Think Fish Keepers Daily News. [2016-2019]

Agreed, just do 6th and 23rd. I've not done water changes for 2 weeks multiple times now and there's never been any noticeable effect as a result.

On another note, I've been to visit my newbies who go on sale tomorrow - quite excited now. 

Newbies?? Is there something you've not been telling us? Or have i just missed it....

Quote from: fcmf on August 02, 2018, 02:21:17 PM

On another note, I've been to visit my newbies who go on sale tomorrow - quite excited now. 

Newbies?? Is there something you've not been telling us? Or have i just missed it....

Absolutely not - check out post #1350 in this thread plus https://forums.thinkfish.co.uk/general-fishkeeping-advice/restocking-54-litre-tank-now-that-numbers-are-depleting/msg41354/#msg41354 . I more-or-less made up my mind a few weeks ago, asked for them and another species to be on the order list to give me an option, checked out the state-of-play today and the ones which had become the top of my list were looking good (while the other species hadn't come in). There was a slight waver between them and another "almost top of the list" choice which is now no long a waver following a chat with LFS employee, so my mind is made up. All will be revealed in due course, if you haven't already guessed. [Strong clue: I woke up during the night, having had a bad dream that they were larger than they were and that my tank would have been at 114% stocking (which is correct if they had been the size in my dream), but I've since checked this out and all's ok. ]

Posting on another thread about cycling with low KH has just reminded me why I don't like leaving a long period between water changes.

I have low KH and at least once I have lost fish to a pH crash through not doing frequent enough water changes. Around 12 years ago I posted on the old Thinkfish forum in a panic because my pH had dropped off the bottom of the scale, and the then advisor told me is was because of my low KH. Since then I've done weekly water changes - the longest gap has been 10 days - and my pH has been stable.

They sound lovely  And they'll complement nicely the colours of your other fish.


Of course, photos once they've settled 

They are so cute!

Congrats fcmf!  You've wanted some new fish in your tank for as long as I can remember 

Thanks, all.

8 have become 7

Yesterday evening, one of the fish spent more time away from the shoal; I did wonder if he might be poorly or simply preferring to be on his own. About half an hour after going to bed last night, I woke up with a jolt, dreaming that one of the new fish was upside down and floating on the surface. Although I refrained from going in to check, my "premonition dream" was correct when I went in to check first thing after getting up - but he was upside down on the bottom, breathing rapidly. I removed him into a separate tub, thinking I might have to "bite the bullet" and euthanise as death was inevitable. After breakfast, it became clear that I would have to take this course of action. However, by the time I'd quadruple-read the instructions, wrapped the container into which he'd be placed in a dark towel to minimise distress, shaken the clove oil / water mix container for the umpteenth time, composed myself from the tears running and down my cheeks and having a bit of a "wobbly" about what would happen if he didn't fall asleep (all of which probably only took 5mins), went in to retrieve him, he had died naturally. I've never been able to do this before but at least I've done a "dummy run" now, should I need to do so in future.

The other 7 are, so far, as full of life as they were yesterday evening - touchwood.


 

Thanks, Sue - I recall reading that before, although I'd always been fortunate in that respect. I suspect the fact that they only arrived in the country on Tues probably doesn't help - perhaps I ought to have given them more "settling-in time" before purchase rather than purchasing on the first day of sale.

I'm late to the thread, so I'll start by offering my sympathies... and then offer my congratulations on the other seven. I hope that they continue to do well.

Both tanks have been cleaned now. I've got two narrow leaf java swords in the main tank and a couple of the leaves were turning brown and shrivelling, so I removed them this morning and chucked them. I see no harm in doing this, but would there have been benefit to leaving them behind? They showed no sign of being nibbled at, but would my japonica shrimp have taken care of the dead/dying leaves for me?