Adrienne

No issues as long as you follow good collection guidelines. 'I also went down to the Takapuna Boat Ramp and collected natural salt water, ran it through a 100 micron filter to get rid of nasties, diluted it a bit to get the salinity level suitable for my tank and used that. '

10% is sufficient each week. RODI is not really negotiable, depends on the TDS out of your tap really but best to have a reading of 0 TDS to control algae outbreaks etc. Some people use pure dew bottled water. Re how long should a bucket of salt last - thats like asking how long is a piece of string. It depends on the salinity level you are wanting in your tank and the type of salt you use as not all salt is created equal. You will also need a refractometer to check the salinity level of the water you mix as it is rare that following the directions on the label you will get exactly what it says. I made up artificial salt water using RODI water and buckets of salt. I also went down to the Takapuna Boat Ramp and collected natural salt water, ran it through a 100 micron filter to get rid of nasties, diluted it a bit to get the salinity level suitable for my tank and used that. You can do this if you go within half an hour each side of high tide on days when there hasn't been rain for at least 24hrs and the swell is not too heavy. Sea water has salinity of 1.027, most marine tanks run at 1.025.

I asked a similar question but haven't gotten an answer. I am sure you are correct as it looks exactly the same as my 850 Aquaone.

Animates have them, Pet stop have them. They are not difficult to source.

That looks like the Aqua One tank. The lights become loose. Take the cover off, lights out, give them a wipe down and put them back in firmly. They also require replacing every 9 months if you want plants to grow. Give the cover a good wipe down as well on both sides.

HFF used to sell it or try New Pupuke.

Yes it is. Sometimes the specialist shops have them in. They do have specific aquarium requirements. Native seahorses are also sometimes available but I think that some sort of permit is required. Livingart will know for sure.

Two clear side on photos with the top fin raised would help. Males generally have the second ray quite a bit longer than the first.

You could try HFF in Auckland or Redwood Aquatics in Christchurch. I have two mandarin and a copperband I will be selling shortly but I will not risk shipping them south.

Great start! Impressive growth with the glosso and I'm pleased that the rosefolia has taken off rather than just rotted out. You'll end up with a great looking carpet once you trim and hopefully you will replant the trimmings. Glosso is a popular plant and not everyone can grow it well.

The green algae you have is normally caused by too much sunlight (direct or indirect) hitting the tank or being reflected on to it. However algae needs excess nutrients to feed on as well so it would pay to feed very little to the one fish you have. Also, did you know apple snails feed on tank plants? Your tank is very nicely laid out

Green bubble coral, very healthy. Approx 15cm x 12cm x 12cm. Pick up Epsom, Auckland only unless buyer willing to take full responsibility for any health issues/damage/loss arising from sending by courier. $140

Looks great. What is the height of the tank?

Levon who works at HFF Mt Roskill was (not sure if still is) right into Aquaponics.

You won't get gara here. NZ has very strict MPI and a limited list of fish allowed in the country being nothing that might reproduce in our rivers or lakes. The closest you are likely to get is the chinese algae eater - my advice is to avoid them like the plague as when they grow they do create issues.

Regarding the lily you might want to look at this list which is in the plants section of the menu https://aquariumworld.nz/databases/1-plants/ It will tell you what is allowed in NZ. With regards to the other plants camtang might have them at his shop in Nelson and will ship. Slow growing plants like java ferns and bolbitis are slow growing and prone to black beard algae in tanks with good lighting.

What are your water parameters? Possibly ammonia burn.

Give me a template to help

Fabulous effort whoever did this - LA I assume it was either you, Barrie or Alan

Looks good - have you given thought to diagonal bracing?

The plants you have are slow growers so will always attract black beard algae (bba). That is what is growing on the edges of the plants. Flourish excel dosed as per the instructions ie daily will deal to bba and will do it quicker if you get a syringe and target the worst areas. Any bits that float in the water column will re-attach. All algae needs an excess of nutrients in the water to grow so keep your feeding to the minimum and vacuum the gravel in your tank well. Lighting also contributes, as java fern and crypts don't need high light you could try reducing the lighting period for your tank. Regular water changes ie weekly will also help. Depending on your tank size you could look at purchasing either otocinclus or bristlenose catfish to graze on the algae on the plants. What are you growing that requires you to use fertiliser balls?

Are you 100% certain you have a male in there with her? You are best to add several younger females and males and let them pair. With any fish, just like humans, not every male likes the female they are set up with. It is also not unknown for a male angelfish to breed with several females in the tank.

I'd consider this one http://www.livingreef.co.nz/p/148/medium-salt-water-aquarium-275-litre I believe but may be wrong that this is the Aquaone you were asking about but with upgrades already done.

I run a Dupla Marin 190 RO unit from Living Reef and added a DI from Aquarays. Does 190 litres in a 24hr period.