HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: harold@wam.umd.edu (James B. Harold)
Subject: Re: Algae bloom from trace elements
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 20:42:45 GMT

In article <2800196@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM> booth@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (George Booth) writes:
>We currently have our Fe levels at about 0.1 ppm and most alga has
>disappeared.  I'm not sure if "thread" algae is a startup problem
>or an iron problem, but we haven't seen it in any of our tanks for
>quite a while.  The fuzzy green stuff is still present in the 100
>gallon AOA - don't know why. 

Assuming we're talking about the same "fuzzy green stuff" (kinda
like "heavily permed hair" algae, pulls out easily in clumps), I've
found it correlates pretty strongly with Fe.  If I back off the
Fe, it more or less goes away.  A little more Fe, and back it
comes.  I've never had "thread" algae in my "serious" plant
tank (MH, CO2, etc), though I've had it in my "guinea pig" plant
tank (4 24" fl. bulbs, no CO2).  And I've never had the fuzzy
stuff in my guinea pig tank (same additives: Fe and Wymex trace).  
Maybe it's the quality of the lighting (fl. vs. MH).   Maybe it's the 
great aquarium god trying to keep me humble  :-)  I may never
know.....

James Harold
harold@wam.umd.edu

Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: frazier@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier)
Subject: Re: Experiences with a new plant tank
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 18:31:17 GMT

Jon Elion (jle@dam.brown.edu) wrote:
: This posting is a summary of my experiences setting up a 90-gallon
: planted tank.  This tank is practically a clone of George and Karla
: Booth's "Almost Optimum Aquarium" (AOA).  For those who have not seen
: these postings, the AOA is in turn based on "The Optimum Aquarium",
: but minus the under-gravel heating coils.

Neat posting!  Sounds like you have an excellent setup.  Two (plus)
questions:
	Do you ever vacuum your gravel?  Do you do a "deep"
vacuuming, or do you simply syphon from near the bottom?
	Do you uproot your plants when pruning, or do you
prune them in tank?  (that might sound like a strange question,
unless you've seen George and Karla's video tape - they literally
pull the plants out of the tank to prune them)

--
"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: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: luke@tfs.com (Luke Matam)
Subject: Re: Water changes
Organization: TRW Financial Systems
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 22:44:59 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.181939.24585@cbnewsh.cb.att.com> shine@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (stephen.c.shine) writes:
>one of my sinks.  The hose is long enough to reach all my tanks, including
>the 20+ tanks in my basement.  To remove water from the tanks upstairs, 

What do you and other people do with SOOOOO many tanks ? Are you are commerical
breeder ? Are you raising / breeding to compete at fish shows.

-- 
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| These are my opinions and that too only at this instant in time.            |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Luke S Matam                                            luke@tfs.com        |
From: quinones@ucsc.edu (Kathy Quinones)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: sick Betta
Date: 3 Sep 92 02:48:28 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: orchid.ucsc.edu
Originator: quinones@orchid.UCSC.EDU


I would like some info on how to treat (what I believe to  be) dropsy
in a Betta. He showed trouble swimming (was unable to dive) and showed
a very distended belly; otherwise he looked alert and was eating well.
I treated him with tetracycline for two days and he seemed to return to
normality.  A few weeks later he had a relapse and he looks worse than
before.  I treated him and his tank mates with "Bettamax, blended anti-
biotic capsules" (nitrofurazone, methylene blue, methazine, diazine and
merazine, PVP -??-, vitamins -??!- and NaCl) and he continued to inflate.
Yesterday I placed him in a beaker with more tetracycline and he has not
shown any signs of improvement.  In fact, I just noticed his pectoral and
caudal fins look a bit frayed at the ends.

My questions are:
1) Could the infection (whatever the causes, viral? bacterial?)
be related to my feeding him live Tubifex worms?  
2) Is there any hope? What can I do now? (quote from a fish guide: "...In 
severe cases of dropsy, surgical treatment by puncture of the fish and attempt-
ed withdrawal of the fluid has been advocated, but it is a rather heroic pro-
cedure in the hands of any but an expert."  I am willing to try this but
would need more details!)

I hope someone has some suggestions before the little guy blows up!!

thanks!

Cathy
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: bednarek@picard.med.ge.com (Dennis Bednarek Mfg 4-6971)
Subject: Re: [F] Setup for plants and fish
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 05:33:26 GMT

Mike Van Pelt (mvp@hsv3.lsil.com) wrote:
: In article <1992Aug28.053313.14042@mr.med.ge.com> bednarek@picard.med.ge.com (Dennis Bednarek Mfg 4-6971) writes:
: >Let's get back to the removal of those nasty and costly under gravel
: >filters.  ...  Whenever I clean my tanks I remove all the gravel ...
: >fill a pail 1/3 full with the old gravel and thsn stick a garden hose
: >in it, untill the overflow of water is crystal clear.
: 
: That's overkill.

That depends upon how othen you clean your tanks.  Under my normal operation
on a 55 gallon tank I run two outside filters, and with several active cats
it keeps the bottom stirred up enough that the crap is suspended in the water
and filtered through the outside filters.  I know I should change water more 
often but I only do a 50% change about every 2 to 3 months.  Total teardown
type cleaning including the above mentioned gravel cleaning I do maybe every
3 to 5 years, unless I have to move a tank or some thing else.

Most of my tanks are 29 highs, 30 or 55 gallons.  They are populated mainly
with angel fish, a pelcosomos(spelling), and a few cats.  Al my tanks are
planted with at least 2 amazon swords, and some crypt.  

  I have a 100 gallon tank with 50 cardinal tetras, two
: red-tail sharks, a couple of pearl gouramis, a <algae-eating "p-word"
: catfish that must not be named lest it suffer the net.curse>, some
: swordtails, a giant danio, half a dozen harlequin rasboras, a big
: Amazon sword potted with Dupla laterite balls (The net is right --
: laterite is the secret for good Amazon sword growth.  They always died
: on me before.) and water sprite threatening to take over the tank.
: 
: I clean it with one of those siphons that's a 3" diameter tube about
: two feet long, connected to a small tube that's just exactly the right
: size to force into a garden hose.  When making water changes, I just
: siphon out most of the gunk with it.
: 
: It doesn't pay to be too fanatical about keeping the gravel clean,
: or you'll wreck the biological filter, which is what undergravel
: filters are all about.
: -- 
: Mike Van Pelt          | What happens if a big asteroid hits Earth?
: LSI Logic/Headland     | Judging from realistic simulations involving a
: mvp@hsv3.lsil.com      | sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we
: sun!indetech!hsv3!mvp  | can assume it will be pretty bad. -- Dave Barry

--

  
###############################################################################
###NEVER - NEVERMORE###########################################################
###############################################################################
####################################What are the contents of the oblong box?##
###############################################################################
  The usual disclaimer of self and employer applies to all above comments.
#
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: rajesh@maruti.ece.cmu.edu (Rajesh H. Zele)
Subject: Sea shells in aquarium?
Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 18:29:57 GMT

I have kept some sea water shells (ones you find on the beach) 
in my 20 gallon aquarium. Recently, I observed some holes in some of 
these shells. Do u think they disintegrate.. dissolve in water?
Are they harmful to fish? 
	Thanx...

Rajesh
From: Jim.Minden@f52.n105.z1.therose.pdx.com (Jim Minden)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: help
Date: 26 Aug 92 11:50:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: therose.714899065.F00002

Jack Help.  Call quick.

Need hard drive.
Only you can help
end of line.
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: howardr@col.hp.com (Howard Rebel)
Subject: Re: Speak for yourself (Was: Serpae Tetra beating goldfish)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 19:19:18 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

When I posted posted in regards to this subject I was fishing for fish 
bigots.  I would have been happier had there been none.

>It comes down to the question of aesthetics.  

Yes, but personal taste is not a reason for degrading fancy goldfish.

>Some people find the double
>fan tail, tennis ball shaped body, puckered scales, eyes twisted around and
>faced skywards, warty growths that encrust the head and obscures the eyes
>or the large fluid-filled sacks that do the same, etc. attractive.  Other
>people don't.

The lines above illustrate a lack of experience regarding goldfish.  The
goldfish with fluid filled sacks are known as bubble eyes.  The bubbles
on these fish are located in such a way as to not obscures the eyes.
The fish with the head growth are orandas and the standards for the type 
do not include head growth that obscures the vision of the fish.

Fish bigots use arguments with little bearing or fact to justify their views.

Example 1: (goldfish genetics are somehow unholy like cancer)
Example 2: (irrelevant statments regarding survival in the wild)

Closing
-------
Goldfish were created via selective breeding. 

Goldfish have been breed by humans for a long, long, time and are thus
less like the wild form then other fish.  

Most fancy goldfish in petshops are not good examples of the standards
for the type to which they belong.

Fancy goldfish keeping and breeding is as valid as any other subdivision of
the hobby.  

It may be easier then some and more difficult then others but it is not
a good starting point for beginners.






-- 
Howard Rebel hpcsos.col.hp.com
From: glarimer@us.oracle.com ("Gordon Larimer")
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: FW: filtration switch questions
Date: 30 Aug 92 01:59:15 GMT



Folks --
  I have a 55 gallon FW community tank with a medium-to-light fish load and 
no live plants.  It is currently filtered with a UGF (bubble-powered) and a 
small power-filter.  While the current guests seem happy, and the water tests
out nicely, I am unhappy with this filtration system.

  I am considering switching to a RUGF and a cannister filter.  I would power
the RUGF with either the output of the cannister or a pair of reverse
powerheads (to be decided).  I figure this will help me out in a number of
ways:
	1) MUCH greater filtering capacity (both mechanical and biological)
	2) Less vacuming of gravel (possibly even none?) with water changes.
		(Right now, even with frequent water changes, I have a great
		deal of muck on the bottom.  I hate to even think about what's
		underneath the filter plate -- well, I moved the tank a year
		ago, so I have an pretty good idea what's under there).
	3) Ability to support more fish (part of #1).
	4) Clearer water (also part of #1).
		(Right now, the water can get a bit murky, especially when the
		bottom feeders get antsy).
	5) Less frequent filter maintenance.
	6) Quieter (the cannister should be quieter than the big air pump
		required for this tank, plus I'll eliminate the noise of the
		water return from the external filter).
	7) Better live plant support???  (Perhaps -- I know I can't keep
		plants alive as it is, but I know there are other reasons for
		this).

  So, what do you think?  Seems like I can't lose (other than a bit of cash),
but am I really going to gain much?  If I make the switch, what are the pros
and cons of running the RUGF off of the cannister, as opposed to powering it
with a couple of pre-filtered reverse powerheads?  The net's advice would be
GREATLY appreciated.  Either post or mail to me -- if I get mailed responses I
will summarize.

  Thanks in advance,
    Gordon Larimer	glarimer@oracle.com	(415) 506-2569
    Oracle Corp. 	UNIX R&D
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: howardr@col.hp.com (Howard Rebel)
Subject: Re: Water changes
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:55:05 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

In article <829@ozz.oasis.icl.co.uk> srs@oasis.icl.co.uk (Steve Strong) writes:
>& Esquivel (frank@resolution) wrote:
>Ok, it sounds good. Alas, I've never heard of the thing. I've gathered
>that it's a water changer, but what is special about it?

Let me play the devils advocate for here.

While the python does make water changing easier it is a water waster.
It is little more than a water bed fill/drain kit and a few feet of
hose.  

I used a python for a short while.  I find that a small pump with an
attached hose works better for me.




-- 
Howard Rebel hpcsos.col.hp.com
From: Jonathan Herr <herrj@valnet.UUCP>
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: FW: filtration switch questions
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 02:55:16 GMT
Organization: WVCF, Vincennes, IN, USA
Disclaimer: Author responsible for contents

ffujita@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Frank Fujita) writes:

> 
> On both of my tanks, all I have to do is get underneath the stand and
> look up, and voila' I can see what is underneath the UGF plate.  Am I
> wierd in having stands that only support the perimeter of the tank?
> 
> Frank Fujita

All of the tanks I've seen that aren't built on a stand have a base
that elevates the bottom plate of the tank.  So, no.  I don't think
you're 'wierd' in having them.  Anyone care to explain why tanks are
made this way?

Jonathan R. Herr                        A man has got to know his limitations.
herrj@valnet.uucp                                            -- Harry Callahan
Network Administrator                                             Magnum Force
                     Wabash Valley Computing Facility BBS
From: vnrao@teja.cs.ucf.edu (Nageshwara Rao Vempaty)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Lighting: Why spend big $?
Date: 30 Aug 92 18:32:41 GMT
Organization: University of Central Florida

putzolu@toadflax.cs.ucdavis.edu (David Putzolu) writes:

>Since I'm converting my marine tank to a semi/full (we'll see)
>reef setup, I naturally am getting better lighting for it. Looking
>through the two mail order catalogs I have (TFP & MOPS) I've noticed
>EXORBITANT prices for lighting.
>TFP: Ballast for two 40 watt bulbs: 22.95
>MOPS: Generic Double Strip 48" Hood (w/o bulbs): 82.49
>TFP: Dual Light Strip: 99.95
>MOPS: 48" Fluorescent Fixture Kit (w/o bulb, hood): 26.35 per light.

>I was looking at this stuff and my girlfriend wandered over and said,
>"Hey, I can get a cheapo metal generic dual 48" fluorescent 40W fixture
>for $12 at the hardware store!"
>If I can put a couple of these in a wood hood that I make, why should
>I bother with the above prices? Is there something about the above that is
>particularly worth it?

  I have successfully tried quartz halogen lamps (metal/tungsten/quartz halides)
available in Kmart and Home depot in $10-20 range. That is the price of the 
full kit (ballast, wires etc.).   I have used these for a plant tank [F].


>As a second question, would 4 48" fluorescent bulbs (perhaps
>two coralife 50/50's and two tritons or blue moons) for a total
>of 160 watts be enough for live rock + anemone's? I will probably
>use my old 20Watt 36" as well for a total of 180 Watts - is this
>enough? I want to _avoid_ metal halide if possible - price seems
>quite high. Also, why isn't this in the FAQ? 

 If you are willing to experiment, get a 300W quartz halogen, 75 W Mercury 
Vapor/Sodium vapor (and may be one 48" triton though not really necessary) 
and go for an open top if possible.  This MH + MV combo will provide Xtra high 
watts and  has enough spikes all over the spectrum. Should cost you <$50.
I use a 300W QH + a 48" generic fluorescent and my plants love it. Not to 
mention that it throws deep shadows and illuminates the whole room.

VNRao
From: biow@cs.umd.edu (chris biow)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Lighting: Why spend big $?
Date: 1 Sep 92 13:06:04 GMT
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742

In article <vnrao.715199561@teja.cs.ucf.edu> vnrao@teja.cs.ucf.edu (Nageshwara Rao Vempaty) writes:
>  I have successfully tried quartz halogen lamps (metal/tungsten/quartz halides)
>available in Kmart and Home depot in $10-20 range. That is the price of the 
>full kit (ballast, wires etc.).   I have used these for a plant tank [F].

Do not, however, use such lights in close proximity to plastic parts, 
such as siphon tubes, tank frames, cross-struts, or glass-top hinges.
They can easily be melted. That's the bad news.

The good news is that O'Dell 55 gallon tanks don't really need that
plastic cross brace that is in the middle top of the tank. The glass
bows a bit (1/4") without it, but otherwise does fine. Though perhaps
its earthquake resistance is lower now...
From: mstephens.520@postman.gsfc.nasa.gov (mark stephens)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Experiences with a new plant tank
Date: 25 Aug 92 16:56:58 GMT
Organization: nasa/gsfc


Ha!  Yet another plant tank person.  This tank will give you many hours of pure
viewing pleasure.  And thanks for the CO2 in the basement backing up tip.  When
I CO2 my house (along with plumbing and video and FDDI cable) I'll be sure to put
the tanks in the attic!  Seriously, having a tank hitched up to house plumbing
is a terrific idea and well worth the effort.  For a future fish room I had 
planned to use a garden irrigation system, but perhaps there are cheaper 
routes.

             mark

ps  Do you have the number/address for that needle valve?

In article <1992Aug25.153535.29774@cs.brown.edu>, jle@dam.brown.edu (Jon Elion) writes:
> 
> This posting is a summary of my experiences setting up a 90-gallon
> planted tank.  This tank is practically a clone of George and Karla

                [.....]
> I just wanted to share my experiences with others in netland who might
> be contemplating the same endeavor.  Go for it!  Many thanks to George
> and Karla Booth, Jim Hurley, Vinny Kutty, and others on the net who
> either posted or e-mailed help and suggestions.
> 
> 
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:7111 alt.aquaria:4901
From: igorl@uiuc.edu (Igor Livshits)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: [M]   Anemonies from hell? Or am I just doing good?
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:12:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bu2ADK.Dys
Organization: NCSA
X-Xxdate: Fri, 4 Sep 92 17:11:41 GMT
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d9
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A6CCF4ED920314C6@spiff.ncsa.uiuc.edu>

I also have about ten of these or so (58g tank).  I got them with a base
from a soft coral.  I see them reproduce (new buds, small anemonies), but
the population has been stable for a while now.  I think my coral banded
shrimp eats them.  I just got a snapping shrimp, maybe he'll eat them as
well.


Igor
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:6919 alt.aquaria:4795 sci.aquaria:1302
From: rbennet1@neumann.une.edu.au (Robert Bennetts.)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria,sci.aquaria
Subject: What Invert is that? book
Date: 30 Aug 92 12:50:20 GMT
Followup-To: poster


 	Hi all...

	Has anybody out there found a really good book for identifying corals and marine invertebrates.
	So many things in shops are sold just as anemones, coral, fluffies, sea apples, and names like that, I would very much like to learm some of the proper names for some of the inhabitants of my reef, and some more information about them.
	If anyone has any suggestions for what they think is the best book for such a purpose, I would very much like to hear them, and if I get many rplies I might post a list of them for the rest of the people in my predicament.

	Thanks very much...

	Ross Bennetts...

		rbennet1@neumann.une.edu.au


Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:6988 alt.aquaria:4832
From: steve@celia.UUCP (Steve Tyree)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: [M][R] Improving Captive Reef Base Rock
Keywords: reef marine coralline live rock
Date: 1 Sep 92 21:14:33 GMT
Reply-To: celia!steve@usc.edu (Steve Tyree)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Rhythm & Hues, Inc., Hollywood


 Last night I purchased some very interesting live rock. The store
personal where not the ones who bought the rock wholesale and did not
know the rocks origin. The rock is heavily encrusted with many
different colors of coralline algae. Some growths have a height close
to 1/2 inch. One species even glows a luminescent red under actinic
lighting. Its the heaviest encrusted rock I have ever seen locally.
The main exciting part of these rocks is that the base rock which
is covered with corallines is thin and smooth. Almost like thin
shelves. This form of wafer rock can be used to cover less encrust-
ed rock or as a base for corals. However, it is a bit difficult to 
construct a base reef with this rock.
 In the future though these shelve rocks will make very good rocks to
use as a floor cover in my reef tray system. These 1/2 inch thick rocks
will be put on the bottom of reef trays to use as a planulae settlement
area and to inhibit the growth of microalgae. Microalgae growth has been
the biggest problem trying to raise coral planulae in a separate tray
system. These wafer coralline encrusted rocks may be the key factor in 
trying to raise or develope coral planulae into spat and juvenile coral.
I would definitely encourage the developement of more of this types of
rocks in the future. A rock grower might put shale wafers into a captive
reef or in a reef farming quadrant. They make excellent bottom covers
for captive farming trays.

 Steve Tyree - Reef Breeder
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: ron@minnow.sp.unisys.com (Ron Burns)
Subject: Re: [M][R]   Live Rock dealer
Keywords: reef marine coralline live rock
Reply-To: ron@minnow.UUCP (Ron Burns)
Organization: Unisys Corporation
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 18:33:43 GMT

The one person who did respond to my live rock post suggested a LR vendor
called Noyes Marine Life or something similar.  I have also seen this place
mentioned here on the net before. 
Noyes has not advertised in FAMA for the last couple of months, does anyone
have their phone number or address?

Thank you.
-Ron
-- 
Ron Burns              
Unisys Corporation                                      ...!rosevax!minnow!ron
Phone:(612)635-6927                           minnow%ron@rosevax.rosemount.com
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: ffujita@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Frank Fujita)
Subject: Re: [F] Setup for plants and fish
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 20:25:39 GMT

mstephens.520@postman.gsfc.nasa.gov (mark stephens) writes:
>They either get out of the hobby or "grow up" and move on to
>something better.

What type of plants do you suggest I keep with my goldfish?  Or should I
"grow up" or should I get out of the hobby?

Frank Fujita