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Re:Introduction



>Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 17:27:36 EST
>From: "Jamie Noble" <jnoble123 at hotmail_com>
>Subject: Introduction - Jamie Noble

Welcome Jamie!

>2) I am monitoring tank temperature but so far the heaters don't appear
>necessary for stable water temperature of approximately 78 degrees (although
>I plan to get a better thermometer to verify the accuracy of the device)

Where do you live that you can keep the temperature at 78 without heaters??
Just curious.

>3)Add more lights to the aquarium! I have enough space to fit 8 bulbs across
>the top if I carefully add them. Even though 72 inch bulbs would be a
>perfect fit it is hard to find them without going to the LFS. It seems like
>I'll probably go to Home Depot and buy some 48 inch bulbs which I'll then
>stagger thoughout the tank.

If you buy bulbs at a commercial lighting store I'm sure you could get 6'
tubes. They would cost more than 4' ones but it might be worth it...fewer
balasts and more consitent light across the tank... easier to build a hood.
(BTW, George Booths design on the Web is very nice.) Flourescent bulbs last
a long time even though people will tell you that they don't. I've had mine
for 4 years (4 of them... replaced 1 that flickered and one that burned
out). Plants are all fine and growing well. I think many people overspend
replacing perfectly good tubes.

> I need to find a
>supplier of water proof endcaps for the tank though.

'Nother thing that people make a big deal about... I have no waterproof end
caps... never had a problem. I don't think they are hard to get if you want
them, however. I'm sure somewhere like Home Depot would have them. If not
you can order them from Pet Warehouse.

>The local Home Depot doesn't have the Plant and Aquarium bulbs. They have a
>different type of bulb called floraglow. Comments?

As I said, try to get your lighting from a commercial lighting shop. Look
for florescent lighting in the yellow pages. Tell them what you want...
closest to sunlight you can get in 6' and see what they say. They'll have
fixture too that you can build a hood around.

>4) CO2 injector. Currently I am thinking about the high pressure model
>offered by a US company which includes the Eheim CO2 diffuser. I considered
>the DIY CO2 devices which use low pressure and yeast but at this point I'm
>considering the mess factor and the schedule factor to the point where I
>think the high pressure route is better for me. Also for my size of tank it
>sounds like that method may not generate enough CO2 anyway.

Sounds like a good plan... also sounds like money is no object. :) Go for
it! I mean with the injected CO2 ... I'm not up on the system you mention.
Be sure to look at what Pet Warehouse and That Fish Place have. You can
probably save money buying through mail order.

>5) Currently I have the following fish. Are there any which leap out at you
>as a problem?
>
>4 Angelfish
>21 Neon tetras
>4 Cories
>2 Cobalt (Powder Blue) Goaramis
>4 Platies

Fish sound fine but you have no algae eaters. (Well.. the platties will eat
some) Get some SAEs and otocinclus for sure. In a hundred gallon ... say 8
otos and 4 SAEs. The Angels will eat some plants and beat up others if they
breed... plus if they are big they will eat the neons.

>6) I am aiming to try some low light, easy plants to start with. I am
>currently considering the following plants but I welcome your feedback and
>additions.
>
>Java moss
>Java ferns
>Hydro.....

I presume you mean "Hygro".. :>  How about Anubias? They are usually
expensive but the plastic plant that grows. But get your algae eaters
first. Java Fern is nice mounted on wood or porus rock... don't plant it.
Go easy with the Java moss... it can be nice but also a pest sometimes.

>I appreciate any help/advice you care to give me. Hopefully with time I'll
>be repaying your assistance with advice of my own.

I'm sure you will and once you have a planted tank you won't want any other
kind. Wish I had a 100 gallon tank to work with. :<

Olga
in Vancouver