tHEcONCH

Well, in just a couple of days the Angel has knocked the algal growth back, there are no more 'random bits' floating around, and the whole tank seems happier. It must be a kind of balance thing, I guess. :lol:

I think people are getting a bit confused here - Tubifex worms imported from asia have had a chequered history, but Blood worms aren't anywhere near as problematic. As part of a balanced diet, they are great.

Well, I'm about to put a new Flame Angel in... Shall I call him 'Thermal II - return of the Thermal' or 'Thermal Strikes Back'?

Start over Unless you get them all, they'll keep reproducing. I understand some fish will eat them too (I don't know which).

There's a Critter Kingdom on BLENHEIM road, and a Pet World on FERRY road.

Borders have copies

Are you allowed a clam?

I don't want this thread to turn into a slagging match - my hope is that by learning a little more about the supply chain, we can all play our part a little better, i.e. Suppliers supplying more consistently, retailers ordering a reasonable quantity and mix, and customers telling retailers what they want and not grisseling about awesome corals costing more than crappy ones, etc.

Sounds like you need to feed a little less - fat fish are not happy or healthy - they are generally just fat, bloated and die early, just like people.

Flukes are parasites that attach themselves to the fish - some flukes attach to the skin, others to gills. There is a particular fluke that only afflict Discus. They are tiny and you won't be able to see them with the naked eye. They are the fish equivalent of hair lice. Your UV sterilizer is useless against them because they are on the fish, not in the water. You can usually tell if your fish has them by the way the behave - darting around, bashing against objects etc as the flukes bit on. You can buy Prazi from a vet (you might have to pay a consult charge as well - ring first), or sometimes at rural traders (CRT etc), otherwise put an ad in the buy/sell and someone may have a few extra they want to sell. Using Prazi won't harm plants.

The 'pointy cone' type ones, rather than the normal 'scroll' type shells.

Does anyone know where I can get Turbo snails in Christchurch?

Keeping them callibrated is the problem - those that work by electrical impedance through the water are very accurate, but the probes don't last long and are expensive to replace. Basic chemical reagents are accurate enough for what most people do.

I agree - I always wash the crud out of the top (fine ) layer of wool - the Biological filtarion remains intact throughout the rest of the pump (not washed, only drained and refilled with old tank water).

Unless you are doing a MAJOR re-arrangement, I'd leave them in the tank and try to not stir too much crud around, then swoosh some water over them once you are done to get the settled sediment off them.

I'd agree - probably flukes.

That suggests Gill Flukes.

Aqua Ones are OK for the money. Jaeger last forever.

Read my post in this thread... http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/discus ... 24860.html

A bigger tank certainly won't hurt the situation. What have you got to loose?

Marine has to be one of the most naturally exciting aspects of the hobby, but it ironically is probably the aspect least catered for in most shops. This isn't pointed at anyone in particular (I know some of you have vested interests), but to a newbie the lack of availablility is one of the key problems in getting into marine (Price is the other obvious one, but as I've already said I don't mind paying for quality and understand better than most that suppliers have to make a margin). I've been fortunate enough to be given frags from a tank that was being torn down, without which I'd have had very limited options - especially in an RSM where Coral compatibility has to be considered more carefully. I'm all for supporting local industry and suppliers (and I know I'm paying more than I have to to do it) and hope that by pointing out my experiences as a newbie, suppliers and retailers might realise that there is a demand that they are yet to answer. There is a market to be developed and money to be made - just remember to look at it from the customer's point of view and apply some basic business principles - If you look after your customer base by supplying a desirable product at regular intervals (whatever the price point) and the market will grow.

Hey don't take this the wrong way - I'm more than happy to pay for quality - as some of you know from what I paid for some of those pieces in my tank. I also support my LFS, because without them doing marine would be just too difficult. That said, there are times when I've had money in my pocket but no place to spend it.

They are definitely nippers - probably not the best tankmates for your fighter.

Really? I must go and have a look...

Redwood and Organism are the only ones that appear to be carrying stock - Critter Kingdom and Pet World seem to have pulled the plug (and in the case of the latter, probably a good thing given the number of totally inappropriate fish they imported - how many Batfish can the Christchurch market take? 1? Batfish should be on the reef)