Adrienne

Hiya, I'll message you.

Bad luck about your tank but I really like those Fluval Chi's. From personal observations betta don't particularly like the Chi's if they are long finned variety but no doubt others have no issues. It's all to do with the water movement and few places to be able to get out of it. Your BN will be the biggest issue. They are messy and will put too much loading on the filter in a tank that size. Your harlequins may be okay. I've see guppies in the Chi tank and they were fine. Sumps are not my thing, I have someone else work out and build mine

That looks great!

Open to offers on the following rocks and or driftwood as pictured with the plants attached. Will sell individually or as one lot. Pick up Epsom. Please message with questions or offers. Needle leaf (I think it is fine needle leaf) attached to a rock Java fern or Needle leaf (not sure which) and Christmas Moss attached to rock Windelov attached to rock Driftwood with tiny amount of Christmas Moss attached Needle leaf (possibly fine needle leaf) attached to two rocks

Did you sell them to someone in ChCh? That water down there really seems to make them breed.

Twisted vallisineria. The slim tall twisty ones in this photo I still have a few left.

I have five young adult Julii Cory for sale, I have had them for around 15 months. They are exhibiting breeding behaviour but I can not confirm I have both sexes. Very healthy. $45 for the lot. Please do not ask for a photo of the fish as the tank is extensively driftwooded and planted, making photos impossible. Pickup Epsom, Auckland

I have quite a few twisted val plants for sale - healthy and putting out runners. $1 per plant or 12 plants for $10. I would prefer pickup from Epsom, Auckland but would look at sending if enough were purchased.

Run it in a sink or bucket with household bleach then rinse it thoroughly until you can't smell the bleach any more. You cando the same wth any filter sponges and also your tank and nets etc

and this one http://aquariumworld.nz/forums/topic/28942-diy-poly-backgrounds-again-sorry/#comment-354224

I went up to the search at the top right of this page and had a look around. Its a bit of a guess what terms to use but I came up with this thread http://aquariumworld.nz/forums/topic/18919-backgrounds-again-pics-added-16508/#comment-221566 which might be of some help to you.

Hi Reef tanks are expensive (there is not point in saying they are not) unless you go something like FOWLR - fish only with live rock (no corals) and even then the equipment you need is costly and they are time consuming. The sized tank you are looking at is not a bad size but if possible it would be better to go deeper ie 120L x 45H x 60D. This is because in nature reefs don't exist in the lower levels and corals need decent, although not always high light. Considerations re equipment for a tank that size Sump - with return pump - with skimmer - with heater Wavemakers - will be needed depending on the pump size, hardscape and types of corals ATO or ATU - automatic top off or top up (called either) as evaporation can be high RO/DI unit - essential if you are going to use tap/tank water, not so necessary if you are using NSW - natural salt water but the water around NZ has salinity of 1.027 and tropical marines are 1.022 - 1.025 Refractometer - to test salinity TDS meter Lighting - once again depends on what you are keeping. Are you thinking of tropical marine - or local marine (marines found in NZ waters)? If local marine you will require a chiller. Fish - the best bit of advice I was ever given was decide what you would like and check out compatibility before you purchase the first one. Corals - there are 'beginner' corals out there. I can assist with some 'easier care' frags to start you off. I am not going to tell you to research as I know from experience that you spend a lot of time doing research Patience, heaps of patience is the key. If you get impatient and think 'oh I am sure it will be okay' then trouble will likely happen. My big tank in the lounge - the one you saw empty is 150L x 60H x 50D - not the ideal height (lower and deeper would be better) but will give you some idea of the size yours would be. As far as sumps go - go as large as you possibly can. Sump design varies but if you look at my thread on here 'and so it begins' you will see the sump that was designed for me. NB the 'square' part of it on the right hand side, slightly higher is the ATO storage. My other marine has a plastic food grade barrel for storing the top off water. Once again, you are welcome to come and look and chat specifically about the marine tanks. I don't know it all and never will but I can put you on to people who will give you the right, and good advice. Good luck

Today Raymond plumbed the tank A big job! Right hand rear of tank Left hand rear of tank From a distance Front closeup My next decision is to where I place the controllers. Then the wires will be tidied up and in a couple of weeks a test on the plumbing etc will be run.

Putting the stress coat into the tank and attaching the hose will work as long as the temperature doesn't significantly change or change at all. Tap adaptors can be purchased from Mikefish in ChCh (on Trademe) and your hose clips on to them at the tap end so you can fill straight from the tap at the temperature you wish. You can also use the same adaptor to empty your tank but that works on a reverse suction system and your tap water flushes straight down the sink as well as the waste water

Excellent - that will be an amazing read.

Please be careful and make sure you are catching guppies and not gambusia, which look very similar but are a pest fish and illegal to catch.

Today the wire was run up the bedroom wall, through the ceiling cavity and down the lounge wall into the hall cupboard. The photos show it all Hole lounge side (sits just behind the tank) Power points in place in hall cupboard (backs the lounge wall) Lounge side with labelled cables for tank equipment Hall cupboard side with plugs in sockets - all labelled. Lighting box currently sitting on the carpet but will be placed on the wall. and the tank from the front

Lights aren't too bad but chiller adds a bit onto the rest of the loading. So lights, 500 watt heater, chiller, skimmer, pump, 2 x wavemakers, ATO to start with. Having a chiller in our lounge is not an option but I am wondering how much noise two chillers running will make - if both tank chillers come on at the same time

We live in a school house which is about 20 years old but had add ons done before our time. The one circuit feeds garage, kitchen (not range), lounge, dining room, sunroom, hall and bathroom and the wall the new tank set up will be on is on that circuit. We've known for a couple of years that it is fully loaded as having the dishwasher and clothes dryer on when I switch the vacuum cleaner on will trip the circuit, if the panel heater in the hall is also running. I've done the multi boards on multi boards in my time and once a fireman visiting to pick up fish told me that he sincerely hoped it was the only time he would visit looking at what I had done. However that room was a different house and had its own circuit.

It has been confirmed by my son in law, a registered sparky, that the loading this new setup is going to place on the circuit that runs to the sockets behind the tank - is going to more than overload it. Therefore this week he will be running cables through the ceiling from the circuit the master bedroom is on to enable the tank to operate. We have worked out that it will use a minimum of 6 amps at any given time. The hall cupboard sits around the corner from the tank so the new power sockets will be put in the cupboard and the multiplugs and light powerbox will also be in the cupboard. A hole will be cut in the wall to run the cables through and then a small cage placed over the inside of the cupboard to prevent any plugs being knocked when the vacuum cleaner is taken out or put back in. I will take photos of the progress if I am here when it happens. We can not add to our existing switchboard (if anyone was wondering why we just don't do that).

It does sound like there may be eggs - they may be on the underside of a rock or in a small hollow in the substrate. They can be very difficult to sight - you may see a shimmering on the substrate which could be wrigglers. Otherwise change up the hardscape a bit and give plenty of individual areas with broken lines of sight. It is not uncommon for rams to parent individually or take turns.

I haven't tried those. I replaced my T5 tubes with LED strips. They have adaptors so you can use the same reflectors and the strips clip in like the tubes. I got them from Aquarays - aquarays.co.nz I had red tiger lotus, anubias, crypts, twisted val, and some glosso in the tank which was 60cm deep and they seemed to work just fine.

Yes, I am greatly appreciative of the assistance and the work he is doing for me on this. I don't have the necessary experience and skill so being able to get someone to come and in organise the setup and do the build has been fabulous.

On Tuesday my lights, skimmer, pump, ATO and 2 x powerheads arrived.

T8 tubes? Depends on what plants you have as to what your options are with regards to LED, and also the height of the tank.