Faran

Pass. Yes, they cost an arm and a leg. Luckily the LFS was quite insistant that it was another type of fish (which is also something that I'd like to get but too pricey). I have to say though... I spent about $200 more on that little trip than I was supposed to :oops:

LOL, PJ we drove all day for that trip. In South Island terms it would be the same as driving to Christchurch and back (not even close realistically, but relatively). I've never seen that fish (Royal Pleco) in any of the shops around here, though it seems the big LFS had one that a fellow member of KMAC picked up.

He's alive! Have posted in the catfish forum.

Here's the only other pic I have so far... Enjoy!

He looks like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar :lol:

So last weekend we went on a fish shopping drive up and down the coast from WGTN to see what we could find. My best find was a Royal Panaque and he's a beaut. Sadly enough he disappeared into the deep recesses of the tank and was never seen again.... The BNs in the tank are more carnivorous than veggies, and the courgette that I throw in there usually gets nibbled but primarily decomposes. Then this week (even though I thought the Panaque had jumped or died) the courgette was getting DEMOLISHED. We're talking overnight a large chunk was disappearing. So maybe the Panaque was around... or those pesky new tetras REALLY like courgette! I wasn't too sure if I was going to "boast" about him in here as I didn't see him at all since I put him in on Sunday.... until now. Just walked in the room and saw a lyretail with that unmistakable white band go flying behind the driftwood. !!!!!!IT'S ALIVE!!!!! So yeah, just the initial "cat in a bag" pic to share. May be a while before he starts being social enough to pose for pics....

All of the large snails will eat plants. The only snails that I've found do a decent job of cleaning algae and excess food and don't touch plants - Ramshorns. Not the little flat spiral snails, either, these - http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auct ... d=35640687 Sadly, I just had a trio of Convicts demolish an entire colony of them in my little tank Oh, by the way, I should note that Ramshorns poo like no tomorrow and are very good at fertilizing plants.... but pretty hard on the gravel if you prefer a nice tidy tank. That's my two clicks... completely off the subject.

One of those classic "mystery snails" that they sell at Animates, eh? Kevin Rowe has them and tells me that they're the BEST tank mates for fry. How about one of those little electric fences designed fo keeping dogs in the yard? :lol:

And from caryl and capers star/post count you can see - Star 4 - 750 posts Star 5 - 1000 posts Moderator - pure love

Serious answer - ©. Star 2 - 250 posts Star 3 - 500 posts Star 4 - Not sure, not there yet I wonder if they send you a T-shirt when you get to 500 like TradeMe does....

I'm going to try getting a shot with the flash on. I was in a rush letting everyone out of the bag (hence no Q tank) so I just took one pic when they were adjusting. The blue and green of the eyes and the purple metallic stripe is amazing. Really looking forward to setting up a breeding tank for them. And the best thing - they're not egg eaters. They can spawn on bare bottom tanks, so I just need to separate and go for it. Got any spare tanks? I only have 3 footers laying around

Wrong, all wrong. Borderline animal abuse. I don't even bother chastising people on TradeMe anymore, just call the SPCA as they're not going to listen and TM can only pull the auction, not save the fish. This case is only borderline, like I said. They can claim ignorance or point to the shop that sold it to them (who is really at fault here?) and get away with it. If you really care, buy it and save them. Not much else can be done on the matter but say "bad owner" on the Q&A.

LOL Alan, it's on the first page of this thread. Did a thorough search of the tank tonight and came across BN fry, but no panaque. There is a very large peice of dritwood riddled with caves and the BNs have dug out a cave netwrok under it. I didn't go so far as moving it to check under it so I HOPE it's just under there growing brave. The BNs are pretty large and not used to intruders, so he may just be scared He'll outgrow them soon enough!

yup, what caryl said For the record... still haven't seen the Panaque since he went in the tank...

That's a big tank! Big fan of the pattern on dad. Good pics, thanks for the up.

Oh boy.... I thought my hands were full with the lil fish fry we have over here. Not sure what you plan to do with all those Jags when they get a bit bigger. Going to cost you quite a bit just to feed them until they grow out, let alone keep them in water. Congrats tho, impressive effort. Might get some from you in a few months when we have a new house and a fish room in the works. Caper - they're Jaguar Cichlids - http://fins.actwin.com/species/index.php?t=9&i=497 - is a description from one of your local Canadian friends, eh!

Hi Caper, Yes, it will prevent large debris from going up there, but you don't really want large debris going into this type if filter anyways. It goes through the powerhead and then goes onto a filter medium via a tube with holes "spray bar". Large debris quickly clogs these up anyways. Another bonus of having the stocking is that fry don't get sucked up.... and everyone that sees it wonders why you have a stocking in your intake

We have a similar tank. Taking advice and observing others we covered the intake cage of the filter with two layers of stockings. Kim had some oldies that she was meaning to throw out anyways. Give it a shot (use rubbers to hold it in place).

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/lo ... /151_f.php For those of you that are wondering what the reference to that mislabeled "Choc Striped Cat" above - it's actually a Royal Panaque or Royal Pleco. Both grow very large and have stripes, but they are very very different. I thought I was learning something but ended up a very lucky person. Hope karma doesn't bite me in the butt and take it away just as quickly and easily!

LOL, well, I already have about 100 Congo fry over here (guesstimate) so I can always move on to the next great Tetra. These fish really ARE beautiful, I've only come across them a few times and the last time I saw them at a Welly LFS they all died by the time I went back to buy them. Rather happy that I got these beauts and thinking about going back up to get the couple of females I left behind... So yeah, there's one person interested, but do you have room for these or Congos in your tank?

Well, yesterday I came across a nice school of adult Emperor tetras in a LFS in Para. They were expensive (suits my taste, it seems) but as they were the best ones I've seen with full adult finnage and colouration I got a shoal. Today I sat down for a coffee and observed the new residents in the warm Discus tank to make sure they're okay and making a smooth transition.... then I saw them starting to spawn. So, just wanted to check interest in these guys before breeding them. Are they a popular fish to have? Pretty expensive ($8-10) in shops but they're considered the kings of the tetras (therefore the name) for the beautiful finnage and colouration. In case you don't know, they're silver and blurple and the males have fin extensions and blue eyes, the females have shorter fins and green eyes. Now.... do I kick out the Congos from their breeding tank and pop the Emperors in for a go? Up to you guys!

Between klay's pics and the LFS in Palmy I'm seriously reconsidering re-aquascaping my community tanks.... ever get that feeling when you see amazing tanks and then come home?

Too bad most decent artists/sculptors like you are recruited by the new film industry growing here in NZ. I have friends that used to carve surfboards making scale models for King Kong... I'm reminded more and more every day that my creative roots are from my kiwi blood.

Sneaky little buggers, aren't they? A friend lost a blenny to mysterious circumstances and I found a small (finger sized) green one hiding in his live rock. Best way to get them out of a tank is to remove the rocks one by one and run fresh water through the nooks and crannies until it pops out. Doesn't work every time, but it's a good way to get it out if you know where it's living.

The one with the "flat body on top" is an archer fish - they're well known for being able to shoot a drop of water and knock insects into the water. The other striped one is a Borneo Tiger and they're well-known for... well, eating smaller fish (hence the name and stripes). Oh, you asked klay. Soz.