Cricketman

from : http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=58229

My eyes hurt... And I scored 86... Mind I just blasted at it, I bet if you took more time to check every tile against one next to it you'd do better...

For breeding Yellows (by far easiest) , you want 1M/3F, which I think may be pushing the 620 bit far really, even as a sole species tank... The fish will survive, but you really want them to thrive then I'd say that a 3ft tank would be minimum, but then you'll have space for a couple other species too. If you want a few bright species, a nice tank that will have the occasional breeding, go the dwarf route, they really are awesome, interactive fish too, which always helps... Dwarfs, few nice plants (which should grow alright under the AR lights- easy modifications are in the DIY section if you want better/bigger plants), couple bristle nose plecs (which will also breed eventually) and you'll have an awesome tank that ticks all the boxes you are after, and gives bit more... Which, in all honesty, I think is going to be the best way for you to go...

Won't eat the guppies YET... This is what I was getting at...

yea dwarfs are sweet little fish that should breed fairly easily. there are many varieties and some apistos and the like are awesome colours... ie Fish breeding is always bit hit and miss, much that could potentially go wrong at each stage, but once you get the formula down, you can tackle pretty much anything with adjustments. Sorry but I just dont think that yellows or any full-size chichlid would do well in a AR620... and breeding tends to result in territorial fish, there simply is not enough territory for even a pair of breeding, full-size, territorial chichlids in there, especially if you are keeping other fish... Reason being, your pair/s will either: Never mate in the first place Eat the young Spit them early - will be devoured by anything else in the tank Parents will stress out trying to keep a territory Other fish will stress out by the parents actions Stress leads to weak fish and potentially disease.

how badly do you want to keep the guppies...? :slfg: Could leave them there as a live-food source...

Light requirements aren't as strenuous in a paladarium because you haven't got masses of water to penetrate before your plants get a look in... The rest Alan has said...

Then it like all home shopping things: Work alright, designed to work for a year then implode, You can get the same or better stuff if you look around, and they are always way, way, WAY overhyped American-ness... :thup:

We had a Grey in S.A. used to be fine with me, dad, mum, but HATED my brother... Don't feel bad, humans tend to have the same reaction... :rotf:

yerp... it true... Looks like someone stretched a sharpei over his face... :digH: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: Edit: Sorry, back on topic... haven't used pro-active, but, I found that it doesn't matter what you use as long as you are consistent in your usage... Of course, an exfoliator (sp?) and a astringent to dry the skin out is always good... that all I used to do when my skin got bad. In saying that, there are many people with worse acne than I ever had...

:rotf: Cool Leo Edit: even funnier if you read it with a Mr. T voice... "I pity the fool without ma' food"

happy birthday bru, Hope the move goes well. Let me know if I can help. :thup:

There is always going to be a bio element in every mech filter, regardless... You can make it a "bio-filter" by the addition of suitable media...

UV is good when your facing a particular problem. Excessive Algae, Parasites, Infection etc can all be AIDED by adding the U.V element. Remembering the actual amount of sanitation that is achieved is reliant on: The amount of U.V being produced by the bulb (as already stated, drops considerably over a fairly short perod of time - actual times will vary with manufacturer) Watts is a good general guide when NEW! The surface area of exposure - The flow rate through the U.V section - these last two will give you the "exposure length" or "exposure time" - a high surface area is worthless if the water is barrelling past at a rate of knots... similarly, you could slow the flow through a smaller surface area of exposure, but at a point it becomes un-economical. In fact, there are some mega-U.V units that aquariums use, with one main centre light, and glass tubing spiralled along the outside to increase the exposure time. different tanks can have seperate "coils" around the bulb. How clear the water is - higher turbidity, lower effective exposure The size of the organism that you are trying to zap - bigger organisms require more exposure and number one - you can't zap what isn't inthe water column. That fat blob of algae that is on your rocks ain't going to worry about the U.V on the other side of the tank... BUT! in saying that, spread of algae is reduced by the use of the U.V, as spores/ free floating cells will be zapped. All in All, U.V treatment is a useful tool that we have in our arsenal. Is it a fix-all? -No. But it can help in particular circumstances, And even then, You'd want to run it continuously for about a month (again, depending on what your trying to zap) and then turn it off. If you are not using it for a particular purpose, then you're wasting your bulb-life. :thup: If you cannot turn off your U.V seperately, Don't bother with the unit. :sage:

different kind of heat though... It is Dry heat, so while it is 32 deg, you sweat, it evaporates, and overal it doesn't feel that hot Compared to NZ humidity reaching near 100% soon as the thermometer thinks about getting past 20 deg, you sweat, and end up swimming and muggy and sticky.. yuuck...

Tanzania/Kenya are probably the safest places in Africa, and are absolutely amazing. Have to say I'm a slight jealous.

or this... :rotf:

:facepalm: if you have the misfortune to accidentally place pressure on the sharp edge, that safety masking tape aint gonna do bugger-all to curb the blades new found enthusiasm for your delicate flesh... Use a piece of metal the right length (tin lid works good, just be careful cutting), folded over the edge you don't want blood on, and then some masking tape to hold the blade in... you can purchase/find/beg/steal/borrow specific units for this task, but the method above does the same thing... good luck and happy finger-counting...

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Daihatsu Rocky... I'm sure that we can fit a light in the car somewhere...

Could be... Depends if I buy this car I'm looking at or not... Will let you know... What needs bringing?

I'd love to go back to Zimbabwe... Don't want to see how my childhood home/playground has become though... :facepalm: Sounds like an amazing trip though! Lots and Lots of photos to come I bet!

(As far as my understanding goes)>>>> Never going to happen... Dart frogs being poisonous, they are never, ever, ever! going to be allowed in NZ... Nothing that is poisonous, venomous or otherwise is allowed to be imported unless it has a standard and/or is already present in NZ... Sorry to burst balloons... (if i'm not mistaken, obviously)

blacklight for sure

Reef octopus is a known and respected brand, and that particular model would suit your tank... the other I have not heard of and hence refrain from comment...