Finned friends

Re fluoride and chloride evaporating, chloride does evaporate but fluoride interacts with calcium in the water and becomes calcium fluoride.

Calcium leaches out of aquarium gravel and sand, where it comes in contact with the fluoride, and bingo ya've got xtra problems 'cos most town water supplies are already "hard" with calcium.

To test your gravel for leaching, take a small quantity of the dry gravel, in a glass, fill with white vinegar and watch to see if bubbles fizz out of it. If it does, best to use waterfilter gravel and sand, expensive but should be safe.

Flter through peat to acidify water if your test shows too blue, through charcoal to improve alkalinity if your test is too far on the yellow. Better than making big frequent waterchanges imo

oops modify: Never wash a sponge filter with hot water, or let it dry out. That kills the wee bugs that help in cleaning the water.

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From about 1945, my stepfather was a commercial breeder of coldwaters and I collected the daphnia and mosquito larvae for his breeders from wild ponds at Opihi, near Timaru. That is where I first kept whitebait in a tank.

Apart from the 7 years my dear departed and I spent as gypsy lifestylers, until recently I always had some sort of fish as part of the household.

When we retired in '86 I took up tropicals breeding as a hobby and made a bit of pocket money and paid the power bill as a result. Had 24 tanks of various sizes, started accidentally with neon tetras in a community tank and my crowning glory eventually was to be the first South islander and the second NZedder to raise a brood of Discus. 100 babies first brood = $1000 .

I' on holiday mode for the last 3 weeks, when I get back in the groove I will look out some pics. I did a video diary of bristlenose cats breeding, put it on disc, could make a copy if anyone wanted it .... if I can find it. I think there's one of the Discus too, somewhere.