Caryl

Kids left home years ago and I hate breakfast in bed so no, didn't get that. I didn't actually eat breakfast since I knew I was getting a treat at the Kekerengu Store (anyone who has been there will know the food there!) and I knew I was going out for lunch and dinner. Not fair that I have to weigh in at Weight Watchers today!!! :roll: I had a really lovely birthday, the best ever, and I don't think it has ended as I think something is going on this weekend but it is a surprise

Think of the ionised layer working as a mirror so the signal goes up and is effectively reflected, rather than refracted, so therefore it travels down as long as the ionisation is dense enough. If it's not dense enough then the signal is refracted and will proabably not come back to earth at all. At certain densities it will in fact absorb the signals and will not come back to Earth or pass through. Different layers at different altitudes and different densities all have differing effects depending on the time of day. The angle the signal hits the layer also determines whether it will be reflected back to Earth, refracted slightly, or pass right through. A signal hitting it at a very low angle will reflect back at that same angle so the distance from where it is transmitted to where it is received is much greater than if the signal goes up at a much steeper angle and then comes back at the same angle and therefore is much closer when it comes back to ground. The thinner the ionised layer, the lower that angle must be for that signal to bounce back. The frequency of the signal also has a dramatic effect on where it comes back. Some layers can reflect a vertical signal back down again. Tests are done for this called ionospheric sounding to determine the effects at different frequencies of the ionisation of the ionised layers. Check out ionosond on Google. There are websites you can look at to give you the results of ionospheric sounding as it is done by various organisations. From these you can work out what frequency to use at what time of day to get your HF signal to where you want it to be - with a bit of luck, because the angle of reflection may mean that the signal comes back to Earth either before it gets tyo you or after it gets to you so you may not hear it at all. Also check out MUF (maximum usable frequency) and ALF (alternate lower frequency) Have a look at http://www.ips.gov.au then look under "educational" and there's a huge amount of information on all sorts of stuff to do with propagation, the sun's effect etc. Are you training at Woodbourne? Feel free to contact us if you want to talk to Grant about any of this stuff. He has also run amateur radio classes. (dictated by Grant - Amateur Radio Ham and one who has worked with HF radios for many years) :bounce:

Thank you all for the birthday greetings and happy birthday too to enzoom1 and Mel :bounce: The day finished with a meal in Kaikoura as Grant got called out :roll: Rather than wait until he got home I went with him so we ate down there. A lovely meal with the staff singing me happy birthday with a candle in the hot apple pie :lol:

Not anything wrong with Fluvals. What other brands of filters do they sell? Get rid of the TV

I have someone else in another forum worried about their black moor doing the same thing, just sitting on the bottom. It comes up to feed then sinks again. I suggest you try the cooked shelled pea trick in case it is the beginning of constipation. Can't think of anything else :-?

They claimed they hadn't left the pond :roll:

Here are the rest of the pics

Thanks all. Here is me on my present... Unfortunately I don't get to keep the bike, my present was a cruise down the Kaikoura Coast to the Kekerengu Store for morning tea. It is an 1800cc Honda Goldwing and I have always wanted a ride on one since I saw them when I came out when I was a teen (I am 50 today!!!) I then went to lunch with one of the ladies I jobshare with and tonight Grant is taking me out. I believe there might be a surprise something at the weekend but I am not supposed to know about that. I know nuffink!!! :lol:

Hi Caper. No, we leave for our trip on Easter Friday. Today is my 50th birthday so I am off to enjoy the downhill slide :lol: Just waiting for my present to turn up. He said he would be here between 9 and 9.30am. :bounce: :bounce:

Hopefully you won't find any since they drained the dam to kill them all.

What size is the tank and how many guppies were in it? How long has it been set up? How did you add the fish to the tank? Did you float the bag for a while then slowly mix the waters? Neons, IMO, are not the hardiest and die easily. If they had a sudden pH or temperature change that would do it.

White or pale fish will always have red show up more than others as they are so pale it shows through, especially in places like the gills. It is quite common to get a "dud" from a lfs. These days they seem to supply quantity rather than quality. I often see fish being sold that I felt ought to have been culled.

Besides, I don't think being one eyed is rare :lol:

Spaghetti bolognaise anyone? :lol:

O+ = 42% of population A+ = 35% B+ = 8% O- = 7% A- - 5% AB+ = 1.7% B- = 1% AB- = 0.3% My mum is AB+. I am only an A- so not as rare as some. My brother is B-. I believe my dad is a O so all us kids have to be A or B either + or -. Sister just told me she is B+

The odessas seem to be stimulated by the temp drops and can be seen spawning on colder mornings. We dropped to 7 overnight last night apparently and all happily swimming about this morning with the water temp at 13C. Pools have got up to 27C so far. Being a larger body of water than tanks they are slower to heat up and cool down, and when they do it is not to the same extreme as the air temperature. They have yet to reach the air temperature when it has been 33C.

I thought releasing rudd anywhere in NZ was an offence

I vacuumed mine with no problems. I just wasn't super thorough about it.

Some idiot(s) keep releasing rudd etc into the local Taylor Dam here causing havoc :evil:

That will be so with any filter. In a power cut the bacteria start dying very quickly without the water going through. I am sure you will find out in 2 days Mel It isn't anything particularly interesting to anyone but me :roll:

I haven't got any rare medical condition (that I know about anyway :lol: ) but do have a rare blood type. My mum and one brother have even rarer types than mine. The rest of the family appear to be commons 8) My son was born with congenital heart defects (nothing to do with my rhesus negative blood problems) and is now fit and healthy after 2 lots of open heart surgery at ages 16 weeks and 3 yrs, but when he was in Wgtn Hospital (before he was sent on to Greenlane - Starship didn't exist then) he had a lot of student Drs asking to listen to his heart as they had not heard his particular defect before and they were keen to do so as it was the only way they would know what it sounded like.

I love undergravels for small tanks (up to 2ft) but not for goldfish. Goldfish are messy and continually digging in the substrate which upsets the plates. They are suitable for small tanks for small fish that don't nosey through the substrate. I have never had to strip a tank to clear out an undergravel. They are supposed to amass gunk under the plates - that is where the good bacteria live and work. It is good gunk and not meant to be cleared out. You need at least 5cm of substrate on top if you want to grow plants well though. They are good for fish that prefer slower moving water as they don't produce the flow you get from canisters. I prefer them to internals as they are out of sight, except for the uplift, and don't take up space like the internals. Sponge filters are great in fry tanks as the fry don't get sucked up the filter.

The last lot I got for the breeding ponds I then planted in the goldfish pond. It is still in there growing. You do better with it in flowing water though.

Hi and welcome

Ah but the trip was worth it wasn't it? :lol: Welcome to the forums. Please update your profile and add your location. Have you considered joining your local aquarium club? (assuming there is one)