Jennifer

That is one fantastic tank. I love the focal point and dark areas that provide depth and drama. Superb choice of fish as well. I love those guys.

You can get silicone tubing here, we order it in for crop tubing birds. I will find out about the supplier and let you know.

Don't you worry, the four of us are very enthusiastic! Lol, just kidding. Honestly, we have a great group but I would love to see some of the other notable locals join. We haven't had much time to think recently though with all of the conference planning but after a good rest I am sure we will be keen for doing all sorts of fun things! We are even planning on speaking at a local vet clinic that is having a fish info night for their clients. I am sure we will be able to write an article about it for the mag.

Ooo, I am really looking forward to these guys now. Especially the ginger whiskers, I am actually quite partial to ginger whiskers. :roll: Can't wait! :bounce:

Indeed it is! I wish we had more people in our club so it would be worth having some interesting talks. Hint: come on Chch people, join us!!

I love that site. After I saw Peter talk I just became addicted to danios and that site. I wish I could go on a trip with him. How awesome would that be?

Well said.

I am allergic to anything but cake.

Here are some other articles I also thought were interesting. Could Carrots Be The Secret To A Long Life And Sex Appeal? (i.e. feed your fish carotenoids) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 105549.htm The Price Of Vanity: Mating With Showy Males May Reduce Offspring's Ability To Fight Off Pathogens http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 124151.htm Females Decide Whether Ambitious Males Float Or Flounder http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 101743.htm Removal Of Dominant Rivals Causes Male Cichlid Fish To Undergo Remarkable Transformation http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 075022.htm Fish Researcher Demonstrates First 'Non-Visual Feeding' By African Cichlids http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 185736.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 141540.htm

You already promised me a breeding pair...ages ago 8)

Just put it in a bucket of warm water, that will start things going really well.

Can't wait for mine Sim.

Oh well, live and learn. You could always tell him you were being a stupid kid, we can all relate to that. Try si_sphinx as well, some serious experience there too.

Send a PM to Spoon, he will be able to tell you - he has made a lot of those backgrounds. 8)

There is a new model, something 300 I believe :roll: , and it has two sets of T5 fixtures (4 tubes). Saw it at Organism last week.

Yeah, tannins are pretty effective at blocking excess light that can cause algae. Riccia will do the same thing but without the black water. 8) Nice pics btw.

Oooooo....those guys are enough to make me want an African tank... Nice pics!

Yes, and they ate the fry yesterday. I will have to remove the shell next time but I am not sure whether I will take the female with it as I don't want her to have problems reintegrating...need the eggs to be aerated though and being so far inside the shell, that will be hard. Absolutely no real aggression with all of them in the big tank, just a bit of bullying. The female guarding the shell was very low and dark and was fanning the inside of the shell but the others were just too nosey and wanted in. I don't think I have an alpha pair and that is the problem. They are like a bunch of kids, all in each other's business and nobody taking care of business. I was thinking of separating them into pairs but I don't want to end up with the aggression that you have seen Ryan. :-?

Interesting. I have been contemplating the same things and watching this with interest. I am a real fan of Eheim and had been considering the 'wizzing past the substrate' issues with the FX5 as well. I am now actually leaning toward the FX5, here is why: 1. Filtration is good but a lot of beneficial bacteria is in the tank, substrate, etc. etc. so the filter is likely to be sufficient for the bioload, regardless - in other words, it isn't really an issues in this comparison. 2. Aerobic bacteria are very beneficial in the nitrogen cycle and with increased flow, there is better oxygen availablity - in lieu of a wet/dry sump, this is potentially the next best thing. 3. I have noticed significant benefits to high flow with respect to plant growth and often with fish health as well - just my observations but I don't want to fix what isn't broken. Going to buy next week so I need to decide for sure ASAP. :roll:

Just my personal opinions here but I prefer anubias with sagitaria - its a textural thing - and goes beautifully with indian fern and cabomba and/or H. difformis. This combination produces a lot of green textural contrast. I think the great colours of the rocks would be best brought out with the green canvas. Similarly, the ruffles of the crypts and java fern go well together and can complement fine grasses and stem plants like polysperma or rotala and can introduce some reds. Just my 2 c. On another note, loving the glass fixtures, but could you get some clear tubing instead of that blue?

+1 love it, love it, love it. +1 want them, want them, want them 'nuf said. :roll:

LOL, glad I am not the only one. :oops:

Ingesting salt will do nothing for internal parasite control. The high concentration of salt never reaches the large intestines where most of the worms reside. Salt is absorbed into the blood stream and the kidneys go into quick action in an attempt to excrete it before arterial pressure rises. Any alteration of kidney function can affect the excretion of salt and thus cause an increase in blood pressure and bloating (extracellular fluid and hypertension). Salt is not bad in appropriate concentrations but most animals actually require very little salt in their daily diet. I think for most people adding salt to a tank is best to put it in a net and dangle the net in the tank to allow the salt to dissolve.