Caryl

Too expensive for me too but I was given mine

Dennis I am running an Eheim 2227 wet/dry filter and an AquaClear 500 on the new tank.

You also need a digital camera. Where are the photos!! :lol:

My Fluval is not very old but I have never seen one with ribbed hoses.

Others I have seen have 2 or more. One for fish related chat and one for general chat. Is it difficult, or does it take up too much room? Perhaps an empty room or 2 where you could go if there were lots in the chat rom at once (hey, you never know!) and 2 or 3 wanted to continue their own conversation. Like private rooms.

How big is the tank? Moving anything up to around 3ft in the manner you suggest will be fine. Empty as much as you can out of the tank until it is just the gravel with the water level just covering the gravel. Buckets work well, just watch for sploshing. Empty some of the tank water into a bucket and throw the fish in there, no need for bags. Leave the plants in the gravel. If it is only a 5 minute trip they will not be harmed nor will they dry out much until you get the water back in the tank. They will cope being out of water for an hour or two with no trouble.

Now there was a helpful post! Well done Shilo I have used rainwater on occasion but just lined barrels up under the eave of the bird aviary (covered in Decromastic roof tiles) since it didn't have a downpipe. Haven't done it for a while though because a) we pulled down the aviary b) the roof was sprayed with moss killer and we were told not to use the water from it for at least 6 months. c) it is summer - not enough rain

I haven't any lined up yet, that is why we are coming to ChCh. I want yellow labs, Marliers and something blue - maybe peacocks or zebras (but will zebras cross with labs?). Having spare filters on the main tank is a good idea and we all mean to do it but it's usually one of those things that need a "round tuit" :lol:

Had a distressed call late tonight from a fellow club member. Ken had just gone down to the shed to feed the fish in the 6ft tank and discovered it had sprung a leak. Not a lot of water left in it at all. Did I have a big enough tank to put the big fish in? Grabbing some 30 litre barrels they headed back home to save the bit of water left and to catch the fish. The smaller ones they were able to put in a 3ft tank but what to do with 8 large T barbs? Four of them are around 120cm (5"). I had just arranged the rocks in my 4ft ready for the Africans I plan to stock it with. This afternoon I had brought the garden hose in and filled the tank. That water was now sitting at 23C, 73.5F, so I emptied half of it out again (hoses everywhere) and refilled it with half the old water from my already set up tropical 4ft. Luckily I had an AquaClear 500 and an Eheim wet/dry filter which had been seeding on the old tank for a week in preparation for the Africans so these were brought up to the new tank and hooked up. I didn't have a spare thermostat for the under tank heat pad but it is so warm at the moment it won't matter. So far the fish seem to be settling but I will have to keep a close eye on them. Hopefully it is a problem with the silicone and not a crack in the glass somewhere as I need my tank back by next weekend! Looking on the bright side, the tank will be well and truly cycled by then :lol:

Lucky you! It is good when you get such helpful service.

Good idea to have a chat room available Cees. Much appreciated thank you. I second Bill's suggestions.

Why do you want to collect rainwater anyway? It tends to be quite acidic.

Never actually done it but I assume you just slowly raise the water level over a few weeks until it is totally submerged. Has anyone else done this? You might also try cutting a few trailing bits and planting them straight into the tank and see what happens.

Pardon my ignorance but by "chat room' do you mean just typing or can we talk using microphones too?

Babies tears is a common plant grown in aquariums. If you buy one as a houseplant you must slowly acclimatise it to underwater conditions. Easier to buy one which has been cultivated to grow underwater. Peace lilies can be put in an aquarium but they are not a true aquatic plant, they are a marsh plant. They will grow very slowly but tend to die.

We were lucky as when we built our house we were unsure where the fireplace would eventually go so the builder put in extra piles along a couple of the walls. One of them is just where we decided to put the big tank!

The rummys at Organism are $6.95

I saw a Via Aqua 750 for $259.90. The same shop had their Fluval 404 at $419.95. Pays to shop around! I was lucky and was able to get my Fluval trade but am not able to do so any more

I have often used those small fluorescents that fit the ordinary light sockets and they work well. There is another thread somewhere here regarding making hoods for them out of plastic guttering.

ChCh is 4 hours from Blenheim Dennis. Makes for a busy day trip but worth the effort.

I love a school of rummy noses myself. Organism in ChCh had some lovely ones there on Tuesday. I was SO tempted!!

How sealed is the lid? You might find quite a bit of sloshing going on if you fill it too far. If you have at least half the original tank water that will be fine. Take the canister filter home with you on the first trip and hang it off your tank at home until you get the new one home too. I would be inclined to suck as much muck out from the gravel as possible as it may cause problems with bacteria dying off in the move. Someone else may know more about it than me though, I have not moved an UGF.

Thanks for that kriber. Nice to know the top of macka's head is good for something :lol:

Obviously the whales offer cheaper freight costs :lol: All that belly space I guess (or was Jonah a midget?)

I believe there are 2 different 404's on the market. One comes with media and the other is cheaper as media is not included.