kiwijaydee

Busted.

Bit late I know, but thought I'd pipe up! Went to pick up my new Dull eyed Royal Pleco tonight and the guy was shutting down his tank completely. Basically said I could take what fish were left in the tank. I now have around 60 wild mollies... he started off with around 6 and they've gone for gold! Set up one of the spare 4ft's and used 60 litres of his water to keep things kinda level, and they're happy as. If anyone is too far away to go "hunting" for them and in the Wellington area, man have I got a deal for you! :lol:

... it made me sit in front of my tank for ages, just staring at the fishies. No matter how much I think I want to cuddle them, I always resort to the cat, as he appreciates the cuddles more.

She's grown up so well! hehehe She's gorgeous, great to see her again. She's the only fish that ate more than Harry in the household. Thanks for the good news. I told my ex about Harry, and I think even she is surprised that she's upset. One day me thinks I'll get her a puffer, as a present. :bounce: I'll have to organise to go out and visit you guys some day!

From the sound of it, theres none. How horrible for Mr and Mrs L! RIP Harry. He actually taught my ex that it *was* possible to fall in love with a fish, and made it totally possible for me to have so many tanks and spend so much money! Not sure how I'm gonna break that one to her! That's one thing I was always paranoid about -- the heater. My heater stopped working once in the puffer tank, but because I have the habit of touching every tank I pass, every time I pass it, I caught it quickly and the crisis was averted. But even just the heater not working for a little bit really affected them and I nearly lost them. I got to the point where I'd even get up and walk to the tank just to check the heater was working. I've obviously missed some things, I must start trawling through the threads sometime. Thanks for the heads up!

I just looked at my post and realised I made a typo.. it's Palembang. They're a freshwater puffer, relatively good sized, amazing personalities. Managed to teach Harry to respond to pellets as treats, lil man would absolutely love the things. I only managed to take bad photos of them, but there are waaay better available on the net. Example of my photography: :lol: That's Harry after a meal... He was the largest, most active puffer of the three.. I think he was about 12/13cm when he went to the new home. They're the kind of fish I would never mind getting again!!

Yah you prolly do Three Palambang puffers graced the Totally Tanked household... Loopy came and took them home with her.. :lol:

Not exactly new, but not exactly been around for awhile! Have been tankless and non-fishkeeping for some time now, as had a big move. Sold all the tanks, and found new homes for all the fishies -- some of you may have some of them still! All the Fronts went to Auckland, Puffers stayed in Chch, Birchir went to Tawa, etc etc. Well, I'm back and I'm living in Wellington now, and couldn't help myself. So bought a 5x2x2 and filled it up with South American Cichlids... and, being the person I am, managed to last a month, and now I've got a new 4ft. :lol: Which I'd like to make a nice happy peaceful community tank where no one tries to eat each other. :roll: We'll see how that goes, she's cycling now. So, I'm going to stop lurking, and start posting! Cheers guys Jaydee

Agree with Geo Brasiliensis. I now have a few.

Good point Mystic.. :lol: I usually get digs though, because not many people even know there *is* a NZ Rat Club, not to mention I'll be one of the strange freakish people that's going to be manning the stall with a couple of rodents hanging from my clothing and/or hair. I always like taking people into the garage, where I have the avairy's full of rats, and the larger tank. 8)

Sorry, I wouldn't have a clue! :lol: Shame... I'm just going to help run the Ratclub stand (geeky, I know). :lol: I don't even know my way around Auck, we're carpooling from the Holiday House that we've rented... and during our free time, I'll be forcing native Aucklanders to go to the LFS's with me! I'm a cruel woman...

The Pet Expo is the 24th and 25th of Feb... I don't 100% know where the location is, as I haven't been any other year and am just migrating there for those few days. :lol: I'll be following the co-ordinator blindly, and thinking as little as possible!!

I guess there are a few options to look at. Never thought of a Click Clack container. I've moved fish before, but it was all throughout one days drive, so it wasn't a huge problem.. and then they went into their normal setup. I may look at both options, incase I only set up 2 tanks and find only one species can go per tank and I decide to buy up half the shop. :lol:

Would take a big fish to steal MY bloody pies.. :lol: I think that clown could put up a good fight though, if it could get itself off the gravel for long enough to battle with me.. :lol: :lol: FYI - I went back to Texas last year for one month, to visit family, and first thing I ate when I got back to NZ was a pie. Technical question, at that size, how big a tank would you need for 6 clown loaches? What kind of litreage!

Yes it is a pain... especially when I'm looking for really specific things that no one else will get.. :-? I've got some spare polyboxes I can fill with food, then unload and use to ship back fish. Thanks guys!! Hopefully I'll make a few new aquisitions...

Yes Mystic, they're having the stand again this year, so me and Rosie and 2-3 male rats are going to road trip it up and make a holiday of it. :lol: We were asked to help run the stall, and thought, Why not! We've never been to the Pet Expo, and thought it would be intersting. Just I can't imagine going to the pet shops, seeing a fish I want, and not being able to bring it home with me. :lol: Greedy Jaydee....

The person I have looking after all the animals doesn't really know anything about fish, except to feed them exactly what I have ziplock bagged and/or to follow the list on a daily basis (eg. defrost one prawn, cut into three, put on string, feed to puffer one piece each). She's learned how to do that, but doesn't know anything other than feeding portions I will leave. If I set up a tank or two, and then just said float the bag and then release, I guess that would work, as long as I bag extra bags of all kinds of different fish food and say "feed one bag of A and B per day". :-? As far as the LFS, I've spoken to them. and they say they only do 3-4 large orders and it depends on their stocklist at the time. So they can order in March, and if the stock list in April has something you want, they can't get it, because the next order is (for example) in June and it may not be on the stock list that month. And they're the LFS that gets in all the fish that I really want. So that's why I was looking at just bringing them down with me. So the consensus is that shipping is easier than driving?

:lol: Yah.. I'm not sure how I'll do after the first 10 years.. ...and I don't know how I would feel about the loach trying to steal all my pies...

Hey guys, quick question! What are the chances of transporting tropical fish slowly across the North Island in a car? We're going on a road trip Mid Feb (So hot temps hopefully) from CHCH across on the ferry up to Aucks.. stopping in Wellington, Palmerston North, Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Auckland... staying there for the Pet Expo, and then driving it back. So what are the chances of me being able to go to these Auck LFS's, getting a tropical fish I can't get here in CHCH, and then getting it back to CHCH if I set up a small temp tank and plug it in every place we sleep? Is there a way to make a sealed up tank that travels well that I can just plug in every stop? And how would I make it? I only ask because there are fish I can easily get in Aucks that I can't easily get in CHCH.. and while I'm there.. :roll: :lol: Only problem will be getting the missus to not kill me for carting round fish.. :lol:

OMG it makes me want to go to the LFS and buy 6 of them right now, just so I can try and recreate him/her! :lol: I've got time.....

I have one 90litre Jebo in the spare room. Has a couple of calico fantails so that guests have something to stare at. :lol:

I personally love natural, and don't use fake plants. My deco all depends exactly on the fish. I only use natural colour stones/river stones, dolomite rocks, driftwood and for some of my fish that prefer a safe cover or their own "cave", terracotta pots. As far as fish go, the more personality, the better. I generally opt for aggressive or high maintenance freshwater, the bigger the better. I keep in their respective homes: 3 x Palembang Puffers - river stone, 5 terracotta pots (territorial issues), large marble queen (as they like to lay on the large leaves), other assorted low growing plants only 1 x Polypterus palmas, 1 x Lovestruck Opaline Gourami, 3 x baby BN, 1 x Whiptail, many ramshorns - riverstone, lots of plants, oddly stacked rocks so theres lots of cubby holes, and assorted small driftwood, everything cluttered up and cozy in a haphazard way 9 x Frontosa - Nothing but Dolomite chip, calcite and dolomite rock for 6 feet. :lol: Pointless having plants I have found. 1 x Red Devil Cichlid - So far the only thing surviving is the terracotta pots that he hangs out in and his favourite piece of driftwood. He also has river stone, which ends up in random piles as he feels the need. 1 x Convict (looking for a new home with a partner), 1 x Yellow spot plec - These are in the spare tank, set up for anything that comes my way and needs a home - riverstone, marbled queen, 1 x terracotta pot, medium assorted driftwood, stacked rocks for cover. 9 x Assorted Bettas in individual tanks throughout, riverstone and very small terracotta pots in each one for a bit of a "home base". I'm kind of going through a "bigger is better" phase, which means I will be getting rid of my smaller tanks and going for larger ones instead. Larger tanks, larger fish.. :bounce: :lol:

Pmed

I got some of those ages ago, and never got around to breeding them -- apparently for them to have any decent amount of nutritional value (for puffers) you have to gut load them first. So I figure I'll do it when I have more time, then I can gutload them and pass them on in cycles.. Over Xmas I'm doing all my fishy stuff, so hopefully I'll get mine to drop some eggs.. :bounce:

Mine started on tetras, but in hindsight, I wish I had used a slower moving fish.. as it took them awhile to catch them. :-? .. And yes, my three are in a tank on their own, as nothing else would survive with them. They easily snap through prawn shells, snail shells, etc.. and when they're grumpy they do some damage to each other.. big circle shaped rips and scars aren't all that pretty.. You're going to get addicted davidb.. You're going to want more puffers, I can see it now!