that they have spawned until you see a swarm of fry swimming around the parents. I would just leave them in the breeding tank with their parents for about 3 weeks. By then, the fry will be big enough to net out to be raised in a rearing tank with possibly other fry from other pairs in the tank. The parents will round up the fry like cattle and keep them in their staked out territory so don't worry about the other pairs in the tank. They will be doing the same thing.

Feeding and raising the fry: Ram fry are ready to eat live or frozen baby Brine Shrimp as soon as they become free swimming and have absorbed their egg sacks. About 10 days time. If at all possible, feed live baby brine shrimp for the first week. Use a turkey baster to direct the food right into the school of fry. Easy does it. After 2 weeks start supplementing their diet with fine flake food, frozen Daphnia etc...

by Jeff O' Corbett
Article Copyright 2007

Video of German Blue Rams Spawning

How to breed and raise Cory Catfish

Corydoras Catfish are relatively easy to breed. Lowering water temperature does the trick!


Water chemistry: Corydoras catfish are very tolerant of water conditions and temperature. A PH of 6.6 -7.0 is fine. For breeding purposes, we will be lowering the temperature of the water slowly down to 65 degrees F.

Sexing Cory Catfish: These fish are not easily sexed. If you have a keen eye, it is possible to tell mature males from females by comparing fish. The males are more streamlined then females. Females have a more compressed body, are thicker at the abdomen (eggs) and higher in structure.

Selecting and conditioning the breeders: Place about a dozen mature Cory's in a 30 gallon or larger aquarium. Keep the temperature at a steady 70-74 degrees F. Feed them a variety of frozen, pellet and live foods 4 times a day. It should take about a month to condition the fish for spawning. After a month, you should be able to sex the fish pretty accurately.

Setting up the breeding tank: For breeding purposes we will need a bare (no gravel, ornaments, rocks etc...) 20 gallon high tank, 100 watt heater, air stone and vibrator pump. Note: No air stone or heater will be required until eggs have been laid. Fill the tank to a 50% water level.

Now we will get these baby's to breed! Select two trios (two males to one female) of breeders and transfer them into your 20 gallon high breeding tank with water of the same temperature as your conditioning tank (70-74 degrees F.). Let them acclimate to their new environment for a few days. Keep feeding them 4 times a day. On the third day or so, start adding slightly cooler water at night to your half filled tank at 2-4 degree increments. One gallon per day should do it. The object is to get the water temperature down to about 65 degrees. If one gallon doesn't bring the temp down enough, try 2 gallons a day. If the fish haven't spawned by the time you get the tank at 100% water level, siphon out 50% and repeat the process. If conditioned properly, they should breed within a few days.

The mating process: Once the fish are in breeding mode, both trios will spawn together. They will lay their eggs all over the sides and bottom of the tank!

You have eggs, now what? Net the adult fish out and place them back into the conditioning tank as fast as you can to keep them from eating their eggs. Place an air stone in the tank and turn up the air full blast. Place about 40 drops of methlene blue or acraflavin fungicide in there to prevent the eggs from attracting infection. Hook up your 100 watt heater and slowly increase the temperature 2 degrees every 6 hours until the temp is about 72 degrees. Keep it there! In about 10 days you will have a few hundred fry swimming all over the place ready to eat.

Feeding and raising the fry: Feed live or frozen baby Brine Shrimp for about a week then a variety of everything. Fine flake food, Daphnia, micro worms etc... You can start changing a little water every day (5%) at this point to freshen things up. Add a sponge filter too. When the fry are large enough in about 3-4 weeks you can add more filtration.

by Jeff O' Corbett
Article Copyright 2007

Video of Cory Catfish Spawning

How to hatch Brine Shrimp

by Stephen Kwartler
Championship Show Guppies


Let us examine what brine shrimp are, where they are found and harvested.

Brine shrimp are naturally found in lakes that are of very high salt content like the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Most of the adult brine shrimp sold as frozen shrimp or packaged as eggs are harvested there. San Francisco also harvests a similar specie of shrimp but in my experience they are of a smaller type. This article will refer to the eggs obtained from the Great Salt Lake.

There are several methods to hatching brine shrimp, too many to cover them all. I will explain the method I have been using for many years. You can easily adapt the container size or amount of containers for your particular need. Many fish breeders use one gallon pickle jars or cones that are made from glass or Plexiglas. I have been using 2 liter plastic soda bottles for several years now and find them to be easiest. Soda bottles are correctly shaped for shrimp hatching when turned upside down. This creates a funnel or cone shape that helps keep the hatching eggs in constant motion. Cutting of the bottom of the soda bottle is necessary for ease of cleaning. As you can see from the photo I use the plastic carton from the 2 liter soda bottles as a holder for my hatching containers. If smaller or larger bottles are to be used you will need to either make a base or construct a holder to keep the bottles stationary. I also use airline pipe valves drilled into the bottle caps for my air supply. If you decide to use this method make sure to place air line check valves below the containers to avoid draining the container if the air supply is stopped. You can also use rigid tubing attached to your airline and weighted down or clipped to the soda bottle to keep it in place. DO NOT use an air stone to aerate the water as it will create a heavy foam.

So we now have our hatching containers and air supply .A good quality brine shrimp net is also needed. Most better pet shops carry them. What could be added is a light source that is kept near the containers at all times. This will help in the hatching time and will also assist in separating the live shrimp from the spent shells when hatching is completed. Hatching times will vary due to the temperature of the hatch and the quality or source of the eggs. I have learned never to purchase eggs from the local pet shops as these eggs have probably been on the shelf for some time. Mail order suppliers are a good source for purchasing eggs and some brands are better then others. Over the past few years due to world wide use of Utah eggs, El Nino, poor harvests or just plain poor harvesting has plagued the tropical fish industry. Prices have risen, fallen and today have risen again. All in all baby brine shrimp is still the best source for high quality fish food for livebearer fry and juveniles. Few show specimens are ever raised without being fed live baby brine as a first food.

There are several recipes for preparing the hatching solution. I will discuss some of the older formulas first. Kosher salt or non-iodized salt is used at the rate of 4 tablespoons per gallon of water. A ½ teaspoon of either Borax or baking soda is also added to help soften the egg shells. What is important is that a specific gravity between 1.020 -1.025. Although lower gravity works, better hatches are obtained in this range. I have been using sea salt by itself for several years and the hatches are very good. It may be a bit more of an expense for the sea salt but the hatches remain very consistent. Adding some PH Up or baking soda will also increase your hatch. For a two liter bottle filled a little more then ¾ with water I use between 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of sea salt. I do not add the shrimp eggs until all the salt is completely dissolved. The amount of tanks and or fish will determine how much brine shrimp eggs you will use in each container. I suggest no more then ¼ teaspoon for a small setup and 1 -2 teaspoons for 50 tanks or more. If you cannot use all the shrimp when hatched I suggest placing the unused portion in the refrigerator to be used later that same day. Baby brine shrimp is best fed to your fish about ½ hour to one hour after feeding dried food. The reason is that the dried food will still be in the fishes digestive system and the shrimp when fed will not become digested too quickly. I have no actual proof of this happening but the bellies of my fry seem fuller when fed this way.

Hatching time varies as I have said due to egg quality but temperature will play an important role in hatching time and hatch size. I try to maintain my hatching containers at about 80 degrees which gives me a good hatch between 24 to 36 hours. This is something you will need to experiment with. When you feel the hatch is ready you can either remove or shut of the air supply. I pour my hatch (I use two 2 liter bottles) into a large glass pickle jar which I keep slightly tilted on one side. Allow the hatch to sit for about ten minutes. All the hatched shrimp will collect near the bottom of the jar. If the light source is situated near the jar or container the shrimp will become attracted to the light and will make their removal easier. I use a siphon hose slightly larger then normal air tubing to remove the shrimp. I fill the hose with water and place my finger at one end keeping it lower then the container as I insert the other end into the container. Once the end is at the bottom of the container I release my finger and drain the shrimp into a plastic container. Make sure you stop the siphon before the container is emptied to avoid draining the spent egg shells. I then pour the shrimp into my shrimp net. It is important to rinse the shrimp while in the net under cool fresh water. Next you will turn the net over and with the aid of some running water rinse the net again so the shrimp wash off and are collected into a small container. There are several methods to fed the shrimp but using a turkey baster makes the job quick and easy. Another way to fed the shrimp is by using a mustard type squeeze bottle. I have found semi-clear bottles to be easier than the old turkey baster. After feeding all your fish, babies first, rinse everything off and allow to dry until the next use.

Article Contributed by Stephen Kwartler
Championship Show Guppies
www.showguppies.com

Video of baby brine shrimp under a microscope

How to cultivate Infusoria

Infusoria are microscopic live organisms that must be available for egg laying fish that are too small to feed on baby Brine shrimp.


How to obtain infusoria

To obtain infusoria, you take a handful of hay or dry leaves and place it into a jar, fill the jar with water from your tank or a pool of water. Leave in the sun for a few days. When the water just starts to get cloudy large unicellulars have sufficient bacteria to feed upon. Once the water begins to clear again, an appropriate culture is available. You can then extract these creatures, with a turkey baster, for example, for feeding to your fry.

To keep infusoria on a continual basis at home, use a mixture of at least two to three of these ingredients: hay, dry leaves, grass blades, vegetable leaves, stalks, or cucumber skin. Add water to let them ferment in an ice-cream tub, which is flatter and provides a larger surface for oxygen to enter the water than a jar. Expose to indirect sunlight. Depending on room temperature, bacteria will thrive during the first three to five days (faster in warmer temperature). The fermenting liquid will give out an unpleasant odor and cloud the water. This liquid should not be fed to fish fry because it contains a high concentration of amonia (or acid if your raw materials contains too much starch) and the bacteria it contains are too small for the fry.

After the initial three to five days, pour 1/3 of the water into a second, smaller, flat, container. Do this twice a day, because fish fry will benefit from frequent but small helpings. Top up the tub with non-chlorinated water (tap water left to stand overnight will do). Add fresh leaves or vegetable scraps every three days. Harvesting should be done regularly, such as on a daily basis, to prevent overcrowding of microorganism that can result in the collapse of the culture.

Dilute the fermented liquid in the second container with another 30% to 50% non-chlorinated water. The liquid at this stage will still smell earthened and unpleasant, but not pungent with amonia. Unicellulars should bloom and peak within 12 to 24 hours. Some of these single cell creatures may be visible as small, mobile, dots by the naked eyes against a dark background and if bright light is shone from the side, which makes an interesting science project. For example, you can place a clear plastic container on black paper upon window sill, then wait a few minutes for any debris to settle before viewing. The microorganism may congregate near the water surface for oxygen and you need to use only the top 2/3 of the water. A kitchen sieve should catch any debris while allowing the unicellulars to drain into your fry nursery tank. The tank should be weakly aerated to prevent algae scum feeding on the nutrient-rich water from accumulating at the water surface and blocking off oxygen.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from "Wikipedia article "Infusoria"

Video of Infusoria under a microscope

How to breed and raise Oscars

If you want to breed Oscars, you better get a gigantic tank and a wheel barrel full of food!



Water chemistry: Oscars breed in slightly acidic water, PH of 6.8 or a little lower is fine. The tank temperature should be from 74 - 82 degrees F. 80-82 for breeding.

Selecting breeders: Since Oscar fish are so large in size, take at least two years to mature and can't be sexed easily, the only way to get a breeding pair is to raise about half a dozen in a gigantic tank (you're talking 200 gallons or more) to let them pair off naturally. The best way to acquire a pair is to purchase a proven pair of adult breeders. If you buy a proven pair of breeders, make sure you get a guarantee from the vendor that the fish are young and fertile breeders. Vendors will try and sell you fish that are all bred out that either produce few eggs, or none that are fertile if they sense that you are a Green Horn. Get it in the contract!

Setting up the breeding tank: The breeding tank should be at least 100 gallons. No gravel, rocks plants etc... Make sure you have a solid top to prevent the fish jumping out and place a few bricks on top to make sure. Oscars are strong fish and have been known to knock tops right off of tanks! Two outside power filters, one on each side of the tank to try and keep the water clean. This is almost an impossible task with Oscars because of the massive amounts of food that they eat (live goldfish, frozen krill, almost everything but the kitchen sink!) and their appalling table manners. You'll be changing 10 - 20% of the water every day so this will help. During this water change, use a siphon tube or garden hose to siphon out all the big lumps and dirt that you can get. When the eggs have been laid, you will turn off the power filters and set up an air stone or to at the opposite side off the tank of where the eggs are. You'll need a heater of 500 watts or two at 250 watts. Not the submersible types, the kind lets you adjust the temperature from outside the tank. The old fashioned kind.

Now the process starts: It will take about a month for the pair to get used to their breeding tank. Just keep feeding them three times a day with everything but the kitchen sink. Besides feeding them live goldfish, frozen krill and Cichlid pellets, you can also feed then skinless chicken breast, turkey breast and sirloin steak. I'm not kidding. Never feed them hamburger. They love it, it isn't bad for them but it clouds the water like mad!

The breeding ritual: When they are ready to breed, you'll notice allot of fin wagging and they might even lock jaws! The courtship of locking jaws is a ritual designed by nature as a test to their commitment to each other. (Oscars mate for life) This might last for a few hours so keep an eye on them. If you see one or the other in a corner that is starting to get too beat up, separate them with a piece of glass until all healed. You'll have to try again. Even if everything goes smooth, you're going to see some scrapes and tattered fins. They might go through this routine every time they are in breeding mode, they may not. Keep your eyes open!

Now we will get these baby's to breed! Once they have successfully gone through the mating ritual, you're pretty much in the home stretch. Keep changing 10-20% of the water every day and feeding them 4 times a day. You will notice them cleaning of a section on the bottom of the tank. This is where they will lay their eggs, hundreds of them! They will get very protective of this area so don't be surprised if they attack the siphon tube when you are in there siphoning out water. Nature will take it's course and they will spawn.

You have eggs, now what? You could take out the eggs to be artificially hatched if you can get them to lay their eggs on a piece of PVC pipe, or you can let the parents take care of them. I would recommend that you let the parents take care of them. Hatching them artificially works fine for the fry but you could run into allot of problems with the parents fighting with each other. One might blame the other for the loss of fry and wreck their relationship. Best to let them try on their own. If it works out, you have a great pair. In about 10 days the fry will become free swimming and absorb their egg sacks. They are ready to take live or frozen baby brine shrimp immediately. After another week you can supplement their diet with flake food. In three weeks they will be big enough to feed them all kinds of different food. In about 6 weeks you can net them out to be placed in another large rearing tank. You never know, about this time you might have another spawn to deal with!

by Jeff O' Corbett
Article Copyright 2007

Video of Oscars Spawning