Caryl

Purchased?? I must have hundreds of dollars worth in my bath outside. Hokitika beach is a great place to find already waterlogged native hardwood (a bit far for you to go I realise). Easiest to try is leaving it in a tub for a few weeks. Change the water every few days so you can tell if it has stopped leaching. Some do so quite quickly and others never stop. Perhaps that's why it was for sale - it wouldn't stop?

We only have about 6 - 9 members attend our meetings as the majority live too far away. We used to have a raffle when we had more people at meetings where tickets cost $2 and the winner supplied the next prize. This paid for the hall hire (which was $8 so we always made a profit). We now meet in members' homes so it is no longer needed. Our subscriptions cover our costs as our newsletter is emailed to the majority and I have so far forgotten to charge the club for printing the rest :roll: When we do fund raise, we prefer to get money from other people rather than club members so have, over the years, run a sausage sizzle outside The Warehouse and run grocery raffles at displays we have set up at flower shows, hobby exhibitions, A&P Shows etc. Each member was asked to donate a grocery item or 2 so it cost very little, if anything, to set it up but we have made $100's doing this. We have also set up a 30cm square tank with suitable inhabitants, ugf and pump (all donated) and raffled it at the above mentioned displays with the winner getting 1 year's sub to the club as well.

Cool! Fins crossed

To lighten it up... what do you call a fish with no eyes? A: A fsh :lol: It should be fine plecs. Keep an eye on it though to make sure it gets its fair share of food.

I wouldn't put them together. The acara is a Sth American cichlid that likes it slightly acidic to neutral and does best in a species tank whereas the livingstoni is a Lake Malawi cichlid from Africa who prefers it alkaline.

Thanks Jude. When you photograph the tank, try putting both strip lights onto the one 'angle' as you photograph it. The more light the better. Take it at night and try with the room lights off. No reflections. I will bring my camera with me on the 15th too.

Water trickling in the bedroom isn't restful (especially if you have a waterbed :lol: ) it makes you want to go to the toilet! Grant says we can have tanks anywhere in the house I like - except the bedroom.

The tank is looking good Jude but I think it might help if you were also able to post pics of each 'angle' separately. It looks a little bare in the middle at the bend but I suspect it is the camera angle making it look that way and not so in actuality. I would like to know more about those lights. Brand, where you got them, price etc if possible. They are really neat and low units and look very unobtrusive.

It is the oddest looking hygrophila I have ever seen then, but possible . Where are the rest of its leaves? Are you able to get a better pic of it? Discus feel more secure with lots of plants and they would love a screen of vallis running along the back.

I wonder if that skinny plant with the little leaves sprouting out the top isn't bamboo? That ambulia you have still needs to be bunched together. It grows much better in bunches than planted in single bits as you have there. You can also chop the tops off and replant them. The bottom bits can be kept if they aren't too scraggly or thrown away if they are. If you keep the bottom bits they grow out the top again quite quickly.

Hey if garlic works on vampires I don't see why it couldn't get rid of parasites! Have faith!! :lol:

He is probably unsettled in a new environment and taking it out on the others. As long as the other fish have plenty of hiding places give it a few days and see if he settles down again.

Nice pics but it would be good if you could resize the first two as they are too wide. Resize pics for the forums to 640 x 480 max. Those single tufts of ambulia (or cabomba) need to be bunched and planted together at the back and the vallis should be further to the back as it will grow very tall. It will look good once more plants are added and those already planted start to grow. Nice looking fish too.

Sorry BG. I know you put a lot of time and effort into that oscar

I assure you mystic it is not hard to breed convicts. Just make sure you have at least one of each sex and add water :lol:

Hmm perhaps we will get an invite when we are over the weekend of 15-16th?

Their president can be hard to get hold of. Try the secretary, Linda, on 389 3137. Tell her you heard of the club in this website and that Caryl sent you They meet 3rd Wed of the month at 7.30pm in the Sydenham Community Centre, 23 Hutcheson St. Their fees are $25 family; $20 single and $10 junior. We would love to see this club reinvigorated.

I said the hoplo cats had the personality Shae.

You shopuld have a thermometer on the tank to check the temperature. Had you matured the new filter before removing the old ones?

The competition is for Marlborough club members only Carrie but anyone can come along on the day to see the entries. Are you entering your tank Mark? Timaru isn't that much further to go.

They are still going Carrie (read my reply to you in Welcome) and one of our club members (Marcel - works at Animates Papanui) has also joined the Canterbury club in the hopes of reviving it. He sure could do with some help! Click on the banner at the top re clubs, the information is there. Contact Linda

I can email you a copy of my club's newsletter if you like Carrie. We have quite a few Canterbury members and will be heading your way in Feb to judge those entered in our club tank and pond competition. You would be welcome to join us. We have 11 tanks entered in Ashburton and am sure their will be some ChCh ones soon.

I always used spray paint in the cans

Males usually have darker stripes and longer, pointier fins. Females tend to be rounder in the body and maybe a little pinker in the belly. Males are also larger.

You don't want to mature them into adults if they are for feeding fry as for this they need to be newly hatched. What makes you think they died within the hour? You weren't looking at the egg casings were you? They will be swimming (and hard to see if your eyesight is like mine) in a little cloud.