Warren

Can you swing a long extension cord over from the nearest neighbour???

If you have an internal filter or canister filter, remove it after the power goes off. Once the power comes back on, clean it thoroughly and put it back in service. If you have an undergravel filter, try to keep it running - don't know if a battery powered airpump has enough grunt... Bacteria in filters start to die off after 30-45 minutes. After 4 hours almost all bacteria are dead and they start to go toxic. If the power comes back on with the filter still connected all the toxins wash straight into the tank. By removing the filter and cleaning it this problem is eliminated.

Seems to have been some missunderstanding on my part... I thought your meeting was this coming Saturday and had made plans to visit. I'd hoped to visit you guys on Sat and Waikato on Sunday. I'm heading up to Waikato this weekend for their meeting. Looks like we'll have to make it another time. I'll be heading to Auckland in a couple of months to catch up with the clubs up there. I should be able to detour out your way on the way up or on the way back.

Nothing worth worrying about. Anyone else got anything on-topic to add?...

It's not banned, just not on the allowed importation list is all. If they already existed here it would not be illegal to keep.

Good luck then.

You will only be able to keep Pirhana if YOU have a zoo license. It isn't too difficult to get one but there are a few dollars involved. Once you have a fully operational and licensed Zoo facility you will be able to apply for the permit to keep Pirhana. You can then apply for a permit to import them. Once and only once this is granted will you be able to approach an importer to bring some it. Don't expect any change from around $3k after the shipping, quarantene and MAF fees. You'd be better off to get some Pacu... I kept them until a few years ago until they got too big. I donated them to the National Aquarium and they're now on display for everyone to see.

Unless I'm mistaken, adding iron to your tank will not make ammonia or nitrite more toxic. I'd keep adding it at the normal rate. Plants use ammonium as fertiliser so the faster your plants grow, the faster the ammonia level will drop. If you drop your pH below 7 (6-5 - 6.8 is best for plants anyway) then all the ammonia will convert to ammonium and be non-toxic at the level you've got. As soon as the ammonia level starts to drop the nitrite level will drop as well... The plants will use it up and everything will settle. If you don't have enough plants, you could always add some more. Use fast growing ones like Hygrophila that get most of their nutrients from the water. These are also some of the cheapest plants available.

Problem Solved!! The fish have been destroyed. The problem arose when a staff members did not recognise the fish as a pest organism and the shop manager was away for the day. Now that they've been informed everything has been fixed so problem over. This is a very easy mistake to make. Information about banned or pest organisms in New Zealand is very difficult to find. As a consequence there are not nearly as many people aware what a pest organism is. It's very easy for an inexperienced or new person to the hobby to find free fish in our local waterways without checking if they are actually allowed them. It always pays to check what we've got to make sure we're allowed it. There are many ponds in New Zealand with Hornwort in them as an example. Everyone who is not 100% sure about the organisms in their pond or tank should take the time to check. It's the responsible thing to do.

Yes, Gambusia are a pest organism. You can receive a big fine or go to prison for catching, keeping or moving them. We're talking $100,000 or 5 years so it's not an insignificant amount...

Hello ALL Clubs. Most of the details on the clubs pages are out of date since new elections at each clubs AGM. Please send me the full details of you clubs committee so I can update these pages.

Yes, all round excellent conference. Well done Kapi-Mana, what a great effort. I hope everyone gets home safe!!

I'll be there too but sorry, won't have time to catch up. My flights are pretty close to the start and finish of the days meeting...

New, about $85 for 700VA and $120 for 1kVA + freight... (Prices to be confirmed however).

Can do a really cheap deal on a UPS!!

Hmm, I wonder why your flatmate is leaving. The sight of all those tank may just have driven them off... 8)

Ha ha ha, rolling on the floor!!! 8) :lol: Good luck finding the fry though!!

Hello East Auckland Club. I need to talk to your club president Brian Wood about the club's affiliation status. Anyone who knows how I can contact him, please send me a PM. Please do not post personal details here...

You can still come as observers if you wish. Anyone can come but only affiliated clubs can have a say in the FNZAS business. It's a great fun weekend and you'd be welcome.

Bristlenose can do a lot of damage to some plants. They suck too hard and damage the surface membrane. You can usually tell because you get white/yellow patches that slowly turn into holes or the edge of the leaf will rot.

Was expecting to be asked. Will do so asap. May be off to Korea later so will post before then if I can otherwise when I get back...

I use a full siphon on my freshwater system. It has one major difference. There is no tap to control the flow. Instead, I made a ballcock valve and fitted it to the top. This makes sure the water level is always above the inlet and self adjusts as the flow changes. I use a pleated cartridge filter on the pump so the flow range can easily change from 2:1 or even more. A tap system would need to be continuously adjusted on this system. On marine systems where the flow is almost constant a tap should be all you need. The level in the ballcock chamber only changes ±15mm from low-flow to high-flow and it's only half open at maximum flow. The inlet is 50mm wide and can open to 25mm so blockage risk is minimised. There is no safety overflow. The system has run perfectly for over 10 years with no blockages or overflows... If you're after a self adjusting system this works well and can all be made completely from plastic too. I have a bit of stainless on mine but it could easily be changed... Wonder what kind of pipe this would be called!!

Yes, leave the small filter where it is and get a big'n for the new tank. As suggested 1200L/hour would be ok. With cichlids you need really good filtration as they are messy eaters...

I used Gelcoat on my 3m fibreglass tank. It's one of the few surface treatments that will stand permanent water contact. It's fairly cheap too. If you approach a pool or boat manufacturer they should be able to supply you with the quantity you need for peanuts... If you can't find a friendly one where you live, I have a friend who did mine so I could ask how much. How many m² do you have to cover? I'll also ask about surface prep if you like.

You should have guzzled down some Ammo-Lock, would have fixed it up quick 8)