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Fish identification
9/26/16
Hello,
Thank you for the excellent website - and for the time you all take to
respond to questions.
I have a spring fed natural pond that is 60 x 40 feet and
8-10 feet deep in the middle...(approximately 144,000 gallons).
The pond is in upstate New York; water runs in to and
through the pond all year long and never completely freezes.
Every year there are tons of frogs.
This year I cleaned the pond for the first time since I became the land
owner (7 years):
First I drained it down by re-building a trench at the end opposite from
where water flows in, removed all of the cattails (two 12 foot long bunches
at either end of the pond), turned over the edges (all of the way around),
and treated the pond with a product boasting "beneficial bacteria" and "safe
for...horses, livestock, birds, pets, fish, wildlife and the environment" to
help clear the water (it worked).
The whole process took about 6-8 weeks of work.
<A BIG job>
I was greatly rewarded.
I could see the bottom of the pond all the way around - and down to about
4-5 feet - for the first time.
(The water has a green tint but is quite clear in the shallowest parts.)
Three catfish (12 inches, 16 inches, and 20 inches) appeared and I
occasionally feed (1x per week).
There is also a HUGE snapping turtle in the pond - he must be old (a foot
long?).
<Get more than twice this length!>
I have never seen him outside of the pond. He just floated up one day right
in front of me - it was amazing.
I am writing because of the seemingly dozens and dozens of fish in the pond.
They seem to be all different kinds and swim around in separate schools and
the biggest, aside from the catfish, is 6-8 inches.
There are tons of minnows too. Some (minnows?) seem to move around on the
bottom of the pond, and others float around the top and in the shallows.
Some of these unidentified fish/minnows come to feed and others do not.
When I first started treating the pond, I only saw two or three dead fish.
Attached is a photo of one of the fish that died (it was about an
inch long).
Do you know what kind of fish it is?
They are skittish and vary in size. There are tons of bigger ones now (3
inches up to 6-8 inches).
The bigger ones are almost all orange - and it looks like black running
along the top of them.
The little ones look translucent in the water - but the orange is obvious in
all of them.
They are very very shy and will dart up to eat food and then very quickly
dart away.
What are they?
<Pretty sure from the description, pic.... oblique mouth, scalature...
colored fins, that this is the Common Shiner; Luxilus cornutus>
How can I help them survive?
<Take a read on the Net w/ the common and scientific names>
There are so many of them I wonder if the pond can support them - especially
with multiple other schools of fish and minnows that I cannot identify.
Thank you very much,
Atiany
New York
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>
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White cloud mountain minnow has growth
7/26/13
Looking for some advice please. I have a few WCMMs and one has a
growth/bubble looking thing near its mouth (others are fine). My local
pet shop said to just leave it as long as it was eating ok-it was then
but now its growth seems to be slightly bigger and pushes the food out
of the way so my poor fishy can't get any food. Is there any treatment
for this that I could try? It's had this growth for a quite a long time
now-but only now does it seem to be causing trouble. Many thanks for
your advice.
Jane
<Think we've had coverage of this sort of condition w/ Tanichthys.
Please read here re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/whtcldfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>
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Mudskippers; darter ID/PA
1/9/13
Hello, I was reading your postings about mudskippers, while trying to
identify a fish my daughter and I caught in our local creek. We are
located in Langhorne PA, the creek is the Neshaminy Creek. In all the
literature we found, and talking to the local rangers, they have never seen
and we have not found anything that looks like this fish. The closest
we have found is the pictures of the mudskippers. I have enclosed a
picture of one that we caught. It is about 1-2 inches long, (2
inches is the longest we have found, and 1" is the smallest we found) we
mostly found them when we were hunting for crayfish, under rocks. Thank you
for any information you can give me.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Bridge
<Mmm, appears to be a darter of some sort/species. I put the search string
"Etheostomids of Pennsylvania" in Google... Looks like an Etheostoma....
Bob Fenner>
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Re: Mudskippers
1/9/13
Thank you so Much..
<As welcome. BobF> |
blue orfe disease
2/9/12
Hi there
Please advise! My 14" long blue orfe's body is bending and a
little swollen where the tail meets the body and he is having a problem
keeping his rear end under the water. There is a small mark or ? ulcer
near the base of the body but otherwise no scale loss or other marks.
He spends most of the time on the surface with head and body under
water and his rear end/tail on the surface. He is feeding a little and
doesn't seem distressed and can swim under water when startled from
the surface. He has been like this for 18 months and is very slowly
getting worse.
Please help! - thanks, Gina
<Orfe are prone to spinal deformities. Traditionally this has been
put down to genetics, i.e., inbreeding, but it actually seems more
likely that the deformities are caused by exposure to toxic chemicals.
These chemicals can include medications, most of which should NEVER be
used with Orfe without consulting a vet first. Apart from common salt,
Epsom salt and antibiotics, most of the standard medications (such as
copper, formalin, and organic dyes) should be assumed to be acutely
toxic to them. Even if the fish don't die, the slight damage caused
by exposure seems to be cumulative, so that over the months and years
any damage to, for example, the spine, becomes steadily more
noticeable. Apart from medications, water quality issues, lack of
oxygen, physical stress and trauma can all cause similar problems.
There's no cure, but on the plus side, if the Orfe can swim and
feed normally, a kinked spine doesn't seem to shorten its life any.
Cheers,
Neale.>
Bait Shop 130 gallon - minnow
tank 12/6/10
We have 2 old Dynamaster air pumps
<Wow, a blast from the past. Ahh, the olde Eugene Danner product
line; noisy, but dependable>
with a combined flow of .5 CFM. Before we look to replace these pumps,
it would be helpful to know if this enough aeration for this
purpose.
<Mmm, a few ways to tell... if sufficient. Direct testing with a DO
device... or better, simple observation, to see if your minnows are
doing okay... not breathing too hard. I would get, use an ammonia,
nitrite and
nitrate test kit>
In season, this tank is quite full and more than a regular aquarium. We
would appreciate your insight. Thank You.
<Glad to help. Do the water quality tests above make sense to you?
Bob Fenner>
Keeping minnows in a 10 gallon
tank 1/19/10
Hello:
I was wondering if it was possible to keep 5 or 6 rosy red minnows in a
10 gallon tank in the long run? Do they need tank length like the
Danios?
Also would the tank fill with fry like it would with guppies or is
there a way to prevent fry? Thank you!
Judy
<Short answer is no, this wouldn't be nice at all. Rosy Red
Minnows are just like any fish and need a tank appropriate to their
size and temperament. Cramped fish become ill-tempered, stressed, and
often prone to disease. So why bother? For 10 gallon tanks, you want
species that don't move about much.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/stocking.htm
Neons are quite good if the water isn't too warm (around 22-24 C)
is ideal while Cardinals are a better choice for warmer tanks (26-28
C). If you're a more advanced hobbyist who's happy to research
their specific needs, you
can also look for more difficult things like Ember Tetras, Celestial
Rasboras, or Dwarf Rasboras (Boraras spp.). A group of 10 or more of
these schooling fish in a shady, well-planted 10 gallon tank can look
stunning.
And no, tetras, barbs, and Rasboras don't normally breed in
community aquaria. Cheers, Neale.>
White cloud minnows 1/19/10
Hello:
Sorry, I made a mistake when I asked about rosy red minnows. It was
White cloud mountain minnows. I read they only grow to 1.5 inches and
was wondering if that was ok for a 10 gallon tank in the long run?? I
am assuming that fry may be a problem though. Again sorry for the mix
up
Judy
<Tanichthys albonubes is a wonderful little fish, and it is, in my
opinion, a borderline acceptable fish for a 10 gallon tank. Does partly
depend on the size of the tank. If the 10 gallon tank was long, say
50-60 cm long, that would be better than one that was just 40-50 cm.
Also depends on water turnover; a poky little hang-on-the-back filter
that generates hardly any current really isn't the thing. These are
hyperactive little fish, and if they can't play in the current and
spar with one another among the floating plants, they're just half
the fun they should be (and it's bad fish karma
for the aquarist). So I'd sit back, look at the 10 gallon tank, and
ask myself whether it's a suitable home for a fish that darts up
and down shallow, clearwater streams. Now, if you can stretch to a 15
gallon or better yet a 20 gallon tank -- and the space/price difference
is trivial -- then a big school of healthy White Clouds is a thing of
joy, and a group of ten alongside half a dozen Corydoras catfish like
Peppered Corydoras (which like the same cool water) would be lovely.
Cheers, Neale.>
Problems with minnows
7/29/09
I have a bait shop & my minnows are not needing air but they are
not moving. They get on top of the water & just stay/ I have looked
every where to find out on what to do. Any suggestions?
<Well, the obvious thing is to check your aquarium is adequate to
their needs. Fish become lethargic when the water is too warm or too
poorly oxygenated, or when the water has very low quality. Assuming
that these are Pimephales promelas, this is a fairly hardy fish, but it
does need an aquarium with good water turnover, at least 4 times the
volume of the tank in turnover per hour. So a minimal system for these
fish of around 100 litres would need a filter rated at 4 x 100 = 400
litres/hour. This should ensure 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite; if you find
you have ammonia and nitrite levels above 0, then your problem is
overstocking, under-filtering, and/or overfeeding. Assuming you're
keeping lots and lots of fish in one tank, overstocking and
under-filtering are by far the most likely problems. Temperature
shouldn't be a major issue with Pimephales promelas, but they are
coldwater fish, and anything much above 20 degrees C will stress
them.
Different minnow species will have different tolerances, in general
towards requiring water that is [a] cooler; and [b] more oxygen-rich,
in which case faster turnover and better siting of the tank somewhere
cool will be
important. Since you're running a bait shop, I have to assume the
welfare of these minnows is fairly low down your list of priorities,
but as someone who cares about fish, I would urge you to review their
basic needs and act accordingly. It's bad enough they're going
to be impaled on a hook and dangled in the water for goodness knows how
long, but at the least make sure you maintain them adequately
beforehand. Oh, and if you think I'm being preachy, well, this is a
pet fish website, so I'm sure you can't have imagined we'd
be okay about the use of live fish as bait! Kind of like a Korean chef
asking an American dog breeder where to get the tastiest
puppies...>
ASAP if possible
<Done my best!>
Thanks
Judy
<Cheers, Neale.>
DBA Judy's bait shoppe
<Hmm... fish are friends, fish are
friends...>
re: problems with minnows
7/29/09
I apologize for upsetting you with my questions.
<Wasn't upset, merely surprised.>
This is the first time I've ever had this problem. I change the
water every 2-3 days. the temperature is 62 or lower.
<Well, test the water, rather than taking things on trust. Grab a
nitrite test kit, and see what the water quality is like. If it's
not zero, then that's your problem, right there.>
I don't know why you would take such offense at fishing for food
but to each his own.
<It's actually quite complex. Certainly here in the UK, it's
hard to imagine anyone angling for any reason other than pleasure.
People haven't been made so poor (yet!) by this recession that they
have to hunt fish for food. I'm not wild about using fish -- which
recent evidence seems to suggest can feel pain, or something like it --
as bait. Even putting that aside, live bait taken from one body of
water to another can transfer parasites and diseases.>
I have had koi, goldfish, crawdads, & I do take care of them.
<I'm quite sure you do. I personally enjoy fishing, though not
so much as keeping them as pets. But I do try to minimise any suffering
caused, and operate strictly on a catch-and-release basis. I'm a
zoologist, not a tree hugger, and I respect anglers as being a
massively influential and positive group when it comes to maintaining
freshwater habitats. So please don't think I'm against angling.
It's just the use of live fish as bait that, for me, crosses the
line between acceptable and unacceptable. Other WWM crew members may
well have their own opinions.>
I still have some as a matter of fact. Just change their water this
morning. I my self can't hurt Gods creatures, I cant even put a
worms on a hook. But the people who come in here are looking to put
food on their tables.
<Fair enough. It's just not acceptable to me. Would I vote
against it, perhaps, but here in the UK perhaps things are different,
and fishing is entirely a sport, and while many do eat their catches,
that isn't why they do it. A different situation, perhaps.>
They put the to small of fish back & only keep the ones that are
edible.
I'm saying this with the kindness of heart for I know I have
already upset you. So Your PREACHING" was okay &
understandable.
<Cool.>
Anyway I have the minnows in a 150 gallon vat & i think moving the
water with filtering is what would help them.
<Agreed. You'll need a BIG filter for a 150 gallon system,
something around 4 x 150 = 600 gallons per hour. Now, you may well find
a pond filter more economical.>
I still thank you for your words & have visited your site many
times looking for answers for my goldfish so I thank you for the
knowledge that you pass along to others to ensure that things are okay.
& that they have healthy fish.
<We do try; we're here because we like fish. A lot!>
Sincerely
Judy
Judy's Bait Shoppe
<Cheers, Neale.>
re: problems with minnows
7/29/09
thanks for writing back never thought of pond filter system .
<Happy to help.>
I live in the states so that probably explains a lot. You know how
things are messed up here.
<Wouldn't say "messed up", merely different. I've
lived in both the US and the UK, and there are things I like about them
both, and things about both that drive me nuts! But every time I go
back to the US, as I am next month, it's like my second home and I
really love it.>
I live in a very poor town & that's why there's so much
fishing.
<No complaints from me! I love a fish dinner!>
very impressed with the zoo (shoot cant spell it) I find that very
interesting. again Have a great day & God Bless
<And to you, too.>
Angels on your pillows, Judy
<Cheers, Neale.>
I was wondering about 3 Minnows I found
in the creek 5/20/07 Hi again, <Hello.> I
was wondering about 3 Minnows I found in the creek. I have a ten gallon
freshwater tank with 1 scissor tailed Danio in it. can I put them in
there? <You can certainly try, but what species of minnow are they?
Most minnows caught in cool temperate zone waters (e.g. the
"northern" United States) will not tolerate the warmer water
that the Scissor Tail *Rasbora* needs. Kept in a tropical tank, the
minnows will die after a few days or weeks.> Also what fish go good
with Minos? <In a coldwater tank, all sorts of other small animals
could be kept with your minnows. I'd not add more fish though,
because 10 gallons is too small for that, and minnows need swimming
space. But snails and coldwater shrimps would work well.>
Thanks, Kyleigh <Cheers,
Neale>
Myxocyprinus asiaticus, in Michigan
pond? 4/8/07 I was wondering if I could winter one of these
over in a pond? Have you ever heard of this? I live in
southern
Michigan. Thanks
guys,
Holden
<Mmm, I don't think so... this species is listed as subtropical
on FishBase: http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12304&genusname=Myxocyprinus&speciesname=asiaticus
15-28 C... but do know that it gets much colder in your State. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Myxocyprinus asiaticus, in a MI pond
5/10/07 Well, I'd figure I'd let you guys know
that a couple guys that I know had 3 of these guys overwinter here in
Michigan. <Appreciate this> They got pretty big over last summer
and now they are big and happy. These are roughly 30 inch
deep plus ponds that have a ice melter to keep the surface open.
<Good idea... Fishbase still lists the species as subtropical with a
lower temp. range of 15 C... http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12304&genusname=Myxocyprinus&speciesname=asiaticus
Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Breeding Sarcocheilichthys sinensis sinensis -
10/21/2006 Dear Sir/s, <Or a madam, in this
case. Sabrina with you.> There seems to be lack of info
re. the breeding of Sarcocheilichthys sinensis sinensis (Amur Sucker /
Scarlet Carp / Chinese Lake Gudgeon). Literature found state that this
fish has never been bred in captivity. <Indeed, this is all I can
find, as well.> This peaceful species is an unusual addition to any
coldwater aquarium. <And quite attractive, in my opinion.> I have
introduced 6 specimens (approx. 10cm) in my pond and was lucky enough to
collect 24 young Amur Suckers this summer. <Wonderful!> Apart
from Hornwort, the pond is occupied by freshwater mussels. I cannot
really tell whether the mussels played an important role in the
breeding since the pond is a bit deep. <Were you able to observe any
spawning behaviour? Take note of temperature and water
chemistry during their spawning season?> I have experienced many
species for these last 40 years but the breeding of S. sinensis
sinensis is still a mystery to me. <To me (and seemingly all of us
at WWM) as well.> I would surely appreciate any info / advice /
expert reference. <I do wish I had more to tell you - but I believe
you are probably more experienced with this now than many/most other
folks in the aquarium hobby.> Best regards from Malta. <Best
regards to you from California, USA.> John Farrugia <-Sabrina
Fullhart>
What to feed newly caught lake fishies? NANFA.org -
4/24/2006 Hi there... I did an internet wide search and came up
empty handed on what to feed the fish we caught out of our local lake.
We'd love to be able to keep them in an indoor aquarium or our
outdoor 90 gallon pond; but I have yet to find what to feed them... We
caught 10 spot-tail minnows, and 1 brim. (bream?) <Can likely be
easily trained onto pelleted "pond" or aquarium foods... do
seek out high/er quality of these... as some do a good deal of
polluting> Also.. could you tell me possibly whether
they would survive better indoors or out? <Mmmm> We live in
Alabama.. and the pond is made of black plastic with very little
shading right now (newly installed)... <Well, best to be where
conditions are more like their natural habitat... but stability is very
key. If your house isn't too warm... versus the pond being too
small and/or shallow... I'd keep them indoors> Anything else you
might be able to add (or point me in the right direction) as to water
temp/food/plants... <Do look up the website NANFA (.org) A treasure
of useful information on natives, their captive care> for our new
fishies would be wonderful! Thanks so much for your time and attention
regarding our newbies! ~Jennifer Darnell <Welcome to the wonderful
world of aquatic life keeping. Bob Fenner>
Title: CNN.com
- Scientists discover world's smallest fish - Jan 26, 2006
CNN.com will expire this article on 02/25/2006. Copy and
paste the following into your Web browser to access the sent link:
http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=1877029984&pt=Y
Bob & Crew Thought I'd pass this along. Interesting
stuff! -Ray <Thank you for this. Bob Fenner>
<Now
that's a small minnow. BobF> 1/25/06 And
it was this big ... Dear Robert Fenner, Luke wants you to know about
this story on http://www.smh.com.au.
Personal Message: Hi Bob, Just to keep you up to date with the fish
literature. Cheers, Luke. And it was this big ... January 25, 2006 -
11:56AM URL: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/01/25/1138066832112.html
The online edition of The Sydney Morning Herald brings you updated
local and world news, sports results, entertainment news and reviews
and the latest technology information.
Overstocked? - 07/16/2005
Okay, I know I write you guys all the time but I need to find out if my
aquarium is over stocked if so how much? I have: 4 mollies
[2 male ,2 female], 2 minnows
<"Minnows".... best find out what, exactly,
these are. Some "minnows" turn into quite large,
substantial fish.> 2 African dwarf frogs, 3 Neons, 2 harlequins and
one bottom feeder that I do not know the name for( it is very long and
skinny w/ a pointy nose.) <Very many possibilities here, as well -
again, try to find out what it is.> My tank is a 10 gallon but I
also have a little 3 gallon I could use. <I would not recommend
stocking a ten gallon tank this heavily.> I'm pretty sure I have
too many but ammonia and everything else seems fine. <If by
"fine" you mean ammonia and nitrite are ZERO and nitrate less
than 20ppm, you're probably okay for now. Remember,
though, as these fish grow, you'll probably need a larger tank, and
more frequent water changes. Test nitrate often to see how
often you will need to be changing water. Keep it as close
to zero as possible.> most of these fish were just given to me and
would have been flushed had I not taken them, so you might understand
my dilemma. <Indeed. I would also urge you to explain to
the would-be flusher of the fish that he/she could have returned them
to the fish store and possibly even received store credit for
them. Flushing a fish is NOT acceptable, and quite possibly
causes a great deal of pain and suffering before the animal finally
dies.... A quick trip to the fish store with a container of
fish ensures that the animals at least have a chance at a healthy,
happy life.... Additionally, if you fear your tank is
overstocked, you might consider which fish you are most inclined to
keep and then return some to the fish store yourself.> I also want
you to know that I really appreciate your website and have learned a
lot from it. <I'm glad to hear this, thank you very
much for your kind words.> Thanks, Angy <Wishing you and your
fishes well, -Sabrina> Strange behaviour in
Golden Orfe I have a medium size pond (5.2 cu metres). I have just
noticed that two out of my three Golden Orfe are flipping onto their
side and rubbing against a raised crease in the pond liner. This is a
very quick movement in exactly the same area of the pond. The fish
appear to be healthy and in fact have recently produced their second
lot of young. The pond also contains Rudd, goldfish and Shubunkins.
Please advise!! <Sounds like there may be something awry with your
water quality... perhaps an incident of over-spray for pests from
somewhere nearby... or a change through warming of the water
seasonally? In any length, I would execute a series of large/r water
changes, add some salt (a few cups), closely examine the fish for
marks, parasites, and test your water quality... for ammonia, nitrite,
pH... Bob Fenner>
New Fish, What Kind To Get? What if i were to forget about
the Betta Fish and just do tetras? Is there a fish that will go well in
a 5 gallon tank that will do well tetras? All i want is to have sum
pretty fish in my tank that will do well! Also what are the appropriate
levels for he ammonia and nitrates or whatever and if there are high
how do i take care of that? <<Hello. Good fish to keep with
Bettas would be white cloud mountain minnows. Nice, red fins and pretty
stripes. The appropriate levels for ammonia and nitrites are zero. For
nitrates, as low as possible, not higher than 50ppm. If they are
higher, you need to do more partial water changes until they are within
range. -Gwen>>
Fish Communities, II Two things, firstly, I'd like to
thank Sabrina for her wonderful words of wisdom. <Sure thing,
I'm always willing to help.> Second, I'd like to know what
fish would work with tiger barbs and a rainbow shark. <Well, you
said a "ten to twenty" gallon tank - provided the tank is
large enough to house the shark (or that you get rid of it as it grows
too large), there are tons of options. I'd suggest
sticking with durable schooling nippers, like Serpae tetras, skirted
tetras, phantom tetras, other tetras of that nature, zebra Danios,
harlequin Rasboras, *so* many colorful options for you. My
two personal favorite fish of this temperament are rosy barbs and
Rummynose tetras, very attractive little beasts. One
interesting approach might be to do mainly just tiger barbs, of the
different color varieties, regular, green, and gold. Perhaps
some quick moving bottom dwellers, if the occasionally territorial
rainbow permits, like Kuhli loaches or smaller Botias. You
have gobs of options available to you. Get a feel for what
you like, research fish you're interested in, observe the animals
firsthand at stores and in others' tanks. If you're
in a metropolitan area, consider getting involved with the
local fish clubs (*never* too young for that!) I wish
I'd known about them when I was younger - folks to share my fish
addiction with and learn from would've been
*divine*! And above all, learn, love, and respect the
animals in your care - and enjoy!> Thanks Brenda <You
bet. -Sabrina>
Whirling Disease? I have a school of shiners from Mississippi
River in my 10 gallon tank. Two of the fish started to show signs of
spinal deformations and they twist and whirl when swimming.
<Yikes.... Not a good sign, at all. Use strong
caution, here - do *not* return any of these fish to the wild - if they
have a contagious disease (and it sounds like they do), it could impact
other wild fish very negatively. As you describe this, the
first thing that pops into mind is "whirling
disease". This illness is caused by a myxosporidian
parasite known as Myxobolus cerebralis. It's usually
seen in salmonids (like salmon and trout), but has been seen in other
fish as well, even goldfish and livebearers. The parasites
infect the tissues around the inner ear and the cartilage of the
skull. It causes the fish to swim in circles, sometimes
frantically, or to swim nose-down tail-up, spinning like a
top. It is usually fatal, though some fish will survive and
thereafter always have spinal/skeletal deformities. It is
also untreatable, I'm sorry to say. If this is what your
fish are exhibiting, I would strongly recommend euthanizing the sick
fish, or at the least remove them to a separate tank to prevent spread
of the disease to your other fish. If the fish die in the
tank of healthy fish, the healthy fish run an *enormous* risk of
catching the illness - hundreds of thousands of M. cerebralis parasites
may be released by an infected dead fish. Also, if the fish
die, do *not* flush them, for the same reasons. Perhaps bury
them at the roots of a favorite plant, so they can "live on"
as life given to the plant.... or maybe I'm just sappy and
sentimental. anyhow, I know this is a huge amount of bad
news, and I am sorry to be the bearer of it....> Other fish (guppy,
neon, Danio and other four shiners) seem to be fine. The fish had been
in my tank since September and had been given general tropical fish
flakes. <They may never catch it, either, if you act now and remove
the infected fish.> I also noticed that the shells of snails started
turning whitish and have some abbesses, just don't look healthy. do
I have some nutrient deficiency in my tank? <Ahh, this is a much
easier, and happier answer. You are probably lacking calcium
or some other mineral that the snails need for healthy
shells. You can buffer the water with a calcium carbonate
solution, but this may increase your pH, as well, so do so only with
caution. I'd also like to mention, since dosing my tanks
with iodine for my freshwater shrimps, I have noticed AMAZING changes
in the snails, as well - the went from pitted, white, eroding shells to
rich, brown, faster-growing shells. The change is very
obvious on the larger ones, you can actually see the cutoff point where
their shells began to grow healthy. I use one drop of Kent
Iodine (this is marketed for saltwater tanks) per every ten gallons of
water in all my freshwater tanks containing shrimp. The
snails get it by default.> What to do? <Just as
above.... and do further research on "whirling
disease", especially here: http://www.fishdisease.net/cgi-bin/search.cgi?ps=10&q=whirling+disease&t=&Submit=Search
. Again, I'm sorry I don't have better news for
you.> Thanks for your help, Claudine <Wishing you
well, -Sabrina>
Sarcocheilichthys sinensis Hi. This message is for Bob. Some
time ago I inquired information on Sarcocheilichthys sinensis. The
reply can be found here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfishfaqs.htm
<Oh, yeah... see Anthony replied... re a "Chinese High Fin
Shark/Gudgeon".> Thanks for those replies. The guy who posted
in the forums on fishprofiles.com was me :). I have also written a
profile for the site that should be in their index soon. I do know that
it comes from the Amour river which is the border between china and
Russia, and a few general pieces of information. Information about this
species is limited on the internet. Breeding info, or just finding
someone else who keeps this fish would be great. Can you help me? As
far as I know I am the only person in the states who keeps this fish.
<There are a few references (for information) listed on Fishbase.org
for this species. Go there on the net and key in the scientific name,
click on references:
http://www.fishbase.org/References/SummaryRefList.cfm?ID=47349&GenusName=
Sarcocheilichthys&SpeciesName=sinensis%20sinensis This is about
all I know... Bob Fenner>
Re: Sarcocheilichthys sinensis Thanks for the link and the
quick reply. Have a great weekend! <Thank you James. Do consider
keeping notes, writing up this fish, it's captive husbandry...
someone needs to! Bob Fenner>
