andysworld!

Here are the first pictures of 25 Amazon Swords (Code 37) which arrived from
Java-Plants.
These are temporarily stored in a water vat at 28 degrees C, and the same ph as
the display tank, the plants will be planted out in.

This
water vat is a builders type waste bucket, which holds approximately 70l of
water, it is aerated by an aging Hagen 201 powerhead, heated by a Rena 300 watt
heater, (I removed from aquarium use, because it occasionally overheats – I
should find the guarantee and return to lfs). The airstone at the bottom of the
picture is currently connected to the new ring main on test, out of view is an
Eheim 1262 internal pond pump, I use to pump water to the tanks in the fish
house. TIP Do not rinse aquatic plants under cold tapwater, cold water
and chlorine will shock and damage the plants. Treat your aquatic plants
carefully.

I plan to connect a complete Dennerle
CO2 System to the display tank to aid plant growth, here is a picture of
the Dennerle  pH Controller,
which connects to an electronic solenoid, which controls the amount of CO2 into
the aquarium. This is the later model, which has buttons to set the pH range,
the older models, do not have these buttons, so bargain accordingly.

These
are available quite cheaply now that
Dennerle have introduced the new

DENNERLE pH-Controller Evolution und Evolution DeLuxe range which
includes a CO2 auto-shut off valve, so there is no need to purchase the
additional solenoid valve, as with the older system. (I’m sorry the web pages
are in German, I don’t know why Dennerle,
removed the English site, and replaced with Under Construction?)

This
evening on checking the fish house and inspecting the new plants, when taking
these photographs, I spotted a snail making a break for freedom, it was half way
up the airline tubing, when I spotted it. I don’t currently have snails in the
fish house, well I didn’t! It’s not unusual to find snails arriving on plants,
I’ll have to plan the next stages carefully, otherwise I’ll have a snail
outbreak. I’ve got snails only in one tank, and that’s the second display tank,
these are Malaysian Trumpet Snails, Melanoides tuberculata, a good
website can be found

here on the little creatures, but there in a tank with three Clown
Loaches, so it benefits the loaches at night! I don’t like using chemicals in
any of my tanks, especially any "snail off" remedies, back in the early 80’s my
friend who kept tropical fish, had an massive outbreak of snails in his fish
tank, he had some lovely fish, so he dosed his tank with some "snail off" liquid
in a bottle, after a few days, he asked me if it looked right, the tank was
opaque brown with the "snail off" cure, he had read the label incorrectly, in
the process, all the fish died, except his Red Tailed Black Shark "Fergal",
which I shortly after inherited, he stopped keeping tropical fish after that
event. Fergal lived for many years after, in the hole in his house brick, which
was found on the beach, completely rounded. I’m always reminded of that event,
every time, I use any chemicals, and never add them directly to the aquarium. I
always measure the amount in glass Pyrex beakers (remember science classes from
your school days!) away from the aquarium. I’ve seen too many mistakes made
measuring chemicals over an open aquarium.

This blog entry is dedicated to all those fish that died unnecessarily in
1980! David if your reading this contact me!