midgetwaiter

Look for little bubbles stuck to the swing arm on the one that is reading high, if you've got little bubbles the reading is wrong.

I had an Oranda try and eat a cory once, ended up with the same problem. I used long scissors to cut the pectoral fins off, removed the body then pulled the fins out with pliers. There wasn't really any damage at all, fish was fine from that point on. I should point out that that was once of my very friendly orandas, it actually liked to be rubbed on the head. It wasn't stressed by the procedure at all, I would expect that if you have to do that you going to get results more like wandj's. I wouldn't do it unless it seemed absolutely necessary.

What it does is proxy web requests. When you start the program it will hcange your Internet Explorer connection settings so it uses a proxy server on 127.0.0.1 (your computer) at port 8888. Provided you don't have any other programs installed that require proxy settings and that the program is able to load aad unload it's settings without interference you should be fine. Make sure you note your connection settings in IE before you begin.

I thought about it a bit... No I'm not going to do that. Installing the proxy tool I used changes the way browser works. I would rather not asume any resposibilty for it screwing something up. You can get a free trial of it here if you feel brave. http://www.xk72.com/charles/

I was able to get on by using IE through a local proxy server, won't work if I try and go direct. Very strange.

My Sivler Arrowana was like that, if you got to close to the tank he'd charge you and smack into the glass. I was afraid of the bastard most of the time.

People have a natural tendency to anthropomorphize with their pets, it's understandable as it is similar to the way we relate to each other. You can see similar characteristics in other social mammals (like dogs) and in a way as these are often our fist exposure to non human animals it tends to reinforce itself accordingly. I don't think you can ever quantify something like an animal requiring variety in foods or enjoying the hunt without viewing it through the framework you use to make sense of yourself. In many ways this really complicates the task as our own culture is so far removed from depending on our basic hunting and gathering instincts that you'd almost have more trouble understanding yourself than the fish. I haven't noticed any behavioral changes in the predators I have transitioned to pellet diets. They are far more interested in the pellets than even live inverts, to the point that I am able to maintain starfish in a puffer tank and have for some time. Every fish is going to be different though, an ambush predator like an eel may have a very different response if you can get them eating pellets. I'm pretty interested to see what JSTR's lionfish is going to be like in a year or so. The only health concern I would have is the teeth, a snowflake eel is built to grind so you may find that the teeth or jaw develops problems. That pretty much a guess though and probably a bad one, I can't find any information about maintaining an eel on pellets. On the other hand, you will certainly see benefit in water quality and associated issues.

Nutrafin does not compare by any stretch of the imagination. IME there isn't anything that even comes close to this stuff, I've got fish eating it that won't as much as look at any other prepared food. It's also not as expensive as you might think initially, you end up feeding much smaller amounts.

I think every place is about the same price.

Dracaena sanderiana can grow under water but it is generally kinda "meh". It grows slow anyway though so it's tough to distinguish good from bad. You often seen the variegated (white edges on the leaves) form in the LFS which is actually the same plant, I've used it a lot in my terrariums. So yes, it does work but not great. Looks really cool though, like little palm trees. I've been thinking about doing my FW tank over in it.

I doubt that the Excel is what caused your problems, unless it is a problem with your specific bottle. I know many puffer keepers who use it regularly and have used it myself with puffers but not currently. Have you tested everything else? Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH? Did you add anything else to your water? What kind of salt are you using? Any big changes in salinity? Have you seen any changes to the plants? If something else was wrong the puffers may have been the most sensitive to it. They really can't handle some compounds like heavy metals well at all.

No worries Chris is there a lot more than I am lately. I just notice thing like that becauseI used to have lots of brackish tanks going.

Check this FAQ out, been around forever but it has some really good info. THere's a couple mistakes in some of the fish profiles but the anableps stuff is good. http://users.macunlimited.net/n.monks/brackfaq.html And yes, Riverfront does get them in a couple times a year for somewhere around $20.

There isn't one unfortunately. It is just too difficult to ship this far.

You don't need live rock at all. Live rock helps as it acts as bio filter, that's it no magical powers. More is probably better but in your case too much could leave to issues. When you see reef tanks that rely completely on live rock for their bio filtration (where the 1 pound / gal rule comes from) they are always crawling with little crabs, snails and bugs that help keep the tank clean. In many predator tanks you cannot keep as many inverts without them getting eaten so that much live rock can actually turn into a huge detritus trap and cause you grief. If you have fish that eat most inverts like puffers this can be a real big issue. What I would suggest is get as much rock as you can comfortably afford, AFTER you buy a couple of good powerheads. Your canister will not move enough water around to keep your tank healthy by itself. Even in a fresh water tank canisters are not always enough for water movement, with heavier, harder to move saltwater, it just won't be sufficient. Get yourself a couple sieo 620s first then worry about live rock. The main difference with saltwater is that you need 5X the surface area for bacteria populations as they are much less efficient. The fish themselves are also much more sensitive to poisoning by nitrogen compounds and the extra critters you get with the rock help lots. You can keep predator tanks without live rock, just get another canister the same size as you have now and be really careful.

I could have sworn that the ESU 3 outlet model was good for 1875 watts (15 amps). I don't have one anymore so I can't check. Maybe what Tortis suggested with the mecury switch (just a standard home thermostat) then. A furnace guy or HVAC tech could tell youhow to set it up, I have no idea.

Usually these comon names are applied to the same same fish, Panaque maccus. There can be a pretty huge difference in the colour and shape of the markings. link: http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/2001_11.PHP

You could either a) have a bad thermometer or controller in the heater. Try another thermometer The sensor you the heater is right at the source. It may be warmer right there than in another part of the room. For safety you need to get something like this: http://www.esuweb.com/cardfile.asp?ItemNum...elationship=179 Stick the sensor on the wall somewhere and set the temperature on it to 90. The heater plugs into that and it will provide power to the heater as long as the temp stays below 90. You set your heater to maintain 80 and it will always remain on, unless the heater locks on in witch case the controller shuts it down when it passes 90. Simple setup really and I think well worth the cost.

Now that I think about it, my Mom had one of these the last time I went to visit. I liked it. I'm still of the opinion that anything like this should be mated to a second rheostat. Just grab a Zoo Med or ESU one, set it for 90 and plug the heater into it. You would probably never need it but if something ever did happen it could save your animals. I'm thinking that $40 is cheap insurance in this case. Tortis will probably point out that I am still bitter and paranoid after the great cuttlefish massacre of '04 (perpetrated by my tronic heater) and he'd be right. Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me though. I'd go with the constant temp for all involved, set it for 80. If you need to provide more warmth in specific cages then use smaller bulbs or heat pads. I don't know what kind of collection you have but you might find that once you get it all in one room you won't need much, or any, supplemental heat. I have a beardie, 2 gecko cages and a couple PCs in my extra bedroom. That was enough heat that the small reef tank in there does not need a heater and I keep the window cracked a bit all year round.

The typical hybrid debate comes down to 2 points of view. 1) Natural is better, don't mess with it. It doesn't take long to reduce this argument to ashes. Mankind has been hybridizing plants and animals for thousands of years and we are not going to stop any time soon. There are records from ancient Egypt that specifically mention importing grain from Mesopotamia to hybridize with the local varieties. There does not exist, anywhere in the world, a naturally occurring wheat species under cultivation. Okay so you want better cold resistance in your wheat, at least that is a good reason, people hybridize fish for LOOKS. Please refer to the "dog", a commonly kept pet all over the world. Anyone want to rid the world of hybridized dog breeds? Go to any reptile show and check out what some of the snake and gecko colour morphs are trading for. There are entire industries devoted to doing strange things with guppies, goldfish and bettas, none of the varieties of those you find for sale in the LFS ever exited in nature. I too would love to be able to get my hands on some wild swordtails. I am all too aware of some of the nasty things done with line breeding, like the tail-less parrots mentioned above and don't like it one bit. You have to consider that domesticating and hybridizing animals has been part of our culture since we came down from the trees. It is not going to change. 2) I want to be sure I am getting clean stock so I may continue my extensive breeding program and eventually take over the world. This is pretty much the cichlid enthusiasts specific view point. It's kind of a recent thing and I think reflects cultural changes through the last generation, natural is often perceived as better. I can't think of many other say "segments" of the hobby where this view has been the path, probably because the chichlid breeding part of the hobby is one of the newest. Even some cichlid species that are heavily hybridized but have been around longer like angels, discus or rams don't take the scorn people give parrots and such. I'm not a cichlid guy and have never been so I don't really understand. I can see the concern if you are trying to maintain a wild type line and get a hybridized fish into the fix without your knowing. That's fine, even if you will have to have constant collection to refresh bloodlines. I don't get where that jumps to the "exterminate all hybrids" meme though. I mean if that is how you feel that's fine but if you aren't also calling for the extermination of grandma's cute little pomeranian cross then you are being intellectually dishonest at best.

A friend did this with his snake room. I gave him a Honeywell baseboard heater, kind of like a regular space heater without a fan, that I had no use for anymore. It has a built in thermostat and as I understand it does an amazing job of keeping the room temp stable. I would just make sure that it isn't capable of getting the room too hot if something happened and it failed "on". I know somebody that happened to, very bad. You can get them at Wal Mart for < $80.

It's a Coralife Super Skimmer, the 65 gal model. It's a touchy little b*tch, overflows pretty easy. I was using it HOB for a while but I'd never do that again without adding a drain for the collection cup. That's part of the reason I built the sump system in the first palce. It does it's job when it's dialed in though, considering how cheap they are it's a decent value. If I had to do it again I'd be looking for an ASM Mini I think.

Lighting alone won't cause this you have some kind of nutrient problem too. Restricting nutrients in a planted tank can get tricky but I would bet that you have a phosphate problem that contributes to this. There are some articles pinned in the planted tank section that talk about maintaining the correct nitrate / phosphate balance. You could also try to control it through critters that eat it. Some shrimps, even ghost shrimps sometimes, will eat it and flying foxes will do a good job too.

Everything is DIY actually. I started with 2 bare standard tanks.

So I finally got my new tank up and running. I also got a new camera so it's picture time again. It's a 20g with a 20g sump, there is a corner overflow with a stockman standpipe and dual returns from the sump that add up to about 350 g/hr. Here's a full tank shot: Things have only been in there for about 24 hours but things are looking pretty good. It's all been through a pretty tough ride, going into a temporary tank for a couple weeks because I wanted to put the new tank in the same location as the old one. Aside from my Xenia colony looking really bad, you can see it on the lower right corner and a missing firefish (I hope he's just hiding) everything came through very well. Here's a picture of the sump. It has a skimmer chamber then a fuge area and then the return. I was originally going to use the fuge area just to grow macro algae and have a little shelf in there for frags but I may end up using it for a mantis as well so there is some sand in there now. If I don't get the mantis I'll probably take the sand out. Here's a couple of coral shots. I'm still messing with the new camera so I don't have decent pics of the pink zoos or the gorgonian. Before the tang police get all over me... Yes I know, it's just in there because it was scrapping with one of my puffers, I will move it once I decide what to do with it.