Aquagold

Good to see inventive Kiwis using aquaponics ie veggie filters..... A great looking pond too. Hope you find some nice fish to put in there. Rob

Hi, I'm setting up a new feature tank at home and wanted some of the old favourites I used to have. I'm after six for a six foot tank. Can swap for Orandas/ Ryukins/Goldfish or pay a good dollar. Robert

As a goldfish farmer...... we put in spawning mops into the pond containing the breeders, hope they spawn on the mops and remove the mops once this has taken place. Goldfish usually spawn first thing in the morning so when we feed out we check the mops. I f you want to grow fry just put them in a green pond once hatched. Then a week later add Daphnia. Don't expect to grow them all. Don't expect to keep them all. Most breeders grow about 10 percent of the spawn. The rest are sold as fantails. Most people will not get rich breeding fancy goldfish, I know. Rob

Getting wife to book flights today.

Skippy, Looking forward to the photos. I have a mate who teaches @DiveHQ but I suffer sinus quite bad at times and my last dive left me bleeding from a few areas around the head(on honeymoon)...... Still checking things out and looking for a spot the wife and I both like..... she now wants to take the boys 5 & 6. I have been asked to go to Rara and see the cousin, plus she would be gutted if I missed her out.... Rob

Otherwise Discus 10yrs ago when they were still thought to be hard. Used to sell them for $5 - $10.00 each. Used to do about 100 a month.

Paua's and realising we had about 2,000,000 to care for...... which didn't work out so hard after all the prep work was done.

Ha Tel you let my wife know while I fly out.... What was the reefs like in Tahiti PC100?

Was thinking fiji would be good but wife likes Rara and my cousin lives there. Anyone dived New Caladonia, Samoa ....

Will take tank 1225mm x 625mm. Stand is 750mm high to tank base. Completely Rimu. Has a Rimu top but this is not deep enough for a metal halide. It could be modified. PM me if interested. My next one is 2.1 - 2.4m, with 0.9m of it being an overflow refugium one end. Idea stage anyway.

What size you want? I got a nice rimu one going on T/Me soon.

The wife wants to go to some pacific island for a holiday..... so while I'm there might as well check out the local waters... Where's the best coral reefs - islands to visit? Snorkling as I don't have my dive cert. Rob

Try suspended bag culture, much like algal culture but with diatoms. Other methods I've tried are clear pipe and plate cultures. All worked and once you have sufficent of them, refrigerate and they will keep for a while. Can't remember how long though. I was feeding Paua young.... may help. Still have a manuel here somewhere on their culture. Cawthron Institute are leaders in this field.

This discussion and it's opinions are interesting but we need to realise there is none amongst us who is a 'expert in nutrion and aquatic stimulus protocols in Corals. Talk has been on the fundamentals of parts but the are many things that create a response to eat from a given livestock. Chemical/enzymes cues are now being heavily researched as per individual animal to find out what/how/why a given enzyme/chemical reacts to create a given feed response. This is one of the arguments for live food over 'dead food. This is reckonized for both 'juvenile developement, sub adult and adult developement, respective to their individual needs in their growth life stage. If you come back to a plant you will see that the plant needs different 'growing conditions' to stimulate different stages in it's growth stage....... Corals in part have this going on in the whole of it's existance; lunar sexual stages..... Now we get back to what is easy for a given 'carer of aquatic stock' as to their 'skill' in husbandry of the stock. Most of us like to be able to just throw in some food and see our animals grow abiet witha bit of maintenance. It's the maintenance which we don't like and this is what facilitates to most peoples response to a feeding/maintenance protocol. ............

Ask the person who sent the box wether they ticked the box. If they did you can go the manager for the cost. He will collect of the driver. We send fish nationwide and have been down this road.

Hi see if the person ticked the box saying signature required and if so the driver is liable for the parcel. Ph the area manager and talk to him as he should be the one to deal with. Otherwise claim it on your contents insurance.

First good to see someone who likes quality fish. Did you get it from iloveoranda? I put a handful of seasalt/rocksalt in about 4ltrs and wait till the fish goes side ways, then put immediately in a tank with very good clean water to the main tanks water parameters. Leave for a while in there until it has settled, slime coat has covered again. There are quite a few sites around with detailed procedures. Did you get a breeding pair and few extras. I've got a few available soon.

Give it a go and observe. I learnt it from a chinese fish keeper. They do it to all their breeders before they breed from them.

A salt bath will help any freshwater fish loosen up.... act like a laxative. Make sure you put in good clean freshwater afterwards though.

It could be that the 'white stringy' poos is actually the 'body of the blood worms' you are feeding. Sometimes when goldfish are gorging themselves they don't digest the food too well. Rob@Aquagold

Was talking with a friend the other day who said to put a positive pressure on the air intake by attaching an air pump/blower. Reckons it increases the efficency.... Anyone heard anything. This was going to be attached to an abalone hatchery though.

Does anyone use this in their refugium, and I agree, refugiums can look real smart if done right. Rob@Aquagold

Very good filtration, high dissolved oxygen, water current and good quality food. Ab's are a very basic biological animals and don't handle stress all that well. Keep the parameters good and they grow fast. A paua farm is a good place to get stock and information. One of the best I know is in Nuhaka, Mahia. Rob@Aquagold

once the algae gets going you will have plenty of O2 but the water from the tank will need to settle. pH may be swinging taking lime from the tank.... Check water parameters am and pm and see whats happening.

Great advice Wok. I feed my worms mashed potato enriched with goldfish crumble. Bury this just under the surface in a thin layer. Gives the worms a bit more than just starch in their stomachs. Rob@Aquagold