Free food from the garden, I’ve recently found plentiful quantities of small
earthworms gathering under the lids of my compost bins, these earthworms are
small enough to feed to my Angelfish, and Hoplosternum Catfish, and Gudgeon. I’m
sorry I couldn’t make the picture more interesting.
Posts Tagged ‘garden’
Free Food!
Sunday, September 18th, 2005Discus Breeding Cones
Sunday, September 18th, 2005I went to the Harrogate Flower Show today to purchase some garden peat to
condition some water in hope to get some breeding pairs of Angelfish to spawn.
Unfortunately, there was no peat or even compost on sale so on returning from
Harrogate, visited Moorland Nurseries, Forest Moor Road, Knaresborough, North
Yorkshire HG5 8JY to collect some garden peat, I purchased an 80l bag, which was
very heavy a bit overkill for my needs, but I can use the rest for potting on
seeds and plants.
Whilst at the garden centre also had time to visit
Tropica, the
tropical fish shop and my local
Dennerle stockist!
This is an excellent tropical fish, with an excellent display of tropical fish,
Tropica plants, dry
goods and the full Dennerle
range. Some very interesting Botia loaches were on display from Asia, their
mail order business on the internet at
Tropica, carries some
very useful information on the
Dennerle range.
I purchased a pair of Discus Spawning Cones manufactured by JBL, I prefer these
"tough plastic" cones, to ceramic/terracotta, as they are easier to clean and
disinfect and are un-breakable, and much cheaper from this tropical fish shop,
than purchasing from eBay!
Back to what’s happening in the fish house, all fish are well, air ring main
is currently undergoing pressure testing, air pump is connected up, fixed in
place, and I’ve tested for air leaks, using a water mister and washing up
liquid, no leaks were found, touch wood! It’s currently violently
aerating an 18l container of water with an airstone. One of the display tanks,
has an algal bloom, possibly causes by too much vegetable matter from courgettes
and cucumber, partial water change required this week, I’m working the late
shift at the office, so I’ll have to re-plan my evenings.
Sunday visit to the local Garden Centre
Sunday, September 11th, 2005I’m in need of some garden peat to acidify some of the aquariums in the fish house, but it seems that all gardeners, are bio-plant friendly, and most composts are peat-free and I cannot find a small bag of peat anywhere, so I visited our local Wyevale Garden centre today at York, which also has a recent addition of Maidenhead Aquatics. I could not find a small bag of peat, they only have 60l bags but did have a look around the tropical fish.
I’ve noticed that Maidenhead Aquatics, have switched all the substrate from gravel to sand in all the tanks. I was very surprised at the cost of fish, 15 GBP for three Poecilia Endlers, 5 GBP for one very small Ancistrus Sp. They had 15 small white, possibly platinum Angelfish with red eyes at 5 GBP each, or 2 for 10 GBP. I was very tempted to purchase the tank of 15, but I’ve currently got no where to put them as all quarantine tanks are full.
I want a refund!
Wednesday, September 7th, 2005
I purchased a box of 250 airstones many years ago which I’m still using, and
I found a duff one, I never found an airstone to be duff before in all my
years of fishkeeping, what is there to go wrong, airstones are not that
complicated are they? I thought my pump on my display tank had ceased
working.
I found some filter media on my travels, approx 150l of various types,
that I’ve decided to soak and clean in the garden before re-using in an Eheim
2260 external canister filter which is expensive to fill, because it has a large
filter chamber.
Unfortunately, the poorly Purple Spotted Gudgeon has died. It’s always sad
to loose any fish, no matter how small or large, when you’ve tried
very hard, and done all you can to try and save it.
Visiting friends in Otley, West Yorkshire (via tropical fish shop of course!)
Sunday, September 4th, 2005I had hoped to attend the Otley Aquatic Society OPEN SHOW & AUCTION today, because I was visting Otley, West Yorkshire, but then I noticed the show is held at Wortley High School Swallow Crescent Leeds, so I didn’t have the time to route via Leeds, as the Auction was starting at 1.30pm. This will have to be an event I pencil on the calendar for next year.
Whilst in Otley I did get my “fish fix” by visting Waterscapes located in the Stephen H Smiths Garden Centre. An excellent range of tropical fish and Tropica plants on display, I especially liked the Leiarius pictus catfish, they had three small 4″ fish for 18 GBP each, but resisted the strong desire to own a large catfish again. These grow very large, a good example here at www.thetropicaltank.co.uk but are excellent catfish, and one of my favourites. But I certainly don’t have eight foot tank space in the fish house at present!
Bank Holiday Monday
Monday, August 29th, 2005The new arrivals are settling in well and feeding on bloodworm and Tetra Prima, still not installed the Lifegard Fluidized bed filter because I cannot get the flow rate correct and the media (sand) keeps flowing out into the test bucket.
I’ve also been to the local garden centre this afternoon to purchase two replacement Tropical Marine Centre 8 watt UV tubes for my UV filter to keep the algae down in the display tanks, my old Gibbiceps has become very lazy and doesn’t each my algae these days, just prawns and a little bit of cucumber. These tanks are located in a conservatory, and due to the excess heat and sunlight in the summer months causes too much algae growth, a garden pond UV filter connected in line with an Eheim 2015 external canister filter helps out. A stupid place to put tropical fish tanks, they get too warm in the summer, and a little cold in the winter, but there’s no room anywhere else!
Fluidized Bed Filters
Saturday, August 27th, 2005On a happier note, I’ve finally managed to purchase a powerhead Aquarium Systems Maxijet PH600 to drive my Lifegard FB300 Fluidized Bed Filters, the Hagen 201 powerheard I’ve had for about 100 years finally died, by welding the impellar housing into the body of the powerhead. Sand or Fluidized Bed Filters are extremely efficient high capacity filters, just make sure your oxygenate the tank well, as oyxgen in the water decreases! Ideal for overstocked tanks of fish, but this is not an axcuse for regular water changes and regular testing of water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. They are also fascinating to watch, remember those Sand Pictures in the 80s! TIP Before installing in the tank run for several days after filling to remove all the dust from the filter media, or you’ll end up with a very cloudy tank.
Lifegard FB300 Fluidized Bed Filter on test in the garden before installing into aquarium.
An era comes to and end! Goodbye Animal-House!
Saturday, August 27th, 2005
In search of Hikari Algae Wafers I travelled to one of my favourite Tropical Fish Outlets in Bately near Leeds in West Yorkshire. I often visit Animal House every few months to purchase some dry goods and have a look at the Tropical Fish section. I’ve been purchasing dry goods from Animal House for 25 years and they always used to advertise in Practical Fish Keeping. Something was odd, I noticed that their website had a statement stating the following
The Animal House website is currently suspended as at 20th August 2005. Customers with outstanding orders will receive letters within the next few days.
I thought this was very strange and may they had technical difficulties with the website or had a securirty breach. I telephone on Friday 26 August 2005, the answering machine message stated they were stocking taking but the store was still open.
On arriving at the store today, it was clearly obvious by the lack of cars the store was closed. Animal House has CLOSED DOWN. The store always seemed very busy at weekends, especially Bank Holiday Weekends, I never understood why they stopped advertising in Practical Fishkeeping.
Many rumours are circulating as to why they have closed, we will probably never know. What’s happening my local Garden Centre has closed their Tropical Fish Section trading; Maybe eBay Traders are to blame with their low overheads operating from bedrooms and garages across the country. Why not visit a local tropical fish shop this Bank Holiday Weekend and put some of your hard earned coppers in their pockets, If we lose all the high street tropical fish outlets, will we have to result to purchasing Online! I hope not!
Goodbye Animal House and thanks for all the dry goods I’ve purchased from you in the last 25 years.
P.S. Where do I cash in my Privilege Gold card points?
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