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amtiskaw

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Posts posted by amtiskaw

  1. Bolivian cichlids

    in Cichlids

    Posted

    Then blow me over there's a pit of wrigglers :-D WOW. YEHAA. Oh yeh, a pit of wrigglers, oh yeh :dnc1: :happy1: They moved them to other side of tank and looks like the male has stepped up :slfg:

    Great news :D Dammit, I miss having Bolivian's now!

  2. Bolivian cichlids

    in Cichlids

    Posted

    Nice one, you must be stoked. They are great little fish :bounce:

    I had two pair that would breed every couple of weeks like clockwork. It was a community tank, so usually the wrigglers would get eaten. But one pair found a defensible spot in a corner and managed to raise a school successfully. It took me half a day to catch all 34 of them when I sold them to the LFS :facepalm:

    Like yours, mine would lay eggs on flat rocks. Then they dig a pit for the wrigglers when they hatch.

  5. CO2 for a 450L tank

    in Technical

    Posted

    You'll need ferts, as well. Otherwise you'll just be swapping BBA for different algae - green dust, green spot, or the dreaded BGA.

    I can't find the post, but I saved some info kiwiplymouth posted here last year.

    All credit to kiwiplymouth for this - I found it really useful when I started out with high-tech and dosing ferts :bow:

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Postby kiwiplymouth » Sat Mar 10, 2012 8:55 am

    I currently have 13 planted tanks, 5 of which are high tech, co2 injected and liquid fertilized based on Estimative index dosing.

    Target ranges for optimal growth are:

    CO2 range 25-35 ppm

    Nitrate (NO3) range 10-30 ppm

    Potassium (K+) range 10-30 ppm

    Phosphate (PO4) range 1.0-2.0 ppm

    Iron (Fe) 0.2-0.5ppm or higher

    GH range 3-5 ppm or higher

    CO2 range 20-30 ppm

    NO3 range 5-30 ppm

    K+ range 10-30 ppm

    PO4 range 1.0-2.0 ppm

    Fe 0.2-0.5ppm or higher

    GH range 3-5 degrees ~ 50ppm or higher

    KH range 3-5

    You can order bulk dry ferts from Stocker. They usually run between $12-15 per kilo. http://www.hydroponics.co.nz/ You can order online but I recommend phoning them and asking for exactly what you want.

    Order these:

    Potassium Nitrate (KN03)

    Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2P04)

    To make a liquid macro fert solution that will achieve close to the above target ranges, add:

    264g KNO3

    57.6g KH2PO4

    2L ordinary water

    These will give you a complete macro nutrient solution of potassium, nitrate and phosphate in the correct ratios. The dose rate for the above solution is 1ml solution per 10L of tank water. Obviously, if you have only large tanks you can make a more concentrated solution so that the volume that you dose each day is less, but the amount of ferts will be the same. You can also add just the dry ferts.

    So, every other day (or three times a week) do the following:

    Macros (NPK)

    Micros (trace minerals, etc.)

    Iron

    In addition, once a week do a 50% water change (this is essential for 'resetting' the system). After the water change, add a GH booster (e.g. magnesium sulfate/epsom salts) at a rate of 3/4 tsp per 200L of tank water. This provides essential magnesium and allows the plants to uptake nutrients.

    I find some my tanks take more than the minimum dose of nitrates when the plant biomass increases. If you get green spot, increase the phosphate, if you get green dust, increase the nitrates and CO2, if you get BBA, increase the CO2. If you get hair algae, you have too much light for the CO2 and nutrients you are providing. It may take a week or more to fine tune as the plants start accelerating in growth.

    The CO2 provides the carbon source but you can also use Excel and a liquid carbon source if your CO2 suddenly runs out.

    Light is the limiting factor so in other words, when the lights are on, the plants grow optimally and the algae can't take over. If the lights are on too long, the plants will use up the nutrients and leave behind whatever they can't use - algae is not fussy about what nutrients they use so they can quickly take over in that environment. Aim for an 8 hour photoperiod. Turn the CO2 on one hour before the lights go on and turn it off one hour before the lights go off. You can also get a CO2 test, drop checker or something similar to ensure your CO2 levels are optimum. If the plants aren't pearling a lot, they might not be growing optimally.

    All of this is based on Estimative Index dosing by Tom Barr. It is based on the theory that by providing unlimited nutrients (including carbon) the plants are not limited in growth.

    -----------------------------------------------------------

    *) Unstable CO2-levels - BBA

    *) Low NO3-levels and/or high PO4-levels - Cyanobacteria

    *) Low NO3-levels - Dust algae

    *) Low PO4-levels, very good climate overall - Green spot algae

    *) High Fe-levels - Hair algae (Cladophora, Pithophora, Spirogyra, Audouinella?)

    *) High Urea-levels - Staghorn or Green water

  7. Product review

    in Aquatic Plants

    Posted

    [i think in a working aquarium, fish waste is enough to feed the plants but if you're starting it without fish or you want outstanding results, it's best to put something down under the cap layer.

    I disagree. Plants require a broad range of micro ferts, which fish waste doesn't provide.

    I've had good results with Seachem and the JBL balls. Poke a JBL ball in near a sword, and within a few months you find it surrounded with roots 8)

  16. Environment and Gene Expression

    in Technical

    Posted

    Genetics don't change, but active gene expression does :smln:

    They don't have a look around, see they are now the dominant fish, and "decide" to start colouring up/putting on weight. Changes to environment turn on/off gene expression, and the changes happen automatically.

  17. Customs Bust Fish Smuggler

    in The Off Topic Fishroom

    Posted

    heard on the radio but see a few articles if google it.

    people always want what they seemingly cant have. no scorpy orpy orpy oes yo or snakes for me thanks.

    Supergroove FTW! :dnc1: Heaps of links when I googled "scorpions smuggled into new zealand"

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=11115761

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/ ... -scorpions

    $100,00 maximum fine or five years jail- wonder what they'll get?

  18. Environment and Gene Expression

    in Technical

    Posted

    I just read an interesting article on how environmental factors actually regulate gene expression. It's mostly discussing experiments with bees, but this one paragraph about cichlids might be of interest to fellow fish fanciers. :dunno:

    "One of the most startling early demonstrations of such a response occurred in 2005 in the lab of Stanford biologist Russell Fernald. For years, Fernald had studied the African cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni, a freshwater fish about two inches long and dull pewter in color. By 2005 he had shown that among burtoni, the top male in any small population lives like some fishy pharaoh, getting far more food, territory, and sex than even the No. 2 male. This No. 1 male cichlid also sports a bigger and brighter body. And there is always only one No. 1.

    I wonder, Fernald thought, what would happen if we just removed him?

    So one day Fernald turned out the lights over one of his cichlid tanks, scooped out big flashy No. 1, and then, 12 hours later, flipped the lights back on. When the No. 2 cichlid saw that he was now No. 1, he responded quickly. He underwent massive surges in gene expression that immediately blinged up his pewter coloring with lurid red and blue streaks and, in a matter of hours, caused him to grow some 20 percent. It was as if Jason Schwartzman, coming to work one day to learn the big office stud had quit, morphed into Arnold Schwarzenegger by close of business."

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