Pegasus

Point is that your favorite choice of gum may not last... or could even be swallowed by the fish. Up to you... but silicone is the answer Bill.

Hi CG, Get a tube of good quality silicone that states it is recommended for aquariums. Locate the leak.... give it a good clean... then apply a blob of silicone to your finger and push it into the leaky area on the INSIDE of the tank. You DON'T have to empty the tank to do this... it will cure underwater. The silicone will set (cure) as normal and your leak will cease Bill.

Hi Dan, Can you clear something up... Are you saying that you actually BUY water for your fish..? Bill.

Why are you shouting in all your posts...?

Sorry to hear about the bad guestbook feedback. Looking at your fish and site, you are obviously a dedicated fish keeper, and the idiot who ommitted signing your book obviously hasn't a clue about breeding and keeping Bettas. Keep up the good work and try to ignore such comments. Are tyou sure it was from NZ...? Bill.

Fully agree with Alan... If it's fishy... spread the word. A feedback link on your Netherlands site would be appreciated Bill.

Great stuff Bas/Grtz, Looks like you might have the makings of a good article you can post here Bill.

Hi there Colin, welcome to the NZ Fishroom. Looks like you are having a bit of success with the breeding there... great stuff, and hope you can post some pics at some time.

Hi Bas and friend, Great to have you join us from the other side of the world. How did you find us...? Already had a look through your pics... fantastic stuff, and hope you will contribute more on your Betta's to the Anabantoid section

Hi Misty, You will find this happen with most species, as there always seem to be a few that get left behind.. despite having the same conditions and food. Invariably you have to "grade" your fish into sizes and put them in seperate tanks (which is not always possible).. to allow the slower maturing ones to catch up. It's a little bit heartless... but if you pick out the best of the bunch and cull the runts, you will finish up with a better strain of fish of more equal quality and size. You also have to look at the big picture and ask yourself how many you are able to keep... or sell.. as the case may be.... and at what regularity. The Anabantoids will spawn whenever conditions are right and they are in breeding condition, and often lay thousands of eggs.. which you can never hope to save all of, so for my money, selection of the best and feed the rest to your other fish is always a good policy. It can be a harsh decision at time, but one we all have to face.

Bicarb is the quick "bump" solution to raising your pH.. and does exactly that.. it raises it quickly, but has little long term effect. Oyster grit in a cheap box filter will raise the pH gradually and stabilize it for longer periods, although this too will need changing every few weeks or so. It can be bought in bags (1kg) from most super markets under the Chicken feed supplies area. Bill.

Sorry Cees, I asked Phil to post here as he had sort of highjacked Peters Welcome thread, but I expected him to just introduce himself without the commercial bits Bill.

Hi Phil and welcome. Anyone that imports fish these days is bound to be the topic of conversation on the NZ Fishroom website Bill

Hi Phil, Be a good idea to start a new thread under the Welcome section, then we can all say an official welcome to you without highjacking Peters thread. Nice setup BTW Bill ...

Caryl said: Ha ha... Jude would say I am from some of the instances in the Chat Room Cath asked... This is one infectious hobby.. and if you get a few fish breeding you are bound to catch the disease that is commonly known as MTS.. (Multiple Tank Syndrome)... so be careful.. it spreads real easy You often read of people re-arranging the house... ripping out cupboards, or building extra rooms... just for the fish he he. Bill.

Hi Cath, Real pleased you took the advice to give us a visit and hope you find lots of interest here. We will of course expect a day to day report on how those Angels are going he he. As above... come and join the crowd in the chat room if you get a chance, although some nights it is hard to get a word in when there's 18 to 20 of us in there.. but these are rare occasions Tell us a bit more about your fish when you get settled in. Bill.

RnB said: I disagree RnB, as anyone that has dived many of the marine reserves around NZ will tell you. Take a local example... Leigh... Goat Island... Nr Warkworth This area had been raped by not only local fishermen, but commercial as well, and in the late '70's and 80's you were hard pressed to find any decent fish in the area... but now .. after the great work put in by the Leigh Lab and the efforts of all concerned, you can "actually" just PADDLE into the water now and be surrounded by Snapper.. Cod Fish, Leather Jackets.. and dozens of other species, plus a 50mtr swim to the small reef will let you see some of the best crays around... something that was not possible before conservation. The Poor Knights are the same.. and are now known as one of the top diving sites throughout the world. Bill.

Ballistic asked: Questions. As this is their first spawning I would just leave them to it and see how they go. Good parents do all the cleaning up that is needed, but as Dan said, young parents might just get the odd bit wrong for the first few tries. I would definitely cover any suction hoses with either a sponge or very fine mesh, as once they are free swimming they are bound to get sucked into the filter. I just use sponge filters (100X100mm sq) in my breeding tanks. Just make sure their bellies are always full Liquify for egglayers is a good substitute if you have nothing else.

The silicone mentioned above will seal UNDERWATER... Just thoroughly clean the area where the leak is and remove any "obviously" loose silicone... then put some water in the tank until you see a flow from the leak. Then place a small amount of silicone on your finger and seal the leak from the INSIDE by forcing it into the leaking area. Works a treat, and if done correctly will give you no more probs.. Bill.

You will often find this in guppies that have been bred for increased colour or finnage. Invariably, as the finnage increases, so does the gonopodium, and often it is so long that the males become useless for breeding.

The best type I have found.. is the Silaflex RTV Professional Range by Fosroc. It's available at most hardware stores at around $13:55 a cartridge. This sealer is ideal for the job, and is completely safe for aquarium use, so I wouldn't consider any others. Bill.

Great stuff Ballistic... Hope you have the Brineshrimp organised Don't be "too" shocked if they disappear from there, as the parents might move them several times. They will be a while consuming the egg sac... so don't feed until you see them all "actually" free swimming.

Musta been love at first sight Have you managed to take any pics...?

The good news is you know you have a pair Ira

Well at least now we know where the recent earthquakes originated from Recon it's time you bought a nice block of land out in the wops Warren ... with no neighbours