Loaches Online Forum

Some pictures of my gravid female:

Zenins has pretty much summed it up :) It won't be until the Assassins start breeding that you will see any significant reduction in MTS as the juvenile assassins predate on the juvenile MTS. Clea helena are not hermaphrodites so you would probably need a good few more to ensure you've got both sexe...

If you're really concerned then you could try separating the fish into a quarantine tank, once in a tank of it's own you can target feed using live foods. Live bloodworm and live brineshrimp will nearly always get a finicky feeder started. Once the fish has started eating regularly is bulking up, th...

Sorry to hear you lost the fish :( As Diana said, it had obviously already gotten to the point of no return. From what you've posted, the test results do seem fine and so does everything else you are doing. You mention a previous loach going down with an illness, how did you treat this? Did you trea...

It will help folks if you could complete the questionnaire that is posted in this forum, you can find it on the following link: http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=16722 Having those details in your post will hopefully provide enough information for people to offer a more informed response :)

It's next-to-impossible to determine how much food is required for a filter shrimp. Some keepers of Atyopsis moluccensis choose to target feed their shrimp by grinding up fish food and placing it in the flow. This method is not without its problems in a 10 gallon tank as it's difficult to control po...

But the modesta - will he act territorially towards other loaches? Or will he be fine if they stay out of his cave? Now that I've been alerted to possible outbursts from him, I'm concerned that putting other bottom-feeders in the tank will cause him to decide that he IS an "aggressive modesta" afte...

Unless you make your own up, I don't imagine you will find what you are looking for. I have also noted how algae is not the principle ingredient in algae wafers. My own opinion, is that the majority of "algae-eating" fish that we encounter graze algae and aufwuchs which makes the vast majority of pr...

Thanks for the input Hokum :) Although, I agree with chefkeith on this occasion. I did a water change yesterday and I will up the regular water changes from every 4 days to every 2 days for the immediate future. I have a stack of Cherry Shrimp and two filter shrimp in the tank which are susceptible ...

One of my female B. striata is getting fat again, this time though she's been taking a beating as a result. There was a lot of scuffling last night amongst the B. striata and I think this particular loach came off worst when they were scuffling amongst all the rock work. She's acting normally, still...

He certainly does :) They are also a good illustration of how much IAL can tannin stain your water, using Oak and/or Beech will usually have a less pronounced effect on colour. To answer some of your previous questions, loaches won't eat the leaves but shrimp will, as they decompose. Oak and Beech h...

Here's a few exceptional examples as aquascaped by the very talented George Farmer:

Cambodian Blackwater Pool Biotope @ UKAPS.org

Rio Negro biotope @ UKAPS.org

Chocolate gourami biotope @ UKAPS.org

As far as I am aware Attisons Betta Spa and other blackwater products are made from Indian Almond Leaves (IAL). I use them occasionally in my tanks, if your water is soft then they will lower the pH and some care should be taken if your water is very soft. They will also tannin-stain your water, dep...

All my instincts say no I am certain it would not survive fully submersed. You can collect fallen Oak and Beech leaves though, and your shrimp would be very appreciative of them

That's a very appealing fish Mick!