HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hoff@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Wildfire)
Subject: My Brother's Christmas (Hardy Fish update)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 17:04:03 GMT

For those of you who remember, I was asking about hardy fish I could
get my brother, after getting him equipment to clean his tank.
What ended up happening was I got him the following equipment:
	siphon
	bucket
	dechlorinator
	ph buffer (sets it at 7.0 and keeps it there)
	bubble wall
	air tubing splitter
	air tubing
	algae scrubber

We celebrated Christmas a bit early, right before I was to leave to
visit my boyfriend's family, so I gave him his present a little early,
sat down with him, told him how to use everything, took all the decor
out of his tank, put the fish in a temporary bowl, and cleaned the tank.
And cleaned the tank, and cleaned the tank.  We did approximately 10
water changes (each one between 30% and 50%) and even got under the 
under the gravel filter (not the best choice for goldfish, I know).
We also cleaned all the ornaments, scrubbed the sides of the tank, and 
unclogged the filter uptake (which is probably why it was so dirty in the
first place).  After that, we let it settle a bit (there was still some
stuff left) and I told him to siphon it every day for a week, then switch
to once a month.  We let the tank clear, and he saw how pretty it was
when it was clear!  We put in the bubble wall, replaced all the old air
tubing, took out the heater completely, and put the fish back in after
dechlorinating the whole thing.  It worked beautifully.  I'm not sure if
the cleaning regimine was the best, but it seems to have worked.  He
really liked the way it looked, and so I think he'll keep it clean.  I
reminded him to do a water change every month, and kept it easy by saying
one bucket full.  The next day, his best friend presented him with his
present, what he called a mud puppy.  I'm glad we got the tank clean!
Turns out that is cold water too (looked it up, it was actually an axoxotl
or something like that) so the tank seems to be doing just fine.  Now I 
just have to work on my sister, who's starting to take an interest....

I just thought that I would post my experiences in dealing with the problem,
in case anyone else runs into it.  Basically, he was running on ignorance,
lack of equipment, but plenty of enthusiasm.  Once he had the knowledge 
and equipment, he was fine.  Thanks to everyone for their suggestions
(even the one on getting him a video of fish!) and I have to admit, we
had a lot of fun restoring his tank.

-Lisa
(who came back to her own tank full of algae.....*sigh*)


Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: palmer@Trade_Zone.msfc.nasa.gov (Paul (Cliffy) Palmer)
Subject: Re: Marineland Penguin Powerheads
Reply-To: palmer@Trade_Zone.msfc.nasa.gov
Organization: New Technology, Inc.
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 15:19:38 GMT

In article 13492@bsu-ucs, 01mbmccabe@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu writes:
> I have a few questions about the Marineland Penguin powerheads,
> for anybody that may have used them:
> 
> 
> 1. Are the fully submersible?
	YES.
> 2. Are they salt-water safe?
	YES.          
> 3. Are they quiet?
	YES.
> 4. For people who have used them, are you happy with them? (ie: would you
>    buy one again).
	YES.
> 5. Is the flow rate adjustable on any of the models?
	Not on the 1140 or the 660 I have.

I have been using the 660 for a while now in my marine tank with no
problems.  I was enough satisfied that I recently purchased an 1140 for
the same tank.  Both pumps are being used to create turbulence in the
tank (one of the least stressful ways to use a powerhead, so I cannot
vouch for their durability under heavy stress uses).

---
Paul (Cliffy) Palmer
New Technology, Inc.
700 Boulevard South, Suite 401
Huntsville, Alabama 35802
 
Internet:	palmer@Trade_Zone.msfc.nasa.gov.
Telephone:	(205) 461-4569


Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria
From: frazier@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier)
Subject: Re: Origin of fish diseases
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 93 00:29:19 GMT

Larisa Stephan (larisa@tcville.edsg.hac.com) wrote:
: Does anyone have a good idea of where fish diseases originate?
: Do wild populations suffer from these ailments as do our captive
: animals?  Are the spores in our domestic water supply?  Did they
: migrate from their natural hosts to captive fish, whereas in
: nature they would always attack something else?  Etc., etc.?

The lower levels of the atmosphere are full of fungi spores,
mold spores, algae spores, bacteria, the eggs of microfauna
(daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp) and "life" in general.  If
you have a tank of water with nutrients in it exposed to the
air, eventually organisms will find their way into it.  That
being said, no, most wild populations do not suffer from the
same diseases that our captive fish do, and certainly not with
the same frequency.  First of all, a weak fish in the wild
would probably succumb to starvation or predation before actually
dying of a disease (my guess).  Second, a closed environment is
(generally speaking) much more polluted than an open environment.
When you create a situation in which this is not true (dump lots
of sewage into the Santa Monica Bay), then yes, the fish get sick
and die.  Surfers get rashes, too.

: This has been bothering me, especially when I collect ocean water
: and wonder what I could be pouring in on top of my (one) fish.  I
: still put it in raw, however, to help preserve larval animals which
: I want to encourage to grow in my tank.

If you stay way from sewage outlets, you should be fine.  I don't
know much about what sort of parasites you might introduce, but
as far as bacterial or viral diseases go, I'd guess the risk to
be minimal.
 
--
"They thought to use and shame me but I win out by nature, because a true
freak cannot be made.  A true freak must be born." - K. Dunn, _Geek Love_

Greg Frazier	frazier@CS.UCLA.EDU	!{ucbvax,rutgers}!ucla-cs!frazier
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: sjlt@leland.Stanford.EDU (Sean Lev-Tov)
Subject: Re: water change
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 93 20:59:24 GMT

In article <178@jptcs.COM> Steve.Kilbey%bbs@jptcs.com (Steve Kilbey) writes:
>I just wanted to share my experiences. I am not arguing with people's
>philosophies about water changing, but I simply do not do it. I have had my
>55 gallon tank with non-african cichlids in it. I haven't changes the water
>in over 3 years. Casualties: ZERO! I have had my 10 gallon community tank
>for about 10 months. No water change. Casualties: ZERO!. My african cichlid
>tank is over 2 months old. No water changes, no casualties. ZERO oom ammonia
>in all tanks. 7.5 pH in African tank, 7.0 in community, upper 6's in 55
>gallon tank. I add about a gallon a month to each tank from evaporation. 

Amazing!  What's your nitrate level?  How many fish are we talking
about per tank here?

Sean
From: colt@vaxeline.ftp.com (Colt Forsythe)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: [M] metal halide $$$
Date: 7 Jan 93 16:51:10 GMT
Organization: FTP Software, Inc., Wakefield, MA

Recently, I was pricing metal halide systems. The bulbs were
expensive ($65) but within my budget. However, the hood systems
were very expensive ($265 for one pendent setup). Why are they
so expensive and are there any alternatives?

Colt
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
From: dbs@hprnd.rose.hp.com (Dave Sheehy)
Subject: Re: [M][R] Mail order live/base rock experiences
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 01:49:43 GMT
Organization: HP - Systems Technology Division
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.8 PL6]

Tom McCain (tom@dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu) wrote:
: 
: Can anyone tell me of any source that you've had good luck mail
: ordering reef rock from?  I'm interested in base and live coralline
: encrusted rock.  I've seen a few (Reef Displays) advertise in FAMA but
: I sort of hate to order sight unseen.  I'd also be interested in
: wholesale pricing with large orders.  Suggestions?  Thanks a lot!

I've had good luck with Exotic Aquaria's rock. The rock was about 50% covered
with coralline algae. The rock I got also had substantial populations of
non-Caulerpa macro-algaes. I also got a couple of urchins and brittle stars
too (along with bristle worms and a mantis shrimp or two that I flushed). The
urchins turned out to be a bummer because they eat the coralline algae off the
live rock. The brittle stars grew from 3" in diameter to 6-8" in diameter and
have spawned in the reef. I've seen 2 little baby brittle stars about 1/2" in
diameter. All in all I'm very happy with it.

I was able to get a discount (I don't remember how much but it wasn't a whole
lot, maybe 10%) because 3 of us went together and bought 200 lbs of rock.
Apparently there's a break in the Air Freight fee structure at that point 
(at least that's the story from Exotic Aquaria).

: --tom

Dave Sheehy
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: "humid" environment materials?
Date: 5 Jan 93 21:09:05 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

wm.keith.brummett writes:
>
>    Someone else mentioned this, but I want to re-emphasize: there is a
>    special type of drywall made for high-humidity areas.  I believe the
>    other poster called it "blueboard", although the stuff I've seen is
>    hospital green.  When our house was being built, this green drywall was
>    used in all the bathrooms, whereas the regular, gray-white board was
>    put up everywhere else in the house.  Your local hardware store folks
>    should know all about this stuff.

I can't remember now which is which with greenboard and blueboard, but one
of them is meant for high humidity areas as you mention (and I believe you
are correct that this is the greenboard), whereas the other (blueboard) is
used when you are putting a skim coat of plaster over it.  I remember a
This Old House episode where that's what they did in the kitchen, and they
mentioned that a special type of drywall was needed for the plaster to
properly adhere.

Is there a general rule on where Wonderboard is needed and where greenboard
will do?  I know Wonderboard is supposed to be completely "waterproof" (it
will not decompose when wet - greenboard still can if the water gets in
at the edges; only the paper covering is water resistant). Is there a reason
to not, say, do your entire bathroom in Wonderboard, other than the added
cost and inconvenience of working with it (harder to cut, need special
tape and spackle, etc.)?

Dave
>
>    -- Keith
>
>-- 
>    | (614) 860-3187         Copyright (C) 1993, by       AT&T, Room 3B202 |
>    | att!cblph!wkb  or,     W.K. Brummett and AT&T      6200 E. Broad St. |
>    | wkb@cblph.att.com       All rights reserved.      Columbus, OH 43213 |
>    `----------------------------------------------------------------------'


-- 
Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc.
**************************************************************************
"I look back with some satisfaction on what an idiot I was when I was 25,
 but when I do that, I'm assuming I'm no longer an idiot." - Andy Rooney
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: patbob@sequent.com (Patrick White)
Subject: Re: Green Water (was Re: Forget hatching brine shrimp).
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 01:23:00 GMT

In article <1iag5rINNilr@gvgspd.gvg.tek.com> pjs@gvgdsd.GVG.TEK.COM (Peter J. Stonard) writes:
>Anyone know the secret to truely green 'soup'??

	Quickest way I saw to make it:

	Put in a fish that eats algae.  Add nutrients (fish will probably do
that for you).. adding some phosphate might be good too.  Add light (at least
a cool white, better light for a better bloom).
	Fish eats all algae sitting still, which favors the single-cell type as
the only type that can bloom (and not be eaten).

	I found this out by accident.. added a P* to suck up all the algae
coating the tank walls and had a really thick green soup in a couple weeks.

-- 
Pat White (patbob@sequent.com, work: (503) 578-3463)
From: janet.rawlins@the-matrix.com (Janet Rawlins)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: ALAN STRANG/MAKECASH
Date: 3 Jan 93 18:55:00 GMT
Reply-To: janet.rawlins@the-matrix.com (Janet Rawlins)
Organization: The MATRIX BBS - Birmingham, AL - 205-323-2016


      As one of the sysops of The MATRIX BBS, I wanted to assure
everyone on the Aquarium newsgroup that Alan Strang has been permanently
deleted from our bbs. He slipped those pyramid messages in just before
our evening mailrun, so we wouldn't have much chance of catching and
deleting them before they echoed all over the Internet.
     Again, my apologies, and I hope the actions of one asshole won't
permanently tarnish the image of our bbs as a participant in the
Internet.

Janet Rawlins
sysop #2, The MATRIX BBS
From: AS.CCB@forsythe.stanford.edu (Christopher Bekins)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: question regarding salt H2O
Date: 6 Jan 1993 15:48:19 -0800
Organization: Stanford University
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: morrow.stanford.edu

Tony Rosa writes:
>Since I live here on the west coast (San Diego) I get natural
>filtered sea water.

That free sand-filtered water spigot at Scripps is nice, isn't it?
You just drive your vehicle up, put the hose into your transport tank
and turn on the tap!  I sure wish there were a place like that in
the Bay Area - I still drive over to the coast and then "age" the
natural sea water (3 weeks in sealed containers in the dark).

>The problem is not getting the h2o but keeping the
>extra.  I have some frozen in gallon bottles in my freezer.
>Can this water be stored safely?

Yes, Tony.  No need to freeze it; just get a 30 gallon plastic trash
can with a lid and put it in the garage (or where ever) with a small
pump and an airstone. It will keep indefinitely.

Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: oleg@netcom.com (Oleg Kiselev)
Subject: Re: Forget hatching brine shrimp, new question.
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 08:06:58 GMT

In article <C093s7.KG4@CAM.ORG> gelinas@CAM.ORG (Daniel Gelinas) writes:
>best live food, considering fish nutrition, availability, ease in culturing,

The best is a combination of daphnia, mosquito larvae (when available) and 
grindal or white worms (depending on the fish size).

The easiest are the baby brine shrimp.

>only problem I see is that the water it is suggested you culture [Daphnia]
>in must stink to all bloody hell!  

Nah.  It's not that bad.  If you feed your daphnia with green water and
small ammounts of brewers yeast (the dead kind you buy in healthfood shops)
or very small amounts of live yeast, then the water will have hardly any
odour at all.

You know how now and then people post here, complaining about green water?
Do whatever they do to get the green water and feed that to your daphnia.
Unfortunately, I am utterly unable to force a green water bloom in any of 
my tanks...

-- 
Oleg Kiselev at home			...use the header to find the path
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: patbob@sequent.com (Patrick White)
Subject: Re: Tiny-FAQ for alt.binaries.pictures
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 01:17:41 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.080349.12384@zooid.guild.org> Lynda Fincham <gaea@zooid.guild.org> writes:
>pprior@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Paul A Prior) writes:
>To post, you'll have to first break up your file into pieces smaller than 64K
>(there are programs to do this, but I'm not sure what they're called. Remember
>that 64K piece of a picture will be bigger when it's uuencoded (again, I'm not

	If you are on unix, you usually uuencode the file first, this make it
an editable ascii file.  Then, use a program called split to split it into
X line chunks (X is typically 1000, making the pieces 60000 characters at
most).  Post the pieces giving desigination to what order they go back
together in.
	When you catch one, you catch all the pieces, use an editor to strip
off all the header and any trailer garbage (including any blank lines).  Then
put the file pieces back together (in the proper order) and uudecode them.
	You can also use an editor to split and recombine the files as
uuencode produces a simple printable-ascii file... just be sure your editor
can produce a simple printable-ascii file without inserting blank lines or
other control directives.

	I can supply PD source for uuencode and uudecode to anyone who wants
it.. it requires that one have a C compiler and be at least familiar with how
to use make.  I think it is archived using shar, which will require the unix
shell (/bin/sh), unshar program, or equivalent.  It it also simple ascii, so
it is possible (although a bit painful) to use an editor to extract the source
files.  I think my source also has man pages with it, but they probably assume
one has nroff to make them (more) readable.

	FYI, uuencoding a file makes it 1.33 times it's origional size.


-- 
Pat White (patbob@sequent.com, work: (503) 578-3463)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: aa338@yfn.ysu.edu (Kyra Allen)
Subject: Orange Platthys Mating
Organization: Youngstown State University/Youngstown Free-Net
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 17:52:34 GMT


 My orange platthys (I may not have spelled that right...) have
mated again (27 babies this time, minus that which mama ate 
before we could rescue them...) but that isn't the question. Can
a female platthy mate with a fish of another species? We had a
striped fish we 'liberated' from a local pond, and the baby we
have (only one that survived the first mating)...is now showing
STRIPES the platthys don't have, and is a lighter coloration!
Is this a hybrid fish, or are platthys just striped normally
when they are young (the fish is 5 mos. old now).
 Also...about how often are they gonna mate? (should I buy another
aquarium???)

-- 
                                        ...]<yra
                                  SysOpTress of YFN's D&D SIG
 Don't just slay a dragon...
 REALLY insult him, then slay him...it's the 90's thing!
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: kcrady@polaris.cv.nrao.edu (Kirk Crady)
Subject: Black worms
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Distribution: alt.aquaria
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 16:20:36 GMT

Please help me if you can.  What are the black worms that are used for 
fish food, do you know the Latin, how do you grow them, or where is the
process described, etc.?

     Thanks,    
                 Vince Summers

Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: russell@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (David Russell)
Subject: Re: Tiny-FAQ for alt.binaries.pictures
Organization: Clarkson University
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 03:33:21 GMT

From Paul A Prior:
> In article Lynda Fincham writes:
>>
>>To save a picture from a *.binaries group using TRN (or RN), just use "s" or
>>"w", TRN will automatically append new files on the end. Once you've got all
>>the pieces in one file, remove all the headers and gunk at the top (including
>>description) so it's one big binary file. Then type "uudecode filename" where
> 
> How does one edit a binary file?
> 
    I don't kwon the 'internals', but uuencode converts a binary file
into a "coded" ascii file. It is this ascii file you take all the
headers out of. (uudecode converts the "coded" ascii file back to
a binary file.)

--
  David M. Russell              \    /--------\   ><>    ><>         ><>
  Clarkson University, MAE Dept,  \-/(((((((((o\        ><>    ><>      
  Potsdam, NY 13699               /-\(((((((((--<   ><>         ><>    ><>
  russell@sun.soe.clarkson.edu  /    \ --------/   ><>    ><>      ><>
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: frazier@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier)
Subject: Re: Alligator Gars...
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 21:09:31 GMT

Class Dinosauria (jessop@ljohub.enet.dec.com) wrote:
: 
: 
: 	I picked up a 7" long alligator gar the other day for my 125 gallon
: 	tank...
:
: 	Does/has anyone kept Alligator Gar's before?  Anyone have any tips
: 	or useful information for me.

I only know a little about them, and have never kept one...

In the wild, they grow up to 6' long.  They are piscavores, and
like to have plants to hide in.  I believe they will jump if
startled, so some floating plants are recommended.  They do,
however, also require some swimming room - they are not real
active, but as you already know are quite long.

Oh, they are residents of Florida, so can handle temperature
drops to one degree or another.

--
"They thought to use and shame me but I win out by nature, because a true
freak cannot be made.  A true freak must be born." - K. Dunn, _Geek Love_

Greg Frazier	frazier@CS.UCLA.EDU	!{ucbvax,rutgers}!ucla-cs!frazier
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: bhaskar@brtph181.bnr.ca (Shaji Bhaskar)
Subject: Different laterite brands (Was: Keeping plants alive.... how?!?)
Organization: BNR Inc. RTP, NC
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 15:34:36 GMT

In article <2530207@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM> booth@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (George Booth) writes:

>Beware, or at least be careful, of cheap laterite.  Folks have reported 
>that it will cloud the water for hours/days/ever depending on the filter
>used.  

Yes, I remember the discussion.

Although I have never used Dupla laterite, I have a feeling that the
filtration in the tank is more important than the brand of the
laterite.  I think I'll get Dupla laterite for my new tank, now that I
can afford it.  I will also do a comparative study - stir up equal
amounts of Dupla and AP laterite in equal volumes of water and monitor
the color for a few days.

>We have used Dupla laterite balls ("Duplarit K") with great success in 
>tanks with UGFs.  They do not dissolve, disperse or disintegrate, at 
>least in our experience.  We have also used laterite powder ("Duplarit 
>G") in the lower third of the substrate in out non-UGF tanks.  When we 
>uproot plants, the laterite "cloud" settles within minutes. 

I have used AP laterite plugs for well over a year in my 55G tank
without having it cloud the water.  I ground up some plugs (20 of
them, each about a cubic inch in volume) into the bottom third of the
gravel, and occasionally stick some plugs into the gravel.  Even when
I expose the laterite plugs while uprooting plants, I can simply
vacuum them up.  Whatever is left in suspension clears up in minutes.
By the way, the filtration in this tank is provided by a Magnum 220
(no micron cartridge) and a small Fluval internal canister.

Shaji.
-- 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shaji Bhaskar     BNR, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709     (bhaskar@bnr.ca)
From: jessop@ljohub.enet.dec.com (Class Dinosauria)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Jackdempsy
Keywords: sex
Date: 5 Jan 93 17:30:05 GMT
Reply-To: jessop@ljohub.enet.dec.com (Class Dinosauria)
Distribution: na
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


Wow!  That's a good sized Jack...

Usually the males are more deeply colored and the dorsal and anal fins are more
pointed and extended.  Other than that, I'm not sure you can tell until they
start breeding and their tubes protrude...  Females have a blunter tube...

I'm not sure how long Dempseys live.  I would imagine they can last at least
8 years...  probably more.  But don't quote me on that.

Mike
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria