Adventures of the 35G

Chesherca

:( Poor Rasa! Wonder why nobody buys 'em? At least you know they're settled in and healthy, neh? That's the way to go, really. Our local chain store gets them in all the time (sad, but it's my best shop now!), they're BABIES. Seriously, these fish are soooooo tiny, they're practically fry! SO cute, but I always wonder how many are lost because of the stress with them being so young. You'll have to update us when you get your loaches in - I know you will! I'm excited for you! Your tank is really plugging along quickly!

Nilet, do YOU have a tank thread of your own? I really enjoy watching people's tanks grow, and (obviously) chatting about the scaley ones. :)

jentralala

Awh! I bet little bitty rasboras would be so cute! I do agree with you, with them being so tiny it's a lot easier to lose track :( All the ones at the LFS are full grown, since they've been there so long.

Also, Chesh, remember when you said your Holy Grail was to find a molly? The other day at the lake I saw a school of Mosquito fish, but one looked a bit off. He was white with black spots. I chalked it up to some weird discoloration. Well, today as I was browsing through some Florida Biotope forums, someone mentioned how Florida is full of spotted mollies :O
I'm still not sure if it was one or not, but omg if it was! I'm going to catch it, I swear. Even if I have to live in the lake!



A bit off topic real quick though - this is what I find weird about that lake. It completely dried up about 8 months ago, there was nothing left except maybe a muddy spot in the very center about 2 feet each way. It was dried up for weeks until we got hit by tropical storms and the whole lake filled back up and has stayed that way. How on earth did the mosquito fish (and maybe mollies?!) survive/come back?

Nilet699

I don't think they could. The puffers are really hard to get hold of with not loads of demand for this species I don't think. But there is one other guy getting some on the same order, so I doubt there will be any left etc and if there is, could be months before they are sexable. I'm quite tempted to get more than 3 and then sell others when they grow to sexable age. I've also sent hour upon hour searching the diffs etc, I'm going prepared and praying I can see some diffs as they are going to be tiny lil things.

Chesh I have a thread on the Dwarf Puffer tank that's still active - Dwarf Puffer tank layout - its got pics and everything! Haha. and another about my first tank but that's kinda outdated etc. But if it's the scaly ones you like chatting about, you probably won't like the puffers thread..... as they dont have scales haha

Nilet699

Magic Jen. Magic.

jentralala

What about printing and bringing pictures? That's what I would do, one of a female and one of a male :p Just so it's not all in your head.

I'm beginning to think it is magic! Plants are one thing but fish?? My mind is blown.

Nilet699

Well that's be problem, most of what I can find basically says unsexable as juveniles, but there's a few Very subtle hints that are almost unnoticeable, and possibly impossible to see. Fingers crossed really....

jentralala

I'm so nervous for you! That's really tricky. Would it be bad if you ended up with 3 males or 3 females? I know 2 males 1 female would be bad, but what if they were all one gender?

Nilet699

I'm so nervous for me too! I want 1m 2 f because i'd REALLY like to breed these. there a nightmare to get hold of and so theres a market for them and tbh, i might end up getting a bigger tank for them and having loads!
I need to look into the feasibility of getting more and selling them on later once they reach sexable age. i dont know how this would work etc as juveniles, aggression levels, tank size at 15 gal etc

Chesherca

*giggle* I KNOW they live in Florida! That's why I wanted to go there and find some! I dunno about the Molly, if that's what it was. . . could have been released there by an inconsiderate fish-keeper. I don't live in Florida (obviously), but my friend who does told me that there is a program that the state has there where they actually release mosquito fish into ponds, ditches, puddles. . . anywhere there's a pool of standing water, basically. The goal is to keep the mosquito population down, since you guys have a high occurrence of West Nile virus transferred by mosquitoes - since it's warm there year-round, the fish can overwinter, do a ton of damage on the mosquito population, which is *ALSO* alive and active most of the year since your temps are so perfect for them. She caught some mosquitofish a while back - literally in a DITCH on the side of the road - and brought them home to raise in her tank. Just to see what they were like. I keep trying to get her to go out and find me a wild Molly! If you find one again, you should try to get it! Do you have a net??!!! *ish excited*

Nilet, I'm actually OBSESSED with puffers, so I'll go and search out that thread, for sure! I have one on my 55g tank, Becoming. Logs are fun, but I really FAIL at updating mine :)

Chesherca

P.S. To clarify that. . . Florida is a HUUUUUUUGE state! She's seen wild-type Mollies in the Gulf. Says they're a cool dark blackish green color. I'd LOVE to get some of those. I'm not sure where you are, exactly - I haven't googled it yet *blushes* but if you're anywhere near HER, get your net (or buy one!) and fish me out some Mollies!!! SHE won't do it. She's trying to use the Mollies as bait to get me to move there, lol!