fmueller

So I am getting a bit bored with my mbuna and am thinking about switching to livebearers. I wouldn't want a gaggle of different color morphs in the same tank that randomly interbreed. I would also prefer to buy from a reputable breeder rather than Animates or HFF. Who breeds livebearers that breed true? Auckland area or shipped. I am willing to compromise on species and color morph as long as it's good stock. Ideally I would want large swordtails that are red with a black tail. But could go all red, or platies, or... Many thanks for any and all suggestions!

Is anybody in the Auckland area breeding auratus?

Caryl - Many thanks! Robert - I see you are not only good at bird shots, but macro too! My garden is only one year old. We bought the place in 2014 with a weed patch out the back that was too steep to use. Took everything out and got a fortune worth of soil delivered to terrace the section. Planted last year around Christmas, and now I enjoy watching all kind of creatures moving in. I knew the lizards were back when the kingfishers sat on the power lines again!

Just saw this in the garden. It's about 1/4" or 5 mm across. Does anybody know what this is?

Great photo! Hard to fill a frame with one of these! I am not of a birder myself, but this one landed on my grevillea recently.

Thanks, and yes, this type of volcanic rock is plentiful in Auckland.

After moving to NZ in 2014 from Ohio, I have finally got a tank up and running!

Thanks for the responses. Still thinking about it. ;-) I have shipped plenty of fish myself in the US. Never had a problem, but there are a lot of things you can do wrong, and even if I tell this guy what to do, if he has never shipped before... By the way, in the US I have always used the post office, which usually means a 2 day delivery, sometimes 3. If the fish are bagged well, that really is not a problem.

I'd like to buy fish from a guy at the other end of the North Island. He says he would ship them, if I can get a courier to pick them up. Has anybody done this, and what courier companies do this - if any?

It felt a bit hard for a sponge, but than I didn't feel like fondling it a lot, in case the orange is there to signal not to touch it. The last thing I picked up from the beach to show folks, and ask what it is, was a Portuguese man o' war. Luckily, it had already lost its tentacles. Anyhow, thanks for the input. At least I know now that I found something a little unusual. Too bad I don't have a marine tank to put it in.

Seen today at North Head in Auckland. I am guessing it's some type of soft coral. Does anybody know more?

No, it isn't. I've attached two drawings, but I'll post pictures and an explanation of the setup once it's finished. I trust, it is nothing like you have ever seen before. Running it on siphon isn't possible. Siphon drain pipes give me the creeps anyhow. I never had one, but in my previous tank I had two 5 cm drain pipes, which allows for an insane flow without siphon. I did some calculations myself, and I ordered a Jecod DCT-4000. If I don't get enough current, I'll have to add a wavemaker. Would be a pain, because right now there is no technology in the tank, and I'd like to keep it that way, but we'll see. This might well turn out to be the greatest disaster ever built, but there is hope yet.

I am setting up a tank with an overflow that has a 4 cm drain pipe. I really wanted 5 cm, but the dude who built my tank made the hole a little too small, and I can only fit a bulkhead for a 4 cm inner diameter pipe. So that's what I have to work with. Seeing that I wanted lots of flow, I went for a Jecod DCT-15000 pump, thinking that I could always regulate it down, if need be. Well, I underestimated this pump, which is a monster! Even on the lowest setting, it sucks my sump dry, because the water just can't return fast enough through the overflow. My wife wants some type of water feature for the garden, so the DCT-15000 will come in handy for that project, but now the question is, what pump should I buy for my tank? I'll probably order online for cost savings. Any suggestions appreciated!

Thanks, Caryl! If anybody is still interested in Bolbitis - it's a very cool plant, slow growing, but otherwise easy to keep, and seems uncommon in NZ - the dude who is selling it on TradeMe is Dallas Jones ([email protected]). He has pieces of varying sizes and charges according to size. If you don't want to spend what he is asking on TradeMe, you could probably get a smaller piece, or haggle him down a bit

Thanks, Caryl. I responded to your PM before I saw you had posted here