Znaika

I just made another price comparison for exactly the same package from: AngelFins, J&L Aquatics, Mail Order Pet Supplies, PetCareRx, and Pets and Ponds. Here are results: 1. Angelfins ~~~~~~~~~~ Looks poorest of all: it only had 2 products out of 5, one of which - in insufficient quantity. Cheapest shipping option is about CAD 15. 2. J&L Aquatics ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have 3 products out of 5; cheapest shipping and handling option was about CAD 12. Free shipping on order > CAD 100 My order total for the 3 base line items, including shipment - CAD 50.37 3. Mail Order Pet Supplies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I would say best Canadian site. Had all 5 items, but one of them was in limited quantity. Cheapest chipping option - CAD 6.95. On order > CAD 100 shipping is CAD 3.95, > CAD 200 - free. My order total for the 3 base line items, including shipment - CAD 48.11 4. PetCareRx ~~~~~~~~~~~ A US site. Had all 5 products; Shipping to Canada USD 5.99 or free on orders more than USD 40. My order total for the 3 base line items, including shipment - USD 48.96, however considering 2 additional items resulting in a free shipping, the total on all 5 items was about 11% less than the nearest competitor (USD 50.45 vs 56.92 CAD ). However, attention: they do not charge GST. Not that I had any issues with a tax man about them so far. 5. Pets and Ponds ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Had 3 products out of 5; Shipping - CAD 15. Free shipping on order > CAD 200. My order total for the 3 base line items, including shipment - CAD 51.93. Most expensive site of all. Bottom line: PetCareRX - is a site of my choice due to good best availability and lowest prices, notably on orders USD 40-100. Mail Order Pet Supplies is the best Canadian site, if you do not want to buy from US or are concerned with the GST situation.

FYI: PetCareRX is back in business for Canadians.

Make sure it is not expired

I am actually contemplating to give it a try. I am less concerned about border control; I am more concerned about the fact that it is cold in a luggage compartment plus I will have to change flights in Seattle. So I will need a Styrofoam container and some heating pads, which may not be readily available in the store. Besides, after factoring in the time between the purchase and the flight, overall duration may simply become prohibitive.

Thanks for the info! I am flying to LAX and then taking a rental car. And I surely will take my GPS with me. Will try to visit at lest some of these places and will report back here upon return.

I am going there for a week. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Yeah, it is also available from PetLands for about $50. Since long ago I have come to the conclusion that NOTHING should be bought from PetSmart or Petland or PetCetera or any other pet store chain, unless you absolutely have to, or it in on sale with 50% discount.

Do not add acid buffer straight to the tank with fishes or else it will cause huge pH swings and may kill the fish! I know, Seachem recommends to add acid buffer straight to the tank, but they ask to do it little by little, so that pH does not drop by more than 0.1-0.2 at once. The problem with this approach, however, is that it takes up to a week to bring the pH down to 6.6, by which time a water change is due, the pH bounces back to 7.6 and the fish get stressed. Better prepare the water in a pail by adding required amount of acid buffer into it and aerating for a day, so that chemical reactions are complete quicker. Test pH before adding to the tank, adjust the dosage as required.

AngelFins.ca. who is a sponsor of this website, will sell it for about the same price as other internet suppliers ($24). Combine it with other stuff you need and you will easily justify standard shipping (about $15)

Acid buffer would not. http://www.seachem.com/support/forums/showthread.php?t=2171

If you create a current in your tank, by using filter outflow or otherwise, the dirt will not sit over the sand surface, but will accumulate in one or two spots, typically in plant thickets, outside of view, but from where it can be easily vacuumed. The disadvantage of using gravel is that dirt accumulates all over the tank, and becomes more difficult to remove.

This is the location of the auction: http://maps.google.ca/maps?rls=com.microsoft:en-US:%7Breferrer:source?%7D&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7SKPT_enCA447&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=montgomery+community+association,+calgary&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=montgomery+community+association,&hnear=0x537170039f843fd5:0x266d3bb1b652b63a,Calgary,+AB&cid=0,0,12125864751492711852&sa=X&ei=zn8tUdOSMszkigK9gYHYBw&ved=0CIQBEPwSMAA These are the hotels nearby: http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=hotels&hl=en&ll=51.071403,-114.162734&spn=0.010908,0.01929&sll=51.072853,-114.164469&sspn=0.010907,0.01929&t=h&gl=ca&hq=hotels&z=16

You've got it right. Your options are: 1) invest into RO system - high upstart cost and expensive to maintain, low output, but readily available and provides not just low KH, but also low dH water. However you do not want to lower dH until you relocate your African Cichlids. 2) buy RO water (~$3 per 5 gallon) - same advantages as above, plus low upstart costs, but expensive on the long run plus involves a lot of physical exercises. 3) "cook" water by adding acid or acid buffer - inexpensive but involves large pails with water, hassles and time (a day or two of constant aeration for the chemical reactions to complete). 4) filter water through peat moss - also inexpensive and "organic", but messy, not very efficient and colours the water. For 200 gal tank 2) and 4) are not practical. Your choice is between 1) and 3). If you need low dH, then the choice is down to 1) only. If 7°dH water is acceptable, then I would go with 3) as this option is cheaper and simpler: it is easier to quickly fill up 50 gal rain barrel and to cook it for a day than to trickle up 50 gal of RO water using RO system and changing membranes every few months.

Wardley Small Fry for the smallest ones or Nutrafin Staple Food for Fry for larger ones should work. http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=38976&&page=2

pH can drop rapidly only in water with low carbonate hardness, which Alberta water is not. When you add carbon dioxide to water it forms carbonic acid: CO2 + H2O -> H2CO3. The reaction goes in the opposite direction too: H2CO3 -> CO2 + H2O. Which reaction is "stronger" depends on CO2 concentration in water, so with lots of CO2 you achieve higher concentration of H2CO3 in water. But this is only a half of the story. Then this acid breaks apart in water: H2CO3 -> H++ HCO3-. Higher concentration of H+ ions defines low pH. However water with high KH contains lots dissolved carbonates (and bicarbonates), for example: M2CO3 -> M2+ + CO3-. The latter negative ions (in bold) "capture" H+ ions, keeping their numbers low and thus not allowing pH to drop. Until such negative ions of carbonates and bicarbonates are present in sufficient concentration, they will not allow pH to go down, or, as they say, they will "buffer" water. You need to reduce KH down to 2 or lower to see noticable fluctuations of pH as a result of adding CO2 into water. You can do it by adding acid salts like Seachem's acid buffer or 10% sulfuric acid or by filtering water through a bucket of peat moss, which is safer, but arguably messier and less efficient.

To buy stuff, you can just go. However to sell, you must be a member of the club in good standing and to reserve the lots upfront. All information is here: http://www.calgaryaquariumsociety.com/

Another method is to add acid buffer. Seachem produces two types of acid buffers: phosphor-based for non-planted tanks and another one for planted tanks. A 600 gram bottle is $12-18. To lower pH down to 6.5 and KH down to 2, you will need about 1 gram per gallon. A cheaper option is to use 10% sulfuric acid. You can buy this acid in auto parts shop and dilute as required (but be very careful, use gloves and glasses and never pour water into concentrated acid, only acid into water)

Riverfront is privately owned, so they may be more flexible and more reliable than Petland's semi-responsible teenagers.

Bucktooth tetras are indeed available, for example from this Petland: http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&q=petland+calgary&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=petland&hnear=Calgary,+Division+No.+6,+Alberta&ll=51.037076,-114.080658&spn=0.516403,0.858307&t=m&z=10&vpsrc=0&iwloc=A&cid=9722533803422238000 but I am not sure if they will ship anything.

Congratulations! I see They are free swimming now, so it is vitally important to provide them with some food immediately or they will quickly perish. Since you did not expect to see them I guess you may be unprepared: no infusoria and no baby brine shrimp, right? Until you have some BBS, your best bet is to buy Wardley Small Fry Liquid Food in a nearest pet shop. Petland and Petsmart have it sometimes: They also carry Nutrafin Staple Food for Fry, but it may still be too big for the newly hatched fry. Other than that, hard boiled egg yolk will do for a day or two.

For my 75 gal tank (48" x 18" x 21") I use two 48" fixtures, each holds two Philips 32W t8 daylight tubes (6500K). The plants grow like crazy; I trim them every second week. Because I have quite a few fish in there, I do not fertilize at all.

RO water and distilled water are about the same, and yes, Culligan RO water sold in Walmarts and elsewhere will do. Just make sure it is not Culligan _mineral_ dirinking water, but RO water. If you are buying a sealed 5 gallon bottle, it says it in small font on a cap, I believe. Otherwise just fill your bottle up from the machine in Walmart - it sells RO water.

Still much better that the Edmonton's club banner above on this very page, proudly announcing a pot luck and bowl show at the next meeting on Dec 6, 2011 ))

Alternative to the mesh is glass marbles sold in dollar stores.

Evening before you want to induce spawning.