Caryl

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 )

The filter MUST be kept running!

Welcome morz. You have come to the right place! Hope you enjoy yourself here.

I rarely do water changes. They would get 4 or 5 a year if lucky. Lots of plants, light stocking.

Multiple Tank Syndrome strikes again!! Welcome to the fishroom (and yes, I am the same Caryl you emailed) Getting kids involved is good and you will find the tank useful when it comes to ideas for experiements for school science fairs You water is milky probably due to a bacterial bloom. This usually occurs in new tanks or after a water change. It should clear in 3 or 4 days. It isn't harmful to the fish or plants either. Thank you for not running out to obtain your very own Nemo!

I wouldn't bother with the Cycle either. I find my tank goes milky after water changes - but only during the summer months. No problem at other times. It is a bacterial bloom and perfectly harmless. You aren't doing anything wrong and it does not harm the fish or plants. I would not bother doing that many water changes but that's because I don't like doing them . 10% weekly or 20% fortnightly ought to be plenty.

Mine used to tease the cat :lol:

Don't get excited Alan, he is only referring to the new ribbed hoses they use on the Fluvals instead of the smooth plastic type. Dark was the one who mentioned it being for pleasure and I hate to think what he has been doing with his filters I have great difficulty getting my Fluval 404 to maintain a decent water flow. It goes great guns for a few days then drops to a fraction of what it should be. My Eheim wet/dry ran perfectly for 6 months and then stopped its pumping action. I have heard of others with this problem too but no one has come up with an answer. This is why I am considering using sumps, I am not impressed with external canister filters these days and like to keep as much equipment OUT of the tank as possible.

Hi Varun and welcome. Sounds like you had an almost ideal set-up going in Mombasa. You must find the species here severely limiting. There is a marine reef club just starting up in Auckland so check out the saltwater section. I used to have a cold water marine myself but could not afford a cooler to keep the temperature low enough. Various experiments with cooling were not successful. Perhaps I need to move to Dunedin or Invercargill

I bet the fish get a good workout when they turn the jets on :lol:

I haven't seen it! As FNZAS editor am I entitled to a look? I am happy to mention your club in the next Aquarium World too or you are welcome to submit an article