alexyay

I have found a lot of dwarf gourami here end up looking sickly in stores. Although I was at HFF Mt Roskill today and their lot looked really healthy - I think the idea is to typically just choose the healthiest looking fish and hope for the best. Typically the virus that they are known to get is mostly species-specific (I've found Anabantoids can develop a lot of diseases, especially viruses, that don't affect other fish). I'd lean towards Quarantining them if you can (although I recommend QTing all new fish regardless).

+1 to the above about doing a blackout with a water change afterwards (due to nutrient build-up as algae dies). I'd personally lean towards lowering the lighting hours to 8 hours and replacing the tubes - as tubes age their spectrum shifts and can become a spectrum which feeds algae more than it does plants. My favourite T5 brand is Giesemann, however they don't do T8s - for T8s our best brand is probably Hagen.

Hmm - I've personally never heard of WCs causing more green algae. Typically it's the recommendation as it helps to reduce nutrient levels. Is your tank near a window or other source of sunlight? How long are your tank lights on for, and how old are the tubes/bulbs?

Only way I know of is to go through Google, which will bring up old auctions as well as new.

More Otocinclus :bggrn: these guys like groups, personally I recommend a minimum of 5. Pearls will get too large for your tank, but there are several other Gourami species available which would do well - Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster lalius), Banded Gourami (Trichogaster fasciata), Thicklipped Gourami (Trichogaster labiosa) and Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna). The only one I'd be wary about is the Honey Gourami as they are a bit shy and while your current inhabitants are suitable, just be careful in case you add boisterous fish such as Danio species. Dwarf Cichlids such as Blue rams, Bolivian rams and Apistogramma would be suitable feature fish too Edit: I would personally recommend 300L minimum for angels.

Kuhlis will gladly eat fry if they're big enough (and fry are small enough) Not sure about cories (eg they'll eat their own eggs/fry), but I've heard of BNs being used in fry tanks to help clean up extras. I don't know what sizes they can be though without eating them.

Hmm - I've personally not seen any colour morphs but haven't been looking out for them either. You may also have more luck under the "Anabantoids" section which these guys belong to

Really? I didn't realize it was that unlikely. I just cannot see 3-6 month QT periods in a secured facility being viable for anyone unless for some reason you happened to have the facility already set up. Most good suppliers (with the proper credentials for our import standards) won't supply eg under $500-$1000 worth of plants in one go to a business, not to mention a lot of those are going to melt (especially as there's not much point in bringing in stuff like Hygrophila as we have it all). Plus even a sole plant importer would have to compete with the occasional illegal imports (people bringing in seeds with no clue to the consequences of their actions), and plants go in booms so people often will give away eg $20 worth of plants without knowing their value. It's just not an easy business (not something a hobbyist would do) to set up, and there's so many legalities to go through, along with (much like with fish) MPI being allowed to destroy batches if they wish. Unfortunately the import standards aren't built around emersed plants, or how many plants are grown and sterilized before dispatch (overseas, for example, plants often arrive in the country already packaged to sell under brands such as Tropica). They're made around worst-case scenarios (totally submerged plants, not regulated growth, coming in with parasites/pests) and there's no "but these are clean!" available. Although - we don't get many pests here in comparison to overseas, and who knows what diseases other aquatic plants may carry (and may not show for a long time).

:oops: Thank you - too much spare time on my hands I imagine

We struggle enough with getting people to have tanks big enough for tank-busters like Pacu let alone RTC :nilly:

I personally prefer Seachem for their Nitrate/Nitrite test kit. My API Nitrate kit was reading 2x the actual result, leading me to believe I had a Nitrate problem that I didn't actually have. The symptoms definitely could be due to high Nitrates, but could also be due to other issues such as Parasites or issues with pH. Prime will help reduce the toxicity of the Nitrates but won't help to reduce them. I'd be a little bit careful with the Nitrazorb as it also takes in Ammonia and Nitrite, and may interrupt your tank's cycle. Typically I'd recommend testing your kit simply by doing a 50% water change. Based on the assumption that the water is around 0ppm Nitrates, the tank water's Nitrates should be roughly halved. Unfortunately it's a bit difficult with tap water Nitrates of 10-20ppm as fish such as Neons and Fry may struggle with Nitrates above 20ppm. It may be worth considering running your water in a barrel with Nitrazorb or an Aquaponics system before introducing it to your tank, as IME a lot of tanks go up about 20ppm during the week, and you'll likely to continue to have Nitrate issues with high tap Nitrates. Adding plants can help in the long-term with Nitrate production - emersed plants such as Peace Lilies, Pothos and Syngonium or even edible plants such as Mint will help take up the Nitrates (it may take a little while for plants to become established). Fast growing submerged plants like Hygrophila polysperma, Ambulia, Indian Fern etc are all good for Nitrate consumption too. (Just as a side-note, I'd recommend adding more loaches to make a group of 6+, however I'd understand that you won't want to do this while Nitrates are high!)

Unfortunately as far as I'm aware, aquatic plants must be quarantined as specified. If you actually have MPI saying that emersed plants can be imported under different standards, please let me know. For example: Many aquatic plants are listed for quarantine under "Anubias". This is the standard for "Anubias": "A. For Whole Plants: PEQ: Level 2 This means it must be a level 2 Quarantine Facility Minimum Period: 3 months Yes, 3 months. Additional Declaration: "The plants were inspected immediately prior to export and no snails, snail eggs, worms or leeches were detected in a 600 unit sample". Special Conditions: i) each aquarium must be clear sided and clearly labelled as follows: QUARANTINE AQUARIUM MPI Registration Number: Name of Quarantine Operator: ii) the aquarium must be placed in a watertight tray, the bottom of which must contain a dilute solution of copper sulphate (5 parts per million or a small grain of a copper sulphate crystal in a litre of water); iii) must be inside a building which can be secured; iv) must be at least 5m away from a non-quarantine aquarium. B. For Tissue Cultures: As for Standard Entry Conditions for Tissue Cultures - see Section 2.2.2" There are no "ifs" or "buts" - this is how the plant must be imported. When I inquired about "Cuttings" and "Bulbs" (separate categories from "Whole Plants"), MPI said that they cannot be imported as such, and may only be imported as "Whole Plants" and "Tissue Cultures" as specified under the Anubias standard. It's not exactly a, uh, lenient process. You quarantine as they specify, not as how you think it should be quarantined. That is, of course, on top of the typical Quarantine Facility requirements, and I imagine an importer's license for plants, a customs broker, a phytosanitary certificate etc. Honestly, it takes hours of research to understand the import process. I've spent several hours researching and discussing this with MPI and I barely understand the process. I don't want to have to do your research, but I want to emphasize how difficult it is to import so that you can understand why getting a plant added to the list (which still "requires assessment") is a very small part of the process.

I honestly don't know what happens when inverts are in NZ - we have several pest snail species which are (presumably) legal to keep but cannot be imported. I'm picking it's a case-by-case basis as to what happens when the invert is in NZ?

Have they said to you that they can be imported as normal plants (eg no Aquatic Plant Quarantine) when grown emersed, or have you assumed that?

I've heard of someone claiming they had some... but I doubt it. The only FW shrimp available here are our natives, which require temps preferably under 21 degrees, making them unsuitable for tropical tanks.

They were surprisingly helpful, and helped to direct me to those I needed to contact about it Unfortunately my little project is being postponed for a while, but they were definitely willing to help when I contacted them.

I've not heard of them being lenient on how they are quarantined other than the "Aquatic Plant" requirements. But you still need a quarantine facility. And I believe an import permit, and a phytosanitary certificate and a billion different things. RE EPA: I contacted MPI a while back in regards to adding plants to the list, and this was the response I received: "You must directly approach the EPA to have new plants added. This may be relatively easy, or difficult, depending on the status of the species as to presence."

Jars are a no-go due to being curved, but the smaller space will help. The internal flash on your camera will only help if you can use it right to prevent reflection - typically I'd recommend staying away from it. Having an external flash will help immensely, but if you don't have one, a strong light from above will help. It's preferable to keep the rest of the room dark to prevent reflections on the tank. Good quality glass is best, as cruddy glass will give distortion. Make sure you're photographing straight on - not from an angle. You'll get too much distortion from an angle, so straight on is a must.

Just to clarify (as I didn't know about the PBI list and I imagine a lot of people don't), MPI has a "PBI import list" which can be found here, and is separate to both NIWA's and FNZAS's list of banned/allowed aquatic plants. However, just because it's not allowed in to the country, doesn't mean it's illegal to keep (otherwise MPI would have a pretty big job to do...). I honestly don't know who determines what's legal once it's actually in the country. The following on FNZAS's list don't match up to MPIs: Alternanthera reineckii needs to be imported under "Alternanthera roseacefolia" (even though they've got it listed with the wrong spelling of the Var too) Cryptocoryne affinis isn't on the list Heteranthera zosteraefolia is not on the list Limnophila sessiliflora is not on the list Lobelia perpusilla is not on the list (oddly, even though most/all natives are) Microsorum pteropus is still under "requires assessment", but when I last checked it was not on the list Riccia fluitans is not on the list Ricciocarpos natans is not on the list (a second native not on the list for some reason) Sagittaria subulata is banned from import Shinnersia rivularis is not on the list (I've not seen it here anyway) Wolffia arrhiza is not on the list Anubias minima is not on the list Aponogeton rigidifolius is not on the list Bolbitis heudelotii is not on the list Cabomba caroliniana is not on the list Cyperus helferi is not on the list Echinodorus barthii is not on the list Echinodorus horizontalis is not on the list Mayaca fluviatilis is not on the list Hemianthus umbrosum is not on the list Hygrophila lacustris is not on the list Limnophila aromatica is not on the list Ludwigia arcuata is not on the list Ludwigia glandulosa is not on the list Ludwigia helminthorrhiza is not on the list (though I need to go about getting some of this again, it was super cute) Nitella isn't on the list but being an algae I doubt it would be Hemianthus micranthemoides is not on the list Samolus floribundus is not on the list Utricularia exoleta is not on the list Vallisneria tortifolia is not on the list Vesicularia montagnei and Vesicularia dubyana are not on the list, but I was unable to find any aquatic mosses on the list. Fun facts: Lilaeopsis ruthiana and Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae are the only two on the list The only Aponogeton species allowed in are A crispus, A distachyus and A ulvaceus Vallisneria spiralis is under requires assessment which is the same category as a lot of the "allowed" plants and is not currently banned for import. There are many Crinum species on the list, including Crinum calamistratum, but are a rare find here. MPI updates the list when needed (as opposed to for funsies/for the sake of accuracy). Adding a plant species to the list is a bit of a long process - first it involves going through the EPA and proving that the plant is already established in the trade. I've not gone to find out what the process is for plants that aren't yet in the country, but I imagine it's a bit of a mission. Even though Java fern is now on the list, it's still under "requires assessment" and would, well, require assessment. I don't know whether that's a one-off or on a case-by-case basis. But yeah, basically, even though it's not illegal to keep, that doesn't mean it was legal to import (I suspect most of our plants were brought in illegally based on the list above). But just because it's legal to import, doesn't mean it will be imported. A Level 2 Aquatic quarantine facility isn't exactly cheap to set up, to run, and a 6 month QT is a big investment for plants.

I checked some time back and if I remember correctly, it actually wasn't on the MPI's PBI import list. Although it's listed as "Requires assessment". What process did you go through to get it added? To be honest, plant imports are pretty uncommon nowadays. All aquatic plants require a quarantine facility with some strict rules and 3-6 month QT. Unfortunately even if a plant is allowed in the country, it doesn't mean that it will come in to the country.

Unfortunately I would lean towards Columnaris also It spreads quick and can be hard to cure (even if you have Furan 2, it is often resistant due to our heavy use of it, but is well worth a shot) - if you do happen to have any ABs on hand, you'll be after a Gram-Negative Aerobic antibiotic. Unfortunately breeders etc who come across Columnaris often PTS fish due to how contagious it is.

The first pic is red or green pine, 2nd is a Hygrophila (possibly Hygrophila corymbosa), 3rd I would possibly lean towards Alternanthera reineckii - red plants unfortunately can be a bit difficult to keep in low-tech tanks so you may not have too much luck with the 3rd one. The 4th however I don't recognize (edges look too smooth to be Hygrophila difformis?) and is likely not a true aquatic (unfortunately too often terrestrial plants are sold for aquariums!) and may rot over time. I'm not 100% sure what species it is though so I can't be sure, sorry!

Stunning Personally I like the R macrandra what crypt species are you using at the bottom? How much did the pump system for the ferts cost?

:thup: :thup: :thup: So excited for you!

Thanks to Adrienne, I hopefully finally have myself a male (Y) Common name: Rio Bristlenose Scientific Name: Ancistrus sp. `Rio Ucayali` L number: N/A --Sexing (numbers of) Males : Females : 3 Unknown : 2 (suspect 1 female, 1 male) --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : N, male is too young Picture : Common name: Red Whiptail Scientific Name: Rineloricaria sp. L number: L010A --Sexing (numbers of) Males : 1 Females : 2 Unknown : N/A --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : Y, lost all fry at 2-4 weeks, had little growth. Pictures: About a few days-1 week old. Common name: Royal Whiptail Scientific Name: Sturisoma sp. (if anyone can tell me what species we typically get, that'd be fantastic - I assume it's S panamense) L number: N/A --Sexing (numbers of) Males : N/A Females : N/A Unknown : 1 --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : N Have had 4 of these - 3 died just totally randomly. All completely separate times, in 2 different tanks, no symptoms or issues with parameters. 1 had matured and was male, I went away for a week and couldn't find him when I came back. Really annoying as I love these guys. Picture: My old male Common name: Black Whiptail Scientific Name: N/A L number: N/A --Sexing (numbers of) Males : 1 Females : N/A Unknown : N/A --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : N Still don't have a species ID, and am still looking for a female. He is SO chill, one of my favourite fish. Picture: Common name: X Whiptail Scientific Name: N/A L number: N/A --Sexing (numbers of) Males : 1+ Females : 3+ Unknown : 3 - I honestly cannot remember how many I have, but I suspect it's 2 males and 4-5 females total. A couple are still Juvis. --Breeding Successfully bred Y/N : N, haven't tried yet. I'm not 100% sure of the type of these guys, and I still haven't taken pics to ID them. Could be Common Whiptails. Were apparently bought as "black tailed whiptails", suspected R parva. Pictures: Female I also recently bought an (assumed) female, bought as a Rhino Whiptail. Still don't have any pics to ID her.