Skoll

The only spray I've used is one of those long term contact type ones... more for crawling insects like cockroaches... The main reason I don't have any problem with flies or flying insects is that I have a fair number of carnivorous plants. Two pitcher plants in the kitchen, about six pots with venus flytraps, and a whole lot of different types of sundews that I get a huge amount of seeds from... they practically grow like weeds. Bugs don't stand much of a chance with all of those on the windowsills. The oddest thing is I still need to spray pyrethrum on the plants to get rid of aphids... they're too small to get caught/stuck/etc. Gavin.... :)

Wow... such an enormous topic that it's hard to make much of a comment without writing a thesis! John covered most of the basics very well. Another good place to start is the report of the "Royal Commission on Genetic Modification". As John so rightly said, the "glo" genes are a "marker" gene, which are usually attached to the intended genetic material so that the researcher's can tell which cells have successfully taken up the material to be inserted. In something like a bacteria the "marker" would be a gene that causes resistance to an antibiotic, so that when the particular antibiotic is applied to the petrie dish only those bacteria which have taken up the wanted genetic material will be left. I myself am not against GE as a whole. Some of the applications have huge value. And of course, in theory, all of this work should be performed with the "precautionary Principle" in mind. With people being people, this isn't the case and silly risk is of course taken. The ethics invovled could fill a whole other novel! What I find offensive is the overly emotive and uninformed hate that has been seen. As in anything there absolutely are significant possible risks and benefits. And completely without doubt there will be large issues that arise. Better stop there... there's so many things could go into such as bioreactors, genetic screening... Whew, done... Gavin

I've never used water ager. I do however have all the water for changes in containters in the bottom of my hot water cupboard. Doesn't warm them too much and lets any chlorine settle out. Does make water changing a significantly greater chore than it would be otherwise. On the plus side, swinging 20kg bottles of water around is good exercise, and I do have almost 100 litres of water in case of earthquake, which is a good thing when you live between a couple of active fault lines. Gavin.... :)

Petone and Korokoro are on the artesian supply still and is unchlorinated and unflouridated from memory. Managed to contact the right person at local council to get some water info, but it was a few years back. They do raise the pH to 7.2 to meet NZ drinking water requirements. I had major cyanobacteria problems when living in Korokoro, so it possibly has a fairly high nutrient content (guessing), but that's cleared up now I've moved to Maungaraki which has a different supply. Gavin

I suppose I'd better introduce myself before I start asking questions that have in all likelihood been answered before. I'm 30 and have lived in Lower Hutt practically all of my life and became interested in fish pretty early on in life with my parents having a single tank for most of my early years, a gool ole undergravel filter. I currently have three tanks of between 150-200 litres, two between 150-100, and three less than 50 litres. Oh and another tank outside which only has a couple of lily's in it. I find maintenance a chore, so despite liking well planted tanks, I stick largely with the simple and low tech, java fern on wood with floating indian fern. Quick list of fish is an Oscar, 2 redspot plecs, 2 Kribs, 50-70 angelfish (they just bred and are free to a good home if you come and pick them up), 3 Flying fox's, 10 Glowlight tetra's, 5 "emerald eyes", 4 Otto's, 1 paradise fish, 1 guppy, a bristlenose, and 40+ "leopard fish (apparently a goodeid according to a post on this forum and again can be given away). I was a member of the WAWGS a couple of years ago but due to time constraints (getting married, buying a house, and sport) couldn't make it to meetings and am currently not a member of any club. Time to take a breath... Oh, and Skoll is the name of my cat. Gavin