To Lfs It Or Not To Lfs It

[dwarfgourami]

Bother and botheration, why is life so complicated?

My Rio 240 is cycling nicely, so I have been looking forward to buying fish within the next couple of weeks.

The plan was to order a couple of less common species (blue limias and peacock gobies) from Trimar and source the rest (pearl gouramis and bristlenoses) locally, the advantage with a local shop being I would be more likely to get fish already acclimatised to our local water.

So yesterday I went to the lfs that always seems to have the healthiest stock, just to check them out and dream a little, maybe get acquainted with my new fish. This is a small local shop that has always impressed with the general health and robustness of its fish. But yesterday, everything seemed to be in a mess: halfeaten bodies lying around everywhere, the pearl gouramis had ich and there was no sign on the tank to indicate they shouldn't be sold, a betta was in with the redtailed sharks. The owner was busy on the phone and with another customer all the time I was there, so I had to leave for the bus stop without having spoken to her. I was going to buy some shrimps, but decided I didn't want to take any of their water home.

So this morning I shot out to the bigger aquatics shop easily accessible by public transport. And it was exactly the same there. All the gourami tanks had ich, lots of dead bodies, also a number of deformed or otherwise unhealthy looking fish. I spoke to an assistant about the ich, but when I left an hour later there was still no sign that the fish in this tank should not be sold.

It may well be that these are temporary blips. The gouramis may even have come from the same breeder. They may get up and deal with the problem this afternoon. But this does not solve the problem- if my tank cycles within the next week or two, I am still not going to want to buy fish that may still be carrying infection. The other big local chain is a no-no as far as I'm concerned (well-known chain this ), and I haven't got the transport to get to Maidenhead Aquatics.

I haven't got much time to play around with either, as I will be going on holiday at the end of July, leaving the tank with a sitter for 2 weeks and then with my husband. So I certainly don't want to buy any new fish within a fortnight of my going away.

So what should I do? give up on my fishless cycle and start again after the summer hols? Or order all the fish from Trimar? Or just order a very few (maybe the bristlies and the limias) and ordering the rest after the holidays (means 2 lots of courier fees, but that can't be helped). Or just use the tank as a paddling pool?

P.S. The species the second shop did have that looked extremely healthy was a group of bristlenoses, including a very nice looking adult male and a couple of females (I really want a sexable pair). I am not sure if their tank is connected to the system that had the gouramis in. I could ring up and ask. If not, would you risk it? Oh dear, whoever said this hobby was relaxing?

 

[BigIan]

i`d search out other lfs or get them from the tinterweb,

can you just get some one to topp up amonia whilst you on holiday just to keep the tank ticking over?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

If what you were planning on ordering is hardy enough to cope with a new tank, just order them and they'll keep the filter ticking over until such a time as you feel confident buying from local shops again

 

[dwarfgourami]

If what you were planning on ordering is hardy enough to cope with a new tank, just order them and they'll keep the filter ticking over until such a time as you feel confident buying from local shops again

All I was actually planning to order was 3 limias (about 2 inch each) and 4 peacock gobies (about that size too). So they're not going to be keeping a vast amount of bacteria alive in a 63 gallon tank. Still, it's a possibility; I suppose I could add some of my own platies.

Unfortunately I haven't got anyone I can ask to add ammonia.
Afraid, I feel I've exhausted the local shops; the two remaining within travelling distance is one where I've had a lot of disease from in the past, and the infamous Pets@.
But Trimar have a good reputation.

 

[BigIan]

well you could add what you can before you go, then just very slowly stock up after that,

just remember to only add 2 or so fish at a time

 

[Miss Wiggle]

well you could add what you can before you go, then just very slowly stock up after that,

just remember to only add 2 or so fish at a time

yup just what i was going to say those fish would be enough to keep you from having to start cycling all over again, just got to build up slowly after that

 

[avirex]

man i set up my tank...dropped some decholrinator and some easy balance in that ####

waited like 3 days ... no test nothing....got 3 tiger barbs...they were fine

bang... i had about 8 tiger barbs in a 15g with 2 dwarf gouramis in about a month of time

all good

then time to upgrade a lil

so i got the 29 gallon

i put some good water from the 15g into the new tank with some new water..

so it was like a water change u feel me?
no problems

all my fish r living happy swimming about

they all good in the hood.. u smell me?'

i only test the ph level and thats perfect

no need to get scientific man

just do ur weekly water changes n ur fine

think bout it... u need a test to tell u change the water?

do they get tested in the lakes? fish thrive in even worse condtions

just do ur lil weekly 25-30 % changes ... dont over feed have a few real plants and bang

there u have it

and to make sure all the waste is being disposed of properly

im gettin 2 more plants and settin up the old filter in the new tank

 

[dwarfgourami]

think bout it... u need a test to tell u change the water?

do they get tested in the lakes? fish thrive in even worse condtions

just do ur lil weekly 25-30 % changes ... dont over feed have a few real plants and bang

there u have it

in the lakes, the fish waste is vastly more diluted; fish don't live in the same concentration as in your average aquarium; conditions may seem worse in some respect but they are not going to be as high in ammonia and nitrites

and a year's reading of the posts of this fish forum should be enough to convince anyone that an awful lot of fish die, quite needlessly, as a result of the cycle

I have followed your method before and I don't intend to go there again

 

[OohFeeshy]

Well, I'd probably order everything from Trimar (to get the most out of the courier price, and the fish will be about the same/less than locally anyway). Assuming you've cycled with a decent amount of ammonia, there should be enough bacteria to support them all, and I've found the prices on Trimar, especially for peacock gobies, to be less than at LFS's.

 

[diademhill]

Well, I'd probably order everything from Trimar (to get the most out of the courier price, and the fish will be about the same/less than locally anyway). Assuming you've cycled with a decent amount of ammonia, there should be enough bacteria to support them all, and I've found the prices on Trimar, especially for peacock gobies, to be less than at LFS's.

I agree but I'd wait until after your holiday to place an order & drop some platies in for now.
These will keep the tank cycled & allow it to mature a bit.

 

[avirex]

[/quote]

in the lakes, the fish waste is vastly more diluted; fish don't live in the same concentration as in your average aquarium; conditions may seem worse in some respect but they are not going to be as high in ammonia and nitrites

and a year's reading of the posts of this fish forum should be enough to convince anyone that an awful lot of fish die, quite needlessly, as a result of the cycle

I have followed your method before and I don't intend to go there again
[/quote]


umm so ur saying i need the test kits?

or ur saying since i have alot of fish there going to die


...ok u test the water....u got ur readings....ooo this is little high... .WATER CHANGE!!!

lol

r u saying im careless? is it the way im typing

do my words look kinda thuggish?


ur mad cus ur fish died...
ur jealous my tap water has a stable ph and urs doesnt..

fish in lakes go through worse temp changes then they do in an aquarium...

think about it... the sun doesnt hit the water on the bottom..

think of all the algae the sun makes in those lakes...

have u actually ever even been to a lake?

 

[dwarfgourami]

Thanks folks for your input. It seems I have three possible options:

either order a few fish from Trimar now and use them to keep the tank ticking over

or order all my fish from Trimar now (I still would not be anywhere near tank capacity- with 3 limias, 3 pearl gouramis, 2 bristlenoses and 4 peacock gobies in a 63 gallon)

or just move some of my platies (have only got a few to spare though, the rest are needed to keep my other tanks cycled lol)

The fourth option mentioned (keep adding ammonia until after the holidays) turns out not to be viable since nobody wants to add the ammonia.

Hmmm, this needs some pondering. I really think you've got it all covered.

Option 1 means possibly spending twice on courier charges (though not necessarily, if the lfs pick up). It also means I have less time to get to know the gobies, which are most unlike any fish I've kept before. But otherwise, it is a good halfway house.

Option 2 gets everything sorted in one fell swoop. Just leaves me a bit nervous, in case there are any filter probs, that I won't have time to sort it before I go.

Option 3 is easy-peasy. But it gives me no new fish, leaves me worried in case the limias sell out, and means stocking will have to be VERY slow in the autumn, as I've only got 7 small platies to spread between this big tank and the 15 gallon they came from, so I will be maintaining a very small colony of bacteria.

Maybe some housework would help to clear my mind. A change is as good as a rest they say...


avirex, I don't know where your aggressive tone is coming from. I can assure you that I have been near lakes, and I still find it hard to believe that they contain similar quantities of ammonia and nitrites to a cycling tank. I fail to see what algae, sunlight and temperature changes have to do with this question. I have not commented either on your tank or on your typing. Why is your typing so important that you have to draw attention to it anyway?

 

[avirex]

go take ur meds

 

[OohFeeshy]

Avirex, be quiet and don't post anymore about things you clearly don't understand. If you carry on being stupid and insulting, I'll report you, and hope others will do the same.



Well, since you're going on holiday at the end of July, that still leaves plenty of time. There shouldn't be any filter problems, if you're worried, you can just stick in an extra filter. RE the adding ammonia, techincally you could DIY a sort of auto dosing by seeting up a syphon in a similar way you would to drip acclimate fish, but you'd have to test that out if you went with it.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

oh dear lord, what a complete numpty!

anyway Dwarfgourami, any of those 3 is completely viable, really up to you what you choose, good luck