Caryl

Interestingly enough since posting we have actually managed to get the Eheim going properly and it has continued to do so (so far). Still have to get another impeller for the Fluval though. It is an older model as it was bought about 4 - 5 years ago. They had just bought that model out and we got it because it was easier to remove the top when cleaning. They have since bought a newer one out with the ribbed hoses.

Sorry, never heard of it or the chemicals. Sounds a bit dodgy though. Interestingly, a shop I know (whose name and location will remain unstated) was well known for its beautiful, colourful, fish they imported direct from Europe. The one thing I heard repeatedly though was that no one seemed to be able to breed from them. Wonder if they had been fed on the same stuff?

To sign up you just send us money with your name and address details. A junior is usually 16 or under but it actually covers all school students. If you are joining as an individual, send $15 to C Simpson (that's me by the way) 8a Faulkand Dr Blenheim If you join as a family, send $20. If you can get the newsletter via email (which we prefer) make sure you include your email address. Couldn't be easier! :lol:

What is the pH and what fish do you have?

Where are they going to be kept? They deteriorate very quickly in sunlight and become brittle. I know someone who bred goldfish in those cheap ponds you buy in the warehouse.

Why thank you Matthew :oops:

Christchurch actually has a club but very few members. They meet in the Sydenham Community Centre 3rd Wed of the month. Their fees are Family $25.00 Single $20.00 Junior $10.00 They do not have a newsletter. My club is the Marlborough Aquarium Club. We meet on Wednesdays (which won't interest you ). Our fees are Family $20.00 Individual $15.00 Junior $10.00 We have a full colour 8 page, A5, newsletter which is emailed to most members as a pdf (you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it) or we will post it if required. Joining a club also gives you 4 issues of the FNZAS Aquarium World magazine and a Year Book - FREE. The Aquarium World is a full colour, 40 page, A5, publication.

1.2m x 600 x 600

After 2 weeks they certainly stink! - canister filters that is.

Totally stripped the tank. Took the plants out and didn't notice the bristlenose nestled in a large clump of Java fern. Had the plants sitting on a large tray while we finished cleaning and resetting the tank up again. Stopped for lunch in the middle of it all. Went back to work and it wasn't until we were about to put the plant back in the water that we noticed the fish. Probably it helped it was in a wet plant so it didn't dry out as much as it would have if it had jumped out onto the carpet.

Now hang on guys, you can't blame me! :lol:

Thanks for the tip Ira but been there, done that!

Why not just put a bit of driftwood in the tank? Much easier. There are different sorts of peat too. The bristlnose needs the hardness of the wood I think, so sucking on peat wouldn't help.

Nice to know Jane has her uses :lol: I have had an ancistrus survive several hours out of water but other fish have been well and truly dried out by the time I have found them

If the tests are all fine I would stop the water changes for at least a week and see if it clears. I only get these blooms when the aquifer water table is low so I don't know what the connection is there. Other times of the year it's no problem but in drought season, I avoid water changes even more than usual.

We have an older model Fluval 404 as well but had great difficulty getting the top off to maintain it. It took two of us to do it. This was why we bought the newer version (but not the latest one now out with the ribbed hoses). We got it at trade price at the time and it is easier to pull to bits than the earlier model but still a real hassle compared to the HOBs. It hasn't the flow rate of the older 404.

I have an AquaClear too but I run a 500 on my 4ft tank, plus an external canister. A 200 wouldn't have a hope of keeping up with my Mbunas' output.

white cloudy water can be a bacterial bloom. I get these when I do water changes in the summer months. They clear up over 3 or 4 days.

Goldie you would get one big enough to run all 3 (plus the computer). Compensation is not an option in power cuts. If someone crashes into a power pole which then has to be replaced, why should the power company be liable for the power outage? It is not always the fault of the company when there is a cut. Large outages due to weather come under "Acts of God" and you may be able to claim depending on your insurance policy. You will also have to pay the first $250 - $1,000 depending on your cover - use it to buy a UPS instead.

I have had a gutsful of my canister filters. :evil: "Buy quality!" everyone says. "Eheim and Fluval are best" they say. The Fluval 404 has a broken impeller - AGAIN. This is the 3rd one in as many years. The impellor seems to come away from the magnet. When it is going the water flow leaves a lot to be desired. It pumps well for 2 or 3 days then drops to half what it should. The Eheim wet/dry 2229 went well for 6 months and now won't pump the water in wet/dry mode. You can stop it then start it again and it will go for an hour or so then stops again. The motor doesn't stop, just the water flow. Grant is searching the Eheim site trying to find an answer. It is not covered by warranty because it was loaned to us by someone who had bought it 3 or 4 years ago and had it sitting unused in his wardrobe ever since. We are in a quandry because he will want us to pay for it but we don't want to buy it when it doesn't go properly but can't give it back because it is now faulty At the same time, my good old AquaClear 500 has been working away steadily for 8 or 9 years now and never missed a beat! The only problem I have with them is the noise of water falling back into the tank from the overflow. I dislike filling the tanks too close to the top as they make an awful mess during earthquakes. Will have to get onto building some sump filters.

UPSs come in a variety of sizes goldie (we sell them too so can get you a good deal ). They are just battery packs which will keep the filters going until the power comes back on. They have a little built-in generator that runs the batteries and automatically starts when the power goes off. We have our computers running off one. A small UPS (around $135 RRP plus freight) would run a large canister filter for around 4 - 5 hours.

Nothing wrong with shopping online. Quite a few here are regulars in trademe.

The secret to plants and an ugf is to make sure the gravel is deep enough - at least 5cm. I have never had trouble keeping lush plants using ugfs. I agree with Alan, that silver dollar is going to think your plants have been put there especially for it to raze. I was told most of the dark gravel sold in pet shops comes from the Canterbury area so I should think you ought to be able to find it 'in the wild'. Watch the ize if you are using an ugf. Too fine and it will fall through the slots in the filter. Too big and it won't anchor the plants properly. Fish prefer darker substrates by the way.

Hi cannz and welcome, you have come to the right place! I would suggest you join a club but there isn't one in Kaiapoi You could join my club, Marlborough. We have about half our members living elsewhere in the country and one in Texas. By joining a club affiliated to the FNZAS (this is their site) you will get the Aquarium World magazine free plus a Year Book listing all the affiliated members throught NZ and a list of retailers offering discount to FNZAS members - plus lots more. Before you decide on filtration and substrate it helps if you have some idea what sort of fish you want to keep as some filtration and substrates are more suitable than others for some species. Always follow the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid. You do not have to spends lots of dollars to have a nice looking tank. Any idea what sort of fish you would like to keep?

Mbuna and angels (by accident )