Fish Paradise Centrepoint BU

This in my humble opinion really is one of the better/nicer, comfortable LFS specializing in aquatic plants. Being smack right in Centrepoint BU, one could do lunch and then go fish-a-shopping afterwards, that's what you call convenience! Did i mention, right beside the entrance to Fish Paradise is Mc'Ds?? Tea anyone? :P

As you approach the shop, you'd notice a hugely, nearly 5 feet plus aquarium that frames the entrance! This was the tank to gawk at last time, unfortunately, they've re-landscaped it, and its not as great; that being said... it's still spectacular to have a big tank as such in your living room, sheer bliss... *sigh* 

I really wonder how much that front tank woulda cost if this really small, 1 feet aquarium would cost RM350! Javaferns and christmass moss only woh!! Here are more planted tanks.

A really beautiful red discus... and an angel fish, in a planted tank :) 

They've got some really nice setup. And if i'm not mistaken they've been around quite a while, maybe from the beginning of the new wing of Centrepoint. Prices too are quite resonable, but obviously don't buy fishes in a aquascaped tank unless you're inclined to support them :) 

Does anyone know what's the name of this beautiful cousin of the swordplant?

By the way, does anyone notice the blue smallish lil' coloured thingie swimming around?! Engrossed was i with the plants, I did too notice the huge neon tetra school...ala the deep south american jungles,  a perfect biotope! What can i say, i'm in love with these tanks :P but i kinda love money more n won't wanna spend on metal-halide lamps, eheim filters, blinking expensive ikan billis :) lol... Maybe when the Good Lord blesses and the whole world isn't suffering famine and genocide, dang... did i wake up on the wrong side of the bed today or something?!

Got this off MACC, thanks Dom :) G105b, Ground Floor, Centrepoint Bandar Utama, Persiaran Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 603-7729 1989 
Email: fishparadise.kl@gmail.com

2feet Aquatic PTS 5.0 - *FAILED*

It's been months trying to find nerite snails to placate my algae problems. These days, I grow algaes it seems!! :P Thanks to the fact the our weather has been previously hot and the change in the sun's position... my tank has not been getting enough light at all! hence the bad bloom of algaes! Name 'em and i'd probably have them at this stage!! lol :P 

Even with extra CO2, insufficient light'd causes the glosso to reach for the sky! Notice the driftwood behind, they're all totally covered with staghorns and even the blackbeard's blooming!

Only thing stopping me from tearing the entire setup down is that unfortunately, i don't have the time and i'm also currently using this tank as a nursing bay for a cichlid suffering from intestinal problems! The other good thing about growing algaes, especially good healthy green staghorns is that i get to supplement my cichlids with greens! Omnivoures that they are, i'm hoping this would keep their diet on the healthier side...

And people ask me why I take photos of the aquarium at night... Obviously it's a mess, lol! Alas, till the sun comes back up proper, i'd have to make do... or tear the entire thing down again, sigh....

88 Petsmart Sunwaymas - 'in search of the mighty nerite'

It's a long over-due post, sorry! I've been caught up with stuff and unfortunately this blog took a secondary priority :)  Also, my tank has been swarmed by all sorts of algaes! I've got pre-dominantly staghorns, green and blackbeards all over my tank. Even with up-ping the co2 dosage didn't even put a dent in its growth! All this i think may be 'cause by the past few weeks really hot weather, water temperature was really high... alas, the problem with setting an aquatic tank outside one's home. Well, lesson learnt!

So i've been thus looking for a bunch of nerites. SLS didn't have stock and other big fishshops were also short! Made a trip to 88 petsmart to also check it out. 

Oh and i've read somewhere that some pond snails are actually nerites....ehh?! Well, time to go snail hunting again!! 

They've got quite a good aquascaped setup and most stuff required can be purchased there. Nerite's not really a familiar name and i ended up asking for snails that eats algaes :P Which works and i realise most people knows them as algae-eating snails! RM3.50's the approx. normal price too. 

Battalions of SAE awaiting taking flight and coming to an aquarium near you!

Don't you just love a tank with cherry shrimps... lots of them too :)

This looks a bit alternative though...like the idea about bricks by James Maslin, brilliantly beautiful...anyone? :) lol!

Seeing these tanks, makes me wonder if i shoulda listen to convention and kept my tank indoor.... ergh! I need to update the newer tank pics to explain how bad it's gotten! Good thing about having a algae production centre is that you'd get unlimited amounts of good green chlorophyll with loads of fiber, great stuffs to add to your cichlids diet! I've been taking chunks of it and feeding my other cichlid tank and they've happily gulped it down :) None has died as yet though :P lol...afterall, cichlids are supposedly omnivours and would usually scavage and eat plant matter in their natural environment. Maybe i've ultimately killed some of them because of a heavy meat diet throughout... so, let's see how this goes!

This is the terranium setup... love the misting. They've also got a few terranium tanks that you can purchase if you're into them.  I did enquire and they do custom size tanks upon your request. a 6feet monster, could cost you approx RM600.  Not too bad, considering I purchase my 4.5feet 5 years ago, a RM350. 

Lastly, was tempted to purchase this lil' clump of anubias. Considering i've got a algae plague, it'd be a waste of money till i get everything sorted out...

Obviously, i don't need to mention what they'd have and all, especially since i've got a URL that u can check out with contacts and other details :) Yes, i am dat lazy! Oh yeah, anyone wanna start a fish business should go check out this offer!

Office / Outlet :
No. 20 & 22 Jalan PJU1/3D
Sunwaymas Commercial Centre
47301 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan 

Tel : 603-7805 4478
  603-7805 4479 
Fax : 603-7806 2278
E-mail : factory@88marine.com
  enquiry@88marine.com
URL : www.88petsmart.com

Taman Desa Panmee - Restaurant Sepetang

If you're ever in the area, drop by Taman Desa to try this bowl of panmee! This gerai (hawker stall) has been around quite awhile, i've eaten here back in 2005 i think! Their speciality really is a really good brothful bowl of noodles with lots of mince pork meat and condiments. Portions really is huge, so order at your discretion. 

A double engine :) Two panmee rollers, and i shoulda taken a shot of the noodle block, it was before lunch when we arrive and it looked like they've gone through 10% of it only. It's huge, nearly a foot long and a probability of making tons of noodles :) You could see a glimpse of it right behind the right roller! Business is good!Restaurant Sepetang is really a nice place, albeit it's a coffee-shop and non-a/c but it's spacious and it opens up to the back alley where most would sit and enjoy the cold breeze. We'd usually order and move on to the back!And as always, a cuppa cham or "tea-coffee mix", one for the missus, another for me :)

Most other times, we'd eat a soup bowl 'pulled' instead of 'yao' or thin as really the only way to enjoy good soupy panmee is 'pulled' as you'd taste the noodles more (As per the Klang's Fatty Mee). Somewhat like eating the usual spagetti bolognese instead of angelhair bolognese... somehow, u don't taste the pasta as well (IMHO). If you're wondering what's 'pulled' and 'yao' means, i wrote about it earlier here!

Oh yeah! Of course... the neccesary 'evils' :) A compulsory big bowl of vegetables!! :)

I kinda took this photo half way digging into the bowl. That's half the amount of meat i had in mine! So for the meat lover, do expect chunks of mince pork in your noodles :)

This is the dry big version. It's great with lots of chillies so ensure that they've given you enough. I'd usually dump a whole sauce-bowl in and would need more to go :P  

The humble pounded chilli belacan sauce, simple yet the best thing ever for a big bowl of panmee. Doesn't look that great though, but really... it'd spice up your meal alright! :P

All in all, we ordered two big bowls and an extra bowl of vegie and the bill came up to RM9! Yeap, it's really good/economical/healthy/and have i mentioned cheap too? :P A hearty cheap meal in Klang Valley. So here's a map to the location, unfortunately the shop doesn't have other details or days off mentioned! If anyone do know, please comment yah! 

Sri Kembangan Prawn Panmee

 It's humbling to think about how the panmee's simple beginnings in malaysia where poor folks those days would eat them as a staple meal. So the story goes as how i'd remember my parents telling me that during the japanese occupancy in Malaysia, people were in hiding and were staying in the jungles. There wasn't much to eat and they would plant tapioca. The chinese folks would cook noodles made out of flour from the tubers with simple condiments. The idea behind eating panmee is that because you're starting out with a block of knead-dough, which one could either make strings of noodles or pulled to size, you can prepare it as and when it's needed, however you'd want them. A good panmee shop starts your noodles from that block which they'd cut a section to make your portion from. Bad panmee is shops which have them already prepared, urgk! They'd end up having to over-salt or end up putting too much sauces and oil to make their bowl edible!

 Hence a soup base of anchovies, adding the ever available sweet leaf which grows so easily and meat slivers, a simple and nourishingly conforting  bowl of noodles was served! Those days, only the poorer folks would eat panmee. The original recipe did come from China but it really is something to think about how far it has travelled, taste-wise becoming a dish with many different nuances to satisfy the populace. These days, the malaysian folks are eating more and more panmee as a healthier alternative with no or less MSG and lots of vegetables. Chillie panmee being healthy?! Maybe not to your stomach :P

 Thus far, if u're going to be eating a basic dry panmee, this place really does serves up a really scrumptious meal! The best way to enjoy this version of the panmee, is to order it with extra everything or in cantonese, to tell them "ka-lieu" (add ingredients). I'll always have the dry-version (kon-lou) and that the noodles are thin (yao). Typically, panmee comes in 3 versions; thin (yao),  thick (chou) and pulled (meet)... :P Depending on shops and also preference, one could order panmee and have them in different ways :) So, here's what you'd have to tell the cook when you wanna order! kon-lou, yao meen, sai... kah lieu! :P lol!! tai means big and sai is for small. Oh and yeah, meen is noodles in cantonese. This will ensure that u'd get all the good-stuff

 Don't forget your dose of vegetables! Here, you can order a separate bowl of vegetables. They'd also have fish paste-stuffed beancurd (fpsb) which goes brillantly with your bowl of vegies. I'd usually make a separate order of one piece of  fpsb in a bowl of vegetables! Sorry, no pictures though... missed this one, was too hungry! You could also order sui-gau which is seasonal! The bowl is served with a number of big prawns and comes with extra chrispy anchovies and sambal belacan on the side.  The first time i tried this place, i actually ate yee-mee instead and never realised their speciality is the panmee! Over a period of time and a colleagues insistent to try panmee, we took a drive out to Sri Kembangan! That was nearly 5 years back and as they'd say... the rest is history! 

All in all, a small bowl of noodles, with extra ingredients plus another bowl of vegie will set you back less then RM8, approx as i can't remember ever ordering a single order and remember what the tab was in the end!! Here's the map to the location. It's house no. 800! It's quite difficult to find as the shop's really in the heart of Sri Kembangan! :) Hopefully, the map does help though!

2feet Aquatic PTS 4.0

Latest addition to my planted tank! :P Purchase a pair of killifishes from AI the other day. Their colours are so remarkable and they really do bring out the best in your aquarium. I wished i had enough for a school of killis and it'd be fun to see 'em breed! The planted tank is doing well, glosso growing up quite fast! Whoever says you can't plant glosso with sunlight only! :P 

I've decided to trim back a whole load of plants, seeing as the water has stabilized. I've cut out all the pennyworts and removed a clump of water poppies. Threw out the mosaic plant too as it'd was loosing to the water poppies! I never knew the water poppies could overwelm the entire tank. I've got shoots nearly 1.5feet in lenght! Never did see this sorta growth in my waterpots! I've yet to see flowers, though having a few buds growing. Wonder if it's a water-level thingie, and the bud have to be outta the water quickly! Will try to get one out and see :P This photos were before the trimming began though, more photos in later updates :)

So yeah...lots of snails around :P I've even added a version of the trumpet snails, was told they'd be good to churn your substrate! Obviously, the LFS i got them from hates them, n were giving 'em away to me for free!! Experiment away i will :)

New yamatos acclimatising to the new environment :) 

And lastly, here's a pic of the baby wagtail! 

I did lose a pair of swordtails and a wagtail, this tank needs a water change every 2 weeks. In my excitement, i made two water-changes in a day... n that has caused me a killi fish... *sob* *sob*! I was moving my tank nearer into the sunlight! Have learnt a valuable lesson not to purchase fishes till tank is good to go! Lets hope the other guy survives...