Whew!

[Eric Schreiber]

Some time ago I'd bought three nice, small, SAEs for my plated 20
gallon, to help keep the algea I was battling at the time under control.

They didn't stay small for long. Within a year they were each five
inches long, very robust (fat, even), highly energetic, and constantly
banging into the walls of the tank. No way was 20 gallons big enough
for three of those things. What they really needed was a quarter mile
or so of running room.

My LFS let me donate them today, so I no longer have those oversize
beasties in my tank. I figure I reduced the bio load by at least 50%,
probably more.

Now the other fish should be able to relax without having to constantly
be on guard lest they get run over or smooshed against the glass.

--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Vicki S]

Looks like you now have room for more fish.

Vicki


"It is well that war is so terrible, else we would grow fond of it."

~ Robert E. Lee~

Visit me on line at
http://shamrock4u.250free.com

To send e-mail delete webtv.net and add msn.com
(put to Vicki in subject line or my spam filter will discard)

A couple diving pics
http://community.webtv.net/A-SHAMROCK4U/DIVING

[Eric Schreiber]

Vicki S wrote:

> Looks like you now have room for more fish.

That's what I'm thinking, too. The question is, what kind? It's a
heavily planted 20 gallon community tank. On the one hand, I'm inclined
towards smaller fish, but then I'm also thinking that some rainbows
would be really nice, like maybe Bosemans - but they will get pretty
big eventually. Too bad there's not a dwarf variety of Boseman.

Dunno, it's a poser.

I've got a planted three gallon that's been fishless for maybe two
months now while I try to decide on good resident for it, too.

--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Dick]

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 20:22:05 -0600, "Eric Schreiber" <eric at
ericschreiber dot com> wrote:

>Some time ago I'd bought three nice, small, SAEs for my plated 20
>gallon, to help keep the algea I was battling at the time under control.
>
>They didn't stay small for long. Within a year they were each five
>inches long, very robust (fat, even), highly energetic, and constantly
>banging into the walls of the tank. No way was 20 gallons big enough
>for three of those things. What they really needed was a quarter mile
>or so of running room.
>
>My LFS let me donate them today, so I no longer have those oversize
>beasties in my tank. I figure I reduced the bio load by at least 50%,
>probably more.
>
>Now the other fish should be able to relax without having to constantly
>be on guard lest they get run over or smooshed against the glass.

There must be more to the story. I have one 4 inch SAE in a 10 gallon
tank along with 2 three inch Clown Loaches and 4 platties. I have 6
more SAEs in a 29 gallon tank, and 11 in a 75 gallon tank. I see no
difference in their behavior patterns.

I do feel sorry that I have the one in the 10 because the larger
groupings stay together much of the time, just as Clown Loaches do,
but it has been there for months and seems very content with it room
mates.

dick

[Vicki PS]

"Eric Schreiber" <eric at ericschreiber dot com> wrote in message
...
> Vicki S wrote:
>
> > Looks like you now have room for more fish.
>
> That's what I'm thinking, too. The question is, what kind? It's a
> heavily planted 20 gallon community tank. On the one hand, I'm inclined
> towards smaller fish, but then I'm also thinking that some rainbows
> would be really nice, like maybe Bosemans - but they will get pretty
> big eventually. Too bad there's not a dwarf variety of Boseman.

What about some neon rainbows (M. praecox)? Pretty as all get out, and only
grow to 6cm. And they'd love a heavily planted tank.

Vicki PS

[Vicki S]

I am thinking along the same lines. Threadfin's (may be the same fish)
stay very small and are quite lovely.

Vicki

>Vicki PS wrote

>What about some neon rainbows (M.
>praecox)? Pretty as all get out, and only
>grow to 6cm. And they'd love a heavily
>planted tank.
>Vicki PS


"It is well that war is so terrible, else we would grow fond of it."

~ Robert E. Lee~

Visit me on line at
http://shamrock4u.250free.com

To send e-mail delete webtv.net and add msn.com
(put to Vicki in subject line or my spam filter will discard)

A couple diving pics
http://community.webtv.net/A-SHAMROCK4U/DIVING

[Margolis]

"Eric Schreiber" <eric at ericschreiber dot com> wrote in message
...
> Some time ago I'd bought three nice, small, SAEs for my plated 20
> gallon, to help keep the algea I was battling at the time under control.
>
> They didn't stay small for long. Within a year they were each five
> inches long, very robust (fat, even), highly energetic, and constantly
> banging into the walls of the tank. No way was 20 gallons big enough
> for three of those things. What they really needed was a quarter mile
> or so of running room.
>
> My LFS let me donate them today,


don't "donate" fish to the lfs. Trade them in for store credit. It is much
more worthwhile ;o)

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Eric Schreiber]

Vicki S wrote:

> I am thinking along the same lines. Threadfin's (may be the same
> fish) stay very small and are quite lovely.

I had a pair of threadfins, and they were really nice looking. They
were showing signs of mating behavior (well, the male was strutting his
stuff 24/7, anyway) and I put them into the planted three gallon,
hoping they might breed. A month or two later something went very wrong
with my water source for a day, and killed them both.

While I appreciate and like threadfins, I'm looking for something with
a bit more flash - my wife and my parents take great delight in
checking out my fish and saying "Oh, look, he got another plain silver
one". It usually devolves from there into "Well, he is colorblind, you
know, how terrible that must be for him". We've got a weird sense of
humor in this family.



--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Eric Schreiber]

Vicki PS wrote:

> What about some neon rainbows (M. praecox)? Pretty as all get out,
> and only grow to 6cm. And they'd love a heavily planted tank.

Thanks, I'll research them today. My LFS is one of those
hole-in-the-wall Petland stores, but their fish department is one of
the best in the Chicago area, and they usually have a really good
assortment of rainbows.

--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Eric Schreiber]

Dick wrote:

> There must be more to the story.

No, not really. Three five-inch-long SAEs in a planted 20 gallon is
about it. They loved to race around and chase one another, but there
wasn't enough room - they kept banging into the glass. They weren't
deliberately terrorizing the other, smaller fish, but their
rambunctious behavior tended to send everyone else racing for cover.


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Eric Schreiber]

Margolis wrote:

> don't "donate" fish to the lfs. Trade them in for store credit. It
> is much more worthwhile ;o)

I was so grateful that they were willing to take them off my hands that
I didn't want to quibble.

--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Vicki PS]

"Eric Schreiber" <eric at ericschreiber dot com> wrote in message
...
> Vicki PS wrote:
>
> > What about some neon rainbows (M. praecox)? Pretty as all get out,
> > and only grow to 6cm. And they'd love a heavily planted tank.
>
> Thanks, I'll research them today. My LFS is one of those
> hole-in-the-wall Petland stores, but their fish department is one of
> the best in the Chicago area, and they usually have a really good
> assortment of rainbows.

If you haven't already done so, have a look at Adrian Tappin's definitive
"Home of the Rainbowfish" page. His info on neon rainbows is here:
http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Melanotaenia.htm

(You would probably already have noticed that rainbows in the pet store can
look dull and unexciting, and don't show their true colours until they're in
optimal conditions).

Vicki PS

[Vicki PS]

"Vicki S" > wrote in message
...
> I am thinking along the same lines. Threadfin's (may be the same fish)
> stay very small and are quite lovely.
>
Threadfins are a different species (Iriatherina werneri), as I just found
out. I haven't seen them before -- very pretty.

Vicki PS

[Eric Schreiber]

Vicki PS wrote:

> If you haven't already done so, have a look at Adrian Tappin's
> definitive "Home of the Rainbowfish" page. His info on neon rainbows
> is here: http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Melanotaenia.htm

Thanks for the excellent link. Now I'll be drooling not only over the
fish, but the photography as well :)


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Kay]

Eric Schreiber wrote:
> Vicki PS wrote:
>
>
>>What about some neon rainbows (M. praecox)? Pretty as all get out,
>>and only grow to 6cm. And they'd love a heavily planted tank.
>
>
> Thanks, I'll research them today. My LFS is one of those
> hole-in-the-wall Petland stores, but their fish department is one of
> the best in the Chicago area, and they usually have a really good
> assortment of rainbows.
>

Ewww I'm in Chicago and I saw the petland in Chicago Ridge.. Poor fish.
You must live north? Nice petstores north. Very few Southwest. I know a
guy who breeds all kinds of Rainbows, I do the website for the
Greenwater Aquarist Society of the Chicagoland Area (The Club turns 50
in Jan.) I just redid the site and the President of the club breeds
Rainbow fish, what kind I am not sure, but I saw these real preety blue
ones, ones I have never saw before.

here is the link,


http://www.gwasoc.crosswinds.net/

Kay

[Eric Schreiber]

Kay wrote:

> Ewww I'm in Chicago and I saw the petland in Chicago Ridge.. Poor
> fish. You must live north? Nice petstores north. Very few Southwest.

This one is indeed Southwest. Just south of Naperville / Fox Valley
Shopping Horror on Rt 59. The store has the same crowded, too many
loose ferrets feel that all PetLands have, but the fish department is
stellar.

> here is the link,
> http://www.gwasoc.crosswinds.net/

I'll give it a look-see, thanks.

--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Kay]

Eric Schreiber wrote:
> Kay wrote:
>
>
>>Ewww I'm in Chicago and I saw the petland in Chicago Ridge.. Poor
>>fish. You must live north? Nice petstores north. Very few Southwest.
>
>
> This one is indeed Southwest. Just south of Naperville / Fox Valley
> Shopping Horror on Rt 59. The store has the same crowded, too many
> loose ferrets feel that all PetLands have, but the fish department is
> stellar.
>
>
>>here is the link,
>>http://www.gwasoc.crosswinds.net/
>
>
> I'll give it a look-see, thanks.
>

Well thats good! The one in Chicago Ridge does not have ferrets. BTW I
just inherited a Ferret. And I have no clue about them. but am looking
stuff up. I'm kinda scared of Molly and she does bite me but not my husband.

If you check out the site, keep in mind the Fish swaps and auctions. I
just went to my first fish swap in November and I can't believe what was
there for sale! And the prices. Its by Midway airport, but way worth the
trip. Some bags of fish go for a doller! All the breeders from
Chicagoland and IN go there.

I sold apple snail's 20 to a bag for 2.00. all kinds of colors and I
came home with tanks, More Endlers, Guppies, Tons of java moss they were
selling huge clumps (2 cups and compacted) for 2.00. Contorted vals.
Swords. I would have bought more but I had a table! I have not been to
an Auction yet, there is one at the end of Jan.

Kay

[Eric Schreiber]

Eric Schreiber wrote:

>> Looks like you now have room for more fish.

> That's what I'm thinking, too. The question is, what kind? It's a
> heavily planted 20 gallon community tank.

Something that occurred to me is that I often see (in my LFS)
Pelvicachromis taeniatus or Pelvicachromis pulcher cichlids in the
community tanks, and both are mentioned as being ok for community tanks
on various web sites. Thoughts, anyone? Because of their coloration,
these have long been on my "fish wish list".


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com