Pegasus

You can store them on my site if you are stuck for space Dark. Just email me.

Thanks BrianK... just basic.. but helpful

PHEW... I read this thinking it was Polgara's post, and the floor had given way Sorry to hear about that Dark... Was it recent..? The house we live in was built in the early 1950's, and was relocated and brought here. The place is filled with tanks... three big tanks in the lounge.. then a rack of 12 two by 15x12's in one of the bedrooms plus a four footer, and there no floor sag at all thank goodness. The rack is not against the wall either... it extends into the room I'm trying to sqeeze enough space for a six footer I have my eye on... but it doesn't look promising. he he.

Billiant Pies... Didn't want to come away Hope you don't mind, but I posted your link on another site, so you could get some feedback. Absolutely Awsome Thanks for sharing.

Not unusual NC.. The young fella may have missed a few with his milt... but they will clear them off at the first move they make when they re-locate the fry just after the wriggling stage. If they "all" fungus... you could have two females.. (now girls... What have you been up to

Hi Polgara, If possible look under the house. The Tank should be positioned in the room so that it spans several beams... and does 'not' run in the direction of one or two beams. The beams (the 8"x4"'s or more .. big strong fellas) need to run like so... ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! MAIN BEAMS From Under The House (Full Lengths no gaps as sketch) ! ! ! ! ! ! Running North to South ! ! ! ! ! ! And the tank needs to run like so.. ___________ <<.............>> TANK Running West To East ___________ Pretty crude, but you can see that the tank sits "across" the beams... not along then. A load bearing wall is designed to hold the most weight... often the roof... and will have solid footings under the house, such as ... a solid wall... or concrete pillars... or extra strong wooden piles... or... (you get the idea The "load bearing" wall will be sat directly above these for the most support. HTH

Hi Chic from Northland, Bit of info here might help. http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/grumpy ... tions.html Personally I would move the BN out, and the Gourami, plus add something for them to spawn on that you can remove if needed... like a piece of 40mm plastic pipe set at an angle. They often eat a few batches at first, mainly due to ongoing threats from other fish, or just through inexperience. Once they start... BOY.. get those other tanks ready.. coz you'll need them :) You might find the gravel and the UG a prob later on as well, as the fry are pretty weak in the early stages and can get lost in the substrate. As Caryl mentioned... Sponge filters are ideal. Don't forget the Brine Shrimp as mentioned above

Hi Polgara, and welcome Totally agree with the above. 600wats sounds a lot, but the heaters will work half as hard to maintain the heat, so therefore won't be on as long as a single one, plus as above, if one fails you don't lose your fish. Nice to see some pics once you get it all set up

Happy Days Goldie Always great to see something different in the fry line swimming in the tanks

Great to hear you sorted it Tubes could last for months with the ends dark, but the efficiency will be greatly reduced, so... Mmmm.. for 15 bux or so (or whatever) you could just grab a spare tube when you have the readies Got your PM Cheers.

Hi Kriber, Sounds to me like the starter more than the tube, as they usually turn dark at the ends when they are ready to pack up. Try giggling the starter in its holder, as sometimes it's just a bad contact. Also make sure the end fittings are well pressed onto the "bi-pin" ends, as they sometimes lose contact at one side which will give you that prob. Still no joy.... Try rotating the tube slightly, as again, one side may be not touching the contacts correctly.

I wouldn't give up hope "just yet" Sue, as they could have shifted them to a new location, which almost all Cichlids do. You may wake up one morning and see a nice suprise.

Great stuff Sue... Congrats :)

Hi Jack, Just ensure that all surfaces are spotless and any loose silicone removed and you should be OK. This may help if you get stuck, or want to build a few more http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/grumpy ... 0tanks.htm

Just a few more Cover Glasses Often we have two pieces of glass covering our tanks, and often they get stuck to the top rim through suction and damp. The simple soloution is to stick a piece of self adhesive draught excluder strip on the front and rear edges of the cover glasses. This also stops the drips down the front and rear of the tank. Even a small square at each corner will make ease of removal easy, with no suction. Glad Wrap Film can be used as a temporary cover if you have no glass. ************************************************************* A small pebble and a rubber band makes an ideal plant anchor... Make your tank lead free. ************************************************************* A ripped diaphram on an airpump can easily be repaired with a smear of silicone (as used for glass tanks) Allow to dry and fully cure before using. Several of my pumps have been done this way, and are still running with no probs after 12 months. ************************************************************* Service your air pump occasional for a better output. The tiny valves get clogged up with dirt and so don't close properly or tend to stick. A simple clean makes the world of difference. Just take care... Unplug first, and mark out where each bit goes. There is little that can go wrong, and dismantling and assembly is straight forward. Ensure the diaphram is sat on the pump body squarely and securely and clean the small intake filter on the rubber backing pad. Noise is a good indication that the diaphragm is getting a little tired, or is not sat on the pump body correctly. ************************************************************

Tips You can test the stability of your gravel and rocks and ornaments by placing a few drops of vinegar on them. They need to be relatively dry. If it fizzles, then it will be more than likely be unsuitable to use in your tank. ********************************************************* That big ol Pleco can be a pain to catch, and can wreck havoc with your tank and become tangled in your net with its spines. Here's another simple solution... Find a length of 40mm plastic water pipe (offcut from a plumber) and place it in the tank with one end near one of the tank ends... not touching, but just clear. The Pleco or other fish will soon investigate, and once inside simply block the end and push towards the end tank glass, then gently lift the whole thing out. Works with all catfish, and many others. No stress... No mess. ********************************************************** It's a real pain trying to catch all the fry if you want to move them on, especially in a planted tank, and bare bottom tanks are not much easier if the adults are still in. Try this simple idea. It is based around the bait catchers that the kids use down at the wharf. Take a mini coke bottle and cut the upper portion off just above the label, then remove the label. You now have a funnel and a container of sorts. Push the nozzle of the funnel into the container portion (without the cap) and secure with a rubber band. Now add some tank water and a few brine shrimp. Gently lower the unit into the tank and lay it on its side. Soon the fry will begin to enter the container via the funnel, and as the first lot begin to feed others will follow (hopefully) Gently lift the container out when ready and you have your fry ready for re-housing. Use the larger size bottle for bigger fry. More fry savers on my site. ************************************************************ A 50mm or 75mm clear plastic funnel can be pushed up the end of your siphon hose when cleaning bare bottomed tanks. It speeds the job up and you can watch in case any fry get near. No funnel..? Then cut the top from a small coke bottle and make a hole in the screw cap to suit your hose size. Works just as good. The cap can be left there permanently... just unscrew the 'coke' funnel when not in use. ********************************************************** Don't you just hate it when you get a mouthful of tankwater when you try to start the siphon hose. If you fill the hose with water, then block one end while the other is in the tank, the siphon will start itself as soon as you lower the hose. *********************************************************** That tank that just sprang a leak can be fixed simply by placing a small amount of silicone on your finger and forcing it gently into the leaky area from inside the tank.... Yes... Underwater.. The silicone will stop the leak and set as normal in a short time. ************************************************************ Fed up of losing all that pellet food in the bottom of the tank..? Use an old coffee or yeast jar lid and bore a hole in the side. Force a suction cup into the hole and place some pellets in the lid, then lower gently into the tank and attach to the glass. The fish soon find the pellets, especially the cats, and there is no waste. Boring a few small holes in a similar type lid makes an ideal white worm feeder, or even for bloodworms so they don't finish up in the gravel.. ************************************************************ A piece of pipe or an old plantpot can be made to blend in with the surroundings by smearing a thin coating of silicone on them, then rolling in some dry gravel. This method can be use to design all manner of things, from caves to multi level hidaways, so let your imagination loose and create. ************************************************************* Don't you hate replacing plants ..? Your local $2 dollar shop has a great selection of artificial plants and ferns that look quite neat if selected carefully, and for a fraction of the cost. Avoid the silk ones, and the ones with obvious artificial colouring. Also, the kids Snorkels (diving) that can be found there are pretty good for designing overflows for filters and such, and you can't go wrong for two bux. ************************************************************ Removing the shower head (provided your water is suitable) and attaching the hose is a great way to top the tanks up. Just set the temp and off you go. Some will frown on this, but my fish don't suffer, but my back does when I have to carry endless pails of water. I'm on tank water, and the water is never in the hot water cylinder long enough to cause a prob with all the washing and showers that take place each day. ************************************************************ For emergency seperation of your fish, Nylon Insect Screen Mesh as used on doors and windows makes an ideal divider for your tanks and allows the heat and filtration to pass through without interuption. A simple wire or plastic frame can be made to suit, and the mesh can be either siliconed, sewn, or stapled in place onto the frame. ************************************************************ Plant Fertilizer. Putting fertilizer under plants is a good idea, but unless it is in a tablet form it can be really messy. Try this. Mix a small quantity of organic peat and potting mix (again organic) in a bowl with water until the peat/potting mix becomes fully saturated. Use an ice cube tray and fill with the mixture and press down firmly till you have a solid cube. Pop it in the freezer till solid. You now have cubes of fertilizer that you can pop under your plants without mess. The ice will melt quickly leaving a nice deposit of fertilizer in the right place. Various fertilizer concoctions can be used in this manner, but seek advice if you are not sure. ************************************************************ Twin Heaters. Fitting two heaters in a tank seems a real waste of money, but if you set one to only come on at say 23C (approx72degF) then in the event of a heater failure you won't lose all your fish, and you will always have a spare heater on hand. If you have never had a heater failure, it could happen tomorrow, so plan ahead, as the loss of your fish will possibly be more expensive than the second heater. (No comments from multi tank people he he) ************************************************************

We all (that make tanks) had this thought at one time, but luckily someone in the past 'did have the guts to 'give it a go' and the hobby is much better for it Thanks for the compliment.

I suppose "adequate" is the right word, for as Caryl points out, a lot of tanks are made from much thicker glass. It seems that 8mm is almost impossible to get (here anyway), so the old 3/8" is the next choice (9mm), but even that is scarce in some places, but there seems to be heaps of 10mm and 6mm knocking around, so I suppose they use what is currently easily available. Like heaters... there is little difference in price for a 150, or a 300.. and this may be the case with the glass (I'm not sure) but if 8mm is a special order type, then 10mm could work out cheaper.

Great to have you here Chris Mack.... You are in good company :)

Another night hawk he he Give them a few goes Ira... they'll get it right eventually with any luck, and they are choice to watch with all the fry.

Don't know how serious you guys are, but this looks pretty choice. http://www.globaldialog.com/~jrice/diy/wavemaker.htm

You didn't say.. Fungus will attack anything that is dead in a short time, so this is not unusual. Still a mystery I'm afraid Trudy, unless something was introduced with the Barb, or (in the early stages) the barbs pestered the Platties enough to run their resistance right down and they gave up. Fish can quite often carry something in the way of disease or internal prob but not show the effects for some time, but will easily infect a fish that is a bit run down. With 18 tanks I would certainly be wary of transferring anything from the crook tank to the others. Hopefully the worst is over.

Hi Chris, You ask: Correct Incorrect... The riser tube is the means for drawing water from beneath the gravel and lifting it (by means of air or powerhead) to the surface. In doing this it creates a slight suction, by drawing the water through the substrate (gravel) and over time each particle of gravel becomes a storage for bacteria that will consume the waste products, so eventually, relatively clean water will be pumped from the riser pipes, as all the wastes are (again eventually) turned into minerals. Just basic... but may help

Hi NZTrudy, We are missing something here... don't know what, but there must be something causing these deaths. 1/... How long has the tank been set up for..? 2/... How old are these test kits you have..? 3/.. Did it just start with the intoduction of the new Tiger Barb... or was it happening before..? Ok... Write down EVERYTHING that you can remember from the time you started losing your fish... EVERYTHING... no matter how insignificant it might seem... Water Changes... Filter maintainance... New additions.. fish or plants... Anything you may have added to the tank... ornaments.. medications... etc.. When the prob started... temp and other readings.. general setup.. how many fish etc... how often you feed... What the fish look like prior to death... bloated or whatever..? Fish don't just keel over and die for no reason, so there must be something that has happened to cause this... PROVIDED the tank was an established one, and was previously disease free. If you can isolate everything you did since the deaths started, then perhaps 'we' can isolate what might be the cause of the prob. There was a recent post about someone ...errr.. can't really remember... but it was something to do with some household cleaner they had been using and had forgotten to wash the hands, or used the sponge or something that had cleaner on it. Something silly like this might seem like nothing at the time... but it happens, and even sprays for killing insects can cause probs, or kids that decide to tip something nasty in the tank... so try to think back if you can.. Keep the barbs seperate for now, but as soon as your prob is over (You ain't gonna like this)... then go out and buy another three, as this will divert all attention away from the one doing the nipping, and a school of barbs rarely touch the other fish. I've just taken mine out (7 Adults) as I intend to spawn them when I get room, but they have been in a tank for months on end with small neons, baby platies, guppies, baby angels, Adult Angels, long fin zebs... Synodontis cats, Corys, Plecos, plus a heap of other stuff without a moments problem.

IMO... Provided the tank has the correct top braces across the front, back, ends and centre, then 6mm is fine. Both four foots in my lounge have only 6mm glass, but then again, so has the three footer that is in there he he. POC.... Piece O Cake.. no probs... if you can score the glass cheap http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/grumpy ... 0tanks.htm