Answers

Hello All!

Kee Huat had a question about leaving lights on 24/7 and Romi had a question about raising Moina, Dero Worms, and Snails together. Little Miss noticed an improvement in the health of her fish using green water. Philip saw the light, while Joe had a question about Blue Moscows as regards Lace Snakeskins.

Kee, leaving lights on 24/7 does not appear to have any effect on the fish whatsoever. It is merely a precaution against a green water crash, which causes oxygen depletion at a rapid rate.
Actually, a 14-16 hour photo period is more than enough to prevent a green water crash. So, you can enjoy the benefits of greenwater and still allow your guppies to rest.

Romi, yes, yes, I did, in fact, raise the snails, Dero Worms, and Moina together. Absolutely! The snails (Red Ramshorn) produce an infusoria along with infusoria produced by the Dero Worms that fed the Moina. The only problem I experienced was that my tap water was lethal over the long haul to the Dero Worms. Perhaps it was too hard or high in pH.

The trick is to use rainwater mixed with a slight amount of tap water, well aged, and leave a light on(100 watt spiral flourescent) over, say, a 10 gallon tank until the water becomes green. Aeration is really necessary, too. Then add your Moina/Dero Wormculture to the mix along with some Red Ramshorn snails.

Believe it or not, Amazon Sword Plants, or Cryptocorne Becketti( they do NOT melt like other Crypts) either in pots (I use the bottoms of 2 liter soda bottles) with peat moss/potting soil topped with gravel, make a PERFECT addition to this set-up. They grow wonderfully in the green water!!! Always start back up cultures!!!

Little Miss, it is true that green water aids in guppy health. Green water is full of infusoria, and, in fact, you can even sustain newborn egglayer fry like Bettas, etc., in green water. Anything that can sustain the newborn fry of an egglayer will at the very least be beneficial to livebearers.

Green water keeps ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate levels down, and oxygenates the water as well. It truly is a win-win situation.

Some show breeders change 20% of their water twice a week; some, 40% three times a day! LOL Overdoing anything is courting disaster. Clean water is definitely necessary; however, so long as ammonia and nitrites are low, and trace elements still present in the water, the water is "clean" as relates to your guppies. We are not washing dishes in it or drinking it. LOL Some beneficial bacteria, protozoans, and infusoria are appreciated by the guppies-- even if we would not necessarily want to drink it. Good guppy water will have a natural smell to it, much like pond or river water. The currator of the London Aquarium said that keepers of freshwater aquaria need not concern themselves with nitrates-- that is more a concern with saltwater. So, if frequent water changes work for some, so be it. However, it is highly unnecessary.

As much as I enjoyed culturing Grindal worms, Dero Worms, Moina, and as much as I may have hatched live baby brine shrimp and religiously changed water (in my early days), I never could see any benefit or advantage to any of it as regarded the health, beauty, quality, or size of my fish. Never. It was, in fact, my wife who pointed this out to me. Had it not been for her, I might still be on that crazy train, with bottles of brine shrimp hatching and bubbling everywhere, and siphon hoses and buckets strewn about! LOL

A good flake food from Tetramin or another major brand, a well-seasoned box filter, and a 20% monthly water change seemed to be about as good as it got.

Philip, I am glad that discussion is behind us. The thing with the Lace Snakeskin is that it is actually the females that determine what is and is not a Lace Snakeskin! LOL Just like with humans, the female calls the shots. The Lace-caudalled snakeskin has a unique female. She is the "Plain Jane" of guppy females, short, cobby, round-caudalled, and essentially colorless. She is the epitome of a neutral female, and can even be used with solid colored strains to good effect, as she seems to not interfere with the solid caudal of the desired strain.

Joe, I am not sure entirely of your question; but, if you refer to a Russian, or Metal Head Lace Snakeskin, the "lace" properties would, again, be found on the tail or caudal fin. Many Metal or Russian Snakeskins are, indeed, Lace Snakeskins. Some are not, depending on the caudal pattern.

The Asians determined at one point that Lace was X-linked. Regardless, it only interacts with the gene for snakeskin (typically on the Y chromosome). JoAnn Davis, a Canadian breeder with the IFGA, once had a lovely canary yellow Variegated Snakeskin she claimed would produce Lace Snakeskins if used with the "right" female. Of course, this would be a short, cobby, round-tailed, patternless, essentially colorless female of the type described above that carried the lace trait. Rarely, a Lace Snakeskin female will show an ever so slight lace pattern in her caudal. For some reason, most show breeders refrain from using those and use only those with the clearest caudal.

Virtually all other varieties of snakeskin will exhibit giant females with an array of tail types including delta, Robson (shark), as well as others, and have a discernable pattern on their caudal.
Some of these might even carry a single gene for Lace(heterozygous) and throw a percentage of Lace Snakeskin males. They can be quite colorful as well.

Lace Snakeskins are a useful fish; however, they do tend to throw more than their fair share of veils (as any show breeder will tell you), as well as the occasional double sword or "lyretail" as well. This is all part of their uniqueness.

Cheers!