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May 29,
2002 |
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CO2 Injection (for live plants, Discus system)
Greetings and thank you for your previous advice on the Eheim 2128
Pro II Thermofilter! And thank you for Wet Web Media and many hours of
dedication to our passion!
After forty years of fishkeeping we're setting up our first pot planted
60g Discus tank (months in the study, planning and acquisition of
components; sparing virtually no expense)
<Yikes! Am I too old for you to adopt?>
and are debating the addition of a CO2 injection system with pH
controller, solenoid, the works so to speak. I've been to many sites
trying to decide if the CO2 system cost is valuable enough in
controlling pH and helping our plants and livestock to justify the
addition.
<It is>
Particularly in maintaining pH for Discus which we will be introducing
several months down the road. If it will assist in providing a better
environment for our future family of Discus I'll go for it!
<You will not be disappointed>
We will be running water into the RO storage unit and "firing" up the
tank in the next two weeks. Your recommendation as to advisability of
CO2 and manufacturers of good components would be most helpful.
Wildriv, AKA Charlie DeLorme
<Mmm, do "shop around" for advice from actual, recent users here. The
various chatforums (ours: http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/) are invaluable
for this. Compare features (e.g. better needle-valves, larger CO2... at
least five pounds) makes, models and buy the better, bigger... they are
worth it. Be chatting, Bob Fenner>
Filtration question (store set-up)
Needed advice on plumbing tanks for my store. I hope you don't tire
of this question. Basically, 40 breeders drilled (4) tanks to each sump.
I am using heavy duty shelving and plywood, total of (4) separate
systems. I thought it would be easiest to plumb this way plus I like
having separate systems. I am going to overflow from top (2) tanks into
the bottom tanks and finally to the
sump. The sump is where I am unclear. I want to trickle the water over
filter floss and carbon (probable Polyfilters too) then through some
media
probably base rock and then a protein skimmer.
<fine for a light bio-load, but you may have to concede to extra
biological support from bioballs (nitrate and all) for a heavy fish
system>
I am looking at the "Euroreef" you wrote about. Maybe best to skim first
like you say.
<absolutely... catch overflown water into a skimmer chamber first which
then overflows into the sump>
Then I want to add a sandbed and caulerpra (plan to use 55 watt
compact).
<the caulerpa is a bit dangerous with a fluctuating bio-load as it's
daily needs grow daily and consistently but your stores
fish/invertebrate load that provides the nutrients changes weekly with
sales and shipments... when the algae goes vegetative, you could lose
everything within 24 hours>
I eventually will add UV sterilizes.
<with wild imported weekly shipments...this is one of the most important
devices>
Is there a problem if I use a Berlin sump skimmer with it's
own pump?
<yes... quality of skimmate, fluctuating sump level affecting
performance, path of water flow, etc in my opinion>
Instead of piping to main system? The tanks will @ 6 feet and @ 4
feet. What is best G.P.H pump and best tank size for the sump?
You need to calculate how much flow you want/need in each tank
(dependant on the animals kept), then confirm that your overflows can
handle it, and then multiply it out. Once you figure that out... I favor
Japanese made Iwaki pumps for store use water pumps>
For fresh I plan to use air bubbler sponges instead of undergravel.
Which do you prefer?
<totally agree... sponge filters are the best filtration!!! just a
little ugly for some aquarists>
Finally, where can I buy metronidazole?
<Seachem makes it... available mail order from most any marine drygoods
supplier. Do check with the advertisers on the Q&A page>
I seen it for sale in pill form for people.
<essentially the same, but with filler...try to find the pet dose first>
I apologize for my poor writing skills. I hope I am not killing you with
all these questions. I appreciate your help and your web site. It is
hard for me to find knowledgeable people who are not cocky and unhelpful
lol! Sincerely, BKL Ps- I hope all is well!
<no trouble at all.. you will make the very best kind of
retailer/aquarist as long as you are willing to continue to learn, teach
and grow. Kindly, Anthony>
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Batfish in Brackish Tank
Hi everybody, how are you tonight?
<very well... thank you. I hope this finds you in good health and
spirit as well>
I was in my favorite pet store today, and I absolutely
fell in love with two little two inch long batfish. I
have read they can live in brackish water.
<er... some species and only as juveniles for a matter of months.
They are marine species and if bought in seawater... seawater they
stay in>
I was wondering just how brackish it had to be?
<too heavy for most other brackish species and the tank will need to
go to full seawater in 8 to 18 months>
Would I be able to keep them in my 125 gallon show tank with a
few assorted large cichlids?
<hehe... if it was any of the common Platax batfish species... then
without the cichlids they will still outgrow your 125 gallon in 3-5
years! They are huge ugly adults... reference a picture of these big
grey diamonds as adults>
I have about 1/4 cup of sea salt per gallon in there. About half the
salinity of my salt water tanks. I've had a scat in there for
a few months now, and he's doing fine with that setup. So I thought
maybe the batfish would be all right with it too. What do you think?
<too salty and too big. I'd pass on it. Batfish make freshwater
Oscars look like slow growing minnows!!!>
Thanks for your help, and Goodnight, Kristen:)
<best regards, Anthony>
Brackish fish
I am trying to find out if you can put Lo
Vulpinis/Foxface/Rabbitfish and
Acanthurus blochii/Surgeonfish in a brackish tank. I have set up a
55 gallon
tank for Brackish fish and am researching different species to put
in my
collection. If you know can you email me at XXX with the
answer?
Thanx
Crystal
<These species are not really suitable for a brackish system... or
one of only fifty gallons. Real brackish water choice information
can be found on the Net, including our section on WetWebMedia.com
Bob Fenner>
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Mollies, Guppies, & Hatchetfish
Hello John, Paul, and Ringo! You know, it's tough to refrain from
coming up with new questions when we all have such a wonderful trio
of celebrities to answer our every question! I feel a bit like a
'groupie, ugh, I hope it hasn't come to that! But as you 3 know,
this hobby is abundant with questions!!!
Here's mine:
I have this lone little orange molly in my daughters tank full of
guppies. I know mollies like brackish water, and I have even heard
that given time they could live in ocean water. So, with that said,
how 'bout I put her in my reef tank? Happy fish, or sad fish?
<Depends on your other fish in the reef. Most mollies will be fine
will one tablespoon of salt per five gallons of water. Your guppies
should be happy with that too.>
Secondly, my daughter also has a pair of Silver hatchet fish with
her guppies. I have been trying to find more than just average info
on these fish. All I know is that they have never bred in captivity.
You guys did point me to one little tidbit of info on them, but it
didn't say much. I want to know where exactly they are caught, what
type of water including ph., dh., temp., etc. etc. AND, is the water
in a calm location or is it turbulent? I think Hatchets are a very
interesting species and I would like to devote a tank to them for
study, possible breeding and at the same time be sure they are
'happy' with their living environment. Kapish?
<Kapish. Your best bet for additional info is the Baensch's Aquarium
Atlas for Freshwater. -Steven Pro>
Thanks so much my treasured ones!
Pam
I need info on a fish
Hello Bob I have a problem,
<WWM crew member, Anthony Calfo in your service>
my son just came home with 2 gold fish and a
fish he calls (I don't know how to spell it, so I hope you know what
I am
talking about) PLATASCUOMUS).
<yes, a tropical Plecostomus catfish...AKA algae eater>
I hope you know what IM talking about. If you
do then my question is does this fish need a filter and air?
<yes, as all really do (without you having to do daily water
changes) but more so than the gold fish in this case>
I would be
grateful if you can answer me as soon as possible. I don't want to
kill my
sons pets. he doesn't have much luck with his pets, they usually die
on him
or run away.) Thank you so much. Have a great day. Mikey
<talk that little fella into bringing home books before livestock
<wink>. Conduct partial water changes (say 25-40%) daily with
dechlorinated like temperature water until you secure a proper
aquarium and filtration or trade the fish in, my friend. Anthony>
Re: can you help me find a fish?
Dear Mr. Fenner,
<You got Steven Pro this morning.>
It's Matt again writing in regards to the response you gave me about
that freshwater "wolf fish" as I called it. I looked at the articles
you suggested and, honestly, none of the pictures I found looked
anything like the fish I'm talking about. I'm at a loss. Do you have
any other ideas?
<I think I know what fish you are talking about from your previous
description, but I do not know any other name than the common one,
wolf-fish. I was unable to find it online anywhere, so I suggest you
borrow a copy of Axelrod's Atlas of Freshwater Fish and page through
the section called "Other Families". You need the big Atlas as the
Mini-Atlas does not have this fish.>
Thanks again, Matt Stahura
<Sorry I could not be more helpful. -Steven Pro>
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