HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Tuesday, 15 Dec 1992 23:47:13 EST
From: <APARKER@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: A few Cichlid ?'s
 <1gaapaINN37r@dayub.dayton.saic.com> <1992Dec11.170642.12933@bsu-ucs>

In article <1992Dec11.170642.12933@bsu-ucs>, 01mbmccabe@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu says:
>
>Is it possible for the water to get TOO hard for African's by putting
>limestone
>in the tank?

** No **
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:9516 alt.aquaria:6224
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Wednesday, 16 Dec 1992 00:20:17 EST
From: <APARKER@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Skimmer-only tanks (Was: Re: Are W/D trickle filters worth it?)
 <tom.724104252@dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu> <Bz7vru.9In@optimla.aimla.com>
 <1gksh6INNahi@hayaku.protocol.zycad.com>

In article <1gksh6INNahi@hayaku.protocol.zycad.com>, dominick@protocol.zycad.com
(Dom Paniscotti) says:
>
>Yes it works, I've seen it!
>The pet store I go to has a 100+ gallon reef tank set up with
>only a skimmer, and a "ton" of live rock. The tank is thriving.
>He using a large verturi skimmer and probably more than 2 lbs
>of live rock per gallon of water. I also know of several people in the
>fish club I belong to who have stopped using their trickle filters
>with good results. The theory is sound, get rid of as many nutrients
>as you can before they get a chance to convert to ammonia->nitrite->nitrate.
>Then whatever little nitrate you do have can be handled by the denitrification
>processes that go on inside live rock.  This method has been employed in
>Europe for years (supposedly).
>
** On this topic, can anyone specifically recommend a good brand/model
 of venturi skimmer for this sort of application??  I may set up such a
 tank, and it seems that primary reliance on protein skimming would
 demand a top-notch skimmer.
 BTW, all ten or so people who posted a RE: to this article reposted the
 whole *&^%^ thing.  Let's all work to save bandwidth!! :)

 Alex Parker (aparker@maine.maine.edu)
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:9618 alt.aquaria:6286
From: 01mbmccabe@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: (F)Wal-mart fish....
Date: 19 Dec 92 03:27:11 GMT
Organization: Ball State University, Muncie, In - Univ. Computing Svc's

Our local WalMart has a fine (although small) fish department, and they amploy
very knowledgable staff.  They also have a 3-day fish guarantee rather than the
usual 1-day.

				-Matt
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:9538 alt.aquaria:6236
From: ghart@ems.cdc.com (Geoffrey Hart)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: [F] How to get rid of snails?
Date: 16 Dec 92 21:36:56 GMT
Reply-To: ghart@ems.cdc.com
Followup-To: rec.aquaria
Organization: Empros Systems International, a division of CDC

In article <1992Dec16.145735.22670@cbfsb.cb.att.com>, jjd1@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (james.j.dutton) writes:
|> In article <1992Dec16.004939.3961@cs.ucla.edu> frazier@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier) writes:
|> >james.j.dutton (jjd1@cbnewsg.cb.att.com) wrote:

|> >If you have a fish that enjoys eating pond snails (such as
|> >clown loaches), then there will be so few pond snails
|> >as to be unnoticeable.  However, yes, they are ugly and
|> >fast-breeding.
|> >  
|>  
|> So few as to remain unnoticable? Hah.

I don't know about the Chlorox treatment (chlorine is chlorine, so I
suppose it can be treated by various de-chlor chemicals, and be used
effectively in a freshwater tank), but I do know clown loaches are *very*
effective!

I had a significant population of pond and ramshorn snails (hundreds, maybe
thousands), and I bought three clown loaches.  Within 2 months every single
snail smaller than pea size was dead (you should have seen the shells come
out of the gravel when I vacuumed :-).  Clown loaches work by eating the
insides of the snail, but they seem to like small ones best.

I ended up hand picking out the larger ramshorn snails by hand.

I even had two large mystery snails I wanted to keep (I thought they'd be
safe, at about a golf ball size), but they both got eaten over the
next two months (the clown loaches must have gotten hungry after a time :-).

Also, my burrowing snails managed to survive, which was good.  I like those
guys, and they usually only come out at night.  Even now (1 year later)
they are surviving, and a few are almost an inch long (the loaches must not
like their taste, or else they are too well armored).

I should mention the reason I wanted to get rid of my snails was that the
ramshorns were devouring all my plants.  I started with one, and within two
weeks I had 200 (a new clump of 50 eggs would appear every other day).  I
thought it was neat after the first set hatched, but it quickly got out of
control.  My ramshorns will eat every kind of plant I have, except egaria
densa (?sp?, the one that looks kind of like a pipe cleaner).  Now days, I
have a tank devoted to excess plant clippings, and some rooted egaria
densa, and that's where my original ramshorn is (along with a selected
batch of her babies :-), and a big goldfish that eats anything that moves,
and can fit in his mouth :-)

So, I would really recommend get a few clown loaches (I think three is the
minimum, because they really like to chum around with each other), if you
want to eliminate your snails.  They have kept my tanks clean for more than
a year (and I buy plants fairly often, so I know I'm getting new snails).

-- 
    geoff hart ghart@ems news@ems library@ems   x4273   s/ems/ems.cdc.com/
From: pauls@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Paul Stafford)
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 00:09:30 GMT
Subject: Homemade VHO??
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Rosa, CA
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria

 I've started setting up my first tank, a 40L FW, and would like the plants
 to do especially well. To facilitate that, I thought that the high output
 lights and ballast would be good. However, after surveying the costs of the
 VHO ballasts, I was aghast. I wonder if anyone has investigated building 
 their own VHO ballast system? I have access to just about any circuit 
 elements, and could build one, if I knew what the heck was in it.  Any help
 books, circuit sources etc would be much appreciated.
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: oleg@netcom.com (Oleg Kiselev)
Subject: Re: Beginner seeking lots of advice
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 10:12:04 GMT

In article <1gdo3eINNh73@menudo.uh.edu> TECHVSH@admin.uh.edu (Vickie S. Hyland) writes:
>The tap water tested ammonia (0.25mg/l), "critical for fish if permanent; 
>slight disturbance of nitrification"; nitrite (0,1mg/l), "good"; 
>nitrate (0); pH (8.5).  So, how do I correct the tap water before 
>adding it to the tank, the ammonia and nitrites that is.

You can get rid of ammonia by using ammonia neutralizers.  AmQuell and 
Ammo-Lock can do the job.  If your tap water has ammonia, it is likely to
also contain chlorine.  Chlorine can be removed by AmQuell or a variety of
dechlorinators.  Nitrite is more difficult to remove inexpensively and fast,
but if you are willing to do let your water sit in a holding container for a
day or two, a mature bio-filter will convert nitrite to nitrate.  For that
matter, it will also take care of the ammonia.  If you  use something like
an inexpensive submersible power filter and keep the water circxulating
through it for 2-3 days, you will get the nitrite and ammonia levels down to
0.  The pH level may also change as the water dissolves atmospheric CO2.

>Since I can't use tap water directly due
>to chlorine (ergo the Zip drops) could I still use a Python?

I would recommend against it.  If your water had ONLY ammonia and/or
chlorine, an in-line activated carbon filter would be adequate.  But I have
no idea if activated carbon will get out nitrites.  
-- 
Oleg Kiselev at home			...use the header to find the path
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:9391 sci.aquaria:1758 alt.aquaria:6133
From: raible@cbmvax.commodore.com (Bob Raible - LSI Design)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: [F] Kissing?
Date: 10 Dec 92 19:53:42 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Commodore

In article <carmody.723916564@feldspar32> carmody@rtsg.mot.com (Ronald P. Carmody) writes:
>Are my angel fish kissing?  I know the answer is no, but ...
>
>I have a mated pair of angel fish (alone) in a 30 gallon tank. They
>produce a batch of 400+ eggs EVERY eight days. Last night I noticed
>a strange behavior. The two fish would face each other, grab each
>other's mouth and pull. (I assume pull, but it could be push.)
>This is the second time I noticed this behavior. The first time, I
>did not have time to figure out what was going on.
>
>I had done a 20% water change two hours before they started "kissing".
>They are 4 days from thier next batch. Is this a mating behavior? Until
>know (and before), they only fight (or kill) other angel fish, if any
>are in the tank with them, and clean off thier mating location. Has
>anyone seen this behavior between two mated angel fish before? Are they
>having an argument or are they just horny?
>
>Thanks,
>	Ron

This is standard pre-mating behavior with angels and at least some other
cichlids. The way it was explained to me is that they are testing the 
suitability of the potential mate (sort of Darwinian, ain't it?). In some
species an unsuitable might actually be pursued and killed, though I've never
observed that with angels.
-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Robert J. Raible		EMAIL:raible@cbmvax.commodore.com
VLSI Program Manager		 or: {uunet|rutgers|pyramid}!cbmvax!raible
Commodore Business Machines     "my comments, not Commodore's, ok ?"
From: jimh@ultra.com (Jim Hurley)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: I missed the pH meter info.
Date: 19 Dec 92 22:42:24 GMT
Organization: Ultra Network Technologies

In <1gtlkpINNhp3@hp-col.col.hp.com> howardr@col.hp.com (Howard Rebel) writes:

-->The news on our site now expired at two days of age.  I missed
-->the info on pH pens/meters.  Would someone email me a sumary?

-->-- 
-->Howard Rebel hpcsos.col.hp.com 

I never saw this either, Howard would you mind re-posting?
-- 
Jim Hurley --> jimh@ultra.com  ...!ames!ultra!jimh  (408) 922-0100
Ultra Network Technologies / 101 Daggett Drive / San Jose CA 95134
From: drchambe@tekig5.pen.tek.com (Dennis Chamberlin)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: [F] A couple of things......
Date: 15 Dec 92 18:58:51 GMT
Reply-To: drchambe@tekig5.pen.tek.com (Dennis Chamberlin)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.

In article <Bz9oJM.110@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> greence@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Carrie E. Green) writes:
>
>As an aside, I heard that Monos can be converted gradually from freshwater to  
>salt without a problem. Is this true? Are there any other fish which can do  
>this? 
>
I have a marble molly that I moved from my FW office tank to my 10G SW 
hospital at home to help keep the filter alive. This was over a year ago.
The molly has been moved several times since, but has remained in SW and
seems absolutely convinced he (she?) is a marine fish. Eats 
anything/everything, resists disease well, and even withstands a certain
amount of aggression from marine fish.

If I set up another SW tank, I think I will consider using mollies for 
maintenance and cycling. They're cheap, undemanding, and don't develop
the aggression problems that damsels do. (I have lost a few fish to 
bullying damsels.

By the way, I recall that on the initial move, I gave the fish something 
like an hour of the acclimatization routine.  Over this period, he was
transitioned from 80 deg. FW, pH 7.0 to 75 deg SW, salinity 1.023, 
pH 8.3. Didn't even flinch. 



From: booth@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (George Booth)
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 19:04:02 GMT
Subject: Re: $40 pH meters, Do they work.
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria

In rec.aquaria, brian@picasso.icd.teradyne.com (Brian Hunter) writes:

    I am interested in buying a pH meter and see a number for sale at 
    around $40-$50 dollars.  I am wondering if any of you own one of these
    and if so which one and how do you like it.


We had some a few years ago and they are unsatisfactory unless you only
care about gross ranges.  A Tetra pH kit will give you better readings. 

Other pen type meters like TDS are much more worthwhile.

--------
George
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Friday, 18 Dec 1992 12:45:31 EST
From: <APARKER@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Kuhli loaches
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Dec17.220539.21757@en.ecn.purdue.edu>, wmack@en.ecn.purdue.edu
(William J Mack) says:
>
>A few years ago I bought a kuhli loach and it lasted only for a week.
>Never bought one again, but I am considering buying one and I'm wondering
>My tank water has a pH of 8.2 and obviously the water is hard.

**As far as I know, Khuli Loaches require soft, acid water (pH < 7)
aparker@maine.maine.edu
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: bbs.mirage@tsoft.sf-bay.org (Jerry Lee)
Subject: Interesting Molly Behavior
Organization: The TSoft BBS and Public Access Unix, +1 415 969 8238
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 04:37:08 GMT

Do molly fry mimic their parents or mother?  The female molly, now long 
gone, had this habbit of sucking up the hot water as a result of the 
heater.  Whenever the heater came on, the molly was there in a flash.  
After the fry were born, I put them in a breeding seperator and now that 
they are about 2 months old, they show the same trait.  As soon as the 
heater light goes on, the mollies are sure to be there sucking up the 
heat!  Do molly's like warmer waters?  My tank is at about 80-83oF now 
and it seems as if the molly's like it hotter!  Is this normal?


--
Jerry Lee (bbs.mirage@tsoft.sf-bay.org)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria
From: sdebol@htlv.med.umn.edu (Steven Debol (Nelson))
Subject: Re: ballasts (was Re: newsgroups)
Organization: University of Minnesota
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 17:45:20 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.200334.27927@bagend.uucp> jan@bagend.uucp (Jan Isley) writes:
>booth@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (George Booth) writes:
>>pprior@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Paul A Prior) writes:
>>
>>    I've used the cheap (<$10) electronic ballast lights for years without
>>    problems.
>>
>>Again, I don't have any experience with the higher cost and presumably
>>higher quality electronic ballasts, just with this one brand.  It might
>>just be a shitty fixture and I had the bad luck to run into it. 
>

Just my two cents:  A friend of mine built me a really nice oak
"box".  I went out and bought a shop light ($9.99), screwed it into
the box and added an on/off switch.  The fixture is contains a
triton bulb and a Coralife 50/50 bulb.  I haven't done any kind
of output measurements, etc. but they seem to be running fine.

The Triton has been in there about a year and the Coralife about
7-8 months.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Debol                       "The fear is all in your head,
Dept. of Microbiology              soldier, but don't get the idea
University of Minnesota            it's psychological." 
sdebol@lenti.med.umn.edu                        --Frank Burns
------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: tse@ra.nrl.navy.mil (Anthony Tse)
Subject: Re: [M] Ozone in da Skimmer...
Organization: Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 01:30:38 GMT

In article <BzF2B5.23p7@austin.ibm.com> steve@coho.austin.ibm.com (sTeVeN CaLlAhAn) writes:
>Are these things worth it?  I don't have a problem with parasites, but
>if the ozone will help reduce the proteins then maybe I want it.  Is
>there any problem with them in a reef tank?  Do they make a 
>{significant, so so, minor} difference?

	Well, I started to shot my mouth off about a year ago about this
ozone in a skimmer BS and hardly anyone want to listen.  Now I think more
and more people are against ozone.  My theory, ozone oxidize protein, so
if you inject ozone into your protein skimmer, the water
in your skimmer will have the lowest concentration of protein in your
entire system.  Unless you tank is in really really bad shape, your
skimmer won't be skimming anything with ozone.  I have a ozone
generator, I used to use it on my Oceanic #4, my Oceanic #4 used to
produce 1/4" of gunk every week before the ozone injection, the day
I started ozone injection, no foam, none what so ever.  I called Oceanic
and they said, that's typical, happen all the time.  So, to keep the
rest of the aquarium industry happy, in particula, those who sell ozoniers,
they recommand I use a lower dosage.  The skimmer didn't start skimming
again until I turn the ozone generator down to 5mg/hr, that a small small
fraction of the recommanded dosage for a 75g tank.  I still have the
ozonizer, and you guessed it, it's in a dark corner of my attic.

-Anthony

Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: bbs.mirage@tsoft.net (Jerry Lee)
Subject: Re: [F] How to get rid of snails?
Organization: The TSoft BBS and Public Access Unix, +1 415 969 8238
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 06:25:18 GMT

bhaskar@brtph181.bnr.ca (Shaji Bhaskar) writes:

> In article <1gla3kINNaco@hp-col.col.hp.com> howardr@col.hp.com (Howard Rebel)
> 
> >Place a lettus leaf (or other green vegie) in the tank. If it is
> >a vegie the snails like they will cluster on the leaf.  As needed remove
> >the snails with the leaf.
> >

I found that putting a piece of Celery in a glass jar on it's side is the 
best vegie to use!  The snails, no matter what variety, like the smell I 
guess or the taste; take your pick! :)  I can put a piece in my tank and 
by the next morning, almost every snail in the tank is in there!

Computer and Video Imaging (Animation included) major at
Cogswell Polytechnical College.
EMAIL: jele@eis.calstate.edu
Internet: bbs.mirage@tsoft.sf-bay.org
UUCP    : ...apple!tsoft!bbs.mirage
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: pprior@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Paul A Prior)
Subject: Re: (m)hair algae removal
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: rec
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 19:06:06 GMT

In article <1992Dec17.4149.11404@dosgate> "larry wheatley" <larry.wheatley@canrem.com> writes:
>Hi All, 
>        I have had hair algae im my reef for a while now.
>At first some burgandy sea grass or mat then some small green 
>tear drop shaped leaves, then some nice bright green hair algae.

How long is "awhile?"  How long has the tank been set up?
What is the bioload?



>
>I hate this stuff.  I cleaned all the glass and a few rocks!
>Turned off the MH's and only give 4 hours of full spec and 10
>03 actinic's.  Clean the filters.  Vacum the tank and hope for
>it to go away?   I am sure this won't be enough!
>
>Can anybody please leave some more suggestions!

Well, a lot depends on how heavy you feed your tank.  Nutrients
are the bottom line.  Also keep in mind that tanks usually go
through a hair algae phase when they are new and if you keep 
pulling it out it will eventually go away (if you follow other
good tankkeeping practices).


>
>I was thinking I should get some macro algae to grow and that
>would choke out the light for the hair algae?
>My yellow tang can only eat so much.

Macrocalgae won't choke out the light, but it will compete 
for nutrients.

>
>I was thinking maybe I should have bought a RO unit instead
>of a ozone generator.  I must have too many nutrients and/or
>phosphates?   What will remove phosphates from my water?
>HELP!

IMHO a good RO system (TFC) is MUCH more important to a reef
tank than ozone.  I bought an ozonizer and only rarely turn it
on (I didn't spend the big bucks for a redox controller) - like
when I had something die.  IMHO, the two most important things
for a reef tank (well, three I guess, but you already have
good lighting): clean water (RO/DI) and a good protein skimmer.


-- 
--------pprior@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu----(614) 621-8240----------------
Paul A. Prior    Ban anchors, not reef tanks    Nuke Gay Whales for Jesus  
3rd year medical student		        
The Ohio State U. College of Medicine   Tobacco Kills- Please don't smoke!
From: Steve.Kilbey%bbs@jptcs.com (Steve Kilbey)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: cichlid problem
Date: 12 Dec 92 02:11:29 GMT
Reply-To: Steve.Kilbey%bbs@jptcs.com (Steve Kilbey)
X-Posting-Software: UniBoard 1.10a S/N 202921

My uncle has a problem. Since it is not my tank, I can't provide you with
all the info. He has a cichlid tank (not african). 55 gallon tank. He has an
ammonia prblem. 5 ppm. Fixed it, but now on of his fish has it's mouth open
constantly, and it always looks like he is trying to eat "ghost" food. A
couple of the other fish swim right into the glass. pH is about 7.5, and
ammonia is gone. I think the fish is a cobalt blue. Any help will be
appreciated.
From: howardr@col.hp.com (Howard Rebel)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re ($40 pH meters, Do they work.)
Date: 14 Dec 1992 16:35:09 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division
NNTP-Posting-Host: hplsdum.col.hp.com

Sorry to bring up a subject so soon after it was posted but
I missed out on this thread.  Two questions.

	1. Which one works best.

	2. How long do they last.

-- 
Howard Rebel hpcsos.col.hp.com 

From: booth@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (George Booth)
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 19:10:59 GMT
Subject: Re: ballasts (was Re: newsgroups)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria

In rec.aquaria, jan@bagend.uucp (Jan Isley) writes:

    Brand names, guys, I want brand names!   Good and bad ones, please.
    Where have you found a $10 electronic ballast?  Cheapest ones around
    here seem to be $20 and up.

The cheap fixtures I had were made by/distributed by "Lights of America"
and sold through Ace Hardware.  The fixture with 2 bulbs was $15.99.

Definitely a "bad one". 

-------
George
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:9550 alt.aquaria:6244
From: dominick@protocol.zycad.com (Dom Paniscotti)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Skimmer-only tanks (Was: Re: Are W/D trickle filters worth it?)
Date: 17 Dec 1992 10:26:28 -0500
Organization: Protocol, a Division of ZYCAD Corporation
Distribution: world
Reply-To: dominick@protocol.zycad.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: hayaku.protocol.zycad.com


In article <BzDLCF.4s1@optimla.aimla.com>, walter@optimla.aimla.com (Walter Hunt) writes:
|> |> BTW, I wouldn't use Chemi-Pure in your reef tank since in leaches phosphates
|> |> into your water (that's what I've heard anyway). 
|> 
|> 	Is this really true? I've noticed more algae cropping back up lately and
|> hadn't really figured out what had changed to encourage it.

It is actually true of many carbons.  As I understand it some carbon
manufacturers use phosphates in the manufacturing process somewhere.
The best carbons to use are those specifically for reef tanks.  Most
companies will tell you right on the label that they contain no phosphates.
So if it doesn't say on the box that it dosen't leach phosphates, then it
probally does.  I think Dupla produces a real high grade carbon that has
no phosphates.
I don't evan use carbon anymore in my fish only tank, I just thow a couple
of poly filters in my sump (works great!).


			-Dom
-- 
-- 
Dom Paniscotti                  internet: dominick@protocol.zycad.com
Protocol, a Division of ZYCAD   phone:    (201) 347-7900            
500 International Drive         fax:      (201) 347-0303        
Mt. Olive, NJ 07828
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria