Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

I am really enjoying this newsgroup. I am a full-fledged newbie with
newsgroups per-say. I've attempted to scour over the various postings and
crash-coursing myself. It's been twenty years since I had the fish-bug. I
decided this month to setup a 55gal freshwater kit from Walmart. Spent
'round 350 thus far in decor and preps. It's home to a male and female
betta until I get my raise next month [on the 3rd ;( ] ...I'm alittle
overwhelmed at some of the new product lines for aquariums. I lost all my
fish bibles...and trying to remember what I knew and practiced with
fish-keeping, at times, hilarious, now that I've hit 45+ years.

I've planned on a pair of Discus but I can't understand the price jump from
, say, black angels. Are Discus are rare breed these days? Anywhoo..Its
great to jump back in the hobby again and to read your postings and
solutions.

MEAlston

Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

I wonder the same thing myself. I think part of it may be because
Discus are finicky in regards to water quality and habitat. Not quite
as simple (IMO) as rearing and keeping livebearers. I guess I kind of
view them as the Cadillac of FW fish... Very pretty, not really
uncommon, over priced and high maintenance.

Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

I'm boiling sand right now with the hope of killing off any unwanted
inhabitants before I 'scape the bottom of my tank. I wonder how long before
the tank will clear up since I don't have a canister filter yet?

Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

"MEAlston" wrote in message
...
I am really enjoying this newsgroup. I am a full-fledged newbie with
newsgroups per-say. I've attempted to scour over the various postings and
crash-coursing myself. It's been twenty years since I had the fish-bug.
I
decided this month to setup a 55gal freshwater kit from Walmart. Spent
'round 350 thus far in decor and preps. It's home to a male and female
betta until I get my raise next month [on the 3rd ;( ] ...I'm alittle
overwhelmed at some of the new product lines for aquariums. I lost all my
fish bibles...and trying to remember what I knew and practiced with
fish-keeping, at times, hilarious, now that I've hit 45+ years.

If you really want to be mind-boggled pick up TFH magazine and do some
Googling for Aquariums.

I've planned on a pair of Discus but I can't understand the price jump
from
, say, black angels. Are Discus are rare breed these days?

They've always been on the pricy side where ever I've lived. I never bought
any because they're too high-maintenance.

Anywhoo..Its
great to jump back in the hobby again and to read your postings and
solutions.

MEAlston

I'm glad you joined us. Hang out awhile....... :-)
--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Aquarium FAQ are at:
http://faq.thekrib.com/
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

MEAlston wrote:
I am really enjoying this newsgroup. I am a full-fledged newbie with
newsgroups per-say. I've attempted to scour over the various postings and
crash-coursing myself. It's been twenty years since I had the fish-bug. I
decided this month to setup a 55gal freshwater kit from Walmart. Spent
'round 350 thus far in decor and preps. It's home to a male and female
betta until I get my raise next month [on the 3rd ;( ] ...I'm alittle
overwhelmed at some of the new product lines for aquariums. I lost all my
fish bibles...and trying to remember what I knew and practiced with
fish-keeping, at times, hilarious, now that I've hit 45+ years.

Welcome. Ask as many questions as you like. Check out the FAQ
http://faq.thekrib.com and the archives at the Krib http://www.thekrib.com.

I've planned on a pair of Discus but I can't understand the price jump from
, say, black angels. Are Discus are rare breed these days? Anywhoo..Its
great to jump back in the hobby again and to read your postings and
solutions.

See if you can find a local discus breeder. You're likely to get better
prices than from a fish store. I think part of the price difference is
because discus require such high water quality. Most folks who breed
them have to invest in RO water and keep them in relatively large tanks
compared to angels. Shipping costs and losses are higher too. Were
discus cheap 20 years ago? They sure were expensive fifteen years ago
where I lived.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

Yeah...I think it was 'round 1983..when I picked out my first discus pair at
the local fish store. They were $5.99 then..the size of a nickel. They
survived two moves and passed on after 2 years of transporting them across
the country.

The very same pet store I mentioned above is still in operation...its close
to 30 miles away from where I live now. I have inquired about some blue
turquoise discus to be drop-shipped to my house. He guessed they would run
around 40 bucks each before the drop-ship. I didn't ask him what size they
would be..but from what I gather from other breeders and online vendors..it
seems they like to ship the discus around 2.75-3.00 inches in size. Must
have a greater tolerance for transport at that age..I dunno --

Was curious to whether I should opt for one of the new Bio-Wheel filters
rigs..(Penquin) or just stay with the Aqua-Tech 30/60 that came with the
kit. I plan on buying a diatom filter for periodical use and water clarity
and I will keep the 55gal tank's population to a bare. IE..the 2
bettas...pair of discus..pair of cories...lots of foliage.

Thanks for your attention. -ED

aquaria
 

Forgot the subject line detail...oops!

Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

MEAlston wrote:
Yeah...I think it was 'round 1983..when I picked out my first discus pair at
the local fish store. They were $5.99 then..the size of a nickel. They
survived two moves and passed on after 2 years of transporting them across
the country.

The very same pet store I mentioned above is still in operation...its close
to 30 miles away from where I live now. I have inquired about some blue
turquoise discus to be drop-shipped to my house. He guessed they would run
around 40 bucks each before the drop-ship. I didn't ask him what size they
would be..but from what I gather from other breeders and online vendors..it
seems they like to ship the discus around 2.75-3.00 inches in size. Must
have a greater tolerance for transport at that age..I dunno --

I've never even seen a nickel sized discus before and I worked in a fish
store for a while. I've seen nickel-sized angels and they're a pain in
the butt. Discus around 3" acclimate fairly easily so maybe that's why
they're shipped at that size.

Was curious to whether I should opt for one of the new Bio-Wheel filters
rigs..(Penquin) or just stay with the Aqua-Tech 30/60 that came with the
kit. I plan on buying a diatom filter for periodical use and water clarity
and I will keep the 55gal tank's population to a bare. IE..the 2
bettas...pair of discus..pair of cories...lots of foliage.

I wasn't sure what an Aqua-Tech 30/60 was so I typed it into Google.
The very first link has instructions on how to add Penguin BIO-wheels to
and Aqua-Tech 30/60. Apparently Aqua-Tech and Penguin filters are made
by the same company.
http://www.aquariumfish.net/informat..._filters_2.htm

BIO-wheel fiters are supposed to be nice. I've never bothered with them
for planted tanks because the plants provide plenty of surface area for
bacteria and also directly absorb ammonia.

It sounds like you'll have a beautiful setup.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

aquaria
 

"MEAlston" wrote in message
...
Forgot the subject line detail...oops!


Welcome Ed, if you're coming back after a long break, this might be of
interest to you (30 years of aquarium technology changes):
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/basics/changes/changes.shtml
--
www.NetMax.tk

Aquaria
 

This Aqua-Tech outside filter came with the aquarium kit. I looked up
the name and chased link after link 'till I realized it was a ghost
effort. Anyway..its a typical dual-filter deal..2 disposable Media
filters with integrated charcoal set behind a bio-mesh filter.

This kit from Walmart included the 55 tank, power filter, 2 hoods, 2
lights, fishnet, Tetra's staple food, thermometer, Tetra's
AquaSafe...$170.00 out the door. Picked up the stand there as
well-$83.00..grabbed 70# of pea gravel, some plants (plastic), some
Cycle..dug around back and found a couple petrified wood-rocks and had
it up and running in a couple of hours. I confess to being a clean-freak
so I have to curtail my ambitions at time to remember that the tank can
handle itself if properly populated and maintained.

Thanks for reminding me about the foliage providing surface area for the
bacteria..my clean-freak side would end up with a filter and cleaning
regiment that would surpass our own drinking water here!!

I live in a rural community..no traffic lights..one cop on the couch, a
dollar-general and a grocery store(yawn). We basically watch the winds
blow here in West Alabama. But that's cool these days. It's either
Columbus, MS or Tuscaloosa, AL for my aqua needs so I rely alot on the
net and UPS. Foster and Smith have a nice catalog.

I'm somewhat lost on the "Aquaria" being placed in the subject
field...but I will try to remember to do so.
Thanks for the reply and the link..its rewarding and humbling to find a
newsgroup that's polite and attenative- ED

aquaria
 

Yeah..I stumbled on your site not long ago when I felt the fish-bug
coming back. I got myself in these crash-courses on fish and news
groups. I got it marked in the browser. Appreciate the invite.

aquaria
 

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:32:58 GMT, MEAlston
wrote:

Yeah..I stumbled on your site not long ago when I felt the fish-bug
coming back. I got myself in these crash-courses on fish and news
groups. I got it marked in the browser. Appreciate the invite.

You don't need to put the word Aquaria in the subject line of your
Usenet messages. What you were looking at was related to someone's
personal email, I believe. Frankly, I don't understand it either, but
I know it doesn't apply to the group's messages. It would get pretty
boring if every topic was "aquaria".

-- Mister Gardener

Everything Aquaria & Tropical Fish at The Krib:
http://www.thekrib.com/

Aquaria
 

MEAlston wrote:
This Aqua-Tech outside filter came with the aquarium kit. I looked up
the name and chased link after link 'till I realized it was a ghost
effort. Anyway..its a typical dual-filter deal..2 disposable Media
filters with integrated charcoal set behind a bio-mesh filter.

This kit from Walmart included the 55 tank, power filter, 2 hoods, 2
lights, fishnet, Tetra's staple food, thermometer, Tetra's
AquaSafe...$170.00 out the door. Picked up the stand there as
well-$83.00..grabbed 70# of pea gravel, some plants (plastic), some
Cycle..dug around back and found a couple petrified wood-rocks and had
it up and running in a couple of hours. I confess to being a clean-freak
so I have to curtail my ambitions at time to remember that the tank can
handle itself if properly populated and maintained.

Thanks for reminding me about the foliage providing surface area for the
bacteria..my clean-freak side would end up with a filter and cleaning
regiment that would surpass our own drinking water here!!

*grin* It's not hard to surpass my rotten drinking water. I'm sure
your discus will appreciate your dedication to water quality. You know,
you could add a second small Penguin bio-wheel. NetMax (one of our
friendly, local gurus) is a big fan of splitting filtration between two
filters. That way you can alternate cleaning them and you've got a back
up if one fails.

I love how live plants improve the water quality. You will need to add
more lighting to get much to grow. IIRC, those two-hood 55 gallon tanks
only have a total of 40 watts of light. You can grow anubias, crypts,
java fern, and that's about all. You'll need at least 80 watts of light
for swordplants and common stem plants. You can get that much from a
cheap four foot shoplight - the kind with two tubes.

I live in a rural community..no traffic lights..one cop on the couch, a
dollar-general and a grocery store(yawn). We basically watch the winds
blow here in West Alabama. But that's cool these days. It's either
Columbus, MS or Tuscaloosa, AL for my aqua needs so I rely alot on the
net and UPS. Foster and Smith have a nice catalog.

They do have a nice catalog, but they always seem a bit pricey. Have
you tried http://thatpetplace.com? I find their prices reasonable and
the service has always been good.

I'm somewhat lost on the "Aquaria" being placed in the subject
field...but I will try to remember to do so.
Thanks for the reply and the link..its rewarding and humbling to find a
newsgroup that's polite and attenative- ED

No - that's if you want to email me. My bad. I guess I should make
that clearer. For the most part, you want to leave the subject line
alone on Usenet so that people can follow threads. I have my email
account set to filter out anything that doesn't have aquaria in the subject.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

Aquaria
 

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:26:58 GMT, MEAlston
wrote:

This Aqua-Tech outside filter came with the aquarium kit. I looked up
the name and chased link after link 'till I realized it was a ghost
effort. Anyway..its a typical dual-filter deal..2 disposable Media
filters with integrated charcoal set behind a bio-mesh filter.

Aqua-Tech is a Walmart private brand, the stuff is made by Marineland,
or so it seems from what I've bought so far. Parts are
interchangeable, quality is the same.

subject field misnomer
 

Roger that and a big thanks..

aquaria
 

Mister Gardener wrote:
On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:32:58 GMT, MEAlston
wrote:

Yeah..I stumbled on your site not long ago when I felt the fish-bug
coming back. I got myself in these crash-courses on fish and news
groups. I got it marked in the browser. Appreciate the invite.

You don't need to put the word Aquaria in the subject line of your
Usenet messages. What you were looking at was related to someone's
personal email, I believe. Frankly, I don't understand it either, but
I know it doesn't apply to the group's messages. It would get pretty
boring if every topic was "aquaria".

You know, you could have said something about my .sig being
incomprehensible months ago! Has everyone been snickering behind my
back this whole time? ;-)

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to email me.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

aquaria
 

"Altum" wrote in message
et...
Mister Gardener wrote:
On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:32:58 GMT, MEAlston
wrote:

Yeah..I stumbled on your site not long ago when I felt the fish-bug
coming back. I got myself in these crash-courses on fish and news
groups. I got it marked in the browser. Appreciate the invite.

You don't need to put the word Aquaria in the subject line of your
Usenet messages. What you were looking at was related to someone's
personal email, I believe. Frankly, I don't understand it either, but
I know it doesn't apply to the group's messages. It would get pretty
boring if every topic was "aquaria".

You know, you could have said something about my .sig being
incomprehensible months ago! Has everyone been snickering behind my
back this whole time? ;-)

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to email me.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

Snicker behind your back? You're one of our local gurus! ;~)

Ed, there's a lot of talent here. We don't stand on ceremony too much,
and we don't always stay serious (like with the spelling of armoured
algae-eating catfish), but I'm sure you'll get used to us (though some,
like Mister Gardener, will take longer than others ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

aquaria
 

On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:23:25 GMT, Altum
wrote:

Mister Gardener wrote:
On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:32:58 GMT, MEAlston
wrote:

Yeah..I stumbled on your site not long ago when I felt the fish-bug
coming back. I got myself in these crash-courses on fish and news
groups. I got it marked in the browser. Appreciate the invite.

You don't need to put the word Aquaria in the subject line of your
Usenet messages. What you were looking at was related to someone's
personal email, I believe. Frankly, I don't understand it either, but
I know it doesn't apply to the group's messages. It would get pretty
boring if every topic was "aquaria".

You know, you could have said something about my .sig being
incomprehensible months ago! Has everyone been snickering behind my
back this whole time? ;-)

Oh my word, no. I didn't mean your sig was incomprehensible, I simply
assumed it had something to do with your email address, and never gave
it much thought. I'm not very good at deciphering the spam proofed
email addresses people use on Usenet, and was simply letting ED know
that it's OK not to catch on to some of the subtleties in Usenet
Netiquette.

Sorry if any offense was taken, none intended.

-- Mister Gardener

aquaria
 

Mister Gardener wrote:
On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:23:25 GMT, Altum
wrote:

You know, you could have said something about my .sig being
incomprehensible months ago! Has everyone been snickering behind my
back this whole time? ;-)

Oh my word, no. I didn't mean your sig was incomprehensible, I simply
assumed it had something to do with your email address, and never gave
it much thought. I'm not very good at deciphering the spam proofed
email addresses people use on Usenet, and was simply letting ED know
that it's OK not to catch on to some of the subtleties in Usenet
Netiquette.

No offense intended and none taken on this side either. I reread my
..sig and sure enough, it was clear as mud. I meant to poke fun at
myself, not you!

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to email me.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

aquaria
 

On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 18:52:42 GMT, Altum
wrote:

Mister Gardener wrote:
On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:23:25 GMT, Altum
wrote:

You know, you could have said something about my .sig being
incomprehensible months ago! Has everyone been snickering behind my
back this whole time? ;-)

Oh my word, no. I didn't mean your sig was incomprehensible, I simply
assumed it had something to do with your email address, and never gave
it much thought. I'm not very good at deciphering the spam proofed
email addresses people use on Usenet, and was simply letting ED know
that it's OK not to catch on to some of the subtleties in Usenet
Netiquette.

No offense intended and none taken on this side either. I reread my
.sig and sure enough, it was clear as mud. I meant to poke fun at
myself, not you!

OK. How's this: Poke Poke! Better?

-- Mister Gardener

aquaria
 

Mister Gardener wrote:
On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 18:52:42 GMT, Altum
wrote:

No offense intended and none taken on this side either. I reread my
.sig and sure enough, it was clear as mud. I meant to poke fun at
myself, not you!

OK. How's this: Poke Poke! Better?

Hey! That tickles! ;-)

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to email me.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

Really Nice Aquarium Audience
 

Discus cost about $30-$45 from some of the on-line stores for 2.5" -
3". The cost of S&H is about $60-70, up to 9 discus can be sshipped.

I have 11 of them in a 125 g tank and bought all of them on line (I
bought 12 and lost one 6 months ago)

For Discus, you need water change at least once a week, maybe twice
would be better. You also need to have soft and acid water (PH 7 or
lower). Higher temp (82 at least, I keep mine at 87). Good food. An UV
unit will go long way to keep them healthy.

If you can meet that, you should be fine. Make sure you tank is mature
first befor you buy the discus.

Yeah...I think it was 'round 1983..when I picked out my first discus pair at
the local fish store. They were $5.99 then..the size of a nickel. They
survived two moves and passed on after 2 years of transporting them across
the country.

The very same pet store I mentioned above is still in operation...its close
to 30 miles away from where I live now. I have inquired about some blue
turquoise discus to be drop-shipped to my house. He guessed they would run
around 40 bucks each before the drop-ship. I didn't ask him what size they
would be..but from what I gather from other breeders and online vendors..it
seems they like to ship the discus around 2.75-3.00 inches in size. Must
have a greater tolerance for transport at that age..I dunno --

Was curious to whether I should opt for one of the new Bio-Wheel filters
rigs..(Penquin) or just stay with the Aqua-Tech 30/60 that came with the
kit. I plan on buying a diatom filter for periodical use and water clarity
and I will keep the 55gal tank's population to a bare. IE..the 2
bettas...pair of discus..pair of cories...lots of foliage.

Thanks for your attention. -ED