finley

I think it's tricky to keep any delicate aquatic life in an area that has Fluoride in the water, along with all of its toxic friends. I'm sure that's why my fish suffer quite obviously if I use Sydney tap water, no mattter how well conditioned, because nothing takes the Fluoride(++) out of it. It's arrogant medical insanity to force-medicate/poison the entire population, plus all of our forna and flora, with these non-nutritive toxins. DANG I got myself started <_</>. ANYWAY...I use a blend of filtered+conditioned water and rain water with minerals added, and that works very well. Bottom line, I am experienced and not too concerned about the basics of setting up a tank, but am interested in any variables relevant to shrimp that I could have overlooked. Thanks :)/>

It will be about 85 litres. I have not decided on filtration yet as that is something I will be choosing and setting up from scratch. Any recommendations? Whether I get adults or youngsters will depend heavily on what's available and the price of both options. I am open to either. :)

Hi As I mentioned in another post, I am hoping to set up a new CRS tank. When I first kept them about 5 years ago they were still quite new on the scene in Aus and we were all still learning how to keep them healthy and happy. What has everyone learned since then?...because I have been out of touch. What tips, tricks, do's and dont's have you figured out when it comes to taking good care of CRS and breeding them successfully? Thank you :)

Hi I am thinking of getting back into CRS as I miss them after dabbling a few years back. What do you think is the optimum number of CRS to start a breeding population with? That is, the 'sweet spot' which minimises the cost of getting started though still forms a decent foundation for a breeding population. Thanks :)

This thread reminds me of a related one from a while back that mentioned European versus Australian/Asian Guppies : http://ausaqua.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=11729&st=0&p=126906&#entry126906 I have seen some Guppies with tails at least as large as those (actually larger, more halfmoon, and with longer dorsal fins) but only on regular sized Guppies. Oh, and only in Europe, never in Australia. :(

Hi I find that this forum never remembers me, even though I tick the 'Remember me' checkbox each time I log in. It won't ever log me in automatically, no matter which way I enter, whereas I find that most other forums do. Is there anything I can do at my end to make this work? Many thanks, Finley ;)

Yes, I found one literally attached to a Guppy and being dragged around the tank - it had already swallowed its tail but couldn't get the rest of the poor creature in its mouth! Once I'd got them separated the Guppy died from shock. Such was my first (in)experience with Gardneri. The litte *bleeps*! Yes, I still have them :eek:

They are also RESILIENT. I got a pair about 12 months ago, and they were such aggressive little buggers - chewing on anything with so much as a hint of fin showing - that I had to separate them into a small tank on their own. I never got around to moving or selling them, so they over-wintered outdoors in coastal Sydney in a small unheated tank. I wouldn't recommend that as normal practice, but just to let you know that they are tough cookies!

Hi guys What's the latest news on aquarium heaters, if any?!...because I need a new one, about 100W. Ideally I want a model which will maintain temperature in the narrowest possible band, e.g. 0.5C or less. Cheap too, of course! What are my best bets? Thanks

The Longlife product is the exact same model as the one made by Hobby currently. I have one. Secondhand of course (not paying $$$!). I really like it and it works - just a bit small so I could do with a second one. I went looking for the Longlife one on eBay and found an expired listing... It said "Check out these similar items by all sellers on eBay" ... which lead me to "VINTAGE 80s SPORT FIT DEAD STOCK RETRO TENNIS SHORTS". OoooooooKaaaay! If any dead people have Brineshrimp hatching in their old shorts, I don't want to know! Interesting method though. (Just thought I'd share ) Fin.

Hi I need to replace my old Visi-Therm heater a.s.a.p. because its thermostatic control has become very poor - way too much swing. Which heaters currently on the Australian market are good - i.e. precise stable temperature, safe, reliable, etc? Which are dodgy - i.e. crack, overheat, fail, etc? Are Orca any good? Thanks, Finley

Hi I have a 14" tank sitting around doing nothing, that I plan to house CRS in. Water depth is just 6". I need an economical lighting fixture that will support the growth of plants and CRS, without heating up the water. Any suggestions please? Thanks :)

Here's an interesting thing... My oats culture has now quieted down. My slushy crispbread culture, and especially the slushy Bergen bread culture, have picked up. So it seems that oats can be a good way to breed a large quantity of MWs really fast, but the other substrates might be equally good or better at other stages.

"Inn-fyooz-OR-ee-ah". No idea if that's right, but luckily I find the need for the term rarely comes up in polite conversation :)

I wasn't able to get an obviously successful infusoria culture going. I tried several methods, but perhaps didn't wait long enough? What worked for you? How did you know for sure that the culture had bloomed? Thankfully my overgrown snail-ridden tank sustained my small spawns quite well, with the help of BBS and a few other bits and pieces. Still, for future spawns I would like to get this infusoria culture thing down pat. Fin :)