Pegasus

Hi there, You're doing a goods thing there Derek, but aren't we going just a bit overboard with this thing, after all, who in their right mind would catch a sick fish, bag it up, then put it in a styrene container, then travel to a vet and perhaps sit waiting in a surgery for who knows how long, and then have a confused person examine something they know little about, and in the end be faced with a vet bill for possibly twenty bucks or so ? A major proportion of fish diseases effect only fish, and no other creature. People have dedicated their lives to this field, and many are still learning, and many still get fish losses. We don't go to the dentist to have our eyes tested, nor do we take our fish to the vet for obvious reasons There's a big difference in taking a turtle or a cat to a vet than taking a sick fish. Just think about it... the client is there sat clutching a bag (possibly in tears) with a fish on it's last legs, with no signs of obvious injury, but obviously dying. What could a vet do?? Very little I would think, and the best advice given above would be to refer the problem to someone who knows, and unless the vet has some knowledge of the hobby, with many years of study on fish ailments, then I can't really see any vets in NZ setting up for fish diseases as part of their practice. Showing your audience the benefits of the net and the various means of obtaining information on these ailments, along with a list of links they can quickly access for help would be of great benefit to them. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Goldie, Most important rule I learned in the early days was never to use the same equipment like nets etc for other tanks, unless you use a sterilizing solution in a bucket to store your net, which I don't. Also never dip your wet hands from one tank to another as you can transfer a disease so quick you will miss it. It's a rule I learned early and have always stuck by. Learn by your mistakes, and if possible only make the same mistake once Shop at a place you can trust, even if it means a longer trip, and don't buy on impulse... know your fish BEFORE you buy. Don't be hassled by sales staff... take your time and be sure the fish are in top condition before you purchase. If a seemingly healthy fish keels over within hours or even a day after you bought it, chances are you did something wrong, or your setup is not right. Never blame the fish... It's generally not their fault Finally, stick with it. It invariably comes right in the end, but it may take some time with a few heartbreaks in between Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

AJ Wrote,

Ha Ha... Bet you don't get much for seven quid anymore in the UK either. What part are you from Matt?

Hi Matt, No I hadn't heard about that. You'll be lucky to get seven quid out of it I recon. You would have thought they would have specified that before the compertition started as they have members from all parts of the globe. Good score on the tank though, and with hood and lights no less It's amazing what some people throw away these days. REgards, Bill (Pegasus)

Now don't go spending all that 25bucks you won all at once will you Matt Regards, Bill (Pegasus (NZ))

AJ said, Good advice. Many tend to feed their fish with the same thing day in day out until it's gone. Would you like the same food for months on end. As AJ said, variety is what keeps the fish healthy.

Hi AJ, We all knew what we were talking about BEFORE the name changes, so really this doesn't answer the question.

Wayne said, Spread the word my good man.... Spread the word There's a couple of Arrowana sites in the "Useful Links/Technical) section. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

There's no aggression here.... Just an old guy with some very old books and some old ideas that forums should not be the place to run down companies without due cause, as I feel that without the companies in question there would be far fewer of us keeping fish today. The sad part was, that David came on the board and jumped down my throat for no apparent reason, as I was only trying to help. Sure my books are old, but I'd sooner spend my money on things that matter in life, not the latest name of some fish species, that could change yet again in the years to come. Nice to see you back on the boards... Where have you been hiding lately ? Talking of fish names... Why DO they keep changing them... ? Obviously they didn't get it right the first time, or is it that they just want to sell us all the latest gadgets or new books with 90% old knowledge, and 10% new They can change the names all they want, but the fish will remain the same until evolution or we (in our sometimes not infinite wisdom) decides to change them. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Try the shrimp pellets. All the fish love them, and even the neons nibble on them on the bottom... that's if the Pleco's don't get there first

Hi there Wayne, Always nice to see new faces on the forum, and by the look of your post you have a fair collection of fish there plus a nice big tank. Good luck with the degree, and look forward to seeing more of you on the forum. How long have you kept fish, and what took you so long to find us ? Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Angel, glad you made it. Hope you enjoy your visits and find lotsa interest Bill (Pegasus)

Great link there AJ. I intend rearing a few species outside over the summer in baths (I have a few about the place) Might just surround them with concrete blocks to retain some heat during the night though.

Hi There Jane, A warm welcome to you. About time you came out of hiding Love your selection of fish and hope to see more posts from you now the ice is broken Bill (Pegasus)

And here's another that might come in handy Goldie http://www.bettasrus.com/bcorner/dt.htm

Hi Dennis, Not many at the moment, and not Angels unfortunately (the eggs fungused.. possibly due to an imature pair) These are just livebearers that are from some fish I bought for one of my grandsons, and there's about twenty, with no losses to date He'll be chuffed to bits when he gets back from Auckland where he went for a couple of weeks for the mid term break. Might as well start them young.. he's 9, but my 3yr old one loves the fish as well and comes every day to see his favorite ones, which are the Plecostomuses and the Corydoras, which he finds quite hard to pronounce at times Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hey Joey, Good to see you posting again, and thanks for the input. No... I don't sleep much, and love the fishy DIY. (Less stenuous than the other type ) My containers were quite clean as they were used for a food products, and as you say, paint pails and chemical containers should be avoided, even if you do scrub them out. I really got the idea while I was watching my DIY external filters and it looked feasable, so I gave it a go. The uplift creates just enough current to keep the water moving gently, and as of yet I have not lost a single fry, which would be easy to spot on the white base of the pail. Cleaning out will be a breeze when the time comes, I will be certainly making more of these for future use. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Caryl,... Thanks Fry look Ok, and I just threw a bit of plant in there for a bit of security for them, but my attempts at sealing acrylic to very hard nylon/plasic, or whatever it is, was not 100% as I have a slight dribble, but I usually dribble a bit when the fry arrive Actually, it works brilliantly, and the curved viewhole makes the fry look like "Mini JAWS"

Hi Goldie, Never wears off for me. I still get excited opening a tub of fish food By late Friday night, all the eggs had fungused, so as I suspected, they could be a bit young just yet. Time will tell Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Goldie, Yup... That's what it is There's a recent post by Ira that mentions this... just in the last day or so, about adding ammonia. Not my scene... I prefer the old way and have no probs Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Goldie, You not only have a good heart, but an obvious care for others by donating your gear to them. (Hope you told them about this forum ) Read this http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?t=416 it's related to exactly what you said Regards,

Hi All, I had accumulated around fifteen 20ltr pails with lids and have used them for various things, but I was sat watching the fry in one tank getting slowly devoured one by one, and having no spare tank or heater I though of using one of the pails. I bored a couple of holes around 12mm just slightly higher than the depth of the tank in question (2x1x1) . In one hole I pushed an "L" shaped uplift, and in the other a 100mm by 12mm overflow pipe. The pail sits at the side of the tank... but could sit some way away if you extended the pipes. Not very pretty, but it will only be there for perhaps a week until the fry get their sea legs, or more fry come along I filled the pail up to the overflow with preaged water that was heated to the same temp as the tank, then set the flow on the uplift working. I left it running for an hour to check it out, and to keep track on the temperature and allow the two lots of water to mix. The uplift draws water from the tank which goes into the pail, which overflows back to the tank. I placed a fine mesh over the uplift and on the inside end of the overflow pipe, then transferred the fry. The pail needs no light, as the lights from the tanks are adequate enough and illuminate the inside of the pail quite well. The lid just sits on the top to keep the draughts out. The temp remains constant in both the pail and the tank, without using an additional heater or filter system, and the fry are safe and happy. Because they are equalised the fry can be quickly dropped into the pail without stress, and no worry about water conditions or temperature. Since making it I have used another one, but have cut a 300x200 window in the front and bonded a 4mm curved acrylic screen to the inside of the pail with silicone. A few minutes under the grill made it flexible enough to bend to shape. I can now leave the lid on and keep track of the fry. Regards, Happy Days Bill (Pegasus NZ)

Hi AJ, Can't say I have ever had that prob, but reading some of the boards it seems to be an ongoing thing, just about everywhere. Only yesterday I answered a post in the States that basically said the same thing, Eg.. "They, or one died after a few days" mind you, the person was keeping them in pH8.6, or should I say "trying to" Just wondering if it is the present strain... interbreeding.. or some genetic fault, as I have kept and spawned dozens of pairs of these in the past. Hi Koiboy, They are a timid fish at first, and tend to take some time settling in, but once established they are a pleasure to keep, with not many others displaying the colours and characteristics that they do. At breeding time the male can be a little terror, and will chase any intuders away, regardless of size he will have a go at them. They use bits of plant for the nest, which can get quite large at times, but the young are quite fragile and require ideal conditions. Good luck with your selection and setup Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Good advice AJ, but please explain ??