Jim Sy

Here is the template for clubs to use to fill out for the clubs capitations and they need to be in by the 10th July please, Thank you
 
Capitations-template.xlsx

Well done to the Hawkes Bay Club for a very successful 2018 AGM, amazing effort by tem to organise this and it is much appreciated.
eldat the National Aquarium in Napier.
THANK YOU
.

Fry are free-swimming now. Their parents are doing a good job of corralling them, which makes it easier for me to feed.  At the moment, they are fed on decapsulated brineshrimp and NLS fry starter.  I might try offering them Repashy/pellet food after 3 weeks.
I might also separate the parents within a week or so, as this is just their second spawning.
 
 

Second time spawning; first time didn't went well as I separated from the parents too early.  Hope will be successful this time.
Not sure if these are M.insignis or M.festivus but I'm leaning on the former, just basing on the color on the lower body.
 
 

A good starting package maybe something like this
http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/fish/fish-tanks-aquariums/auction-1340135262.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/fish/fish/marine-fish/auction-1339590735.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/fish/fish-tanks-aquariums/auction-1337644679.htm

I've been pretty bred with my tank lately, to the point of contemplating shutting it down even, and it wasn't until Facebook reminded me that it's been four years since we built it that I realised why. In the twenty years I've been keeping fish this is the longest period I've ever had one tank continuously running for. And further more, it's nearly been three years since I sold my aro and went down the 'monster community' route with angels and tetras etc, which is the longest I've ever kept a single "theme" (for want of a better word) going in one tank. Part of the problem is that the tank is downstairs in it's own room, but I think a big part of the problem is that time has flown by far faster than I've realised and it has become stagnant.
I pulled down the big pile of wood to give it a thorough clean and to do stock-take on my plecs (still got 6 of the 7 tiny gold nuggets that I put in there nearly three years ago) and contemplated where to from here. I think a change up of the livestock is in order, hopefully that might reignite a bit of interest in it. Anyway, here's some pics as it is this morning, is three years a long time to keep an aquarium basically unchanged, or do I just have a short attention span....
 

The bigger the better when doing salt water, you will need to upgrade  it later.
this is good reading 
 
 

Great looking tanks very well landscaped and populated

Hi all,
New to the forum – all though I have been reading in the forum for the last few years.
My family and I are living up in Kerikeri and recently started our second fresh water tank. Our first tank was a Juwel 200L community tank.
When my work situation permits I always want to try a marine setup as well, so when we decided to upgrade our fresh water tank we invested in a Red Sea Reefer 250. That in itself was a bit of a challenge as only one importer in New Zealand (Living Reef in ChCH). The first tank arrived to the country in Nov 2016, but unfortunately was on the train that was hit by the Kaikoura earthquake.
I finally got my tank in March and an absolutely joy to setup such a piece of high quality tank. It’s rimless tank with max capacity of 204 L and with a build in 40L sump.
From my previous experience I found it a hassle working with canister filters etc. And always wanted a simpler setup and easier to do maintenance – hence why I wanted a tank with build in sump.
I don’t have that much fish keeping experience, mainly from my childhood where my whole family back in Denmark had tanks.
Our 4 year old daughter really wanted some colourful fish so we decided on an African cichlid tank.
Anyway below are our setup and some photos.
204L tank with 40L sump
Eheim Compact +3000 return pump
Koralia wave maker in main tank
De Bary UV (running around 750 L/hr flow rate)
2 Al Prime Led (these are great and can be controlled wireless from an App)
Approx 3L bio material (matrix + ceramic noodles) in a homemade filter basket in sump
Decoration is cichlid stones with fake silk plants
PH 8.3 and Alk 8-9 dKH
For testing I am using Salifert products and a Hanna ammonia checker
For feeding I am using Hikari cichlid pellets as well as a Nori blended with small amount of dry shrimps.
Water:
We are on rain water tank (plastic tanks). I have a 3 staged + UV filtration on this + a filter basket at inlet into rain water tank with limestone chips and Akdolit (burned limestones granulates). The lime helps to increase the PH from around 5.5 to around 7.3. I am quite obsessed with having clean water for my house hold and I don’t think it’s healthy for either human consumption or your water heater with acid rain water...
Anyway to help increase the PH further and buffer the water I am using Seachem products.
The tank has been doing a fishless cycle for around 2 months and so far it appears to have a decent amount of bacteria’s.
We recently got or fish (all bought at the same time) and all juvenile:
12 yellow labs
1 Demasoni
1 Dragon blood peacok
1 Butterfly peacock
So far we are enjoying the tank and my daughter has already named all the fish. The blue fish got the name “Danger”, which is probably appropriately!
Anyway just wanted to introduce our tank and I am sure I will have question as we go forward. This is our first time having African cichlids.
 
Brgds Lasse

...and this evening 
   Now, we are waiting 

Plants are ready for first cuting

Parachaetodon ocellatus - Ocellate Butterflyfish
 

Black Leopard Wrasse - female




Blueline Demoiselle - Chrysiptera caeruleolineata

Thank you all.



No, I am not a professional photographer.


Moorish idol







Foster's hawkfish

Just wanted to share a few pics of some marine fish

Black Leopard Wrasse



Rolland's Demoiselle





Lyretail Hogfish





Lemonpeel Angelfish





Flame angelfish



Amphiprion clarkii



Strawberry Gramma





Carpenter's Wrasse

These are some of my guys. I have 3 setups. The 600 litre,the 300, and the 240. Mainly all central American cichlids with a few catfish and swordtails thrown in the mix. All up though I have a jack dempsey pair, a Cuban, convicts, tbars, a rogue blue acara, banjos cats, spotted Rapheal catfish, a Whiptail, and a few plecos. I tend to keep pretty quiet on forums these days whether it's this one or Facebook but would be good to see a few new posts for sure!

I've gone, like a number of others, to the dark side

Not his first born obviously 

Just keep marine fish now as it is my job lol, too many to mention but will add a few pics
Naso Tang

 

Noticed that this forum in general has dropped off considerably in the last couple of years, which is a real shame since there used to be an active community a while back.
How can we generate some more activity on here? There doesn't seem to be many new members asking questions and existing members don't post frequently.
I will make a better post with pics of my stock this week once I get new photos.
But for now I will just list my stock and setups.
I have one 450L tank stocked with:
1x 20cm female cuban
1x 10cm male jaguar cichlid (which my cuban keeps laying eggs with)
1x 15cm texas cichlid (suspected female) who has some real attitude
1x 8cm female convict with some really great colouration
1x P. delhezi bichir 20cm+
1x longfin senegal bichir 20cm+
1x P. palmas palmas bichir 25cm
I also have a 150L growout tank with:
5x peruvian angelfish (hope to breed at some point), got these from Hovmoller
2x younger cuban cichlids of which I hope one is a male so I can pair up my big female - will probably use the entire 450L for the breeding pair, got these 2 from FishyNZ
2x albino tinfoil barbs
Ultimate goal at this stage is to perpetuate the cuban cichlids in the hobby here. I am also keen on getting other less common cichlids more available to hobbyists here.
 
What are you guys keeping at the moment? List stock and pictures.
 

Try these people
https://www.facebook.com/ReptileWorld.co.nz/

I unfortunately cannot see much in your pics. Make sure you are not dealing with saprolegnia (actual fungus) as a result of injury from being bullied. If you increase the dose of wunder tonic be aware that too much acriflavine can kill your plants and stain things and that malachite green can kill neons. Salt will cure both but plants don't like it too much (2 teaspoons/gallon for 30 minutes. It is likely that columnaris was in the tank and most tanks and really only takes off with acid conditions and high temperatures and fungus as a result of injury.