Jennifer

You can join any club you like. If you don't want to be affiliated with a club, let me know - we are currently working on developing an associate membership route so that is a potential alternate way to get involved.

Well done KP, it must be very happy to flower like that!

This is a project that is solely in response to member concerns. Ideally, member benefits would be that perhaps some species that you personally want to see in the country would be made legal and of course that could mean that they could get imported. From a behind-the-scenes perspective, I can tell you that there is much to be enthusiastic about in regard to this issue; however, there are no guarantees and there are lots of obstacles we need to overcome. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try though. You will begin to see changes as we upgrade the website - and for members they will gain additional website benefits. I don't want to say too much until I am certain what changes we are able to implement successfully but I think it will be very impressive if it all goes as planned!

Sorry to hear that Sophia. I have said it time and again, those filters are a horrible design. Why make a tiny filter (presumably suitable for a tiny tank, where you can only house tiny fish) and then make the filter with holes big enough to suck up the fish??? It makes no sense at all. I have lost a couple dozen valuable fish to these filters. Now I have devised a solution that prevents the problem. I move the flow bar to mid way and wedge a small piece of coarse filter sponge into each hole. I also wedge a piece of sponge at the back where the power cord comes out. This blocks all access routes:

:lol: That is classic! Love it.

Good one.

This book is certainly a great resource for the NZ hobby. We are very lucky to have such a superb writer in our midst. Amazing quality photos too!

I keep them. 8) Their correct species name is now Dario dario Very hard to come by females (the females are almost white) but they breed readily. They also eat only live food in my experience. They will survive for a long time in a tank with no added live food as they graze on zooplankton but give them half a chance and they will eat a worm twice their size! They colour up best when there are at least two males, or a female but the males need quite a bit of floorspace in terms of territory. Great fish and really fun to watch when they display to each other.

I didn't personally know John for long, but he absolutely welcomed me with open arms (and several demands to buy raffle tickets). The last time I saw him I recall him taking me aside and telling me that he had big hopes for me and that he knew I would do big things because I stood up to him! I hope I can do him proud. John loved the Federation and looked forward to seeing all his old mates every year at conference. We are certainly better for knowing him. My thoughts go out to his friends and family who no doubt will feel his loss immensely.

Nice KP. Mine should be doing that soon as well by the looks of it!

The executives thought the crap ban was a load of crap. If it's good enough for prime time, it's good enough for us. Enjoy yourselves with those four letters.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standar ... -advantage My friend Bridey is the one in the article. A really great cause.

Right, so we had the executive meeting on Saturday and I wanted to let everyone know that the official word from the FNZAS is that we have every intention of supporting an effort to get fish on the fish list. I personally have been a huge advocate of this project mainly because I see it as a present concern to our members. The executives support the move on the stipulation that we have support from our members, and that the infrastructure is in place to successfully implement the project. In the mean time, we are busy developing plans for the possibility of upgrading the website, adding additional member benefits and enabling additional modes of gaining membership to the Federation. My goal is to have the fish committee be in charge of coordinating the fish list project by making good use of expertise within their appointed panel of experts. I want members to have a say about what species are included in the application and this could be through a voting system where members can choose what species they prefer. With the guidance of the fish committee we can select some realistic goals for the project and with any luck, we may be able to continue the project as an annual endeavour. I will be sending out updates to club delegates as we go along. Stay tuned for some exciting times to come!

Me! I am super keen. Let me know where and when.

We are discussing all of these things tomorrow at the executive meeting and will report back to the club delegates and the fish committee. I know I have approached a number of you about getting on board, now the ball is in your court whether or not you want to join the FNZAS. If you have recently become a member, send me a message if you would like to help the fish committee work on these issues. There is some great knowledge and enthusiasm out there and with a little leadership to guide the cause, our combined energy will no doubt have quite an impact.

Well, rhetorically speaking, someone could want a tank in their office for their own personal viewing pleasure... ...although I suppose the plebs who are getting a telling-off might appreciate the fish too. 8)

It's a 3ft tank housing two pairs (although I had three pairs in there previously with no real problems but there wasn't enough floor space). You could fit one pair in a 2 foot tank.

Something like this? 8)

Ah, that is very interesting! Maybe try less time in the bleach and a lower dose of Excel at the start? I might have to do an experiment of my own. :lol:

That is exactly what the consensus was Stella. Without testing it is hard to say for certain but it was thought to be a benign tumour with likely viral origin. Due to its location and very invasive nature it would have a very poor prognosis.

Well, even though there have been a few bumps in the road, I am very happy to see a core group of people keeping this going with some good ideas. Kudos to Barrie, Rabbit, Reef and others who are genuinely making a difference and trying to keep it positive. There are several issues here, some include: 1. Establishing/maintaining a good relationship with MAF BNZ/ERMA - we want to help and we want to get reliable information. To do this, we need to be organised and professional in our approach. 2. Correcting the existing fish list (there are many errors) - this should be a positive way for the FNZAS to contribute but there are implications that are being explored. 3. Disseminating information about why allowable fish are not often seen in the shops - In theory it is easy to order in any fish that is on the list, but in actuality, the economic risk is often very great for the importer who may have to buy large quantities of fish that may not sell soon enough to cover costs. Also, the challenges of quarantine restrictions and high-risk fish mean that costs to the consumer may grow as the importer bears that risk and needs to pass it on. 4. Establishing if there is interest and financial support for applying to add more fish species to the list. This is fine, and possible, as long as we understand the limitations (refer to point 3 above) and realise that it may not instantly result in that fish arriving on our doorstep immediately. With all that said, if anyone here has new ideas for how to assist with any of these areas, feel free to contact me. I would be very happy to facilitate contact with the fish committee (complete with a membership form if needed).

Just an executive meeting next week Donna. Hey, maybe it could be a pizza party instead! :lol:

Excel at normal doses will not cause problems with most plants. I use it in all of my small planted tanks and the crypts (including C. walkerii) do especially well.

Edit: misread the title... :oops:

I think we need to get FuglyDragon and CodKing on board - they are supreme river dudes and I am sure will know all the hot spots.