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Fish Patty,
how did I know you would say that!

I use Fenbendazole (Panacur) for the de-worming,
but Levamisole HCL would work equally well.
I have found commercial fish de-wormers to be
expensive and highly ineffective.


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Sneaky,

how did I know you would say that!

Ahhhh you know me too well!

So where would I find this dewormer stuff.......... at my local vet's office?

wow fish patty lots of answers !! i'll add mine ..... yes i keep a quarantine tank , a 10 gal (fully furnished : gravel, rocks, heater, plants, light & filtration ) which when not used for quarantine i throw a dozen or so guppies in ... i have a 13 gal that i raise guppies strictly for feeding my african cichlids ... and we all know how fast guppies breed so i always have lots around , when i need the quarantine tank i just scoop out the guppies and the cichlids have a feast . also keep 2 otos in there to keep the alga down , they get along with almost anything in quarantine.... hope this helps

wottond- There's not enough light in this house that I get algae. But I've read so much good about otos on here, & liking their small size, I decided that if I ever need an algae eater I would get some. I have a pleco in my 55g. (not my idea, think it might be a common) & am waiting for him to get 7 inches, as I told hubby he was gone after that. The dumb thing quit his growth spurt though, so I keep whispering to him, grow grow. I know, it's mean of me.

Do you also use your QT as a hospital tank? I was thinking ottos would be sensitive to meds, if that WAS the case? I'm just mentally collecting info. for the future. It may come in handy. In my case, my QT would also serve as a hospital tank.

hi again
you say you don't get alga cause no sunlight .... well all my tanks are in my basement and have never seen sunlight .. my 40g & 55g tanks have 2 - 48" fluorescent lites on each ( one on each is a grow bulb for plants and aquariums ) the small tanks all have the new spiral compact fluorescent bulbs they want you to use in your house now ( they give off more light than those tube incandescent bulbs made for aquariums and with little heat given off) ... and alga will grow well ... in fact in my little 5g it was turning all green till i got the otos in there ... all 9 of my tanks do have alga growing in them, so my otos and plecos all feed well ...
i have not used my qt as a hospital tank .. because (touch wood) i have never had the need for one ... had a case of ich in my 40g once but it was everybody ????? so used "quick cure" and cleared up in a few days ...
hope i've been some help to you

wottond- I don't even think I would have a tank if I had to keep it in a basement! That must be for REALLY committed people!

Ahhhhhh so you have twice as much lighting as I do. I was told that all 48" florescent tubes only come in 40wt.. All I have is the one light strip that came on my tank, 48" like yours. I also have an aquarium/plant light.

the small tanks all have the new spiral compact fluorescent bulbs they want you to use in your house now

Interesting. I have some of those bulbs in my house, but didn't realize you could use them in tanks. I learn the oddest things on some of these threads.
That may come in handy in the future.

So.......... let me get clear on the otos. If you had one fish with something wrong with it & you put it in your QT to use as a hospital tank........ would you first remove the otos before medicating the tank, or leave them in there?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to decide how to treat what may be my future fish. If I had otos in my QT tank I wouldn't want to do them in with meds. if they are sensitive to them?

Hi
When purchasing the spiral compact fluorescents, be careful
what you buy. Most are labeled "Soft" or "warm" white.
Those are designed for reading and while "bright" lack
the harsh light that the plants need. Buy only those that
say SUN or DAYLIGHT on the label - the light from those
is in the 6700K range and perfect for plants and fish.

Here is a site you might be interested in:
http://www.1000bulbs.com/page.php?s=KelvinTempExplained

With a 48" tank the easiest way to double your light is
to purchase a "work shop light" from the local hardware
store. They are made of metal (usually painted thin steel)
and are generally hung by chains from the ceiling over a
work bench) and then purchased a piece of glass to cover
the tank. I set the light directly on top of the tank with
the glass in between. Again, use only bulbs that have
SUN or DAYLIGHT in their names for best plant/fish
lighting. My "hood" with two bulbs cost 10$

Frank


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

Thanks Frank........... I understand how you doubled your light. If I ever decide to go with more plants, I now know how to get more lighting, as I didn't know how to do it before, (cheaply).

So with the glass on top, that means you have to feed the fish from the back where there is a gap? And you have to remove the whole glass & light when you do a water change? Right now, I just lift the front lid & the python fits right in.

My aquarium is stuck in a crowded corner. The few times I have removed the light, it was kind of a pain. I suppose I could get the glass & have it cut in half horizontally. Then when I did a water change I could just set the shop light toward the back, sort of leaning on the filter, & then just remove the front piece of glass & I have easier access to the interior of the tank.

That would also work good for redecorating, or just sticking my hand in the there to temporarily do something. That would work wouldn't it Frank, for someone that wanted easier access to the inside of the tank?

Hi,
Actually, when I had my top cut, I used 1/4 glass and
made a template of the tank top. The black trim has
about a 1/2 lip all the way around it on the inside of the
tank. I had the glass top cut and the edges rounded so that
it would be supported by the lip across the front and sides
of the tank. The entire back was cut "short" so that
the heater and filter return hoses would easily fit
through. I would not cut the top in half, length wise, as
that could cause the glass to bow and maybe even snap.
I would feed the fish by dropping the food through the
gap in the back and whenever doing a water change/gravel
vacuum, I would always remove the light and glass.
But then my tanks are always planted, and I needed to get
at the non planted sections.

"They" do make tops for 55G tanks that are two pieces of
glass with a length wise plastic hinge. With one of them,
the front piece can be opened and the back section stays
in place. Usually these also have a plastic section for the
back that has knock outs for the heaters etc.

Frank


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

Thanks Frank. I like the idea of just buying a glass top with the hinge. It sounds like a lot less trouble. Hey! If I did that, I could use the old hood with the light strip, on another 55g. I have that was used to house an iguana! It has a grated lid that lifts right off & I could slip the other right on & have another fish tank!

I really need to ground myself from FP for a week or two! The MTS on here is just too catching!