Rob

Shortened form = I One friend's sister is Irene, but they just call her I (eye, just in case you've read it as one).

I'm not sure what species are shown in the videos, but the FNZAS has a couple of videos listed in the year book (I'm having to look at the 2006-2007 one atm) that may count as evidence: Aquarium Show Aug 1987 Auckland Inter-Club Competition 1988

/seconded Just be aware that it's not open Sundays or Mondays.

I think Reef's suggestion was very sensible - focus on adding new fish from genera that are already on the allowed list (since these are the ones with the highest likelyhood of success - especially if that flow chart thing gets implemented). As for which species to focus on within that subgroup - some people have already put their hands up to champion particular groups (polypterus, loricids) and those ones (where someone is already willing/started to put in the leg work) should definitely go forward. As for others - I guess a nomination/voting system could work - still comes down to someone being prepared to put in the effort though. IMO there should definitely (as Reef has mentioned) be a dialogue with the importers - there's no point trying to add a fish to the allowed list if the importers don't have access (or regular access) to it. Importers will also consider whether they feel there is a market for said fish (lots of fish already on the allowed list don't get imported - I have no idea if this is due to availability or solely economics).

Highlighting the annoyance of not using scientific names. SAE (Crossocheilus siamensis) is most commonly sold here in NZ as Black Line Flying Foxes (in fact I've never seen C. siamensis listed as an SAE here in NZ). Has clear fins (except for the dark line extending into the caudal fin) and no evidence of a gold line on top of the dark line that runs the length of the body). Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus is sold as Flying Foxes. Have colour in many of their fins, and a gold line on top of the dark line.

/agree I had a 1 year break while I was overseas - only had two tanks at that stage - I got rid of the more tempremental fish and got my sister and nephews to look after the rest of the year.

To the best of my knowledge because that's what some wholesaler wanted to call them and their naming seems to be solely to enhance the possibility of a sale. IMO they'd probably get more sales of "black line flying fox" if they actually called them SAE's.

The hobby caters to a vast spectrum of people and their associated opinions - some of which we'll/I'll agree with some of which we/I won't. At times (for me personally) it seems the further I get into the hobby the more conservative my opinions become (e.g. neons and guppies shouldn't be in the same tank because they prefer disimilar water conditions; importing/buying fish of only one gender shouldn't be allowed (unless you're current stock is low on a particular gender); people shouldn't be allowed to buy individual fancy plecos, they should have to buy at least 2, preferably a trio (again unless they've already got some of that type and they're increasing numbers); flowerhorns should never have been created in the first place; albino anything is just wrong. Just a selection of my extremist views

Which I agree is of great concern for enthusiasts but of no great concern to hobbyists. Flowerhorns anyone? Glow-in-the dark GM danios anyone?

I agree that scientific names are incredibly useful (removes the ambiguity of common names expecially when dealing with people in other countries), and even with taxanomic revisions, the likes of fishbase allows you to match up an old scientific name with the current one. However I agree with LA - for your average hobbyist (which many of us here probably aren't) it's not required - what difference does it make to them if that Texas cichlid isn't H. cyanoguttatus - they saw it at the LFS, liked the look of it and bought it. The fact that it's probably H. carpintis doesn make any difference to them, it's still a fish they like the look of and it won't change how they keep it. Yes - ends up very frustrating for people looking for 'real' texas cichlids - but then those people will see the fish for sale and know it's not H. cyanoguttatus and be able to say "nah, not what I was after". I do wish that wholesalers would include (accurate) scientific names on their lists, then when I ask a retailer what the scientific name is they'll be able look it up on their list and tell me so I can then do my own research.

@Fordayzbro - I think Henward's 'turnover' listed is not the filtration rate, more the volume of water that is getting changed through a continuous water change system.

I have this vague rememberance of people reporting that val doesn't like flourish excel - may want to check on that since your twisted val is going well at the moment.

^ I suspect this is what most LFS do. Yes it's the easy option but it's also the safe option (given some of the vigorous discussion that has gone on in these forums regarding people putting their own ID's to fish). From the little I've seen of NZ wholesalers lists (that retailers order from) they don't usually have scientific names listed (even though they would have had to have had one to be imported). Also if you consider cost/benefit for retailers finding out scientific names of the fish they stock = waste of time as the vast majority of their customers couldn't care less and the ones that do care will already know or know how to find out. Also it's not for LFS to update scientific names on an import standard.

Yes some people treat the breeding scheme as a competitive sport (potentially flushing or using as feeders fry over the 30 days mark), though my suspicion is the majority of participants use it just to acknowledge they've had some success at breeding something that they would have breed anyway (just for the individual challenge/enjoyment). As for a 'useful register' (where the register is fish kept, rather than fish being breed) I'm not sure if you'd ever get one (aside from issues about people actually listing their fish) - you'd have to have incredibly ultruistic participants. Scenario: Hovmoller has male that he spent a few $ on, really likes and would like to breed; I have female that I spent a few $ on, really like and would like to breed. Neither of us have ever met or corresponded with each other, both of us think the other should lend/sell their fish to the other, both of us are concerned that our fish might die in the others possession and don't really want to lose the enjoyment of observing => end result we both keep our respective fish, hope like hell they get imported again soon so we can buy a mate for them, this doesn't happen and they both end up dying of old age. As for the comment about breeding scheme being a list of what people had, rather than have - there is also the rebreed scheme where people can register subsequent breedings (once per year after that initial breeding) but the rebreed scheme data doesn't get posted here on the website.

That would be nice (up to a point, hit the pause button at about 24 for me). Life is a bit cyclical already: start off drooling and wetting ourselves, and (unfortunately) that's how some of us will end up too.

That's more than a little unrealistic Joe . The shop still needs to be making something from the transaction - but because it's lower risk for them (i.e. they have a buyer for the fish and won't have the fish sitting in their tanks for who knows how long, eating food, taking up space and possibly dying) then I'd personally expect them to move a bit on the price (i.e. you get a deal compared to regular markup). Ryan's comment about the shop perceiving you as a good and loyal customer is also important. I'd like to think I've got a good relationship with the LFS's here in Hamilton and I don't try to get 'a deal' on fish that they regularly have in stock - it's more for stuff that under normal circumstances they wouldn't even order. By having this good relationship and telling them what types of fish I'm looking out for they'll often let me know if something comes up on the wholesalers list and ask if I'd like some ordered in for me. Of course, if I ever mucked them around - i.e. asked them to get particular fish in for me and then I said "nah, I've changed my mind - you can keep them" then I'd expect that they wouldn't order fish in specifically for me ever again.

I'm not sure about nearest and cheapest place for you. For me (if I became aware that a fish I wanted was available) I'd be off to my LFS, ask them if they'd got access to that fish from their suppliers, if yes how much would it be for x amount (where 30 The image of them here is a good representation of how my males have coloured up.

I definitely agree - they're not a regular import (only the second time I've seen them for sale in the last 10 or so years - but then I don't see the wholesale lists to know if it was just my local not stocking them), also our local shop has had trouble keeping them alive. The 20 or so I have are in a species tank with only a few corys and whiptails keeping them company and they're doing fine.

They came in quite recently (i.e within the last three or so months) - they may still be available from wholesalers. They were just listed as axelrod's rasbora (no indication of colour form i.e. red, green or blue). I took a punt and got some - they do appear to be the blue form, though you couldn't really tell this in the shop tank as the blue colour only seems to show well when they're directly underneath the light.

Yeah I doubt many (other than those keeping Rift Lake cichlids) would have much limestone (and then probably not as lime chips unless in a filter). It's just that river pebbles can have a mix in them, many of which are pretty inert but possibly still with some components that would increase the pH. I remember getting some rocks from a stream on my parents farm and using them in a tank - pH started to rise. More investigation and I found out the rocks were greywacke, which contains calcite (a from of calcium carbonate). If I'd done the 'drops of vinegar on rock' test to see if it fizzed I probably could have avoided that.

I don't definitely know about iron oxides affecting pH but my suspicion is probably not, considering many people often use laterite (or iron rich clays) as a sublayer in their planted tanks. You would need to be careful about gravels/sands that contain high proportions of limestone or other calcium carbonate containing materials as they will tend to increase the pH. My suggestion, if you're unsure, would be to get a sample, rinse it well, and then store it in a container of tank water and see if the pH of the water increases (probably checking over the course of a couple of weeks).

Was that your only bit of Bolbitis, or do you have others stashed away somewhere?

Nah - just leave it as an inverse mohawk

From the tank disasters I've had in the past (one of my tanks apparently has a gypsy curse on it or something) I'd suggest use a wet and dry vac to remove as much water has you can first, then set to with heaters/dehumidifiers (and if it's a fine day then wide open windows and doors). It's annoying, especially if you've got furniture on the carpet because you should remove that (or at least raise it off the carpet) so the furniture and the carpet under it can dry too.

Horay - another WoW player.