ckmullin

If something I said had cheezed you off, it was of course not intentional ! I don't think anyone here wants to start to pick a fight...nor I. If I comment on a topic it is because I have had some sort of experience with it and offer that experience. Just as other have experience and post about it freely. The topic title is " Brine Shrimp Hatchery Gizmo:" and it talks about that product and the problem of a more dyi approach. Since the dyi approach was mentioned, I had then made my own post that I have not experienced that problem. I don't see any harm in what was written. I guess like anything in life things can be taken different than originally thought...so perhaps that is the case here...I'm really not sure. Perhaps I've taken your post wrong also. People freely post their opinions and experiences, so do I...I thought that is what a forum is all about. The sharing of information. I'm not here to piss people off but just to help with what info I do have. Some of my info I thought was at least half decent as a some of my topics are now sticky. I said what I use works for me and that I had not had a leak. That is all. I had also said "i'm sure this will work good for ya!" I had meant that. It looks like a good handy cap. Perhaps you brew more shrimp that I...so overall you have more hrs into it than me. By that perhaps you have experienced more of the problems than I? Again dunno. You had asked for some pictures of what I've done, I hope this will fill that request. I've had to disassemble the setup to get some pictures but here you go. For my own attachment I use an 180 degree airline hose attachment (double nipple). I don't remember on this one if i drilled the cap or used heat with a metal rod to make the hole. Both work fine. Thinking again I do think I use heat for the opening as no material is removed but rather it's gathered to make more of a rim for a better attachment for the attachment! hehe I make the hole as snug as I can and then insert the connector. I roughed up both the inside and outside of the bottle cap with some 200 or so sandpaper to remove that smooth shiny surface and give the glues something better to bond with. I then used the Lepage "Flexible Plastic" to make a small seal on both the inside and outside around the airline attachment. Over that I used a high temp glue stick with my glue gun. The hot glue isn't pretty but for me, it does hold and work. I use a ziptie to hold the hose to the double nipple so that I can easily remove if needed without having to mess around with the bottle cap. In the picture there is a thicker heavy duty piece of tubing over the airline tubing to stop any possible kinks etc that could possibly happen at that joint. Normally it's tight against the bottle cap but here I pulled it back. I use co2 tubing for this as I've found over time standard tubing becomes hard and then brittle while the co2 tubing I've found stays pliable longer. Others might refute but again this is of my own experience. The 180 degree (double nipple) attachment that I use. crappy pictures, sorry for that...but still kinda shows the setup, I hope. The double nipple attachement was inserted down into the cap as I only want the end nipple to be in the bottle. Hope the instruction makes sense, kinda wrote it fast. Again, nothing I've said should be taken in any negative way...as in no way is was meant as such.

outdated info

nteresting. I've always used an aquarium tubing joint and glued that in place on the bottle cap. Never had a leak yet. I'm sure this will for good for ya!

liabilities over everything now a days with all the frivolous lawsuits that are filed daily. surprised that this does not also say 'not for human consumption' ! Check the net yourself if you'd like...use uncle google with ge silicone 1 aquarium.

gonna have to stop by once again!

Take a look at the aquatic use of laterite. Easier to put a layer now than put balls in later.

try some different live proteins

Give him a reason not to. Perhaps give him a more varied diet. "Brine shrimp, red worms, chopped up earthworms and other types of meaty foods"

If your starting brand spanking new...I'd suggest a enriched substrate as a base layer. (suggestions can be given if wanted) In that bottom layer put what magic you want then for the top cap, pool sand. For the top cap I would suggest to not to have the fine fine sand but a bit more coarse (still though not talking about gravel...just coarse sand) Everytime that I've worked with sand I have mixed a couple different sizes of sand (more smaller size diameter than larger) in order to help stop a big cloud of the fine fine sand get into the water column after any change or cleaning. For me, this has worked and I continue the practice. I also think the variation of size adds eye appeal. Have fun, it's going to be a blast!!

AH the good old waterbed days! Now the memories flood bad...literally! Yup...remember that same part...a dark blue color, same thing. Perhaps give the waterbed places a call and see if you can get a replacement! Here are a few links that might help. http://www.westernpump.ca/index.html http://www.cylex.ca/company/waterbed-magic-12488137.html http://alberta.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-furniture-beds-mattresses-WATERBED-PARTS-W0QQAdIdZ240077488 http://www.edmonton.servpro.ca/can/c/40627-152499-AB-Waterbed_Connection.html http://www.edmonton.servpro.ca/can/c/40627-152291-AB-Waterbed_Magic.html

Give a dedicated plumbing supply store a try. Not the Home Depot's but a contactor plumbing location. I needed to jerry-rig something together and the place had all the little unknown parts I needed.

Glad you got it discovered. Glad also that once again, AA members could diagnose the problem. booya!

Seems like either a lack of available o2 or a chemical problem. Do you keep live plants? Do you use co2? Suggest to grab another test kit and compare the readings.

i've ran co2 with MTS and nothing was harmed. but i did not od on it.

The joys of rearing a tank!

A tip for a quick and perfect line when you build/fix your aquariums is to use painters masking tape! For each joint that needs silicone use two strips of tape to provide the exact width of the wanted seam. Feather the edges just as you would without the tape and while the silicone is still wet remove the tape. I've done this many times always with success. Do all the same direction seams...then when dry to the opposites until all are completed. Another tip is to have a wet rag on hand. Moisten your finger and then feather the seam..re-moisten as needed. The silicone will not stick to your finger and will allow for better workability. With these two tips you can easily have a perfect factory made silicone seam!

a tip. use painters tape for a line. will work work perfectly.

Depends on how thick the styrofoam is. You can use a heat knife to cut away or a sharp utility knife. Small thin shavings might be needed for it to be removed once it's out of the tank. How thin can you slice bread!

Just for the background or to assemble the tank and background? If also to assemble the tank...remove that pain of glass and use a wire saw against the glass to cut off the background. If just the background grab a handsaw etc that has a low kerf. That will do the trick. Easy as pie. Need specific help, drop a pm.

Does it say anything like mold-free ? The mold-free stuff will kill the fish easily. Give a pic or some info on the tube that you have. ADDITIONAL FEATURES Mold-free product protection Lifetime guarantee Non-paintable This one? http://www.caulkyour...ow-and-door.php Give this a read on what is safe to use. Sry for your loss. http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=36149

7-14 days for it to build up again with a transplant with my own history. Jump-starting always helps imo. Grab some filter media...grab some substrate and seed the tank and filter.. Throw the transfered media in as soon as you start the tank. Ask 10 different people, get 10 different opinions!

I'll give ya a pm with a couple methods to fix 100% the issue.

If you were in Calgary, I'd cut anything you need.

strongly suggest again to cross brace.

I tend to do more low tech than high tech...but still doing both. Spending big $ to get everything all nice and perfect i'm sure is fun BUT not needed to have a healthy aquarium, fish AND plants. My philosophy in general is the less maintenance, the healthier (naturally) the tank will become. On my main tank I don't dose anything. My fish provide nutrients that are needed, the mts finish off anything else and I only do WC. I don't gravel vac this tank, as that dark line just below the substrate surface is gold. I have I believe 6 different plants in that tank and all are healthy and growing. (plants are very similar to the list above my post). My substrate is basically 50% sand and 50% common aquarium gravel, inert yes but works just fine. IF YOU want to do more, add some of this magic and some of that magic, that route is also just as easy. Again IF YOU choose....as doing more is not required! (overboard is also easily done). Want to get a quick fix for added light? Go to a reno store (HD, RONA, etc) and grab an led strip and throw that under the hood. (will do wonders...done that...works well) Want to dose? There are as many options as there are snowflakes. Easiest...just grab some Seachem Flourish. Just that only that. It will do wonders, just don't OD on it...again I did say easiest.. Sure you can add some more micro/macro, powder/liquid/spike dis and dat BUT the more you add the more the tank now owns you. You can add soils, clays and a multitude of other additives to the substrate. In powder form...crystal form, fert balls, fert spikes and others. (you can use Jobes plant spikes...as I think what Sprucegruve was referring to in his post above. However only use the spikes meant for "Ferns and Palms" as at least it did not have anything from a urea base) Want to multi-layer your substrate? Great results and loads of options. (but this is getting far from a low tech tank) Want to put in a charged substrate with 'good stuff' already there? Throw in something like Fluorite. Have not even talked about filtering (I use and love Purigen), gas co2, liquid co2 and the fun with all of that and the best way (imo) to control ph. Boil all that down, I'd say do something like this at the start. (Of course make sure your water param's are good for plants in general) Make sure you have nutrient in the substrate (if not, dose it in whatever form that is easiest for you). Grab some of those plants listed above...put some of each in the different areas of your tank to see what grows best where. (water currents, subtle differences of light and temps will/can all play a role on what plant grows best for a particular spot in an aquarium) I'm a fan of mts, so throw some in and get working to aerate your substrate. Sit back and enjoy a low tech aquarium and let NATURE do the work for you!