northland chic

I had a Rseun King 4 in my sump for my 7.6ft (plus one other pump can't remember what kind) and in the 6 months I used it, it went through 2 impellors and was rather noisy. Don't use it anymore one day it just decided it didn't want to go. Now I have a ViaAqua3600 which I got for about the same price ($130 brand new) and I find it so much quieter, its great.

We have a Silver Arowana that is about 55cm. We go it about 8 months ago now and it lives in a 7.6ft tank. It doesn't like all the tank mates its had, its killed 2 red tailed sharks and we've had to get rid of 2 pacu because it took a dislike to them. I would also reccommend getting a young one so you can train it what to eat. Our one can be quite fussy. We feed it on herrings (live and dead) he likes to chase the live ones round the tank and stalk them.At the moment it is being a pig and will eat about 3 a day if we let it. I also started breeding mice for it but if you want to feed it mice just buy the ocasional young one or wait for the cat to get one. It does like them but they're more like a treat and it'll only eat one every month or so. So breeding them you end up with heaps that it wont eat. Sometimes it won't eat for a month or so its nothing to get concerned about it'll eat again when it feels like it. At the moment it is really friendly and follows me round. If you would like photos just email me.

I use a fluval 403 and a 103 on a different tank. I have found them both to be great. The only downside is that my LFS told me last time I rung that you can't get parts for 403's anymore. Which is a buggr but on the good side he sent me an assortment of parts for really cheap. Apart from that I use internal filters I got off trade me called maji jet or something like that. I only tried these cause they were cheap and they had a spray bar. But they do require cleaning quite often (are easy to clean though) and get noisy. We also have 2 PF 500 which we got with a tank we bought(they didn't come with impellors) . I like these as well but have never seen them in shops only once or twice on trade me.Also they seem to go through the impellors but if we had the proper ones they may not we just use impellors from little Rio's for them. Tried a shark but wouldn't even really pump out water so gave up on it lucky it was free so I wasn't that shattered.

Fish do get depressed, we had our little knife fish in with our oscars, he just sat under the log all day. The other day we moved knifee out and the little oscar just sat by the entrance of the cave sulking for over a day, only just coming back to his normal self now. I have also had depressed angels, one when her partner died she lost all love of life. Another when i had 2 females in with one male and he picked the yellow one, stripey was just never the same. Tried getting her a new partner but she just wasn't interested, rejection is hard to take.

I just went and had a look at mine, the three big ones are reddish on the bottom of the gills. My younger ones don't have this at all. My female gets quite reddish when she is in the mood for some pratice baby making which she does nearly every couple of days. Picks a male and just harrasses him until he gives in. I have one female silver dollar out of 5, how many other people have females?

My angels are awesome, really friendly. I did have a heap of livebearers that were also very friendly. Oscar took a while then one day I was standing next to the tank and he jumped at my hand, now i cant escape him! Some fish just take a while to get friendly.

My friend would like a tank she can add stuff too. And I can give her a couple of neons or something and she can slowly get more. She's also seen our tetra community and someone elses community tank and really liked them. I will just give her a few names to stay away from or tell her anything that looks like a neon can fit in its mouth stay away from.

My friend has a paradise fish that has lived in a non heated tank with a goldfish for about 3years.I am giving her a 3ft tropical set up which I'm am going to set up with neons and such. Just a nice small community. The goldfish can go back in my pond but what can we do with the paradise fish? Not sure whether its a girl or boy its blue if this helps. So my questions would it live happily in a community tank, could it live in the pond over summer or should i just divide a small space in the 3ft tropical for it and if possible what sex is it? I have heard they can be quite mean to others. Thanks everyone

That's an awesome little fish, I would love one! I have never seen one before. Our big one is really fussy and won't eat anything we been giving him starting to get irritated. He's been offered a mouse three times and he refuses each time, he also wont eat his herrings.

I have a green severum, by the sounds of what has been said a male. I have him for sale on trade me at the moment ($1res). Someone has said they would like him if I go to Whangarei, they want to put him in with a pair of gold severums. Will they hurt him when they breed? Mine never looks happy and is never too hungry, doesn't run out to get any food or anything. Would he improve if he had a friend? He just hides in the plastic plants all day.

Your pic is really cool as well TA. How did you find him with the Clown Knife? We have a Clown Knife but ours is still small under 20cm. But one day my partner would like to get him a big tank of his own. The arowana is in a 1000litre tank its just the blue paint that looks like a swimming pool.

This is my Arowana and he is about 50cm long. Pic is here http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/grumpy ... 20Time.htm

I agree with Alan, I think they are both males.

Hi David R, Yip, we did buy Richard's tank. I think we saw you while we were there because Adam & I both heard you say the Silver Dollars used to be yours. You were talking to Richard when we arrived and we watched him feed the dead gourami to the Grouper. Those Silver Dollars are huge, I got mine when they were small and Adam had no idea how big they got until he saws yours. I think the black pacu will have to die. Adam wants to build him a tank but lets face it, it will only be a short term solution. So I think its best to go to fishy heaven. He has been attacking the Arowana, we have watched them charge each other. Also the Arowana is still not eating so we are starting to get a bit worried. Rang Richard today to see what he suggested he said we should find him a live mouse but I'm not a very good mouse catcher, have to hope the cats get one.

Adam & I fell in love with some snake necks they had at our LFS but at $135ea we couldn't afford them. But they were great they would come out to look at us and follow Adams finger round. I really wanted one! Yours are so cute and little, how big do they get?

One of the ugliest i've seen are those bubble eye goldfish, with the huge fluid filled sacks under their eyes.

I'm going to start breeding mice for him but my partner (Adam) doesn't think I will feed them to him. I probably won't be able to and really I'm just getting mice because he wouldn't let me have a rat and the arowana is a great excuse. I will make Adam feed him the boy mice as he is the one that wanted the Arowana. No not being sexist I have heard you can only have one boy or they fight. The arowana is not eating yet but the guy we got him off feeds him pilchards and he likes those. I also read I could feed him prawns so maybe try that. As for the Pacu, when we bought the tank he asked if we wanted him. I said yes because otherwise he was going to be knocked on the head. But now after having him for a few days I think he may have to go to fishy heaven. I have seen him nipping at the arowanas fins and at the other fish, also with him in the tank no one else gets anything to eat. So if anyone knows anyone whos wants a black pacu 35cm. We are going to add our silver dollars (there is already 3) which are a little smaller than the ones already in there, so if he nips the others he will nip them. Also have a little green severum I'm not to keen on, so give me a shout if you want it. It is about 15cm long, don't know what sex it is. If someone knows how to tell let me know. Thanks

Hi Everyone, Just got a Arowana and Pacu the other day and wondering who else has them? The guy I got it off didn't think there were many around, so just want to know. Also what do you feed yours? Thanks

I bought a Atman 103 about 2 months ago and have just started having problems with it in the last couple of weeks, so I wouldn't reccommend them.

I have had my mondo grass for a year now, but it never looks really great. I went to one of the local garden centres and they had it growing in a pot and it looked great, I have been debating putting it in a pot outside.

I have angels and an oscar, only got Oscar about a week ago and i thought he was going to die 2 times now from overeating.

Just emptied this tank today and when we lifted the u/g filter grate out came 4 little corys, what a great surprise!

I get quite a few good deals off trade me, there is a couple of people selling pet supplies on web sites though. http://www.wakeup.to/epets There is also another one I think its in the Commercial Trade & Exchange on this site. The only I find with trade (generally only applies to computer parts) if it says "not tested", "never tried", "as is" it doesn't go at all!

Some of my first fish keeping has been with under gravel filters and I love them. I prefer them for my goldfish tanks but do have grates round the house for all my tanks. I use the ultra clear ones because the filter cartridges are a good price and quite common so its not something you have to search different shops for. Since undergravel I have discovered external and internal power filters so now prefert those. As for your silver dollar I have 3, had them for about 2-3 months. Now all my hygrophilia, cabomba and amazon swords are just storks.

I got a fluval 103 with a tank I bought, liked it so much I bought a 403 off trade me got a bargain too $100 with shipping. I have never had problems and would reccommend them but I have only had them about 6-9 months so they could still break!