it's very odd...
i clean the tank out nightly
and it's never dirty
although i know the balance and "dirty" are two different things

i'll get my own kit i think
although the test they did was for nitrate and ph balance i think?
but will get one of my own so i can do it as and when i needed it

im a little confused about some fish keeping things (mainly the water)
but had a good read of esfa's cycling thread when i first got him and feel a little more educated

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to be honest i rarely clean my tank, i clean the external filter and syphon out a little water when the plecs make a mess and it needs sooked up but i try to avoid taking water out. if you get your own kit test your water straight from your tap and also stale water thats sat for at least 24hrs, ours is so bad i can no longer stomach drinking it, the ammonia is through the roof.
my tank has been running for about 2yrs now and i dont have any problems until its time to give it a little clean then i have to fight to balance it again, mind you live plants would help me but the plecs just treat them like an all you can eat buffet

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The Zoo5.3.0 Ferrets1.0.3 Corn Snakes1.0.0 Common Boas1.1.0 Dogs3.1.0 Cats1.0.0 Love Birds1.0.0 African Dwarf Frogs10.6.20 Tropical Fish

yeaaah was thinking we have a lot of crispa in the pond
ideal for oxygenation etc?
xxx

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Def need to get it done for all 4 I mentioned in the other post. I would buy them your selves, like someone else said, its £20 or so for them... they last a while.

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thanks ash!
defo will
also thinking about getting a better filter as im not satisfied the one that came with the tank is doing it's job

xxx

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Cool, sounds like a plan Let us know how you get on

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Try feeding a cooked, deshelled pea every once in a while.

Helps with bloating which can cause swim bladder problems, i believe.

(im no good with illnesses) lol

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i find this question alot or have been asked it many times.what is the best way to kill a fish.i will give my view on this but not to say if it is right or wrong.

if you have a fish and you know you cannot do no more for it...i wet a towel in warm water i then wrap the fish up in the towel.then i will place the fish in the freezer.then temp will drop very slow for the fish and will just go into deep sleep.

Mine love peas- we feed them as treats

Could you be cleaning him out too often? Ours have a 25% water change about once a month.

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Berni, Macey's other half and mummy to:
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon- Spike
1.0.0 Royal Python- Monty
0.3.0- Chickens- Eeny, Meeny & Miney (White Leghorns)

On Holiday at 4* Hotel Berni: 0.0.1 Herman Tortoise- Herbie

Freezing is definitely not recommended. I cant find any 'proper' links, but TFF says:

"Freezing them to death, this method causes pain and immense stress."

And Merck Vet Manul (god-like) says:

Acceptable Methods:
Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics, CO2, tricaine methane sulfonate, benzocaine hydrochloride, 2-phenoxyethanol

Conditionally Acceptable Methods:
Decapitation and pithing, stunning and decapitation/pithing

EDIT: here we go. This is the report that the recommendations from Merck Manaul are written from:

http://www.lal.org.uk/pdffiles/LA2.pdf

It says:
"Hypothermia Putting fish into a freezer or
crushed ice prolongs the period of consciousness
in fish and does not reduce the
ability to feel pain; therefore it should not be
used as a method of euthanasia."

and

"In freshwater fish the water will freeze before
internal ice crystals form. However, it must be
remembered that cooling does not reduce the
ability to feel pain.
Overexposure to an"

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