Caryl

Proof that smoking is bad for you - especially if you are a fish! :lol:

Just remove the shell

Welcome Mikey. We have a few people in here interested in frogs and lizards etc. I used to have gheckos.

Hi Nic and welcome to the fishroom. Sounds like you MTS is going nicely 8)

Schist is fine. I assume mica schist is too. The only rock to really cause problems here is limestone but in an African cichlid tank it would be beneficial.

You also have to remember quite a few of the plants aren't available in NZ. Lots of information in the book and very clear photos. Basic well laid out pages. I just found the codes list! :lol:

Try rearranging the decor of the whole tank. The originals consider it their territory and are protecting it from the newcomer. If you move things around they will have to re-establish territory and can all do it together.

What sort of local native fish do they have? That would be the best bet - and free if they can catch them.

Easy - www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Guppies are very easy to breed. In fact, they are also known as the millions fish because they breed faster than rabbits. If you wish to keep as many of the fry as possible you need to separate mum from fry or she will eat them (as will all the other tank inhabitants). If they are in a well planted tank with plenty of places to hide, you can leave them to reproduce happily all together. Remember, you will soon run out of space if you keep all the fry all the time as they can drop anywhere from a few to a few hundred every 4 - 5 weeks

I have always found turkey basters in the supermarket or places like Briscoes. Easy to find at this time of year 8)

We are unable to put phone numbers etc here without permission of the person you are asking for. I suggest you ring Critter Kingdom and ask them or leave your name and ph number and ask if he will get in touch with you. Tim hasn't been in here for a while. Too busy with the lead-up to Christmas I imagine. The shop staff may be able to help you anyway.

Hi and welcome to NZ Koi are banned here but we have the other fish you mentioned.

Frozen bottles only work short term and make your freezer run double time

It is illegal to remove sand from beaches but nobody complains if you are just taking a small amount. If you drove up with a massive truck and a front end loader there might be problems :lol:

Wow! Looking forward to the pics of progress. What a Christmas prezzie!!

It is fine when they are little but you were also talking about getting more. Goldfish need a lot more surface area than tropicals and produce a lot of waste. What depth is your tank? If it is 30 x 17cm I am sure you have more than 10L in it but we need to know the depth to be able to work it out. A reasonably sized goldfish needs 38L of water. Each additional fish needs the same. Or you can have 30sq cm of water surface to every 2.5cm of fish. Theoretically your tank would hold 17 goldfish each 2.5cm but as they grow they poo more so need even more surface area per fish. Stocking levels vary depending on filtration and tank maintenance. Do not believe people who say a fish will only grow to the size of the tank. Their growth certainly slows down in cramped conditions but it also stunts the fish.

For seaweed we gathered 'sea lettuce' as the fish loved it and it was home to lots of little critters which were added food when put in the tank.

Boil the stones in an old pot.

I just scrub mine out with salt and water then rinse well. You can also use bleach but again, good rinsing is essential.

10L is a bucket! Way too small for goldfish to grow in.

Tanks have a slight 'earthy' smell but should not smell stale. How do you know the water quality is good? Have you tested using proper testkits? I gather you have 2 fantails. How big are they and what size is the tank? Have you got plants and/or gravel in there too? What sort of filter are you running? How long has the tank been set up? All these questions will help pinpoint possible trouble.

Send a PM to pies or ask the question in the saltwater section. Many in there do not read the freshwater bits. Pies lives in Wgtn, has a large marine tank well worth visiting, and is an experienced diver so will know places to go.

Hi and welcome. I hope you have a good sized tank for those fish as goldfish need space. They are also very messy so good filtration is important.

I leave my fish with no food for up to 2 weeks regularly but my tank is well established. Why not feed them once or twice a week while away? Put the right amount of food in small containers (1 for each day) with the day written on them. Pill bottles work well or small plastic bags. The people feeding the cat could then just dump the contents in on the required day. Hide the rest of the fishfood so they are not tempted to add more. This method will have less chance of overfeeding or the food block fouling the tank. (Oops. Didn't see your reply Jo :oops: )