[Giant bully hotspot (pic heavy)]

oh man.

[smelt in the TGa region]

there i was, trying to mind my own buisness.

[smelt in the TGa region]

one day, i will try and be more friendly.

[Bully experience]

i had some average sized, common bullies, in with a giant.

the giant never interacted badly with them.

in fact, the giant, was quite friendly with them.

[Giant bully hotspot (pic heavy)]

cool.

[Tanklog of a ~400L 1200mm Native Tank - New photos 02/07/12]

really neat. thanks for that.

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

thats interesting. i am gonna have a go at smelt. one day soon!

i very nearly killed a giant bully when i moved from whakatane to taupo. the water chemistry was just so different, i think. i rushed it, and had to much taupo water in the new tank. it was touch and go for a cple days. thought that bully was a gonner. but it just pulled thru. white spot is so much easier to treat in a bare tank. ie, no sand. i have found new/wild fish are just not worth the risk, not to quarantine in a bare tank. i wont do it. it is rule number 2. right after rule no1, never change more than half the water. ha!

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

i have never worried about it.

i knoe from experiance that a 100% water change can kill some/most of the fish in your tank. mabee it is the chlorine, i dont know. mabee it is something else? a 50% water change most fish, seem to like. even straight out of the tap.

i know that everyone knows this, but it is worth repeating... change your water often, and in small amounts.

when you catch your fish from the wild and put them in your aquarium, the different water will be a huge shock to them. i always keep this in mind. a completely bare quarantine tank for at least two weeks, preferably, four, is/should be mandatory as well. i hate white spot. yukkk!

[No-power native tank?]

are you thinking indoors or outside?

[No-power native tank?]

i have a giant bully in 300 liter tank.

it has a small eheim sponge power filter and a small air pump.

power usage must be minimal. no plants. just a piece of wood for shelter.

it is very low tech. the fish is 6 years in captivity now.

[Matt's native tank (pics! 23/07/13)]

way cool!

[chillers]

thats a great link, thanks.

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

i have never heard of doing that. are you serious?

[Tanklog of a ~400L 1200mm Native Tank - New photos 02/07/12]

roger that. i love the way it grows on rocks in creeks and wet areas. i have always wanted to do a half aquarium, 1/4 creek, 1/4 land thing, in a tank. but my dream far exceeds my pathetic reality!

[Tanklog of a ~400L 1200mm Native Tank - New photos 02/07/12]

well done thou. that stuff does not normally grow when it is continously, under, the water.

i see it alot on rocks in the wild.

[chillers]

there is a "resun" brand chiller on trademe at the mo, for about a grand. this seems expensive to me. after all, its only a fridge... is it about right? what do you use? any reccomendations?

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

the garden hose works great!

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

most of the gravel/sand vacuums have to short a hose. lengthen the hose.

for uneaten food, i just use a bit of airline tube, cable tied to a stick.

and two or three times yearly, i get the big one out and do the sand.

more often, depending on stocking rate.

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

blondfish, fine sand is the best substrate. if you put rocks in there, it will pay to half bury them in the sand. you do not want food and other debris dissapearing into unseen areas. it is a common mistake. poor water quality will be the result. you must be able to vacuum away any "unpleasantness". thats what i find anyways.

[Tanklog of a ~400L 1200mm Native Tank - New photos 02/07/12]

your tank is beautiful. fish looking good too. nice one charles. cable ties are handy and cheap.

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

M@. i have found that all that stuff on the shelves is just so much nonsense.

i dont even look at that stuff no more. i had a big koura for about 12mths a while back. chloronated tap water never bothered it. i tired of this critters constant harassment of my bully in the end.

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

a bit of salt leaching out of driftwood from the beach, really is the least of your worries.

every now and then i notice a bit of fungus on my bully, especially if the water changes have been infrequent and the temperature to high. remedy is a 50% water change then throw in a big handful of plain salt. it loves that treatment and perks up almost instantly. never change more than 50% of your water. dont do it!

[My 2000L tank build]

that is coool. waaaay cool.

[How to grow Glossostigma]

alexyay, i would be surprised! waikato and lake taupo shoreline has plentiful amounts of glosso.

knock yourself out up mclarens too! low tide be the time.

[Interested in setting up Native NZ Biotope.]

wow. his DIY skills are right up there!