HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: schwarz@esrican.uucp (Mr.Coach)
Subject: LAVA rock for w/d substrate?
Reply-To: bschwarz@esri.com
Organization: ESRI Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:55:18 GMT



Question re: substrate material in trickle filters...

I was sold -- and have since set up -- a homemade trickle filter from 
a 20g for a 72g marine tank.  The pet shop salesman who constructed the 
filter had placed "lava rock" in the lower tier of the filter to act as 
the substrate; just below the bio balls.  I asked him if it was ok to 
use this material as I had never heard of this before.  He said that it 
was fine.  He said that it was porous and could be substituted for 
crushed coral.  He said that the PH buffering capacity of crushed coral 
eventually deteriorates anyway.

Can someone set me straight on this matter.  I don't have any life forms
in the tank as yet but it will be a bit of a pain to change it now.  
I will, however, if deemed necessary.  

I intend to start with a fish only setup.  I have 100 lbs calcareous 
base rock.  If time/funding/interest permits, I will likely venture 
towards the reef setup when I become familiar with maintaining high 
water quality.

Has anyone heard/done this "lava rock" idea before?
Is it ok in a marine environment?
Do I *need* to change or remove it?
Is this fellow correct about PH buffering?

Thanks,

Brian






Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: AS.CCB@forsythe.stanford.edu (Christopher Bekins)
Subject: Re: Water changes
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 19:39:56 GMT

luke@tfs.com (Luke Matam) writes in response to :
(Stephen.c.shine) writes:
>>....to reach all my tanks, including the 20+ tanks in my basement.
>
> What do you and other people do with SOOOOO many tanks ? Are you
> a  commerical breeder?  Are you raising / breeding to compete at
> fish shows.

Luke, luke, luke,....it's an addiction, okay?  There's that first
tank, then you want a bigger one, then you decide to try some fish
that need a slightly different water chemistry, then you go past
a garage sale and see another tank, then you start reading the
ads looking for deals, then you begin to think of economies of
scale on pumps, chillers, backup generators, bulk plumbing
supplies, then .....  And one day you realize, "Oh my gosh! I
have 43 fish tanks in the house!  What has happened to my life?
Is this why my spouse and kids left me?  Why I lost my job?  Why
I haven't gotten a haircut in 3 years?...what has become of me???".
Then you come to your senses and realize you might as well have
an even 50 tanks, so you go buy seven more and your just fine.
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: frazier@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier)
Subject: Re: cuttlefish
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 16:20:47 GMT

Class 110B Student (110b18@physics.ucla.edu) wrote:
: I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with cuttlefish. I've
: never seen one in any store, and was curious as to if they are available,
: and if they're hard to keep, etc.
: 

There was an article in FAMA earlier this summer on keeping cuttlefish.
If my sieve-like brain can recollect this, I'll try to find it tonight.
--
"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
From: goo@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (frank.m.macauda)
Subject: WANTED: Phone # for ACA
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 20:16:41 GMT

I'm looking for information regarding the American
Cichlid Association. Could someone with their
phone number and address please post or send
e-mail. Two budding cichlidiots are looking
for suppliers of hard to find Africans.


Thanks,                
Frank Macauda
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:6902 alt.aquaria:4788
From: mstephens.520@postman.gsfc.nasa.gov (mark stephens)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Nitrex Box
Date: 28 Aug 92 20:11:45 GMT
Organization: nasa/gsfc



In article <1992Aug28.165107.3007@btree.uucp>, johnmc@btree.uucp (John McCaffrey) writes:
> 
> In article <410@bertha.HyperDesk.com> arch@hyperdesk.com writes:
> >It appears from test results and observation the my Nitrex box is
> >working.  My nitrates have moved from about 100 ppm to 44 ppm. 
               [...]


Do any of you Nitrex box owners know how this thing works so I can make one?
What's the secret?

                      mark
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: rivan@bnr.ca (Robert Ivan)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: re: Tang needs help!
Date: 3 Sep 92 17:43:37 GMT
Reply-To: rivan@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell Northern Research Ltd.


  I have a fish only marine tank and lost a few yellow tangs
to ick.  Once you have it in you tank you would have to 
medicate the whole tank - not a good solution in a reef tank.
But even if you do it will probably come back.  I use a sterilizer
in my tank now and all the fish ( including a yellow tang that had 
ick when I bought him) are doing fine after 6 months.  I dont know
the impact of a UV sterilizer on a reef tank but it seems
that this device is effective against ick.
From: booth@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (George Booth)
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 20:41:07 GMT
Subject: Re: Experiences with a new plant tank
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria

One reason for uprooting the plants is to get rid of the lower sections.
If left to themselves, *lots* of roots grow from the lower sections
into the water and then on down to the gravel.  This becomes very 
unsightly after a while.  Also, the upper parts tend to have the best
color and shapes.  

Of course, if you let the plants grow unpruned long enough, they will
start to grow emersed.  The Nomaphila stricta in our 90 gallon tank
has done this and we like the effect.  Once it started gowing emersed
(in 20" of water!), the underwater leaves mostly disappear.  After 
awhile, the underwater part becomes very thick with interesting side
roots and starts to look like a mangrove swamp (I think?).  The
discus like to hide in them and one of the pairs is now apawning
in among the roots. 

The emersed part is like a small bush - about 14" tall (up to and over
the MH lights) and covers the end of the tank.  All the branches have 
very attractive, sky blue flowers on them.  It has been blooming 
constantly for 3 months now.  

Between the N. stricta and the emersed E. osiris, the left side 
of the tank looks kind of like the shoreline of a stream or lake.
It is shaded with lots of stalks and roots.  The right side of the tank
is bright with bunch plants and a lot of low growing plants.  The 
discus tend to stay in the shaded part and the lemon tetra stay in
the bright part.  It's kind of like having a coss-section of lake 
from the shore to the deeper parts.  

I haven't any tanks like this.  I'm going to try to get some photos, but 
it will be hard with the range of lighting.  The top of the tank is
full MH light, the left side is shaded darkness and the right side is
in between.  Maybe three separate exposures with some clever darkroom
work...

-------
George
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: jle@cfm.brown.edu (Jon Elion)
Subject: Re: Experiences with a new plant tank
Organization: Brown University / Cardiac Image Processing Lab
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 01:40:17 GMT

frazier@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier) writes:

> Do you ever vacuum your gravel?  Do you do a "deep" vacuuming, or do
> you simply syphon from near the bottom?

I have so far been to chicken to touch the gravel, but plan to start
shallow vacuuming soon (using siphon tube with large-diameter barrel
that lets gravel get agitated but not siphoned).

> 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)

I have taken to using a scissors to prune back overly-tall plants.  My
plants went in July 3rd, and are just now finishing the spreading process.
I will need to start thinning actual plants (not just pruning) very
soon now.  Yes, I've seen the Booth's tape.  Cost me a lot of money (i.e.,
pushed me over the edge into setting up such a tank myself).
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria,sci.aquaria
From: jason@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (Jason Rosenberg)
Subject: Re: Hermit crabs (was: Fish + Reef Compatibility)
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 21:19:16 GMT

Igor Livshits <igorl@uiuc.edu> writes:

>Hermit crabs are fine (and even necessary, I would argue, in reef tanks).
> The perform the crucial task fo cleaning up the garbage.  My only
>problem is thta I have trouble keeping more than one of these guys.  Even
>with plenty of empty shells, they fight for the current ones.  I saw one
>my crabs evict another, try out the shell, spend five minutes in it, go
>back to the original shell and meander away.  The evected crab quikcly
>scrambled back.
>Unfortunately, I did find the target shell empty a week later...and only
>one hermit crab.

Multi-hermit crab tanks are fine as long as they never molt, which is not
too likely.  When one molts, the other will invariably kill it during its
soft-shelled vulnerable stage.  Same with cleaner shrimps, etc.  The hermit
will take advantage of would-be molters.  The only solution is a big enough
tank with lots of hiding places to allow a safe have for 2-3 days that a
crab takes to complete a molt....



-- 
Jason Rosenberg                           Computer Science Department
jason@cs.ucla.edu                         University of California
{uunet,rutgers,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!jason      Los Angeles, CA  90024
From: sp@questor.wimsey.bc.ca (Steve Pershing)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Power Filter Vibrates - Need Advice
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 08:22:50 PDT
Organization: Questor|Free Usenet News|Vancouver, BC: +1 604 681 0670

I am a complete neophyte when it comes to acquaria.  Recently, I purchased a
"Niagara 100" power filter (made by Oscar Enterprises, Pittsburg, Pa.).

It worked like a charm for the first week, then started to vibrate.  At first,
just a little, but after a couple of days, I had to shut it down.  There was
nothing visible that I could see.

I took it back to the shop and they immediately exchanged it, no questions
asked.  Now the one they gave me has started to do the same thing, again
after 5 days or so.

Is there anything I can do/check, or whatever to stop the vibration?

If anyone has any experience with this, please let me know.

Thanks in advance...

--
        Steve Pershing, System Administrator, The QUESTOR Project
  FREE access to Environ, Sci, Med, & AIDS news, and more.  [also UUCP]
        on a ZyXEL-1496S v.42bis, v.32bis, v.33, up to 16,800bps.
  .-------------------------------------------------------------------.
  |  POST: 1027 Davie St., Box 486, Vancouver, B.C., Canada  V6E 4L2  |
  |  Fones: (+1 604)  Data: 681-0670  FAX: 682-6160  Voice: 682-6659  |


Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:7040 alt.aquaria:4863
From: mar@athena.mit.edu (Mark A. Rosenstein)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: [M]   Anemonies from hell? Or am I just doing good?
Date: 2 Sep 92 19:00:57 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

There's a species of anemone (Antipisa or something like that) that get
to be maybe 1/2 inch that are often found on live rock.  They can reproduce
in the aquarium and become a real pest.  I've seen aquariums in stores and
even at a big municipal aquarium that were infested with these, hundreds
of them covering the rocks.  My invertebrate reference book warns about
getting them in your reef.

FAMA had an article a few months back about a way to get rid of them.
Obtain a syringe with needle, and inject them with kalkwasser.  The
kalkwasser in general is good for a reef, but concentrated and injected
into the body cavity of an anemone it's fatal.  You have to resort to 
methods like this because other ways like trying to pull them out or
squash them just results in many more of them.

I have once seem my royal gramma eat one too!
					-Mark
From: caross@acsu.buffalo.edu (Christian Ross)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Speak for yourself (Was: Serpae Tetra beating goldfish)
Date: 2 Sep 92 20:54:41 GMT
Organization: UB

I'm sorry, but I am sure there are also a large number of "die hards" who
agree with the poster who termed fancy goldfish "unnatural".

You are absolutely correct, they are no more unnatural than any domesticated,
selectively bread animal like dogs, cats, horses, etc... but how long would
any of them survive in their natural environment. Fancy fan-tailed goldfish
wouldn't last 10 minutes in their native waters, they've been bred to be
pretty, but slow and shiny.

Just try and pass off bubble-eyed goldfish as a natural adaptation to their
environment. I find the fish that look "real" far more beautiful from an
aesthetic viewpoint than any selectively bred showcase fish. So I'll
stick with my corydoras and tetras.

I am not ignorant. I just don't like silly looking fish. And I'm not trying
to lump you with the people who paint fish. I don't have any problem with
breeding fish so that you find them aesthetic, but, I'm not going to
buy them.
-- 
Christian A. Ross                |               Student (Physics/Mathematics)
caross@acsu.buffalo.edu          |     State University of New York at Buffalo
-- 
 "A witty saying proves nothing." - Voltaire
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
From: elster@cs.cornell.edu (Anne C. Elster)
Subject: Beginner's topic? (Was: Serpae Tetra beating goldfish)
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 15:08:18 GMT

In article <1992Sep02.082255.19568@Veritas.COM> oleg@veritas.com (Oleg Kiselev) writes:
><HCM100@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>>Thoughts on the matter:  are two too few?  (read that fast!)  Do they
>>need a school so that they can beat each other and not the goldfish?
>
>If you have a school of them, the whole school will be harrassing the 
>goldfish.
>
>>Could this be a territorial display?  
>
>No, just a violent display of offended aesthetic sensibilities.  Given 
>my attitude toward "fancy" goldfish, I can't blame the serpae for taking 
>offense.

Well, lets not get nasty, Oleg ... where are the smileys? ;-)

>For what it's worth, deep-bodied Hyphessobricons are very aggressive and 
>H. serpae are among the most pugnatious of the group.

For someone who started her fish hobby by being given a bowl that
she got two gold fish and a guppy for, I am sympathetic to begginners
that try to mix gold fish and tropicals. (Both my goldfish died within
the first week -- my guppy had 10 fry the second day -- guess which direction
my hobby took? :-) )

In any case, as someone mentioned earlier, one reason for not mixing tropicals
and gold fish is that gold fish prefers a lot cooler water than tropicals.

Gold fish also tend to be a lot slower-moving fish than tropicals.
Schooling fish like, say, tetras and barbs (including the peacable danios)
are all fast-swimming fish that will have no problem wearing out slower
fish when in the mood to chase them. This mood is heightened when they either
feel lonely (in groups less than 5-6 of their own kind) or hungry. 

Fancy gold fish are particularly slow swimmers. Live-bearer such as guppies,
are also  slow compared to schooling egg-layers.

Fancy-"anything" ("fancy" = long/large-finned) tend actually to be a lot
slower than their original counterparts (including fancy guppies and
fancy danios). Long-finned fish (fancy guppies, bettas, etc) are
also prime target for having their finns nipped by more agressive ones
(e.g. tiger barbs) (see books).

Die-hard fish hobbyists tend to have aversions for anything "fancy" --
Guess we feel there  is something unnatural about them. A similar dislike
exisits for painted/died fish (cruel).



Maybe this topic should be added to the FAQ? (The books I've seen don't realy
say anything explicit about it -- guess it's considered "too basic" ...)


						Anne C. Elster
						elster@cs.cornell.edu


Disclaimer: I am still a beginner, but try to help as far as I can ... ACE
From: colorado@venus.next.com (Delia Colorado (Temp))
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: [F] Setup for plants and fish
Date: 27 Aug 92 17:27:40 GMT

> In article <BtLy2r.n2w@news.cso.uiuc.edu> ffujita@s.psych.uiuc.edu  
(Frank Fujita) writes:
> 
> > 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
> 
> Anything that has tough roots and hard leaves, and can tolerate a
> little colder water. Goldfish tend to move gravel and munch leaves,
> that's why these qualities are important. It is up to you what you  
can
> find, there are quite many that fit. And because tough plants grow
> slower, choose something already big enough.
>Jari Lehto
 
Anacharis is the best one for goldfish.  It grows great in a tank  
with no heater (cold), and it is also great for the goldfish.  They  
eat its leaves, which helps them with nutrition and better digestion  
(goldfish are mainly vegetarians, contrary to popular belief.)  What  
you do is buy several bunches of it, and if they eat it faster than  
it can grow, trash it and get some more, or keep it in a bucket with  
water, or in another tank, wait 'til it grows back, and then feed it  
again.  Anacharis is really inexpensive-- 99 cents for a bunch of 5  
or 6 plants.  Goldfish really love it.  So, make your goldfish  
happy!!
Delia
From: srs@oasis.icl.co.uk (Steve Strong)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Water changes
Date: 27 Aug 92 09:34:53 GMT
Organization: ICL, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 4SN, UK
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

& Esquivel (frank@resolution) wrote:
: In article <1992Aug26.145438.26133@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>  
: dhiggs@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (General Protection Fault) writes:
: > 
: > In article <ggawron.25.0@comm.mot.com> ggawron@comm.mot.com (Glenn  
: Gawron) writ
: > es:
: > +Has anyone had any experience with the "PYTHON" water changer?
: 
: This would probably be the best money you spent.  I got mine about 6  
: months ago.  Water changes could never have been easier and no mess to 
: clean up.  

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?

Cheers,

Steve
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Strong - email srs@oasis.icl.co.uk      | Wasn't me. I didn't say that.
               voice 44 344 424842 extn 2279  | Definitely got the wrong guy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: booth@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (George Booth)
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1992 19:14:49 GMT
Subject: Re: Otos in plexiglass
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria

In rec.aquaria, "John R. Kender" <jrk@division.cs.columbia.edu> writes:

    I can't seem to keep an otocinclus alive in a small plexiglass
    aquarium.  There is no problem in my 29 gallon glass aquarium.  Do
    they scrape off bits of plexi and get sick?  I recall a vague warning
    in Baensch about this.  Anyone have any comments?
    John

We've had up to 12 ottos in all three of our large tanks at one time
or another.  Currently each tank is down to 1 single otto and each one
has been around for quite a while now.  We thought they were fragile 
little things that died quickly, but now I think they are nasty little
sombitches and the strongest one kills off the rest.  

I could be wrong :-)

------
George
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria,alt.aquaria
From: anbo@wuee1.wustl.edu (Albrecht Jander)
Subject: Re: News Flash: Agro-Lite = 99c at PharMore
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis Mo.
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 14:21:45 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.075258.26549@Veritas.COM> oleg@veritas.com (Oleg Kiselev) writes:
>anbo@wuee1.wustl.edu (Albrecht Jander) writes:
>>Phillips Agro-Lite "The Flourescent Lamp for Growing Plants" are on sale
>>at PharMore for 99c a piece; various sizes.  So, those of you who use
>>those kinds of bulbs, go check it out.
>
>Is PharMore the chain that recently was involved in some financial scandals
>and was going/had gone into Ch. 11 reorganization?  That would explain the
>sale!

Sounds like a rumor I heard too.

>
>>P.S. I don't know if this is a nationwide thing, just bought a bundle of
>>     them in St. Louis, though.
>
>Time to dig through the newspaper adverts...  
>
>All sizes?! Hey, Albrecht, can you get me a few cases of those bulbs?  
>Especially the ever-elusive 3' ones...

Just buy some of the 4'ers and wash them in really hot water; maybe they
will shrink.   :-)

>-- 
>"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and 
>child." -- Dan Quayle
> 
>Oleg Kiselev                                             oleg@veritas.com
Albrecht


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Peltier was a cool dude!!
From: thk@tyres.asd.sgi.com (Tom Kong)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: How to catch fish in a reef tank?
Date: 28 Aug 92 20:57:05 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.

I would like to make my mini reef completely
fishless.  Any advice on how I can catch
the two fish currently in there without
tearing down the tank?

I spent an hour last night getting frustrated.
The clown fish seems bold enough that I think
I can entice it into a net by baiting.  The
hawkfish is shy enough as long as there is
any unfamiliar object in the tank, it
disappears into the rocks.

Thanks,

/tom
From: fssmith@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Greg Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: baby bubble coral
Date: 28 Aug 92 19:37:00 GMT
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


<    This morning I noticed a small, .75 inch diameter whitish green mass on
<the bottom of my 135 gallon reef tank.  Upon closer examination I was able to
<identify it as a small bubble coral.  It has a small mouth  at its center and
<it does not appear to have a calcareous base.  A long time ago a piece of a
<larger bubble coral started to elongate past the end of the coral base.  After
<a month or so the extended piece fell off and down into the rock work of the
<tank.  That piece became attached to a piece of dead organ pipe coral and
<continued to live for over a year.  Since then I had purchased a hard plate
<like coral and placed it in such a manner that it blocked most to all of the
<light reaching the small bubble coral.  About a month or so ago I noticed that
<the small bubble coral was no longer in its original position.  Perhaps the
<coral I noticed this morning was the piece that attached to the dead organ pipe
<coral and decided that it should seek a better home or perhaps or perhaps, less
<likely, one of the larger bubble corals in the tank released another baby.
<(Surely I would have noticed it). 

<    If I can find the baby bubble when I get home after work today, I will try
<to isolate it in a plastic mesh structure with a small rock inside for it to
<attach to.  I have used this method somewhat successfully for small pieces of
<xenia. 

    I thought I would update everyone on what happened.  I made a small 3 inch
by two inch by one inch deep basket out of the plastic canvas mesh they sell in
craft stores.  I glued the sides together with a hot glue gun.  I placed the
coral in a small depression in a piece of live rock and hung the basket
containing the live rock and baby coral from a piece of plexiglass such that
the coral was about 1 inch under the water surface and out of direct light from
the metal halides.  The coral was doing fine until I started trying to feed
it thawed frozen brine shrimp.  It appears that some of the shrimp didn't get 
eaten and started to rot.  The decay spread to the baby bubble coral and caused
it to rot also.

    Lessons learned...  Next time I will increase the current in the basket
by placing it in a different location.  I will also remove any food that has
not been eaten within an hour or so.  I occasionally find these small corals 
in the tank and now I am ready for them.

Greg Smith
Xref: sparky rec.aquaria:6800 alt.aquaria:4732