Caryl

I too would think the sleepers have tar and stuff on them but they are used to line ponds with aren't they? Or is that just on the outside and the sleepers themselves are not in contact with the pond water?

Sounds like an algae bloom. Is it white cloudy? Won't harm the fish but looks unsightly. How long has the tank been set up? This is common in new set-ups and should disappear again after a week or two.

and there was me thinking they bounced well if you tied a bit of string around them :lol: Welcome to the fishroom Garry

Also check out the Dunedin club's tank parade coming up. Check the details here http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?t=7924 I will be attending all the way from Blenheim so you guys should have no difficulty getting there

Nice pics. A couple of points though... If you are going to provide the fish with reading material you should stand it up the right way (unless you have some upsidedown cats in there and it is just for them) That puppy will outgrow your tank. :lol:

Good one Marcel! Let us know if you need any full colour posters etc run off as I would be happy to do them for you.

Welcome to the site Dan. Don't hesitate to ask questions.

Welcome Eileen. I hope you are able to interest some of your students in fish keeping. They are welcome to visit this site too.

Can't he make stands etc for both? Scats and monos grow too big for your hex I think you will find. Not sure about the plants but think Java fern will tolerate brackish conditions.

I too prefer to leave them without food as I don't trust the auto feeders but others have used them successfully. Jo uses them I believe in her rental set-ups. I assume you just want to use them for a short period while you are away? Otherwise, feeding time is when you should check the fish for signs of illness or bullying. Making sure all are well and accounted for and all are getting a fair share of the food.

Grant was going to write me an article on this very subject! Thanks for the link Alan.

Two other suitable inhabitants for a brackish tank are monos Monodactylus sp and scats Scatophagus argus

Another fish is the leopardfish Phalloceros caudomaculatus

Hi fishgirl. Sounds like you will fit in here very well as MTS has already set in :lol:

Newt, they are J marlieri from Lake Tanganyika. They are in my Laka Malawi tank as they are visiting relatives :lol:

Having never bought aquarium salts I can't tell you the differences. Some people like to use a little salt in their aquariums as a 'tonic' for the fish. Some fish prefer it. Mollies like a bit of salt and some livebearer breeders swear by it. Whether this is the same salt used in marine tanks I don't know, as I don't keep marines, but I doubt it. When I kept mollies, I just used plain table salt (non iodised). The amount used is very small (can't remember how much exactly. Check out 'How to Salt a Freshwater Aquarium' in the beginner section) as it was discussed there. Brackish tanks have a salinity halfway between fresh and marine. This is to simulate regions where fish live in the tidal areas of rivers where they meet the sea so salinity changes as the tide goes in and out.

Having goldfish in it would have helped but then as it sat empty for 2 weeks, what were the bacteria in the filter living on during this time? Many would have died off again. A tank will not cycle, or keep cycled, sitting empty with no fish in it.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v144/cary ... ?start=all

You know you're old when you start saying things like "today's young people..." :lol:

Ours is close enough too. We have been changing our meeting days and times over winter but it doesn't matter as it varies

I know cm are not a 'proper' unit but I can never remember how many 0's to put on the mmmmmm's :roll:

I don't think looking after 4 killifish for 2 weeks is worth joining another club for :lol:

My 1.2 x 51cm x 46cm 10mm 280L tank was 2nd hand and $80. No lid though.

Yeah - get a bigger tank :lol: Any way of raising the water level so it can't be seen? It is just a personal preference of mine to not be able to see the water level (unless of course it is only half full as a paludarium) - especially if the floor or stand is slightly uneven

What size is the tank Gretal? Unless you are using an already established filter, hold off getting more fish for at least a month to give the tank a chance to cycle properly. Testing the ammonia and nitrate levels will tell you how the cycle is progressing. If the tank is newly set up you must make sure the algae eater is well fed as there will be nothing for it to graze on in a new tank.