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So, my tanks have been getting bare... I really haven't been keeping up with them very much at all. I suppose you could say it's a New Year's thing to get the tanks back up to par.

The twenty long is planted... mostly only the anubias are left. There's a few crypts and maybe a java fern or two. Don't ask me how the crypts survived and most of my java fern bit the dust. I'm a bit peeved about the java fern, too... I had a few really nice specimens, but the BGA suffocated them, I think.

As for fish, what's left is a BN, a black neon, a male cherry barb and a cory (agassizii, I think). Very sad stocking, I know.

I just picked up a pair of female cherry barbs and a pair of lyretail mollies. I really don't want to deal with tetras anymore, so I'm not rebuilding that school. The cory is lonely (he's frolicking with the cherries), and I'm definitely looking to rebuild his group.

I'm pondering either a gourami of some sort (probably opaline or pearl) or a pair of long tailed rosy barbs to put on population control for the mollies.

Hmm... okay, now that I'm taking another look at the tank, the cherry girls are turning more rosy by the minute... might have wound up with more males, drat it. Well, we shall see...

The ten gallon was pretty much shut down when the last of the betta boys died. (The tank had been split into three sections, one for each boy.)

Heidi and I were at W-uh... a large store that has a craptacular fish section when we happened to pass one single betta cup with three betta girls inside, duking it out. (Stupid employees have no clue what they're doing, I swear. Apparently, they're shutting down the store for remodeling and expansion, and have pretty much closed down the fish section... doesn't excuse the stupidity, but there it is.)

In any case, the three girls came home with me and the ten gallon was fired back up. Mela & Pimafix should hopefully repair their fins and when they're healed up, we'll see if we can't make a community tank out of them.

Of course, now I feel wretched, because the only other fish there was, I think, called a golden algae eater? It was also in a betta cup and I knew it would grow to be monster sized (at least, I think it would have?) so I didn't get him, and then I went back and he was dead in his cup... and now I feel cruel... Sigh.

The cats and I are happy to have our swimmy little pals back (the cats like fish for entertainment purposes, not the eating type, thankfully). The mollies are already getting buddy-buddy and while the female doesn't look too terribly pregnant at this moment, the fact that she was one of 3 or 4 girls in a tank of 30 males does not give me much hope for her having retained her virginity. I haven't had mollies before, just guppies, so I suppose I should go read up on their gestation and whatnot.

So... comments or suggestions? I'm focusing on the 20 gallon right now... waiting for the betta girls to heal up and settle down before we see if they can live with each other. Any thoughts on the population control/centerpiece fish for the 20? I want something that will help with the population, but not eat everything in the tank. It would be nice to have some babies, but I don't have room for a zillion born each month.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Hi Kitten,
WELCOME BACK!!
I look forward to visiting with you from time to time
in Chat.
Susan and I hope you had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I think you have some awesome stocking ideas. I would look at getting atleast one more female molly so the one doesn't get pushed around too much by the male. And the rosy barbs would probably do better in a school of six just to keep them from picking on the other fish.

Welcome back Kitten some one for Frank & myself to Chat to is been dead lately. Convenience Heidi to visit more often too.

With the Gourami you will find that the Opaline Gourami are a stronger fish and far easier to look after.
Sounds like a good rescue buy with the Betta girls too.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Frank and Keith - Missed you, too! Glad to see you again! *big kitty hugs*

Gourami - We'll see how well the two mollies are getting along before making any other purchases... I think I mentioned how few females were in the tank at the LFS. One was almost ready to drop fry, and did not look too good... very clamped fins. I wasn't sure how well she'd react to being moved at that stage. And, honestly, I wasn't thinking about the 2F/1M stocking idea... thy were being sold as pairs and my brain just didn't kick in, I guess. It was kind of a spur of the moment LFS-ing decision.

As for the population control/centerpiece issue... As much as I adore the long finned rosy barbs and want to have them, I suppose I am leaning towards the gourami. Are pearl's really much pickier than the opalines? I lost my opaline uh... two+ years and 3 or 4 moves ago. *sigh* She was SO pretty! I'm not sure how good at population control another on would be... she was quite timid.

As for the betta girls, I couldn't leave them there! Their fins were totally ragged and Heidi and I were scolding them in the cup for picking on each other! (I'm sure we looked quite insane to non-fish-keeping customers!) In any case... I have to wonder how I get myself into these situations. I had said, no more betta girls! And here I am... three at once! Following my previous habit of naming betta girls after Greek goddesses, I've decided on Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.

As for Heidi, she currently has uh... I think it's a five gallon minibow with a betta bitch of her very own: Luna.

And ugh... the letter "e" has decided to stop working on my keyboard. It is NOT fun to type like this. I keep forgetting to cntl+v to paste the stupid letter in. I've got to clean the keyboard and maybe restart the computer to see if I can fix it. Grr.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

So... I've got a fry. Just one. That I've seen, anyway. Momma molly either had a very tiny drop or the others didn't make it. I'm honestly not surprised... those cherry barbs can be zippy lil buggers!

I'm judging him to around two weeks old, Heidi thinks he may be older. I have no idea, the first I've seen of him is a couple days ago. And "him" is just what I'm saying for now... too tiny to tell, of course.

I've never had mollies, just guppies, so I'm not quite sure how they compare, size-wise and all for the fry. A guppy fry this size, and I'd guess around 3 weeks, so I'm knocking a few days off my guesstimate on a molly fry. *shrugs*

The female cherry barbs seem to really be females... they've gotten to be slightly more red than they were, but still very obviously female.

I'm going to look at adding to the tank again in a week or so... we'll see where funds are after rent is paid.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~