Jennifer

Good 'nuf for me!

They're there, waiting for your shoes, you're supposed to put them by their door. Must know proper use of commas too...eats shoots and leaves

Driving is a guerrilla exercise there - best left to the Thais - even being a passenger is a real adventure!! You will see what I mean. Taxis are easy to find and very affordable but be warned, most look like private cars. Public transport is mostly a scooter with 10 people, or a truck with 30 people. :lol: Honestly, the taxis are the best way to go. Main sights include the grand palace, reclining buddha, all sorts of temples. Be warned, you need certain footwear and protocols when visiting so try to be culturally aware. The Chatuchak market is great as is the floating market and there are a number of huge malls. If you have time, you can see some nice beaches or elephants outside of Bangkok itself.

Well, actually, not that much really... but I do like to do my research and I really like to do things right the first time so that is a good motivator.

I lived there for 2 months and I have a friend who still lives there. Crazy place but very cool. Would recommend that women don't go alone. Lots of shopping there. The Chatuchak market is unreal. It is very easy to be taken advantage of there and everybody barters so whatever price they give to you, come back with half that and if they aren't happy, walk away. Don't eat street food unless you want amoebic dysentery and don't drive. What else did you want to do there?

Indeed. Good thing I have some.

Watch out, you might interest some fossils in practicing morse code on their phones now...

Is this suitable for a beginner? Is it too good to be true for the money? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 666743.htm I am only half considering this - I think it is probably too soon for me. I have waited 10 years for saltwater so I don't want to rush into it and find that I have a bunch of stuff I don't like.

Oh, this is great news and sounds very doable. I could easily go a couple of percula clowns but I might want to work up to them with some corals first to be sure I have ironed out any issues with water stability. So, say I eventually plan to have a reef tank, and I start with a couple of small soft corals.... I am imagining my tank will look pretty boring for some time with just a couple of lumps in it. I know I need some live rock but how much is appropriate/too much? I really want to provide a lot of structural interest points but I am thinking this will involve some sterile coral framework (not sure if that is the correct terminology) that I can attach the frags with? Is that ok, or should I just keep it really simple at first? So I am thinking I will get an RO purifier, skimmer, a couple of pumps to provide water movement, lights (MH I presume), heater and I will need a sump to put all that in. I am guessing that these corals will do ok with photosynthesis so I don't need to dose with anything to start with right? If/when I get into some other types of corals, do I need to plan ahead for this in terms of my equipment? Also, I have no idea what to look for in terms of equipment - is there an up to date guide for such things?

Thanks Zev, I had read that but I will have another read of it. Saltwater is not necessarily 'reef' though, is it?

Yes, that would be brilliant. I shall take great care of them and return them promptly.

Reverse osmosis removed hardness right? Is that so necessary if your water is not too hard to begin with?

Arggg the apostrophes.... its and it's, where and we're.... ...perhaps instead of designing a phone, someone needs to develop a new school curriculum.... *sound: can of worms opening*

oh thanks. I guess it would help if I figured out some suitable beginner livestock before I get a tank/equipment. I was thinking of starting with some corals and a couple of fish that would be suitable. Not sure what type of corals but hopefully something that can withstand some trial and error on my part. I was thinking of something structural (I like a nice aquascape) and from what I understand, I can get a framework up and put some frags on it. Do I aim to get some live rock for all or part of the structure? Is there an easy type of coral that I should aim for? Will that dictate the type of fish I eventually get - some graze on corals right?

:roll: I was afraid you were going to say that...the biggest problem is that I don't know enough about the equipment I need which is why the package deal sounded so appealing...

That's brilliant!!

At the correct dosage it should not affect the plants or filter. I don't know if your fish have worms or not, so I can't really comment on what to treat them with but if you have already obtained some praziquantel it won't hurt to have a go and see if things improve. If they don't improve you can try treating with Levamisole as well to see if it was roundworms that were causing the problem. Fenbendazole is very safe and extremely affective but it is harder to obtain and more challenging to administer.

I have always been interested in having a saltwater/reef tank but the more I learn about it, the more I feel I don't know enough to try. However, I am thinking about giving it a go - just for some corals and maybe a couple of fish. Just in the thinking/dreaming stage at the moment but would something like this be a suitable place to start for a basic setup? viewtopic.php?f=24&t=44225

Fossils unite!

T'aint gonna happen...its super hush hush at the mo. When I transfer the pups to a bigger tank, all will be revealed. BTW, great idea for filling your tank, I must remember that one.

Yes, well size isn't everything. It happens to have some very cool plants that are positively thriving - blooming and sending out runners all over the place. And it looks cool on my desk... next to the two other tanks.....not much room for working at the mo though..........

I have this little contraption that I use to fill a little tank that just has plants in sand - long story short it is airline tubing that runs like a siphon to slowly drip the water in and I don't even have to be there while it fills. I just set the water level in the bucket so that the siphon will automatically stop at a certain point and I walk away. Easy as!

That is pretty interesting. Good to know. Happy new year.

They're on the list at the moment. :bounce:

Praziquantel is probably the safest and most effective medication you can get for flatworms like flukes and tapeworms. It is commonly sold as Droncit and is available in your local vet clinic. The medication will not kill eggs and generally does not kill free larvae so there is not a huge benefit from treating the tank itself however if you want to dose all the fish in the tank you can use 2mg of prazi per litre tank water. The medication will work within 4 to 12 hours. Add carbon after 24 hours to remove the excess. Repeat in 10 days. It might also be a good idea to treat for roundworms, Levamisole has greater broad spectrum effectiveness against nematodes it is available at large animal vet clinics. Fenbendazole (sold as Panacur in granules or as a liquid suspension) is my preferred dewormer. It works well for all types of worms but it is not very water soluble so you need to dose it by putting it in the food.