Caryl

My Yahoo album won't let me do it either so I signed up with photobucket with great success.

Yes, we made our own but not using a waterbed heater as we had heard of people having problems with them not regulating the heat properly. Making your own is not something I recommend you do unless you have electrical knowledge and qualifications (which Grant has) as it can have disatrous effects if you get the calculations wrong. We used pinex and silicone cable and our pads cover the whole base of our 4ft tanks. The lounge one has been running many years now with no problems whatsoever. The mains flex was attached by the cable supplier as it needed to be crimped and sealed using heat shrink and glued sleeves for safety. You need to work out the power required to heat the tank then calculate the correct length of cable. You must also use cable which has the correct resistance.

Good to hear you got it moved pies. Hope the rest of the inhabitants make it. Fins crossed here.

David I believe they used to have one in the now defunct Fins n Fangs in Wgtn.

Are they extremely large already or is it a small tank?

Hi Brian, nice to meet you. You will find good marine advice here from the reefers

What dimensions are the tanks? Would they be suitable for use as a sump? I am looking for something that will fit under a tank and rather than glass, am thinking along the lines of stock troughs.

Is it breathing more rapidly than usual too? All other fish in the tank OK? Any sign of imflammation on the gills?

I love the AquaClears too

I like the convicts. Pity about their behaviour :evil: :lol:

My community tank fishes get flake food and bottom feeder pellets with the occasional freeze dried tubifex and live daphnia. They also get cucumber and peas when I think of it as the bristlenoses like it.

A good idea but the problem is getting helpers to do the ongoing maintenance. I speak from experience!

How many fish depends on what size they get, how much filtration you have, how often you do regular water changes and last, but not least, how established the tank is. In a tank that size, I would recommend dwarf gouramis. They come in a range of bright colours and are lovely to watch. A few bottom dwellers to help keep that level clean and the tank will look lovely. If you want a mix of different fish, check up on their requirements before you buy. Basically, don't put slow moving fish with long tails in with faster fish with short tails. The faster fish will nip their fins and get all the food first.

He needs a pump though goldie, not a filter.

No wonder I felt there was someone behind me all the time - it was you! :lol: Good to see you conaquavict and hope you enjoy it here.

Very nice B. Will look specially good once the plants have grown some more to fill it out.

A guy in Dunedin had a pacu he had trouble rehoming after it outgrew his 6ft x 2ft tank. It couldn't turn around

I hope you have a very large tank with a solid lid NC! Personally I hate seeing fish as big as these trapped in an aquarium but that is just my opinion. I know arowanas in particular are quite popular.

Personally I have always used standard aquarium gravel and never had a problem. Java fern is a very hardy plant and will atac itself to rocks and wood. Anubias nana is another one which will grow on a log. All the hygrophila sp grow quickly and you just cut off the tops and replant them. Water sprite also grows quickly and can be planted or left floating.

I like the bit that says "I will be adding more pix of different tanks but have to get them first." Do you mean you have to get the pics or the tanks? A coat of paint will make all the difference to the cabinet and I think it is going to look great when finished. I see the edge of a pack of disposable nappies in one pic. Do you put them on the fish or are they to soak up water spills? :lol:

Don't get plecos by mistake as they grow huge! Bristlenoses (sometimes aka bushynoses) have a little yellowish/white 'flag' mark on the top of their tail. Small bristlenoses won't have bristles either. They develop as they age.

Get 1 male and 2 females. Do you know how to sex them? The males have long bristles around the mouth and in a single line up the middle of their head. Females are wider and, although they sometimes have bristles around the mouth, they are shorter and more sparse than the male bristles.

Bristlenoses are one of my favourite fishes. I have quite a few in my community tank and all get on well. They never seriously harass each other - or other fish.

We sell UPSs. We usually suggest a small one for short power cuts only to keep the filters going. This is aimed at the average fishkeeper only, with a small community tank. Those who have invested thousands in their set-ups should consider spending whatever is necessary on a larger one to keep everything going as long as possible.

Welcome kribkrazy. A group of us are often in the chat room after 9pm most nights. Perhaps you would like to join us sometime.