fishyNZ

The elevated temperature is just to aid bacteria growth. Once the tank is cycled, you don't need additional bacteria.

try ramping up to 29C.

What are your temperature and pH readings? Ammonia is more concentrated with higher temperatures and pH (alkaline).

Approximately day-30; fry have been separated and are growing up nicely. Also eating good, have tried feeding repashy as well and they just devour it.

Based on the calculator, covering all tank sides minus the front with 25mm polystyrene would result to a 60% reduction in heat loss, compared to no insulation (on all sides). This applies to any tank size. So like David R said, the amount of effort may not be worth it.

I still have a copy of your aquarium heat loss calculator (excel spreadsheet), hovmoller. Great tool, but I can't seem to find it in the forums now. The cost difference between a 200W and a 300W Jager heater is $2, based on Trademe prices (same seller). So cost is not a factor. I'm not bothered by the length; it is not really a display tank. My oscars though, seems to like "moving" them around.

Most recommend 1 Watt per tank liter; though typically it depends on the ambient (room) temperature and your target tank temperature. If the room is well insulated or heated, those 200W heaters should be okay. Otherwise I suggest you buy 2x 300W instead (if not yet purchased). I use two 300W Jager heaters for my 550L tank (okay 540L) which amply handles winter temperatures (tank is in an uninsulated garage). I have not used temp controllers before, but there are a number available on Trademe (mostly used by home brewers). I do plan to build my own (temp controller), if time permits.

Intriguing as based on the last reported usage stats, all are significantly down (unique visitors, number of visits, pages, hits, bandwidth).

How is the breeding Hecticity? Here's a video of my cuban, somewhere around 15cm at the moment:

how big is the tank going to be? any particular cichlid in mind? try using the shop directory, http://aquariumworld.nz/shop-directory/?q=auckland

Hmmm, not early enough...

Cheers.

Will definitely try both, thanks!

Thanks. Have not feed them yet but I have loads of decapsulated brine shrimp, as well as some frozen mysis shrimp. I failed miserably once doing the hatching (brine shrimp) thing and been too lazy to try again. Got any other food suggestions?

Thanks!

Closer look of the fry.

Found free-swimming fry yesterday; the pair must have laid eggs several days back.

Try experimenting with a custom spraybar (ie PVC pipe); drilling smaller/less holes can increase output pressure which increases surface disturbance or turbulence. Bigger/more holes can reduce (output). Somewhere in between could be the flow you're looking for.

I have an Eheim 2217 canister filter rated at 1000lph on a 200L tank. There is simply too much outflow that a powerhead, a wavemaker or even an aeration device (ie bubblemaker/airstone) is not required. The spray bar was even aimed at the walls to reduce some current.

Thanks. The tank has uarus, steindachneri, brasiliensis, a couple of "transient" german rams and... some juvenile convicts (bred as feeders), which apparently are surviving and thriving.

Can't upload any photo at the moment so here's a video update: Uarus growing the tank out

pmd you

Good on you. Please post some photos as well.

Apistogramma macmasteri pair