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Christmas Time !! Here's a bargain at Bunnings for the Billabong:- )) Grover

I'm a big fan of native Australian fish. Cichlids have no place in Australian rivers. I was probably naive to post up the dead picture. I apologise if that offended you. Fisheries put out a bulletin a few years ago mentioning that they had been detected in Somerset, this pair is the first i have come across in my neck of the woods. Sad that they are so pretty, but they do require the Tilapia treatment. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Last Update from Cape Town... "They're fish Jim, but not as we know them!" Cheers, Grover (Next stop, Drakensberg Mountains)

@Craigoit's not the first marine tank I have had its about the 5th it's the first one on cf all the rest where sumped the the wife got pissed with the nose from the over flow

I wanted to share this because I didn't find it anywhere online. I bought caribsea super naturals crystal river sand, it wasn't cheap, and multicure stained it. I saturated the stained sand with a bleach solution and overnight it went back to white. It'll be hit with a super dose of prime once a day for a few days until the bleach smell goes away and then put back in the tank. Hopefully this helps someone.

OK well its up and running

I don't mind doing a bit of nocturnal dip netting. I "dispatched" a pair of Pearl Cichlids last night from Twin bridges, Brisbane River near Fernvale. Its my local, I only live just up the road. I'm used to seeing the tillys but these are the first Pearls I have managed to nail. I guess they were on a nest. Cheers, Dave. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Hey IsaRich, I’ve already snaffled it up. cheers, Beau

Yes, I did thin this quite a few years ago just to see if it was possible. I had no issues whatsoever. Like anything be patient with the cycle. I used live rock with aqua one wave makers & a HOB aqua one protein skimmer. No issues, I just got bored with SW Give it a crack

Hi Goughy, welcome to the forum! My five cents....do it once and do it right, peace of mind etc. Eheim classics are probably the most reliable filter ever. And if you are watching videos on hotrodding or pimping out filters then the idea of not having trays, and bypass, might not be a concern to you. But beware their are two different 'types' of eheim classics floating about. The rounded cover ones, which ship with just foam, and the slab sided 'traditional' top eheims, which come with full bio media kits. I have had poor experiences with the single 'rounded' eheim (2215 model), whereas my older eheims are bulletproof. Remember to support our sponsors. and they offer a discount to members.

Ahh... Good News ! AoA found my Cetus Sieve :-) Looking forward to more exciting plumbing Grover

Thank you

Hi I have plenty of common bristlenoses at different size for sale. $1 per centimeter....I'll give you a better price if you buy more Cheers

Yup, those fish are all fine, even the neons. I wouldn't do anything, really. Just stop adding chemicals, let the water be. You've recently done a water change, so leave it alone until the next change. Then, using 50/50 rainwater is a good idea as johnbetta said, that will help to lower pH and also to dilute any chemicals. If you don't have any driftwood yet, I'd add some for stability (and aesthetics if you choose carefully). Other than that, just let it settle.

Hello Michael and John, thank you for the tips and advice! The fish I keep are; - Sterbai Cory - Redline Torpedo Barbs (Denison) - Neon, Albino - White fin ornate tetras - Pygmy Cory I assume most of these fish are hardy, with the exception of the neons? Yes Michael I am in Brisbane, in the Kedron Brook area. I find my PH is 7.8 too from the tap but once aerated it's about 8.2+. The reason i mention aerated is because once it enters the tank, the same conversion will happen? So, how do I go about reversing what I've done? Small water changes? How often? I assume a big water change will have a big PH swing? Thank you again

Hi Anna. Welcome, and hopefully you can get some help. Be aware you will likely hear different suggestions as well. First off, don't go chasing numbers. If you get your fish used to tap water - whatever the parameters are - then they will be fine. Saves you work trying to adjust it all the time also. Fish can deal with parameters outside their supposed "ideal" conditions, but they prefer stability over quick, large changes. Let the water be what it is. You didn't mention your water source, but if it is Brisbane tap water, that should be fine for most fish. I've found Brisbane water - where I am - to have a relatively stable pH around 7.8, so definitely on the high side of neutral. Second - try to avoid adding stuff to the tank, unless absolutely necessary. Buffers can just make your life difficult in the long run. Yes pH changes during the day, as long as your fish are coping, I wouldn't worry too much. If you think the pH is a little high, you're better off doing some natural modification like putting in a few chunks of driftwood (after curing, if you wish) which will tend to bring the pH down a little and also will help to stabilise the tank. Having said this, there are certain additives that are essential - dechlorinator to new water being the main one. You didn't mention the types of fish you keep, just "tropicals". Most of these are tank-bred rather than wild caught, and are quite tolerant of a range of conditions. Good luck. Michael

Where Were We.... ? Ahh.. now I remember - the Billabong. Happy to report that there were no floaty GPGs on my return from South Africa. Just one large floating goldfish, and a second dried-out specimen near the giant spray-bar. Number 1 Daughter did an excellent job of feeding, but the Cr@p filter and Big Blue Barrels were filled to the brim with green gunk. I've emailed @ageofaquariums about my ordered Cetus Sieve, but haven't yet heard back from them - will follow-up soon, as with the arrival of Summer the green water load needs regular 2-day cleaning of the filters. So, the report from South Africa ??? Well, disappointing in that I didn't actually find an aquarium store - I'm sure they are there - just didn't happen to see one in my travels. And yes, I was rather more concerned with the LARGE land animals ha! Found one aquarium in a tourist store - populated with zebra danios which come to think of it was suited to the country :- ) Also, whilst in the Drakensberg National Park area, there was a display about the San tribal people who used to hunt Mudfish and Yellowfish (some species of Labeo is as close as I can tell). Apart from the Doreen & Albert Falls (see previous post above for the famous crab), the only other body of water of interest was Lake William (to be honest - less of a lake and more of a pond - IMHO). Website for walks if you're interested: Lake William LAKE WILLIAM 2.5 – 3 Hours Return Difficulty: B = Moderate Here's Grover investigating... Really, I was somewhat out-of-shape and out-of-breath after 2hrs of moderate hiking, hence the lying down state on a rickety jetty - Phew! And no, you don't get to see the 400+ photos of wildlife + exotic close-up videos of Olifants, Rhinoceross, and Leonine beasties Cheers, Grover (happily back in Oz where the largest animals he has to face are 6ft kangaroos - herbivores!)

Well done! You too can have your own billabong, just forget to run the pool pump and let the water go green! Ha ha! I had ducks visiting right at the very start back in 2015... And yes, swimming in duck-do-do's is not recommended. Grover

He's back! Sorry for the delay... a small matter of exploring Kruger National Park interrupted the forum updates :- ) Here's the surprise inhabitant I found at Doreen Falls A fast-moving freshwater crab! Cheers, Grover (more updates to come once he recovers from jet-lag)

Looks like he is from Sunnybank hills bud

I have geophagus branchy fry for sale coloring up really nicely. Price is as follows 1 for $10 each 5 or more is $8 each 10 or more is $6 each

Handy tip. Just need something for carpets

Still deep in Africa Grover (He's actually concentrating on not being eaten by lions... lookkk theres a lionss. ....... aaaaarrrgghhh!!

good work Novice. there was one caught in warwick, part of the murray darling basin, glade they haven't found any tilapia here yet.

big man right here everyone look using a net - check bragging about killing fish - check can't wait to hear the excuses for this appalling behaviour.

Nice, I wonder if that's the same species I see in the Nudgee Waterhole reserve - round nests in the sandy shallows every where

Apologies.... I still can't load photos from the wilderness mountains in RSA. You'll just have to be patient. Grover (He's actually concentrating on not being eaten by lions)

Dateline: Sometime Location: Cathedral Peak, Drakensberg, Kwazulu-Natal Stroom: Doreen & Albert Falls After a bit of a hike... going 4 klms in the wrong direction we ended back at the hotel in time for lunch, then off up another valley in the mountains. The stream/creek ( or stroom) had a lovely waterfall hidden in the scrub. And.... Tadpoles, caddis fly larvae (or at least the RSA equivalent), and a surprise inhabitant! See next post for photo.

Hi, my name is Cellina and i have been doing community cichlids tanks for over 12yrs and i have decided on a change of just having an ultimate predator fish like an Umbee in my 6x2x2 tank, as i am new to this site any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you

Hi and welcome to the site

Festivum are a good companion species Keyholes are a very placid species

Bolivian rams work really well with angels too. I have 3 in my 4x2x2 with 3 angels and 6 serpae tetras and they all get along very well. The tetras generally keep out of the angels way and the bolivians hang about on the bottom of the tank to add some color and movement to that area. They are cool little fish.

Another Update: The wineries are really good here in RSA. Here's some koi doing their bit to raise the status of wine-drinking surroundings! Cheeereers Grover

In the last marine tank I had I did one about every 2 to 3 weeks and used nsw

Use whatever filtration you want it’s only freshwater with salt in it. I use under gravel filter with air pump on the one I have now with my shrimp in it and have for years. All depends on how much work and water changes you’re willing to do

Hi everyone, I’m looking for a sump maker that goes by the name of Trigger here on QLDAF. He used to make quality sumps at good prices here in Queensland. Hoping to find out if he’s still in the business as I am looking to get one made by him. Any chance he’s still in the fish hobby? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beautiful Colony of proven breeding females and 2 males 8 Females 2 Males Rare and Beautiful Colony, regretful sale $700

Been using HOB filters along with other types on my aquariums for a few years now. They're good at breaking the water surface. I find them very easy to maintain (2nd to sponge filters), I just pull my media basket/net whenever I want to clean the media. I replaced the stock plastic media and carbon with spare bio media that I have. I also use a sponge on the intake which I clean often. Stops food and whatnot from getting sucked into the filter. I've got no major complaints with them. Not too loud at all. Way quieter than my air pump . Only issue I experienced was that the impeller stopped spinning on one of the hob as it got clogged but got it back up and running without any further issue. Some things you might want to consider: = If it's not self priming, you have to scoop water in your filter every time you do a water change (if the water gets siphoned out of the intake tube). = Pay particular attention to the size of the filter and where you want to put it. It may/may not fit the back of your aquarium especially if you've got bracing along the length of your aquarium. = You may have issues fitting a lid depending on your setup. = If you don't top up your aquarium high enough, you may experience a water fall effect (e.g. loud splashing and may dig into your substrate). = It pushes a lot of flow. But then again I tend to up-size my filter. = I notice that I tend to get more evaporation than usual but nothing major.

West. Tower lane.

I am still hopeful of people doing the right thing by the hobby. Steve

I have not killed any shrimp in this setup yet, I think it's because I have nothing in there to stress them except my fat head staring at them through the glass. I also think they like the low flow of this tank, they are always out doing shrimpy things and are quite cool to watch I reckon

I have killed a few shrimp. I am not sure how.....

@Slipshodman. Hi, the pics below is about the best I have on my phone as a friend of mine wanted to see the same. The advantage is that I can move fish between 4 tanks without any issues, share 1 heater for all 4 and can still isolate if required. The sponge filter moves the water to the next tank and the white U-bends allow the flow back. The U-bend is filled with water and as one side increases it flows through to the tank to ensure same level of water.