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Fish/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| HELP! I think my Betta is very Sick and Dying | 3/21/2007 | Darryl Miller |
| Q: I just purchased my beta about three weeks ago. He has been very happy and energetic and always ... A: Hey Lea, Three suggestions here for you and your betta. First, test the water quality. Take a cup ... | ||
| cichlid water change fiasco | 3/21/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: I have a 15H freshwater tank with 4 african cichlids...I must have cleaned the tank too well because ... A: Is your filter working? The cloudy whiteness is a result of a "bloom" of certain bacteria. For ... | ||
| Betta and Frogs? | 3/21/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: Someone told me they have a frog in the same tank as their Beta, is this really doable? A: As long as there is room and both animals have their needs met, yes. Sometimes bettas will bite the ... | ||
| possible sick fish | 3/21/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: I have a male betta who I think may be sick. I also have other fish with him in a 10 gallon tank.(4 ... A: It might be best for him to be isolated. As long as you can keep his water warm, about 78 to 80, I ... | ||
| Betta Fish Eggs | 3/21/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: I just bought a female betta about two weeks ago. Now there are little tan balls all in the bottom ... A: In order for her eggs to be able to hatch she needs a male with her to fertilize them as they are ... | ||
| Oscar missing some of tail - dying | 3/21/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: I have an oscar approx 2 months old, it started with 2 holes in its tail exactly the same shape and ... A: It is possible that his tail was damaged before you got him -- sometimes it takes a few days for the ... | ||
| Platinum Convic/fish | 3/21/2007 | Nicole Putnam |
| Q: On the 18th of March I began a new fresh water tank. I purchsed three dalmations and two little neon ... A: Good evening Natisha, thank you for your question. Have you tested your water quality? Unless you ... | ||
| green tinted water | 3/20/2007 | Darryl Miller |
| Q: i have a 2 gallon fish tank with 2 goldfish. have air filter. have tank for about 2 weeks already ... A: Hey Jim, Gold fish are quite odd creatures. They're pretty small, at first. However, because of ... | ||
| convitcs | 3/20/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: when the parents have spawned should i separate some of the fry into another tank for them to ... A: I normally leave the kids with the parents for about 3 to 4 weeks. At what stage did the babies ... | ||
| Iridescent Shark | 3/20/2007 | Nicole Putnam |
| Q: I have 2 Iridescent Sharks. Is there any way to determine the sex of the fish. I want to try ... A: Good evening Braxton, thank you for your question. Pangasius hypopthalmus, the Iridescent Shark ... | ||
| jack dempseyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy | 3/20/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: i have an adult jack dempsy every time i buy small fish he eats them i trie to feed him pellets and ... A: It is dangerous to feed your fish with feeder fish. Very often feeder fish carry various parasites, ... | ||
| No Clue about Oscars | 3/20/2007 | Darryl Miller |
| Q: My boyfriend and I are taking care of some Oscar fish that used to be our old roommates. When we ... A: It sounds like you might need a tank divider. Sometimes with fish aggression, there is some ... | ||
| Goldfish | 3/20/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: Can two goldfish be kept in a fish bowl? If so, how large should the bowl be? Should I put in a ... A: I'm so glad you are asking about this before buying your fish! It's often the other way around and ... | ||
| A Few questions... | 3/20/2007 | Darryl Miller |
| Q: I am interested in purchasing a betta, I am a beginner when it comes to fish, and it was a spur of ... A: Hey Stephen, For starters, I really dislike putting ANY fish into a tank smaller then 10 gallons. ... | ||
| SICK BETA FISH | 3/20/2007 | Amber Worman |
| Q: I HAVE HAD MY BETA FOR 10 MONTHS. HE IS A BRILLIANT RED,STILL BRILLIANT, WAS VERY FRIENDLY, ... A: This sounds a lot like Dropsy, which is, unfortunately, fatal. But, there are a few things you can ... | ||
| cichlid not eating | 3/20/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: Our cichlid hasnt eaten in about 3 or 4 days. We recently changed his food. We had gotten cichlid ... A: Have you been doing regular partial water changes? One of the peculiar side effects of poor water ... | ||
| black moor | 3/20/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: Tank - about 2 months Tank size - 30 gallons What type of fish - Black Moor How Many - 1 Black moor ... A: What a shame. Look for signe of disease such as spots, dots, unusual areas, etc. Let me know if ... | ||
| Fantail Tank set up | 3/20/2007 | Amber Worman |
| Q: I have a 5 gallon tank with 3 fantail goldfish with crushed coral. Is crushed coral a problem with ... A: I've heard bad things about mixing crushed coral and goldfish. Coral and shells are calcium-rich, ... | ||
| filling my tank with cleaner fish than goldfish | 3/20/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: I have just a small tank and have had goldfish, tetras, etc. through the years. Are there any types ... A: Our About.com Freshwater Fish guide Shirlie Sharpe has some excellent suggestions for coldwater ... | ||
| My Puffer Fish gree are lathargic and have a white film on them | 3/20/2007 | Nicole Putnam |
| Q: When I first got my Green Spotted Puffer Fish, They were very active. They had extremely bright ... A: Good morning Jon, thank you for your question. I encourage you to research the care requirements ... | ||
| Neon's | 3/19/2007 | Kathryn |
| Q: I have recently set up a 28 gallon bow front, This tank is still in it's intiall cycling stage,( ... A: You could have Leopard Cories instead of a dwarf variety, you will probably just have to have 1 or 2 ... | ||
| sick Oscars | 3/19/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: We have 2 Oscars that are 4 yrs old. They live in 120 gallon tank with an algae eater. Both are ... A: It sounds to me like the two are fighting. Could this be possible? Many fish fight at night when ... | ||
| are my fish sick | 3/19/2007 | Nicole Putnam |
| Q: I have tropical fish and they have been healthy and now all of a sudden they seem sick. They swim ... A: Good morning Sarah, thank you for your question. I couldn't say whether your fish are sick. There ... | ||
| feeding large Jack Dempsy | 3/19/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: I was given a 55 gallon aquarium that has several types of chichlids, ranging in size from 1 inch to ... A: I have several similar fish and I feed them Tetra Cichlid Sticks. I give each one about 6 to 7 ... | ||
| algae eating fish | 3/19/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: Can I put an algae eating fish in with my 2 ryukin goldfish? Like a butterfly loach, or what would ... A: From what I have read about them, a hillstream loach would probably work out fine. I have never kept ... | ||
| tropical fish | 3/19/2007 | Kathryn |
| Q: I'm going to buy an eel, and a silvertip shark but I can't find there length, what they eat, how old ... A: What size is your tank? They need at least 400 litres when fully grown. I cannot give you ... | ||
| Neon's | 3/19/2007 | Kathryn |
| Q: I have recently set up a 28 gallon bow front, This tank is still in it's intiall cycling stage,( ... A: Yes, when you buy one tank you just water more. It is a very contagious disease! Haha. I don't have ... | ||
| oscar fish | 3/19/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: how long can an oscar live without an aquarium heater A: That depends entirely on the air temperature, which will determine the water temperature. An oscar ... | ||
| fancy goldfish | 3/19/2007 | Nicole Putnam |
| Q: my fish has been happy for the last two weeks, he's in a bi-orb, for the last couple of days hes ... A: Good evening Trevor, thank you for your question. Even though the BiOrb seems to be targeted for ... | ||
| plants | 3/19/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: My fiance is interested in getting a betta after seeing the one my mother has had for years. The ... A: Even though your fiance's mom has one that has lived a very long time, it's really an exception and ... | ||
| Tankmate for Betta | 3/19/2007 | Amber Worman |
| Q: Amber! My son has a betta in a bowl, who has been doing OK for a year or so. We have a golden ... A: Sorry for the wait! If your gourami has terrorized tankmates before, it may be a bad idea to move ... | ||
| baby guppies | 3/19/2007 | Chris Robbins |
| Q: How big are the babies when they are born? How long do you keep them separate from adult fish? A: Baby guppies are pretty small at birth. They can be eaten by the adult guppies, including the ... | ||
| Pleco - Very sick | 3/19/2007 | Ron Coleman |
| Q: I recently merged the livestock from two tanks into one (the size of the tank permitted this)to ... A: Plecos look pretty peaceful but they can be highly territorial and aggressive about maintaining ... | ||
| Coldwater mollies | 3/19/2007 | Kathryn |
| Q: I have recently bought some coldwater mollies, one male one female, a few days after buying the ... A: Mollies are not coldwater fish, so will not take kindly to being in coldwater environment. They will ... | ||
| Parrot Ciclid blotchy discoloration | 3/19/2007 | Nicole Putnam |
| Q: I have a 40 gallon tank with 2 parrot Cichlids and a Angel. All are about 3 years old. One of the ... A: Good evening Sandy, thank you for your question. I encourage you to redirect your question to Ron ... | ||
| Help | 3/19/2007 | Amber Worman |
| Q: I am 11 years old and I recently had beta It lived 3 years, Well it died. I want a new one, but mine ... A: Here's are a few things to look for: Body A betta's body should be streamlined and full. It should ... | ||
| Bettas,new tank and tankmates | 3/18/2007 | Kathryn |
| Q: I have a new 20 gallon fish tank and was planning on putting one male betta, 8 neons and 2 Cory ... A: A tank needs to be cycled before you add fish otherwise the fish will most probably simply die. You ... | ||
| Neon's | 3/18/2007 | Kathryn |
| Q: I have recently set up a 28 gallon bow front, This tank is still in it's intiall cycling stage,( ... A: I'm glad it worked for you. Bala sharks need around 180 litres (yours is around 110 litres) so that ... | ||
| Black specks in tank | 3/18/2007 | Nicole Putnam |
| Q: I've had a 5 gal tank for a few months with just one spotted cory cat in it until 3 days ago when I ... A: Good evening Allison, thank you for your question. It sounds like your cory cat was in bad shape ... | ||
| Neon's | 3/18/2007 | Kathryn |
| Q: I have recently set up a 28 gallon bow front, This tank is still in it's intiall cycling stage,( ... A: Even 0.1 of ammonia or nitrite can be harmful, so make sure they are 0.0 exactly. 30 percent water ... | ||
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Fish
Answers by Expert:
Ron Coleman
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish). Please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. I keep fishes both as a scientist and as a hobbyist and I currently maintain about 140 aquariums.
Experience
I am an Associate Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page
Publications
Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Education/Credentials
PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)
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