Algae Report & Something Amazing
Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:17 am
So, yesterday I stuck the sheet of algae covered slate in the Sewellia tank and the 5 of them really went nuts on it. This morning it looks like this......
Unbelievable! It's around 42 sq.ins of algae GONE!
So I took it out and placed it back into the algae farm tank. Looks like no sun today....grey and windy with a good chance of rain.
A bit later, I was looking in the tank and heard the sound of gravel hitting the glass. I couldn't work out where it was coming from. I heard it again and saw some dirt moving in the water flow. Somewhere behind the decor somebody was obviously digging. I've never seen the fish dig at all. Not even to get to a piece of food that's shielded by an easily moved small pebble.
Suddenly, two fish explode from behind the decor, chasing one another. Nothing particularly unusual in that until I just see a flash of reddish colour in the one doing the chasing. Now I'm intrigued so I got out the camera.
More digging goes on. I can't work out exactly where it's being done, or see which fish it is that's digging. Another fish zooms out from behind cover and is pursued by the fish that I've always suspected was a male.
What I saw was amazing. His colour has changed a lot overnight. I managed to get this one pretty crappy pic.....
The fish got all this reddness and it's lighter along the lateral line area. Even his eyes are red compared to normal. So, whatever was in the algae seems to have (possibly) kick-started these guys into some sort of (please Lord) breeding activity.
I only saw him this one time for long enough to get some sort of picture. Right now I can only see one regular looking fish. All the other 4 are out of sight somewhere. I haven't seen or heard any more digging activity.
I'll keep you posted.
Martin.
Unbelievable! It's around 42 sq.ins of algae GONE!
So I took it out and placed it back into the algae farm tank. Looks like no sun today....grey and windy with a good chance of rain.
A bit later, I was looking in the tank and heard the sound of gravel hitting the glass. I couldn't work out where it was coming from. I heard it again and saw some dirt moving in the water flow. Somewhere behind the decor somebody was obviously digging. I've never seen the fish dig at all. Not even to get to a piece of food that's shielded by an easily moved small pebble.
Suddenly, two fish explode from behind the decor, chasing one another. Nothing particularly unusual in that until I just see a flash of reddish colour in the one doing the chasing. Now I'm intrigued so I got out the camera.
More digging goes on. I can't work out exactly where it's being done, or see which fish it is that's digging. Another fish zooms out from behind cover and is pursued by the fish that I've always suspected was a male.
What I saw was amazing. His colour has changed a lot overnight. I managed to get this one pretty crappy pic.....
The fish got all this reddness and it's lighter along the lateral line area. Even his eyes are red compared to normal. So, whatever was in the algae seems to have (possibly) kick-started these guys into some sort of (please Lord) breeding activity.
I only saw him this one time for long enough to get some sort of picture. Right now I can only see one regular looking fish. All the other 4 are out of sight somewhere. I haven't seen or heard any more digging activity.
I'll keep you posted.
Martin.
Fingers crossed, Martin, it sounds very encouraging! What an amazing colour difference on your fish - I've seen nothing like that on any of my six. Did you do anything else to the tank other than add the algae slab? Water changes etc?
Martin.
