Pegasus

Hi there Kellz, and welcome to the NZ Fishroom. Glad you found us and hope you find some interest in the forum. "Close to home" these days seems to be just a click of the keyboard You are in good company here, I think we all love Clowns, and would all like to hear more about your fish. So whatchagot in the other tanks ? Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi all, must be the breeding season Just goes to show we aren't prepared for things that suddenly happen. I have two adult Angels that I was hoping would spawn, and have been conditioning them up over the past weeks. Around two months ago I bought some juvenile angels (around ten cent body size) and these were in with the big ones, plus two 160mm plecos, two Cory trillineatus, and nine neons which I recon have spawned a few times in the tank as many of the females seem to go thinner suddenly . This morning I find one of the big vallis leaves covered in eggs, and thinking it was the adult angels I was shocked to find it was a pair of the juvies that had mated up and set up home. These juvies would be only about four months old, perhaps five, but up to now have defended their spot against all comers, big or small. I segragated the tank to keep them from stressing out, but they still defend the "wall" of plastic I placed in there with great determination. I'll be replacing this with a wall of nylon fly screen mesh as soon as I can so that I can leave them with the young, if they hatch out that is Up to now they are showing all signs of being good parents, but from past experience this is not always the case. Must admit, they have grown at a rapid rate since I got them, (now around 45 to 50mm body size) but a spawning was not on my book of expectations, from them at least Happy Days. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Andrew, and all others, Really appreciate all this input, and thanks for all you posts. I have personal reasons for not wanting to heat my fishroom, besides the obvious expense of ongoing costs. 12 months ago I weighed almost 11 stone, but due to a few probs I have am now just 8.2 stone. This may seem insignificant to the above, but one of my probs is breathing, so I just basically want to heat the tanks in the most economical way and avoid any further problems . (please read and forget.. no related posts) The air gap I mentioned was thought of in the hope of distributing the heat through the substrate (where the tanks would have it) and I did think of making the pipes being in actual contact with the bases of the tanks, but was concerned about expansion. A double run in preference to a triple would be easier, of perhaps a larger size pipe, maybe 40mm, but I think the only answer here is to "try it and see". My good wife is wanting to leave the Bach that I want to use for my fishroom intact, so I may even decide to use one of the sheds, which I could probably fit half the tanks I envisaged in. The dream continues Regards, Bill (Pegasus) PS: Thanks for the mail Ira

Hey there Anita, great to have you here, and what a first few post... Fantastic... and the tanks... I'm still drooling. A very warm welcome to you. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi, AJ made a comment in another post about Spawning Mops, Don't know if I posted this here before on not, but here is an easy clean cheap method of making spawning mops that can be used for several species. Makers of Backpacks, Horse Gear, Tents, Dive Gear, Camping shops, Cargo slings, and all number of things use webbing type straps on their products. Most of these straps are nylon, and a hot blade is used to seal the ends. Companies throw vast amounts of short bits out as waste, but the stuff is cheap enough by the metre anyway, and is available in many places. The ideal stuff is around 4mm thick, and around an inch (25.4mm) wide. Cut across the strap and tease out the thread going across the strap. This is the WEFT thread, not the WARP thread which runs down the strap. If it snags and won't unravel, try the other end. Once it starts to unravel you will be left with hundreds of fine wavy tassles, the length of which is up to you, as once the desired length is reached just stop unravelling. Leave about an inch at the end unraveled so that the thing holds together. The tassles can be brushed out to produce a very fine hair like mop, or left crinkly, whichever suits your needs. Stapling the unraveled end to a piece of wood or cork (so that it floats) will allow the tassles to dangle in the water and make a perfect spawning mop that can be sterilized as needed for future use. For those that like to do a bit of fishing for the big stuff, the same principle can be used to make some very choice lures, as the straps come in all colours, including fluorescent. Just bind your hook into the tassles, add a bit of glitter, and it's fish for supper Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Thanks Warren, Seems I have a lot more to think about now. I'm studying all options with an open mind Regards, Bill.

Hi AJ, I too am on tank water, but by choice, as we have been for at least the past 17yrs. I like the rainwater, ... I drink it, and keep my fish in it, and we all have our own thoughts on this matter, and I don't want to dispute anything that you or others say on the matter, but just have a think about the bottled water industry that was once worth many millions, but is now worth thousands of BILLIONS. (or is it Trillions ) People in general don't trust the water from the tap like they used to, not just in NZ, but worldwide. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Not disputing anyones words, but all the lakes and rivers are filled with the wet stuff from the heavens :) Treating rainwater is less problems than treating city water which can have GK'sW in it. JMHO

Hey everyone, Really great feedback, and a lot of really useful info that is going to take some digesting. I have copied and pasted all your posts for my reference. Many thanks, Bill (Pegasus NZ)

Hi Ira, Same bloddy thing just happened to me and I lost my long post, so I'll try again. Thanks for both your posts I may have to just splash out and invest in a twenty tank setup. Seperate heat pads are really not an option as I am trying to reduce ongoing cost, which over a year can really mount up. Heat loss via the stand will be at a minimum as the pipes will fit into recesses in the support boards that will be filled with insulation before the pipes are laid. There will be a small air gap between the pipes and tank base. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Caryl (forth time today Just a question or two (or three), Do you know the actual temperature of your Heat Pad under the tank ? Do you know how long it is on per day, and how it compares to a conventional heating system ? I also know my watts from my amps, but thermodynamics is not one of my knowledgable subjects, hence the posts Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Caryl, Thanks for the lengthy reply which I have pasted in my notes. You make a lot of valid points, and I would like to clarify one or two things. The particular cylinder in question is not on any form of power saving option, so therefore would never be switched off. Keeping a room at 25deg C does not mean the tanks will be at 25C, as water is 800 times denser than air. With the cylinder at a regulated 70deg C, which the pipes on full flow would roughly remain at, the heat loss in these pipes would be very small in order to keep the tanks at say a given 23 to 25C, and as the water is in a continuous loop only when required, I can only imagine that the loss of heat would be miniscule and hardly affect the huge volume of water held in the cylinder, which would take very little time to preheat anyway. The ambient temperature of the room would certainly be no less than 23 to 28deg C anyway I would think. My saying the running costs for a system such as this would be "non existant", I am referring to any major variations in our present power account and by using the system above. Running twenty or more heaters, or an air conditioner, or other means of heating would certainly bump the power bill up a considerable amount, but I feel that using this method the difference would hardly be noticed. Even in the event of a prolonged power failure, the cylinder would obviously cool to some degree, but it would have to drop below 28C to be inaffective, which could take quite some time as the system is not actually "using" the water, but returning it at a very slightly lower temperature. Nothing is absolutely free, but to me this seems as if it may work. I really appreciate your feedback on this Caryl, and hope you will post your Heat Pad system in some of the DIY sections for us all to share. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Christian, Not really a good idea to flush down the loo. If they happen to live and get into the waterways they could cause a few probs one way or another. It seems there are ways to deal with worms in fish, and here are some links. CAMALLANUS ROUNDWORMS. CURES AND CONTACTS. http://www.thekrib.com/Diseases/nematodes.html http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/CamellanusTreatment.pdf Len has written an article, contact here. [email protected] Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Nervous, (there's no need to be ) Your post was shaking that much it took some reading Glad you finally decided to finally log on. Real nice of you to join us way down here, and hope you find lots of interest here and can tell us about your fish, or your proposed setup. How did you find the NZ Fishroom forum ? I see you are having trouble getting your Logo to show up. You may have the address wong where the logo is stored, or you may be trying to load it from somewhere other than a web site. If you need help, let us know... We REALLY are a friendly bunch here, and you won't be alone, as we have quite a few members from the States (see members list) Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Everyone, I mentioned some time ago about a no ongoing cost heating system, well here are my thoughts, but I have a few questions. Fish House Heat. I’m considering setting up a number of tanks, which will gradually increase over a period of time, with perhaps twenty in the initial stages, and possibly up to five times this or more in the latter stages. (Think big Bill…. Think big) My problem is heating the tanks, not just the cost of individual heaters at almost fifty bucks a time and such, but the ongoing running costs. Space heating is a non-factor, as I like to sit and observe my fish, and not be sweating to death while I am doing it. A single circulatory heating system was considered feeding each individual tank with preheated water, but the risks of spreading infections are too great, so I have been mulling the following over for some time. Hypothetical Situation. Looking at just 20 tanks with a basic 100watt heater in I am looking at 2000watts, and this does not include lighting. Of course these heaters will possibly not all be on together, but it is still an impact on the power account. I am considering the following and would like some input either negative or positive. Considering that every additional 10 tanks is going to be another 1000watts just using 100watt heaters, but many could be 150’s or 200watts, depending on tank size, plus I intend to have growing on vats and tubs, which will need individual heating, and so the costs can soon spiral for power bills. You wouldn’t get much change out of a thousand dollars for twenty quality heaters, and I can do a lot with a thousand bucks. I just bought a Visi-Therm 150watt heater last weekend. It cost $45:50NZ. Really nice heater with the internal moving red bar for the heat settings and the individual coils all set in thin glass tubes with the actual thermostat fully enclosed. Really impressive bit of gear compared to the old style, but again, not cheap if you want a few of them. These are probably standard issue in the styling of today’s heaters, but it’s been a while since I bought one at retail price. My idea, once I get moving, is to use the domestic hot water cylinder as a heat source. The concept is to run three lengths of 12mm copper pipe beneath the tanks. These would be approx 75mm apart and central to the tank base. The pipes will fit into a recess in the tank support shelving and would be just clear of the base glass on each tank, which will be sat on the normal 12mm styrene pads with the area for the pipes removed. All exposed piping will be double lagged and insulated, as will the tee junctions that will be used at the ends of each six metre run, which is the length I need to hold banks of at least ten 60cm tanks to a row. All tanks below these would be 90cm to 100cm or bigger. These rows may be three rows high once I get really involved, with the larger tanks at the lower areas, but the piping system and the racking will be designed for future expansion as needed. The rooms (100sq mtrs) would hopefully be kept around 65 to 70deg F, but warmer in summer of course, and here I could have a cooling problem if it gets too hot, which it usually does. My Questions. With a DCYL (Domestic Hot Water Cylinder) maintaining say 70deg C, I am wondering if the three pipes would be enough to maintain the temperature in the tanks, or would two manage the job? I could do a mock setup, but this would involve wasted time and funds, as neither copper pipe nor fittings are cheap, and I would need at least ten tanks and eighteen metres of copper pipe to prove a point, plus all the fittings. The heat through the pipes would hopefully be quite constant, and due to the heat retention capabilities of copper, it would remain for some time and the temperature drop would be minimal. Industrial standard thermostats would constantly monitor the tank temperatures, and if this should fall within a given parameter a small circulatory pump (12v) would come into action and pump hot water directly from the DCYL and through the piping, and then be returned unused to the cylinder. Heat loss would be minimal, and the DCYL would basically only be running to retain the 70deg C and not be fluctuating due to the tanks. Power cuts are also not a problem, as the DCYL will hold its heat for over a day, even when switched off. A relay would close in the event of a power cut and allow the circulatory pump to run from a standby battery supply when needed. Does anyone think this will work, or does anyone think I am dreaming of a reasonable cheap way out? Either way, I intend to get moving with more tanks over the coming months and summer. Under tank heating is nothing new, so there should be some figures out there that will give me some guidelines. The initial installation would be far from cheap, but the ongoing costs would be non existent, as we already pay for our hot water, which just gets flushed down the drain, many times a day, but this is an enclosed no loss system. Happy Days. Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Rob, Don't really know about the flow rates, but a couple of pond pumps plus a double bucket trickle filter as seen here in the DIY may solve your prob, and keep the cost down. http://www.sydneycichlid.com/ Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Ben, Don't know about the Sheepheads, but the Acara's in general will move their eggs quite often if they feel threatened or the situation is not to their liking.

Hi Chris, I'm a DIY addict when it comes to fishy things he he. There's a couple of simple filters here in my DIY Section if you want to browse. Nothing flash, just simple designs. See Here Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Zeta, Seems from the Corydoras article that the subsrate and bacteria excess are the problem. Placing the corys in another tank with a fine substrate and good food may allow the barbles to grow back, but to be honest I have never had to deal with this problem. We have one or two Catfish breeders that might know if the barbles will actually grow back or not. I'll do a bit more digging and see if I can find out anything else. http://www.planetcatfish.com http://www.scotcat.com May have some info if you want to check. Regards, Bill (Pegasus.NZ)

Hi Dennis, If your culture is thriving there should be no need to remove them from the medium as they will eat through the food and work their way up the sides of the container or item that you have covered the food with. You should always cover the food with either a glass sheet or a sheet of rigid plastic. This goes directly on top of the food and should only be slightly smaller than your container. White Worm cultures can die off suddenly for no apparent reason, so if your culture begins to sour at all, reseed another culture with as many good worms that you can. Keeping two or three going is the way to go. Hope this helps, Bill (Pegasus NZ)

Hi Zeta, I just got lucky and checked my History in my browser and there it was he he. Here are the links about your Corys http://communitytank.aaquaria.com/board ... hp?TID=234 http://communitytank.aaquaria.com/articles/corys.htm The second link is an article that I found really interesting. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Zeta, Was doing a bit of reading somewhere on one of the sites and it mentioned the rough substrate, and it also mentioned the fact that some sorts of bacteria in the gravel can attack the barbles and actually cause them to rot away. I read that many posts on that many sites that I'm not sure where it was, but I'll try and find it and get back to you. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi CID, Nice easy idea for a filter, and as you say, so easy to make. Thanks for sharing your ideas, Bill (Pegasus)

David said,

View it and dream people http://www.mr4000.com/ Hi Andrew, Welcome to the forum Andrew, hope you like it here and make lotsa posts