Snowman

Freshwater topics?? Saltwater is getting way ahead in posts LOL Gotta get creative and come up with some new posts LMAO "Puts thinking cap on"

Jansens & Hollywood are good shops, check both of them out before buying anything as the price varies quite a bit. I just paid $17.95 for some small yo-yo loaches at Jansens and then saw them at hollywood for $15. If your after an Aqua One fish tank the only place to go is Pet Planet in Whangaparoa, cheapest by far. Both shops should have poly bins to keep your un intended newly acquired fishy ones in LOL

I've tried phos-zorb and green-x both "supposed" to reduce phosphate levels....... hence why i'm doing the F/Excel and water changes. In my opinion they don't work very well. Have yet to try the Phosphate Remover recommended by Warren. If someone wants to buy a couple of GBA i will be able to afford to try it LOL

If you work out heaters on for a while lights on for 8 hrs a day filters and air pumps 24/7 it does add up, i worked out my 3 tanks cost about $40 a mth power wise, doesn't seem much but that all depends on how much you have. The old story the more you have the less it matters. I can understand where Vjarn is coming from, after spending $80 on Flourish Excel im now doing daily or at leats bi-daily water changes to dilute the phosphate to get rid of :evil: BBA :evil: . The only way i get to buy anything for my tanks or fish is by selling their fry.

At normal dosage 1.5 ml would do a 60 ltr tank. Definetly the chemist, i use a 5 ml dropper for water test's (easy to get precise amount for a test tube & makes it easier wetting bread in whiteworm cultures)

Agrees with Chimera.... But there are a couple of new atman filters on trade me, ask the seller if they are able to get parts for your's or they may know where you can source parts.

I got told i could wire up my own security lights but the wiring had to be checked by someone with a cert, brother in law did a limited course and got a cert to be able to wire in his external lighting.

Recommended temp for convicts are 20-26 deg C, they are a tropical fish so i doubt they would survive a kiwi winter outside, it may not freeze but you are still talking very cold as far as fish are concerned, even in Auckland we get a few 3-4 deg C mornings or colder.

No one mentions that to wire in any 240 volt lights etc you must have an electrical cert, its a legal thing and if you do have a fire or any probs it's a good excuse for your insurance company to deny your claim i.e no payout, not to mention 240 volts can kill. Surprises me to see parents letting 13yr olds play with 240 volts, bit like playing soccer on the motorway. Robert Smith has the right idea using 12 volts, much safer and legal. I prefer the brought products as its near on impossible to get the same quality finish (unless that sort of thing is your trade of course), and the safety asspect certainly comes into it, most off the shelf products have been tested and approved and personally my life is worth way more than saving a few bucks. But making your own is basically a kiwi way of life so if you do, take it to an electrician to check the wiring and give you a cert for it, then there will be no legal or insurance probs.

I personally use Eheim filters but there is quite a price difference, a mate of mine with a few tanks uses Jebo's and has had no problems and they are quite a bit cheaper. If you can afford the bigger one it would be better for your tank, no such thing as to much filtration. As far as the heaters go i would probably use at least 2 x 200 watt, personally i would use a 300 watt heater at each end, there's usually very little if any price difference between 200 and 300 watt and the 300's would not have to be on as long to heat the water. In my opinion bigger is always better, especially when there is very little cost difference.

Ummmmm guilty as charged, didn't notice the algae till i looked at the pic on the pc, damn close ups

Looks very different to the pic at the loach site.

That would have been Niloc, been trying to source them from overseas and appears they can be bought a lot cheaper.

I bought this as a Golden Zebra Loach but after looking at http://www.loaches.com it looks more like a Queen Loach. What do you's think it is ?????????

How could someone pull the plug when you've nailed the door closed LOL Most fish shops have the poly bins and they will keep the water warm for quite a while, around 24 hrs if you keep the lid on. In a move it gives you enough time to set the tank up and get it up to temp. Poly bins should be free or cheap if they want payment as most probably throw them out anyway. I got 6 off Jansens Porana (North Shore) for free. Saved them throwing them out.

Luckily i had some large poly bins from my move, was up early buying a new tank the following day, of course forgot to unplug the heater as the broken tank drained so new heater as well. It's worth having a very large net and poly bins spare (poly bins are the ones the LFS get their fish in, usually free). As for somewhere else to put them....do you have a bath ? (last resort)

You could try dropping the tablet in after lights out, mine are keener on coming out when it's dark and the other fish aren't so keen on eating when its dark. I give my Gold Ancistrus a piece of Zuchini 40mm long cut in half with the seeds removed and weighted with lead at 11pm and they swarm to it totally covering it, by the morning there's only some holey skin left.

It went down real well, or real quick, takes a lot longer to get it back up. Not my favourite thing at 10.30pm makes a late night and several loads of washing. Not to mention standing on a couple of swordtails trying to get about 200 guppies and swordtails out before it drained(about 15 mins). All in all a once(hopefully) in a lifetime experience.

There's probably 80 or more from a few days old to 50 odd mm (not counting the parents), the male let the last spawn out to play yesterday. I've got an Eheim 2213 with the spray bar mounted vertically to give reasonable flow.

The silk cloth is fine, the poly is there to absorb any irregularities in the stand surface so you dont have what i had............ 160 ltrs on the floor when the bottom broke after being ok for 1 week :roll:

An exert from http://www.loaches.com about the weather loach "And one more: these loaches gulp air to make themselves buoyant enough to cruise gracefully around the tank, then release air from their anus, so that they can then sink and lie around on the bottom. They fart audibly, which amused my teen children no end." LMAO They are cool, the albinos in the pics look almost golden, very nice : -)>

are there so many loaches, i've got Clowns, Golden Zebras (that look more like Queen) and yo-yo's but think i need a bigger tank after looking athttp://www.loaches.com I never realised how many there were Maybe i need more AND bigger tanks (puts freshwater 1 ahead of saltwater to)

LOL I have a dark green towel draped over the back of the tank so it doesnt reflect light into the lens, still after 30 pics about 25 get scrapped :roll:

Some good pics : -)> nice Guppies Some seem a bit bright, i find i get better pics having the tank lights on and not using the flash, still have to work out a way to make the fish stay put.