Caryl

I don't actually care - at least it would be an article. As I have no idea what zeovit is, or does, I have no comment on the sides taken in the debate. I would be happy to print an article from both sides so Layton, yes please, and you others who disagree - instead of just posting violin playing smileys, write an article about your views!! The other topics you suggested sound good Layton. Please, I look forward to your articles.

Guppies these days are not as tough as they used to be. A number of people have been complaining lately about guppy deaths and a seeming lack of reasons. Have you done any water tests for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? This might help work out the problem. Clamped fins are a sign of stress and if the fish are not being bullied then 99% of the time the stress is caused by bad, or incorrect, water parameters. It may just be the guppies are more sensitive to whatever it is so are affected whereas the other fish do not seem to be.

Hi from me too Alice. Obviously Ryan is overrun with guppies :lol:

Thank you to those who have sent pics already. Billaney there is no time limit, it is an ongoing thing. I have pics from pies too - from when he had his website set up. Not sure if he would want me to use them any more though. I just like to use as many different people's pics as possible instead of the same person all the time - even if their pics are fantastic. What I want even more, especially from salties, is articles to go with the pics!

You only need water ager if your water supply is chlorinated. Ours isn't.

Wait til you see the size of my handbag! (It has my laptop in it)

I am looking for very good quality photographs to use on the cover of the FNZAS Aquarium World magazine. Tropical, cold, freshwater or marine are acceptable - even inverts or corals for those marine keepers. I see a lot of beaut pics in this saltwater section so would love it if some of you would email some of your favourites to me. If you happen to have an article to go with the pic that would be even better!! The magazine is sadly lacking in marine content and any help any of you are willing to give would be much appreciated. For those who do not belong to the FNZAS, so don't get a copy of the magazine, you would receive a free copy of whichever magazine featured your pic and/or article. Preferably a close-up of a single fish (coral, shrimp etc) but a good group is OK. If you have any suitable photos, please email them to me at [email protected] Size-wise about 250kb please to keep the quality. To get this, just resize your photo to 640 x 480 pixels then save in full quality mode. Actual printed size is about 12.5cm wide, height varies depending on cropping. Please do not crop your photo too close to the subject itself as I need a bit of extra to play with to make sure it fits into the space correctly so prefer to crop it myself, if required. Make sure you name the fish (coral, invert etc) featured, both common and scientific names if you know them.

I am looking for very good quality photographs to use on the cover of the FNZAS Aquarium World magazine. Tropical, cold, freshwater or marine are acceptable - even inverts or corals for those marine keepers. You might note the last one actually had an octopus on the cover Preferably a close-up of a single fish but a good group is OK. If you have any suitable photos, please email them to me at [email protected] Size-wise about 250kb please to keep the quality. To get this, just resize your photo to 640 x 480 pixels then save in full quality mode. Actual printed size is about 12.5cm wide, height varies depending on cropping. Please do not crop your photo too close to the fish itself as I need a bit of extra to play with to make sure it fits into the space correctly so prefer to crop it myself, if required. If you happen to have an article to go with the pic that would be even better!! :lol: Make sure you name the fish featured, both common and scientific names if you know them.

Don't try it on me wok you won't win! 8) Sorry to hear you won't make it after all Alan. It isn't often you miss a conference. I am sure someone else will stir on your behalf.

All males together would be fine if you remove all the females.

That link was under "Resources" in the plantgeek site. For excellent information and photos on plants, you can't beat Curt's www.plantgeek.net

If it is only females, what is the sex ratio in the tank? Females are constantly harassed by males and need at least 3 females to every male.

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nutrient.htm

I htink so, the long finned definitely but not sure about albino. I don't like them either but beauty is in the eye of the beholder

See how under each leaf there is a cluster of small roots? These will all grow if cut and replanted.

Gee, a plant growing sideways and gravel that doesn't slide down the wall either! Am concerned about the nose diving discus though :lol: Sorry, couldn't resist. I would agree with Jude, the plant looks like baby tears Bacopa monniera and also agree with her suggestion to chop it off and replant the tips. The original will bush out at each cut joint.

I suggest you post this in saltwater too skippy as many of the marine keepers only look there and nowhere else.

That should be OK. Have you tried another new tube to see if it works? Where are you getting the tubes from? They are cheapest at wholesalers like Mastertrade

Welcome Maegaret. The forum is not meant for you to have to hang around and wait for a reply. Just post your messages then check for answers next time you log in. If you want something more 'real time' come into the chat room around 9pm as there is a group of us there most nights. See at the top of the page where it says IR Chat (0)? Click on that then agree to load the applet when it asks (you will need Java to get in. Most computers have that loaded. If you don't it is a free download if you Google for it). Hopefully when you go to chat it actually says IR Chat (3) or a similar number as the number in brackets tells you how many are already in the chat room. The number is refreshed every 5 minutes.

If it is an old fitting there were some that used a different technique for starting in which case the new tube won't work. How old is the fitting? The old tubes to fit those old fittings are no longer available.

A bit of alcohol and people lose the few brain cells they had. Keep up the water changes.

Welcome skippy. Yes, we have other members near you - even one in Kerikeri but I can't remember who :roll:

OK checked the level this morning after pond has been left for a week. The rain makes it difficult to gauge but we are pretty sure the level is only dropping 6cm. Grant wonders about putting a ballcock under the deck so it keeps the level up that way. What do you think? Easier than lining it and a regular fresh water addition to the pond. We do not pay for water consumption here.

I didn't type it out - I scanned the magazine into OCR This is one of the magazines I don't have on computer By the way showtime, let us know if you are successful as Bryan would be very pleased to know his article helped and encouraged others to give it a try.

This is part of the article originally written by Bryan Jones and was in the Aquarium World Nov '99... Rummynoses are not difficult to keep but they are fast movers and have a high metabolism rate. They prosper in good quality water with a maximum saturated oxygen content. An OPP (oxygen replacement percentage) meter or similar is of assistance, particularly when tank numbers are high or when shipping them out in plastic bags. Regular water changes are of particular importance in growing a large school of these fish. Breeding a Few Hundred Get a breeding stock of 12-20 healthy young fish to ensure you obtain both sexes. Go for the bleheri species which should show the bright red head (although I suggest all rummy-nose imported into NZ are this species). A tank of 60 x 30 x 30cm should house the breeders. It should not need to have substrate as it may harden the water. A few plants in pots or growing on sunken driftwood can be added for decoration purposes. Make sure the water is matured, soft, well filtered and aerated. Add some peat to the filter or hang a stocking filled with peat in the tank to acidify and soften the water. Rummynoses are hungry feeders and grow fast. They will take most foods but use live foods and frozen bloodworms to fatten up the females with roe. They seem to relish the frozen beef heart formula that I make up for my discus. When the females are fat with eggs, which will be easily observed, the sexes should be separated a couple of weeks before spawning attempts. Mature males have the Characin hook at the front of the anal fin which frequently catches on the net when catching fish. During the week before placing the adults in a breeding tank, provide daphnia (if available) each day as this live food seems to bring breeders into top condition for releasing eggs. Rainwater should have previously been collected and stored in a large container, such as a barrel. A couple of stockings filled with peat should be soaked in the water for some weeks. pH should be around 6.0 - 6.5 and the water soft - below 50 micro siemens. The rainwater in my storage barrel is sometimes down to 20ms which is very soft. Water can be acidified by adding phosphoric acid (H3P04) but it is more natural to use peat concentrate as it will also impede bacterial growth. I usually set up three 45 x 23 x 23cm breeding tanks which have been well sterilised with potassium permanganate solution, ICMNO4, including airstone, egg catching grill and cover glass. Add the soft water to a depth of 12cm, warm it to 24°C and provide light aeration. I do not believe the temperature is that critical as I have bred a number of Characins around the year in a fish room that is cooler in winter and hotter in summer. Water in the breeding tanks, depending on high or low position on shelves, can range from 22° - 28°C. The stainless steel grills I use, to protect the eggs from hungry parents, have a mesh of 3mm. Make sure they are flat and fit tightly around the tank floor as breeders can sometimes get under the edges and die. Egg crate (with 1cm squares), which is used to diffuse light from fluorescent units, can be cut to the same size and also used with equal success as an egg saver. Mask the tank with black polythene cut to size leaving a cut out window along the top half of the front glass. All my breeding tanks have been painted black on the bottom outside to reduce light and make the breeders feel secure. For rummy-nose I add two untangled green plastic mops, as a spawning medium, to make surrounds more natural. Make sure the mops are well untangled so as not to noose fish in small loops. Beware of using nylon mops as I have had male fish well caught up in them by their anal hook. Carefully catch 2 females and 3 males and release them into the breeding tank in the morning. Rummynose breed at night similar to cardinal tetras - usually on the second night after introduction. A swirl of the water with a plastic spoon with a torch light behind will usually reveal a number of clear eggs. Take out the fish and mesh grill, add 5 drops of 5% Methylene Blue and cover the tank with cardboard or similar to exclude light. Keep light aeration going to make sure the water is well oxygenated and scum does not develop over the water surface. Five days later, remove the covers and check for fry. These should be seen scooting around on the bottom. Depending on water temperature, the fry will be ready for a very small amount of newly hatched brine shrimp in the afternoon of day 5, or morning of day 6. Don't feed anything if the fry are just hopping about and still show signs of a yolk sac. They should be swimming just over the tank bottom. This is where a torch or light from behind is needed to see exactly what is going on. I have a magnifying glass for assistance as well. After feeding a small amount of brine shrimp, check 1 hour later for pink tummies. If this is observed, feed very small amounts 3x per day or at least morning and late afternoon. I do not use, or recommend, infusoria as the fry can take brine shrimp from day 1 but micro worms can be used as a supplementary food. The first few days are the critical time for success or failure in obtaining results. Do not overfeed, and check regularly for surplus and dead brine shrimp some hours after feeding. Each day add a little matured soft water at the right temperature and include a small sponge type filter after the fry have been feeding for 3 days. This will inhibit the build-up of bacteria and help to keep the water in top condition. The water level should now be up to 20cm deep. If fed and housed correctly, and top water quality maintained, rummy-nose fry are fast growers and should reach adult in size in 6 - 9 months.