skippy_49nz

Fake gold nuggets... is that like a fools gold nugget?

Re-read the post, the heater is set low.

I've seen wholesale lists with 10 small fish for a couple hundred or 10 medium sized fish for around $300. that would need to be converted and quarrantine costs and margins would need to be added, but even so...

Very interesting. In the States or Europe things like Zebras are practically a dime a dozen. If they are allowed then I can't see why they wouldn't be available here for around $150.

Snails seem to make up the bulk of their diet if they are available. They eat these before touching anything else fed to them.

L066 don't look much like them but are probably pretty similar as both are hypans, both probably have similar behaviours and requirements. L400 posted on a different thread looked similar with the same colouring but vertical stripes rather than horizontal. Some Leopard frogs also look similar to L400 but are not hypans. I think from memory their no is L136 or L134. no idea of availability of these in NZ. Wouldn't mind finding some. I think most hypans are prohibited from being imported. I don't know the ins and outs of it but if thats the case then no amount of love or money will get new fish into the country.

ok I can't find the article I was after.... GRRRR

Phoenix I know someone who operated an internationally renowned kennel producing dogs which were sought after globally and by their own description they were breeding the family line so close they were almost producing clones. All the textbook theories in the world cannot stack up against real world experience. For hundreds of years people thought the world was flat and when people suggested it wasn't they were ridiculed. Every now and then you would want to introduce an outcross to keep things from becoming depressed and the offspring from such an outcross can be exceptional due to hybrid vigour though they typically don't produce well themselves. Culling is an important factor in any breeding programme and with very strict culling practices, there is nothing wrong with inbreeding. There's an article I need to find for you to have a read through on this...

There is nothing wrong with very closely bred lines of dogs if they come from good stock to begin with. The problems arise when people don't scrutinize their breeding stock and breed dogs with faults. inbreeding and linebreeding tends to double up the faults. A lot of the problems in purebred dogs comes from the extreme interpretations of the breed standards. This is purely because people select for an unnatural and unhealthy phenotype to meet the interpretations of the standard. Allowing dedicated breeders to also try their hand is the whole key to it. Every Tom, Dick and Harry may not be the best for breeding quality specimens, but to think there are not others who have bred similar species and could do a service to the species is blinkered.

I guess I will never understand that. I would prefer to secure the population for everyone to enjoy rather than holding the few so closely to my chest that no-one had any possibility of continuing them. One day every one of use will die. If we hold the only breeding examples of a species then there is a good chance they will die wih us through neglect or inheritance and lack of knowledge. it doesn't make sense.

That is bad news for the hobby if anyone was selfish enough to try to hold everyone to ransom by not selling females. To be honest I would not deal with someone if they operated under these conditions out of principle and most decent clubs would blacklist them. That would be the case in dog breeding circles. Isn't it better that everyone be here to help each other and try to breed the best fish possible? When personal agendas creep into it then everyone loses. Who is to say that Tom down the road couldn't do a better job of breeding the fish that someone who holds a monopoly of the known females in the country? As a responsible breeder don't you have an obligation to allow others to try to breed them better than what you can? Also sooner or later there will be a point where a female would make its way into the population either by mistake or through simple overpopulation. No-one who was any good at getting fish to breed could possibly keep all of the females, even if they were only having a half dozen at a time, unless they began culling them simply to maintain a stranglehold.

Kind of off topic but these may not ever be sold here. If they were available there would probably be a dozen breeders willing to put their hand up to acquire some and have a crack at breeding... probably for different reasons. The first question I would have is what is the true price of these? They are no different to any other hypans so in theory shouldn't break a hundred to pick one up. The first few sold if they ever are will be sold at a HUGE premium on this price. Can that be considered a reduction in price if the consumer is being raped because there are no other sources of supply? The first person to ever sell these will face a real test of character. Do they act the mercinary and try to make as much as they can while they can or do they try to offer rare fish to those who can secure their supply within the country and at a reasonable price? Sadly I suspect we all know what will happen if they are ever available. Something to consider... perhaps these type of people are not the best members of a hobby.

Kribs are like a lot of cichlids are are vicious when they breed. I have found if you want to keep the babies alive they do best without any other fish in the tank. If you don't care then just leave them in with the jewels. I did that in the end. Jewels seem to be pretty tough fish and can pretty well do as they please most of the time. Zebra danios are also quick enough to pick the babies off.

They could be the closest to L46 we can get here. Going by looks anyway.

Does anyone know if these are around or importable?

I typically keep zebra danios around 23-24 degrees. I know someone who keeps them around 27-28 but I would prefer them cooler, especially for breeding purposes.

I love zebra danios they are hardy and active and they typically school really well.

I like them as well and would like to breed them but I'm a bit lazy so I have never tried. They are supposed to breed like the proverbial rabbits.

If its running then I would leave it a spell but most of the time they are switched off when the tank is up to temp and the thermostat has kicked in so there is no more heat in the heater than the ambient temp of the water.

They picked the eggs up today so may be spittilg out babies in a couple of days. I hope not... There were probably 12 eggs within the batch which were unfertile and white. The rest looked good to go.

Well both males are together. Both have fertilized eggs in the past with other females, hence the reason I put them together. The big fish is the mother of the small fish and the small one was the one laying the eggs and the mother fertilizing them. People have tried to tell me that I'm wrong and I must have made a mistake but there is no possible way that could have happened.

Jewels seem to breed like flies. I currently have 2 males together in a tank and a female with one female offspring. Both males have bred together, despite me putting them in a single sex tank and now the mother has fertilized the baby females eggs. No wonder Florida doesn't want these things in the Everglades. There is no stopping these things.

Check one of the "L number" lists on any of the websites. There is a long explanation behind it all but in a nutshell the L number is assigned to a new species until it is described, at which point in theory it goes by a common name but many people still use the L number as the common names can confuse the hell out of people. if you want to know what a particular number looks like, just google it.

What are the spotty ones? Breed loads of them and I will buy some from you!

They are really easy to breed and a little harder to move on. The adults will be really aggro with any other fish in with them so keep an eye on them.