Beaz

We have noticed the pollini has started eating FLAKES, I have still been giving him crickets, but the other fish get a large variety of foods- which he avoids. The crickets eat alot of the FKC bloodworm and brineshrimp fish food flakes from QLD (My favourite flake food by far) and we're guessing they must have started tasting/smelling like the FKC flakes, because mr. pollini just started grazing on flakes one night and has done ever since. The bloodworm flavour got him more than brine shrimp flavour, and I swear the crickets eat heaps more of it than the fish. I suppose I should feed the crickets Hikari pellets now....

Well, I'm down to 5 rasboras. He didn't eat them all, I found one stuck behind driftwood, one jumped out, and one floater. One or two were not as full bodied as the rest, so I assume they were genetically weak and they needed to go anyway. I've been giving the pollini the odd bait worm which he seems to like.

https://i.ibb.co/ypRdPhZ/Fish.jpg UPDATE: Well, I lost 4 rasboras last week. It was inevitable I spose. I blame Covid. I had a delay with my last cricket delivery due to Aus.Post Express being swamped, and I don't know when it'll be safe to re-order. I ran out, so I threw him 2 or 3 Hikari golds today. I pretended they were crickets and pegged them at the water for a bit of a splash and he hit 'em and swallowed before he realised. So here goes, hope he takes to fish food easily.

The only tip I can think of, you are probably aware of also, is to use human passenger/s to hold the little fellas to act as a shock/inertia absorber for the gentlest ride.

I have done this, both with and without air and the fish were fine. Done 8hr, 4 hr, and a few 1-2 hr drives. They might get cold this time of year in the car, I'd just keep the car heater on to help, fill out boxes gaps with newspaper, make sure boxes cannot fall off car seat if you emergency brake! Afew drops of Prime may be a great idea, especially if you use oxygen, but I don't think 02 be needed unless there are heaps of fish in the bags. one hour is not too long. The prep. at the destination beforehand is key. Good luck!

Well, I had a bit of a look and I am going to have to upgrade my heaters. My (what I thought were good) probably made in china heaters are rated at 1w per l. aprox. The 300w heater these guys make says it's capable of 600 - 1000l. now that's a good heater. Laughed out loud this time! @MattG_Sydney Thanks mate.

@Skippy Yes I am using a canister and I do like the idea of inline heating, my Mrs brought it up the other day actually. We are unsure of the efficency of them in cold climates. I only have heard of Hydor? Brand. something like that. I suspect I'd need a really big one (could you only use one?). I'll need to do research, but yes this would be good. I've looked up DIY inline heating in the past. Far out, I could spend alot more than $40. @MattG_Sydney you gave me an idea - I'll check out what people from places that have proper cold winters overseas do. I wonder if they use Eheim heaters. (or kettle elements ha.) It's a community tank. one Pollini and Harlequin Rasboras mostly.

I have to do this every summer, during prolonged hot spells I can unplug both and the tank stays nice and hot - I sometimes rely on cooler night temps to get the tank to drop a degree or two, although I found a pedistal fan over the surface the most effective cooling. More watts would help get the temps up in winter for sure, but I'd like to avoid having 3 heaters in there simply for looks, It'd be fine if I had a sump though, maybe I need 2 x 400w.? I haven't turned up the heaters yet this winter (tanks at 22). If I crank them to 30 or so I should get 24 - 25 at least, I hope. I might try out the thermostat, for $40 it's an experiment I'd like to try. If a heater ever fails in the on mode it'll save my stuff from cooking too, I think (only ever had this happen once with a cheapy about 15 years ago) Sorta some safety thingy maybe. I also like the idea of an external LCD interface to fiddle with. I'll post an update, after I decide if it was a dumb idea or not. @adamgatt It does sound alot simpler to have heaters set for winter temps, then unplug as needed as the year warms up. The thermostat might give me more precice/accurate control though?

Mate 😀 Sorry to ramble on, I hope all this makes some sense. I got a giggle out of this, sorry mate. Yes, of course. 600w heating 600l. I live in an extreme climate, in winter it's sub zero and summer cranks above 40, so I have huge ambient temp swings. (50deg) If I don't move the dial on my winter temps in the tank sink to 22, then as it warms up to summer the tank temps raise to more like 30. During hot spells, sometimes higher (but thats a separate issue - I have been known to use a fan on the surface to cool the tank.), so at times during the year I find myself needing to turn the heaters up or down. If the heaters are at 28 on their dial in winter I'll sink to 22-23, but in summer it's gonna be 28 (too hot). It's like I need another heater in winter, but I thought I'd use the inkbird to blast the heaters in winter. I'd like to dial the 2 300w heaters up full bore to max (Danger?) and rely on the inkbird to simply turn them up and down seasionally with precision!! - they need to work very hard in winter (heating 600l.) The colder it is, the greater the difference between actual tank temps and heater dial temps. It's really just to easily turn up my heaters in winter without touching them, then as they need to work less in hot weather I need to dial them back down. Have I fallen down a rabbit hole - yes..

I have been looking at getting an Inkbird thermostat, but I am unsure which model would be best, there seems to be 2 or 3 versions of each model. I only want one to adjust temps without getting wet. I don't NEED datalogging or wifi (but that could be cool). Been looking at ITC-306T, no frills - just to do the one job. Does anyone use them? Anyone dislike them? Is there a particular model to be avoided? Is a metal or rubber probe better? Ive' never used a rubber probe long term in my tank before, but assume depending on the grade of rubber it'd be fine (like suction caps etc..). In saying that has anyone had experience with rust or corrosion with metal probes with this brand? Cheers!

No mate, I have not tried too hard as of yet 🙂 he's on the crickets still, hard. I don't raise them myself, but get 600 at a time from Biosupplies and they live a cosy life here in a spare tank eating veges oats cardboardand good quality fishfood and each other (I guess because some legs seem to go missing). They live for weeks and weeks. I am keen to try to make them "hold" a pellet for me when I feed them to him and see how that works, as Link2Hell has mentioned. I recon It'll be a bit of fun at the very least. The Rasboras are all still there too. It's great.

In this vid he has no R/G/B tube (I think?). You have to have one of those for the full spectrum / night mode feature. I got myself 2 tubes - one R/G/B, and one white (cannot remember the specs on the white one), I have these at 3 ft. on my 5 ft. tank at under 50% power and they grow plants low tech for me fine. I used to have the lights on a 3 fter and the light output was Awesome. If you order from them, I highly reccomend the R/G/B tube too.

@MattG_Sydney Mate I do use their version 1 tubes they made a few years ago, but they have updated to new stuff since, which looks great. I like the panels. As far as the tubes go, they perform like on day one after about 6 years, no wear and tear (water/ rust/ calcium marks) at all. They have heaps and heaps of control options, I use the 24hr. programable controller. I'm pretty sure the new version has an app. Yes, definately, I have the old controller box and I think it''s quality mediocre. A mate has the newer version control box, I will have a chat and try to compare. I'll try to post a pic - never done that before 😕

have you checked out MMLED Love their stuff.

OK, that's not too bad at all, plenty of time to order all the goodies to go with it. I'm jelly, CADE are beatiful.

How long do you have to wait?

Hi, I'm new here too. Your tank is really tidy! Super crisp look with that white rock, nice.

Hi Link, thanks for the pointers regarding the crickets, I'll try these methods, as you said, I think it's something that'll need time. I think he'd grow better, or have a more balanced diet on pellet food also? They started out as treats and quickly became the only thing he'll take - my fault. I'm worried I'm gonna have to starve him a bit to change him..not good. Sometimes I trick him and he'll eat a gulp of 1 or 2 pellets before he has realised what he hit, then he swims off in disgust, having already swallowd 'em - ha ha ha. I'm in no real hurry to change the crickets because his and the rasbora eating behaviour is so cool to watch. I have given him prawn meat, he'll take it with less enthusiasm, the rasboras get no bits (I need the David Attenbourough experience), and, help me out here, I have read that prawns get ich. The cautionary stories online about that...worry me, apparently pollini's are not good at fighting it off? I don't even know that it can even be transmitted to a tank this way, it hasn't happened to me (yet). Anyway, I'm wary but ignorant. I have been told a UV inline is a good thing to help prevent ich? I will endeavour to video feeding time, if I can get watchable footage I'll post it for sure.

Hi all. I am new to the forum, not to the hobby (I see it's pretty quiet, so I thought I'd just jump in) and I'm keen to hear what people think of my community tank stocking. I have a 5 x 2 x 2 display in the lounge room with a big driftwood feature, large rocks and crypts, java, anubus, amazon sword. Nice to look at, LCA fert. MMLED's My centrepiece fish is a single male pollini, less than 20cm so far (Trying to grow him big, but he only wants crickets (keen to discuss)) Now, this is where it seems counter-intuitive.... with him are a dozen harlequin rasboras (and others) The interaction between these fish is incredible, Pollini has never eaten anyone (yet). He totally ignores the rasboras, which is unbelieveable considering he only wants live crickets. In fact, when he eats, they come and crowd him to get any bits of cricket that come out of his gills ,and they get damn close to his mouth! This is the behaviour I wanted to share. It seems crazy but the interaction is like something you'd see on a nature docco - really cool to watch. My mate says madness I say genius. Any opinions?