Re: Green Water

["Scott Davis" <unclescott at prodigy_net>]

> A snug fitting screen over the tubs is the only answer least they drain
> your blood from your veins and fly away with you.

Another possibility is to get some fine mesh nets, such as one would use to
net daphnia out of a container. Pour your greenwater through one. Let the
green water go into a bucket, rinse the net into a jar of clean "seasoned"
water. If you are fortunate enough to have a set of sieves with different
meshes, these harvestings can be sorted into different jars and fed to
appropriately sized killies.

Some really tiny mossie larvae and other micro larvae may slip through with
the greenwater. However that soup may be just what is needed for really
small fry.

By the way, those things that look like a fingernail pulled tiny pieces of
charcoal off and dumped them on the water are mosquito egg rafts. They can
be dried on a towel and fed to fry at your leisure. A couple of egg rafts
left before going away for the weekend can keep the small fry happy.

As for those "hard shell guys," I'm guessing you are talking about the
mossie pupae which look like commas on speed. Drop them in with lineatus or
some Epiplatys. They will go nuts over them and usually feed on the pupae
before they will go after the linear larvae. Just do make sure that there
isn't enough top cover to for them to hide in. In just a couple of hours at
room temperature, they will undergo a metamorphosis into the marriage
wreaking bloodsuckers we've come to loath.

Notice that the "pikelings" such as the Aplocheilus, Panchypanchax and
Epiplatys, with the dorsal fins slanted back, are designed to float right at
the water's surface. Obviously they are designed to snarf down mosquito
larvae.

I used to buy those fine meshed nets at Chicago's late and lamented
Aquamarines shop (our killie emporium of the late '80s and very early 90s).
About ten year ago I ordered a bunch of them from That Pet Place. Just
lately the last of that collection wore out. I purchased several of
different sizes from Mark Barnett's Jonah's Aquarium at
http://jonahsaquarium.com/ . The brand they carried is Easy Catch Aquarium
Net peddled by Blue Ribbon Pet Products, Inc. 75 Modular Ave.  Commack, NY
11725 (made in China). (Naturally there is no financial interest in any of
these places, yada-yada...)

I do try to buy locally, but these may need be purchased from a distance.
(Almost all my favorite local lfs have been extirpated by the big box
stores.) Probably several other correspondents on this list have favorite
local, mail order or Internet venders they could recommend.

An additional advantage of using fine mesh nets is that they are easier on
the fins of fish. Still use a jar with fry. Your nets may wear out faster
than the bigger spaced, heavier nets would, but your fish, especially spiny
catfish, sunfishes and chicklets will thank you.

All the best!

Scott


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