27 May 16 12:16, you wrote to me:   
      
    ml>> did you see my post on how to build an aquarium?   
      
    AP> Way above my skillset... I just keep tetras... and occasionally some   
    AP> livebearers but the babies always end up as food.   
      
   yep, i had the same thing with my black mollies, red swordtails and   
   corydorus'... the corys are egg layers... they stick'em to flat surfaces like   
   tall broad leaf plants and the side of the aquarium... i used to carefully   
   scrap'em off and put them in one of my hatching boxes... i started with two or   
   three corys... one was definitely a female... at the end i had at least 15 or   
   20 all herding around together in the tank... they acted very much like cattle   
   and other herd animals...   
      
    AP> I have a couple of black skirt tetras who's lips are turning dark...   
    AP> I'm sure I've had this happen before when I worked but now got nothing   
    AP> much to do but clean house and notice things.  Is this something to be   
    AP> concerned about?   
      
   a quick search for   
      
     https://www.google.com/search?q=black+skirt+tetras+dark+mouth   
      
   turns up the following links...   
      
     http://flippersnfins.yuku.com/topic/10627#.V0iCap7gU4E   
     http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=60754   
      
      
    AP> Also have a devil of a time keeping a Gourami alive any ideas?   
      
   i've never had gouramies before but i have had numerous ciclids... oscars   
   being the largest but i did have about 12 various ciclids at one time...   
   generally gouramies are hardy and easy to take care of... best if they are   
   with other fish of roughly the same size (eg: don't put them with larger   
   fish)... you also don't want too many of them or they will fight... one   
   article says one gourami or male and female pair of gouramies per 15   
   gallons... plus they can be shy so having some hiding places for them will   
   help to keep the stress down...   
      
     http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-a-Dwarf-Gourami   
      
   HTH   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... Electrical Engineers do it with less resistance.   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)