Caryl

I have never bought a branded tank but had mine built by a local glazier then had the cabinet built for it. More robust than those in shops and generally cheaper. Not having bought, or built, for many years though others may have a differing opinion or suggestions.

Try contacting the Tasman Aquarium Club. I am sure they can help you. Robin Ashley [email protected] 03 544 3116

Note the original question was asked in 2009. I wonder how many of the shops suggested are still in business?

Thank you for all that information. You seem to have 3 possible concerns - pyrethrin or detergent contamination and high nitrates. Any, or all, of these could be affecting your axolotls as they have permeable skin, not scales, so can easily be affected by poor water or added contaminants. We always had separate buckets that were used for nothing except water changes. They were kept away from other buckets and not where they were near detergents or anything. I would not expect a bucket bought from a shop that had them next to detergents would be bad enough to affect your axolotls though. I doubt the hose has caused problems. Best thing is to do daily partial water changes, using the new bucket (even if it was stored next to sprays etc) as, if the water has been contaminated or is high in nitrates, partial water changes will slowly correct the problem. Too much at once may be too big a shock for the axolotls.

Great photos! Apistos are lovely fish to keep.

I was stuffed with the 2nd question asking which group I was most interested in and the next question was how long I had been involved with these species. I have not kept any of the groups named (except 3 budgies & a sun conure years ago) or been involved with them. I finally decided I would express interest as (5) an enthusiast who was concerned about them in the abstract..

Thank you to all, especially maxx1, for all their work on this. It was not an easy task!

Are any other fish in the same aquarium showing signs of illness? Always test the water quality first. If this is fine and it is just the one fish, has she given birth recently? Swordtails, like guppies, tend to be pregnant non-stop and this causes strain on the females. Try and separate her to give her a rest. I would float a container with a bit of plant added in my main tank and clip it to the side with a peg if I wanted to keep it in place. Clear plastic is good but bear in mind, if you use a white, or light coloured container (like a 2L ice cream container) the fish will try and match its surroundings and turn very pale. This water will need changing daily, using water from the main aquarium, to keep it fresh. Add a bit of salt (about 1 level teaspoon per 4 litres). Apart from the spot and getting skinny, are there any other signs of illness? Does it stay at the top, or bottom, of the tank? Are the fins clamped? Are the fins ragged or split? Some of these could indicate a bacterial infection or parasite but if it is just one fish and the rest are fine, I think it more likely to be damage from birthing. Do you have any idea how old the fish is? Remember these fish only live 5 years max (often only 3 - 4yrs)

Is there a reason you want this particular substrate? Sorry I can't help with info as I've not heard of it before.

There's a Livebearers NZ Facebook page that mentions they are not available in NZ. Check the allowable import list.

True maxxi1 but there may still be people asking the same question and the answers will be different now, especially with AI. Has anyone tried designing an aquarium using AI and what sort of results did they get?

Never heard of them. Do you have the scientific name for them?

Sad to hear customers are still having issues a year after the first complaint was made here.

Sorry I can't help you with local spots.

Hi and welcome. Someone else with lots of excellent advice would be Stella McQueen. She has written several books about native fish keeping but I don't think she is on these forums anymore. She can be found on Facebook though under her own name and New Zealand Native Fish.