David R

You can beat it, I'd pick a sump/wet-dry filter any day! I won't even be spending that much on my tank with overflow AND setting up the wet/dry!!!

Yup we get shafted for pricing of bichirs over here!! BTW they're not actually lungfish, they are Polypterus. I wonder if thats enough to go them for misleading advertising..... :lol:

Wow! I love my big sump.... :lol: Whats the price like on the Eheim in comparison to the FX5?

It might be a good idea to get rid of the one big one (or keep it separate and add it later) and get a group of 3-6 young ones to grow out together so the pecking order is developed right from the start.

I had a 5x2x2' tank in my bedroom with a sump and an open 4x2 stand, you very quickly get used to the noise. It was lucky I could hear it, because one night I woke up around 2am it sounded really strange. The water would stop flowing for around 20 seconds then go WOOOSHH!! like someone flushing hte toilet. After listening to it for a few minutes trying to figure out what was happening, I got up and turned on the light to find my 14" fire eel in the overflow trying to swim down the pipe to the sump, but he was too fat! His head would block the hole while the water would build up, then he'd give up and pull out and all the water would go rushing down. Aaaaaany way.... I'd say a big sump set-up would be fine. You don't need a canister as well, and its just another big expense. [it won't hurt to have one tho, but they're not necessary] Get the sump custom made by who ever is doing the tank (the mught do you a deal) and make it so it will fit nicely under the stand and so it has a big tower for the media above and below the water. You could convert an old tank, but you'll probably end up with something that doesnt make good use of the available room under the tank. Two FX5's might be easier to set up, but they'll be much more expensive [so not really easier if you consider the amount of work you'll have to do to get the money to buy them!], and no where near as easy to clean and maintain as a large sump. You've got plenty of choices for fish. You could go with a random assortment of monsters like the big tank at HFF Albany (aro, dats, cichlids, clown/royal knife, large barbs etc), or something with more of a theme like a large central american cichlid community.

I think the general rule of thumb is that three is the bare minimum and five or more is better. Evil_elmo got lucky and has two silvers that get along together, so smaller groups can work, but they are the exception, not the rule. There's a few people with aro communities on MFK, and some useful info on this subject in the arowana forum there. Thats a nice looking tank, altho I'd be a little concerned about an aro injuring itself on the big pieces of wood if it got a fright, and its a bit on the small side for a community of silvers long-term.

psst, I'll let you in on a little secret, its called www.google.com and its great for finding out information... :lol: And no, unfortunatly I don't know anyone who can import fish from the US otherwise I would have got some festae from Rapps ages ago, and more bichirs!!!

It depends on your definition of colourful, but yes, they are completely different fish. I'd much rather have a pair of A. festae than either of them, if you can find someone who will import them....

:oops: :oops: karma's a bi... :lol:

Most tetras, discus, and a lot of sout american 'blackwater' fish would tolerate a pH that low if gradually acclimatised.

Red head cichlids are available in just about everY pet store, why do you want to import them? BTW do you ever proof-read your posts? :lol:

you only bought 9!?!? SHould have taken the lot home and started flogging them on T****M*..... :lol:

If you want something colourful, interesting, big and rare then find someone who's willing to import a bunch of red terrors from someone like Jeff Rapps in the US. They're on the list (Under Cichlasoma festae, not Amphilophus festae). Females in breeding colour are one of the best looking cichlids IMO.

That has to be one of the most stupid piece of marketing I've seen, I really don't get what they're trying to achieve, other than inconveniencing a whole lot of people who can only visit their store on the weekends. I bought four clown loaches from Jansens Mt Eden one Saturday and I asked the guy if I really had to leave now and come back on Tuesday, and he said nah and gave me a good deal anyway. I'd simply tell them if you have to leave and come back next week that you'll leave for good and go buy them from hollywood or origin. :lol:

Anne, unfortunately we only seem to get indo's here, I'm yet to see wide or thin bars.

Hmm, more dats then!?!

Mine have put on some bulk pretty quickly too, I'll try take a couple of photo's tonight to compare them to the photo's I took when I got them.

Someone buy my aro so I can buy more loaches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:

Name: David R [well duh...] Age: 26 Occupation: Nursery Salesperson Books: a few fish books, ones with lots of pics like the Axelrod encyclopedia... Music: mainly punk/grunge/rock, random old stuff, some jazz Car: Ex EG6 Civic with Integra type R motor and close ratio box, currently looking for a boring wagon I won't waste loads of money on. Hobbys: fish, cars [not so much any more], mountain biking, rare plants Family: no kids (thank christ!), GF of 6.5 years (and still no ring mwahaha!!), mum, dad, younger sister who we flat with. Favourite food: far too many to list! Mexican and thai, anything hot.

DATS!!!

Nope AFAIK. Altho a batch of juvi's at about 1-2cm would look very similar to jags..... :lol:

Just thought I'd share these pics of my loaches after a big feed of shrimp. If they've been fed lightly for a day or two they'll stuff themselves so full of shrimp they all get big bulging bellies!! It was hard to get a good pic of the fattest one, the pics really don't do it justice, they look so funny when they rest on the bottom and their fins hardly reach the gravel!

The albino's are senegals. That tank might be big enoug, is it 700 wide or tall? Ornates can eventually reach 2' (600mm) so IMO the tank might be a bit small in the long run. Check out http://www.polypterus.info/

Firstly, your tank will be well overstocked in around 6 months time, and you'll be looking for a huge tank if you plant to house the pacu for long. I'd suggest trying to feed the knife after the lights have been off for a while and the other fish aren't as active. Try just using a dim red light so you can see what you're doing. Failing that then you'll need to seperate them.

The only real rule of thumb is how your nitrates, nitrites and amonia read....