Updates

Update on the New Filter
Okay so the new filter has been in for a few days and wow what an improvement! I have to say, this filter is awesome, with the biggest problem being the spray bar- it's noisy :P

I thought the old Heto filter was doing okay, and it was just okay but the JHW is really very good. I will be checking the levels soon since I changed all the tanks at last (have had swine flu so I have been really sick for the last 2 weeks).

The Heto is doing better in the little 5 foot tank with only 20 fish in it so all round it has been a success.

Warmer Weather Approaches
The only thing I am starting to worry about now is that soon the cooler weather will be over and I will need to deal with the hot weather and the outside tanks as I don't think my partner is going to let me have the 5 footer inside and there is no way I can afford a chiller unit for it and I am not sure what to do when the patio gets to 45C (thoughts of kicking the kids outside and moving the tanks inside??).

Getting Jiggy with It
I just went outside and my big blue Peacock male is dancing around with yet another female. All the other fish are stuck up one end of the tank while he and his girl dance away at the other end. Woe to any of the others who dares come within a foot of the end he is. The only one who dares to come over is the Northern Blue as he is the alpha of the tank and he wanders over just in time to slow the dance down and make for one very frustrated Aulonocara.
So now there are two Peacock females holding as well as the Northern Blue girl in the outside tank.

Unfortunately, the only thing happening in the inside tank is the Rusty males are going at each other, probably because they all want some action from the only known female Rusty in the inside tank.

Bristlenoses
Though having said that I am reminded that the Marbled BN are cosying up together lately and have the look like they are seeking out suitable accommodation for egg laying. Sadly spots are in short supply as I haven't planned on BN's needing a cave yet. Also it looks as though the Albino BN are M/F too with one of them getting bristles and the other decidedly lacking in that department even though they are the same age and size, so fingers crossed there too. The Marbled are a good 10cm long so are definitely the right size for pairing up. The Albino are about 8cm so are probably a little young yet to get frisky but there is still hope for them when they get a bit bigger.
Time will tell on the normal BN as to how many of each we have, with a known 9 of them (technically 14 but I can only find 9 atm) we should have plenty of pairings up down the track.
For some reason the Marbled and the Albino have grown well yet the commons have been slower to mature with none of them from the early batches getting any bristles whatsoever despite the first pair being the same age as the Marbled and Albino.

4 foot tank Readings
pH 7.4
Ammonia 0.0 ppm
Nitrate 10 ppm
Nitrite 0.0 ppm
GH 10- 179 ppm
KH 5- 89.5 ppm

5 foot tank Readings
pH 7.4
Ammonia 0.0 ppm
Nitrate 20 ppm (slightly elevated)
Nitrite 0.0 ppm
GH 13- 232.7 ppm
KH 7- 125.3 ppm

5 foot Tan tank Readings
pH 8.2
Ammonia 0.0 ppm
Nitrate 10 ppm
Nitrite 0.0 ppm
GH 10- 179 ppm (slightly lower than usual but alkaline salts not added yet)
KH 9- 161.1 ppm (as above)

Tests were done with a new API Master Test Kit so are probably more accurate than other readings.