Something very strange has just happened. After introducing my first 4 Guppies to my new fresh water aquarium yesterday, I noticed one of them had disappeared this morning.

I searched high & low & decied to move the tank out to investigate the back & found the poor missing Guppy stuck on the filter intake. Surely this is highly un-normal & I have never heard of this happening.

We are using the Fluval 1 Plus filter, which came with the tank we bought, & it doesn't have an adjustable speed on it.

Anyone know how to avoid this happening again, as I am sure it was a horrible way to die.

Thanks for the reply Louise. Its good to know I'm not the only new starter :o)

I will take a look at some beacon tetras, as I haven't seen any yet.

Hey,
I'm new to the fish thing myself, but the advice that I received from my local fish shop seems to have worked. I have 6 Beacon Tetras, which are all still alive and Ive had my tank for 4 wks now, even though Im still trying to get levels correct! They are thriving and doing well, so I can vouch that the advice on them as being hardy is true! I was also told that Lemon Tetras are hardy and that Guppies are not very good to start with!
Hope that helps a bit
Louise

Hi there, just thought I would introduce myself.

I live in London & have just set up a 37.5 litre fresh water fish tank. I haven't bought any fish yet, as the tank is still settling in.

Anyone have any tips as to which fish are ideal to start my new hobby with ? I am thinking of getting a few Guppies & Mollies to start with & a cute fiddler crab too.

I was bought a pair of red and white goldfish for Christmas. My husband spent two weeks setting up their tank prior to introducing them to it and we do regular PH and nitrite tests and once-a-week 1/3 water changes and everything is, excuse the pun, going swimmingly!! I am just a little curious at the swimming patterns that are developing between the pair, they seem to get on very well together, are very lively, bright and growing by the minute, so I am not overly concerned, just looking to expand my understanding of their behaviour. They seem strong swimmers and appear to enjoy taking turns swimming in the fast flowing water from the top of the filter tube.

Sometimes the smaller of the two likes to swim with his head underneath the tummy of the other and they are have started looping around one another as they swim, it is not in an aggressive manner whatsoever, rather more playful. Are they simply playing or have I got a boy and a girl?!!

Hey Marc,
Thanks for the speedy reply! I do have a light so I guess Ill be lowering the water level then!
Thanks a lot for the help
Louise

Hi Louise,
You can remove the splash/condensation tray only if you don't have a light fitting in the hood, otherwise the fitting will eventually become wet and dangerously live! The best solution is just to lower the water level an inch or two to ensure gaseous exchange can take place properly.
Marc

Hi,
Just a quick question I have a new tank -2 wks old and have 2 plants and 6 Beacons, all seems to be going good no casualties after a week of fish so far! And have had my first water change. Basically my tank is hexagonal and came with a splash tray, should I keep the tray? As Im worried that not enough o2 will be getting into the water as my water level is right up to the splash tray thus sealing the tank? Any other tips will be most appreciated too. Thanks Louise

Hi Danny
If your pond has been running for such a short time the most likely problem for green water is New Pond Syndrome where the water is maturing. Because of the cold weather we are having (time of year) it is unlikely that it is due to not having a UVC connected, most ponds are actually running without at this time of year. My advice is to bear with things and the water should clear in a matter of days,patience is a virtue.
kind Regards Dave [quote]

I have 4 shubunkins who have been fit and well for 5 months now in an aquarium. One of the fish started to behave strangely about 3 weeks ago and spent periods sitting on the gravel at the bottom of the aquarium being inactive. There are no external signs of disease although balance appeared to be affected. These symptoms appear to have disappeared over the last week or so. The fish now has a large area removed from one of it's fins - it looks more like an attack from another fish rather than finrot to me.

Any ideas of what I should do - or is it just a case of waiting and seeing? Do fins tend to recover from damage?