Midas

I have had problems with disapearing barbels on cory's before. I found that it is possible for them to grow back if you put them back into a favourable environment. When I had the problems they were with some dwarf cichlids who would out compete them for food. Consequently they never got to eat alot while they were in with them. This I think was the start of the problems. My gravel was always clean but maybe a slightly coarse (pea gravel with a small amount of some porous (almost like pumice) volanic rock mixed in. I found that putting them in an environment were they could get ample food easily (still using the same substrate) helped the barbels to grow back. Maybe they didn't have to scanvenge around as much and were not constantly running their barbels along the ground? Not sure about that, but feeding them better definitely helped their barbels grow back.

what diet do you feed it? and is it getting enough food?

Haven't been to Wet Pets in a month or so but they pretty much always have some seahorses in stock. web site: http://www.petsunlimited.co.nz/html/pets_unlimited_and_wet_pets.html

Thanks Bill, I'll have to pull out my microscope and see what I can see.

Last time I was there they only had one left and they said they had sold the other 2 or 3 that they had. They were getting pretty skinny there for a while, so I'm not sure how they would have survived. The one that they had left was being fattened up with white worm and seemed to be doing quite well.

I don't really notice any decrease in flow from when I have new filter wool to old dirty stuff. I exchange the bottom tray of filter wool every 2 weeks with new stuff and rinse the filter wool in the other two (which are normally pretty clean anyway). Then I cycle the three trays with filter wool around so that the fresh filter floss is in the 3rd spot (the noodles stay on top). Perhaps it would be better to have another tray of noodles since hardly any particulate matter seems to get past the 2nd tray of filter wool anyway. Might try that. I was measuring the flow the same as you sound like you have been doing so that it has the same head as when on the tank.

Cheers Ira, thanks for your investigations. Looks like my 404 is doing a similar flow to yours, must be normal. Don't know how Fluval can get away with rating the filter at around twice the flow of what it does in practice. I think I'll go do a few measurements on my Via Aqua 750 and see if it is any where near the 1200 l/hr it is rated for. It is designed in a similar way to Ehiem canisters, so might operate a bit better. I bet Ehiem canisters put out closer what they are supposed to do. Anyone got an Ehiem canister?

haven't got any bags, 3 of the trays are about 1/2 to 3/4 full of filter wool and the other one has ceramic round things in.

What flow rate are people getting out of their canister filters? Has anyone else ever measured the flow rate? I have been having a few flow issues with my fluval 404 lately. After getting a new head unit for it it still only does about 600 l/hr (up from 400 l/hr before the head was replaced) when it rated at 1300 l/hr. Do the MSF series get closer to the rated flow rate or is the rated flow based on the filter being empty or something? Does anyone actually get the the flow rate out of their canister filters that they are rated to do?

Got a new head unit for it. It is still the pre- MSF design though. Definitely doesn't make as much noise as the old head unit. The flow is still only about 600l/hr though, oh well better than before I guess.

Its not near any air sources. After taking it back to the shop and giving them a demo I managed to convince the guy (Eric from Wet Pets) that there was definitely something wrong with it. Especially since it was only doing about 300-400 l/hr (when its supossed to do 1300 l/hr). I have been advised to take it back tommorrow when the sales rep is there and hopefully if I bleat hard enough he will give me a new 404 msf head unit for it. That should solve the problem. Eric said that they have replaced a few head units of the first fluvals that came out with the square design (the ones before the msf series) so hopefully I will get mine replaced too. I'll let u know how it goes.

yes it is under warranty, just. The 1yr warranty runs out on the 8th of August 02. I think I may enquire about it. When I put my hand on top of the filter I can feel quite a vibration. Feels Almost like the impellor is hitting the sides of the motor unit housing. It gives off a low frequency humm that can be heard in the next room if all is reasonably quiet. Anyone else had this problem? or is this what Fluvals are supposed to do? I have heard that they are supposed to be almost silent in operation. My Via aqua canister, that has the same rating as the fluval 404, can only be heard if you put your ear right next to it. I thought the Fluval should emit a similar noise level to this or even less since they are about 50% more expensive than the Via aqua's. What are other's experiences?

Wouldn't those discus breeders also be adding some salts (Ca & Mg etc) to their RO water before they use it to do a 90% water change? I don't think they would get away with using just pure RO water would they?

not sure, didn't have any eggs around when I used it.

I haven't used the Aquarium Parmaceutical GH and KH test kit but I do use the Hagen version. It sounds like Hagen uses the same chemical colour system as they also start at blue and go yellow. If your water sample goes yellow after 1 drop (assuming the kit is working properly, which it probably is) then your KH will be less than the smallest reading of the kit. The hagen kit says to mulitply the number of drops added by 10 to get the KH in ppm. So if after 1 drop it is already yellow then the KH will be less than 10. If you want to see the point where it goes from blue to yellow add a small pinch of baking soda to the water sample that you test and this should increase the KH to a measurable level. Also if your KH in your tank is less than 10ppm your tank pH is probably already quite low or is heading for a pH crash so you might want to gradually add some sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to your water to buffer it a bit better to help keep the pH up (if you want to keep it up that is)

While we are on the subject of fluvals, my 404 makes slight vibrating noise. Its about a year old and the noise got louder up to a point about 6 months ago. I don't think its air because that makes a different noise when it goes through and even when no more air comes out after priming it still makes the vibrating noise. I have cleaned out every nook and cranny of the system (pipes etc included) and it still seems to do it. It is not really loud, just slightly annoying, and I didn't think it was normal. I was wondering whether it could be a defect of the 404. I have been told that the first 404's to come out (the ones before the MSF series) had problems with the impellor cover shrinking of something like that. Do you think this couls be due to that or can you think of another reason why it would do this?

Here is our Midas cichlid, the pride and joy of our fish collection.

Is there anyone here who could give me information about the Taranaki aquarium and pond society? It is possible that I could be moving up there in the near future.

yeah this one tried to guard them from the severum in the tank which is much bigger than her at about 4 inches long. Made a good effort but the severum was too big and too strong and ate all of them within about 10 minutes of her laying them. She wasn't impressed.

that green terror I got is a female. She decided to spawn by herself the other day. Quite surprised really, considering she is only just 2 inches long.

last time I was at wet pets less than a week ago they had some. I think that they were $40 but not 100% sure. They were probably about twice the size of the ones that Brian at the Goldfish Bowl (Hamilton) had. So I guess double the size, double the price is about right? The ones at wet pets also had lost most of that browny colouration they seem to have when they are really small and were more green in colour. Give them a ring (ask for Chris or Eric, they know what they are doing).

don't know, never seen any. I don't think there on the allowable import list are they? have to check, not that that seems to stop some fish. Just need to find an old symonym.

Yeah that could be an option. They are both quite peaceful aren't they?

yeah but he seems to do ok in there.