Caryl

Our Guest Speaker will be Nick from Aquaponics New Zealand.  We will be at the venue from 9am and ask that anyone attending arrive before 9:50.

Hi All

Just a reminder of the FNZAS Annual General Meeting on Saturday the 27th of April.
This will be held at Napier Baptist Church, 36 Riverbend Road, Maraenui, Napier 4110

This should be a good event with attendees from all over the country.  It will also be available via zoom for those that cannot attend.

AGM Zoom details:

President FNZAS is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: FNZAS AGM
Time: Apr 27, 2024 09:30 AM Auckland, Wellington

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92593087655?pwd=YXF5MzU5b0tZM3Z3amI4azdHb0kxQT09

Meeting ID: 925 9308 7655
Passcode: 135413

Please note that speaking rights are held by committee and delegates only.  FNZAS members will get a chance for comments at the end of the AGM


The plan for the day will be as follows
10am FNZAS AGM start
11am Guest Speaker
12pm Lunch
1pm Tank Crawl


The AGM is open to everyone including all members and non-members of the FNZAS.
The tank crawl will only be open to attendance by FNZAS members.

For any questions regarding the in person event please contact either:
Chris Drake: [email protected]
Chris Stokes: [email protected]

-- 
Chris Stokes
FNZAS Secretary

Thank you, that makes a lot more sense. My (in progress) tank is based on one ecosystem where a few compatible aquarium fish live, so it should be easy for me to start with a couple of easier species and then look into more difficult ones later down the track.

If you have successfully kept your current fish alive and healthy for 12 months and you haven't got an algae outbreak, and your water test results are excellent, then you are ready to try a more difficult species.
Difficult doesn't always mean hard though as it may mean something like the fish has specific requirements not able to be given in a community aquarium.

Possibly the start of black beard algae (BBA) and common on slow growing plants like Java fern. Very difficult to get rid of. It may be caused by too much light, and/or water pollutants. It could have already been on the plant when it was bought.
Bear in mind, Java ferns also reproduce by growing tiny plantlets off the edges of the wide leaves. Sometimes this makes the edges look weird.
Make sure you have plenty of water movement and excellent water conditions.
The internet has plenty of detailed info on BBA.

A Betta only lives 2 - 3 years so if you choose the biggest in the display, it is also possibly the oldest and may already be 12 months or more old.
How do you know it was over-feeding that killed the last one?
Bettas need a diet high in protein so live food is good or specially formulated fish food for bettas.
Here is a really good article about how much to feed your betta that should help you...
https://www.myaquariumclub.com/skinny-bettas-underfeeding-might-be-worse-than-overfeeding-19292.html

Easily. When you consider most of the fish is only fins there is not much body. 3 bristlenoses could easily eat all the evidence overnight. They are nocturnal so do their food foraging at night. Sorry you lost the fish but, as said in the other post, have you been testing your aquarium water?

I am happy to chat with any tortoise owners, just to share info, answer questions, help with setups and where to purchase tortoises from.... 

Hard to tell from the photos but I suspect nothing is wrong with him. Their natural colouring is brown and, depending on genetics, it may be a result of him reverting, or partially so, to his natural colour - like goldfish change colour as they age. It may stay like that or the dark colour may spread. If there is no redness or extra raggedness to the fin I would say he's fine. Their pectorals can get a bit tatty anyway as they dart in and out of tight places.
I am interested in the wide red patch on top. One of mine has that too and I figured it was a result of him ramming himself into a tight hole and scaping the top of his body but perhaps it is normal. It comes and goes on mine and doesn't seem to affect him health-wise anyway.

At this stage we have planned for the agm in the morning followed by lunch then potentially some speakers in the afternoon (TBC) and a tank crawl. more details to come

I got a new Betta fish about 24 hours ago and he is eating and comes to the front of the tank when he sees me. Just wanted to show photoes and ask if there is any diseases or problems you see with how he looks   

Hi All
As you may be aware, the Hawkes Bay Aquarium Society is hosting this years FNZAS AGM.
This will be on the 27th of April 2024
There will be the AGM both in person and on Zoom followed by meals a tank crawl and fun and games.  Looking at a few more things as well depending on numbers.
It would be great to get as many people together in person for this.  You dont even need to be part of the exec to attend.
We look forward to seeing everyone

It is a hard way to learn but you will have learned a lot and are unlikely to repeat the mistake again. I think many of us have gone through mysterious deaths while we try frantically to figure out the problem and wonder why we took up fish keeping! Onwards and upwards and good luck for the future!

Made from an IBC intermediate bulk container.

 

So it turns out one of my old decorations (removed it from my tank a while ago to see if it was causing the mystery illness) has tiny holes in it and was actually hollow. It was sitting upright but has still somehow not drained completely.
So that's an exciting new source of contaminated water.
 
One option is to cut off the bottom centimeter so it drains freely, clean it out in the same way as the tanks and fill it with something so it's solid. Or just throw it away and figure out an alternative.

Like livingart, I would say it is not worth much, if anything. It would probably be cheaper to replace than try and find parts or repair. I either have one myself, in my box of spare aquarium bits, or I biffed it long ago.
You should be able to test it yourself as there is little to go wrong in them. Either it goes well, goes but not well, or doesn't go at all. If it goes well, give it to someone starting out but warn them it may not last much longer. If it goes, but not well, it is likely to be stuffed diaphragms and you can tell by looking at them. They will have disintegrated or have holes in them, especially along the creases. If it doesn't go at all, biff it.
If they couldn't find the parts for them 13 years ago, you're not likely to do so now.

Second tank is showing signs of infection.

The following email has been sent to all clubs, and their exec/ delegates to distribute.
Good afternoon all Clubs, Presidents, Delegates and Executive.
Attached are the minutes from the latest Exec and Delegate meeting held for the FNZAS.
But I also wanted to discuss some other items with clubs and really wish to have your feedback. 
First of all, I'm looking for people who are wanting to join a working group - the working group is for the new Societies Act, which now gives the FNZAS the opportunity to update (we have to as there is new legalities) to update our constitution. - If you would like to be on this working group please email [email protected] - the group members will have a Facebook chat, as well as a forum chat set up for them (if I can figure out how to set this up) and also will be able to access via myself the zoom to have meetings to discuss, this then will need to go out to exec and delegates to discuss and then all clubs get to vote on it - This is a huge opportunity for clubs to have their say - and I would love to have at least one or two people from each club who are interested in joining in on this. We must register under the new Societies Act before October 2026 and a new constitution will work alongside this.  I have attached MBIE Links for the changes and constitution building tool for people to have a look at. 
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/business-and-employment/business/regulating-entities/incorporated-societies-act-2022/
https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/law-changes-for-societies/
https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/law-changes-for-societies/your-society-will-need-a-constitution/
https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/help-centre/running-your-incorporated-society/constitution-builder-tool/

Can clubs please have a discussion at their next meeting and come back to myself - I will share with the Exec and Delegates from each club can elaborate where required.
What would you like the FNZAS to do for clubs?
What would you like the FNZAS to do to help support membership? (competitions? prizes etc etc)
What are your expectations of the FNZAS?
If FNZAS had a zoom account for clubs to use - would you take advantage of this?

FNZAS currently has this information as a who we are / objectives in our constitution (see below) - What do you think we do?
The objects of the Federation shall be:
(a) To act as a coordinating body of all affiliated Societies.
(b) To publish a Journal with the object of developing and advancing aquaria-keeping and water gardening in New Zealand.
(c) To promote in every way the dissemination of knowledge of all forms of aquatic life.
(d) To initiate and support research to advance the knowledge of animal and plant life in water.
(e) To provide the assistance in all possible ways to affiliated Societies in furthering the hobbies of aquarium keeping and water gardening.
(f) To cooperate and cultivate reciprocal relations with any person, Society or body having objects similar or in parts similar to the objects of the Federation and whether in New Zealand or any other country.
(g) To purchase take on lease or in exchange or hire or otherwise acquire any real or personal property and any rights or privileges which the Federation shall think necessary or expedient for the purpose of obtaining the objects of the Federation or any of them, or promoting the interests of the Federation or its members and to sell, exchange, let on bail or lease with or without the option of purchase or in any manner dispose of any such property rights or privileges as aforesaid.
(h) To do all such other things as may be incidental or conducive to the attaining of the above objects or any of them.
(i) To deal with the funds of the Federation in furthering these objects.
The Federation shall be non-political and non-sectarian and shall refrain from commenting on matters political or religious.

Nga mihi

-- 
Maxine Lynch 
President, Federation of New Zealand Aquatic Societies 
https://aquariumworld.nz/
https://issuu.com/fnzasaw
FNZAS Exec and Delegates meetin 10 11 2023.pdf

Not sure if still looking but i have bonded pair black domino and frostbite.
0224297059

For sale Leopard Geckos Born January 2023,
A -Tremper Albino,
B - Tremper Albino,Bold Stripe
C - Tremper Albino, Jungle
D - Chocolate Albino.
E - Chocolate Albino.
Open to offers.

Having never used anything except aquarium gravel, I can't help you but hopefully someone else can. My plants have only ever had gravel and fish poo.

From what I have researched any organic potting mix will be fine. Just make sure it is actually organic. 
Daltons Aquatic Mix is the most common dirt to use.

Livingart, do you mean they can probably get away without heating?
Well done for doing the research first, long before adding any inhabitants. I look forward to seeing progress and the final result. If the weight on the shelf isn't a lot, and the shelf is rather shallow, you shouldn't need support struts but that is personal opinion and not based on any experience with this sort of build at all.

We've changed and grown old, not just grown 🙂