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

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

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

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.