Shai

Ah, I see now! Thanks for the explanation. Good to know about the styrofoam. You have given me ideas about my 33g so I think I'll look at stacking instead. When you went to the hardware store to get the tiles, did you just ask them for plain ceramic? How did you know there was no residue etc on the tiles when you got them?

I'm confused. I thought you were going to actually have some of the tile showing, but everything looks covered in sand, so I wonder what the point of using the tile was? Can you take another picture from a higher angle, to show more of the floor of the tank?

Beautiful pictures. Those are some pretty big chunks of zucchini... How long do you leave them in the tank for? I have a tiny little pitbull and I only put in a slice, maybe I should be using bigger pieces?

What about in Calgary? I've had some interest in them too and they might be more appropriate for me since I am downsizing...but I haven't really seen any available.

This sounds like a really interesting idea. Please post photos if you can!

Thanks jvision. I'll double-check their size but I think it'll work out. Looks like I have a project for the "long" weekend.

Hi everyone. I haven't posted much recently because life has been pretty busy with lots of good and not great (though not horrible) changes. Unfortunately, as a result of all that, my interest in the hobby is suffering and I feel like I'm at an impasse--either I need to downsize or I need to get out. I'd really hate to have to get out though... I currently have a 55g with some stock on it. I also have a 33g but it's empty. Lately I have felt the 55g is too big and demanding on my time, and overall it has been a lot of trouble (it just seems to be a bad luck tank for me), so I'm coming to resent that aquarium. This is not a healthy mindset with respect to the fish so I am wondering if I can get away with transferring the stock to the 33g. The 33g is not a lot smaller, but maybe it is small enough to relieve some of the pressure I am feeling. The 55g is stocked with: 5x turquoise rainbows 3x cherry barbs 2x dwarf neon rainbows 1x GBR 1x pepper cory 1x pitbull pleco The 33g measures 36"L x 12"D x 18"H. I know I should have more cories but I haven't been able to find any decent peppers on the few occasions I've been able to go looking for them. The one I do have is a survivor (part of the aforementioned trouble). He's been alone for a long while now but appears happy and healthy enough. The 55g is well planted with a sand bottom and the idea would be to simply clone it onto the 33g, with a percentage of plants and hidey-holes to fit but not overstuff the 33g. This would include two AC 70s, so the 33g would be really well-filtered. The other consideration I have to keep in mind is that in about two years or so I will be moving to New Zealand, so at that time I will have to get rid of everything and will want to sell what I can to help fund the move (every little bit helps). I'm just reluctant to get out right now when I could have two more years to enjoy my tank and see about making it work. I've put a lot of effort into the tank and it would be really crappy to chuck it all at this point "just because" rather than later when I have a really good reason. When I get down to New Zealand and get settled I like to think I'd get back into fishkeeping again. But for right now...can I use my 33g instead?

When you log in, are you using the log in fields in the top right corner, or are you clicking the log in link at the middle top and making sure the "Remember Me" box is checked?

Another alternative is to have or start an IRC channel for the board. It would perhaps be a good compromise, as it would accomplish what MSN does but have a bit more permanence/location like a chat room, but relies on the user to have an IRC client on their machine, rather than the server. The IRC channel name could be #albertaaquatica.

This is interesting to me because I bought (rescued?) some cories from a Wal-Mart near me and they've been the best cories I've ever had, very nice specimens, much better and longer lived than ones I've purchased from other stores in the city. Haven't needed to worry about a guarantee at all. Must have been lucky.

Sorry about the losses. Had you been remembering to stir your stand a bit at each waterchange? I usually use a chopstick or my multi-tool. Should help keep things from getting built up.

I knew about that stuff too but there's no Home Hardware nearby me so Rona was most convenient, and they don't carry it (I couldn't find it, anyway). : )

The other day I dug up this thread so I could pick up the right kind of silicone for a DIY project. Initially I could only spy GE II on the shelf. They must have updated the packaging since this thread was posted, because the fine print says it is not suitable for aquariums. Eventually I found where the GE I Window & Door was hiding and while the fine print doesn't exclude aquariums, neither does it say it is aquarium safe. I still picked this type up to use on a DIY cave and all seems to be fine so far.

Thanks for finding that link, Firestorm, I appreciate the help! I've struck out at garden centers in the city though--maybe it's too early in the year for them to carry laterite? Dunno. I want to explore some more options before I order off the net. I am dosing ferts so Jvision's comment about peat having a high CEC and the fact that peat is readily available has me leaning in that direction. Since my substrate is sand I won't have to worry much about it being disturbed and making a mess, and I can get the peat down underneath using the ice cube method I mentioned. Does it have to be a particular kind of peat or can I go to a garden center and buy any old kind?

The problem with saying a bump is okay if the topic is not on the first page is that the "first page" can be arbitrary. Unless everyone is using the forum default, the number of topics to show on a forum page can be changed under Board Settings in My Controls. So if one user is only displaying 10 topics per page but another is displaying 25, the "first page" looks different to both.

You did good by rinsing the sand first. The cloudiness would be much worse if you hadn't. But no matter how much you rinse, there will always be some cloudiness left over. Eventually it will settle out if you leave the tank alone (ie, don't disturb the sand). Go ahead and increase your water change schedule for the next few days, but as mentioned, be careful not to disturb the sand when draining and refilling.

My substrate is sand. I really don't have time or opportunity to do anything too involved.

I used to use black GeoSystem substrate and though I never boiled it I did have trouble with it. Fish just seemed to die off quickly or otherwise have health issues. I've had more luck since getting rid of it. I'm suspicious of your test readings. If the tank is cycled, nitrAte should not be reading zero. How old are your test kits? The bags for GeoSystem warn that it can have a buffering effect on water. Even if you aren't experiencing pH swings, perhaps "reading between the lines" of this warning lends to their being "other stuff" to be careful of.

Yes, but the plants that need it mainly absorb ferts through the roots and since too much iron can encourage algae I wanted to get the iron down at the roots of those specific plants where it would be most useful. Hmm. If I can't find any, I suppose I could make "balls" out of fluorite or peat by mixing it with water then freezing this "mix" in an ice cube tray. The cubes can then be pushed into my substrate at intervals, where they'll unfreeze and settle in. Just so I'm prepared, which is more recommended, fluorite or peat?

I require the laterite to make laterite balls specifically for the iron, so neither peat nor fluorite will do unless they can be substituted for this purpose and be made in to balls. Tearing the tank down to put in a whole layer underneath is not an option. Riverfront is really inconvenient for me to get to...any other sources/ideas? PS: Firestorm, I shop at Pisces regularly, but thanks!

I need some laterite but I haven't been able to actually find any. Where in (preferably NW) Calgary can I get some? Crowfoot Petland and Pisces don't carry it. Is it something I can buy from a garden center, like Sunnyside?

Not sure, but definitely increase the frequency and amount of water changes. Pristine water will help the fish stay strong and recover on its own if it can.

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately she died shortly after I took the photo. : ( At least she didn't suffer long (though who knows how long she was like that at the store).

Well, I opted to wait overnight to see if she could pop the rock out. I could see she was trying to. I also wanted to see what advice I would get. Alas, she has deteriorated much faster than I thought. She's now lying on the sand gasping. I'd say she's done for and I'll be taking her back regardless. I was able to get a pic, you can see how far back the rock is. Poor girl. Thanks for the input.

Yesterday I bought a few cherry barbs. Today I was able to get a good look at them for the first time and I noticed one of the females is swimming around with her mouth open. As she turned I happened to catch a glimpse inside and see she's got a rock wedged in there. I watched her for a while just to make sure it wasn't a shadow. The tank has sand in it so she got this rock at the LFS. The rock is not at the front of her mouth, it's more towards the back where I imagine the throat might start, so it's no wonder she can't just pop it out. I've heard of people with larger fish using tweezers to get rocks etc out when they're stuck...but this is a cherry barb. She's not quite 1.5" inches long. I can't imagine I'd be able to find anything appropriate. Even a toothpick would probably be too big. Obviously I don't want to keep this fish because she's going to slowly starve to death with that rock in there. If it's big enough to keep her from closing her mouth all the way there's no way she's going to be able to eat. Does this kind of situation still fall under a fish guarantee? My understanding of fish guarantees is that the fish would have to be dead first. But who knows how long it will take for her to starve? Plus it's cruel to let her starve--but if I euthanize the fish, is that being an honest customer? What kind of chance is there that she still might be able to pop it out, given how far back in her mouth it is? lol, as I'm writing this and watching the tank, the other barbs are having lots of fun breeding and spraying eggs everywhere... Anyway, advice is definitely appreciated.