Caryl

Like most barbs they zip about and are never still but I wouldn't say they were mad.

You ought to recognise those gouramis Ira as half of them are yours :lol: I designed the unit many years ago (that tank has been established about 15 years now) and a local club member did the joinery for us. It covers the whole end wall of the lounge floor to ceiling and 12ft wide. That is all the rotala that was left after a massive pruning job earlier in the day.

Overstocking Africans to stop aggression is common and works well. My Malawi tank does not seem to suffer from excess CO2 (but how do I tell?) and doesn't have airstones.

:oops:

As convicts, I would suggest they are a bit slow. A good convict would have spawned in the bag on the way home :lol:

Depends on the individual CAE. Some are fine and others are natural killers.

I too would go for external canister if you can afford it. I have Fluvals, Eheim wet/dry (DON'T BUY ONE!!! :evil: ) and Jebo. I like the Jebo best. The externals are bigger and so hold more media. They also don't take up space in the tank that could be used for decorations or fish My Malawis are messy and I have 2 externals, one at each end of the tank. I also had an AquaClear HOB at one time (just running as spare).

I like it because the stupid goldfish eat everything else so having free replacements easily on hand is a great boon As you may have guessed by the name, oxygen weed helps oxygenate the water so is good for the fish. Plants are always good in a tank to help keep it balanced and in good health.

I knew husbands had to be useful for something :lol:

It would help if we knew where you are. Please update your profile to show your location. What size is the tank? How long has it been set up? How big are the fish? What sort of filtration do you have? Do you do regular water changes? Have you tested the water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? With the fish having lost its colour and floating at the top I fear it may be too late to save it. Bloating with scales sticking out can be a symptom of dropsy but without more information, it is too hard to say.

He can't if he isn't affiliated to the FNZAS or subscribed to the Aquarium World magazine.

Yeah Alan. How about an article on it? 8)

Alan is correct, it is Lysimachia, not oxygen weed. A perennial herb, can be found in ditches, marshes and wet grasslands worldwide.

They do what they are supposed to - if you get the flow rate right. Expensive to run as you have to change the bulbs every 6 months and they are very expensive. Frankly, if you have your system set up correctly and well balanced you should not need one.

You should join a local club bonaro. I gather Sue has sent you the details for the Wgtn Aq & Watergarden Soc. I don't know my way around Wgtn but wonder if the Kapi-Mana Club might be closer to you. They are hosting the FNZAS conference this year too so it would be a great time to join.

Thanks for telling us your experience. Hopefully others will learn from this. I know others have been suggesting it but personally I wouldn't double dose with anything if the tank had fish in it.

There could be a number of reasons your plants are dying. Not enough light for the type of plant, planted incorrectly, being eaten by fish for a start. If you have just pulled up the remains without giving the gravel a good vacuum, there may be bad bacteria built up where the plant remains are. The plec would be hit first as it is a bottom dweller. Give the substrate an extremely good and deep siphon. Have you tested for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

This is why you should feed your fish daily and use the time to check everything else. Glad you picked it up Paul before fish lives were lost.

I don't know this type of filter but is it possible to put the filterpads in upside down? Would it make a difference? Just a thought. My AquaClear has an adjustable plastc bit on the base that turns around to angle the filter different amounts from the tank. Here's a pic. You can see the bit I mean on the right against the white backing sheet.

Hi banaro and welcome. Plenty of those Wainui people in here - they are taking over! :lol:

It only takes 1 male to do the job. Platies grow quite quickly.

Welcome to the fishroom. If you keep the stocking level low and do regular water changes as you suggested, you do not need filtration.

Thank you all. Isn't it great to have so many articles contributed by so many people? I think I only had to write 1 or 2.

There are free pdf writer programmes you can download. From memory, I think one was The pdf Factory

Quarantine requirements in NZ differ from those in Australia marinegirl so, yes, it does make a difference and set-ups may reflect this. As hobbyists, we do not have quarantine facilities but some have fishrooms with more than 50 tanks. A fishroom layout I am sure would also differ from that of a quarantine room. You would be best to ring local quarantine facilities and ask there.