I went to a pet store in my area the other day (I've been going to this guy for about 7 years). Exiting huh? This pet store is a really different kind of pet store that is run out of the garage of a guys house. I think he's been doing this for almost twenty years. A lot of people are turned off by its raged and a little run down appearance but I think I am very fortunate for only livng 15 mintes away. A visit to his shop usally lasts at least an hour (he likes to talk) and he will give you his oppinion on any thing and everything. He is always willing to give you a very fair trade for plants. On my last visit I prchased for my 140 gallon: 10 tiger barbs, 10 rosey barbs, 10 lemon barbs, and 10 austrailian rainbows. Thats 40 fish all of good size. Guess how much? $20!!! Every fish I mentioned above was 50 cents. He also threw in a free Apon. bulb of unknown variety. He sells black worms for $1 for 1/8 of a cup or 1 cup for $7. I'm I luck or what? Ok, thanks for reading. Jeremy Moral of story; sometimes ts worth checking out places that don't appear to be much. I avoid the big super pet stores.
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- To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
- Subject: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1131
- From: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com (Aquatic Plants Digest)
- Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 03:48:16 -0500 (EST)
Aquatic Plants Digest Friday, December 12 1997 Volume 02 : Number 1131 In this issue: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1130 Micro fine bubbles all in tank RE: Ghost Shrimp Re: Ghost SHrimp ID Re: Dechlorinater Re: Calcium Re: Karen's Method See the end of the digest for information on unsubscribing from the Aquatic Plants mailing list and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 14:06:02 +0000 ( ) From: "Roger S. Miller" <rgrmill at rt66_com> Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1130 > > I have also gotten these same shrimp at 8 for $1 and while they do eat my > algae very well, they always die after a few weeks in my tanks, no matter > which tank they are in. No one picks on them and they really clean up on > the algae. I was wondering if very low KH and GH might be causing > problems with their exoskeleton formation? > > Any ideas? > I've kept ghost shrimp, bumble bee shrimp and grass shrimp, and had pretty similar experiences with all of them. Sometimes they'd live long enough to molt once or twice. I started dosing their tank with iodide, using the SeaChem product for marine tanks. Since then I've only kept grass shrimp, but they've lived almost a year now. Roger Miller ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 16:34:00 -0500 From: "control at tiac_net" <control at tiac_net> Subject: Micro fine bubbles all in tank My planted tank has developed a case of thousands, probably millions of microsized bubbles. I had a problem where too much co2 was released the other day, but other than that I dont know where they could be coming from. The canister hasnt been cleaned for two weeks, and they dont appear to be coming from it. I shut off the canister for 15 minutes and some bubbles float to the top, but they dont seem to be much in a hurry to do it. I get pearling from most of my plants, and the only thing different lately has been the addition of 8 otto cats. Any ideas what else to look for, I check my connections and fittings and cant see anything wrong. Could it be oxygen bubbles, but why so many, I can still see some coming from the plants but never so many. Thanks Chris Aquatic Plants Digest wrote: > Aquatic Plants Digest Thursday, December 11 1997 Volume 02 : Number 1130 > > In this issue: > > re: Karen`s System ? > Re: Possible Deficiency ? > Re: Planted discus spawning tank > PMDD /calcium > Re: Nutrient Deficiency/Ghost Shrimp > Re: biweekly water changes > Re: SAE in Denver > Was nutrient limitation, now conversational kagaroo > Plexiglass Construction Methods > Re: Ghost SHrimp ID > > See the end of the digest for information on unsubscribing from the > Aquatic Plants mailing list and on how to retrieve back issues. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 00:28:53 -0800 > From: Stephen Pushak <teban at powersonic_bc.ca> > Subject: re: Karen`s System ? > > Karen wrote: Anything pressing that I didn't mention? > > Yes, you haven't specifically mentioned potassium supplements. Do you > find it rarely necessary to supplement it? Is it found in your tap > water? When you do feel the occasional need to add a nutrient, what have > you added? (aside from TMG) I know that TMG has K but (in my situation) > I think it is inadequate for a strongly lit tank with no shortage of N > or P. Put another way, the ratio of Fe to K is too high. Same comment > for PMDD; too much Fe and other trace nutrients. > > Another suggestion for a cookbook recipe for plants is to start with as > much information from the local water utility as you can get. This will > tell you if calcium, potassium, magnesium are going to be lacking. Few > places have tap water low in these minerals but it can be frustrating if > you don't know it. All of the above are macro nutrients. Sulfer is the > "Other" macro nutrient we almost never mention because it's plentiful in > fish food and commonly as an ion (sulfate) in tap water. > > BTW, potassium shortages are easy to spot; yellow spots and dying older > leaves so its easy to add a bit of K2SO4 and cure a tank for a very long > time. I would suggest 1/2 tsp in 40 gals to increase the potassium > concentration by about 10 ppm when its short. > > I guess we should also point out that your (APD reader's) nutrient > strategy will also be affected if you use soils, peat or substrate > fertilizers of various kinds. > > Steve > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 00:55:29 -0800 > From: Stephen Pushak <teban at powersonic_bc.ca> > Subject: Re: Possible Deficiency ? > > Andy Moore wrote: > > small brown spots over the leaves of my plants - these > > develop into larger holes and eventually destroy the leaves. > > more noticeable on my broader leaved plants. > > > > I use PMDD and tank parameters are roughly as follows:- > > > > PK 6.7-6.9, NO3 <10 mg/ltr, NO2 Nil, Fe circa 0.1, PO4 circa 0.015, GH 5, KH 3-4 > > Gallonage is 50 UK Gallons - 2ml of PMDD added daily > > I don't suspect a micronutrient shortage; if anything, perhaps a > toxicity symptom if you had too much of one micro nutrient. No further > evidence to indicate that however. You didn't mention the substrate so > I'll presume nothing there except gravel and possibly laterite or other > inorganic additives like clay, vermiculite, kitty litter. (no P in > those) > > The macro nutrients which could cause the problem you describe if in > short supply are: potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium. > Typically the older leaves tend to become yellowish before dying and > yellow spots precede the brown ones. Your PMDD dosing probably includes > enough N and K and Mg. Perhaps you have an acute shortage of phosphorus. > This might be the case if the problem plant is a fast grower like an > Hygrophila species. What are the plants which are showing symptoms or > growth patterns you don't like? Are there any curling of the leaf edges? > Also examine the new leaves for any deformation or yellowing. Those are > the other kinds of symptoms to watch for. > > To test the theory, (I wouldn't add P to the water) I suggest doing one > of the following: > > 1) pot the plant in a mineral soil such as garden soil covered with > gravel > > 2) put a Jobe's plant stick broken into pieces around the roots of the > plant > > 3) make some clay balls with osmocote slow release fertilizer and put > them around the plant roots. > > Steve > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 01:23:52 -0800 > From: Stephen Pushak <teban at powersonic_bc.ca> > Subject: Re: Planted discus spawning tank > > Ed Hengel asked about a heavily planted, 33 gal tank with a pair of > discus that enjoy spawning there. In order to save the eggs and fry all > other tank inhabitants are removed. This worked but now there is a > persistent bright green, filament algae. > > You could set up a new breeding aquarium along similar lines where you > either a) eliminate the filament algae by the "Krombholz bleach > treatment" or b) put the tank where the algae, plants and Discus can all > grow happily together. Thread algae and green water algae are just fine > for fry. In fact green water is very good for fry. > This may not be to your liking so I can only suggest another course of > action. I think the best green thread algae eaters are shrimps but these > may be killed by the discus parents. You can also try reducing the > dosage of chelated iron to your water preferably while you temporarily > have algae eaters in the tank to consume it. > > You can supplement the substrate iron for your plants by using a > substrate designed to provide iron but this again requires major work. A > substrate requires two components to provide a steady supply of iron: > iron (preferably from soil or the like) and organic material (preferably > peat in a layer mixed at about 5%). Peat has other effects however... > > Steve > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 01:25:24 -0800 (PST) > From: larry at creative_net (Larry Frank) > Subject: PMDD /calcium > > I've noticed that in the formulation for PMDD there is no calcium compound > included. The water is very soft where I live, and I am wondering if I have > a shortage of calcium. What is an optimal level of calcium in ppm in the > water column? Also are there specific signs for calcium deficiency? > > Thanks > Larry > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 02:51:13 -0800 (PST) > From: "M. Pearlscott" <pearlsco at u_washington.edu> > Subject: Re: Nutrient Deficiency/Ghost Shrimp > > Andy, > > Those holes that are formed in the leaves (the process is called necrosis) > are due to many different kinds of deficiencies. Could be caused by a > lack of K, Ca, Mn, B, Cu, or Mo. Are other symptoms such as leaf > deformity, discoloration, etc. > > ________ > About Ghost shrimp... > > Yes, those clear little shrimp you get 5 for a dollar for are the famed > ones used by Amano. He also uses a couple other species as well. > > Some pet stores have wised up, and bumped the price on them. You still > can find them as feeders though, as Cichlids seem to like them. > > Cheers, > > Mark > - ------ > pearlsco at u_washington.com > The more people I meet, the more I like my plants... > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 10:00:25 -0500 (EST) > From: "Curtis Hoganson" <hoganson at pilot_msu.edu> > Subject: Re: biweekly water changes > > Karen Randall wrote: > > Do not change water during the first month after set up. (assuming that you > > ahven't done something to bring on an algae problem) Thereafter, water > > changes should be at least 25% bi-weekly. > > My dictionary (a bit old, admittedly) defines biweekly as > 1. occurring every two weeks, and 2. occurring twice a week. > > Not a very precise word apparently. > - -- > Curtis Hoganson Dept. of Chemistry, Michigan State University > East Lansing, MI 48824 517-355-9715 ext 260 > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 10:15:09 -0700 (MST) > From: George Booth <booth at hpmtlgb1_lvld.hp.com> > Subject: Re: SAE in Denver > > >Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 21:17:23 -0700 > >From: Andy Galassi <agalassi at onpoint_com > > > >Does anyone know stores that have SEA in Denver, Colorado. > > AFAIK, no one stocks them on a regular basis. Call around and ask for "Siamese > Flying Foxes". If they say yes, identify them as true SAE before you buy. > > George Booth in Ft. Collins, Colorado (booth at fii_com) > Need Info? http://www.frii.com/~booth/AquaticConcepts.htm > >> New Updates: 11/29/97 << > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 12:26:45 -0500 > From: krandall at world_std.com > Subject: Was nutrient limitation, now conversational kagaroo > > Subject: Re: Nutrient limitation > > >I've found that cyanobacteria do contribute organic nitrogen to the system. > > > >The process involves the cyanobacteria rapidly consuming nutrients until > >they become nutrient limited in some way other than nitrogen. At this > >point, they begin to die off and decay, contributing their nutrients back > >to the system. > > Any time you let any organic material decay within the system it will > release nutrients back into the system. An important part of algae > management is manual removal of as much algae and deteriorating plant > material as possible. > > It seems to me that we've come a long way from my initial statement that it > was possible to maintain nitrogen poor water and still provide an adequate > amount of nitrogen to the plants via the substrate. I feel like we're > playing that "telephone" kids game!<g> > > Karen Randall > Aquatic Gardeners Association > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 11:12:20 -0700 > From: Richard Wortley <hextek at flash_net> > Subject: Plexiglass Construction Methods > > - --------------9434EBFB3DCDBC36BB8CFB58 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > A few years ago I helped build two 400 gallon show tanks for a local > fish store. We purchased the Plexiglas from a local plastics supply > company along with the solvent. The secret to bending the material is > to use an industrial style heat gun. Using an oven can warp the sheet > of plexi and ruin it in short order. > > Our first step was to buy the material pre-cut because of the smooth > edge provided. If you want, you can buy a saber saw blade from the > plastics company designed specifically to cut the plastic. Practice > cuts are essential so as not to chip or crack the plexi for the final > product. I think there may be a special router tool that can be used to > easily clean up ragged saw cut, just remember to oversize the saw cuts > so you don't run short on material. Peel off the protective paper from > both sides of the area you wish to bend and clamp to a table, > overhanging the section to be bent. Apply heat gun hot air to within an > inch or two of the surface along proposed bend line. When the plexi > begins to get hot, check for flexibility. Use a pipe or tube of the > appropriate radius as a guide to bend the plexi around to form a > corner. (To be very precise, you can make a hinged fixture around the > pipe to hold and bend the plexi as we did.) It is important not to > soften the plexi too much, this maximizes your ability to control the > bending process. (It would be a good idea to buy some scrap plexi and > practice before doing the real thing.) Use a carpenters square to > verify a 90 degree bend at the top and bottom of the of the corner. > > Always remember, MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE! > - -- > > _ > _ / \ _ > / \ _ / \ > \ _ / \ _ / Richard Wortley {Tucson, AZ} > / \ _ / \ hextek at flash_net > \ _ / \ _ / > \ _ / > > - --------------9434EBFB3DCDBC36BB8CFB58 > Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > <HTML> > A few years ago I helped build two 400 gallon show tanks for a local fish > store. We purchased the Plexiglas from a local plastics supply company > along with the solvent. The secret to bending the material is to > use an industrial style heat gun. Using an oven can warp the sheet > of plexi and ruin it in short order. > > <P>Our first step was to buy the material pre-cut because of the smooth > edge provided. If you want, you can buy a saber saw blade from > the plastics company designed specifically to cut the plastic. Practice > cuts are essential so as not to chip or crack the plexi for the final product. > I think there may be a special router tool that can be used to easily clean > up ragged saw cut, just remember to oversize the saw cuts so you don't > run short on material. Peel off the protective paper from both sides > of the area you wish to bend and clamp to a table, overhanging the section > to be bent. Apply heat gun hot air to within an inch or two of the > surface along proposed bend line. When the plexi begins to get hot, > check for flexibility. Use a pipe or tube of the appropriate radius > as a guide to bend the plexi around to form a corner. (To be very > precise, you can make a hinged fixture around the pipe to hold and bend > the plexi as we did.) It is important not to soften the plexi too > much, this maximizes your ability to control the bending process. > (It would be a good idea to buy some scrap plexi and practice before doing > the real thing.) Use a carpenters square to verify a 90 degree > bend at the top and bottom of the of the corner. > > <P>Always remember, <B><I>MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE!</I></B> > <BR>-- > > <P> > <BR> _ > <BR> _ / \ _ > <BR> / \ _ / \ > <BR> \ _ / \ _ / Richard Wortley > {Tucson, AZ} > <BR> / \ _ / \ hextek at flash_net > <BR> \ _ / \ _ / > <BR> \ _ / > <BR> </HTML> > > - --------------9434EBFB3DCDBC36BB8CFB58-- > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 11:34:48 -0700 (MST) > From: Michael D Nielsen <mnielsen at U_Arizona.EDU> > Subject: Re: Ghost SHrimp ID > > I have also gotten these same shrimp at 8 for $1 and while they do eat my > algae very well, they always die after a few weeks in my tanks, no matter > which tank they are in. No one picks on them and they really clean up on > the algae. I was wondering if very low KH and GH might be causing > problems with their exoskeleton formation? > > Any ideas? > > whomareyou?whomareyou?whomareyou?whomareyou > h ? > o THE OPTIMIST BELIEVES WE LIVE IN w > m THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS; THE PESSIMIST h > a FEARS THIS IS SO o > r m > e Mike Nielsen a > y Department of Geography r > o Harvill Bldg Box #2 e > u Tucson, AZ 85721 y > ? mnielsen at u_arizona.edu o > w u > homareyou?whomareyou?whomareyou?whomareyou? > > ------------------------------ > > End of Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1130 > ************************************* > > To unsubscribe to aquatic-plants, send the command: > unsubscribe aquatic-plants > in the body of a message to "Majordomo at ActWin_com". Archives are > available on the web at http://www.actwin.com/fish/aquatic-plants > or via FTP to ftp.actwin.com in /pub/aquaria/aquatic-plants. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 15:05:20 -0700 From: Charley Bay <charleyb at cytomation_com> Subject: RE: Ghost Shrimp Michael D Nielsen <mnielsen at U_Arizona.EDU> wrote: > I have also gotten these same shrimp at 8 for $1 and while they do eat my > algae very well, they always die after a few weeks in my tanks, no matter > which tank they are in. No one picks on them and they really clean up on > the algae. I was wondering if very low KH and GH might be causing > problems with their exoskeleton formation? > > Any ideas? That's exactly my observation and my problem. They last for several weeks, but they die off anyway no matter which tank they are in. They eat the algae while alive, but I just can't keep them for very long. ;-( My water is very soft also (22ppm Ca/Mg). However, I'd lose my red crabs very quickly too-- I can't seem to keep anything with an exoskeleton (red crab dies within a week). ;-( I guess that means I shouldn't try for a reef, huh? If any of you out there see them swimming around your planted tank in a heavy current, though, it's a *beautiful* sight to behold. - --charley charleyb at cytomation_com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 97 14:49:01 cst From: mark.fisher at tpwd_state.tx.us Subject: Re: Ghost SHrimp ID >I have also gotten these same shrimp at 8 for $1 and while they do >eat my algae very well, they always die after a few weeks in my >tanks, no matter which tank they are in. No one picks on them and >they really clean up on the algae. I was wondering if very low KH >and GH might be causing problems with their exoskeleton formation? If your shrimp are dying immediately after or during a molt, then I would suspect low calcium. Crustaceans have the ability to conserve and store calcium, though, so your water would have to be practically calcium-free for this to occur. Also, many eat their discarded exoskeletons as a means of reclaiming lost nutrients. Otherwise, I suspect you may have a brackish/saltwater species, probably Palaemonetes vulgaris or P. pugio, aka grass shrimp. These are two common species found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts; one can literally collect hundreds of these shrimp with a a seine along any coastal marsh, with little effort. These shrimp have a high tolerance for fresh water, but cannot survive there permanently. Kind regards, Mark ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 22:26:50 +0000 From: P Kay <PeterK at lonstock_u-net.com> Subject: Re: Dechlorinater Hi all! I'm fairly new here. I have been following the dechlorinator thread and wondered whether the recommended chemical, sodium thiosulphate, will also neutralise chloramine. This, as well as chlorine, is put into the water supply here in the UK; in London anyway. Thanks, Peter ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 21:14:33 -0600 (CST) From: eworobe at cc_UManitoba.CA Subject: Re: Calcium I have found that even calcium loving species can get by with only 1 to 2 ppm Ca... of course this was in a situation where the concentration could go no lower due to massive replacement of media. Likely, 10 ppm would be more than you would ever need. This translates to about 25 ppm hardness due to Ca which would probably (assuming a Ca:Mg ratio of 3:1) be a total hardness of about 30 to 40 ppm (or about 2 gh). Calcium deficiency is characterized by twisted new leaves with the eventual death of the meristem (growing tip). It is almost identical to boron deficiency which Paul K. has mentioned in the past. dave. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 23:01:27 EST From: RevWCw <RevWCw at aol_com> Subject: Re: Karen's Method <<OK, I'm getting tired, and I've probably bored half the List to death. Anything pressing that I didn't mention?>> Thanks for going through the trouble of summarizing your method for all of us trying to keep trouble-free tanks. Though the "experts" may be momentarily bored, we lurkers really do appreciate a summary word from the wise now and then. Thanks again, Karen! Bill Cwirla Hacienda Heights ------------------------------ End of Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1131 ************************************* To unsubscribe to aquatic-plants, send the command: unsubscribe aquatic-plants in the body of a message to "Majordomo at ActWin_com". Archives are available on the web at http://www.actwin.com/fish/aquatic-plants or via FTP to ftp.actwin.com in /pub/aquaria/aquatic-plants.
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