CodKing

It feels okay, I'm really just going through the list of things in the aquarium. The sand feels okay to me, although not super smooth it doesn't feel sharp. When they sift through it it flows nicely. I'd feel better if I can eliminate it from what ever is causing the stress. The only other fish that are in there are the two Bolivian Rams and they went in this weekend. They have settled in nicely. They went in on Saturday avo and by this morning their colour was back to normal and they were staking their claim in the middle of the tank. One improvement I did see from the Corys was a bit of eating. They all had a go at an algae wafer. Although after a few hours it was only, at best 1/3 eaten. After 2 weeks I would have thought they would be ploughing into the food. I got some frozen "Fishy Dinner" or something like that, (crushed shrimp, bloodworms etc) but not much interest was shown. Don't blame them really, it looks terrible. My goldfish trio love it though. I'll have a go at bloodworms this week, every fish loves bloodworms!

Thanks Sophia Something else I need some advice on. Keeping stargrass nice and dense and not letting it get to 'lanky'. I read something somewhere but now I can't find it :dunno: As always, tips appreciated!

I know the stuff. If Sellotape not sticking to it is not a good sign. You should be able to find flat patches that the 3M hooks will stick to but they are still likely to tear when you take them off. That type paper is quite absorbent, I wonder if it has been wiped down with some sort of cleaner before and it has left a residue. If you're not so worried about damage to the paper you could experiment with some double-sided foam tapes you can get from hardware stores. Not sure of the names or brands but they look like: (whoa that's a big photo ) If none of that is an option, what about a big pin board? They are light and would only require a couple of screws to keep them in place minimising wall damage. You can go for gold after that.

2 Bolivian Rams went in at the weekend. The have settled very well and are currently deciding who should be the big cheese. They have picked out a spot at the back right in the middle so they get to look down over the front of the tank. I have taken all the fine media out of the CF500 to increase the flow. This will drive my spray bar idea once I get all the components together. It's now only running noodles, bio balls and coarse sponge. All the plants now have a nice gentle wavyness about them. I'm thinking of replacing the rear bulb as I'm not so keen on the yellowy light it gives off. Does anyone have a suggestion on where to source T5s in Chch? Have seen some crazy prices on them. Also have very little experience with T5s so am up for any suggestions/opinions on brands and prices.

+1 left. Good effort!

Update on my crazy Corys. They are still crazy. One of them has a hurt nose, probably from hitting the glass so much. No eggs or wrigglers to be seen and I've be watching like a hawk. Starting to wonder if it's the sand, although they seem to be able to sift it okay. I will try rehousing them with some more conventional sand to try and eliminate it. It would be a nightmare if it was :facepalm:

Got it. What a great intro :thup:

I've got a bunch of years in painting and decorating and can just about guarantee the 3M hooks will rip the paper when you remove them. Also, they are unlikely to stick with any strength in the first place. Not that the hooks don't work, they just love a nice flat surface, not textured. How heavy is the texture? (mm guesstimate) What is the paper made out of? (i.e., does it feel rough, soft, brittle?) Does the material have any sheen to it at all? Has the room been used for anything odd in the past? (e.g. Kiln room, spa room, P-lab)

Yip, I'll be giving it a whirl

Nice one. That rock looks great. What style of tank are you going for?

Joy

Tested your water supply lately?

$55!!?? What is happening to this country :tears:

Very cool! Love the tank dimensions

:spop: !

Gear Changes: CF500 - Was going to be temporary as the mature filter but I think I'll keep it in. Fluval 200W heater and took out 1X100W - The 2X100W setup did cope so well over the cold weekend. This thing keeps it within .5C Plants Added: Big Amazon Marble queen Leopard Tropica A bunch of micro sword Heaps of stargrass, maybe 40 - 50 stems? Everything plant wise seems to be doing fine. Stargrass is going nuts, have chopped down the first lot already. This is all I plan on planting. Will see how it goes, might swap some things around but I'm pretty happy with it. Got two small reflectors I had lying around and chucked them on the front bulb, back one has a good ol' tinfoil reflector. Makes a huge difference. Got a couple of ideas for 'mood lighting' and a couple of spraybars. Likely one of those will consume my weekend Learnt a few things trying to shoot it, the bow front makes things a bit tricky.

I've got a Lionhead who has the same troubles. I just called him "Tippy" (Bit late on that comment )

Groovy 8) Thanks! I'll be doing a proper photo update when I get off work tonight.

Hope you're right. I've seen plenty of fish doing just this out of stress. And to go on for 10 days, not to mention barely eating... All I can do is wait... :spop:

Cool. Good little cameras.

Can I ask what camera are you using?

What a great shot, and a great setup. :spop:

Thanks for all the input. Hopefully they are just randy fish. Would be nice if they spawned before any egg/fry hungry species went in! :thup: When I got home last night they were all chilled out. It was great to see them sit still for a min. After about 20mins they fired up again. :nilly:

From recent chimney experience some are to be load bearing and some are free standing. Not sure on the rules or when they have been played with. I know it's fairly extraordinary circumstances but I wouldn't live with a chimney again. I spent weeks pulling them out of peoples living rooms after Sept and Feb. It takes a bit of effort to remove them but it's no more than a weekend to get it all out, re-framed and gibbed. Although, removal then begs the question, do you have to get your flue recertified? My 2 cents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI5SvU-zIq4&feature=g-upl&context=G203be89AUAAAAAAAAAA