November 10, 200916 yr comment_339562 You forgot trout... they were filed under weasels, they are the water variety ... Report
November 10, 200916 yr comment_339603 I admit I am totally ignorant on this subject (although I wish I wasn't) but I was just curious, wouldn't the risk be lower for species that require tropically warm waters? If so, why all the problems with importing them? Report
November 10, 200916 yr comment_339610 Ok. I presume it is not just stuff they bring in (since they can be quarantined) but things they are prone to picking up once here? Report
November 10, 200916 yr comment_339615 The application of the rules has changed. Years ago if you had a disease in imported fish you treated it. Now you are not allowed to treat it until Maf tells you what the disease is and what to treat it with and by then the fish are probably dead. If they think there is a disease they take samples and send them off to be tested (this can cost thousands of dollars) then they destroy the fish or tell you what to treat with and by then the fish are dead. If there is no disease it still costs thousands of dollars. This is part of the reason why there are less and less people importing. Report
November 10, 200916 yr comment_339616 I imported goldfish years ago and paid for 7 inspections over the 6 weeks of initial quarantine. Report
November 11, 200916 yr Author comment_339784 wow - that's a lot of inspections. Stella - sorry about my ignorance. I came from a place where everything is accessible and people and animals are still living ok. (I have to admit that clean air is not available though) It's still a shame that the variety we have is relatively limited. Just a question - why dont' they sell native fish in the shop and breed them? they will promote their growth, wouldn't it??? Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339788 wow - that's a lot of inspections. Stella - sorry about my ignorance. I came from a place where everything is accessible and people and animals are still living ok. (I have to admit that clean air is not available though) It's still a shame that the variety we have is relatively limited. Just a question - why dont' they sell native fish in the shop and breed them? they will promote their growth, wouldn't it??? Because, for the most part they're boring brown lumps. Report
November 11, 200916 yr Author comment_339789 I wish we can have Koi here......... perfect pond fish ! Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339792 I wish we can have Koi here......... perfect pond fish ! And exactly the kind of destructive invasive animals that the import regulations are intended to try and stop. Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339794 Because, for the most part they're boring brown lumps. Nope, Ira's not a stirrer! Not a boring brown lump: Piggyvir, actually some people are selling them to petshops, namely Mahurangi Tech. While they are doing some breeding, a decent proportion of our native fish can not be bred in captivity because the juveniles need to go to sea for a few months after they hatch (hence the whitebait runs of all the juvenile fish returning from sea). I have written a book on keeping native fish in aquaria (nearly published) and am generally trying to encourage the hobby so that people become more aware of their existence. I had not heard of them myself before I saw them in a tank at the pet shop! I am involved in creating this awesome public native aquarium in Turangi, and the aquarium water discharges into a stream that goes to Lake Taupo. You wouldn't believe the mental gymnastics involved in trying to come up with a way of not spreading any new organisms into the lake - pest fish, diseases, didymo, zooplankton, phytoplankton etc! We do not even know what we are guarding against (are there catchment-specific diseases etc?) nor can we even see what we are avoiding, so a fish may get through quarantine fine but then some nasty might be lurking in the water that then destroys the Taupo trout fishery! I *know* it is overkill, but we have to be doing it by the book, and much though I dislike trout, I don't want that on my CV! Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339796 Nope, Ira's not a stirrer! Not a boring brown lump: Hence why I said "for the most part..." That's the only native that isn't a brown lump.(Well, I guess a few are gray lumps) Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339798 any news on when it'll be open stella? I'll be making the trip over for a look as soon as it is Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339803 any news on when it'll be open stella? I'll be making the trip over for a look as soon as it is Waiting on stuff coming via sea freight from Germany so they can start AFAIK Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339829 just to sound like a noob, what does AFAIK stand for? :oops: Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339865 *I* mean ASAP! I wanna get working on this properly!!! :bounce: Not sure when it will be open, but this summer sometime. Of course everyone will be told (sorry to hijack thread...! back to importing cherry shrimp...) Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339894 Not a boring brown lump: http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o165 ... Medium.jpg Pardon my ignorance, but what is that fish?? Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339924 Male redfin bully. The females have similar patterning but brown where the red is. Bullies are awesome in the aquarium - so territorial and active! Report
November 11, 200916 yr comment_339941 Cool, whats the species? How available are they? Size???? Report
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.