Greetings Fish gurus and fellow newbies

that price is for the 30 watt tubes, theyre not full stocked atm, so i'll try them again in a week or so, see if they got new stock in. yeah i know its a good price, i can buy nearly two tubes for the price of one at my nearest LFS.
right, so unless i can find them cheaper still -doubtful- i think my Very Expensive light problem is sorted for now thanks to henks tip.

Now, whos got they goods on cheap-priced but good filters that are -premade-? before a start sticking glass back into the tank that i just took out...
Reafer's suggestion looks good, but i might have that on the back burner and try to figure out how to make a small sump-like filter in a small seperate cube-tank or something, that i will probably do when the tank is operational and cycled and populated... when multi-syndrome settles in.

 

rite, i just tested the old HOB in a plastic dastbin, it still works. i just need something to prop the bottom away from the glass, it seems the little foot it had at the bottom is broken off, it sags to the back and will probably spill out if used as is... lets play Guess that Filter... does anyone recognize this filter make?

 

I will try aqua clear ....... were the foot is missing use a eraser with a little glue ... dad did that with his one

 

it looks alot alike, thats probably the make then, but the product pics differ a bit, possibly as the design differed over time.. does it need a lid or is it fine without?

another thing, this was originally on a tiny 54l tank, im guessing it'll do nearly squat for my current tank?

 

I would search the Tupperware cupboard for a lid and modify slightly ... I would add it to the tank cause if it is cycling water then it is helping with filtration.

 

i finally found a glass cutter today and had him cut me two long-side braces... inside of tank measured 88.8 cm, so i had him cut it that way, not wanting the braces to fit too loosely... i asked for 6 mm same as the tank, and 5cm wide...

turned out i arrived when all the help had gone to lunch, so he couldnt put a big sheet of 6mm on the table alone, also he had no offcuts the right length.. so he gave me safety glass instead.. but he had a long piece about 23 cm in width and dint have anything else he could do with the last 10 cm strip, so he cut me two strips from it, each 11,5 cm in width... when i got the strips home, the were 3 mm too long, sheeeez. so i took out my glass cutter and cut away a 3mm strip, which incidentaly isnt that easy that thin... and i broke the 3mm off, leaving the edge a bit jagged but managable. the first strip is now glued in and drying, i'll do the other side tomorrow.. then the cross braces to lay plates on, on sunday.. guess i'll be on my way to getting some sand tomorrow...

will load a piccy up quickly

 

hurrah for parents. Today i went out to buy sand for the tank, and a filter to get started with, my dad needed silica aswell to replace whats in the swimmingpool pump at the moment. so when we got to Wikkies, my dad bought three sand bags, and said he'll give me one for the tank!

so off we went to a place slojo mentioned to me off Zambezi road to get the filter, there my parents said they'd look around while i'm getting the filter, they're not gonna buy anything though.

i picked out a pennplax cascade 200 as the others looked a bit dodge? and the eheims more expensive looking, the filter turned out to be 80 rand cheaper than where i last looked...

then i also asked the clerk to help me with something to start off the cycle process once i get the tank up and running. he gave me sera bio nitrivec 100ml? (this any good you guys?)

and, since i cant fix the broken heater i wanted to get a new heater too.. now i didnt go for the expensive jagers, but i did get a hydor theo though which looked more reassuring than the 70 rand cheaper ones..

then the guy told me that id need to replace the filter inset for the cascade every month (seriously, really every month? i doubt it but i'll see how it goes...) so i got one pack of three filters to replace them..

already a pretty BIG friggin penny i went to the counter to pay, my parents (who werent planning on buying anything...) rocked up with three rawhide chew toys for the dogs, a ladder some sticks and a chew-thing for the african grey and a feeding bowl. They then offered to buy everything for me, i only have to pay for the filter (which was supposed to be all i came to buy)

So in the end, i got some of the necessities i needed thanks to parents. Yay. All i dished out was 330.00 which was quite kind to my (ned)bank-piggy

 

Glad you actually got more than what u paid for.

 

Ya..articles is a b!tch bru

 

Groot dankies Slo!

Sarf - you doing articles? I still need to find a place to do mine, that'll take me on while i do a masters too... (wanna specialize in cyberlaw)

 

btw, can anyone tell me, which testing kits are a must have? i almost fell over when i saw that a testing kit costs between 90-160 rand per chem, and a "full" kit around 300 or something, so i just wanna buy whats necessary, .... when is it necessary to buy a kit as well?

also, i just clicked on that icon that looks like crumpled paper and got a rep point, why is that? what is that?

 

Ferryman - If you go out and buy the SERA test strips they test for all the indicators on one strip - The secret is to buy the box of strips and then take a pair of scissors and cut each strip in half lengthways - Double your strips for the money !!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks for the tip! i'll look into it for sure. i was hoping those kinds of alternatives existed. i was expecting people to go "heathen! thou shalt not skimp out on the all important test kits in their various chemical and monetary values!"

 

yep...busy doing my articles now...masters in cyber law would be excellent...not many people have any qualifications in that specific part of law.dont think il be doing my masters just yet....B.com law, L.L.B and Law school have taken it,s toll..so gona take it easy for the next year and just work...and get more tanks

 

you brave person bcom llb..., i did one year of electronic engineering and then registered for law. you actually tackled b.com, good on you.

Did you do the law school at night in the second semester?

I'll probably have to tackle that next year as well... did you find article-firm easily enough? i need to find a firm that has a good deal of business in IP and maybe cyberlaw or IT law... apparently UCT has a masters in Cyberlaw, TUKS is still developing one, i'll do mine via correspondence from UNISA

 

Unfortunately test strips are not very accurate and easily contaminated.

I've been in this hobby for 34 years and tried all available kits and the only one I can recommend is the liquid test kit also by SERA.

http://www.sera-usa.com/home.php?cat=253

 

My apologies to whomever was offended by a term used in my above post for chinese branded equipment! sincerely, the shop clerk said it, and it just stuck in my head! sorry, i didnt take any notice when i posted!

On to progress...
The useless glass cube now has lateral bracing in place, tomorrow i'll do some cross braces to lay a glas "lid" on it to keep evaporation to a minimum.. i'm too 1)lazy and 2)inept with silicone to do good glass sliders, so i decided againts the possibility...

when its all dry i'll give it a light wash out, and then the sand and filtering cycling can start. then i can finally get somewhere with the tank.
lol, wish this were as easy as bonsai, at least there i feel like i know how to do with success...

i saw that kit you mentioned ryan, its 300 randish. i'll get that later on, i was looking at getting it today, but the stacked expenses stopped me