Back from Australia trip

Tom Barr

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Jan 23, 2005
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I just got back yesterday.
Long flight(14 hours).

Very nice bunch down there.
As an aquarist, it really has a lot to offer for just going out into the bush and collecting beautiful aquarium fish and plants, rock, and wood collecting.

Pisces is an excellent plant nursery and hardscape/gravel vendor there.
Had a nice tour there, well run and nice supplies, many in the USA would be very envious.

I have not downloaded the pictures yet.

Lost one tank of fish due to a nasty fungal out break in a quarantine tank.
Other tanks did amazingly well. Raised the lights, and ran things very slow.
My advice works for me too.

Some good plant and fish shots.

Did not get to go up north, am already planning that trip for another year.
Needs serious planning to go out to such remote areas, but plans to be rather cool.

The folks are super nice down there.
Also got to travel a fair amount with Diana Walstad, a very sweet person.
The meeting was more along the lines of a Science seminar, and the topics where all quite good.


Will update more later.



Regards,
Tom Barr
 

scottward

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Oct 26, 2007
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Hi Tom! Good to see you back online, glad you enjoyed your trip. I was interesting in coming to your presentation in Brisbane but couldn't make it because it was my son's 3rd birthday on that day.

Look forward to photos and other details when you are less jet-lagged.

Sleep well!

Scott.
 

dantra

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Jun 3, 2007
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Hey Tom, its good to know you got back in one piece :D. I'm glad things worked out and I can't wait to live the trip myself through your photos. Oh, don't forget to show us the goodies you bought home for yourself.
 

PaulB

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Jan 24, 2005
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Melbourne, Australia
Hi Tom,

Good to hear you survived the long flight home and to hear you enjoyed yourself. Everyone i have spoken to who attended the conference enjoyed your presentation and the chance to talk with you.
I also belive your aquascaping demonstration at ANGFA Brisbane was well recieved going by some of the posts on our local forum - AquariumLife.

It was good to catch up with you and thanks for the PAR meter.

Cheers

Paul
 

Tom Barr

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Well, seems I left Sydney just in time prior to Hell on earth dust storm.
Here's Darling Habor:

Darlinghabour.jpg


Captain Cook's replica, Skyline and other boats there.

goby1114resized.jpg

Nice goby, roughly 20cm long caught real close from Sydney

Nice fire adapted plants in Karungai:

RedweedegrowinginOZ.jpg


Nice lori in the wild:
lori111.jpg


Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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Fresh caught local Rainbows from Brisbane:
Freshcaughtrainbows1-1.jpg


Elatine:
ElatineOz.jpg


Waterliliesinflower.jpg


Lots of Vals there and a 1/2 dozen other species.
Found some rare Myrios also, Oz has many species that have not been worked out taxanomically as of yet and many are not in the hobby.

I did not venture up north where 90% of the really cool plants are. Saw some nice Erio's at the meetings though. The 40$ per dinky plant type except they where not dinky.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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Steve does some neat stuff with Styrofoam waste:

redoneStevescastle.jpg


stevesgarden1.jpg


stevesshipwreck11.jpg


If you like to make model train landscapes, this is the medium for you.
He's got plastic plants though:)

Still, he does excellent work and is very good with the scapes.
Might give some plant folks a new insight with DIY backgrounds and scapes.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Philosophos

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Welcome back, Tom

Nice pictures. Is that goby FW? If so it's a nice break from the muddy browns.

If Steve ever decides to go live plant, he might be able to actually get rid of the cornball image anything man-made has in planted tanks right now. Any clue where he got that acrylic from?

I'm glad to hear your trip went well, sorry to hear about the quarantine tank.

-Philosophos
 

hydrophyte

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Aug 21, 2009
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Welcome back Tom.

Oh I remember that red-flowered plant form botany class, but I can't remember what it's called. Those rainbows are nice.

I want to go to Australia someday.
 

abellm

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Feb 26, 2006
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The Goby is a Crested Oyster Goby - Cryptocentroides gobioides - whilst it prefers salt water, it can be adapted to fresh.

The plant is a Waratah - Telopea speciocissima - in Proteaceae - it re-sprouts from a lignotuber after fire.

Regards,
Mark
 

hydrophyte

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Aug 21, 2009
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Proteaceae...that was on the tip of my tongue. I think that they occur in South Africa too and there are a number of them that are uniquely adapted to fire and to Meditteranean climates.
 

abellm

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Feb 26, 2006
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Brackish water would be ideal for the goby.

Many of the Proteaceae also have a special modification called "proteoid roots" which is designed to extract the nutrients from the low fertility soils that they are often found in. Many are killed by high phosphate fertilizers.
They also exhibit a number of differing strategies for fire tolerance.

Regards,
Mark
 

Tom Barr

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Good to see you here Mark, thanks again for the help and tour.
Made it really interesting.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

abellm

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Feb 26, 2006
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Tom Barr;41137 said:
Good to see you here Mark, thanks again for the help and tour.
Made it really interesting.

Glad you enjoyed it. It was a delight to show you around.
I picked up a few ideas as well that I'll give a try when I have some time.

Have fun...
Mark
 

montyII

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Apr 18, 2007
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The red flower is a Waratah (telopea speciosissima). It's New South Wales' state floral emblem.