werner

MgSO4 is easy- just go to the drugstore and buy a bag of Epsom Salts. The others can be picked up either in Edmonton (All Seasons) or Calgary (Quick Grow). Quick Grow does mail orders if you aren't going for a drive anytime soon. Hint: their website is full of abbreviations- you need to search for "pot nit", "pot sul" and "mono pot phos".

We are looking at a workshop for the spring, which would include several guest speakers, a banquet, and a small bowl show.

Gasp! Would fish producers/exporters actually stoop to bribery to ensure their continued income??? Having a vet in the back pocket is probably a lot cheaper than actually treating the fish. Interesting debate.

The majority of items in the auctions are already from members (CAS, ACE, etc.) There have been repeated issues with particular non-member(s) who can't be bothered to join the society, but like to take advantage of the auction. I believe that most other clubs have the same rule. Yes, we have been posting it on Kijiji and Used Calgary for the last couple of years. Generally, the ad runs during the 2 weeks before the auction. You betcha! But we're not just about the auctions... We are actively working on improving the quality of our programs (Bill Bishopp will be the guest speaker at Monday's meeting!) There are mini auctions every month, members also have access to the most excellent CAS Library, and receive discounts at the local fish stores...

Here's a map to the community hall for anyone who hasn't been before. BTW, for those of you who are coming from the north, Stoney Trail now connects from the QEII/Deerfoot Tr. all the way to 16th Ave/#1 so you can get around the city faster. Then just head east on 16th to the auction.

The complete list of auction regulations should be posted on the website within a day or two. We have revised the rules somewhat: Please note that selling of items is now limited to club members only! This includes CAS members, and members of similar clubs (ACE, etc.) So if you need to renew (or purchase) a CAS membership, make sure to get it taken care of at the Sept.13 meeting!!!

The Calgary Aquarium Society is once again holding their Giant Fall Auction Sunday, October 3rd, 2010 Montgomery Community Center 5003 16th Ave NW Item viewing: 10:00 – 11:00am Auction starts: 11:00am Great deals on fish, tanks, equipment, plants, and frags! Meet other aquarium hobbyists! Raffle prizes! For more information and auction guidelines: www.calgaryaquariumsociety.com

How about looking after an aquarium in a retirement home? A lot of them already have tanks that probably need maintenance, but you could easily get stuff donated from generous AA members if you needed to start from scratch.

We need a Jar Show Coordinator... :smokey:

Gotta hate those body cavity searches. :cry:

Since you're adding CO2, you can use the CO2 chart to guide you. For example: if you want to achieve a target pH of 6.8, a corresponding safe KH is around 5-6. Mix your tap water with RO water to a proportion that has a KH around that or lower. Don't let the GH get too low, or like you said, you will have a lack of minerals (Ca, Mg). You can tweak it a bit by adding baking soda to raise the KH (1/2 tsp per 25 gal will raise it by 1 degree dKH). You can add Ca and Mg back in to raise the GH, but it's easier to just get it from the tap water in the first place.

I have found that a direct application Flourish Excel gets rid of them. However, I'm not sure what concentration you'd need to eradicate the whole tank. Someone also posted recently that assassin snails (or it might have been Asolene spixi snails?) ate them like candy.

Probably water mites or springtails.

And don't forget to come down for the CAS auction on October 3rd!

Totally normal, you're not doing anything wrong. If you don't like it, a little bit of surface agitation will help keep it clear (not so much that you're losing all your CO2). Surface Scum

I'm not sure that they were completely aware of the toxicity of ammonia. There's only a very brief mention of "Chemical Changes in Water"- 2 whole paragraphs! There are a few lines about changing the pH and alkalinity via various chemical methods. Simple/affordable test kits appeared to be only recently available. Yes, Innes is the author. The book is titled The Complete Aquarium Book, The Care and Breeding of Goldfish and Tropical Fishes. The preface mentions their "new $5.00 book", Exotic Aquarium Fishes.

So I was rearranging the CAS library books tonight and stopped here and there to read a few. The earliest book in the library has a 1936 copyright, but is a later edition of a 1917 printing. I did a little perusing to see how things have changed in the hobby over the years. Here's an interesting excerpt:

Fish hoarder!

Cool- save me a plantlet!

Come on- you can tell me, can't you?

Sorry- didn't mean to sound pushy. :boxer: Just didn't want those unfamiliar with this method to think "no water changes ever", but rather that water changes aren't scheduled as part of the routine (eg. 50% per week like EI.) Obviously, you would do them according to whatever volume and timing suits your tank. If you want to read more on PPS, there's a whole sub-forum (with feedback from the system's creator) on Aquatic Plant Central.

I've been using a modified version of PPS-Pro. Definitely one of the more hassle free methods out there. I use Flourish products instead of the trace mix, and was omitting the Mg mix (hard Calgary water.) Now that I've moved, I may end up adding the MgSO4 back in since Red Deer's water doesn't seem to have as quite as much Mg. The method does not advocate that you never need water changes. It means that you don't have to do it every week to reset the fert levels like the EI method requires. I like this because my water change schedule is often erratic. My dosing is too. Just go buy the stuff locally and save on the shipping.

Can anybody say Galaxy Rasbora?

They do need soft water: CRS

Other way around: In the absence of CO2 addition, hornwort (also Elodea, Najas, Egeria, Vallisneria, etc.) can take in bicarbonate ions (HCO3-), keep the CO2, and leave behind OH-. In strong light, this process can create enough alkalinity at the leaf surface to precipitate calcium carbonate (CaCO3)which raises the pH. Biogenic Decalcification Plants like these can potentially raise the pH in a well-lit tank to dangerous levels. If you're seeing a sandy or dusty looking coating on the leaves, you'll probably want to check your pH.