CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

All interesting information I enjoy reading your ideas. Sorry about your O 6 years isnt to bad though Whats the longest or most common age they will get to do you guys reckon? I must be the lazyiest fish keeper ever i do probably 25% water changes weekly + grval vac, sometimes it turns into every 10 days, only touch the filter once a month as long as the water flow remains good, i do test that ocassionaly, along with rest of important water tests. I also prefer the gravel just a thin layer, i had pebblels but dosn,t look natural enough for me and found it actully harder to keep clean, i have a large plec that shifts it all around and stirs it up. Ive tried to find different fish to do all tank cleaning duties for me, so far its working, water and glass remains clear and clean, im fortunate to have good tap water, so use no additives.

One question if you use hot water are you sure copper contaminats get into water ( i don,t use warm water), cause isnt beer brewed or the water stilled in copper kettles if so if your a keen beer drinker eg like a fish!! would that not have some kind of an affect on us.

I think the heat draws more copper into the water, and yes I'm sure it's toxic but it also depends on the levels.
zeolite filters and carbon remove copper, but copper is also useful as a disease treatment for any sort of barb. Right now I have a tank of cherry barbs with columnaris and white spot at the same time, got a small stick of copper in there. Can't remember what it does but it works. I always chuck copper in with tiger barbs, green barbs and gold tiger barbs when I get them out of quarantine. Just helps somehow, I had it explained to me a couple of years ago, but stuffed if I remember how it helps.

A bit of cut and paste:
Copper kills bacteria
Copper could help reduce infections in our hospitals, schools and public buildings.

Thousands of tests of copper metal samples under highly controlled laboratory conditions have confirmed the ability of copper and copper alloy surfaces to control the growth of bacteria.

Researchers have shown that alloy surfaces containing more than 65% copper will kill 99% of bacteria within 2 hours, with bacteria remaining inactive for 24 hours or more.

Eighty percent of infectious diseases are transmitted by touch. To the naked eye, stainless steel and aluminium surfaces appear to be clean yet still harbour deadly microbes. These microbes rarely survive on copper for longer than 90 minutes, making copper alloys ideal for common touch surfaces such as door handles, push plates and hand rails, particularly in health care and educational facilities where concerns over infection are highest.

Copper has proven effective against common disease-causing bacteria such as E.coli, streptococcus and staphylococcus. The common flu virus, Influenza A, has trouble surviving on copper, as does Aspergillus niger, a common mould found in air conditioning systems. It is even effective against one of the more virulent strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria associated with hospital-acquired infections, Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA).

The International Copper Association is now working with the manufacturers of hospital equipment and hardware to ensure they are fully informed of the benefits of copper touch surfaces. Scientists also continue to test the effectiveness of copper against an increasing number of super bugs, fungi and viruses.

I can remember spending an entire afternoon redecorating my tank. I put in big and small rocks, plants, ornaments and air stones. When I got done it was beautiful. And it lasted less than an hour. The fish, expecially the Oscars, decided they wanted it otherwise. Now I just put in a couple of rocks, a few pieces of slate and a big bell and let it go at that. I do like course gravel. I like the way the fish make holes and hills and different contours. it's really neat to see.

Yea, I also found it was easier to manage with less things for them to pull and move and a thin layer of gravel was enough for them to have fun cleaning their slate etc..

well there we go, if only copper wasn't toxic I'd use it for everyone.

My oscars have a few terracotta pots, few blocks of limestone and gravel. Very boring but they're happy.