David R

Travelling Wilburys and TCV = :thup:

lol I think Stalin would be a great name for him! couldn't figure out where to attach the moustache... :lol:

I used the IPS WeldOn #16 for making the acrylic drip tray in my sump, its available from Mulfords Plastics in Auckland (http://www.mulfordinternational.com/Home.htm), not sure where you'd get it from in Hamilton. They would probably be able to advise you on something to use for acrylic to glass joins. Alternately, you could replace the glass window with acrylic. I wouldn't go with pond liner for this kind of tank, there are many better ways of sealing it (such as fibreglass/epoxy). Have a browse through the DIY Tanks forum on monsterfishkeepers.com there are hundreds of threads on large ply tanks with viewing windows, and many knowledgeable people with first-hand experience on the subject. The only downside is [being a mostly-US based forum] they often use products unavailable here or branded differently.

I guess it depends on the fish too, and how careful you are when cleaning it. Start with a thin layer as suggested and top it up if needed. I've never had much luck keeping pea-sized gravel heaped up, gravity always seems to level it out eventually, but perhaps with a gentle slope, no excessive flow and smaller fish it will work.

Forget the trap, its the bear I'd worry about...

It looks good, but I think you'll struggle to keep the silica sand and gravel separate, unless you're not planning on adding warter.

They're bloody pricey eh, one of the few expensive fish I saw in Singapore. That Rabbit guy sounds keen though, maybe he'll take a couple.... :thup:

Subtle.......

perfect timing! All pity me and my manflu!!!

Is that one of the "flowerhorns" that HFF Albany have? I also bought one because it looked [to me] more like an Amphilophus species than a FH. I made a thread on MFK about it (click here) and most people seemed to agree it was an Amphilophus of some sort, possibly a hybrid or possibly A. amarillo. Will have to wait and see what it grows up to be...

As Ira said, by the time you buy a suitable pump and all the plumbing you may as well just buy a canister filter. One thing to consider with pond filters is that ponds are [usually] a lot lighter stocked than aquariums, so a pond filter recommended for a 2000L would not be enough to filter a 2000L aquarium.

Get that KH test kit mentioned in the last thread and test that. You may be able to use driftwood and/or peat (or oak leaves, or alder cones) to soften the water, but if the KH is high you may be fighting a losing battle. My tap water pH is more like 8-9 but drops quickly because of the low KH. If the KH is high you could try collecting rainwater and mixing that with your tap water to help soften it.

Well thats one species, there are many others though that are limited to tropical regions and could be imported without posing any more risk than the other large tropical predators allowed in now.

Pool filters are full of sand and not much good on fish tanks, ultimas are full of bio media and awesome. I doubt you'll find anyone locally using them, best to do some searching on MFK. I know Neo runs them on his 600g, and there's a guy from Hawaii running two of them on a 900g (drool, I wish I could order a 10x4x3' acrylic tank off-the-shelf!). I'm not sure if the cost of shipping one here would make them uneconomical compared to a DIY set up. Maybe fill a pool filter full of noodles?

Rather than doing a round trip why not just go to Auckland and back?

I think you'll find florida has a slightly different climate to NZ! There might be some temperate species that could survive in northern parts though, I'm not too sure. But I think its mainly the tropical species found in the hobby.

Zev, I am sooo jealous! Rush Munroes is a family tradition, Dad grew up in Hastings and as kids we used to spend school holidays down there with his parents until they moved up to Whangarei. I still make a point of going there at least once if ever I'm in the area. Malted Milk or Manuka Honey peak cone FTW!! Any time. Next addition is a bar fridge... :thup:

Cover the garden with decent sized river rocks? Fence it off? Don't fertilise with blood and bone!!! The sandpit idea is an interesting one. You could always try plant it up with cacti and agave!

Picked up a new three seater couch for in front of the 1400L tank today. I think I'll have to start spending a bit more time out there!

This is my five thousand five hundred and fifty fifth post...

Yeah, Santorini, Patmos and Crete. Also Istanbul, Izmir and Kusadasi in Turkey. Mykonos was quite dirty, I think there had been a big rave there recently, lots of bottles and rubbish around. Santorini was really beautiful but packed with tourists, it wasn't peak season and there were only four other cruise boats in that day, in peak they can get up to 12! The not-so-pretty side of Mykonos; Santorini;

:facepalm: -10 points for looking at the pictures and not reading... Good to see its not impossible to get them onto other foods, or is this one just a one-in-a-million fluke?

I really like the minimalist look of the tank, good work! Sorry if this is a silly question, but I thought the mandarin fish needed large amounts of well established live rock to graze on. How do you get on keeping it in that tank?

Nah I like fish that actually move, fronts are the laziest cichlids ever! Africans aren't really "the dark side", the dark side is much saltier and expensive...