aqua j

Super. I'm glad someones kept Manie's breeding group together, he had some really nice lines that are worth trying to preserve. I had some of Manie's Iodotropheus sprengerae but lost them due to a heater failure. So disappointing as they were beautiful and I haven't been able to replace them since.

I have one of Manie's too. I only picked up one but wish I had got a couple more cause they look quite cool. He's pretty entertaining to watch as well, he's only a little guy but defends his cave obsessively against adult giraffe and greshakei invaders. Look familiar? Does anyone know if the males and females look different at all?

Trichozole and Flagyl are both trade names for metronidazole. Vets tend to be quite concerned when dealing with areas they are not experienced in. I'm not saying the vets recommendations were right or wrong, just pointing out that it is an area of risk for them. They have a fairly hefty weight of responsibility when prescribing drugs and put themselves at risk when they are not too sure of the disease etc. Ideally this is the time to brush up your knowledge or refer to another vet, but that's not always possible. Metronidazole is listed as a potential carcinogen, so the vet was not being excessive recommending gloves are used. However it is a low risk, and like others have mentioned it is a fairly commonly prescribed human medication. It is prescribed where benefits outweigh the risk, the benefits of clearing up an infected root canal outweigh the slight possibility of increased risk of cancer. But risk should be avoided where possible - eg many countries have banned the use of metronidazole in food producing animals as it is an unnecessary risk. Also there is a slight chance you may develop skin irritation from contact - unlikely but possible. It's just about bottom (don't know if I can use the other word?) covering. Vets with fish knowledge are hard to find, so it pays to hang on to their number when you find one.

Hilarious! :lol: Couldn't stop reading it. Maybe he'll be asked to do a remake of The Mangler. Loved the cat with the lemon on it's head.

Hard work paid off alright... those are great marks! I did a very similar thing. Sent my assignment to a friend, and the email intended for my friend to the lecturer. :oops: Luckily the email didn't say anything embarrassing. Wish I'd got 94.5%. :- Also slept through nearly a whole exam in 4th year. Got there 10 mins before the end. :oops:

Your tank is looking fantastic! The dems are gorgeous. I have one piece of driftwood in my african tank hidden behind the rocks for the BNs. They seem happy enough with that. They're growing well and have been in there for about 2 1/2yrs. I have trouble getting sinking pellets down to the BNs because the pellets generally get gobbled whole on the way down by large giraffe or red top mouths. My yellows are holding for the first time. I got them as babies from malawiman last year. Can't wait to have heaps of little yellows like your tank.

I thought kenyi too. Quite dark bands for a kenyi though, especially down onto the face. Do kenyi's and demasoni's interbreed?

Yeah you're right, you can usually find a vet who will help. I agree that where there is a will there's a way, if people want a pet possum they will have one, and it's better that they are desexed and kept healthy. (They can be so cute!) The main reason for them being banned is the risk of them having TB and infecting people, other possums and livestock. As long as people know this and take precautions. The number of kittens dumped to go feral etc will be doing far more harm than the few people with pet possums.

Possums aren't allowed to be kept as pets in NZ without a permit. Vets aren't supposed to treat a pet possum and return it to the owner, as this could make them liable for fines as well.

I was so absorbed in the story I actually got a fright... :oops: Maybe still a little gullible.

They sure are in NZ. I've got an adult group of one male and 4 females ranging from a bit over 20cm to 15cm. They are usually a laid back bunch except for one incident when they all took to the fifth female (RIP ). I've been thinking about selling or swapping them and getting some different africans for a change, so let me know if you would be keen to take on a breeding group Aquilam. This is the male:

I've tried to keep a daphnia culture going a couple of times with no luck. I was wondering how sensitive to temperature fluctuations they are? I only had them in a 10L bucket outside which probably got quite hot in the sun at times, and quite cold at night. Although both times the culture died was during summer in Tauranga, so I don't think they got too cold. Would it be better to have them inside, or in a larger volume of water outside that didn't change temp so much or so quickly?

That is absolutely disgusting. Makes me feel sick to my stomach. There have been so many horrific animal welfare cases recently, and often involving children/teenagers. It's really scary.

I had heard they could be trouble makers. This guy is the most well mannered cichlid I've had. He is the boss of the tank but doesn't pick on anyone or start fights. He even breaks up any fights that start between other fish by getting in the middle. It's odd to watch. I was wondering how much of cichlid behaviour is determined by genetics and how much is the tank environment etc. Could you selectively breed for quieter or more aggressive lines?

Is there a type or brand of resin that is better/safer to use? Do you have to do anything to is before putting it in the tank? (eg leave it to harden longer than recommended, wash off with water etc?)

Yeah I think he's pretty cute. Not everyone appreciates a large brown crossbred however. My mum reckons he has 'a face only a mother could love'. But he's so cool mum can't help loving him to bits as well. Love the Mt Taranaki shot - spectacular. Keep the pics coming... they're all so awesome.

Yep it's a greshakei. He sure stands out in the tank.

I followed exactly the same regime... Eventually someone told me I should be using 'Water Ager'. Suddenly there was so much to learn.... My two original goldfish ended up in mums pond about 15yrs ago. Not sure if they're still alive, but their babies are.

That is amazingly negligent of the shop. I can't imagine that it's a good way to get clients. But I guess they maybe need to keep coming back for new fish (!?). :-? Fish are included under the Animal Welfare Act, and ill-treatment of an animal is to cause it pain or distress that is unreasonable or unnecessary by your actions or lack of action. The Act requires people in charge of animals to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the physical, health, and behavioural needs of the animals are met in a manner that is in accordance with good practice and scientific knowledge. The welfare of fish is not high profile like it is for other animals. But in my opinion the lfs was not meeting their obligations. Might be worth mentioning to them.

Hicks Bay Trying to look cute Ruapehu from Hunterville area

There are some FANTASTIC photos here! One of my favourites is the pic of your aunt tinytawnykitten - what a special moment to capture. Here's a few from my album... From Mt John, Lake Tekapo Mt Cook Our little yacht Sheerwater Danube River

These are some of my favourite tanks off the net. (http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=184519) Might need a slightly larger house before I can have one of these though....

These aren't the best pics, but might be useful. I've since changed this one to sand and added a background. Quick, easy caves for the babies and only cost a few $. Was playing around with the camera.... shows the rocks well at least. Added a plain background to this one as well.

Hi Megs, I am a vet based in Tauranga, so may be able to help you with this sort of thing in the future. I'm not hugely knowledgable about fish diseases, but I have kept a variety of fish over the years and have several tanks set up at the moment so have run into the more common problems over time. You don't have to buy a whole bottle/box of metronidazole. You can work out how much you need for a treatment course and then get a prescription for just that amount. As mentioned elsewhere here though, it is important to diagnose the problem first otherwise the treatment won't work and will contribute to problems like drug resistance. Feel free to PM me if you need a hand. I get lots of helpful info from these forums, so I'm keen to help out forum members if I can.