Zdoda

Hi, heading down to hamilton for the day tomorrow so curious as to if there are any decent fish stores to look at down there?

Yeah i am almost wondering if its worth hooking up my FX5 to the tank for better flow in there, which should help a lot with the distribution of the nutrients. Yeah might have to go low tech for now, till i can afford to get a proper Co2 system in place. And thanks will have a read on the nutrient section you gave Do you have any good info sections on setting up on Co2, will do some learning before i venture down that track it seems. Or if anyone locally in auckland is happy for me to come visit to see there co2 system etc

thanks Jen, awesome advice srsly fnzas is the best :thup: I guess i will have a go at High tech, haha i am trying to think of questions but you have seemed to answer them all atm. also for my size tank is my lights overkill? @ theobstacle, yeah i am almost wondering if the cause of the outbreak was due to the heavy lighting without all the plants in the tank, i foolishly ran the tank with the lights on for 10hrs daily when there was all but stargrass in the tank and nothing else two weeks ago. Would this mean that the lighting for the tank be adequate now that there are a ton of plants in there? also where can i get the NPK in one form from ? or do i have to buy individual bottles for each? (this may change outcome due to the cost) again many thanks to all for helping me, fingers cross algae dies!

k awesome, will get some then come pay day, is golden bristle nose fine? they look rather cool

since only new tank, have 1 Scarlet Badis 2 Veiltail Rams 2 Loaches, had a look at receipt can't find exact name of them look very similar to the otto's however, but they diffently aren't eating it or grazing at it. Are there like specific otto's that would eat it? Also excuse my ignorance but what is BN? Is it Bristle nose? I have switched the lights off, and went to hollywood showed them a sample of the sludge/algae and recommended to use TLC Super sludge Digester. i have just finished removing the driftwood and soaking it in the bath with TLC SSD. then siphoned most of the remaining algae in the tank, washed the plants that was covered in it. removed the Co2 DIY bottle too. Also would stopping with the ferts be a good idea?

Having a large problem with algae in my tank, tank has been running for 2 weeks fine until 4 days ago started to notice some algae. not sure on the algae but here are some photos, what is the best solution i do now? empty the tank and start from scratch? Tank size is 450Ltr I have 4 x 54watt T5 HO lights set for 8 - 10 hours a day. DIY Co2 just set up yesterday (hoping to get a proper system when funds are available) Ferts: Flourish Comprehensive supplement, and Excel. Hope someone can help, was looking so nice

Yup sunsun filters are great and yes they do come with all attachments etc , value for $$. have two of them on smaller tanks over the last 2 years roughly, haven't noticed any leaks/slow downess. :thup:

haha even the air intake has a Heineken bottle into it. classy :sml1: oh double brown how i don't miss the next morning hangovers from that stuff, almost as bad as haast beer :sick:

@ Jennifer - That is seriously impressive, though i myself would only be starting off two of those units to begin with due to cost. thanks for sharing, looks like trying to debate between that system and MH... what are the pro's and con's of each ? also what plants you growing in there Jennifer?, any chance could get a full front tank pic and zoom in's, love planted tanks !drool: !drool:

Thanks kiwi, those are ideal @ GZ_loach - Where about's can one get 150W MH ? i went to switched on gardener and the smallest they said they have is 250W which seems rather excessive and given the Heat by it , with a closed lid tank would crack the glass on top? question for Metal halides if i was to go down that route , what bulbs are there to go for growing? i was speaking to brother in law, recommends two of these and since they go to 1.5m seems pretty decent for the price. and i can pick up reflectors decent ones from Ideal Electric. So hmm decisions lol ! ! http://www.trademe.co.nz/Pets-animals/Fish/Lights-lamps/auction-385259412.htm anyone used these before? Also what sort of bulbs are needed for a heavily planted tank specifically?

So been looking around and thinking i need to get into planted tanks, since i always !drool: at them. Got a 1.5m tank, i have the gravel all sorted, bags of flourite and 2 bags of aquabasis plus. Will be getting Co2 system down the track, but so far trying to sort out lighting. I have come across , but being a light noob, says standard t5 HO lamps? is there any different types and consequences of it? 120CM 4* 54W T5Ho Supports 4x 54W T5 High Output lamps Supports standard T5 HO lamps is this sufficient enough? trying to find a 150cm unit seems virtually impossible and for reasonable price. My budget is MAX for lighting $400 including bulbs, so if anyone has suggestions would be great?

sorry for not replying sooner, but busy as of late. but good news Spartacus is doing well, eating waxmoths, earth worm, mealworms. Hopefully one day ween him onto dead food, he hasn't bothered with the blood worms. but just happy hes doing well now :thup: thanks for the suggestions now the waiting game till i can get some more.

@ ryan - yeah i fully agree with the eating thing but then it seems the only explanation at this point cause pretty sure i've done it all right. But also that's why i thought id ask on here since very knowledgable people on here may explain what i did wrong or could be wrong, i will see how it goes over the next week, the problem though with getting more mudskippers is they are pretty much impossible to get, why these lil guys aren't more available not sure. Unless someone knows a place that is selling, more than willing to get this right. Also the other thing is a heat lamp be required? as my room gets very warm, and tight lid. I was told they don't need it but just curious.

Got them only last week, so had thought it was just due to stress, but over time they just wouldn't eat at all @ mcculloch - yeah shop advised i turn lights off and leave live food in the tank, so done that. so fingers cross it works. @ ryan - yeah not sure really what else could have killed him other than starvation since nothing was being eaten when left in the tank and me leaving them to hoping find it. i tested the water for ammonia/nitrate/nitrite and all came back fine nothing there could have contributed to it. just hoping this poor guy just starts eating, been waiting years to get my hand on mudskippers and done all the reading i thought i needed to keep them. just sucks, i was busy planning on setting up a nice 5 foot tank for the two , now seems silly to do it just for one guy. =/ live and learn i guess.

I recently purchased two mudskippers (Periophthalmus barbarus) , unfortunately 1 has died yesterday as a result of not eating I have spoken to the guys at shop, very helpful and much appreciated :thup: reason i am posting is if i have missed something or doing something completely wrong, i also understand these mudskippers are wild caught so not sure if this is contributing factor into why they aren't eating anything. Live foods: i have tried are waxmoth worms which shop said the mudskippers they had ate them instantly. mealworms, whiteworms as well. i even went to beach and caught tiny small crabs to put in and bugs as well. I also have on order live crickets coming in Dryfoods and other: Bloodworms Shrimp Krilll Crickets had also purchased long tongs that are used to feed lizards incase the human hand was scarring them, but alas still not wanting to eat. Temp in tank is sitting 25c Brackish water gravity is 1.10 Is there anything i have missed? Also if anyone has purchased recently the mudskippers and wants a friend, let me know i feel bad that i can't get him to eat and don't want him to die

@ Zayne - i haven't shipped fish or received fish from abroad so not sure @ waterlogged - yeah could do that, unfortunately i don't think i will get a chance to head to Rotorua unfortunately. Maybe next time @ myfishybusiness - yeah was more looking at oxygenating the water, so will have to try and find battery air pumps..

awesome thanks all will add this to my route also what would i do for the long trip back in terms of air for the fish?

So driving from aucks down to welly for the weekend, curious as to what are the best fish shops i can visit? especially stores with decent range of african cichlids

I have used silica sand (white) in my tank once, was a pain to keep it clean after awhile looks awesome too begin with though. If you were to go for sand, i would recommend go for something like river sand or anything that isn't white. And i have sand in my tank

Beginning of last year i was interested in getting mud skippers, i found only one place in Auckland, the guy said he was able to get them.. for the life of me i can not remember the store, but i faintly remember that it was out in Howick area, he quoted me $70 for one, which i thought was pretty cheap considering the lack of them around. Unfortunately i didn't get them in the end, real shame. i could try and find the store.

Yeah just the one as someone bought all the others ones on Thursday they said, i knew i should have bought them that day Bought scored myself 3 of the Synodontis multipunctata from Sunbird73 today, so really happy they are so awesome :happy2: Which i think has vastly helped my frontosa too, as with all the cats swimming around, they aren't any where as nervous as they were. :happy1: That's a relief was worried he wasn't going to make it, yeah diffently going to transfer him tomorrow morning. Cool thanks David R, will add the coral to the filter to his tank. @ Windsparrow - Yeah i have two terracotta pots and a hollow log in there for him to hide. Haven't put the lights on either so not to freak him out. Thanks for all the responses 8)

So today bought a medium sized clown loach from HF mt roskill, have him in quarantine tank, as i am not happy in the fishes behaviour/look but alas since i am new to owning Clown loaches. he isn't very active and is slumping to one side, is this common or what could be wrong? :-? I tested my quarantine tank, PH 6.5, no ammonia/nitrate/nitrite. 26c Temp.

Ah this seems very promising that i have gone down the right track :happy2: i must admit Clown loaches are so cool, when all 12 of them school around the tank, looks so awesome. My new Snail Assassins hopefully. A few pics of my tank, and the zombie outbreak of snails.... also if anyone has suggestions on how to improve the "look" or anything of the tank please feel free

Temp is sitting at 27c , PH - 8 DKH - 8 or 143.2 PPM KH i also tried to do my GH, now for the life of me i can't figure this out, - I did the first drop but it turned Yellow as to oppose to in guidebook its meant to turn orange with the first drop, this it did not (held it against a white background to make sure), then i carried on to see if it would change to "Green" but after 30 drops just stayed a bright yellow , i know something must be amiss surely? as well as my sump i have an FX5 for fast current that i have positioned for mid to top current, as to not annoy the fronts as they like the slow moving water oh and i thought as much they'd be your clowns given your knowledge of them being good at eating snails

Ah okay cool Thanks David, how quick do Clown Loaches grow in general?, i ask because my guys i bought at HF are about 2cm long got 12 of them, had one fatality though, he died on the way home most of today, having been home, using the potato idea, so far its kind of working there's just so many of them, .. but going to keep doing it to try and help reduce them as much as possible, till i purchase the large CL. I will try to take a picture later tonight when the horde has arisen from the sand lol. so you can truly gauge how many there are :tears: