Archive for the ‘All’ Category

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PC Thermometer Trial

Friday, October 28th, 2005

This was a project I started many months ago, but like many projects, I started it and didn’t completely finish it, due to time, and juggling life the universe and everything. You’ll notice on the side-bar on the right, a real-time update of temperature from the fish house, measuring internal fish house temperature and external (outdoor) temperature. I still need to calibrate the temperature probes correctly.

The webcam computer breaking has given me the chance to re-install the operating system, and correctly configure it with the excellent PC application created by Spiny aka Alan Norman at www.allthingsspiny.co.uk. The application pctemp.exe runs on a standard PC using a midi or game (joystick) port. It’s an excellent application, and also logs to a *.csv file for import into a spreadsheet, also graphs the output to screen, and can upload the data to a webserver. It easily allows me to view the temperature of my fish house, and later fish tanks anywhere in the world via the internet. I didn’t have a game port on my micro-pc I use in the fish house, so I’m using a USB game port controller, isn’t just about everything available now in a USB connection. Full details of how to configure and connect, create your own temperature probes is on Spiny Norman’s website.

Many Thanks again to Spiny for his efforts in developing this application.

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Silver Pair of Angelfish spawn

Thursday, October 27th, 2005

Another young pair of silver angelfish have spawned.

The eggs that the Platinum angelfish laid have disappeared, a slight over-sight and I forgot to remove the Ancistrus catfish , I think the Ancistrus catfish, may have had a meal in the night!

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Platinum Angelfish First Spawning

Wednesday, October 26th, 2005

As predicted yesterday evening, I’ve just visited the fish house, later than usual, as I went to the local cinema to watch Wallace & Gromit – Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and the Platinum Angelfish are currently spawning as I type this entry. A quick check on the fish house, and a sharp exit, I didn’t want to frighten them whilst they were spawning.

I only collected this pair four days ago, and put them in a quarantine tank, so I’m very surprised at how quickly they’ve settled in.

The Wallace & Gromit – Curse of the Were-Rabbit movie is excellent, lots of fun, for the children and adults, make sure you watch all the credits!

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Platinum Angelfish clean breeding cone

Tuesday, October 25th, 2005

I’ve noticed the new pair of platinum angelfish, cleaning the breeding cone this evening. It is possible they could lay soon.

Condensation detected in the air manifold seems to have disappeared.

I’ve also moved four Endler/Guppy hybrids, into my new tanks, to speed-up cycling them.

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Condensation

Monday, October 24th, 2005

I’ve removed the inlet pipe from the fish house connected to the air-inlet of the Hailea air compressor this evening, because I found 2ml of water caused by condensation in the pipe.

The Hailea air compressor is located in the un-heated part of the garage, failing temperature in this side of the garage is causing the hot moist air from the fish house to condense in the air-inlet pipe. I’ve also noticed condensation in the pipe connected to the air manifold from the air compressor, hopefully as temperature equalizes this dissipate. I may have to re-think, and re-locate the air compressor back inside the fish house, if condensation becomes a problem.

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More fish tanks!

Sunday, October 23rd, 2005

I’ve found space in the fish house to add another two 50 litre fish tanks, 24″x15″x12″ this space was where the computer controlling the webcams was occupying. Sorry, I need the space, and it just so happened, that I had two fish tanks, that needed collecting from my family in South Wales!

I’ve spent a few hours this evening, filling with existing aquarium water from my other tanks, moving “cycled and mature” air operated sponge filters from my 6″x2″x2″ tank into these new tanks, I hope to cycle these quickly. so I can use them later next month.

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Journey Home

Saturday, October 22nd, 2005

I didn’t purchase any Red Angelfish from Petsathome, they didn’t look well enough to make the six hour journey home to Yorkshire, I was very tired after a long drive home, in wet and hazzardous conditions. So it was too much of a risk to transport fish home [long distance], although I did route via “Sunny” Scunthorpe and the Humber Bridge to collect the following:-

  • A pair of Platinum Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare
  • A pair of Twig Catfish Sturisoma Aureum
  • A pair of Dwarf Hoplo Catfish Hoplosternum pectorale

Here are some pictures taken by the seller “Walter”.

Platinum Angelfish

A pair of Platinum Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare

Sturisoma Aureum

Male Sturisoma Aureum guarding a clutch of eggs.

When the fish have settled down, and I’ve turned the lights back on the quarantine tanks, I’ll take some more pictures.

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Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside – Not!

Friday, October 21st, 2005

I wouldn’t normally visit a Seaside resort, I hate all the Kiss Me Quick hats, and red dummy candies.

Today I visited the sleepy town of Porthcawl in the rain, where the shops still close for lunch between 1.00pm – 2.00pm. I thought shops closing for lunch breaks were a thing of the past. So here’s a tip, try and visit before or after lunch, or you’ll have to kill time, like I did for an hour, eating chips, drinking diet-coke, on the “prom”.

Aqua Tech was the reason for my visit; And if there’s any reason for me to upgrade to Tropical Marine this tropical fish shop is the reason. A fantastic collection of well stocked and cared for Tropical Marine fish. Established since 1973! The shop owner is very friendly, which I think is missed from many large aquatic stores today.

On returning, I also visited the Parrot Cichlids again at Wyevale Garden Centre, Pyle. But decided against the purchase of man-made, genetically altered Cichlids.

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White Spot in Tropical Fish Shops

Thursday, October 20th, 2005

Whilst visting family in South Wales, I’ve been out and about browsing the local Tropical Fish shops.

I spotted an excellent pair of Parrot Cichlids at Wyevale Garden Centre, Pyle. If Parrot Cichlids breed successfully and had a commericial value, I would have been very tempted to purchase, still tempted, a very unusual colouration, similiar to Jeff Raps “Calico” Convict Cichlids. Possibly been cross-breed with Convict Cichlids. Umm, purchasing man-made, genetically modified designer fish, I’ll have to consider this purchase very carefully.

I was also very impressed with the Fish display at Petsathome, Bridgend Retail Park. The large tropica plants are execellent value for money, and I also saw some young RED Angelfish, these fish did not just have a red blush, but overall pigment was red in colour, this could possibly due to red pigment enhancers feed in food, it could be genetic, I would have to purchase some and grow on to be sure. 5.99 GBP each.

To end on a controversial note, I also visited Maidenhead Aquatics at Pontarddulais Garden Centre, Swansea. This tropical fish has just been voted Top Tropical Fish Shop in Wales 2005, and 9th UK Retailer 2005 by readers of Practical Fishkeeping.

After reading this, I thought it must be worth a visit. I was put off purcahsing any livestock because several tanks that contained Clown Loaches in the Tropical section, were covered in White Spot.

I purchased two packs of “Diskusin” to make it worth the effort of travelling there.

Would you purchase fish from tanks with white spot? Answers on a postcard please, to the usual address.If this is the best, I’d hate to visit the worst!

Disclaimer: There could be good reason that several tanks had white spot outbreaks, and it could be under control with chemical or ultra-violet treatment, the infected fish may not be for sale.

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Spot the difference!

Tuesday, October 18th, 2005

Eheim 2030 & 2034
And then there were two. These are two slightly different filters. The Eheim filter on the left is an Eheim 2034, and the filter on the right is an Eheim 2030 External Canister Filter. Both have filter volume capacities of 18l, both rated at approximately 60 watts, same as a standard light bulb. The main difference are the external oil-cooled pumps, the 2034 uses the 1034 pump, rated at 2160l/h, the 2030 is rated at 1200l/h. Suitable for fish tanks up to 1500l and 1000l respectively.

These oil-cooled external pumps which can be used in extremely humid spaces and outdoors are superior to there air-cooled cousins. Unfortunately, Eheim no longer manufacture these units, and haven’t done so for a long time.

After soak testing the 2030, I’ve noticed a small leak again, I may decide to purchase a replacement Threaded inlet connector for 2250/2260 (Part No. 7276900), part from the later 2250/2260 are compatible.

Concerned with all this electricity I’m burning and escalting electricity costs, I’ve just purchased some digital units, that will calculate my electricity running costs of the fish house, and individual items. I’ll review it here when they arrive shortly.

It could be cost effective to install a central filtration system with all this filter power!

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