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Thank you all for the warm welcome :smokey:. I'm a hardcore plant and reef-aholic. Is there a 12 step progam here? What are the water parameters in the different cities in AB? Aside from the Big Al's/Aquarium Services, PetLand and other "big box" stores, who imports/tranship thier own fish? I'm asking b/c if I do make the move I need something to earn a living as I still have my contacts from when I used to import. I'd ask my sis and BIL but they don't know where to get this info within the aquarium industry in AB. If you wish, PM with some unsight/info. Thanks in advance, Wilson

Farlowllas won't like being harrased by African cichlids. IME Farlowellas, or any "stick plecos" require more wood in their diet to thrive longterm. Back in the 90's Malaysian ironwood (MIW) was plentiful in ON and did wonders for the plecos. The only problem with MIW is that it holds alot of tannins and could take awhile for it all to leech out. I personally like the tea colored water. Excellent IMO for Apistos.

Aiptasia is a PITA. Hot water will work provided that the water that gets into them is at least 70*C. IMHO, it's not going to work unless the needle is at least 18 guage and you are pushing hard and fast on the plunger. Heat will denature enzymes and mess it up. But it has to be exposed to higher temps to do any seroius damage to the aiptasia. What I do is get a syringe with an 18g needle, mix a teaspoon of Kalk powder in a shot glass of water, suck up the powdery solution, turn off filter/powerhead, inject aiptasia. When the aiptasia retreats into it's crevace, cover the crevace with kalk powder. You may have to do this a few times for big ones. HTH

I agree with Garhan. Potassium (K) deficiency. You can get K inexpensively from a hydroponics shop. If you have low NO3, get KNO3, otherwise I recommend K2SO4. If you have shrimp, get Kent Iodine (from the marine section) which is primarily KI. The iodine will aid in the shedding of the exoskeleton.

Won Bros is the first to come up with Ti heaters. Via from what I hear through the grapevine has Won Bros private lable for them. Like Big Als line of water conditioners, Aquarium pharm private lable. It's the controller that's the critical component. JM2C

I followed your link rahim101 from the PNAquaria board .

I have to agree that breeding fish for the most part is a labour of love. If you want to make a living out of it, you have to know your market and breed species accordingly. Here in Toronto, I can guarantee that angelfish and guppies will sell like hot cakes in the LFS. For the more advanced breeder, cardinals and rummynose will sell very well. Apistos are more of a niche market due to the end buyer cost.

When you do add NH3, make sure it's detergent and scent free. Do not exceed 1mg/L (ppm) as higher NH3 levels will hamper the bacteria's ability to oxidize NH3.

Ebo's are my first pic and MarineLand Visitherms are a close second. I have been monkeying around with titanium heaters with a remote controller for the past 2 years and the only problem is the cost. For larger aquarium (150gal+) set-ups I would highly recommend spending the $$$ on Ti heaters and controller. JM2C

Any clear acrylic spray "paint" will do. Put on at least 3 coats and it should be fine. Let it cure for at least 48hrs and when the solvent dissapates, the acrylic itself is absolutely inert.

If the aquarium is against a wall, you can screw "L" brackets into the wall and suspend a lighting system from a chain over the aquarium. The nifty thing is that plants can grow out of the aquarium. It's very popular in Europe and Asia having an open top concept. HTH

Hey everyone, I'd like to introduce myself sitting from Toronto . My sis and bro in law (both in "Cow-town") as well as my fiancee have been "nudging" me to go West and have been contimplating that move in the next 4 years or so. Having read a few posts and perusing the forum, I like what I have seen/read. This hobby that we all share is a fascinating and has many ways to achieve the ultimate goal. It's a matter of making an informed decision and going with it. Here's a little tidbit of myself. I have been in pretty much all facets in the aquarium biz from farming, im/export to design/servicing aquariums and ponds. My educational background is BSc in Chem Eng (UofT) and EnviroBiochem (Ryerson). If I can help direct "in the right direction" or add insight into this wonderful yet confusing hobby, that's what we're all here for. Thanks for reading and happy fishkeeping. Wilson