Aquila

Now just imagine what will happen to all the diatoms, shelled molluscs and corals if the pH of the ocean keep falling! OCEAN ACIDIFICATION!!! (although its not really turning acidic...just less basic...)

Cool! Good thing you got rid of those guppies or they may have ended up being lunch!

Make sure you definitely check your heater if it is submersible before placing it horizontally. There maybe a max. water line on it. I think its best to place the heater in an area that receives a lot of water movement (path of filter's waterflow) regardless whether its horizontal, vertical or diagonal. If you place it in a stale area of the tank, then it may not heat your tank water evenly.

When I was really young, maybe 9 years old, my dad had a large tank set up with angels. It had a few granite rocks and fake plants and there was a very large paua shell right in the middle of it. None of the fish had health problems (from what I remember) and they grew from wee pups to large colourful adults. Since I was young, I don't know where the shell was brought from (living inland Canada) but it never broke apart even after all those years. Maybe it was from a different tougher species then the NZ paua...or maybe it had some form of protective coating on it. Anyways, if your daughter is really keen on it, maybe you can get a non toxic varnish and coat the shells with several layers to protect them from the elements

Oh wow! That looks really painful. I've had some deep cuts in my hand but I can't imagine what this feels like. All the best for your recovery. Looks like its healing quite nicely!

I was wondering how do you tell the difference between bacterial tailrot/finrot and fungal tailrot/finrot...considering that the best treatment would be slightly different? Meds being Furan2 vs Tonic respectively? Cheers, Milena

Animates is the better option. Its bigger and has some staff that are helpful. Lots of good supplies for filters and lighting but they may not have anything good in stock at the moment. I went in there on Saturday and a lot of tanks were empty. It doesn't take a long time to drive from the airport if you know where you are going There is also a small pet store + vet in Miramar (closer to the airport)...I think its called AnimalZ, not sure, they don't have a good sign. Its on the corner of Park St. and Miramar Av. They don't have many tanks, but the fish are healthy looking and seem to be good quality. They even have some nice looking but small female bettas in for $12. And their male guppies (Tuxedo - $8) are WAY better quality then the ratty ones at Animates. The staff seem to be kinda useless though.

I think pet shops use furniture moving trucks. That is what HHF in Auckland told me ...they would ship with for $50.

Oooooh! Handsome

Yeah...no way for Goldfish. Plus they are such MESSY fish! Bettas seem to poop on a timer...LOL. Mine makes 1 large poop a day and its easy to just pipette out, HAHA.

Yeah, I don't know who would buy that ugly thing for $55 either! LOL Probably the parents of some little brat Even if they can survive in a muddy and/or polluted cup of water, why not display them in they full glory right? And give them some plants!

Yeah, I don't know who would buy that ugly thing for $55 either! LOL Probably the parents of some little brat Even if they can survive in a muddy and/or polluted cup of water, why not display them in they full glory right? And give them some plants!

Um Sam, when the rice starts to grow, the paddies do dry up quite a bit and some parts become extremely muddy, especially around the margin. I've seen it first hand during my trip to China for an 'Human Impacts on the Aquatic Environment' course. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/jour ... 1&SRETRY=0 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/s ... ndens.html "During the dry season, most Bettas are able to bury themselves in the bottom of their dried up habitat. There, they can live in moist cavities until water once again fills the depression during a rainy period. The fish can survive even if thick, clay mud is all that is left of the water. They do not survive total drying out of the bottom. (Vierke 1988)"

In the natural environment bettas tend to live in really shallow ponds/puddles with low O2 concentration such as in rice fields. They basically wait around in the muddy water for a female to jump in the puddle! To be honest with you, before I came to NZ I never even considered a betta needing a heater. I always kept my bettas in large bowls (>7 L) around the house without a heater or airstone. Then I either placed gravel/plants or some sort of decorations. That was the whole appeal of having a betta vs aquarium fish! But yeah, that container on TradeMe isn't really my preference...I like a more natural setting. Sadly, you should have seen the tiny cups they were sold in the store! I preferred to not keep my bettas in really small bowls like I saw some people did...and generally collected really large and interesting glassware whenever out shopping I was shocked when I realized how cold it got indoors here in the winter compared to Canada! Last thing I would have ever guessed! Haha.

Don't miss the Acropolis and Pantheon! Oooh...Cappadocia! I always wanted to go there

Yeah java moss is good to cover up some of those less-than-aesthetically-pleasing things like pipes or planters

Bromeliads come in different shapes and sizes. They sell them everywhere. Go to a garden center for the best variety but the warehouse and even newworld have have some to check out too. I would say be careful if you were going to house lizards or frogs in the tank as well, because some can have sharp edges on their leaves or flowers, but many don't If you get one from a garden center, then the people will be able to help you pick one out that likes really wet soil and doesn't outgrow the tank

Sorry if I'm hijacking your thread but I'm also looking at some internal filters on trademe and know nothing about them. I am just looking to put one in my guppy baby tank. Its only a 30 L tank at the moment, but I may switch to something a bit larger so they grow out more quickly. Will the smaller fry be sucked up into this sort of filter (I can always put a stocking over it). I don't want a sponge filter because I can't stand the sound of a pump. I want something low wattage, quiet, but effective and I think I like the idea of a spray bar... Can anyone recommend which of these brands is better trusted? Hailea BT200 (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =237665772) JP-013F (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =237717664) HAQOS Jular Series (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =238510139) Aquaone 101F maxi (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =237967636) Fluval 4 plus (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =237654938) Cheers!

Might I suggest you include some Bromeliads? They look deliciously tropical and enjoy a fairly damp environment (maybe not STANDING in the water).

Thought you might find this entertaining...

I think the 6 people should be allowed to go and race then Goodluck!

I bought the silica sand from Placemakers as well. I REALLY like it. Call ahead because not every placemakers stocks it. Of the 2 in welly, only one had it. They only sell it in the big bags, but if you find an opened bag, you maybe able to convince them to sell it per kg. That is what happened to me, there was a torn open bag on the floor and so I go only what i needed for my 40 L

If you purchase something from the shop, you still HAVE the item you paid for, even if they won't refund it. If you buy tickets for a concert, and then it is canceled, you get your money back. If you have bought NON REFUNDABLE tickets on a plane, and then the flight is canceled they don't tell you "sorry, go home, too bad for you they are NON REFUNDABLE"...they stick you on the next available flight because you PAID for it and it was not your fault. I still think that your friends have legal grounds for a dispute, but it depends on if there was a clause anywhere for minimum amount of people required for the event to go forth. Who made that rule that all the money needs to be in by Aug 20th? You cannot punish the people who DID pay their money before the deadline (by not giving them a refund) by canceling the event. Personally I think it is really stupid of this organizer not to collect all the money from everyone before handing it off to the racetrack, and had she done this, the whole mess could have been avoided. The party at fault here is the one who will not release the deposit. If she was the one who canceled the event, then she is obligated to refund the money. Did the track force her to cancel because not all the money had come through? If they are the ones that ultimately hold the money of the people who did pay, and DID enforce the organizer to have to cancel, then I believe they are in the wrong. If the organizer canceled independently, then she is responsible for the refunds.

I disagree. The organizer cannot take people's deposit then CHOOSE to not hold the event because not enough people signed up. That is in their control and CANNOT be included under a NO REFUNDS clause even if it was stated. This does fall under the Fair Trading Act...people payed for a service which they did not receive through no fault of their own. Because your friend is a middleman and is not the one who actually holds the money, I don't know whether she can be pursued legally. She did do wrong by not passing on all of the information of the organizer, but I believe it would be a waste of money to go after her. It would most likely end in her proving that the money was given to the organizer in which, it is the organizer that needs to be brought to court. There may be a chance that the judge holds her accountable for the money and then it is up to her to sue the track separately, but time would be better spent all bringing a defense against the organizer...particularly if 'friendships' are involved. Anyways, as we are not lawyers here (well maybe some are...i dunno) and we can't solely rely on a few papers we may have done in uni related to law, I think it would be best for your friends to get professional advice...which looks like its headed that way anyway.

And Tupac...