HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: anbo@wuee1.wustl.edu (Albrecht Jander)
Subject: Re: aquarium cooling
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis Mo.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 03:38:09 GMT

In article <45644@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> neuzerli@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Andy Neuzerling) writes:
>I am doing some research on cooling aquariums. I would like to know 
>how all of you out there cool your aquariums when they get too hot.
>Please post your response or email it me. Don't be afraid to copy a 
>response previously used.
>	Thankyou
>		Andy Neuzerling

Well, I am going to be needing to do that soon, so I've done a little
thinking on the subject.  Had a couple of ideas:

1) Peltier cooling devices.  These are compact solid state heat pumps.
   You could thermal epoxy them directly to the glass, or incorporate
   them in a heat exchanger.  Can move about 60 Watts of heat for $25.

2) Buy an old beat up dorm fridge, and take the guts out.

3) If your Aquarium is near the refrigerator, you could just run a hose
   through the freezer or something.

4)  Cheepest is simply a fan blowing on the surface.  You lose a lot of
    water that way.  Also doesn't work well with CO2 fertilization.

I think I will do no. 2.

My $0.02,
Albrecht
From: rosentha@bldrdoc.gov (Peter Rosenthal 303-497-5844)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: wonderlights again
Date: 17 Apr 92 14:35:02 GMT
Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology

In article <2064@ra.nrl.navy.mil> tse@ra.nrl.navy.mil (Anthony Tse) writes:
>In article <2846@dove.nist.gov> rosentha@bldrdoc.gov (Peter Rosenthal 303-497-5844) writes:
>>3.  If you use expensive wide spectrum fluorescents such as
>>vitalites or tritons then the perwatt cost of the wonderlight 
>
>   Tritons are not wide spectrum, not even full spectrum.  Tritons,
>as the name implies, has three spikes in the three primary colors,
>and that's it.
>
>-Anthony

You are absolutely right.  Mewrong.  Tritons are "tri-phosphor bulbs"

Gro-lux, Grow-lux wide spectrum (and I'm sure others) are wide spectrum
but not particularly bright.  I don't know what vitalites are.

I have used a variety of tubes on aquatic and terrestrial plants 
and in my experience a mix of cheap bulbs such as deluxe cool and
warm white work as well as the 20 dollar bulbs.

I do like ultralumes though, because they are ridiculously bright.



The mercury lights really
are wide spectrum.  They have no severely spectrally deficient
wavelengths, and they tail off somewhere outside the visible.

Plants actually use many colors of light.  Blue is for
photosynthesis, and red and far reds are used in various other
responses such as growth regulation, photoperiodism, phototropism
chlorophyl synthesis and bud setting.  

Interestingly enough, green light, which is the most abundant
color in daylight is hardly used at all by plants.

The only way to really compare different lights is to do
controlled experiments with identical tanks and different lights.

Notimenomoney.

Peter

Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: richb@kronos.com (Rich Braun)
Subject: Re: Making a Whisper Power Filter Go Biological
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 16:01:11 GMT
Organization: Kronos Inc. / Waltham, MA
Disclaimer: This posting is a personal opinion and not that of Kronos Inc.

3jx@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Bill Konrad) writes:
>The only advantage that I can see to the Aqua-clear is that you can put
>other things in the filter such as peat or softener resin bags. It's
>harder to do such things with the Whispers.

The two brands are as interchangeable as Pepsi and Coke, in my opinion.
(OK, I *do* know the difference between the two soft drinks, but I'll
drink either/or depending on my mood...)

One comment I'd add is that the Aqua-Clear design has a tendency to make
the filter material "float" out of the box as it gets clogged.  Perhaps
this is a deliberate design "feature" to provide a visual indication as
to when the filter needs cleaning, but I think not.  I'd rather see a little
plastic ridge molded at the inside edge of the box to keep the filter
material held securely in place.  As for a visual indication of when to
clean the unit, the overflow drain is quite sufficient.

-rich
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: laurence@cco.caltech.edu (Dustin Lee Laurence)
Subject: Re: Rise in Ph
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 23:54:30 GMT

graue@bgsu.edu (Louis Graue) writes:

>fish tank the water becomes  ph of 7.8.  Each time I change  off some of the
>water the ph goes down but after a few days rises.  What causes this?  What
>can I do about it?

Uh, is this freshwater or marine?

-- 
Dustin Laurence            "Someone please stop me, before I net again."

laurence@alice.wonderland.caltech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: han-esther@CS.YALE.EDU (Esther Han)
Subject: My first tank and its fish...
Summary: New enthusiastic, rambling aquarist 
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept., New Haven, CT 06520-2158
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 07:46:15 GMT

Hi!  I'm new to this newsgroup and a new aquarist...  I have been paying close
attention to many of the articles, especailly the one entitled "Help!  Goldfish
in bowl."  I bought one of those executive hex tanks with all accessories from
Caldor (I know, my first mistake) and bought a small catfish, and black moor
goldfish with bulging eyes, and a calico goldfish...  I change half the water
about once a week and use Start Right for the new water.  I use Tetrafin Flake
food for Golfish...

About one week after I bought them, my catfish got sick for several days and
died.  He often breathed on his side and didn't move unless other fish nudged
him.  Were they showing concern or being aggressive?  He did not have any of
the symptoms of the diseases commonly chronicled in books--ich, velvet, etc...
Does anyone have any ideas on why he died?

Also, I was wondering what the correct way to change the water was...  I've
been removing half the water with a cup and placing the fish in a bowl while I
add new water and the Start Right.  Is this correct?  Can the fish remain in
the tank while I change the water?

I've heard that no small aquarium should be without an algae eater of some
type.  Do you think it would be alright to get another catfish to replace the
dead one?  My fish are small (less than an inch so far)...  I'm planning to get
a bigger tank when my current fish get too big.

How do you tell male from female golfish?  Can the different varieties of
goldfish breed?  How likely is this?

The calico fish has one black eye.  Does this mean it's diseased or
nonfunctional?  He also tends to stay next to the air pump and idle there for
long periods.  Does this mean anything?

My fish are also very physical.  They brush up and swim very close to one
another often.  Is this dangerous?  Are they fighting?  It doesn't seem too
malicious...

Thanks for your time.  I would appreciate responses either by e-mail or the
newsgroup.  Sorry for all the questions, but I care deeply about my fish and
want them to live long, happy lives.  None of these questions were answered by
the several books I read on the matter...

--Est :)
han@minerva.cis.yale.edu







-- 
--Est :)
han@minerva.cis.yale.edu


Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:3783 alt.aquaria:2997
From: gb@dixie.cs.unc.edu (Gary Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: HO or VHO tubes 18 inches long?
Date: 9 Apr 92 17:24:36 GMT
Followup-To: rec.aquaria
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Originator: gb@dixie

I'd like to improve the lighting in my 36 gallon hex aquarium.  I
currently have 2, 18 inch, 15 watt tritons illuminating it.  I'd like
to go to HO or VHO tubes (and associated ballasts) but I don't see
tubes shorter than 24 inches.  Tubes 24 inches long would hang off the
sides and would be unattractive.

Does anyone know where I can get 18 inch HO or VHO tubes?

thanks
gb
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: albino oscars, are they really albinos?
From: jacobs@cerritos.edu
Date: 6 Apr 92 21:49:42 PDT
Organization: Cerritos College, Norwalk CA

	I have recently aquired a group of what are being sold as "albino"
oscars. I am wondering wether or not these are true albinos or not. It seemmed
that some of the ones in the store were showing traces of black pigment.

Any genetic specialists out there?

Karl Jacobs Jacobs@cerritos.edu
From: tse@ra.nrl.navy.mil (Anthony Tse)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: [M] Cheap Calcium?
Date: 7 Apr 92 20:19:59 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Naval Research Labratory, Washington, DC

In article <1992Apr7.034230.19278@cco.caltech.edu> laurence@cco.caltech.edu (Dustin Lee Laurence) writes:
>Of course.  Like everything else in the trade, this is a Luxury Item at
>Luxury prices.  I bought 500g of CaCl2 * 2(H20) for $8.00 US.  It'll

  So did I.  I bought a kilo of CaCl2, a kilo of CaOH, .5 kilo of Sodium
Carbonate, and 1 kilo of Sodium BiCarb.  The DEA is probably on my back
already, all those white powder.

>probably last me a century, even if I don't use the 500g of Ca(OH)2 I
>bought for $10.00US to use for comparison.  You don't expect the
>aquarium trade to sell you a product for what it's worth, do you?

   Wish I can say the same.  At the rate I am using CaCl2 now, a kilo
may last me 2-3 years.

-Anthony
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:3724 alt.aquaria:2963
From: jim@helios.austin.ibm.com
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: help!...green slimy water
Keywords: green water, 33G tank, goldfish
Date: 7 Apr 92 16:19:21 GMT
Reply-To: ...@cs.utexas.edu:ibmchs!auschs!aspencer.austin.ibm.com!aspencer
Organization: IBM Advanced Workstation Division


   You might want to move the tank away from the window.  Any light
shown into an aquarium that is not used by real plants will be used to
form algae.  I don't know the real solution, but I think you should
scrub everything that has algae.  Keep doing the water changes like you
have been doing.  Plecos are always the first fish to die if you have
bad water quality.  Since you have a big goldfish,  it sounds like it
might be a big eater and what goes in must come out.  I think you need
to feed less unless you have already cut down the feeding.  A carbon
change might help clear up the water.  I think goldfish are pretty tough
fish.  I had some big ones before.  I only lost one of them, and that
was because I had a big ammonia problem.  If you are just interested in
breeding fish, you might try getting some swords and swordtails.  I've
had a lot of success breeding them in the past.  Hope I can be of some help.



-Jim
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: bk@milton.u.washington.edu (Black Knight)
Subject: cheap filter media
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 14:03:23 GMT

an old question, but i would like to know what are some good ideas for
cheap filter media in a reef filter system (or biological filter, wet/dry, 
whatever they're called).

my friend has set up his own design, but right now he just has some plastic
plants as his media.  any suggestions??
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: erno@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Erno Pena)
Subject: Plant Tank Questions .... again ....
Reply-To: erno@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 08:03:10 GMT

First, thanks to George, Mark, and everyone else who sent me their collection  
of Plant Tanks Articles. Because of that, I now have new questions.

1. Would the Actinic Day fluorescent bulbs for marine reef tanks be  
especially advantageous in a FW plant tank?

2. What exactly constitutes a CO2 fertilizer system? As far as I can tell,  
the absolute bare bones system include the CO2 bottle, a regulator with a  
tank pressure gauge and a line pressure gauge, a fine control needle valve,  
strong walled air tubing, and a bubble counter. For bare bones, the CO2 would  
be injected into the intake of a cannister filter. For the more advanced  
system, you would have a CO2 reactor in which the CO2 is injected. Do I have  
this right? How much does all of this cost?

3. I had plans of mixing laterite, canadian peat moss, and rich dark topsoil  
for the lower half of the substrate. After reading some of the articles, I'm  
beginning to get the idea that the soil would leach extra nutrients into the  
water and cause an algae bloom and even change the pH. Would adding soil to  
the substrate really do this?

4. Some of the articles sent to me mention getting chemicals from a  
hydroponics supply house. Does anyone have experience with supplies from  
there? Is it safe for aquariums? If so, please email or post the addresses  
and phone numbers of some of the better companies.

5. Many recommended Delaware Aquatics and Mike T. as THE place to get plants  
mail order. Is there anyone else?

6. For a 30 gallon tank, would 2-36" bulbs provide enough lighting?

Thanks again for your responses.

--

E r n e s t o   F.   B.   P e n a      |     "Volite Magis,
................................      |      Facite Magis,
erno@uiuc.edu   NeXTmail accepted      |      Estote Magis."
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: fssmith@venus.lerc.nasa.gov (Greg Smith)
Subject: Re: Cure for fish-hungry powerhead?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 15 Apr 1992 12:40 EDT  

In article <30328@cbmvax.commodore.com>, perry@cbmvax.commodore.com (Perry Weinthal - Test Eng) writes...
>In article <1992Apr13.145539.6239@ERA.COM> feit@ERA.COM (Mark Feit) writes:
>>I'm using an AquaClear 405 powerhead to run the RUGF in my 30, and
>>have recently been losing my Hets in the intake vent.  Every so often
>>I go away for the weekend and come home to discover that another of
>>the little devils has been sucked in.
>>
>>Has anybody managed to find a way to keep the fish away without
>>blocking the intake?  I've tried turning the intake to odd angles
>>where the fish would be less likely to wander, but to no avail.  I
>>also thought about a small cage of some sort of screening, but steel
>>would rust and I haven't found a plastic substitute that will work.  I
>>figure if the little fellas can be kept about 2" away, they'll be
>>okay.
>>
>>: Mark A. Feit, Software Engineer : Internet: feit@era.com          :
> 
>   How about taking a 35mm film container covering the open end
> with plastic window screen and drilling/cutting the closed end
> to fit your power head intake.  You could even perforate the
> side of the film container with "small" holes so that side
> flow occurs JIC a fish / critter does get stuck.
> 
>  Perry Weinthal       perry@cbmvax.commodore.com

either hagen or fluval makes a strainer that fits over or is it inside the
head of the hagen 802 powerhead.  I have also seen smaller strainers at the
local pet stores.  Perhaps one of them will fit either inside or outside
your  powerhead.  I lost 3 blennies and a small blue morph tang to a Hagen
802 before I figured out the cause of their demise.
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:3948 alt.aquaria:3114
From: dks@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (douglas.k.steckel)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Alternate Bio-Materials
Date: 16 Apr 92 16:15:09 GMT
Organization: AT&T

Netters,

I am looking for a last minute replacement for Bio-balls. In the next week
or so I am going to have to purchase about 8 gal of bio-material for my
home made wet/dry. So far I have saved alot of money doing it myself; I'd 
like to keep it that way. I dont want to sacrifice too much in quality, but
would be willing to make a small sacrifice for some big savings.

I seem to remember someone talking about using easter grass... does anyone
have experience using this or any other budget bio-material. 

If I can't find any suitable material then I guess I'll just have to
hold a bake sale or something to fund this purchase. 

Thanks...

Doug Steckel
dks@alux5.att.com
From: dks@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (douglas.k.steckel)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Homebrew Aquaria (Poverty: Mother of invention!)
Date: 7 Apr 92 13:33:46 GMT
Organization: AT&T

AquaNetters:

I am about to embark on quite an adventure and could the help/advice of who
have done what I am about to.

I am going to start an 125g FW setup and intend to furnish it w/ live plants,
& probably discus... and a few other compatible species. I have read all the
"right stuff" including `The Optimum Aquarium` and even the SST(Super Show
Tank... I think) which I got fro an FTP site. All this is fine except for the
fact that I don't have any money... we'll a little. Aside from the tank,
everything will be pretty much home brew. Which leads me to the following
questions.

I realize this is all very UNscientific but consider:

LIGHTING

Metal Halide $350.00 for two pendant lights!!!  FORGET IT!!!

        In all my reading I have never seen quartz/halogen mentioned once,
        there must be a reason. Tell me what I am missing.

        It's DIMABLE. (300 watts)
        It's dirt cheap. 300 watt lamp & fixture for $10-$20. $$$$$/Lumen!!!
        It's HOT. (ok this is a drawback)
        It's white. Maybe too white. The metal halides I've seen on plant
        tanks have a yellowish hue.


SUBSTRATE HEATING

        Dupla $tuff in general is quite expensive by my standards so any
        suggestions on CO2 fertilization, chemicals, substrate, etc...
        would be welcome. I seem to recall someone posting something
        about lamps, or maybe heat lamps under the tank for substrate
        heating.

FILTRATION

        (Bio)-Filtration os often discussed on the net and is the simplest to
        build at home. It's amazing what can be accomplished with a
        few 5 gal pickle buckets!

What do you all think of the above ideas.
All questions/comments are welcome.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug Steckel                                    INTERNET: dks@alux5.att.om
AT&T Bell Laboratories                          UUNET:    att!alux5!dks
Allentown, PA.
From: ames@biostat.washington.edu (Diane Ames)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: (f) Clown Loach question
Date: 10 Apr 92 16:43:39 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle

In article <1992Apr10.133626.5317@lmpsbbs.mot.com> you write:
>I have two clown loaches in a sixty gallon tank along with 4 Tiger barbs, 3
>Zebra Danios and a Red Tail Shark.  The Clown Loaches ususally seem to be
>"lying" on their sides whenever I first walk in the room and I think that they
>have died.  

Todd-

Tried to e-mail you, but it bounced......

Not to worry!  Clown loaches are appropriately named, and love to frighten
their owners like this!  I'm sure you will be inundated with replies to your
query....anyone who has clowns discovers their antics eventually!  I have
four of them, and they like to "pig pile", laying on their sides, under
the slate.

Don't worry if you think you've literally lost one, either.  They can
wedge themselves into places you'd never think they'd fit.  They surface
eventually.

Most entertaining!

Good luck!

-Di
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:3782 alt.aquaria:2996
From: gb@dixie.cs.unc.edu (Gary Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Monitoring RO Water Quality
Date: 9 Apr 92 17:12:47 GMT
Followup-To: rec.aquaria
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Originator: gb@dixie

Now that I have my own RO filter system, I'd like to be able to monitor
the purity of the water it produces.  The companies that sell these
things also sell meters that measure "Total Disolved Solids".  My
guess is that these things are actually measuring resistance since
pure water is a pretty good insulator and the introduction of ions
increases its conductivity.  Am I correct?  Is TDS a good monitor for
a RO system?  If not, what should I use?

gb
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: jon@skylinx.sa.com (Jon Lamphere)
Subject: Large Scale Clorine Removal ?
Organization: Scientific Atlanta, Inc.
Distribution: us
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 92 10:50:04 GMT

	Is there a way to economically de-clorinate a large ( > 500 gallons)
volume of water ?  My water source chemically binds the clorine, so simple
evaporation is not practical.


Thanks,

Jon
 
-- 
+-------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Jon Lamphere - Melbourne, Fl.       |                                       |
| jon@skylinx.sa.com                  |                                       |
| (407)255-3068                       |                                       |
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: oleg@Veritas.COM (Oleg Kiselev)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Homebrew Aquaria (Poverty: Mother of invention!)
Date: 9 Apr 92 06:50:33 GMT
Reply-To: oleg@veritas.com (Oleg Kiselev)
Organization: Palo Alto Killifish Loft
X-Disclaimer: I speak for myself only unless explicitly indicated otherwise

dks@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (douglas.k.steckel) writes:
>        In all my reading I have never seen quartz/halogen mentioned once,
>        there must be a reason. Tell me what I am missing.
>        It's DIMABLE. (300 watts)

Irrelevant.  Without doing some inventive engineering you will not be able 
to use the dimmer from an automatic  dimer.

>        It's dirt cheap. 300 watt lamp & fixture for $10-$20. $$$$$/Lumen!!!

It's not contained in a package that you can easily install without some 
additional engineering, the existing packaging is not water-resistant or 
splash proof or designed to work in high humidity.

>        It's HOT. (ok this is a drawback)

Think about it.  It's VERY HOT.  If you look through the published specs
you will discover that these devices are not all that much more efficient 
than incandescent lights.  It dissipates a lot of power but not all that 
much of it goes into usable light -- a lot goes into IR.

>        It's white. Maybe too white. The metal halides I've seen on plant
>        tanks have a yellowish hue.

It's not all THAT white.  The spectrum on these things is wrong.  Not enough
blues and too much orange-red.  Great for human eyes, not so good for plants.
Swords (Echinodorus) will like it, but not too many other plants.

Besides, for $20 you will get a 500 watt space heater that will produce 
about as much light as a 175 watt metal halide (no scientific measurements, 
just observation).  When you add up the energy costs over the life time of 
the bulb, the initial price of the bulb becomes much less of an issue.

>        Dupla $tuff in general is quite expensive by my standards so any
>        suggestions on CO2 fertilization, chemicals, substrate, etc...
>        would be welcome. I seem to recall someone posting something
>        about lamps, or maybe heat lamps under the tank for substrate
>        heating.

Not at all the same thing!  The cables create circulation of water through 
the gravel because there are regions of cooler and warmer substrate.  This
is not what you'll get with the under-the-tank heating.  Next, consider how
much power is dissipated by Dupla cables (not at all that much) and how much
you will be burning in the heat lamps (300-500watt*24hr*365days).

>        (Bio)-Filtration os often discussed on the net and is the simplest to
>        build at home. It's amazing what can be accomplished with a
>        few 5 gal pickle buckets!

It's amazing how ugly those 5 gal buckets will look, too.  
-- 
"... i heard the droning / in the shrine
	     of the sea-monkey / palace of the brine ..." -- Pixies.
Oleg Kiselev                                             oleg@veritas.com
VERITAS Software                           ...!{apple|uunet}!veritas!oleg
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria