Sunday, August 2, 2009

Are Plecos and Algae Eaters the same?

Thinking of starting an aquarium. Have a 10 gallon tank. Want a fish to help clean the tank. What's the difference between a Pleco vs. an Algae Eater? Thanks!
Answers:
It depends on who is saying it. Some people lump them together and call them algae eaters, or sucker fish. Generally in the trade algae eater refers to Gyrinocheilos aymorieri, or the chinese algae eater. Of course the name is also used for the siamese algae eater, false siamese algae eater, flying fox, and otto. While Pleco often refers to Hypostomus plecostomus, or the common pleco. To make matter worse there are about 10 or so pleco species that are mistaken for Hypostomus plecostomus. (Honestly I can't tell them apart.) Not to mention another 10 plecos like the zebra, brislenosed, bullnosed pleco. .. (Which I generally can tell apart.) This leads some people to refer to them as L(some number).

This confusion causes a lot of trouble as the chinese algae eater, and common pleco will grow to a foot. (As either fish will readily eat anything that fits in their mouths. This can be an issue.) Other breeds like the rubberlipped/bullnosed, and bushynose pleco grow to 4 inches. Or the otto thats grows to 2 inches.
there is no difference, pleco is short for plecostomus, and people have just simplified there name to algea eaters, I guess b/c that is what they do
Plecos are one kind of algae eaters but there are more
People call plecos algae eaters but they are different. If you want to clean the green stuff that grows on the glass and tank go with the pleco, algae eaters mostly just eat the left over food.
yeah i think pleco is the latin term?
10 gallon tank is really too small for a pleco-the common ones get too big, and the smaller ones are about 4-6 inches. So, you won't be able to add many more fish. I'd go with some snails and ghost shrimp for cleaners.

Are platies and guppies safe to kepp together? (1male platy,1 female platy, 1 male guppy, 1 female guppy)?OK?

Is this ok? They are in a 2.5 minibow with a filter, and I know its a little bit tight, but i've heard since they are smaller, it should be fine, and I will change water a little more often. Will any of them fight. Also, will the platies eventuallly reproduce, and will the guppiees reproduce even though the type of fish are mixed? Also, is the tank to small for reproduction, or will they try anyways? And the platies wont nip at the guppies tails right??
Answers:
Platies and guppies usually get along just fine. However, 2.5 gallons is a very small tank for four good sized fish. You might get away with it if you feed sparingly and do water changes 2-3 times per week. They will certainly try to breed but in such tight quarters I doubt the babies will be able to hide well and will probably all get eaten. Not to mention the fact that your tank is overcrowded with the parents alone! I recommend you upgrade to at least a ten gallon tank. Keep the 2.5 gallon as a hospital/quarantine tank.

Testing the water is always a good idea. I recommend at least testing pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. The price varies. Expect to spend about $20 for a semi-decent kit. Though higher quality kits (that are probably a little more accurate) are around $50.
You are right about one thing that's a small tank. Rule for fish 1 gallon per 1 inch of fish. Since both breeds can get up to 2 inches that's 8 gallons for four fish. And another rule for fish you usually want 2 females per 1 male in tank. Since the tank is small I don't know how the platies will react to the guppies, generally they are excellent fish together in an ideal tank (bigger than 2.5 gallons). For producing they might try but I can't guarantee anything because again that is a small tank. If you want healthier fish you should get a bigger tank like a 10 gallon if you just want those four fish.
It is fine to keep them together. Guppies are livebearers so you'll see little moving eyes if they have babies. They'll reproduce if the water is right. Don't waste your money on a water testing kit for a tank that small. Just do weekly water changes of about 10-25% and you should be fine.
YES
yes it's ok..
they re peaceful
Keep a pair of guppies in a tank that small, not the platys. The stress of being in such a small container will both kill them and cause them to kill each other.
A
be careful keeping guppies and platys together as they are similar breeds of fish you might end up with hybridisation, hopefully with such a small tank that wont happen
1 inch of fish per gallon of tank.

I would have no more than 2-1/2" total fish length in a 2-1/2 gallon tank.

Are our fish ok to be together?

We have 1 kissing gourami, 1 silver tipped shark, 1 dragon goby, 1 clown knife, 1 silver molly, 1 black molly, 1 blue gourami, 1 glass fish, 1 red belly pacu and 1 more gourami all in a 80 gallon tank.
Answers:
I'm thinking you should have asked this question before you got the fish.
The Pacu is going to be a problem. They are like piranhas and aggressively eat other fish.
The gourami and glass fish need to be in groups of their own kind. You have a few different kinds of gourami, but they each need at least one other like themselves (more is better) to be happy and healthy.
I don't know about the silver tipped shark (never heard of them in a home tank) and the dragon goby.
The clown knife is fine alone, he needs a hiding spot though.
The mollies will be very happy together.
Please do more research and talk to the employees of the place you get your fish. They had to have told you all this, or they would have if you had asked.
Please get a book.

EDIT
Ray ray is an idiot. Don't listen to the first 2 answers, they have no idea what they are talking about.
They definately will eat each other eventually if they get hungry watch out for the mollys and the silver tipped shark.
If there are alot of good hiding spots you should be good and keep you light on. The gourami are the ones to watch they are passive and may be attacked
With an 80 gallon, you have a little more wiggle room, especially if you have adequate plant cover. I would be most concerned for the clown knife because even though they can get quite large, they are generally pretty passive and don't move very quickly (making them an easy target for you gourami and large mollies). The glass fish may also be a target--they are generally pretty passive as well. Watch them to see if any appear to be aggressive towards the others. Also look for shredded tails or red spots on any of the fish. Often you won't notice any of the fish being aggressive because they will do it at night. If you start to see signs, you should take the fish out immediately. If you don't have a lot of tank decorations or plants now, it might be a good idea to add some--this might keep problems from starting.
Yep, well almost. They are all community fish and should be ok considering the size of the tank. The problem here is that these are all school fish excluding the gourami which are just dirty fish and I would give them the flush or put them in a goldfish bowl or somthing.. Anyway these schooling fish need friends of their own kind, it will reduce stress and fighting amongst the other fish.. The idiot who sold you the fish should have told you this. I woud go back to the store and get at least two more of each fish or take some back and replace with like fish in the tank.. Mollies have a tendency to be agressive, espically if in a tank without any buddies.. Good Luck and there is alot of help out here in cyber space. Surf around a bit
Err no i wouldnt have thought so, i fort u were chattin bout goldfisheis @ firstbut obviously not, no they would not go well together in the end there would only be one left (the one that aint bin eaten !)
I would watch the gouramis and the shark and the goby. See how they get along. Different fish even of the same type get along differently. Gouramis can get mean to each other and to the pacu. Also, that pacu can be kinda big when full grown and might get hunger pains you might say.
The answer is probably, with exception to the pacu (and no they are not carnivores lie pirahnnas as mentioned above. One of the major differences between the two is that the pacu is primarily vegetarian). The pacu will grow to be HUGE though and will need a much larger tank than an 80 gallon. My understanding is that these fish can grow to over two feet commonly.
No they all have different needs.
Clown Knife and Mollies can work together they both need hard water.
Dragon Goby needs really clean water and it too needs to be hard, although the Mollies might beat up on them
Blue Gouramis need to be in a group with soft to med water.
Silver tipped also needs a group but with medium water. And the same for the Kissing gourami
And the Pacu will eat everything sonner or later
OMG OMG OMG you need to seperate them NOW! Hurry.. before they eat each other!.
if you buy them when they are all small it might work
Surprisingly enough, watch out for the gouramis they can be nasty. The clown knife might eat another fish if it fits in his mouth. And the pacu will probably eat his tank mates eventually.
You have a mixture of semi-aggressive and non-aggressive tropical fish.

The pacu is going to become very large - and he'll eat whatever will fit in his mouth. They are quite similar to Oscars and they are related to the piranha family.

The mollies should be okay - the are nonaggressive but I've seen them stand up for themselves. They become 3 inches when full grown, I think they will be big enough to not be eaten.

The poor glass fish isn't going to get very large, and he isn't going to defend himself. I don't think he will make it in the long run. Plus he is a schooling fish, so he really should be with two other glass fish. Schooling fish do best in groups on 3 or more.

It's good that you have a large tank. And I imagine they are all pretty young right now, so it's also good that they are growing up together. You shouldn't have many problems - but if you do add more fish I would stick with the semi-agressive since that's what you mainly have.

Also, fish do best in pairs. So if you do plan on getting more fish I'd get another kissing fish, gourami and a shark. The pacu and knife and goby should all be fine alone.

Good luck!


PS: Pacu's are mainly vegetarians, but they DO eat small fish. We would randomly place small guppy feeders in the pacu tank at the fish store and they would all fight over it until it was swallowed.


EDIT:

"I don't know about the silver tipped shark (never heard of them in a home tank) and the dragon goby."

A silver tipped shark is really a catfish. It's called a shark for sales. It's semi-agressive, and will eat small fish. Get's to be, I believe 12 inches long. It's a popular fish because people think it's a shark.

The dragon goby is semiagressive fish as well. But they usually keep to themselves. They are very sensitive and can be hard to keep alive, esp in new tanks. They can get large as well.
The pacu will become a problem, they are in the pirhana family, fin nippers.
yes as long as they are community fish

are oscars worth buying in 55gallon tank and ne advice?

love oscars and have always wanted one.tanks all
Answers:
I will be aganist oscars in 55 gallon tank, unless they're babies. One Oscar requires 70 Gallon. If you plan to have Oscars, be aware that they will grow big fast and you may need to transport them to another big, baddest, biggest tank you will need. if you plan to have just one, it may work. (oscar average grow to full adult within 2 to 3 years )

African Cichlids are GREAT fish to start in 55 gallon. I have 55 Gallon bowfront tank right now and those fishes are normally called Mbunas which are very colourful and very aggressive. I also have about 40 in the tank plus babies. they breed so easy and fast. They requires lots of rock work, which I provide the website for you to take a look.

Oscars aren't good for 55 gallon tank, my local pet shop have two big oscars in 70 gallon and they said that it wasn't enough and they're planning to relocate those fishes in 140 gallon tank.

I've enclose Cichlid website for you to take a look which have lots of pictures and forums you can take a look for yourself. If you decide with Oscars, just expect to transport them to a bigger tank in the future.
I also love Oscars , they are very cool fish , more like pets I think . Just remember , when they get big , put a brick or a rock or something on top of the lid, I had mine jump out several times , I lost one that way . Sure go get the tank and enjoy !
Oscars are cool I like the Albino ones.I also am a fan of the African Cichlids. I used to have some and I loved them they are very pretty and get pretty big.
If you mean are they worth buying a 55 gallon tank for then yes if you would like them to live. They get very big and that is the minimum size tank for them.
yes I too love Oscars they are so smart and can even keep you company just watching them go ahead and get one they can live up to 13-15 years and get very big just remember they need good clean water all the time good luck!
Don't do it unless youre willing to go with a much bigger tank as they grow. Oscars grow up to around a foot and grow quickly. On top of that they are one of the messiest fish I have ever come across, so you need some serious filtration in a large tank. That being said they have great personalities and tend to get along much better with each other than most cichlids, but if youre not going to upgrade the tank eventually it just wont be a good enviornment for the fish
I've had an oscar that would jump out of the tank for food it was very cool i like them. Just don't put them in with other smaller fish you can guess what will happen.
Oscars are very good fish I had one in a 75 gallon tank and it lived for many years.A 55 gal is the same tank just shorter in height.and width and would be alright for a few years, oscars get fairly large but they take time to grow..you should do fine but only put a couple in cuz they do fight and will eat each other.put then in at the same time make sure your water quality is good check your parameters
Are Oscars worth buying a 55 gallon tank. If you really like Oscars then your answer is YES. My recommendation is to have a VERY good filter to help with the waste with adult Oscars. the only other advice i can give is if you feed live foods ( guppies, tuffies, comets) they can carry disease and can effect your fish.
good luck in your ventures.
cool
Yes, you will really enjoy them, they are like, dogs in water,lol
You will have to clean, until you find your nithc in dealing with them, but it's well worth it.
You'll be hooked.watch(smile)
I'm not a big fan of oscars. There aren't many other kinds of fish you can keep with them, they get HUGE, they're very dirty fish. They rearrange the substrate (gravel) in the tank all the time looking for food, and knock about any decorations you might have in the tank. They eat a lot and it seems like they poop even more.They also lose a lot of their pretty coloration as they get big. They're pretty susceptable to hole in the head disease, too, but that's not too big a deal. I've just seen some really nasty cases over the years and it grosses me out.
You'd need at least a 55 gallon tank for one full grown oscar, two would be really pushing it.
Some people really like them, and you might too. This is just my personal opinion.
Actually the rule for oscars is 70 gallons PER fish. 55 gallon tanks are idiotic and cruel. They are not big, i scoff at anyone who thinks a 55 gallon tank is big. It irks me when i see a 12 inch oscar turning around in a tank that is only 12 inches wide.
I bought a 55 gal just for my Jack Demsey and have never regretted. He is old now and the vet says showing signs off moving on to the big aquarium in the clouds. It is going to be tough when he goes. Some may say that sounds dumb.it is just a fish but my Jack had personality would eat out of my hand and race to the feeding end of the aquarium whenever I walked near and splash water out the back if I didn't stop by. Yes he did redecorate on an hourly basis.but it was fun to watch. Sell your tv and get an Oscar great entertainment. However, my Jack was a gift, came with an Oscar and Paku.He ate both of his roommates so .be warned!!

Are Oscars good fish to have?

I just got my first fish tank (55 gallon) and have been looking around at different fish stores, getting an idea of what fish to get. I really like Oscars, because they are so big. I know that they will eat any fish that are smaller than them, but will they eat those fish that eat all the dirt off the sides of the tank? Also, is 55 gallons big enough to keep 2 rather large white oscars in? We will be purchasing the fish next weekend, after letting the water in the tank get to the right balance. Any advice on Oscars, or other BIG freshwater fish I should look into would be appreciated.
Answers:
I had a tank with Oscars, and I loved them. They're very "owner oriented" and seem to recognize you; mine would cruise the tank but come to watch me if I entered the room or approached the tank. If you get Oscars, get a pleco (suckermouth catfish) that is about the same size. Plecos have a tough spiny armor, and most fish tend to ignore them.

Some other fish I've had that were fascinating: native fish (probably quite illegal- please check your local laws). I had a tank set up with orange-bellied sunfish, bluegills and green-eared sunfish, and they were incredibly interesting to watch. Tough as nails, too- they could survive some pretty tough tank conditions. (Note- wild caught fish, however, usually are loaded with parasites.so beware.)

I've got a large hex tank set up now, with HUGE fantail goldfish. A lot of people think "bleh" when it comes to goldfish, but IMHO they're underrated! I've had some of mine nearly 8 years now, and they're quite enjoyable to watch. If you're patient, you can even teach them some minor tricks (btw Oscars are trainable too).

Now for the downside:

Oscars really are suited only for a single-species tank.not a community tank. (Plecos are the only exception- and make sure the tank has plenty of hiding spots for them.just in case.) And they can be jumpers, so make sure you've got a good tight lid for your tank.

Sunfish etc are more than likely illegal to keep (I really don't know- mine were teeny baitfish that I kept) and are host to flukes, worms etc. They're jumpers, too.

Goldfish are aquatic hogs and will foul up a tank faster than just about anything else underwater. Don't over feed them, and make sure you've got a GOOD filtration system.if you can keep the water healthy, they'll live a long time. I've got some now that are approaching 9 years of age, and I've heard that they can live close to 40 years.

PLEASE don't be in a huge rush to get your fish.rushing things is probably the #1 cause of fish death. It can take a long time for the water cycle to balance out- make sure you've got a good testing kit. In fact, I'd suggest you set up your tank and add a guppy or two (something small) and let the tank run until the test readings stabilize. Once it's stable, go ahead and get your main tank inhabitants.

Speaking of your tank inhabitants: Please take plenty of time to observe them in the store before you buy them. Are they swimming normally? Or are they hiding/listless/holding fins clamped shut? Do they have fuzzy or funky looking growths/patches on their fins, mouths or scales? If your fish are in a tank full of ill or stressed others, I'd suggest going elsewhere to make your purchase.
yes definately they r awesome
Yes, they are great. I love Oscars and have had several in the past. Great fish.

Actually, I have a book here on my bookshelf you may want to buy or borrow from the library. Its called Oscars, and the author is Neal Pronek.

Oh, I don't think they'll eat those sucker fish. There is a fish store near my house and they sell some REALLY BIG sucker fish (I've seen some there the size of a baseball). I'm sure they would be fine in a tank with an Oscar, but you may want to check with the folks at the pet store.

55 gallon tank should be fine for two large Oscars, but make sure the Oscars are about evenly sized. They will bully smaller Oscars (and smaller other fish as well).
I have had a 55 gal fishtank, I kept oscars in it for years.they seem to live for a long time..I actually perfer "Red Devils" over the oscar, but both are my favorites
I don't have any personal experience with oscars, but I hear that they are really fun to have. The only advice I can offer is that oscars can only be kept with other oscars, because if there's any other kind of fish in with them, the oscars will make a snack out of them.

Best of luck!
My brother has a fish tank with oscar and little sucker fish on the side eating the algae or what not. The oscar will not eat the suckers. But , then again , my bro has more than one tank next to each other. So I am not most certain. Just ask the fish store clerk to be acurate. The sucker fish are not cute but they keep the tank clean.
Oscar fish are cute and have cartoon faces. I like them , too.
You don't need as many of them for a fish sandwich as compared to the smaller ones.
yes oscars are good to have they will not bother the algie eaters
Oscars are wonderful fish. They are like having a dog, very attentive and active. The size they grow to depends on the size of the tank. I would not put more than one Oscar in a 55 gallon tank..its barely large enough for one good sized Oscar. I have never seen an Oscar cohabitate with other fish.maybe I just didn't notice because I was busy playing with the Oscar.
Oscars are great fish but you need to start with at least 6 small ones and let them grow up with each other. If you try to just get two and put them together, one will become dominant and the other will suffer mightily. With 6 or more, the agression is spread around and no one fish is picked on all the time.

As they grow up, you will notice a couple that tend to stay together most of the time. These will be compatible fish. Probably a male and a female. A 55 gallon tank is not big enough for a pair of adult oscars, you need at least a 75 and larger would be better.

It will take a couple years for them to grow to adulthood, so you have time to save up for a bigger tank. A 125 would be just about right for them to spawn in. Then you could sell the babies back to the store and make some cash to buy food for them. NOT LIVE FEEDER FISH. Very little nutritional value in feeder fish, plus they sometimes bring in parasites and diseases.

Feed them cichlid pellets or high protein dry dog food pellets. I fed mine dog food for years and they were fine.

Note: Sometimes oscars actually lay on their sides on the bottom of the tank like they are dead. This is normal for oscars and some of the botia (clown loaches), do not worry if yours do it.
I 100% agree with champloo4unme, You should be fine. I hope you dont plan on trying to nicely arrage your tank. They are nutorious for uprooting plants, and rearanging the tank to suit thier style, which isnt the best some days!! lol Definetly make sure you keep up on the water changes, and you have more than enough filtration for 2 oscars. They are very very messy fish. I have 3 in a 125 gallon. My first oscar i kept in a 55 gallon, till i thought he was a little big for it, and purchased my 125 gallon along 2 other grown oscars. Every tank mate (other oscars) i bought when i first got him, he killed. He has broken 2 filters and 3 heaters.
Here is a link about them. hope it helps! http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/.
http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-oscar.h.
yes definately
They are good fish, but they might eat the algae eater if it is smaller then there mouth. I think flowerhorns are cute!
Another big freshwater fish is a African Clown knife. My husband has one in the same tank as his oscar they get along fairly well, but the tank is a 125 gal. not sure how the two would get along in a smaller housing. But just to give you a idea of how big a clown knife can get my husband had to get a 5 gal bucket * I decorated it* and cut the end off just so it would have a place to chill out when the light was on, and he sticks out both ends now. I think we are gonna have to upgrade soon!>.%26lt;

Are Octopus Bones Similar To Tail Vertebrae Of Cats and Monkeys?

Or are they more like the flexible cartilidge in our tongues?

and, also, did our tongue fins develop in a sea of saliva?
Answers:
What is it with you and monkeys?
they are an invertebrate species, dude.no bones, just cartilage (if that).
octopi don't have bones or cartilage
no bones or cartilage
Octupus do not have any kind of bones?
Have you ever had octupus?? It's delicious.
octopus do not have bones
Opctopi are cephlapods (head-foot), and as such they have no bones or cartilage. They are completely muscle. And extremely intelligent
I don't think that they are.Odd question.

Are mystery snails and apple snails the same?

ive been reading several sites on the net regarding mystery snails,i have two gold mystery snails and two i belive to be normal colored mystery snails,according to several sites mystery snails and apple snails are one in the same all of my snails are between quater sized and golf ball sized,and is there anyway to distinguish male from female ,as the type of snails mystery /apple have to have male and female to breed,unlike mt snails which go and do there thing by themselves,,however any one with any info on this will be much appreciated,and to the dorks out there ,,(keep it to yourself) ,,,,.thank you in advance!
Answers:
Pomacea bridgesii, which is a species of apple snail that is great for a planted tank. They will not eat healthy plants and they love vegetables and fish flakes. They are sold under different names, including mystery snail, ivory snail, Inca snail, jade snail, and golden mystery snail. These sites discuss how to care/breed them http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/bree. , http://www.applesnail.net/ .
A
i think that ? is all up to u .do u consider them to be the same or not the same .example some people consider pen adn pencil to be the same some dont
They technically are..they share the same Family..Ampullaria but depending on color and traits could be a number of species out of this family. But they really are one and the same.
i think that they are the same but yet they are not. They are the same because they are all small and are snails. They are diferent because they may eat different things or live a different place.
A mystery snail is smaller than an apple snail. The mystery snail grows to be about the size of a golf ball or a little larger. The apple snail can get to the size of a baseball.

They are both good scavengers, but the apple snail seems to put out more waste than it cleans up.

Snails are both male and female in one, however, it always takes two to make little snails. They cannot fertilize themselves.

Pond snails, red ramshorn and trumpet snails can become a nightmare to control due to their breeding like small submersible rabbits. The apple and mystery snails are easily controlled because they lay their eggs above the water line and they can be scraped off and discarded.

Mystery snails are valuable in that you can sell or trade them to the pet stores for food or fish if they are allowed to do that. Some chains don't allow their managers to do it.
They are the same variety. The original brown colour form was known as the apple snail before golden mystery snails were selectively bred from mutations in the brown snails. There are many other colours available. In Australia ive seen black ones, in the US they have blue and ivory also. You can pick the males from the females by observing the penile sheath in a snail with an open shell.
The mystery snail is called the mystery snail as it's extremely hard to tell the species apart. They are all of the Ampullariidae family. Another name used is the apple snail name. If they come from the same source there is good chance they are the same species. Males and female are nearly impossible to tell apart. Females tend to be larger, but size various with age, feeding, and other conditions.

are my ruby barbs mating?

One of my barbs has gone a dark purple, and is "dancing" around my other one. Will they actually breed or is the poor male out of luck. Is the female able to be convinced to breed?
Answers:
first of all you need to know if you have a pair---look at their tails---a male will have a pronounced "V" to their tails wheareas the female will have a "rounded V". If this is the case they are in preliminary mating and they are egg layers just in case you aren't aware of it. If they were alone in the tank you would have a better chance of successful breeding but it can be done in a community tank but watch them closely.
hard to tell if they are dancing in circles some times that can mean matting but it could allso be a fight. you can not force them to mate no more then you can force poeple. water temp can some times trick them into mating make it a little cooler and put in some fesh water.

Are my Plattys in danger of inbreeding?

I had a very lovely pair (male and female) of Plattys and just recently the male died. The famale had given birth to one set of babies a couple months ago, and only after the male died, last week, I found 2 more newborns. While she's still pregnant, I'm worrid that future offspring might be the result of her babies doing the daddy-ing. Is that possible? I WILL get another male soon, but in the mean time, do I risk having her babies impregnate her, or do they not do that? What happens if they do? I'm not separating them, as this is all taking place in a 30 gallon tank, and have never needed to remove the fry in the past. (I've been keeping plattys for years.) Will her children go after her, or do they know better? Does it even matter in fish??
Answers:
Yes her babies will try to mate with her, no it doesn't matter. However if any of the fry are 'damaged' (bent spines, missing fins) you may want to seperate them so they don't pass on their genes.

The babies will also mate amongst themselves, so if that concernes you you may want to seperate the males from the females.
It really doesn't matter in fish, but by all means, introduce a new male into the tank.
Here's info on the species.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.

Doesn't sound like you have a lot of cause for concern, but I would try to mix things up a bit with different males so your gene pool is a little more diverse.
In simple terms there is nothing to worry about. Even if they did mate the chances of any issues are rare and never documented to my knowledge and I have been keeping fish for over 30 years and never seen any issues over the years. Keep up the great work if they are breeding your tank is doing great no worries.
yes they will go after her who care if fish are retarded

Are my platies male or female?

So, I have 2 sunset platies, and I know that one is a female, but other one I'm not sure about. I thinks they're both females though. Could one still have fry in it's belly form when it was at the pet store? The smaller one seems to chase the bigger one sometimes, so is it probably a male?
Answers:
Platies are very easy to sex, actually.

Look at the fin on the bottom of the fish that's closest to the tail. This is the "anal fin". In females the fin is triangular shaped (when fanned out), but round looking. In males, the fin is triangular shaped but very angular. When the fin is tucked, the females' is rounded at the tip.the males' is pointy looking.

Hope that helps. =D
Males are often smaller and they're also a bit more colorful with nicer fins. And yes the female could easily be pregnant.
Ooh. I've had those before! Look at the anal fin, or the small fin about a centimeter under the tail, on the belly. If it fans out and there are 2 sets of anal fins, it is a female. If one has 1 set of anal fins that rod/stick shaped, it is male. That simple.
Males have bigger, prettier fins. His tail and the fin on his back will be noticably bigger.
She could indeed be pregers from the pet store.
the males hav a little poinier fin by there anus, the females hav a wider fin by the anus, and it could just be a really anoying fish, lik i used to hav a guppy that would always chase platies and female guppies
All livebearers are sexed the same way. Here is a picture of a male
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im.

are my fishies gonna be ok?

I'm such a bonehead and completely forgot that the "rule" is 1 Inch of fish per gallon, I just bought some more fish and have like 20 little fishies in my 10 gallon tank, all various kinds of tetras.I keep seeing at the petstores they have lottts of little fishies in their tanks and seems like more then 1inch of fish per gallon, so if it is ok at the pet store my fishies should be ok here right?? Has anyone had 20 little fishies in their 10 gallon fishtank and have them all survive??
Answers:
Add plants and an air pump (with an air stone) right away. Both will increase the amount of oxygen in the tank. You will need to increase the amount of water changes, probably around 25% every five days. I would also suggest you take a couple of days off of feeding the fish. Your tank's beneficial bacteria will definitely need a couple for days to catch up with the tank's new bio-load.
A
They will survive. More fish results in more poop so you will have to watch your nitrite and nitrate levels carefully for a while until they have stabilized. You should also make sure to change 1/3 of the water weekly. If the nitrate levels are too high you will have to change the water more frequently until it has stabilized.
yes since they are small they will be ok .keep the water clean though..good luck
in the first place the fish store has a turn over rate and doesnt expect to have them for any length of time. secondly, i've never heard that rule,where did u get that. the fish should b fine as long as they have enough air and food. the ones that die r probably weak anyway and wouldn't have made it anyway. but dont buy anymore for the same tank, get another or bigger tank
I just got a new tank today, if the pet store says it's ok, I guess it is!
No, you should only have 10 little tetras for your 10-gal. tank. 20 may be stretching it. The reason why pet stores can keep so many fish in their tanks is because they have a plumbing system that runs all around their walls that can constantly change water for all their tanks at the same time. You can verify this for yourself by asking them directly. You will see that what i said is true.
i dunno BUT notice in pet stores that theres alot of dead fish in the tanks? Also.. there intentions r not to have the fish in there long they wanna sale them. Maybe you should consider upgrading to a 20 gallon tank or more..
yes, your fish will be OK but work, you need to test the water at the end of each week: PH, AMMONIA, NITRITE high levels of these things can kill or make your fish sick. BUT GET A NEW TANK SET UP RIGHT AWAY! Having a planted tank also would make less stress on the fish!! Good web site to go to is www.drsfostersmith.com. Good luck, jenny
PS. the pet store owner makes more money if you have to buy new fish.
Keep them there for now, and then get atleast a 20 gal. tank.
I am not going to lie to you. They will survive but it is going to be more work, you are realy going to have to keep cheking the PH, NItrate levels. ext.

They 1 inch rule is what i go by also. I dont recomend that much over but they should be just fine if you keep it clean and have a air bubbler in there.

Adam D.
First of all what kind of little fishies are they!?
The rule of thumb is 1inch per gallon, so if you have fish the size of neon tetras, or cardinals, or rhasbora's then your fish will be fine, it they are larger, like, rosie barbs and congo tetra's then you should remove some!

are my fish going to die?

i just got 4 cute little orange and yellow guppies yesterday. My DADDD was there but he wasnt fuckin watching my little brother this morning and he poured a ton of food into it and my dad left so noone knows how to clean it. if they eat to much will they die? I JUST FRICKEN GOT THEM AND I AM SOOOO FRICKEN ANGRY! will they die?
Answers:
No they will not die just don't feed them for the rest of the day. To clean the tank just put the guppies into another bowl, spray everything off and put it back into the tank. Make sure you water temp. is at 78 degrees or the fish will go into shock and die. I have about 75 guppies and 2 kids trust me they will be fine. They only eat what they want and the rest sits on bottom till they want to eat again and then they will pick at bottom. Here is a web site that will help you, just type in guppy and you can read all kinds of information about them. Good luck. http://www.wikipedia.org/
Fish should only have small amounts of food at a time because they don't know when to stop. Eventually their stomachs will rupture. Strain all the food out of the tank at once.
get rid of the food
clean the tank
if you dont know how go to a pet store
eventually you will have to learn how to clean the place they live in to prolong thr life
Take your fish net and put them into another bowl while you clean the tank. I don't know if they'll die but i wouldn't wait to find out.
I would take them out of the water asap and clean the tank, it's the only way to get rid of the extra food and may be the only thing that will save the fish. Then don;t feed them for 24-48 hours incase they did over eat. then they should be fine. If they die I'd make your Dad and brother replace them!
probably not. my little brother did that once and they have been living for about 3 years.
maybe if you get them out and change the water they will live its worth a try
if you dont hurry up and clean the tank yes they will die to clean
get a frash bowl of water and use a fish net take the fishes out
of the tank and put the fishes in a frash bowl of water clean the tank and then when tank is clean put fishes back in the tank if you dont your f**ked

from ya main man tony
no just clean it as soon as you can
why would you get a tank and not know how to clean it? my friend's two year old dumped a whole can of flakes in my goldfish tank and i knew to act immediately. i had a large net and dipped out as much as i could until i could find something to put the fish in while i cleaned it. first off, if they don't eat theirselves to death, the food will rot and kill them being left uneaten in the tank. what you need to do, if they're still alive is get a clean bucket or large bowl and put their water into it and then use your net to dip the fish out into the bucket. cover it with a towel so nothing will get in or out of the bucket and quickly get your tank and clean it, including the gravel. a complete water change is necessary and make sure you condition the water because chlorine and chemicals will surely kill the little guys. make sure the water temps match pretty good so not to put them in shock. wait just a little while and then put them back in the tank. hopefully something will get done in time to save them. if not, buy some more and start over. and please for the guppies sake, get the food up and out of your brother's reach, hide it or do something.
Relax, they'll only eat what they can manage.
No, just don't feed them for a few days-fish can go a few days without eating. Use a small aquarium net to scoop out what you can that's floating around. If you don't have a siphon, need to buy one-need it for water changes anyway. Clean the gravel/bottom of the tank well, changing about 20-25% of the tank water.
they won't nessacarly die but can have bladder problems try to remove all of the food do you have a gravel vac? if so that would help alot
you can scoop as much as possible out cause i do think fish can eat theirself to death im not sure or you can change the tank also
Get as much food out as you can, if it's already sunken try getting the gravel out and rinsing the food out of it, do a partial water change and catch any floating bits. This may take a long time but you don't really have any other choice!!
you need to take the fish to the hospital and have their stomachs pumped or they will surely die.
you should use a net to get the food out or they could die
i would hope not did you change water

Are my fish coy or goldfish?

I have a large pond with coy and goldfish happily living together, last year they spawned and we rescued a number of teeny fish which have now grown into multi coloured fish about three inches long. How can I tell if they are baby coy or baby goldfish?
We have rescued a lot of teeny ones again this year and we are curious to know which they are. The colours of all the fish are similar so we just dont know.
Answers:
Koi and goldfish will crossbreed, so your babies could be koi, goldfish or crosses (mutts) I think the crosses look sharkey
believe it or not, but KOI and gold fish are about the same fish!!
I'm not a fish expert, but maybe they crossbred
Lol are they made of gold?
koi
Koi usually have a little mustache like thing going on.like a whisker on either side of their mouths.
Koi should have whiskers like cat fish do. One on each side, but shorter than cat fish one.
koi have whiskers on the side of their mouth hanging down gold fish don't
Both are members of the carp family with similar color combo's. my guess would be size. Wait and see how big they get as domesticated goldfish usually max out at 1ft and Koi 3 ft if a good bloodline. Also. goldfish varieties have different tail and eye configurations whereas Koi do not.

Are my fish compatible?

I have a 29 gal tank I have a good heater and a bio wheel filter and I have a few plants and rocks/caves

I am thinking of getting the followin fish

1-2 Angel Fish
4-5 Gourami mix colors
4-5 Mollies mix colors
1 Bala Shark
1 Loach
1 Alge eater

Anyone see any problem with that combo? any suggestions? how about the quantities of each, will they be generaly ok?
Answers:
This is an awesome combination for a community tank. However, watch the aggression amoung the angels and gouramis, mine are territoral. And the bala shark might decide to take a growth spurt and be a lot bigger than was planned. Once its bigger than your largest gourami, it will need to be removed and relocated, not because is dangerous to your other fish so much as for the bala's comfort. Otherwise, sounds great. The angels and gouramis look really good in a tank together.

Oh, on the gourami- are any "honey gouramis"?
If so, beware, out of all the gouramis, these guys tend to be more aggressive-- just keep an eye on um' with the angels' pretty fins
They all live together in relative harmony in the sea!
yes, it think they are ok. just remember not to put cichlids. and as long as they are of the same size, its ok. big fishes eat small ones.
I鈥檝e had fish tanks over the years and other then the angel鈥檚 pestering the little frogs (they were legal back then), that was about it. Sounds like you have a nice mix in mind; you can also ask the people at the pet/fish shops what they think. Most fish of the same size seem to get along in a community tank. It鈥檚 important to have 鈥榟iding鈥?places for the littler guys to hide in. Fish tanks are such a relaxing thing to have in you home, I鈥檓 thinking of getting another one set up in our den.
As far as I can tell you are fine on your fish, you should try to stick to one fish per gallon, try the listed link below.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/
Some Gouramis and angelfish are semi agressive and may possibly attack the mollies. Although it sounds like you have a good mix.
Looks good, but I know the Angels can be agressive. I had a couple that went after everything else in the tank and then wailed on each other.

As for the first respondent-these are freshwater fish.
compatible.YES.in my stomach,yum yum
yeah sure!
But you may require a lot of tall plants, also provide your fish withmany hiding places(rocks, driftwood,etc)
You should keep more than 4 angels as they do well in groups
For checking the best combinations of the fish, link is:
Everything, but the mollies are semi-agressive. I'd avoid the smaller ballon, and black molly, and stick to the larger sailfin, and lyre tailed molly. The gouramis need to e semi-agressive types so no dwarf, or pearl gouramis. The angel fish do best in pairs. They may get aggressive when they get older..

PS- How big is this tank? The angels will get big. As will the bala shark. The algae eater will likely reach 10 inches to a foot if it's a chinese algae eater, or a common pelco. Thee fish will need a 50+ gallon tank in a few years.

Are more Australians killed by fish than any other nationality?


Answers:
stop jumping to conclusions, there is no evidence this thread has anything to do with poor Steve.

In answer to the question, I do not believe so.
A sting ray isn't a fish
a sting ray wouldnt normally be fatal,it was a freak accident
no they aren't theopnly fish they have that can kill are sharks including the great white stingray fish jelly fiush prianhas but no not really depends if the suusioes live near the coast
The news said this morning only 3 people had known to have been killed in Australia by a stingray - so guess not.
Nah.
Probably some small island folks.
I know more Hungarians are killed by beds and nightwear catching fire than any other nationality, so when in Hungary, sleep nude in the bath tub.
No. There have only been between two and three recorded deaths by stingray in Australia.
"Fish" are not a nationality. There more of a phylum (I think).
Wouldnt say so they are pretty carefull with fish normally. Steve was just unlucky with the stingray, as they are not aggresive, but the water is an unsafe environment IMO as it is not our territory.

It is more likely some islands folks indeed that is more killed by fish than any other nationality.
that's a happy thought.
ya
Probably. TONS of sharks and poisonous fish and stuff.
only in the sense that they drink like one, often ending up looking like one at the end of the evening in most cases.They are mostly nocturnal and best treated with a sufficient level of caution at all times (unpredictible)
maybe its just that there's more stupid australian's

Are mollies agreesive ?

Hello, I had 2 angel fish, 3 neon tetras, 3 sword fish, 2 bala sharks and a guppy separated in compartment. They lived together happily for 3 months and got food every day.
One day I got two silver mollies and suddently, one by one, fish started to die first the neon disapeared, then the sword fish died, then the angel fish died, one each day. To the point that there were only the 2 bala shark and the 2 mollies left and the guppy (pregnant) in the compartment. One day, the guppy was also gone from the compartment, like magic, I could never find the body. next day the bala shark jumped inside the compartment net.
who is the killer?
Answers:
tikitiki may be correct. This may be a coincidence. If, you have not been doing regular water changes the ammonia and PH could be off, normally PH will go more Acid and can be neutralized slowly with Baking Soda (NOT Baking Powder). Size of tank will determine how much soda to add per day, so, we would need that information to help. When you bought the new fish the water may have been going bad and it seemed the new fish were your killers, when it was the water, you just bought the fish at that time, coincidence. Get a small jar like baby food or a little jelly jar, bigger if that all you have and fill about half way with water from your tank and take to your pet shop, most will check it for free, call around. I know Petco and PetSmart do. They can tell you what to do.
Sometimes a fish can jump out of the tank and just dry up on the floor never being found.
If, you have an aggressive fish you will usually notice it by the tail fins of other fish being torn or shredded before the fish killed.
IF, you find your PH is Acid, and you have some Baking Soda at home, e-mail me through here and I tell you how to use it, much cheaper. There is a way to adjust for the other direction too that cheap, but, I would bet money it be too Acid before it too Alkaline.
i have had one and it killed my sisters goldfish so i would say yes
Generally mollies are pretty peaceful. I'd say get a test kit and check your water parameters for ammonia or nitrite(both should be 0) or even high nitrates(should be under 20). How often do you do water changes and what's the tank size? If it's anything under a 55 gallon, and you don't do at least bi-weekly water changes, I'd bet that's your problem.
who is the killer? is it the male gappi who tends to hurt others during breeding? or is it the poor gentle mollies,?
or is it U?

did u check the water condition? the contamination, the ammonia, and hey, winters approaching,, did u check the temperature?

i hoep u found the answer..

enjoy ur hobby

note: basic principal,, 5 lts or water per fish for good health.
they are not what size tank and what are the parameters
Mollies do and will eat their fry though. They are one of the few fish that can go from fresh to full salt. Neat fish, never seen any real aggression, cannot remember anyway. I had some in with seahorses to produce fry treats for them. They never bothered the seahorses.
Is your tank new? Mollies are VERY hearty and can typically live through cycling a tank. If your tank is new and not cycled that could be your prob. Check for ammonia and nitrites.
The cycle starts with elevated ammonia the breakdown of that is nitrites and the breakdown of nitrites is nitrates, water changes takes care of that, The first 2 are deadly. I always recommend using a piece of shrimp or something to get the cycle started. Once nitrites drop after a few weeks your tank is ready for fish, add slowly so you do not cycle your tank some.
The larger male sailfin, and sailfin hybrids can get mildly aggressive, but generally they just chase a fish around the tank a bit. It's a territorial thing not a eat othet fish thing. Like most fish they'll eat any fish that can fit in their mouth, but a guppy is just too big.

Bala sharks are well known for being far more predatory than molly. That said like molly they've got a rep as a peaceful tank mates until they reach the size their tank mate fit in their mouths.

PS- You would happen to have a bottom feeder in this tank? Many catfish are predatory. As are chinese algae eaters as they get older. Pleco, and most bottom dwellers will happily eat dead fish.
kill you silver mollies they are dum fish the are 'killers'

Are manatees going to be exstictic?


Answers:
It's estimated that as few as 1,900 Florida manatees remain in Florida waters. About ten percent die each year. How do they die? Besides natural causes of death, many are injured and killed in accidents involving boats (boat impact and propellers cause severe injuries). Entanglement, ingesting garbage in the water such as fishing line and hooks, habitat destruction, and poaching are other threats to the manatee's survival. If they continue to die at this rate, this endangered species could become extinct in the next few decades.

What You Can Do for Manatees
Observe manatee speed zones when boating.
Discard all fishing line and garbage into trash receptacles.
Call 1-800-DIAL-FMP to report an injured manatee.
Share your manatee information with family and friends.
View manatees from a distance to ensure you don't disturb them.
Dispose of pesticides, motor oil, paint, household cleaners, and other toxic wastes properly, not down the drain. Call your local waste collector to find out what to do with hazardous chemicals.
Create a recycling center in your home and recycle newspapers, plastic, glass, and aluminum cans. Donate the money to conservation organizations.
Support zoos, aquariums, and federal organizations that rehabilitate and conduct research on manatees.
Join conservation organizations that help protect wildlife such as the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.
it's a possibility that manatees will go exstictic if nothing is done to help
Extinct? Yes, unless we continue to protect them under the endanger species act and not destroy their habitat!
extinct? they will if we don't do our part to help protect them. i live at the beach and we just found a disoriented manatee in our marsh. we tried to gt it to florida to a rehab center specializing in manatees, but it died in route. it was sad. there are not many of them left.
What is exstictic?
If rich yankees with boats keep infesting Florida yes.

are male beta fish normally this frisky?

I just got my daughter two beta fish, one male and one female. The clerk said that would be fine. They seemed to do okay at first, but I noticed today that the male won't leave the female alone. He keeps picking at her!! Is he trying to eat her or is this normal?
Answers:
Its normal. they are most likely just playing.
If the female become injured, separate them into different tanks.
Good luck with the fish!
i believe it is normal
Either normal, or aggression. He starts eating her tail and fins, seperate them.
He may be ummm.interested in her.or they could be playing, or she may be sick %26 he maybe picking.watch carefully.
THAT IS NOT NORMAL! Male beta fish ur somtimes called fighting fish. I would seprate the tanks.
This is normal. However, you should not keep both sexes together. The male will start attacking the female if she is not ready to spawn with him. Bettas are also territorial. He may just be telling her to go away, and in a tank there's nowhere for her to go. In the wild, if the male went after a female, and she was ready to lay eggs, she'd stay near him and if she wasn't, she'd flee.
Fish do not "play" as the first poster believes lol. Yes, betta males are very aggressive and very territorial. Some are more so than others. He may wind up, killing her, either physically or she will die from the stress of being chased and attacked. He may injure her to the point where she gets a parasite or infection and dies from that also. Fish in tanks are very sensitive to their tiny surroundings. If it keeps up for more than a day or so, you need to get rid of him or separate them asap. Sometimes you get tank fish and find one that really is just too aggressive and he has to go. Also it is good to try and put in the tank fish that are all of similar behavior and compatible (including which sexes get along) , otherwise you have these problems. Your local aquarium store can help you decide what fish go well together and which ones are docile and which are aggressive. When they chase each other and touch each other aggressively, this is not play. It is being territorial and showing dominance. Male bettas will fight eachother to the death. Unless the females are ready to spawn they need to be kept apart from the males.
The sales person may have given you two males in error. Beta's are very aggressive. It may be that he is too agressive. You may want to contact the store you brought them from and speak with the "fish" department "specialist" just to confirm that he is not trying to kill her. Because if he the fish keeps it up he will eventually kill her.
The clerk is a moron. The male betta (pronounced bet-tah, not bay-tah) is trying to get the female to spawn. If she is not ready, and by the sound of your question she isn't, he is going to eventually kill her.

You can only keep females in groups. They will not fight with each other. The males fight with other males and pick the females to death trying to get them to spawn. Once they have spawned, he will drive her away and tend the nest and the babies by himself.

BTW, it is spelled betta, not beta. Beta is the 2nd letter of the Greek alphabet.
Yes this is normal. He's most likely going to kill her. Bettas are very aggressive, and terriorial. Males can't be kept with any other betta. (There are exceptions, but you aren't raise betta from birth.) Females can often be kept together in large tanks with lots of cover, but they will fight it out for at least a week until a pecking order is established. (Then they are mostly peaceful unless betta are added or removed.) Note that some female are very aggessive, and I've had the female beat up a male before. (My old alpha of my female tank use to bully my 4 inch sailfin molly when he got out of line.) Generally unless the females have been raised together from birth you should limit them to 1 per 5-10 gallons.

You need to seperate them. The best case is they mate, produce 100s of offspring, and then the male attempts to drive off the female in defense of his nest. (As she has no where to go she often dies.) This assumes both betta are in the mood for mating, and they don't stage a betta version of "thunder dome". 2 betta enter, one betta leaves.

Remove the female into a jar with water of the same temp as she was in before. Keep her water clean. Don't over feed. Don't subject her to rapid temp changes. You might want to add some table salt 1 teaspoon per 2.5 gallon. Also betta fix/Melafix will help prevent infection of ripped fins. The male may also have ripped fins depending on the aggressiveness of the female.
The males will constantly pick at the females. You should not keep them in the same tank unless he has blown a bubble nest to mate Whit her. After he mates, you have to take her out or he might kill her.

Are live plants good for your tank?

I seen some at the pet store and thought about buying some
Answers:
Live plants provide oxygen, but will use some of it at night or when the lights are out. It will help get rid of some nitrates. Fish can eat it. It can help you fight Algae if you have any problem with Algae, which likely at some point you have some sort of Algae in the tank. Plants are also used for hiding, although manly Fry (baby fish are called Fry) will be the only ones small enough to use it as cover.

They are little more work though. Fish may eat the plant or uproot it. You need to provide lighting and if you don't watch out the plants will come with Snails, which are very hard to get rid of.
Live plants provide extra O2 and use up the nitrates that can kill your fish. They provide an another food source for your fish and they look more natural than fake plants. It can help you fight algae if you have a problem with algae and provides fish with a natural hiding place
If you don't mind buying them all the time. My fish eat them.
Yes.
I take off the "pot" and plant them in the rocks, but I leave the paper stuff (they come with) around their roots.
I used to leave the pot on, I'm not sure which is better, On or Off.
Yes they are good for your tank. Thay give off oxygen which is what your fish need to survive..
live plants are good for fish if your fish lays eggs and other than that you will need to clean your tank more often.

Are Koi really a goldfish?


Answers:
Koi are NOT goldfish, and yes, the common carp is the forerunner of the present day Koi and the present day goldfish, so they are from the same family, but not the same.

The ancestor of the goldfish - a small, plain carp - came from south/central China. Nearly 2000 years ago, the Chinese started to selectively breed these fish, at first in small ponds and later in even smaller containers such as large clay pans, to develop certain features, such as colour, body shape, etc. Today, millions of goldfish are bred all over the world each year.

Koi - the style of breeding and ornamentation has become very similar to that of goldfish, probably through the efforts of Japanese breeders to emulate goldfish, but they are not goldfish.
They are carp.
I don't know about Koi, but goldfish are from the carp family.
Koi are a breed of themselves. Neither carp nor goldfish.
carp family
yea i think
goldfish belong to the carp family these koi things are carp as well i believe that the japanese have messed with the genes to make them into hybrids so that they look nicer better whatever
they are a type of carp
koi are goldfish. they just happen to grow really big and are usually kept in outdoor ponds. the goldfish that people are so used to seeing are basically downsized versions of koi.

are irradesent(sp)sharks really catfish?

I just bought a 55gal with two 9 inch sharks in it. look like a catfish to me. what's thier lifespan
Answers:
Resemblances aside, there are no other similarities between freshwater and saltwater sharks. These fish prefer aquariums that contain several hiding spaces, along with driftwood and larger thick leaved plants. Freshwater Sharks make a wonderful addition to the semi-aggressive aquarium, as they are very curious fish adding a great deal of personality and character. They are in fact catfish and can live for ten years under the right conditions.
A
Yes.
yes they are really catfish

http://centralpets.com/animals/fish/fres.
Yes, they are catfish. A migratory catfish that gets 4 ft and shoudnt be housed in a dinky aquarium as a 55 gallon. They are very skittish fish and super sensitive to medications. I wish petstores didnt sell these fish.

Are guppys suppost to be swimming at the top of the tank??

I have three, two of them are swimming around and the one is swimming at the top.. they are boys. I'm kinda worried about him is this ok?? My water looks fine. How are guppys suppost to act?
Answers:
i have had guppies for a year now and they are rampent breaders they NEED to breed you should have two females to every male you should also feed them more and i also suggest getting and algie eater to help with waste clean up! as for the one swimming around the top as long as he looks and acts health i wouldent worrie but i do strongly suggest the females!!
Could be hungry.or it could be trying to get away from the other two.have you seen them fighting at all? I don't think guppies are all that aggressive, especially with no female present, but it's always a possibility. It could be sick.but I've found that sick fish often stay towards the bottom of the tank.
Guppys are "surface feeders". They frequently swim at the top a lot. Does he look fine otherwise?
Is he belly-up? If so, this is not a good sign..
make sure that your tank has one of those filters or else your guppies will not be able to beathe. Hopfully you know what a filter is if you don't then go to google and i am sure you will find out what it is.
maybe it looks like it's swimming.but it's actually floating around.DEAD
Probably all right. I had 3 guppies, all male in one of my tanks. All 3 of them would pick on each other. They'd swim all over the tank, but they seem to prefer the middle to top areas more so. And just because your water looks fine, doesn't mean it is. You can't see ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Only way to tell is to get a test kit and test the water :) Do weekly water changes, and you should be fine with the water quality.
Guppies spend their lives near the surface of water, not down in the tank.that is what they do. Nothing is wrong.
guppies are supposed to be in the mid to top half of the tank.I don't know why only one would be acting strangely.

Are guppies hardy fish, is it ok to put them in a 20 gallon 3 day cycled tank with 3 long finned danios?

Is it ok to put a small male guppy in a 3 day cycled, 20 gallon aquarium? Will he be ok, or iis he not hardy enough? Also, will he be ok with the danios?
Answers:
Wait a week, change 20$ of the water, then add the guppies. Adding that much of a bio-load to a new tank that quickly is never a good idea. Even if they survive, they will have drastically shortened life spans.
A
i used to keep guppies together with danios, and they got along fine. guppies are pretty hardy fish, and if you introduce some females.. they will start multiplying very quickly, because their are livebearers (not egglayers), and the babies survive fairly easily.

i would just recommend letting the tank cycle for a few more days, if its a new setup.
he should be ok you have a good sized tank~~
Guppies are hardy fish. Temperature should be 78-80 and PH about 7.2--7-6. Live bearers like the PH higher. If you are considering breeding or keeping other guppies, the ratio 3 females to 1 male. Dani's are top swimmers(may sometimes harass guppies, you can tell if the tails become ragged looking) and guppies are mid tank-top tank swimmers. Let your tank complete the ammonia-nitrite cycle, which takes about 2 weeks, depending on how your PH is. If you live in an area with hard water, your water may become cloudy for a few days. Just leave it alone until the cycle is completed. Only feed the fish once a day, what can be consumed in 3-5 minutes, no matter what the food container says and you will have healthier fish and a cleaner tank.
He will be ok, but more over - your tank is not cycled yet. If you have a way to get the Danios out of there (before you buy the Guppy) either with an already previously cycled tank, or just take them back to your LFS - here is a way to cycle you tank without having to use fish to do it. It's called a Fishless Cycle.

Fishless Cycling
http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/fish.

Good luck to you
no wait two weeks atleast to many fish will hurt the bio filter
guppies can live through a lot. go ahead drop him in he'll be fine Danios should not bother him and cycled 3 days will be enough for the little guy.
to me, i dont think so

Are guppies colorful?

the fish guppy
Answers:
Most of themare and all the males are
well some of them are spotted and sopme of them are one pretty color depends on ther bread
Only the males!
the males usually are
Yes, the males are, especially the "fancy tail" variety. They also multiply like crazy.
Male guppies are often colorful. My favorite variety is the Tequila Sunrise.
Guppies come in all type of colors. Guppies Males are more colorful and have larger fins then the same type of females.
If you can find a guppy club in your area you will see some male guppies that almost rival a male Betta. These guppies may cost up to $150.00 a pair. My two favorite types of guppies are the Half Blacks (Black Body ,red tail) and Leopard guppies. If you buy a pair of guppies and try to raise their young remember that a female may have many births from one encounter with a male. So keep her away from plain males and also keep the young female and males apart until the are mature enough to determine if the are not plain or have a color combination you do not want.
yes - some males are very pretty - I find mostly my sons males carry the color especially in their tails

Are Goldfish Smart?

Their funny, everytime i come home from school all the fish would like swim to the top going crazy.
Answers:
They have a 30 second memory but do start to do things out of habit. If you used to feed them whenever you come home or just whenever you would see them, then that's why the go to the top all crazy like. They expexct to be fed.
No, they are stupid
they are just hungry
No silly, food doens't have brains!
Just kidding, but some science reaserch says that they only remember things for 5 minuets. after that, they forget
i dont know ive heard they have only got like a three day memory or something like that
they only have a 6 second memory
No they aren't smart they are stupid sorry.. They only do that because they are hungry.
actually goldfish are not very smart at all; what they're doing is they're conditioned by u; that is they associate you with food. This is the most basic form of learning and even invertebrate such as bees and spiders can do this. Their brain is too small for them to have much mental power. However u don't keep goldfish around for their mental prowness that's what computers and people are for.
Fish that swim in schools are smart!
All fish of so smarts to them the goldfish I have is huge is eyes are the size of a golfball I swear!
sorry to say, they don't remember you. They can only remember things for 3 sec. This is also why they always act hungry. They don't remember even in they are 5 sec ago.
ahummm. i beg to differ.
check out this video. they can be trained to do tricks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgw6ehbtz.
If they are swimming to the top, it means they're hungry (which has nothing to do with being smart). Ask yourself the same question.

(I think the goldfish is smarter than you.)
Sorry bud. Goldfish are about as low on the "smarts" totem pole as animals go. They do know that when certain things happen they get fed, though, so they might recognize your presence as meaning "food time!". It's about as much love as you're going to get from a goldfish, so enjoy it!

Are goldfish more healthy in a pond or aquarium?

I have two goldfish in a aquarium. I have had them for 4 years and was thinking about building a pond for them. Dont know if that is the right choice for them, sinse they are doing well in the aquarium.
Answers:
The goldfish would do better in a pond since they can get large and are messy. That being said, do you really want a pond. A pond is NOT a hole in the ground, or a cheap plastic tub that gets burried into the ground with a little water fountain. If you want a proper pond (or want to have Koi) be ready to spend a couple of grand for the digging, pond liner, rocks, pumps, filtration system etc. In order to be able to keep the fish outside at all time, the pond must be AT LEAST 18 inches deep, but a Koi pond need at least a 3 foot deep pond. I think you'd be better keeping them in the tank for now.
Either one would be okay but you have to consider this, Ponds can be a nice addition to any yard. However, unless proper care is taken, they can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. It is possible to have a pond without having additional mosquitoes, but in order to understand how to control mosquitoes, you have to understand a little bit about how mosquitoes reproduce.

Female mosquitoes like to lay their eggs (about 100 to 300 at a time) in a dark spot in still water. The eggs then float on the surface of the water for about 48 hours before hatching into larva. The larva will live in the water for about 10 days eating tiny plants and animals. It then changes into a pupa that floats on the surface of the water for about two days before the adult mosquito emerges.

Mosquitoes do not need much water to lay their eggs. However, the more water the more mosquitoes it can support and the more mosquitoes it will attract, which is why it is important to prevent your pond from becoming a mosquito nursery. This can be done either by making it undesirable to female mosquitoes or by preventing the larva from developing into pupas. There are several ways to do this.

Common goldfish, killifish, and guppies are three types of fish that are known to eat mosquito larvae and will get along well with other fish. If you have a natural pond that is not stocked with bass, bluegill, or catfish, you might want to consider adding some fathead minnows. Bass, bluegill, and catfish are all natural predators to mosquito larvae and will not need any additional help.
to read more about it visit this link :http://www.doityourself.com/stry/ongoldf.
since you only have two, i think aquarium is just fine.
The well-being of the fish is most important in this case.they can live in either, as long as the aquarium is large enough and kept very clean, and depending on the size of the goldfish, you should have at least a 20 to 29 gallon tank and extra filtration. goldfish are very dirty fish, so make sure you're sticking to your bi-weekly water changes. also, if you put them in a pond, it won't do much good if its dirty, so it doesn't really matter. As long as you keep it clean. Take care!
more healtier in the aqarium only.let them in the aquarium.
I do not know if this helps, but along time ago I use to have a outdoor pond the first summer I put a dozen feeder goldfish in it and just kind of forgot about them, never fed them once and in just 5 month they grew from about 1 once too behemoth size like about 8-9 inchs and they were encredibly healthy and fat. it was pretty surprising as I have never seen any kind of fish grow this fast in a aquarium

Are goldfish compatible with gouramis?


Answers:
NO,goldfish excrete an oil.Gouramies are and tend to be aggressive depending on the type of gourami you have.It will nip the goldfish till it is dead.
Gouramis are tropical fish, so you need a heated tank. Otherwise there should not be any problems as long and the fish are all about the same size.
Gold fish are dirty %26 passive; and Gouramis are clean %26 aggresive.
For the price of gold fish you could try them together; but I'd try larger goldfish!!
Throw a Betta in there.
It depends on what goldfish you're getting, (because there are different types of goldfish), but I would recommend keeping the goldish in a community by itself. Those guys can get pretty big and over power the gouramis. At Petsmart, where I work, we keep the goldfish in a community by itself. If you're still not happy with my answer, email me and I can do some intense research for you.
i wouldn't put them together . goldfish like cooler water . and they are very nasty . and a goldfish needs 5 gals of water per fish . goldfish are best kept with other goldfish .
cupidgirl03 is correct I also reccomend keeping them separate.As she said Gouramis are somewhat more aggressive than gold fish and even if you buy them bigger they will still be stressed out and maybe die or be more susceptible to disease and then start the problems. Also gold fish dirty the tank more they are pigs so now you stress out the other and you have the same effect as the others. plus more water changes and a hospital tank wouldn not hurt either.
Only goldfish can go with goldfish. Goldfish excrete too much ammonia for other fish to handle and they have different dietary preferences and they get bigger.
The RULE is for baby - juvenile fancy goldfish its 10 gallons PER fish. (fantails, orandas, black moors, ryukins, ect)
Baby-juvenile long bodied goldfish its 20 gallons PER fish. (comets, commons, shubunkins)
Adult goldfish will need atleast 50 gallons PER fish because they get 12-14 inches long. Goldfish also need cooler water with alot of filtration.

Gouramis need a heated tank and the temp should be between 78-80 degrees F. Dwarf gouramis wich are community only get 3 inches and need min 10 gallons, while the other gourami varietys get 6 inches for some, and 28 inches for the giant gourami.

Are Glowlight Danios injected with dyes to give them their colors?

I was told by the wife of a popular local fish store that Glowlight Danios are injected with dyes to give them their color and appearance. I hope that's not true. Can anybody help me with this?
Answers:
No. They are genetically altered - their DNA has been altered to mess with their colors. They are not dyed fish, as many people seem to believe.

From http://www.timstropicals.com/inventory/g.

"Does the fluorescence harm the fish?

No. The fish are as healthy as other zebra fish in every way. Scientists originally developed them several years ago by adding a natural fluorescence gene to the fish eggs before they hatched. Today's GloFish鈩?fluorescent fish are bred from the offspring of these original fish.

Do you have to add a fluorescence gene to every fish before it hatches?

No. Today's GloFish鈩?fluorescent fish are bred from the offspring of fluorescent zebra fish that were originally developed several years ago to help fight environmental pollution. Each new GloFish鈩?fluorescent fish inherits its unique color directly from its parents, maintains the color throughout its life, and also passes the color along to its offspring."

EDIT: On second look, I see you're asking about glowlight danios (sheepish grin). These are not dyed or altered in any way. From http://www.fishpondinfo.com/fire.htm.

"After many e-mails, she said they were called 'glow danios' which lead me to figure out that the fish in question were the new 'glofish' which are zebra danios with genes implanted that make them glow under the right light. There is a site on the glofish at glofish.com. These fish are NOT glowlight danios which are beautiful naturally."

Here's another link for more info about them (Live Aquaria does not sell any dyed fish - and they sell these guys): http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_.
Yes, it is very true. :(
They absolutely are! I had purchased quite a few of them one time, and after several months, they all lost their colours. Originally, they were blue,orange,pink and green, and very bright and attractive. A great contrast of colour to the aquarium. After several months, they faded and I lost all the beautiful color to my tank. Talk about disappointment!
glowlight danios are a genetic hybrid. Their color, like many fish, can often fade if they are unhealthy in their tanks.
Not to my knowledge, but it's possible that some is taking the standard danio and dyeing it to look like one. The species name is Danio choprae, and the are pretty rare.

Also she may have confused them with glolight tetras which is natural. Of course the albino breed of this tetra is favored by dyers.

Then there are glofish which are genetically modified zebra danio. There are no dyes involved as the fish's added color genes do all the work, and fish are bred normally.
yes sadly it is true--dont buy these fish and encourage others not to buy them
I don't know about glowlight fish but there are many fish that they do inject dye inthem to enhance thier color or to make it look as if there is a different breed of that particular fish such as Oscars some have been dyed many of colors
the first glowlight danios were injected with the 'glow gene' from a jellyfish i think, into their DNA for scientific purposes. Since danios breed easily (their children glow too), they were used in eperiments and the glowing helped scientists keep track of whatever they were looking for.

And then some pet dealer though this would be cool pet. At first people were freaked out about these modified fish. They've never existed before. I guess things are ok now..

and stay away from fish that are dyed.. you can tell. Don't support this by not buying.
Glowlight Danios occur naturally in the wild, but they are very difficult to find and expensive; I think they only live in one river in Myanmar. Likely, what you will find at your fish store are glowlight tetras, which are also natural; or GloFish, which are Zebra Danios that have been genetically modified for artificial coloring. There is a possibility that some petstores are selling GloFish under the name Glowlight Danio. If you know what they look like, you should be able to tell apart Glowlight Danios and GloFish, plus Glowlight Danios only grow to about an inch in length (the size of a Neon Tetra), while GloFish will grow 2-3 inches (the size of a Zebra Danio). Here is some information on Glowlight Danios http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cy. and here is some information on GloFish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/glofish.
No. Glowlight Danios do occur naturally in the wild, although it is rare. this site has info on glowlight danios

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/fire.htm.

Are fish like women?

The most attractive ones are usually the least interesting.

No obvious crudeness, please!
Answers:
Haha, yeah. you're probably right.
Are women in possession of gills that I am not aware of?
no except for mermaids but i think men are like frogs
hmmmmmmmmmmmm debatable Question lol! i think d besy women stay away from men lol
Being deceptive in my crudeness it too much work, so I'll just keep quiet.
What do you want to say ?
That doesn't make any sense at all. There is no correlation at ALL. You're not interested in attractive women? Eww. What ARE you attracted to? Fish are hard, slick and slimy. I don't know ANY women like that. Where the heck do YOU hang out??
Obviously had a bad experience then lol.as they say..it takes all sorts in this world.but yeah.the stereotypicall beauty queen is usually quite dull and dumb.don't be put off..look at nikki on BB..yeah she can be annoying but hey she sure is interesting.lol hahahaha! woof!
Very much so - I can't keep a hold on either of them.
Yep, we are slippy little suckers. and have you ever noticed if you stick your finger into a fish pond .most of the fish will swim away. And the ones that dont swim away are desparate little fishes which id like to nickname them as" MEN"!
The answer has to be NO because I am both attractive and interesting!!
Are you a fan of U2? As soon as I read your question, I thought about the song "Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World."

"A woman needs a man
Like a fish needs a bicycle"
Thats an interesting and amusing observation!
Flaky!!
lol usually thats right
NO, female fishes are not colorful or beautiful.
Women are beautiful and more colorful than men
Hey Danny, if they did not have gills it would be rather difficult to breathe in certain situations.
the ones that are less attractive have been forced to create a personality , so yes this can be true that some women only rely on their looks but i wouldnt compare them to fish lol :P
no fishes are not the same as women beacuse we don't lay eggs

Are fish hard to maintain?


Answers:
scale them then freeze
Not too bad, as long as you have the Haynes manual.
No, not if you get a cold water fish, all u need to do is feed it and clean its tank about once every 2 months
Yes they require alot of CLEANING, FEEDING, WATCHING. Youe need to waatch them because they are like humans. If they get a tumor or something they discolor, and STINK REALLY BAD!
no they're the easiest. after u feed them for about a week, u never forget it turns into like a routine.trustme ;-)
No, just buy a good filter like a Whisper. Keep the filter clean and wash out the pads on the filter every 3 days. I use hot water and a sink sprayerto clean the pads. Make sure they are cold when you put them back in the filter.. It gets them clean and you don't have to keep buying them. I never change the water or clean it out but I just use room light and don't get algea. The filter keeps it very clean and I have an algea eater fish that keeps the glass clean.
fresh water is easy salt is hard
Some are very easy and others require a lot of attention. It depends on the type of fish.
yes and no
yes because you have to change their water, make sure its filtered, make sure they are fed and had taken their vitamins etc. etc.

no because you don't have to give em a bath and give them attention ..


i hope this helps
Fish are very easy to maintain. I have several wonder fish species mounted on the wall of my library. All I have to do is dust them occasionally.
I think they are, every fish I've ever had always died within a day
We just got a fish tank and we have read so much on them. They are kind of. You have to take so much water out per week and replace it then so much out after a month and replace it. So many fish (size in inches) per gallong of water in the tank. Keeping it clean. Feeding times. Its kind of like having a kid you dont have to take every where. It just becomes routine after a while. Good luck and start small with fresh water fish. It can get kinda pricey
keep the tank fluid up to level, adjust fin gap, keep gills clean of ammonia deposits, feed a high octane fish food, monitor bubble timing
every six months, clean filter every fishy tune up.
No, they are pretty easy to have, you just have to make sure to clean their tank which takes forever if you're not in the mood to do it. But they are very easy to handle and don't really require that much attention.
The beginning can be kind of hard, but once the tank is cycled then it is very easy. I have 6 tanks with fish in them right now and it's not hard at all. What I do is use a gravel vac to remove the water and the poo that has gotten stuck in the gravel, rinse the filter cartridges off in the water that I'm removing (so I don't kill the beneficial bacteria that keeps the tank cycled) and fill the tank back up. Depending on what type of fish you have and how stocked your tank is you may have to do a water change once a week or once a month. I have a magnetic algae scraper that I use around once a week to get any algae off the glass. I have the lights on a timer so I don't even have to bother with them and every day when I wake up I feed them all and a little before I go to bed I feed them again.
No not at all, infact if you set the tank up correctly, allow it to cycle, properly, it will maintain itself. That goes with fresh, brackish and saltwater fishes. remeber tank kits are a better buy, as you can always upgrade later as you learn your new hobby. Bigger is. if you have room for it, better and is very easy to maintain, because trust me, once you get started, you will be so addicted! You will need to upgrade anyways.
Education is the real keys however. learn everything you can before you get started. That way when you go to pick out your tank and fish, you will not be take for a run, as some stores are set up to see newbie鈥檚 coming and will try to get you just for your money and lack of knowledge.
Be prepared to have a lump some start up cost. it's avoidable, unless you just plan to spread the cost out, by buying a little here and a littler there, but the rest of your days it will run smoothly and try your best to learn about natural maintained, it's healthier for your fish all around and will be a load off your wallet, plus keep the little guys happy.
And whatever you do, do not buy from just anyone, make sure their tanks are well taken care of, clean and the fish are doing a little dance with smiles on their little fish faces.

If your taking about eating them well, baked with butter, or grilled is nice as well, I prefer tilapia friend, Ummmm.
no they are very easy
Yes it can be a hard to maintain fish. Especially with all the water treatments for certain fish. It is very important to keep the fish tank clean as well.
I would say not hard at all. They dont make noise and they dont bother you. they just swim around and look cute. all you have to do is clean the tank / bowl once a week or so and feed them. it isnt hard. Thats all i did and my fish lived for 6 years. I just recently got a new one as well.
No but if you have never taken care of a fish before then maybe you should start with a goldfish. If it dies then you have no hard feelings. Fish are the easiest pets in the world..as long as they aren't saltwater.

Are fish considered pets?

You don't pet them or really interact with them.
Answers:
yes and no.
Absolutely. We interact with our fish all the time. We have 3 Koi. They are very friendly and have their own personalities. We have to care for them, they depend on us and they come to know us as their caretakers. Just because I don't reach in and pet them or teach them to sit doesn't mean they aren't my pets.
yes
Why wouldn't they be?
I would say that they are more like prisoners.
Did you know that the Japanese will leave there Kio in there wills to there families as they will live upwards into hundreds of years old. In fact the oldest on record is 245 years. I have several that were my Grandfathers and they have names and they have personalities as well at first you would think it is just a fish but it would surprise you if you had the chance to interact with them.
absolutly, they depend soley on you to keep them alive, IE you feed them, and clean out the water, hopefully.
YES, they are still a pet .. exotic pet .
Of course they are. You have to feed them and take care of them, don't you? It's not like a lamp where it's just there and you look at it, you actually have to take care of it. Plus they look forward to seeing you (even if it's just for food), just like any other pet.
yes
yes
they do come from a pet store..
of course
Yes they are.I really like my fish.
Yes.

are fish become more or less diverse, and why? (freshwater)?


Answers:
Your question seems to be more of an evolutionary one, although the "man-made/developed" answer above could provide a new twist.

Basically, the idea is that stability promotes diversity -- that is, when environments are stable, the playing field for food mates, resources, etc. becomes crowded because everyone has a shot at competing.

When the resources are dominated by one group, others die off unless they have some adaptation that allows them to survive in a niche unoccupied by others. These niches could be things like tall trees (giraffes feed on them with long necks, where zebras do much better than giraffes on grass shoots), hot/cold areas, turbid waters, etc., etc., etc.

The key is stability for these niches -- if cataclysmic changes occur, only the generalists will survive and diversity takes a hit -- witness all the massive die offs that occurred in eons past.

With all this said, freshwater fish are probably enjoying a somewhat stable period of time, and have diversified quite a bit. Whether they will any more is debatable, but this can be taken to an individual environment level -- a waterway may have changes occur that open up new niches or close off existing ones.

Overall, you aren't likely to witness too many evolutionary changes in a lifetime -- it takes at least a handful of generations for some adaptations to occur, and that's the quick end of things.

Hope it helps!
please ask bettachris at his fish forum.

http://www.forumsvibe.com/betta/index.ph.
they seem to be pretty stable to me, but they are breeding new kinds of fish for sport fishing that put up way more fight than older speices.

Are fish able to see colors, other than black, white, and shades of gray?

Are all species able to see colors, or just certain ones?
Answers:
Most fish can see in color. As in people, the retina of a fish's eye contains two types of cells, rods and cones. Cones are used for day vision and are the cells used to see colors. Rods are used for night vision and cannot distinguish colors, although they can judge light intensity. The eyes of most freshwater fish contain both rods and cones, though day feeders tend to have more cones, and night feeders more rods.

In theory, then, day feeders like bass, trout, and salmon are more sensitive to color than night feeders like walleyes. Studies have shown that rainbow trout and Pacific salmon have color vision similar to that of humans. They can distinguish complementary colors and up to 24 spectral hues. Other studies have shown that brown trout are capable of sharply focusing on near and far objects at the same time and that they can clearly see different colors at different distances.

More on fish vision> http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesf.
Fish have amazing color vision (much better than humans), cats and dogs are red/green color blind (they only have 2 types of cones instead of three).
Good question, I would guess yes. Take bettas, it's recommended they not be placed with fancy fish like guppies because of their colorful fan tails. And also, for all fish, the males are usually more colorful to attract the females.
But I'm no expert :)
Reef fish have an amazing array of colors. I'm guessing its for their benefit somehow instead of for tourists. If they were colorblind it wouldn't matter what they looked like.
I believe so. My goldish sometimes head for things that are exactly the same colour as their food. Their precision at aiming for this exact thing is probably not coincedence.

Are feeder Minnows/Guppies a risk?

I have game fish that I keep (yes legally you Nazi Geeks!) and I am wondering if there are various risks that even putting feeders in quarantine for a month will not solve. Anyone currently quarantining feeders? and if so how long do you keep them in quarantine for before feeding them to your main fish?
Answers:
Good question. I keep feeders in a 15g tank for up to about 30 days. I have a high mortality rate with them as the majority of them could either be diseased or just not fairing well from the change in water parameters (mostly pH). I try to acclimate them over a period of about an hour before putting them in, but I always wind up with about a 10-15% loss.

The main things I look for is Ich and Septicemia (as these 2 symptoms are not only the easiest to catch, but also appear to be the most common with most feeders in my area).

I think 30 days is more than sufficient to observe this. Good luck!
I would check with your local fish and game office.. OR even the manager of the PetSmart might know the answer to that
I think the main concern would be that the feeders will overtake your game population. I would definitely quarantine the species to limit diseases. Try and talk to a fishery biologist about this.
"Feeder* fish are unnecessary and can be unhealthy for the fish you are feeding it to! Feeder fish are kept in horrible conditions and are hosts to about every parasite and disease you can imagine. You don't want to be bringing this home to your fish! Of course you are already quarantining which is smart, but isn't a guarantee. I don't want to say a certain "time" that would be safe to have them quarantined because there is no magic amount of time that will make a quarantined ill fish healthy. Some ill fish do not even show symptoms - they are just carriers. So although your feeder fish may look healthy enough to eat, his disease my be caught by your fish who would show symptoms and become ill from it.

Freeze dried Krill or frozen foods might be a better alternative. There are plenty of alternatives to feeding live fish to your fish. Not only is it kind of sad (as I am a goldfish lover hehe) but it isn't that healthy, provides no variety for your fish, and it isn't necessary. I'd check out badman's tropical fish forums at the link below. These people are experts and can probably tell you exactly what to do or to get. Good luck!
Any feeder fish raised in an outdoor pond is a risk to fish living in an aquarium that eat them. Goldfish are the worst.

I have never heard of anyone quarantining feeder fish. I suppose it could be done, tho. The length of time a fish is quarantined for new tropicals before introducing them to the tank where they will live is 3-4 weeks. Keep them at high temp (80) so it will speed up everyone's metabolism and any problems will present earlier than at cooler temps.

Personally, I would try to convert them to pelleted or flaked food. Either would be much safer for them. Unless you are planning to fish them with live bait, that would be one solution.

I converted 5 oscars from live feeder goldfish to dry dog food pellets when I found out about all the diseases that can be brought into aquariums with feeder fish.
If you have a large tank that isn't housing your game fish (fresh water?) you can breed mollies or platies as these have been taken better care than the feeder fish. they should only cost $2.00 each and are very easy to breed. also for a freshwater tank you can buy a few ghost shrimp that the fish would love they are normally $.33 each. Try crickets too. or live blood worms.

Most fish will learn to eat frozen or freeze dried stuff, but if you have something like a bass they may not ever learn to eat non living food.
You know how Native Indians used to die of things like chicken pox that new settlers used to bring with them? Same thing happens to wild fish. Domestic fish and wild fish do not mix without one or the other at risk of dying from disease. Using a UV sterilizer will help to destroy many pathogens in the water (and algae). You are better off trying to convince them to eat other things (like earthworms that can be bought in bulk and stored somewhere cool).
A
do a salt dip be4 you feed them to your fish but i used worms
I have a salt water tank with 5 fish in it. Two of them are meat eaters (Triggers) that would love to have feeder fish. I personally do not deal with feeder fish as I give mine frozen and freeze dried krill, frozen brine shrimp, frozen and freeze dried plankton, frozen Marine variety packs too. The fish I have are already agressive and we decided not to go the feeder fish way because the aggressive fish will become more agressive and the less agressive ones might become threatened. Keep in mind that the shrimp is given as a treat, not as a meal. I also give them flake and pellets. My triggers and my dogfaced puffer loves the freeze dried foods as they have teeth and love chewing on the hard shells.
Good Luck!