Caryl

With a bit of luck the fighter will calm down but I am not surprised the bristlenose is hiding! They are nocturnal anyway and more active at night. Mine are startled easily. Keep an eye on the fighter.

A day in which you don't learn something, or help someone, is a day wasted.

Many people confuse the huge plecostomus with the bristlenose catfish. They look very similar when small but bristlenoses, Ancistrus sp. only grow to 10cm whereas the plecs grow up to 60cm! Brown algae usually means too little light, rather than too much.

I don't have a tank permanently set up as a quarantine tank, it sits empty. What I like to have is a spare filter (either sponge or HOB like an AquaClear) running on an exisiting tank. If a fish needs quarantining, just fill the spare tank with water from the existing tank, transfer the filter over and add a heaterstat (one I know is accurate and works properly). You can't leave a tank running with water, heater and filter without fish to keep the bacteria fed in the filter. Of course, if you have had disease or used medications, do not put the spare filter back on the main tank, when finished, without cleaning it thoroughly first!

Yes but not got the Africans yet. It is running with 4 goldfish keeping the filtration going. I need another trip to ChCh to pick up the fish which are now ready. Hopefully it won't be long now

We use 4ft fluorescents, instead of incandescents, throughout the house and garage - all are double tubes so there's 16 tubes get used just there. Grant also buys them bulk for replacing old ones in local Telecom buildings in his work. I only have 4 on my 4ft tank.

It can be dangerous as it can infect all the other inhabitants. Get him treated as fast as possible and try and work out what caused it in the first place. Most likely is stress (is something chasing him?) or water conditions.

We bought 25 cool daylight tubes recently. Who said you can't get them?

The main problem with snails is they poo more than they clean and multiply faster than rabbits.

Putting them out of their misery would be the kindest thing you could do. Hopefully next time you will be more careful.

Oh dear. Sorry to hear about the axolotls. Hope they didn't smell too bad by the time you found them! We had a lovely overcast day and actually got rain!! YAY!!

Registration forms will actually go out at the end of March now as I am still finalising meal options. Goods have started coming in already from retailers and wholesalers kind enough to send products for use as raffles or prizes. I received a lovely big box of goodies from Jansens this morning.

Hi and welcome Christine. Information I don't mind providing if I can but - entertainment!!?? :lol: We are certainly a friendly bunch and hope to see more posts from you in the future.

No idea actually but is it always at night they do this? Fish rest at night and if you come into the room and turn the light on, many will be sitting on the bottom.

random

I am sure you could find someone with spare containers without having to eat it all yourself. :lol:

I try to avoid water changes over summer (well, actually I try to avoid them all the time) when the water table is low as I find I have a major problem with algae blooms at this time of year.

I would probably keep them if it was legal to do so as they are quite a pretty fish but am not worried about them being banned. I am quite happy for them to remain banned here. So Peety are you saying you went and caught yours from one of the local waterways? I know they are a problem up north.

Koi are banned in NZ koiboy - and for good reason. They totally destroy their habitat and wipe out other fish species, especially the natives. Idiots let them loose into our waterways where they create havoc.

Dwarf gouramis are fine with plants and will look beautiful. Grolux encourage algae growth and I would not use one. We use daylight or bright white.

Where did you get them from? Do you know what the fine is if you are caught with them?

I have the 404 but don't know how it compares to the 204. The spraybar doesnt have fittings, it fits snugly onto the connecting pipe. I think most brands use the same size. Take the pipe with you when you go to buy the other bits. Some people put sponge filters on the end of the uplifts. I am going to do this as I am sick of the uplift clogging with plant debris. Sorry I can't offer more help as I have never measured the pipes.

I hatch my brine shrimp in one of those plastic 1kg peanut butter containers. It has wire twisted round the neck which allows it to hang over the top of the main tank with the wire hooked over the glass to keep it in place, and in the water, thus keeping it a good temperature.

A book I have found helpful is Handbook of Fish Diseases by Dieter Untergasser. It is a TFH publication (TS-123)

So how come you are admitting to having a banned species? :-?