HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ffujita@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Frank Fujita)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Goldfish water quality was (Re: Ammonia removal re-charge)
Date: 15 Sep 92 19:44:04 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

howardr@col.hp.com (Howard Rebel) writes:
>First toss out that UGF or convert it to a reverse flow UGF with a very
>good filter on the input to the UGF.

How good is good enough.  Right now I have a corner box filter filled
with floss primarily as a mechanical filter.  I was thinking about
switching to a modified Hagen quick filter for aestetic reasons.  I
can't afford a canister filter just yet.  Somebody said that floss will
pass waste solids.  Is there a better medium to put in a (powered) box
filter as a prefilter to a RFUGF?  
	Also, how strong of a current do you need (want) to keep waste
suspended on top.  Currently, I have an AQ802 powerhead for a 29 gallon
tank (same base as a 20l and a 37).  This seems to keep the stuff on
top, and then once a day I turn a bubble wand on for about an hour, and
this suspends all of the stuff in the water, which seems to end up in
the box filter after about one hour.  Should I double flow to my RFUGF
or is one 802 enough?
	You can hit n now if you don't want to hear how I have modified
a Hagen Quick filter for use as a prefilter for my powerhead (for a
RFUGF).  What I did was look at the quick filter, and basically all the
hard stuff is is a shell, which is good for keeping fish out of the
powerhead, but not much else.  Then the medium is a felt type material,
covered with a more pourous dacron type material.  I thought that this
needed some sort of internal stregnth to keep the filter from pulling
all of the water from the top of the filter (near the powerhead intake).
So, I took an airlift tube, cut it to fit the legnth of the quick
filter and burned holes in it (lots of them) sanded it down (got the
waste plastic off) and capped one end.  Now, I was planning on wrapping
the tube with floss and then encasing the floss with the quick filter
shell, it seems to look nice (much better than the clear box filter)
especially with the natural black gravel in my tank.  But I'm worried
about the posting that said that solid wastes pass through floss.  Is
there something I should do to make a better prefilter for the
powerhead?  Maybe wrap the modified airlift tube with coffee filter
paper?  I was hoping to get out of using brand name disposable media, as
it is quite expensive.

Frank
P.S. Sorry for the legnth of the post.
From: oleg@Veritas.COM (Oleg Kiselev)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: RO water
Date: 10 Sep 92 03:14:32 GMT
Reply-To: oleg@veritas.com (Oleg Kiselev)
Organization: Palo Alto Killifish Loft
X-Disclaimer: I speak for myself only unless explicitly indicated otherwise

hort@ui2.ems.cdc.com (Mark Hortman) writes:
[RO water in a bucket]

One way to condition distilled or RO water is to keep a bag of peat in the
container.  This is a method I have seen used by several killi breeders.
They circulate the water by slowly bubbling air through it.

I circulate the water using a powerhead, so I can't use peat (not enough air
pressure and volume reserve in the system to punch through 3' of water and
I don't want to add the noise of yet another airpump to what I have now).
Every couple of weeks I stir up the slime bacteria that accumulate in the 
container (wipe it off the walls with my hand and it gets suspended in the
water) and clear it out of the water using a Fluval-1 internal filter
stuffed with fine acrylic floss (the fluff for stuffing toys and such that
sells in 2-3 cubic feet bags for $3 in any fabric store).  Works quite well.

-- 
"Eight years is too long for anyone to go without skills or purpose." 
							-- George H. W. Bush

Oleg Kiselev                                             oleg@veritas.com
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 02:10:46 EDT
From: <BDH113@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Whisper 1 Power Filter

Hi. I just hooked up a Whisper 1 power filter to my 20gal high tank. After read
ing how I should have gotten something else, I was wondering about the bio-filt
ration as it pertains to fresh water. Why not just cut a chunk of the old filte
r bag material off, and stuff it into the new one, thus retaining some of the b
acteria in the process?
From: news@wbm486.uucp (Wm Brian McCane)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Hair Algae
Date: 8 Sep 92 18:41:30 GMT
Organization: Harmon Electronics, Inc

In article <Bu29Gu.DIM@news.cso.uiuc.edu> igorl@uiuc.edu (Igor Livshits) writes:
>I had the same problem which was wonderfully solved by grazers.  Urchins
>are best, some Turbo snails will help.  A blenny or a tang or an
>angelfish will eat it.  Hermit crabs will also eat hair algae, but I have
>had trouble keeping hermit crabs -- my last oned not survive the molt
>after thirving for several months in the tank.
>

I purchased an interesting urchin Sunday.  It has a white/creme body and
bright purple spines.  It is eating hair algea, coraline/crystaline algea
and even the reddish algea.  Since Sunday (it is now Tuesday), it has also
done the following:
1) Picked up 3 empty scallop shells (halves), and scoured them clean.
2) Attached to the piece of sponge where my mushroom polyps were living
   so contentedly and spiked hell out of everything, actually causing one
   mushroom to detach itself.  (I moved the urchin.)
3) Scoured a 3 pound piece of gray live rock 'til it turned white.  This
   rock had a nice growth of what I was told was fern grass (notice the was).
4) Eaten coraline/crystaline algea off the entire west piece of acrylic.
5) Left a nice white trail in my crushed coral whereever it went.

Its a beautiful creature, and does a great job of cleaning but my patience
is going to run thin if it hits any of my nice corals 8(.  Has anyone seen
one of these before?  Do they eat like this continuously?  Has anyone ever
seen their urchin pick up chunks of rock etc. and slowly carry them to the
tops of their bodies as the pick off every last molecule of living matter?
Will it ever slow down????

	brian
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
From: brunner@crchh447.bnr.ca (James Brunner)
Subject: [M] Feeding a flame angel
Reply-To: brunner@crchh447.bnr.ca (James Brunner)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Richardson, Tx
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1992 13:13:54 GMT

Two days ago, I bought a small (2 inch) flame angel.  He is swimming actively
and looks healthy.  However, he hasn't ate anything yet.  I've tried mantis
shrimp which the fish store recommended and the angel just looked at it.  I've
tried marine flake food which I had handy.  And I've just put in some romaine
lettuce - the fish doesn't even look at it.

What's up?  It's only been two days, should I be worried yet?  Or just wait
until he gets hungry.
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Brunner - (brunner@bnr.ca)
All opinions are my own and have nothing whatsoever to do with BNR, NT,
NTI, Bell Canada, or any of the BCE corporations or affiliates.
Xref: sparky alt.aquaria:4910 rec.aquaria:7141
From: PLai@cup.portal.com (Patrick L Faith)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: [F] Plant Tanks - Organic C02 injection
Date: Fri,  4 Sep 92 21:00:56 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: world

I was woundering on the C02 level difference between having a large flow
of water through a biological filter that removes 02 to give c02, compared
with straight C02 injection.  i.e. how big of biological filter do i need
for a 100 gallon dutch tank compared to mechanical c02 injection system to
maintain a decent CO2 level ?

As an example case, what if i had a 30 gallon drum filled with water and 
biobale cycling water to a 100 gallon tank at 500 gph - what could I expect
my C02 levels to be ?

                           PLai
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:09:48 EDT
From: <HCM100@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: <None>

In article <1992Sep9.111232.42862@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>,
thompson@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu says:
>
>I'm only willing to flush one of those males if it comes to that (he's sorta
>                    ^^^^^
>| John S. Thompson              | thompson@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu     |

I don't think we need to re-hash the subject of flushing fishies down the
toilet, do we?  If you've got to get rid of a healthy fish, SELL IT!  If
it's sick, either freeze it in a baggie of water or put it in the garbage
disposal head first.  I'd reccomend freezing since it doesn't introduce
foreign diseases into the local water system.

Not a flame, just my $.02.  ;-)

In lieu of the above, take your fish out of the tank and give them a
firm scolding.  let them know what you will be forced to do it they don't
shape up!  :-)


Hans C. Masing | HCM100@PSUVM.psu.edu  | Penn State University MIS Dept |

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is
"God is crying."  And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to
tell him is "Probably because of something you did."  - Jack Handey
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: daveo@omews18.intel.com (David O'Brien)
Subject: Re: Hair Algae
Organization: Intel Corp., Hillsboro, Oregon
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 02:33:02 GMT

In article <92251.233006IDBXS@ASUACAD.BITNET> Bryan Schreiber <IDBXS@ASUACAD.BITNET> writes:
>Also in Arizona saltwater snails are extremely difficult to find.

Hold on there.  In Arizona, the turbo grazer salt water snail should
be very easy to find.  The snail is collected in the Sea of Cortez,
just 3 1/2 hours south of Phoenix.

If you're having problems finding a store around you, try Aquarium
Arts on the corner of Baseline and Dobson in Mesa.  (SE corner,
820-8688)  

I used to live in PHX.  The owner of AQ ARTS is a friend of mine.  (I
got to know him because I liked his store.)  


-- 
Dave O'Brien  (daveo@ichips.intel.com)

Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu (The Man With The Avocados)
Subject: test 2, sincere apologies
Organization: The Ghost Of Christmas Past Society
Reply-To: jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 18:51:01 GMT
X-Posted-From: c00506-119rd.eos.ncsu.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu


Sorry, needed to test why our newsreader is spooging.

--
----------jeff the wonder llama, jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu

 
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: frazier@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier)
Subject: Re: CRAYIFSH
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 21:07:02 GMT

Mitchell Rohde (bovine@engin.umich.edu) wrote:
:  I have been feeding them goldfish and lentils, with mixed success...
:  any further food suggestions appreciatewd...

The crayfish in UCLA's botanical gardens seem to live mostly on
plant matter - I'd try weighting some greens down and seeing
if he goes for it.  Worms would be appreciated, I'll wager -
and they're a lot cheaper than goldfish.

--
"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." - Geek Love

Greg Frazier	frazier@CS.UCLA.EDU	!{ucbvax,rutgers}!ucla-cs!frazier
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: bednarek@picard.med.ge.com (Dennis Bednarek Mfg 4-6971)
Subject: Re: Some questions...
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 05:40:26 GMT

David Patton (patton@phy.uab.edu) wrote:
: In article 24227@mr.med.ge.com, bednarek@picard.med.ge.com (Dennis Bednarek Mfg 4-6971) writes:
: >
: >I cannot agree more with the prior post.  At one point I had at least
: >30 tanks set up in my basement (wife wouldn't have them upstairs) and
: >spent about a 1/2 hour a day on maintance, pluss once a month I would
: >take the worst tank and strip clean it.  During that time I was selling
: >plants, and angel fish to several aquarium stores.  While prices have
: >gone up I never hadf much more than $60.00 invested in each tank.
: >Basic 30 gallon tank     $30.00
: >Heater                   $08.00
: >Florescent light fixture $10.00
: >Air stone and tubing     $05.00
: >Gravel                   $05.00
: >
: 
: 
: So where do you get these tanks at. I'll take two!! Just kidding  :-)
: I think you hit the nail on the head when you said prices have gone up.
: BTW, did you really use no filter systems. Just curious.
: 

Well times have changed pluss I use to get most of my stuff wholesale.
Filters well yes and no.  What I had was a nice big diatom that I run
overnight in  one tank at a time.  I never pushed the number of fish in a
tank to high, and stayed away from most of the messy ones, (platies, 
chiclids, etc)
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

--

  
###############################################################################
###NEVER - NEVERMORE###########################################################
###############################################################################
####################################What are the contents of the oblong box?##
###############################################################################
  The usual disclaimer of self and employer applies to all above comments.
#
From: thompson@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Read the previous post (African Cichlid)
Date: 9 Sep 92 11:15:53 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services


Sorry, forgot a title....



 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Charles A. Thompson           | thompson@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu     |
| University of Kansas          | thompson@ukanvax.cc.ukans.edu    |
| .../ They call me SkiBum \... | OS/2 2.0, Bush, and Rush in '92! |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Look for Recipe Pro(tm), an interactive recipe database...       |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Xref: sparky alt.aquaria:4959 sci.aquaria:1340 rec.aquaria:7294
From: tli@skat.usc.edu (Tony Li)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,sci.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: Plant problems
Date: 12 Sep 1992 12:36:01 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: skat.usc.edu


Well, my brand new plant tank has a problem: some kind of worm.  It is
about 1 inch long, a pale yellow, and looks like a very tiny
caterpillar.  It seems to have a voracious appetite for leaves of ALL
types of plants.  After chewing off a hunk of leaf, it tends to fold
it up into a small "tent" and attach itself to a leaf or the side of
the tank. 

Has anyone seen this before?  What are they?  Any way of eradicating
this pest?  If I disinfect the plants (yes, closing the barn door
after the horses are gone), will it kill off these pests? 

-- 
Tony Li - Escapee from the USC Computer Science Department          tli@usc.edu
		       The net is not what it seems.
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
From: jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu (test post)
Subject: test post
Originator: jecoleb@c00506-119rd.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu
Organization: The Ghost Of Christmas Past Society
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 18:41:35 GMT


Test, please ignore.

-- 
----------jeff the wonder llama, jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu

------"I am a penis. Worship me."--lead singer of rock band Bicycle Face,
     vainly attempting to gain attention of the crowd at the Cat's Cradle 
     in Chapel Hill, while opening for Mojo Nixon & The Toad Liquors
--
It's not my fault, it wasn't up to you
Christmas Eve comes once a year and that will never do
Your image started fading, I closed my eyes to see
Tell me, do you close your eyes for me?
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
From: jimh@ultra.com (Jim Hurley)
Subject: Re: [F] Plant Tanks - Organic C02 injection
Organization: Ultra Network Technologies
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 92 22:22:54 GMT

In <65295@cup.portal.com> PLai@cup.portal.com (Patrick L Faith) writes:

>I was woundering on the C02 level difference between having a large flow
>of water through a biological filter that removes 02 to give c02, compared
>with straight C02 injection.  i.e. how big of biological filter do i need
>for a 100 gallon dutch tank compared to mechanical c02 injection system to
>maintain a decent CO2 level ?

>As an example case, what if i had a 30 gallon drum filled with water and 
>biobale cycling water to a 100 gallon tank at 500 gph - what could I expect
>my C02 levels to be ?

>                           PLai

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. If I read it right
you are claiming that one end product of biological filtration
is CO2, so what sort of filter will give enough CO2 for
good plant growth?

If that is what you mean, your assumption isn't right. As far
as I know, there are no CO2 byproducts in the biological breakdown.
Ammonia-> Nitrite-> Nitrate. There are no carbon components and
the bacteria utilize oxygen, but don't respirate CO2, or if they
do the amount is insignificant.

Maybe you are asking if there is a biological filtration system
that does something like this. In that case I haven't a clue.
-- 
Jim Hurley --> jimh@ultra.com  ...!ames!ultra!jimh  (408) 922-0100
Ultra Network Technologies / 101 Daggett Drive / San Jose CA 95134
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
From: frazier@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Greg Frazier)
Subject: Re: (F) What do you feed a LOBSTER and CRAYFISH...
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 02:01:37 GMT

In <92255.214340NMBCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> NMBCU@CUNYVM.BITNET (Nelson Broat) writes:

>Bought two small CRAYFISH and a 3 inch light blue (neon blue it looks
>like) LOBSTER.

Good grief.  All of the discussion on crayfish the *.aquaria
newsgroups have had lately, and you still think that that
thing is a lobster?  It is a blue crayfish.  You have three
crayfish.  Hopefully, a 65g will be large enough that they
won't shred each other - provide plenty of hiding places,
they're worse than cichlids, according to net.wisdom.

>I guess they eat frozen or dried KRILL. Is there anything else they eat?
>Will they go for live brine shrimp? Also, they won't go after the fish once    I
>I restock will they?

They will eat anything, including fish.  However, if your fish
are large enough, they'll do fine.  Somebody posted a story
about how well their crayfish got along with their cichlids (that
is to say, how the crayfish kept trying to eat them but kept
failing).  Finally, the crayfish molted and the cichlids ate
him up.  Not likely to happen with discus and angelfish, but
who knows.

>Any tips on how to help these three thrive and survive? I've never tried this
>before. Always fun to experiment though.

Good luck - let us all know how it goes.  Oh, and when I said they'd
eat anything, I meant anything (although I've never owned one - so take
all this with a grain of salt).  Weigh some vegetable matter down and
see if they go for it (wilted romaine lettuce would be a good start).  
Also, see if they go for tabimin, or some other bottom-feeder food.
-- 


Greg Frazier	frazier@CS.UCLA.EDU	!{ucbvax,rutgers}!ucla-cs!frazier
Xref: sparky alt.aquaria:4934 rec.aquaria:7209
From: jason@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (Jason Rosenberg)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: [M] Feeding a flame angel
Date: 9 Sep 92 15:50:23 GMT
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department

brunner@crchh447.bnr.ca (James Brunner) writes:

>Two days ago, I bought a small (2 inch) flame angel.  He is swimming actively
>and looks healthy.  However, he hasn't ate anything yet.  I've tried mantis
>shrimp which the fish store recommended and the angel just looked at it.  I've
>tried marine flake food which I had handy.  And I've just put in some romaine
>lettuce - the fish doesn't even look at it.

I've had the best luck with dwarf angels (such as the flame angel) by simply
allowing plenty of green micro algae to grow on the back wall of the tank.
They love to graze off this, and in my experience, can really be their primary
source of nourishment.  Also, the angels I've had eventually learned to eat
frozen food (cut it up into small bits and chunks).  It helps if you have other
fish in the tank that aren't finicky eaters, they can learn to eat foods by
seeing other fish eat.  Whatever you do, don't overfeed your tank in a
desparate attempt to get your fish to eat something.

If your fish is healthy, it will eat eventually.  You should always make sure
to see a fish eat in the store before buying it.  Don't be afraid to ask the
shopkeeper to feed the fish and see it eat before you buy.  

I hope you didn't really feed your fish live mantis shrimp!  Do you mean
brine shrimp?  Brine shrimp can be a convenient live food, but it really doesn't
have high nutritional value, and should never be the primary food source for
your fish.  I've heard it said that brine shrimp have food value on the order
of potato chips.

The best bet, in my experience, or the frozen cubes that you can get at any
store.  There are usually several varieties.  I like to get several 
different ones, and mix it up from day to day.  Some are high protein,
others are high in algaes, and others are sort of mixtures....You may not
believe it, but eventually you will be able to get your flame to eat flakes.

Jason


-- 
Jason Rosenberg                           Computer Science Department
jason@cs.ucla.edu                         University of California
{uunet,rutgers,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!jason      Los Angeles, CA  90024
Xref: sparky alt.aquaria:4923 rec.aquaria:7186
From: rhatch@sdsu.edu (Richard Hatch)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Re^2: Some questions...
Date: 8 Sep 92 19:57:15 GMT
Organization: San Diego State University

In article <4071@novavax.UUCP> vest@novavax.UUCP (Steven Vest) writes:
>    I'm going open myself up to mega flames here by giving you advice that 
may>go against the grain of many of the regular posters here.  My advice is 
to not>let them talk you into getting too elaborate with your first setup.  

Let me second the advice.  In thirty years of diddling with tropical fish, 
the one maxim that seems consistent is that the less I do to the tank, the 
healthier the fish are.

To enable that approach, you have to start with certain preconditions.  
First, get a tank larger than you thought you wanted.  Twice as big is half 
as hard to keep going.  Second, spend about half your budgeted money on 
filtration.  A big filter makes up for many other faults.  Third, age the 
water/gravel setup for a very long time before you put fish in.  (This one's 
the hardest, and I seldom actually do it, but then I usually replace the 
first batch of fish, too.) Fourth, buy about 1/3 the number of fish you 
think you should.

If you can get even half a cup of gravel from a healthy tank to thrown into 
your new setup (along with your new clean gravel), this will shorten the 
startup time some.

Note, however, that I am no expert. I just have found some rules of thumb 
that work nicely for me.

rHatch
San Diego State University
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
From: faith@wam.umd.edu (Jay)
Subject: Re: (F) What do you feed a LOBSTER and CRAYFISH...
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 14:04:27 GMT

In article <92255.214340NMBCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> Nelson Broat <NMBCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> writes:
>Bought two small CRAYFISH and a 3 inch light blue (neon blue it looks
>like) LOBSTER.
>
>I guess they eat frozen or dried KRILL. Is there anything else they eat?
>Will they go for live brine shrimp? Also, they won't go after the fish once    I
>I restock will they? 
>
>Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks.
>


Nelson, CrayFish are scavengers. They will eat any other dead fish.
I used to buy feeder fish, put them in the freezer, and then thaw them out one
at a time when I was ready to feed my CrayFish. I know...cruel way to go.

Jerome!


Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria