Shirlsscott

Hi All Any of you guys know who has the best selection of plants available in Auckland, I know HFF have a small selection but is there any retailers or any of you guys growing plants to sell with a good selection...... everywhere I go it seems the plants are the same old same old..... Im looking to set up a 360lt planted tank but am starting to wonder if to bother as everyone has the same basic plants available...... really want a good selection like tropica has..... any help.... Thanks

Fry update.... Some of these guys are double the others so have started to split the bigger ones into a separate rearing tanks... A few have strong purples coming through and about 50% have the elephant ears.

Pics of the elephant ear please. And if you want two swap some when they spawn I'd be keen. I'm going try and breed a line of these so would be keen on any females. :spop:

I think i'll give them another week or two..... I have all my Kribs on trademe at the moment $1 reserve for about 70 babies all different ages and adults just dont have space for everything so the kribs have to go...... to make way for the fighters.... But worth it I think the fights are really cool to watch develope... Have two of the biggest ones turning purple around the head and front of the body which is a good sign at least some will develope or retain the purple

Pictures please :spop:

I think they ma be quite popular have had quite a few people pm looking to buy them.

Will try and load up some photos soon. They are getting to the stage were some are developing quite quick and a few are double the size of the rest :spop:

This is probably what has happened..... I am having really good results with the micro worms, so far lost only one fry out of the lot

Well done and good luck :thup:

Definately Eggs... I picked them up from him so dropped by yesterday and gave them back to him he apologized and said it hadnt happened before, he had a 5 lt bucket full and they didnt look to good...... i asked how long he had had them and he said just over a year..... I dont know how long they would last like that? he gave me my money back so im satisfied..... but i suspect the returned ones will go back in the bucket Cheers

Got a bag of brine shrimp of trade me and spent a week trying to hatch them, ive done it before a while ago but I just thought damn I must be doing something wrong! Went up to HFF Albany and had a chat, from their perspective i was doing everything perfect.... so bought some more eggs from HFF..... Hatched after 18hrs.... BEWARE TRADE ME!!!!!! Anyone tried frozen Mysis with three or four week old betta fry?

I take it from the over whelming replies thats a no then. :slfg: I'll have some crown tails available in a month or so, keep an eye out i'll post some photos in a month....

Going real well haven't lost a single one yet :thup: Hopefully going to transfer them into a bigger tank soon got an ar850 off trademe for $110 so fingers crossed this cleans up ok and no leaks and they will all go into that next weekend or maybe the weekend after. think I got myself a bargain.....

These guys are just to small at the moment, once they reach about 2-3 weeks i'll introduce brine shrimp. Dont have the time or access to anything else and also a bit messy... was going to try just micro worms.... recomended by another breeder to use them solely until they start accepting betta pellets, he has had some good success breeding and raising them with no deformities..... I have been told water quality is more imprtant for the first 4 weeks....so im panicking on that at the moment :-? Thanks :thup:

Yep im gonna be pretty busy over the next few months

Here ya go photos of the fry...... First photo wasnt to good so zoomed in.....

Check back tomorrow night ill put them up about 9ish

I stopped counting at 300....but there was probably twice that, I transferred them into a 40L tank as there was so many in the bucket I bred them in that it was like a swarm.....(only 8lts) (I know never transfer them or blah blah blah etc). Ive never had any issues breeding betta, just getting the fry through to maturity, that never really bothered me before, usually I could see 30-40 through of a spawn of a few hundred. but I want as many to survive as possible to full adulthood as I only want to keep the best and try to continue a good quality line of the elephant eared salamanders.... so i dont want any to die......and want to try and keep them for at least 4-6 months to see the final result before I start back crossing the best females with the dad or the best brothers.. I have just set up a 165lt tank which i'll try and mature quickly and put them in that in a two to three weeks time...until i need to start separating them :-? But Im now on a diet of at least one 2.25 bottle of sprite zero or coke zero a day for the next 2 months :slfg: ill post a photo!

Hi guys I have a tank full of (about 400) fry from my breeding of my salamander elephant ear and red/purple HM. All going good at the moment and taking micro worms. I have all the basics covered.... food/water quality/Almond leaves/extract etc etc... But has anyone got any ideas on a low maintenance approach to maintaining fry tanks.... i.e. has anyone used snails with their betta fry to clean up left over food or corydoras ect... ( I know dont over feed them, but when there is this many at this size, id rather over feed than starve them) Or Does anyone use a drip system to add water and drain water from the tank etc.... was thinking of making one that would gradually add 10-20 litres over a period of a week to the tank (aged water). to save water changes every few days..... Also does anyone know of an additive to actual prevent fungus, rather than cure? I want to prevent it rather than wait for it i.e. pre emptive strike.

Fry still alive, removed the male he chewed a few..... Took micro worms as first food, fry are quite big for betta...

Hi, I have Wigglers!!! No point taking the photos theres a million photos of wigglers on here, I'll wait till I have some colour!!!! :lol: Hopefully they survive till that stage, my last tank of fry died off all in one go as the dog got his paw in the tank and decided to stir them up a bit :sick: No more tanks on the floor :lol: Ill up date you all soon....

Hi All They have spawned.... He built the biggest bubble nest ive ever seen, put in poly cup with the bottom cut off, and he blew his bubble nest straight away, filled 2/3 of the cup and then started blowing round the edges of the cup....his bubble nest is about 6 inches in diameter... he was only in with the female 1/2 hour (Shes obviously separated by a coke bottle). both seemed so keen for it I thought bugger it, i'll throw them together. So after twos of flaring and nest building i let her go (Usually i wait a couple of days, but excitement got the better of me) As soon as I let her out I thought ooooppps he chased her for about twenty minutes really viscious.... But as soon as she got under the bubble nest it was sweet..... 20 minutes later all over... took her out and the nest is full of eggs... probably about 100-120.... Not bad, probably could have been more but he went sadistic on her again. Should have some wigglers by the time I get home tonight! :happy2: I will let you know what happens

wow. If I could get that in purple with the elephant ears. I would be more than happy... :happy1: I'll post again when they spawn as i'll be out of town for a week, I'll leave my son to feed them up while im gone. hopefully I can put them in a breeding tank on my return. Cheers for now

Decided to put it in with a nice turquoise blue crowntail female I have, If I get any fry out of the spawning with the purple or even just the ears i'll post it...... here goes another three months of hard work

Sorry couldnt help mself :slfg: