Rob Posted March 24, 2002 Report Share Posted March 24, 2002 Hi all, this thread is prompted by comments from Pegasus about lack of site activity and that there are people out there that are interested in our tanks, fish, first spawning etc. I feel compelled to preface this message with something along the lines of "Hi, my name's Rob and I'm a fish-a-holic". The obsession began for me when I was helping my sister shift (about 7 or 8 years ago). One of her flatmates had a small 18" tank crammed with guppies. I gave my sister (one of these competent DIY'ers) some sheet glass that I had lying around and said "Make me a fish tank for Christmas". Since then the number of tanks has grown, initially because there wasn't enough room in one tank for all the fish I wanted to keep and also one tank ment I was restricted to one set of water conditions. The second round of expansion was when I became more interested in breeding and raising fish (partly for the challenge, partly for monetary gain). Flatmates saying 'get more tanks Rob' didn't assist in trying to curb the addiction. I currently have 12 tanks, ranging in size from 4' long down to 1' long. There is also an attempt at a White Cloud breeding scheme in a series of plastic bins out on the veranda. There are four, what I call, display tanks: 4' Catfish and Rainbow tank (has an assortment of catfish - synos, clown plecos, pictus cats, porthole cats and a couple of types of talking cats; the rainbows include Boesmani, Lacustris, Madagascan, Lake Tabera and a couple of others that I'm not 100% sure on the ID). 3' Discus tank (it has 2 discus in it so I call it the discus tank but there are other things in there too: a few tetras - Cochu blue, Black phantom and yellow congo, Neon dwarf rainbows, Marbled hatchets, a pair of Golden eye dwarf cichlids and a hodge-podge of cory's) 3' Dwarf tank (well, the tank itself isn't dwarf but the fish in there are all of smaller types, the largest fish in there are Honey gouramis and dwarf flag cichlids, there are also Dwarf rasboras, Emerald Eye rasboras, pygmy cory's, silver hatchets, indian hatchets, Hara hara cats and spotted scooters) 2.5' Livebearer tank (mainly guppies, with some Berlin swordtails, hawaiian variatus platys, blue maculatus platys - I don't generally like Orange or bright red fish so hence none of the common sword tail or platy types make it into the tank; there are also some Celebes rainbows and Caudimaculatus cory's in that tank as well). As for the breeding side of things, I like to try and breed the fish that I like to have in my display tanks, yes a feel a sense of achievment when I say that I've officially breed 17 different species, but I'm not going to run out and buy a pair of convict cichlids just to get another breeding point - there are still far too many fish already swimming around in my tanks that I want to breed. At the moment I have 2 tanks that I am trying to breed fish in, one has a pair of Flag cichlids (which I've only had a week and they are already guarding a patch of eggs on one of the rocks) and a trio of whiptail catfish (the male is sitting on a clutch of eggs in one of the bamboo tubes in the tank - I'll have to remove the flag cichlid parents before the whiptails hatch). The other breeding tank has a pair of Rubber lipped plecos that I'm trying to encourage to do their thing - they spawned in the community tank but I failed to raise any fry (yes the eggs were fertile, just my poor management ment that the fry died). For those who have been keeping track of the number of tanks, the total is only up to six so far what about the other 6 to take me up to my total of 12? Two are permanently used for growing on the fry from the live bearer display tank and also breeding and raising ancistrus (since the livebearers don't bother the ancistrus and vice-versa), one tank currently for growing on the Corydoras sterbai fry I have, one partitioned tank for trying to get Cory's to breed (currently stocked with C.sterbai, C.nanus and C.melini), one small tank currently being used to condition some female Mosquito Rasbora and finally a tank currently used for growing on some Golden eye dwarf cichlids, fattening up some Corydoras trilineatus and also growing on some plants (mainly Aponogetons from the seed set in the discus display tank). I'm keen on growing aquatic plants providing it doesn't require too much effort on my part - so three of the four display tanks have either laterite or potting mix/commercial compost below the gravel substrate, I haven't gone to the expense/effort of setting up a CO2 system, yes I do use liquid fertiliser but not as often as I really should, occasionally fertiliser tabs are inserted near the roots of some the sword plants (mainly when it looks like they're slowing down a bit). I haven't gone overboard with lighting (mainly because I don't want the powerbill to be too high) just your standard fluoros, twin tube fittings for 3 of the 4 display tanks (Livebearers only have a single, but the crypts are doing well since they don't require too high a light level). Overall I'm happy with how most of the display tanks look (plantwise), look reasonably lush, I am making some money by selling plant bits and pieces but am not having to trim back the triphids on a 3 daily basis. Still have a battle with black algae in one tank but hopefully a combination of removing the worst affected leaves and more siamese algae eaters will get it under control. I am also keen on raising live food for my fish, I keep cultures of: microworms, grindal worms, white worms, earth worms, confused flour beetles, daphnia, and brine shrimp (this is not just hatching the eggs, but growing them on to adulthood). Unfortunately my wingless fruitfly culture died out so I'll have to order another. I also occasionally collect live food for the fish: mainly aphids and water boatmen, occasionally tubifex and blood worms. At the moment my living situation and employment future doesn't allow me to have more tanks. At some stage I would really like to set up a large (5-6') mini-reef system ($$$ :eek: ) and also just generally have larger display tanks - we shall have to wait and see what happens. Brief personal stuff about me? Currently 28, just finished my PhD (still have to have the nasty oral exam for it though and no it wasn't anything fish related) and now employed (temporarily) at the University of Waikato. [ This Message was edited by: Rob on 2002-03-24 18:02 ] [ This Message was edited by: Rob on 2002-03-24 18:08 ] I really should have proof read the message before I posted it. These 'edited by' messages seem to be multiplying [ This Message was edited by: Rob on 2002-03-24 18:26 ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted March 25, 2002 Report Share Posted March 25, 2002 What a great piece Rob... Absolutely fantastic, and just what is needed. I was almost in your fish room as I was reading your article, and admit freely that at times I was slightly jealous of your setup as at the moment I am tankless, but working hard on persuading the missus. Thanks for the input, and I for one hope it inspires others to write in. Thanks a lot Pegasus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 25, 2002 Report Share Posted March 25, 2002 Grant and I started fish keeping almost 25 years ago when we bought a 2ft tank with all the works and tried to keep guppies. Unbeknownst to us, the gravel we had got with the tank (sold in a retail outlet)was meant for breeding Africans and had a natural pH of 8.0. No wonder our pH kept rising!! We were known as the 'guppy killers'. Luckily, in 1989 we saw a notice in the local paper asking for people interested in forming a fish club to ring a certain number. This we did and our association with the Marlborough Aquarium Club began. We have kept all sorts of fish over the years, but nothing out of the norm. I think my favourites were the blue acaras, Aequidens pulcher, but I haven't seen these fish for a number of years. Over time I have been secretary, treasurer (but only for a short time once they realised how bad I was at treasuring)librarian, editor and have just been made president. Grant has had a stint at presidenting too but is unable to make most meetings these days as he is either too busy or too sick. Although we got up to 18 tanks at one time, we now only have one 4ft tropical with 4 dwarf blue rainbows and 2 McCullochii rainbows and 3 Ancistrus cats. We are waiting for more rainbows from our friend Sid. He was originally going to deliver them personally, then they were going to be couriered. Then I got a message in which he threatened to "make the little buggers walk!" so I guess they are somewhere between here and Otautau in Southland as they haven't turned up. Their poor little fins will be suffering on the tarseal I am sure! I was editor of the FNZAS magazine Aquarium World for several years but gave it up 12 months ago due to lack of support. We still go to FNZAS conferences and our club is hosting 2003's affair which will be the 50th anniversary. Although we barely made a quorum at our AGM, the few members who did attend were very keen and had some good ideas to help revitalise the club meetings and encourage more members to join. I look forward to hearing about how others got into fish keeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted March 26, 2002 Report Share Posted March 26, 2002 My family have always had fish, my first was a Red Comet named Black Peter and he was closely followed by a lionhead (Prince Caspian!!). Because we always had fish I never really took too much notice of them and it wasn't until I met my husband Mark that I became really involved. He has also always had fish (the first gift he every bought me was an eel!) and got me really involved in the hobby.We began manufacturing custom built aquariums just over 3 years ago, when Mark couldn't find an interesting enough tank for himself. We now have a fish shop in Tirau which we opened in September last year. My main interest is Cichlids and at the moment I only have 2 tanks at home as we are currently renovating. One tank is a 140ltr Bowfront containing an odd mix of plant destroying Cichlids living very happily and peacefully in a tank packed with plants! The other "Tank" is a 2500ltr water tank holding about 15 Green Severums, 2 Huge Plecos (the biggest is 2ft long), 4 Silver Sharks, 1 Clown Loach and 3 Red Parrot Cichlids. This is their temporary home as we saved them from a medical centre in Hamilton, from whom we purchased them and their 3000ltr aquarium (which is currently in pieces). They were being fed a handfull of supermarket Koi food once a fortnight, their filter had stopped working and they had no heater!! The new owners of the centre wanted to put a wall were their home was and had no idea what to do with them. Once our house is finished I planning to set up a couple of large display tanks including a Reef Aquarium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted March 26, 2002 Report Share Posted March 26, 2002 Great posts Caryl and Fee. I thought my old Pleco was big at 14", but he was a baby by the sound of it. This is great, keep em coming. :smile: Regards Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted April 8, 2002 Report Share Posted April 8, 2002 I have 5 tanks, ranging from 20L to 250L. I also another about to be brought inside after making sure it doesn't leak (hopefully), it is a 220L. We are hoping to build another 2 over the next week or so (thankyou pegasus)lol. Out of my tanks, I have one livebearer tank that also has bumblebee gobies in it, 3 community, and 1 qt. My community tanks hold gouramis, rbs, chinese ae's, barbs, clown loaches, giant danios, angels, silver sharks, killies, kuhlis, fighters, kribs, I think that is it but may be wrong. Our tank that is about to start cycling is for tiger oscars. At the moment the only fish I have had breed are the livebearers (obviously), kribs and fighters. The clowns keep laying but also keep eating. Oh, well will have to keep trying. I haven't had any real disasters as far as my tanks go, and the only recent death I have had was a black ghost knife who i found in the tank yesterday morning with all of his body there but his head totally missing. I'm guessing somebody got hungry. He was only 5cm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted April 8, 2002 Report Share Posted April 8, 2002 I am pleased to report Sid did not make my fish walk afterall and they arrived safely via courier this morning. All were still alive and seem to be settling in with the 6 residents already ensconsed. I now have more neon rainbows and McCullochii, some Melanotaenia lacustris, M trifasciata and a large female Boesemani. Unfortunately, the male died the night before he was due to be packed up and sent north with the rest. There was a bag of Boesemani fry in the package - so small I have put them in a separate container with a sponge filter. My 4ft tank now looks a lot better with all the new additions. Here's hoping the Fluval keeps up with them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted April 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 Joey - you mention that the clowns keep laying. You're talking about the clown loaches? If you are - getting them to spawn (from what I've read) is quite a feat - as my understanding is that pretty well all clown loaches are wild caught (ie not even breed in ponds in Asia). If it is clown loaches we're talking about can you give more details? Just an update on my fish breeding efforts: I now have baby whiptail plecs, baby Rubber lipped plecs and baby flag cichlids all swimming around/stuck around their respective tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted April 9, 2002 Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 They are doing the usual clicking sounds and courting motions, then dissappearing inyo yhe cave, my lfs said that they are more than likely trying to mate or are actually achieving it but eating the results. I have not done anything to encourage them as I was of te belief it is virtually impossible to have them mate in the home aquaria. i was actually concerned that they were trying to kill each other that is why I brought it up with the lfs. They are kept in a community tank. Personally, I don't like my chances of getting any fry from it, but you can always hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted April 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 How big are they - one thing I've never been sure of is how big do they have to be before they are sexually mature (considering that the can get to 1 foot long). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted April 9, 2002 Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 I have 4 of them with the 2 that are "acting funny" being approx. 7". They can actually get to be slightly larger than a foot, but I personally haven't seen them over about 10". They would have to be one of my all time favourite fish, they have so much personality and it differs from one to the other. Probably just wishful thinking. Which livebearers are your favourite Rob, personally mine are silver sailfin mollies. I don't think you can go past the gorgeous "sailfin" on the males. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted April 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 Which livebearers are your favourite Rob, personally mine are silver sailfin mollies. I don't think you can go past the gorgeous "sailfin" on the males. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted April 10, 2002 Report Share Posted April 10, 2002 Tiger oscars for the one coming in soon. the other 2 not sure yet, probably move the kribs into one and I have to think about the other. I am open to suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 10, 2002 Report Share Posted April 10, 2002 Do you find that the clowns tend to act up more at cleaning time when the muck is being stirred up slightly. I noticed this when I kept clowns, although they were only around 5" in length. Funny but the same thing used to happen with the Plecostomus's, but they were 14" or thereabouts. I thought it might have been attributed to their breeding cycle in the rainy seasons when there's heaps of silt in the water?? Do you show any of your fish? Regards Bill (Pegasus) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted April 10, 2002 Report Share Posted April 10, 2002 My clowns constantly "harass" me when it is cleaning time, when ever I put my hand in their tank, they get in my hand and don't let me get any work done. No I don't show my fish, I have them for my own relaxation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleatidium Posted April 13, 2002 Report Share Posted April 13, 2002 I have kept fish for around 2 years now. When I was a kid my folks had a tank for a while and there has always been a few boxes of old aquarium equipment at home. In 1998 I left home (in the Wairarapa) to live in Wellington and attend Victoria University. In 3rd year I moved to a flat where I had enough room for an aquarium. I found an old ~25 L tank at home and bought a light hood and got started. This was originally stocked with guppies and gold spot otos catfish (Parotoclincus spilosoma). Not long after I had this, I had a feeling come over me that many of you are probably familiar with. Basically my tank was not big enough and I wanted another. I thought about this for a time, thinking how impractical to have a fish tank in rented accomodation anyhow before buying second-hand a 150 L tank with stand and light hood for $160. I set this up, originally stocking guppies and danios. The end of 2001 came and my time at Victoria Uni was up with my BSc majoring in ecology, zoology and geology completed. Now I moved both tanks to my folks place in the Wairarapa for the summer as this was where I was living. Come the beginning of 2002, it was time to shift to Palmerston North where I had decided to do BSc (Hons) in ecology. Both tanks were moved again to my new flat. Didn't break a tank or loose a fish in either move which I am happy about. So currently I have in my 150 L: 7 guppies, 3 danios, 2 kuhli loaches, 2 Otocinclus affinis, 3 Parotocinclus spilosoma. And in my 25 L: 3 guppies and 7 neon tetras I got yesterday. The neons are to be moved to my large tank after a week in quarrantine and I'll get some more to join them soon. All my guppies are the offspring of an original 6 store bought ones I had. I am currently managing my guppy population down to zero by culling all new born fry. Thats all about me and my fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 13, 2002 Report Share Posted April 13, 2002 What a great first post Deleatidium, and a warm welcome to NZ Fishroom. Sounds like both you and your fish have done a bit of travelling We'd like to hear more if you have time. Best Regards. Bill (Pegasus) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldiegirl Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Hi - I started reading Pegasus's posts at Tom's place http://boards.aaquaria.com and he seemed so wise and knowledgeable that I followed him here! As a rank beginner (only 4+ months in the hobby) I don't have many fish, just a 1.5 in gold fantail in a 10gal (38 liters) and a baby calico fantail in another 10gal. I started this hobby for a peculiar reason, because I had read this feng shui book that having 8 goldfish in a tank was good luck. Needless to say, the 8 goldfish in a 10gal quickly turned into 1 goldfish in a 10gal. So, sadder but a lot wiser, I am continuing still, hang the feng shui, because I get much joy in seeing my remaining fish thrive. I am currently preparing another tank for tropical fish because I'd like to see fish interact with each other. I am using the "fishless" cycling method which is using pure ammonia to start a tank. With all the fish deaths I've experienced, I want to spare any more fish from that kind of suffering. Hope to learn from you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Hi Goldigirl, Good to see you on the NZ boards. I'm not a lover of flatteryand now everyone knows where I go at night My secret is out :oops: Sorry to hear about your fish, losing seven must be very upsetting. People tend to think goldfish are easy to keep, whereas in many cases they take a great deal more attention than the tropicals, mainly because they pass much more waste that the tropical types. If your present fish is doing well you should try to read up on goldfish in general and get to know their likes and dislikes and the conditions they require. Overfeeding goldfish in a confined area such as your 10gal tank should be a thing you should watch out for very carefully and avoid, and also be careful the water doesn't foul for one reason or another. When you change the water just change a portion of it, say perhaps a half. Do this probably once a week or more often if you see signs of problems. Try to vary the food slightly and make sure he/she eats it within a few minutes. If it doesn't get eaten it will foul your small tank very quickly. Ornaments may look pretty, but some can disolve slightly leaving you with a cloudy tank that is hard to clear up. Shells and some rocks can also cause a cloudy tank. The other major thing that you did wrong which many people do, was to have eight goldfish in the confines of the ten gallon tank, especially if you had no air supply running. A general rule of thumb is to allow four square inches of surface area per inch of fish, so I think you overstocked slightly, but not to fret, we all have to start somewhere and along the way we will make a few mistakes now and then. These are things you should watch for. If your fish is inactive for long periods suspect something is wrong, or if your fish hang around the surface for long periods it's a sure sign the tank is either fouled or there is a shortage of air. Crammed fins, wooly looking fins or broken scales which can lead to the wolliness which is fungus, can all give you problems, so take some time and visit your book store or library and read up on the subject. Hope this helps you out, but if you consider more fish, just buy a mate for your present one until you read up a little on the subject. Provided you don't overfeed, the two should be happy in the tank you have, but an air supply with an air stone would improve things a great deal, but even then, don't overstock the tank. Regards Bill (Pegasus) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Hi from NZ Goldigirl. What a lot of people don't realise is - it is not the amount of water, it is the surface area that is more important. This is especially true for goldfish. Bowls are the most common, but the worst things you can put a goldfish in so I am pleased to hear you have a tank. Most bowls seem to be narrower at the top than the middle so the surface area is drastically reduced. This means less oxygen for the fish. If using a round bowl, always fill the water level to the widest part of the container. Good luck with your fishes. Obviously the number 8 was not good Feng Shui for the goldfish! :lol: We all learn by our mistakes (I hope) and I think most of us are guilty of overstocking at some point in our fish keeping. Hope we hear from you again soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldiegirl Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Hi Caryl, Hi Pegasus (didn't mean to spill the beans about your nocturnal activities) - I can honestly say that I am not normally impulsive when it comes to purchasing things (it took me 6 months of research before I bought a new car), but my hasty decision cost the lives of some innocent fish. I am now the proud owner of at least 8 books on goldfish/fishkeeping, and have read them all. I have joined my local aquarium society. I read FAMA and Aquarium Fish magazine. I have read all the articles on goldfish & fishkeeping on at least 30 websites. I have joined fishkeeping forums and read most of the posts there. I weigh the information I collect against my experience and common sense. I change 20-25% of the water in each tank weekly and vacuum the gravel. I feed my fish sparingly, in spite of their begging. I test the water weekly with all my test kits (pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, alkalinity, hardness). I have kept a log since I first got the fish. This is to prove that I am serious about this hobby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldiegirl Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Hi Pegasus: Forgot to mention I am using a power filter on each tank plus a sponge filter. This provides extra aeration and backup filtration in case the power filter gets clogged (it has already done so several times). So, not to worry about aeration. The current is not too swift as to upset my goldies but it does increase the surface tension. Keep on posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted April 15, 2002 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Welcome GoldieGirl, though you may not have entered the hobby in an ideal way (ie spur of the moment) I'm pleased to hear that you're still with it despite initial losses and that you're probably a better hobbyist for it (why did my godfish die? = read a number of books, visit a number of sites but still use you're own observations and common sense to verify the information you're getting). When I got into the hobby (I knew I was getting a tank for christmas so had some time to prepare) I read a number of books and lurked about on the newsgroups. In the news groups I particulary paid attention to the answers to the 'newbie' questions, which steered by away from most of the potential disasters (not saying that there weren't some minor ones though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldiegirl Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 Hi Rob! This hobby has taught me patience, that's for sure. There was so much contradictory information that I was overwhelmed at first. For example, it seemed no one could agree on the ideal temperature to keep goldfish at. My brother had kept goldfish at 64 degree F; other sites recommended 74 F, while still others 68-72 F. I observed that my goldfish were sluggish at 64 F but quite happy at 68-70 F, which is the temp I maintain in their tanks now. Then there was the tank vs goldfish bowl. There were scores of friends telling me of their grandmother who kept a goldfish in a bowl for years. And so on and so on. In the end, I concluded that because the fish can be so adaptable, people draw the wrong conclusions about their ideal living conditions. If I had done research ahead of time I probably would not have gone into fishkeeping (nor bought my first car, which was way beyond my means, but drove like a dream!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 Good to see you have gone to so much trouble to read up about your fish now Goldigirl. You are right, goldfish are adaptable but that doesn't always mean they are happy! They will accept quite a temperature range but the warmer the temperature I am told, the shorter their lives will be. It sounds like you have them at a good temperature now (I am so pleased I have a calculator which converts F to C degrees). Are you able to read pdf files on your computer? You need a programme called Adobe Acrobat Reader. If so, I would be happy to add you to my email list of non club members who receive a monthly copy of Fishtales, the newsletter of my local group, the Marlborough Aquarium Club. Newsletters can be up to 850k when there are photos added. One of our members actually lives in Venus, Texas. Happy fishkeeping... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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