Warren

My comments about attending conference were not intended to have that response. They were simply to suggest that people who have only attended conference once or twice do not know the full history of conference and what it stands for. It just appears there are comments from some that are not justified, especially if they knew who they were talking about and what conference stands for. I certainly hope all clubs send delegates. Every year there are new people at conference and this is one of the things that make every conference different. You've been to Conference Mitch and as I recall you had your say on any issue your club had. Noone is left out. We're a very friendly bunch. After all we've survived 51 years and this will be conference number 52.

Oh dear, still not get through about facts only... Its not a glorified booze up, it never has been. It's a great oportunity to meet old and new friends and have lots of fun. Some people have a little too much to drink, but that happens in any group. This Conference will also be a great holiday with the tropical fish as well. I take your point about extra airfares etc. You can drive to Auckland of course and there are cheaper motels or friends (thats where I'm staying - already organised it + I'm driving to Ak from Nap - total cost approx $50 in gas). Others can go to the nearest main center. You've had 2 years to organise options for your business. However, I have sympathy for those who just cannot or do not have any other options and I believe this is your case Mitch. If you really want to go though...

The FNZAS Exec and I are simply supporting the hosting club. There is no single mindedness. As Caryl has stated, it was voted on by the committee and the delegates at Conference and passed. The purpose of these forums is not to insult others. Please keep your comments factual. If the person in question is indeed so brainless then how come he is so successful? Also, had you read the minutes of Conference 2002 at your club meeting (standard practice for a club you'd think) you would have been aware of an offshore conference - hence 2 years to save. As previously stated, you've had 2 years. So, its a little more than a packet of smokes a week, but not by much... Also, its not $3000, where do you all get this figure from. It will cost no more than $2650 There is no rift, just some discontent, but much of it seems to be caused by a select few who have never attended Conference before or maybe only once or twice. I can't guess what John would say next. I'd say 'Get over it'. If we have a conference in Auckland instead, are you going to come? Granted, taking Conference offshore may have excluded a few. However we normally get between 35-50 present. So far we are looking at 30+ people interested in going. I'm expecting we'll get the usual turnout if not more. Also, there is provision for anyone who is really keen to go but is seriously struggling financially. Its not all doom and gloom, we may be able to help. As stated in a previous post, all the Conference details will arrive in an info pack with the Conference 2004 Travel Itinerary by the end of January.

Very sorry to hear that Alan. You've been to many conferences haven't you?

Good one Ash. Watch out for those high Cant temps... Remember to leave the tank to cycle before adding fish

Thanks Andrew, We'll get a quorum alright. Its one of the things I want to set up a remit for. At present a quorum is fairly undefined and consists of a simple majority, ie more than 50% (but 50% of what... well this is undefined). This is only six people, not enough in my view. However, thats what remits are for, - submit one then everyone can decide... All I'm proposing is we look at the issue and set some guidelines. Watch out for the remit... Its a pity the price is so high, it will be the deciding factor for a lot of people. Its going to be fantastic however so to me the price isn't a problem (well it is but I'm still going). I hope PNAS and NZKA can both send representitives and not proxies...

I'd be very interested in hearing from others who are disgruntled. It appears there are a very small minority who need to complain about something. So far we've only heard from 2 people who say they represent many. Lets hear from the others, stand up and have your say... Please prove me wrong and I'll munch through a big helping of humble pie. :oops: Come on, lets be pro-active instead of reactive and keep our comments factual not emotive!

As I stated earlier, not if it is detrimental to the FNZAS. If you wish to invite others on another trip then start a new thread. There should be no reference to Conference 2004 and try not to have it clash timing wise. Its great you are planning an alternative trip and I hope its succesful. I'm sure all who go will really enjoy it. We will miss you at conference. If I had the money, I'd go to Vanuatu and Fiji. However, I am committed to going to the FNZAS Conference and it is in Fiji (and I am poor). Next time maybe...

Many thanks to all those people who have returned their fish study forms detailing the fish they keep. The database is well under way. It's not too late to send them in if you're still thinking about it. I'll be taking them up until the 15th of Jan. I've promised the results to Niwa by the 20th. Please send them to my new address, 50A Meeanee Rd, Napier. My old address still works but they take longer to get to me... The response has been rather good, very pleasing, although it has meant a lot of work typing in the details. I should have asked people to email me the results in an Excel or MS Works spreadsheet.

When the itinerary comes out its likely to detail a deposit requirement for the flight and accomodation. It's most likely going to be $500.00 It will need to be paid before the end of February. This shouldn't be a problem for people who've been saving for the trip as they will already have most of the money required to go.

Mitch you can organise it if you like, - you'll see very quickly that I'm right. Your colour brochure is intended for a couple or family travelling at that time. If you are one of the first to book the trip you'll get it at that time and rate. However, the other 250 people on the plane won't, they'll pay the standard rate. Next time, stop and go into the travel agent, don't just walk past... I don't seem to be getting through to some of you. A lot of work has been done already. As previously stated, pricing (real pricing that is) is only just becoming available. Go and make a booking for 50 people yourself if you don't beleive me. Please don't stand in a glass house throwing rocks. Constructive critisism is fine and well received if it is valid. Destructive critisism is not and disrupting the FNZAS conference falls in into that category... You've also known about the trip for 18 months. You should know by now that if John says he'll do something it will damn well happen. So with 2 years to save and the total dollar requirement being $1650 + spending money (say $1000), thats approx $2650 required. That works out to be $110.41 per month or $25.48 per week. It's not really a lot to ask for. If you are keen at all its not a lot to put aside.

Hi Bruce, There is not a lot that can be done until now other than research as pricing and flight details are only just becoming available. Very soon (by the end of January) you and all other FNZAS members will receive an itinerary outlining the flights, departure dates, times and costs. A lot of work has been done already. The research has been extensive. The choice of Fiji is for a number of very good reasons… The beach is close at hand. You can snorkel directly off the beach with free swimming equipment (no scuba). All non-motorised sports / activities are free (at the hotel). There is far less comercialisation. It is cheaper overall. The venue is perfect with plenty of options for group activities within walking distance. None of the above features are available at Vanuatu without paying $$, do the research for yourself and you’ll find out. Vanuatu is very comercialised by comparison. When you make your inquiry, remember to book for a group of 50 or more, - believe it or not it changes things quite a bit. The flight and accommodation prices for Fiji are approx $1650 with final details included in the itinerary which is currently being prepared. The prices for the same dates in Vanuatu are only $50.00 less but the cost of travel, food and entertainment eat up the $50 saving in less than a day. I know you are going to argue that there are special deals at a much cheaper cost. Well, go and book for 50+ people once again and see if you get the same deal. There are very limited deals available on a single flight or group of flights. Don’t believe me, go check for yourself. You'll also find it's peak season... The choice has been left out for a couple of reasons. The main two are; 1. It will waste a lot of time. By the time everyone decides and the bookings are made and paid for there is the real chance someone will miss out. (By the time pricing is available, letters are sent out and come back it will be months). 2. Not everyone will be happy anyway no matter where we go. Here’s what’s going to happen: We go to Fiji The itinerary tells everyone which flight the majority of people will travel on. You can choose the package deal at a discounted rate or find your own way. All payment is to a single travel agent. There will be no free flights for anyone (organisers included). I’m sorry to all the people who were expecting a choice. The decision to go to Fiji has been made based off cost, suitability of the venue and entertainment (you can’t just go swim with the fish at Vanuatu). We are keeping your best interest in mind… I’m sorry if you’re upset by the decision Bruce. It’s not a personal attack on you. There seems to be a little heat in your post. It’s certainly not your place to invite others to an alternative venue. If you wish to plan a trip at the same time please don’t influence others using the FNZAS website. If you want to go at a different time that’s ok. It will be disappointing if you don’t reconsider Fiji as an option. John has put in a lot of effort to research the venues. He has visited all of them in the last six months to check their suitability. The FNZAS exec has a supervisory role for the hosting club. We have received good reports and things are progressing well, - check your FNZAS exec meeting minutes and you’ll see what I mean. Best Regards Warren Stilwell FNZAS President

Mine never used to eat the lead weight??!!

Yeah, I tried the actinic. It made the blue in the Discus fluoresce but all other colours looked really unnatural. It didn't make the plants grow much better either. The TLD96's I use already have a fairly good UV content.

I'm not familiar with T5's, but I think you'll find the TLD96 is virtually identical. Its a 6500K tube, 5 Phosphor true daylight tube. It is very white in appearance. The 1500mm (5') is only 58W however and about 1100 lumens. Is it similar? I bet the price is a bit better than a T5, - they're about $10.00 each for the 58W. Smaller tubes are a bit cheaper.

You can bring anything on the allowed list. You need an import permit from MAF and you need to be met at NZ Customs by a registered quarantine site officer who will take your fish for a 6 week quarantine period. There will be a minimum quarantine cost of approx $700.00 NZD. I can't remember the cost of the permit. I looked at importing fish a few years ago. Unless you plan to bring in thousands of fish the cost is very high per fish. The quoted cost of $700 at the time was for 50 young adult Discus.

Bear in mind that the adult size takes a long time to reach as well. It often takes 10-15 years to get a big Clown Loach. I had mine for about 10 years. There were 13 and the biggest ones were around 220mm. They grow up to 600mm in the wild. They never lose that character that gives them their name though. They can also live for more than 50 years with some recorded at 70 years old! Most people don't have Clown Loaches for long enough for them to reach full size. They have earned the well deserved name of 'Whitespot Magnet' because they are. They're very difficult to treat if disaster should strike as they have no scales. Traditional medications can't be used as they poison the fish. I lost all my loaches about 5 years ago. They were in a 700L tank with Surinamensis and Juriparis. I went home at lunch time to pick up a book and they were all fine. When I got home at 5:30 all the loaches were dead. None of the other fish were sick?? Was the wierdest thing I've ever seen. They had been happy in this tank for years. I got a little burnt because of this. Clown Loaches are great fish however. I'd still keep them if I had enough tanks. The biggest thing to be careful of is temperature. Make sure there is never a sudden temperature drop as this seems to be the single biggest cause of a whitespot event.

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't they on the NZ baned import list. I think you can keep them, just not import them.

Caryl's right on. Its just a stem plant so you can chop it up no problem. If you want to keep the best look you're best to pull the whole plant out, chop off the top parts of the plant and replant them. Thow the bottom part away. The newer growth always looks the best.

Hi Mark, Here's what I'd do. Since you've got the Fluvals you may as well use them. They will be ok for at least 1500L in a heavily planted tank, as the plants will do most of the biological work. Make sure your water return is below the surface and doesn't disturb it too much or the CO2 will get expelled. Don't use aeration. You won't need to worry about plant debris clogging up the filter intakes. If the plants are growing properly there will be very little in the way of dead leaves etc. You will see when a leaf is starting to die and have plenty of opportunity to remove it before it decays. Don't put Clown Loaches in a planted tank. You will be forever re-anchoring any plant with a soft stem (most of them) and they will never start to grow properly. I'd go taller than 550mm. If you can go 650 or 700 all the better. The plants won't grow to their full potential in a shallow tank. For lighting use Philips TLD96's. They are a 5 Phosphor high colour rendering daylight tube. The fish look great and the plants grow very well. They’re available up to 1500mm (5’). You can go all out with Laterite if you like but a much cheaper option is to use Aquatic Potting Mix available at garden shops (well Palmers has it at least). Beware of standard potting mix as is often has too much organic matter that might rot and release gas + poison the substrate. Use about 20mm approx 50mm under the gravel. So, if you are having an uneven / profiled gravel bed, you'll need to put gravel down at the surface height -70mm first. Use heaps of wood, it seems to help the plants grow better. Laterite only lasts 12-24 months in most cases after which you need to add iron + macro nutrient tablets. Don't get stuck on just using iron fertiliser. There is much more to plant growth than just iron. Make sure the fertiliser also has N, K and trace elements in the correct ratios. You may also have to add P if the fish don't produce enough. Your first post suggests a moderate fish load. Keep in mind that in a planted tank the plants come first and fish second. The quantity and size of the fish are limited by the tanks metabolic rate. If you add more lights, more CO2 and trim the plants twice a week you can have more fish. Less light, CO2 and slower growth rates means less fish. There is a balance between the P and N produced by the fish and the rate the plants use it. If the balance is tipped one way or the other the plants will be effected. Too much P & N (too many fish / not enough water changes) will cause algae to dominate plant growth - hair and stringy types. Too little P & N will lead to slow plant growth and dark surface algae stuck to the plant leaves. I’d think seriously about under gravel heating too. If you put about 5-10% of the heating under the gravel it helps to keep it fresh by creating small amounts of flow. The heating wire can go either in the tank or under it. Its useful to be able to regulate the amount of power going to the undergravel heating system so the correct flow can be set up. You want just enough to keep the gravel fresh, but not so much that the useful nutrients get washed out. Since the substrate fertiliser is very rich, washing the nutrients out will cause a massive algae outbreak. For a really good reference on how to control algae and therefore set up a really good stable planted tank check out this article if you are not already familiar with it. http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilize ... onlin.html

Cool, I thought someone else must have beaten me to it. Thanks Cees.

I just checked and can't find a reference to $13.60 anywhere. The Aquarium World page shows the price as $21.60. Please add a link to the page in question to your next post if it is still incorrect and I will update it...

Anyone with a Zoo licence can keep them but strict quarantine regulations apply to all waste-water and the aquarium. They are illegal to keep and you will not find anywhere in NZ selling them. If you go through the process of obtaining a Zoo licence and set up a MAF approved quarantine facility you will be allowed to import your own and legally keep them. However it is time consuming and expensive to set up + there is the ongoing cost of regular MAF inspections.

That's right Caryl, if you've got a big reef tank that needs a $1500+ chiller you've already spent at least $10000 on setting it up if its been done properly.

Try crumbling the flake below water level instead of letting it float. The fish may be taking in air when they eat the floating flake.