si_sphinx

I had to read that 3 times before i read it right. i swear it said chicken before :oops: :oops: :oops:

Yea what Ira said. you could use any paint as long as you cover everything in a clear epoxy resin to seal it in and be sure to wash it good and proper before adding the fish. I'm sure its going to look awesome. That would be an awesome job maybe in the future. except Rc models would be better. do you make them too?

I'm not sure if it would work as concrete still leaches out chemicals over a long period of time. So would probably continue to after you try wash it. you really need to seal it or you would have to float it in water for more than a month for a decent sized amount of concrete. but this is just my opinion. give it a go and let us know the results.

Acrylic is fine and then a few coats of resin on top of that to seal it.(i have done this) Just drag and dig at the poly with the spoon/fork/knife. also soldering bolts work quickly but be careful because it melts fast! acrylic dries pretty quick. i found doing each step each day so everything has at least 12-24hrs to dry. F5 ados aerosol glue works well or any sort of epoxy glue will stick poly together. ( F5 ados is a red and blue can from any mitre10/mitre10mega/placemakers etc.) just use silicone to stick it into the tank. it shouldn't float out if you silicone right around the edges and a big cross on the back glass and/or sides.

Just take your time and it should end up looking good. Resin will take about 24hrs to dry, give 48-72hrs to completely cure. Concrete is about 24hrs to fully cure if your using quick set cemix. Epoxy resin doesn't melt the poly or foam but polyurethene resin will. both resins are safe as long as you rinse and clean it enough before introducing fish, plants etc. in the time it takes to cycle your new tank and background, there should be no hazard of polluting your water.

What sort of tank do you have?

Bed

Its not a photo but i painted it a few months ago from a photo :lol: http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk170/si_sphinx/Picture002.jpg sorry image too big to put up here.

I didnt cement or resin the back of my background. i wouldn't think that the silicone would stick to it. its ok to leave bare poly on the back. i haven't had any troubles with mine YET

I think my parents do diving in Doubtful. and there are others that do it also. You would have to ring and ask i suppose.

Milford is oook but... ...Doubtful Sound is waaaaaaay better, much more secluded so not as many people and more wild life. go out on an overnight cruise with these guys http://www.doubtful-sound.com/(my parents :lol: ) I grew up in Manapouri and going to Doubtful hundreds of times and still love going back now

Yes very cold and windy, should be warmer. oh that sounds like what it would be.

But why do they spiral when they swim? are their brains or fins so numb from cold they can't operate them properly possibly? :lol: I get a bit like that sumtimes when im cold lol (can't move my fins haha)

I was originally going to post this in the diseases section until i found out the problem This morning my tropheus were not eating and all hiding in the corner. I didn't think much of it as i was going to be late for work if i didn't hurry up. and just as i walked past the tank before i went out the door i noticed something weird. My largest duboisi was swimming out around the tank in the open by himself, and spiraling into everything uncontrollably like a shot down plane falling from the sky. and every now and again he would lay on the bottom sideways or upside down. :-? My first thought was bloat but his appearance didn't look unhealthy at all so i immediately went to do a water change. AND the water was stone cold so took duboisi out in a bag of the tank water and put the bag in some warmer water in a bucket. (all the other fish seemed to be coping ok and were huddled together. And he came right within 10mins. 8) I changed half the water with warmer water and added another heater. Turns out the electrical multi box had failed on the heater only grrr. Sooo new and better brand of multi boxes for all my tank it is. lol and after all this i was an hour late to work anyway :roll: Anyway was wondering if anyone has seen this spiraling behavior before? he looked like he was outa control and about to kark it

bahhaahahahaha LMAO that is hilarious

looks good Put the darwinfish vinyl on the window

Wait 24hr and see if it goes down, if it does then its probably eatin too much. mine had big bellies after there feed last nyt

Try gluing tooth picks or skewers into the poly joins to help hold them together.

ledge

That would be fine until they get bigger, then double the tank size.

I have my small ones in a 400ltr tank and they are growing faster than all my other fish. I guess if you feed them right and they have enough space they grow fast. but they will need a big tank when fully grown, 8ft+. Also depends how many you are wanting to keep.

That new phone looks nice but im not really a fan of all those small buttons Ive had an iPhone since they came out and the do everything a blackberry can do and more, ipod,video,internet/wi.fi,pictures,text,calls,games,gps,weather,photo albums etc. mine is a first generation so has wireless, 16GB. so i dont need an expensive plan

Yea what everyone else said. Mine is less than 1cm away from the poly and the water flow past it keeps the heat down. and air stone below the heater is good to keep the water moving around the heater just incase.

Ive found another loach in my tank with skinny so ive brought some Avivarim and dosed accordingly. Now its a waiting game and hope they get better.

Ive just noticed my clown loach has been getting really skinny this last week so have put him in a smaller tank and trying to feed him a little more, i hope he doesn't end up like southerngirls