The Wild Fishing Forum

The only ones I came across 40 years ago were the usual white spot, (easy to deal with) and the infamous "Malawi Bloat" which was a mystery back then and didn't even have a name. I lost several good fish to that as did all my fish keeper friends. I even bottled a dead fish in formalin and sent it too Stirling University for an autopsy. Got a report back, but sadly they came up blank. I believe it's now known to be a dietary issue.

What is the latest on these ailments?

Think I might buy a few of these, look perfect for the job. Cheap enough too. Add a sponge filter, air pump and a wee heater and off you go.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diversa-Aquarium-Professional-Fish-Tank/dp/B07DXSZ1RQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=33N29NGBTCQ37&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-muToJIsa2PQsyHY1ln224HMsMrW74_rzFLA8eAd3wOv4zYL0iTgJUIBNO1d4pV284biJirSQ38trXXthamITfi7adP6ORIm9HRQ-QXLMxS0rImpV9B0o9SwoPQf6rNrJiHBgMg_aclwf8sztZUGHcTTECB5TddlDu57FRlAS27Mb1C8g9wlof-DmFQbzA4wLOEAl3MxgU4_VV88CE1KIp07jvlFHVd5UYnREULzK3y-QC_zsmqmTbTPWIa8WYTghgJGsSoM1MglFLubdLqLo8msp3S1Gu6fM1-QnQMvkcA.rRrAfK11Ktp9trZ2lXn8Mgahj7lJUIiDGnVTDvamv5A&dib_tag=se&keywords=aquarium&qid=1715009306&sprefix=aquarium%2B%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-5&th=1

Quote from: Fishtales on Today at 01:50:33 PMThe shed the tanks are in is heated to 23ºC and can rise to 30 some days in the summer. They have heaters in them but set at 23ºC which go off with the lights and the temperature can drop to 21ºC during the night. I have always set them that way and all the fish I have kept live long and stay healthy.

I was really thinking about the cliched 'sterbai in with discus' and species that can be found at 10c to 12c in the wild.

Quote from: Wildfisher on Today at 02:06:19 PMHandy if Marion kicks you out. 

It sometimes feels warmer out there than in the house so wouldn't be so bad

Quote from: Fishtales on Today at 01:50:33 PMThe shed the tanks are in is heated to 23ºC

Handy if Marion kicks you out. 

The shed the tanks are in is heated to 23ºC and can rise to 30 some days in the summer. They have heaters in them but set at 23ºC which go off with the lights and the temperature can drop to 21ºC during the night. I have always set them that way and all the fish I have kept live long and stay healthy.

Quote from: Jon on Today at 01:28:21 PMAnd on that note have you decided on what species you want Fred?

I  know nothing at all about them Jon and  mean nothing  it's not a fish I ever kept. I guess it will come down to wat is locally available but I'm open o suggestions!

Quote from: Fishtales on May 04, 2024, 07:06:47 PMI found that out after I had bought them

As to the Corydoras I can only go by the, now four, Corydoras I have at present although I have seen the same over the years. The gravel I am using is sixty years old at least and some of it even has some shell fragments in it

Cory's are great fish. They trigger all kinds of thoughts and opinions in their keeping. 

I've lost count at how many times I've seen people discussing what species the pictured fish is. I've spent countless hours trying to ID imports from Colombia that we've been missold. Sometimes you'd receive cheap fish, other times you'd receive some really quite rare and very valuable species! 

And these days you get line bred fish often developed in the Czech republic to look like expensive species like eques. Who'd have imagined 'knock off' Cory's years ago eh?

I used to attend a lot of fish club auctions where debate raged over how many were allowed to be sold per bag. Some species such as sterbai are toxic and can poison themselves and others in the same bag. Though this is extremely rare and when shipped internationally there can be 25- per bag! A lot of this stems from one Cory expert posting about an isolated incident online years ago!

Then people squabble online about temperatures. It's amazing how many people never stop and think that the temperature range for Corydoras catfish might differ a lot depending on actual species and where they come from! 

I'd imagine most of them in captivity are kept on sharp gravel But it's not the most ideal choice hence me mentioning it to Fred.

And on that note have you decided on what species you want Fred?

Quote from: Wildfisher on Yesterday at 10:34:20 AMI have PMd you Jon.

Got it. Will post you some out later this week.

Quote from: Wildfisher on Yesterday at 08:47:46 PMHow long do you quarantine new fish for?

I used to have a rack of super cheap  rough and ready 18" tanks kept for various purposes, one being quarantine. Think I used to isolate new arrivals for about a week. Was that enough?

Honestly? If I were a professional aquarist looking to add new fish to a tank containing critically endangered species at a zoo etc it would take three to four months.

In the real world shops and wholesalers don't really bother because of the costs involved. Guppies swimming in brackish water in Sri Lanka one day can have been caught, shipped to a UK wholesaler, resold to a retailer and sold to a hobbyist within a week.....

It's good you're thinking about this though. Buy yourself a cheap and crappy air driven sponge filter and air pump. Remove the sponge from it and place it in the power filter coming with your new tank. That way it will cycle and you can immediately set up a quarantine or hospital tank whenever you need to. Obviously you'll need a spare hater too, but this may make life easier in the future.

Check the fish you want to keep thoroughly in the shop. If they, their tankmates or any other fish in the same centralised filtration system show signs of disease then you might want to rethink your purchase. If all looks healthy, take your first fish home an enjoy.

Two weeks as stated above should do.

Things to bear in mind :-

Removing physical waste from the tank via a gravel vac and by replacing the pre filter media regularly in your power filter will massively reduce the chances of bacterial and fungal infections. As well as increasing it's efficiency.

Keep the mechanical filter media as physically clean as possible by gently washing it in tank water. Do not under any circumstances wash in tap water. You will immediately kill the nitrosomonas and nitrobacteria (good bacteria) immediately because of the chlorine or chloramine in your domestic water supply.

Monitor the nitrate level every week after you set it up an record weekly for the first three months or so. While this isn't essential you'll see the amount of NO3 build up over time and you'll then have an idea as to how good your water quality is. Rams are not the hardiest species out there and keeping this reading under 30ppm would be a good idea (under 10ppm) is better. 

This extra bit of effort should reward you with healthy fish, more spawning activity and higher survival rates of any subsequent fry.