Insect Direct

xmas moss is good but needs to be on a damp substrate (like java) or be misted, at least, daily. sphagnum moss is good also, but i think you will find the same for most mosses, but im all ears if there is something that likes drier surroundings ... sphag seems to need moderate to high light. if you want live sphagneato http://www.magicmoss.co.nz/locator.asp

thats a good deal for a dog + gecko enclosure :lol:

Think I just used standard old polyurethane for my lizard setup. Was thinned/cleaned with turps so cant of been waterbased? Think I was told to get acrylic, who by, who knows. Also found a pond sealer in bunnings. Suppose to be non toxic (for fish ponds so must be reasonably ok). Goes on like thinned pva glue, dries hard. needs lots of coats, mdf sucked it up hard. About 100bux for 4L? Id go with polyurethane, just takes a good couple of weeks to go off/set (heat the room if you can) and air out .. . not sure if 100% safe but she be rite :slfg:

Had a we visitor at the back door tonight. Second one I've found in the last six months. Fair to say I have my croak fine tuned :lol:

Since my frog tanks are empty, have snails, and I needed to strip them down anyway. Thought id try the bleach first. Tank: 35L water - with about 30L sand substrate - drift wood and xmas moss.added airstone to circulate bleach, put heater in, got to about 26C. Day 1: 15ml bleach put strainght into tank. Some snails curled over almost immediately, within 30mins the rest of the snails either dead or immobile but not dead. Also noticed a couple of planaria on the glass shrivel up ad die within seconds .. guilty . . I may have squirted bleach directly on them :lol: Day 2: notice at least 3 snails still alive. :evil: Another 15ml bleach goes in. Nice white foam on water surface. Day 3: Water a bit murky. Good number of dead snails on substrate. Still found a couple of snails alive. Didnt look flash but dam theyre robust. Gave up, and just stripped tank down. Mainly because water was going white, and thought it may damage the silicon :dunno: So yeah probably not worth the time of day. but may be dosage wasnt enough, xmas moss seems to have survived.

Thats it, I'm a bit weary about the unknown brands. Thank you for your advice, may contact a uni. Yes please, any 'handy things' accepted here :lol:

never heard of them? malls on earth?

anybody? anything ...... purchased one of tm before? ... let us know ... choice on tm .... http://www.trademe.co.nz/Antiques-collectables/Clocks-scientific-instruments/auction-401493795.htm http://www.trademe.co.nz/Antiques-collectables/Clocks-scientific-instruments/auction-400578362.htm http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=400121452 > konus college one is extremely cheap overseas. then theres amscope like this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=399529905 amscope seem to have a bad wrap when it comes to customer service. but they are having a huge sale (52% off) at the moment, not to keen on purchasing off shore though so :dunno: http://store.amscope.com/t490b.html

Cool, backgrounds all round. Those frogs look happy, well the male may be. :sml2: I've wanted to attempt making a background something like that for some time. One day, one day I will.

toxic ozone, oh man, looks like another late night in google land.

It's a very weird smell, cant put my finger on what it is like/ or where I've smelt something similar. Only just noticed this in last few weeks/clicked where it was coming from. Uv been running for a few months and never seen such clear water but the smell has me puzzled. Gave the canister filter a hose out yesterday as it was probably overdue.. but this morning the smells just as bad. Almost salty / chlorine like but i dunno. It's not pleasant anyway.

My UV fiilter has a very peculiar smell to it, can't explain it ... does anyone know if this is normal for UV filters, or may be it's a sign something is out of balance? Tia

whats the bet they make a flying pig next :slfg:

Pretty cool, wonder what shes like in the wind. http://www.mandmtoys.com/air-swimmers cheap, but sold out

Just reading a bottle of snail rid. Seems it is not as simple as putting it in and hey presto. First thing it says "DO NOT use in aquariums with soft water" Further down ...."This product is toxic to fish in soft water, and incorrect use can lead to fatalities" Must work, but still dodgy. Does anyone know if it's possible to neutralise copper? I like the bleach idea, as seems it can be neutralised with white vinegar and or a dechorinator.

the ones on tm appear to be like this version - based on date format etc. Not great but not bad bang for buck really. Just need a heli so I can test it properly. Could take the glider out but probably should stick to the simulator, based on last flight, for now :sml2:

may be worth trying a quarry, last time i went and asked for some river sand, for a fish tank, they just told me to help myself. doubt most quarries would charge you much, if anything for a few rocks.

best kept dry. humidity can cause respiratory issues. have kept inlands with and without a water bowl. without they seemed to eat more greens But i also think they appreciate fresh water in a bowl. Keep an eye on the eyes, if dehydrated they start to sink in.

Wonder if you could remove the fish to a temporary tank for a day or three. Add bleach in small doses every couple of hours until you see the snails dieing. When happy all dead. flush tank with hose/ do huge water changes then add some dechorinator to neutralise bleach. Add a couple of guppies to check tank is safe. if all good a day or two later start putting your fish back in. May kill bacteria in filter so would pay to test water regularly for week or two after as may have to, more or less, cycle the tank again. Anyone think there is merit to that? or ..... any other suggestions. edit: not sure it will kill the snail eggs...

why is that? just curious.

some people like being spanked :lol:

I'm looking at purchasing a microscope. The usb one (Digimicro) just doesn't cut it. I want one I can mount my Canon 550D to ... Any advice, like where to purchase, what to look for etc, would be greatly appreciated

I keep mine from 22-26C 20-28C is what one of the zoo's in Aus recommends. Under 20C they hardly grow.