alanmin4304

I have heard the rumour that some were crossed and are around.

Doubt I will make it but all the best. Still catching up on time lost having a ball up north last week. See how we go.

Thanks for the correction I got myself mixed up with a bit of the old and a bit of the new.

Either way they are getting out and need to be prevented.

Some very modern ballasts can sense the tube being used and adjust to suit but I would doubt that that is what you have so the ballast will put out too much and overload your smaller tubes. Sometimes the ballast can be used to supply power to 4 tubes of the same total wattage as before but each tube would need its own starter.

When I inadvertantly bought some plants off trademe that spoke with a Singaporean accent I had a visit from two people, one of which was Jeff Storey LLB (investigator) whose Email addy is: [email protected] I am sure he would be interested in a return visit to Christchurch in the middle of winter.

Manufactured by Marlin Carpets in Christchurch I would think. Axminster no doubt and pure wool including Drysdale. They were the days.

I think having a breeding pair of jewels and a breeding pair of convicts in the same tank is similar to putting in two male fighters and saying "please be nice now"

With NZ being a mainly temperate climate there are not many plants that like tropical conditions. Most found in shallow water are there because they need strong light.

Fish also produce nitrogen from a number of sources not just ammonia. Proteins are a string of phosphates with amino acids hung off them and when the bacteria die they provide phoshates and nitrogen as well as other things that contribute to the load. My point was that fish actually produce what they produce and the balance created is exactly what is required. I think that sometimes we over complicate things with science when all that is required is to "take small steps grasshopper"

Dead bacteria contribute to the out of balance bio load.

I think that would go down as well as your fish did---well done

That is what it looks like to me also. Common down here as well. Doesn't do well in a tropical tank.

There is more than one way to do things but I have never seen an accurate equation that will tell you the amount of ammonium hydroxide that will be produced by the fish that you intend to put in the tank so that you can add the correct amount to create the bacterial balance required for the intended fish to be added. However it goes without saying (but I will say it) that the fish that you add will produce absolutely the same amount as the fish that you add (apologies to the Irish) I believe that fishless cycling probably causes more stress on the fish because of the ease of getting the balance completely wrong. Planting the tank and getting the plants established then adding fish slowly seems to me far more humane.

If you have the temperature up there round 30 deg you should be sweet.

Blue light makes for compact plants and red for skinny and tall (generally)

All the Bacopa I have seen for sale in the shops has been grown emersed.

It is the height of the water which can be a problem not the length of the tank.

I have very good electronic thermostats on mine that read the temperature and have a minimum hysteresis of one degree. The cost over $100 and came from Homershams in Christchurch. Argossy in Christchurch also make the undertank heaters--- you give them the footprint and the wattage and they make it up all enclsed in aluminium foill. They were about the same price but earthed, reliable and safe.

Most waterways in NZ are not 22-26 deg. This is a country with mainly temperate climate. The problem is not usually temperature but light. There is a variety of Sag which does not not grow tall and only needs moderate light (will do better in good light) called Sagittaria microfolia. Otheres needing good light but remaining shortish would include Echinodorus quadricostatus, tenellus latifolius, tenellus tenellus, tenellus parvula. They all need pretty good light and a bit of calcium.

It is hard to landscape an aquarium so it is viewed from either side but looks good.

Strain ones

New year

Not as cold as jandels

Happy New Year