Paul

Ive been known to add strips of glass on the inside over cracks with generous use of silicone, This tends to be only on smaller tanks ie under 3ft and not deep ie under 15in depth. I consider this to be only a very temporary measure. I have never left a cracked bottom panel in place and glued a whole new bottom in/out (depends who we talk to on this one ) I will just remove the cracked sheet and replace the whole thing. Replacing the whole sheet is the best option it allows you to clear away any trace of the old silicone and have complete clean joints once again. You then must work out why the sheet cracked in the first place! I have had and built many hundreds of aquariums over the years and I think I could count the number of cracked tanks that I have had set up using my fingers.

Hi killifan, Lead is used to keep bunches together and so shops don't have to plant the plants at all and can just drop them into the plant sale tanks ready to go as is.(cant have shops doing work with bunch plant's to justify the 300%+ mark up on them now can we ) This is just fine for short term but the problem is when the base of stems get crushed with the lead around them, this happens all the time. Most stem type plants are in bunches from 3-5 stems per bunch with the lead wrapped around them all to hold them together now if even one stem is crushed in that bunch and you just pushed the whole lot including lead into your substrate, This stem will rot. The other stems around this rotting one will more than likely also rot at the same point. Then the whole lot floats up and you end up planting each stem on its own anyway (the correct way to plant). And you now have a lump of lead in your substrate, This may not cause you any problems for now so instead of digging around in the substrate to find the lead again it tends to be left in the tank. Most plant tanks end up having quite a few bunch type plants being added over a few years and you guessed it the substrate becomes littered with little bits of lead all through it and in the end you strip the tank and set up again with new substrate. Stem plants do 'sometimes' grow just fine wrapped in lead, The roots coming out of nodes above the lead and reaching down into the substrate. So while some people may just drop bunch plants with lead still wrapped around them into the tank the number of these people that have success with these bunch plants will be below the average when compared to those that remove the lead and plant the stems correctly. I highly recommend people to take the time in the first place and plant plant's correctly.

Everything you ever wanted to know about apple snails can be found on this very well built site right here I could have given you a few ideas about them but that link is the best on the net when talking apple snails, so you may as well spend your time browsing at the right place.

Hi Tony If you only have the two EC (Labidochromis caeruleus) then your best bet at introducing them at all together is to place them both into a new tank set up at the same time. one that includes several areas that are able to be considered a territory for each fish. If you try to add one fish to another's territory you will have conflicts and lots of them from the fish that had made the tank its own territory in the first place. Failing success in adding two fish to a new tank at the same time your other choice is to remove the dominant one for several weeks and let the weaker one establish the tank as its territory, Then add the dominant fish back and hope the the weaker fish is able to get the point across that the tank is its territory and the new fish has to earn an area for its self. Bottom line with most territory fish of this nature is the more the better this then spreads any aggression around. Typical African cichlid sp are the only tank set up that I say overcrowd and then do the maintenance to keep up with it. EC's are quite compatible with one another and other fish with similar tendencies.

Yea must have been the server, works ok now. Looks good very limited at this stage but thats easy fixed with time for them to further develop. Has anyone here been in the shop? is the fish list what's in stock or is it just a list compiled with wholesaler lists, also seems strange to be missing quite a few bread and butter sp. No guppies no swordtail's, platys etc. I might call in next time I pass if it is what's in stock.

DNS error for me with your link. And I could only find the chain store of sites in the UK when I tried a web search under the name of 'world of water'?

Yes Ech osiris has been used in quite a few genetic crosses in countries like Germany,Holland and many other places like Singapore, These are the main sources for new hybrids and lots of work done in these places over the last few years is now becoming available on there respective markets (Not in NZ) worth looking at sometime using a translator. I did not consider that name at all sorry Warren nothing made me think it was a cross with osiris. Leaf tissue between the veins looks very different most osiris based plants tend to have a semi transparent type tissue with cross veins easy to see, This unknown plant in question strongly shows the main mid veins only. I also considered the length of the petiole (leaf stalk) compared to the length of the leaf and the picture shows that the petiole is at least as long as the leaf, This is one of the points that stands out to me and made me think that it was not the plants I have named that I consider it is not to be in the above post. And a few other factors that I will not go into. Echinodorus are so variable under different conditions and even some of the common types are not always easy to ID 100% straight off. Just yell out if you get a flower spike Aqua, perhaps you might consider sending one of the offspring my way so I am able to grow this plant under different conditions until it reveals itself as to what is is exactly.

Ive been in this hobby for quite some time now and all I do is look around my place and all I see are Eheim's running strong, The reason for this is that all other brands have died a sad death from one thing or another. I have had many different filter's over the years. Ive had Eheim's run for 15 years and then bust an impeller shaft, Now with most other brands that I can think of this would be the end of the filter! But with Eheim spare parts are available right off the shelf still, not bad for anything that's 15 years at all. You do pay for it tho no denying this fact Eheim's cost! Long time commitment look strongly toward the Eheim short term look for what ever gives you what you require for the best bang for buck. Don't just look at flow rate this is the flow of max unimpeded water flow, With a strong motor flow rates are still kept high even with the restriction of filter medium, weaker motors have a noticeable drop in flow rate when the going gets tough and the pump has to work to pull the water through. So what might look like a high flow rate on the packaging might not be the case in operation on your set up. Only my own experience on the above and someone may totally disagree. Could always look at the fact that you could purchase two or three no name type brands for the cost of a Eheim, but I like to not worry about a filter dieing.

Remove the bottom and re-plant the top? I find the bottom sections become quite stalky looking with this plant and similar, I tend to only take a tip cutting once or twice before discarding the bottom and only re-planting the top section. Your other choice is to cut it down really quite short then the new growth starts near the base again.

I had not given up on this ID for you 95% of the swords that I know I have ruled out for various reasons. I am now considering a far smaller group that I know you are likely to be able to purchase in NZ. It is similar to plants like Echinodorus argentinensis (I have seen submersed growth look very much like yours, don't confuse emersed growth it is very much different most pics online are emerged, This is a very common plant that forgets to stop growing at times) , Ech pellucidus Sample Image (this one may have a different name nowdays still looking at times on this) But even the above names I am not happy with just yet. I do not consider it to be Ech paniculatus, Ech amazonicus, Ech bleheri for various reasons, these are all the so called Amazon swords. It could also very well be a hybrid or a throw back from another strain this is not uncommon, I often see strains having throw backs and not looking like the parent stock in any way, Marble queens are a classic example parent stock have the marble effects and yet the young can show no marble at all and are just green but with a similar shape leaf and growth habit to the mother plant, and in this example case it would also be hard to ID it would unlikely be ID'ed as a marble queen because of the all green leaf and yet it would not be fully ID'ed as anything else. Sorry Ira I am unable to agree that it looks anything like a borneo sword(Spatiphyllum wallisii) I look forward to other feed back that may point to a plant that I have not considered for you.

Anubias! I assume this is a tropical tank?

Run a search for your scarlet leaf with Google click the images tab and use the name ' Hemigraphis ' then press search, , You should find all that you need. Let me know if the plants that show up are not the one that you have. Did you check out Anubias? for the lilly looking bamboo one :roll: lol

Sorry Matthew but I have to give you a no answer for your first question and then a yes for your second question and then a no answer for your last question for now at least anyway. Over the summer months I will try and set up a list, several people here have been asking for plants. I just have not had the time or the spare stock to be able to help out. I will easily more than double this coming years output over last years dismal levels, The basic setup of my main tropical room will be complete over the next couple of months, Its then a matter of improving conditions (spending lots of $ on computer controllers) and building a few more smaller rooms for more specific environments.

You should be able to find some in the better Auckland shops. I just sent a plant order to Jansen's, But sorry no Glossostigma was ordered so none was sent. Just ask most of the shops can get some in for you. Shop price might be about $5.00 per pot at a guess, you would spend close to that on freight ordering from out of Auckland so you may as well pay shop price and get them to get you some in.

Hi Nooboon Other than the Aponogeton that you mention what other plants are you interested in ? I ask this because more plant species are in NZ than most people realize and its a matter of having the contacts to source them. Importing plants is quite a costly exercise,(quarantine set up and all the red tape) if you are only going to do it for a short term, and that really is the only alternative. The costs involved will be very hard to make back when competing for sales with NZ growers over the long term. I will also be looking into running a couple of orders some time in the future, only to supplement my own supplies of new species. But for now I am still building my new greenhouse. Contact me if you are going to import some plants I may be interested.

insulate the whole room the better job of this that you do it will pay off in winter heating and helps stop the room over heating in summer, I use sheets of 50-100mm poly then line the room over the top of this with sheets of ply/hardboard etc. Must use treated timber for any construction. Tank racks sit on concrete floor not on top of the poly used in the floor insulation, you need to cut the poly to fit tight around the base of the stands. Its good to have a water proof floor covering lino etc makes it very easy to wipe up the spills. I heat the whole room with a fan heater on a room thermostat this gives cooler temps on the bottom shelves for grow out tanks and warmer temps up top for spawning, and with out the need for mass wires heaters thermostats etc, also lets you can have some tanks empty or half full etc Run a main air line around the whole room so that it is easy to just join into and so that air pumps can be in one area.

Check that the Latin name shows that the babies tears is a Bacopa sp (B.caroliniana,B.lanigera or B.monniera) These are the plants that New Zealand aquarists refer to as being babies tears All three of these are being grown by me you can view pics of them and flowers at my web site. Babies tears may also refer to another plant under the name of Hemianthus another aquatic plant easy to grow or it could be Helxine this is not an aquatic plant and so on. Common names are not to be trusted that's all the name is a common name and will refer to different plants with who ever to may talk to. If you do have a Bacopa sp then it is just a matter of submersing it, all the Bacopa's are fast and easy to grow, pruning/cuttings are very easy just chop away with a sharp pair of scissors even a single leaf left to float can re-grow into a new stem. With regard to Peace lilies the correct one you should look for to grow submersed is Spatiphyllum wallisii, I have seen quite a few people using them along the back of the aquarium with the roots in the tank and leaves above, It prefers semi shade conditions and seems to do better in soft acid waters and not too hot i.e. <25c It is slower to grow submersed but is hardy and robust enough to withstand attacks from cichlids.

No Vallisneria gigantea listed any more

You should just pop over to Feiding Andrew. Local hydroponics why travel lol the owner is new but he has all you or anybody else would want, just tell him what you need he should be able to sort it out.

I dont like U/G but then I like to have the option open to be able to substrate feed plants if and when needed, you cannot add food spikes around heavy root feeders like swords(Echinodorus sp) the rapid flow of water will send it all into the water colume and you will end up growing mass algae. It is true that a good root system will oxygenate the substrate and keep it sweet any way. Just my 2cents worth couldnt let this thread pass.

The only thing that can be wrong is the rockwool.,This must be removed before planting or even being put in the aquarium. I dont like useing rockwool the only reason my plants will get shipped out with it is because shops like it, its easy for them to just plop into the for sale tanks.

I will be looking for your reply as well cees.

Hi Derek I think I would have to consider the time of year as being a contributing factor. I know with my plants the time of year does come into play more so than yours but I think it still applies. You should consider tank temps are often cooler at this time than during the summer months when room temp alone holds temps up and above what we have them set at and also light entering the tank from any room lighting like windows. I wouldn't worry about it at this stage provided all other growth is looking good many of the faster growing stem plants will show nutrient deficiency/excess faster. But in saying this one of the first things Echinodorus sp do when being stressed after having ideal conditions for a while is that they will rapidly produce flower spikes in an effort to reproduce quickly before the mother plant dies. It is a nice plant one I like myself keep up the good growing. Â

I have not moved far only to Feilding I needed a bigger section and a bigger plant room. This new set up will be good only prob is that its going to take a couple of years to get it how I want, looks like I have lost 3 sp of plants but considering what I have had to go through in moving all my stuff I guess its not bad two I can replace its only the Crypt lingua that might be hard if my back ups don't have it any more. I think the whole Anubias family needs a major sort most of the time its only guess work as to what we think we have and that depends on what referance we use anyway, I don't use Tropica's data base quite a few others are available that I consider superior. As for characteristics well I can think of none that you could use as a pin point unlike crypts :-? I only have to look at my nana and with the same plant I have seen it with white flowers and green and pale green/yellow etc and even size varies. What I consider to be the true one or what we can call it as being anyway has broader leaves and bigger than the nana but not as big as the Gigantea. This is not easy using words to describe a plant lol if cees calls around to your place a pic will be helpful but even then its not easy you can see mine in my plant profiles but I have not added a flower pic guess it just slipped my mind when I had the chance. That sample pic was growing submersed I am now growing it emersed to see if the form changes only time will tell I guess. Give me some time and then my place will be worth a good look when you are up this way it's a a sad sight at the moment. Â

A few plants around here are not on the list cees sorry I dont have the time to add them to your data base at this time. feel free to browse my plant profiles and view them. No prob with you useing my pics if credit is given