ChrisMack

Hi Guys...well, they only had two of these cool plecs, and I quickly snapped up the second one before someone else had the chance to do it........as i said before Im still keen to get a more concrete outcome for the breed. Just as a side issue....Does anyone else out there have L129 plecs in their tanks? I would be really keen to see pics of your fish, and maybe get a better verification...... Im still trying to take some pics of the Plecs mouth but in the last few days its become rather "camera" shy. ChrisMack

Well, Still nothing on concrete as yet...i still need some clearer pictures for this little guy (lass) But the guys at Planet Catfish (and I see catbrat took another look too! ) seem to think this one could be either L129 or L199........not the "Clown Plec" that it was sold as........ Hoping I've got a bargain here......Catbrat...I paid $60.00 for this little beauty!!!!! ChrisMack

Not too sure on how accurate this would be.....But how about one of those water timers (used for a lot of those micro-spray garden systems) that can be bought at most hardware shops....... ChrisMack

Just checked oyut the Flash Plec,and sadly i would have to say no......My plec doesnt have the "whiptail" like the Flash Plec does.... I'll try for more clearer pics later.. Thanks anyway, ChrisMack

Hi all, Just bought this fella (fella-ess) today and was wondering what sort of plec it actually is......It was being sold as a "Clown Plec" but doesnt really look like other clown plecs I have seen in the past In any case take a look, and see what you think... Heres another pic I took slightly later.....the colour in the top pic is probably more accurate.......with a light yellow tinge to the markings. PS. Sorry about the quality of the pic.....cheap digital cameras arent good for fish fotos ChrisMack

Kritter Kingdom in Chch is where I got them from,I was in there on Saturday, and theres none left (bugger it...I was gonna get some more) They are very steeply priced for a livebearer being $20 per fish!!!! Oh yeah...you visit my site (link below) for more info on them.....Sorry for the site being a Work In Progress ChrisMack

honestly they will be fine( unless you have some VERY sensitive fish)......just remember though when you go to plant the plants youll upset the fert again and have the same problem (just might not be as bad) ChrisMack

No problems with the Fertiliser (so long as you've used the right stuff???) My tank went cloudy too when i first set it up and added fertiliser to the gravel (did you do it in two layers???? one with the fert, and a top one without???) It may take a few days for the fertiliser to settle, but your fish will be fine, however they may keep stirring it up for a while longer....I found you may want to "dust" the plants from time to time.........stops them looking "snowed on" and may in some cases stop the plants being "burnt" by the fertiliser Just give the tank some time,and all will return to normal.... ChrisMack

Almost too embarrassed to post this.......... Late Last night I realised the "Clogging" indicator on my interal Fluval filter was showing that the filter was clogged up.......Knowing that today would be "fish-tank Maintenance day" (water changes etc) I decided that rather than risk straining the motor on the filter, I would simply dis-connect it from the power and clean it at a more respectable hour........ Morning came around, and I started my water changes etc.....when it came time to do the tank with the Fluval filter in it, I put my hand in the water...and got a shock to notice that the water was "STONE COLD" Panic set in as to what the problem was..........Thermometer was reading really low........and the filter was unplugged...meaning the heater was still plugged in...or so I thought!!!! On closer inspection I found that I had indeed unplugged the HEATER and not the FILTER (was I asleep at the time????........I think Ii must have been) After all maintenance,and BOTH heater and filter plugged in, I'm able to report that: 1: The fish are fine (even if they have been through a blizzard) 2: I feel really stupid about it all 3: I'm extremely lucky that I didnt lose any of my finned friends......and 4: BIG LESSON LEARNED!!!! ChrisMack

Heres the only Livebearers I currently own.......I did have some guppies at one stage...and my Puffers loved them!!!! For those who are un-aware they are Celebes Halfbeaks (Nomorhamphus Liemi Liemi) and from what i've read/heard they are quite hard to breed successfully, The gestation period for fry is about 8 weeks, but in most cases they will be stillborn at about 4-5 weeks I currently have 1 male and 4 females.... ChrisMack

You sure yuo want to get some of these last time a mate of mine enquired the price given was anywhere between $300-$400 per fish!!! (just depended on how easy they were to get at the time) Redwood used to have some at $180, but that was a while ago, and im not sure if they can still source them, or have them..... It's a lot of money for these extremely beautiful fish...One would hope that you are a well accomplished fishkeeper before rushing out to buy them (as i have heard they arent the easiest of Plecs to keep, and BREED for that matter) ChrisMack

Hey Guys...i've got some bristlenose bubies too! I used the Bristlenoses to cycle my new tank (someone gave me some advice that they are real hardy fish) and was about to add a couple of larger fish to the tank in the next few days...... I woke up this morning to find a tiny little wiggling figure high up on the front pane of the tank...my first thought was "what the h@!! is that?" on closer inspection it turned out to be a little dot of a bristlenose. Mine however are only about 6-8 mm long, and yep you guessed it the rest of the clan is hiding away in thier 3 storey apartment of bogwood! So far i've managed to see about 5-6 (unless the little buggers are moving between windows to joke with me) :lol: Seems to me like the move into a new tank, has been something of a honeymoon for this pair (if you get my drift) ....now i just gotta hope they survive...... ChrisMack

From what i undestand it's pretty normal behaviour for the clown loaches......they dont call them clowns for nothing.....guess they had the last laugh for a while...as they saw thier stressed owner 'freaking out' :lol: I would be concerned if they decided to 'sleep' upside down near the waters surface!!! They are indeed a neat fish, and who knows...someday I might try to keep them again.... ChrisMack

Kribcrazy.....you're coming to Christchurch right? Youre in luck....there seems to be a sudden 'boom' in stocking archers down here at the moment, with most dedicated stores having them over the last few months, how-ever they do seem to sell rather quickly! The last place i saw them (on the weekend) was at Critter Kingdom, they had maybe 10 in stock. From memory they retail at around the $30 mark....... They are a very attractive fish, probably even nicer in the flesh, than in pictures......I toyed with getting a few myself a while back, but seeing they are brackish water fish, I didnt have a tank I could put them into. I guess the ideal setup would be a deep tank that you could half full, with some 'out of water plants' hanging over the waters surface, throw in some live flies, crickets etc, and watch the archers do their thing..... I read somewhere that the force in which they 'shoot' their prey is rather strong, and if you were to have your hand in front of it, it would be like getting a tiny electric shock! Hope this helps........ ChrisMack

I guess that would rule out taking any "Knifefish" on your journey then.... :lol: ChrisMack PS: Kribcrazy, I suggest you check out these TWO at the least whan you are in CHCH, Organism...probably Christchurch's finest suppier, tidy shop, and helpful staff...they generally have 'something different' in stock too.... And Redwood Aquatics, The largest place in CHCH...mostly they have your 'bread and butter' fish on display, sometimes they have a few different things, but mostly it's a case of 'you ask we will try to get' Apart from that, there are a few other places dotted around, that seem to be pretty much you run of the mill suppliers.....

Intakes, and uplift tubes! :lol: guess it really depends what you want to call them....I'm talking about an uplift/intake tube for an external canister/bucket (what ever you want to call it) filter. Thanks for the help..... ChrisMack

Interesting post this one, I'm currently also working on a new tank, and have an external filter to intall as well.....now that there are several ideas for the spraybar/water outlet......i would like to know peoples opinions on the uplift tube...... What depth does the uplift tube have to be placed at in the tank? heres why I'm asking......I'm hoping that the tank I'm setting up will look as natural as possible, with not too much visible "parts" visible inside the tank. (the main problem will be the heater!) So to 'hide' the uplift tube I have a piece of bogwood to place in front of it(this wont effect the flow), however to have it hidden better the end of the uplift tube will be just below the half way of the tank.....will this be sufficient, or are they better off positioned as low as possible in the tank? Thanks for any suggestions, ChrisMack

I wouldnt suggest putting a puffer of any sort into a community tank, as with most fish, they all have their own personalities, but puffers are known fin-nippers, and really should be kept in their own tank...... I did however have a few Dwarf freshwater puffers that seemed to get along very well with a few guppies (for a while at least) They are good at cleaning up snails, and the snails are beneficial at keeping the puffers "beaks" ground down, and in a good state. As suggested above, Clown Loaches (or other similar loaches) would be the way to go........ ChrisMack

Just looking through the "link list" and guess what I came across...thats right a link to the very place you are talking about.....take a look it might help you out with your decision on going..... http://www.nationalaquarium.co.nz the Tv show was Gone Fishing, and I just caught the 'tail' :lol: end of it from about the African Cichlids on......I thought that the Cichlid tank looked very crammed for the number of fish in the tank...... ChrisMack

Well, it has been a long time coming, but finally I've done some more to my website....still not much there, but for those of you interested in the 'oddball' species, check it out......... http://bizarreaquarium.freeservers.com/ I'm keen to hear from others who are keeping the more bizzare fish, and maybe even get some additional info/pics/species to add to the site....my intention is to make it a valuable place for those who intend to start keeping these 'oddballs' to visit...... All feedback welcomed! Thanks, ChrisMack

Hey Wazza, nice pic, and great fun to watch fish....I had a couple a while back, but sadly one commited suicide, when it jumped out of the tank (through a very narrow gap) while i was at work one day.......the other I think became stressed at being alone, and suffered from an irreversable case of whitespot (probably my error at the time...I was a relative novice) However looking at that picture, im wondering if in fact you do have two Clown Loaches!!!! To me it looks like the following options..... 1: You have taken a picture of you single Clown Loach, while it has been close to the glass of your tank, and have simply photographed its reflection or 2: You have very talented "mirror image" performers in your tank.... :lol: ChrisMack

Oh yeah....and I guess Rob will be getting excited now...the olympics arent far away! :lol: Better hope they have coverage of weightlifting! Kim, I take it you have one (some) short-nosed elephant nosed fish? as ugly as they are...at least they are different from the normal fish that 'most' people associate with a fish tank.....are they the same as elephant nose fish, in respect to 'supposedly' only having one per tank? ChrisMack

It's probably no secret to most of you, That Im an avid fan of the extra Cool Elephantnose fish.....Well on a recent excursion around Christchurch (or doing the rounds as we call it) I made a visit to Organism (one of the better shops for 'oddball' fish......and there in one of thier display/sell tanks were two of the uglyest things I've seen SHORT NOSED ELEPHANTNOSE FISH! How they even get the name of elephantnose is beyond me......they dont even have a 'trunk' So it does pose a question.....what fish do you guys think is the "ugliest fish" you've seen? ChrisMack

Hi all, I have concerns about my Geophagus Satanoperca (EarthEater) and was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on a posible remedy..... Symptoms: *Sitting at the bottom of the tank, with fins clamped close to body (this is normal for a sick fish from what I've heard) *colouration is darker than normal *There is a 'blisterlike' growth where the pectoral fin, joins the body (one side only) *Now and then he seems to act like hes trying to regurgitate something, this is often followed by vigourous shaking *I have witnessed him doing the 'whitespot flick' on a couple of occasions I've been using MALKON, which seemed to work at first, but now doesnt seemed to have helped overall. No other fish in the tank are showing any symptoms of illness. Is it possible that the silly bugger (along with the growth) has swallowed a stone, and cant get it out of his system? Hopefully someone will have an idea on how to nurse one of my favourite fish back to his normal 'show-off' self....... Thanks for any help..... ChrisMack P.S. Maybe the FNZAS could add a 'hospital' forum to the site especially for such questions......just a suggestion.

Hi all, I have concerns about my Geophagus Satanoperca (EarthEater) and was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on a posible remedy..... Symptoms: *Sitting at the bottom of the tank, with fins clamped close to body (this is normal for a sick fish from what I've heard) *colouration is darker than normal *There is a 'blisterlike' growth where the pectoral fin, joins the body (one side only) *Now and then he seems to act like hes trying to regurgitate something, this is often followed by vigourous shaking *I have witnessed him doing the 'whitespot flick' on a couple of occasions I've been using MALKON, which seemed to work at first, but now doesnt seemed to have helped overall. No other fish in the tank are showing any symptoms of illness. Is it possible that the silly bugger (along with the growth) has swallowed a stone, and cant get it out of his system? Hopefully someone will have an idea on how to nurse one of my favourite fish back to his normal 'show-off' self....... Thanks for any help..... ChrisMack P.S. Maybe the FNZAS could add a 'hospital' forum to the site especially for such questions......just a suggestion.