Hi Folks,

I've just joined, this site was pointed out to me when I posted in the newsgroup nz.wanted for some tank-bred male peppered corydoras in the south Auckland area. I'll probably get to that in another post though. :-)

My name is Shaun Stephens, past member of NZFFSG and MAS. Past VP and breeding scheme co-ordinator of MAS actually. I dare say there are people here who know me.

I haven't been fishkeeping much of late, just have a couple of tanks at the moment. Big change from when I had 250+.

Anyway, hello folks, I hope to get to know some of you better and talk about fish a bit. :-)

Cheers,

wow 250! what size were they? welcome to the FNZAS website

Hi, thanks for the welcome. Yeah, at least 250. Varying from 18" (450mm) to 2m x 1.5m x 1.5m. Mostly 450 x 300 x 300 though. I used to have a business breeding tropical fish, Aquarium Fish Supplies (funnilly enough) based first at Glen Murray, then here in Pukekohe. I bred fish and sold them to petshops and other wholesalers.

Then I injured my back, my "sleeping" partner decided he wanted to be employed in the business and basically it fell to pieces. Differences of opinion. :-(

I haven't kept fish much since, that was back in the early 90's. I won best chiclid, best angelfish, best characin, best corydoras and best fish in show at the 1993 Aquarium Expo in Auckland. I was a member of the Manurewa Aquarium Society (Now called South Auckland I see) for several years.

I'm 44 years old now, basically medically retired (hard to carry buckets with fractured vertebrae). I just have a couple of tanks with Corys, Ancistrus and a few Guppies at the moment.

:lol: :lol: :lol: It's a small world. It was my flatmate Riff who gave you the url in the newsgroup .................. mind you, he had to ask me what it was!

Good to see you've joined already

Cheers

Jude

Hi Jude,

I'm glad that Riff was aware of this site through you. I've already thanked Riff in nz.wanted, thank you too. I hope I can find a couple of boy peppered corys. FNZAS has come a long way. I was a card-carrying member for quite a few years but didn't know this site existed until you and Riff told me.

Cheers,

Hi Shaun,

Welcome to a great site, you will meet lots of lovely people here as I have over the short time that I have been here.

WOW, 250 Tanks, that one severe case of MTS, obviously by the sounds of it the Addiction is subsiding, now down to Two Tanks, you have done well.

Great to have you here. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

Lynda

Hi Lynda,

Thanks for the welcome, I appreciate it. Hehe, 250 tanks was a lot of work. However, about half of them were on a "central system", sharing a massive filtration system and heating, all being recirculated through a 400 liter sump. I used this system for growing the fish to saleable size, due to having a massive filter and waterchanging constantly just by adjusting a tap I could dump a lot of food in there. :-)

It was the breeding and conditioning tanks that were hard work. Individual fish with individual requirements require attention to detail and lots of bucket-carrying. Also, the live food was a lot of work, keeping up the daily brine-shrimp hatch and all the whiteworm/microworm cultures healthy was a big task.

Add to that I used to make my own "gel" food for adults and growing-on fish and as much time was spent in support roles as was spent on the fish.

Great to be here, cheers.

Welcome to the NZ Fishroom Shaun

Sounds like you have been around the hobby for a while.

Look forward to your posts.

Bill.

Well knock me down with a feather and hit me with a sledge hammer.

Welcome home Shaun.

LONNNNNNNNNNNNNG time no see or hear.

Shaun and I were split winners of the Breeding Award Trophy quite a few years back, something he failed to mention.

Great to see you are still kicking, but tough news about the back tho..

Alan 104

Thanks for the welcome Bill. Yes, I've been fishkeeping for many a year. :-)

Hey Alan!!

Long time no see indeed. It sure has been a while. Heh! Yeah, I did forget to mention that didn't I. :-)

Great to see you too. The back? You take the good with the bad huh? Life is good. I'm really pleased I found this place. FNZAS is certainly keeping up with the times, good to see.

I hope you're well.

I've just realised something very ironic about my back injury and joining this site. I injured my back while "in the field" in my capacity as an FNZAS breeding scheme co-ordinator for the Manurewa club.

I was spending a day verifying breeding efforts for certification and was trying to fit as many visits in as possible in one afternoon. I was in.. Onehunga?.. and I had just viewed one lot of fish and said "I have to go as I said I'd be at XXXX's place at 3pm". Someone said "That's me, I live one street over but my section backs onto this one, we just go over the fence". So we did. However, when I jumped the fence I landed unevenly on one foot in an un-seen dip in the lawn and jarred my back.

It was sore but I kept up a brave face and carried on. Next day it took me nearly an hour to climb out of bed. Turned out I have compression fractures of the two vertebrae immediately above my pelvis, with pinched nerves and associated radiculopathy. It got worse over the next few years and it isn't getting better as I get older.

It's a funny old world huh? When the most harmless-seeming of actions can radically change your life.

Great to be associated with the FNZAS again, hopefully this time I don't get hurt. ;-)

Welcome along, Shaun!

I'm glad you found your way here and look forward to hearing a lot more from you.

MCT

Thank you MCT,

I look forward to spending time here. :-)

Cheers,

I had 250+.

That's a LOT of fishies...did you ever get a chance to eat...sleep...or anything for that matter

Caper STOPS AND THINKS...*hmmm, he had all those tanks...haha, lots of information floating around in his head*....look forward to picking your brains, :oops: oh...I mean nice to meet you

Take care,

Caper

Hi Shaun and sorry for the late welcome but I have been away with no Net access for 12 days (and no, I didn't miss it). :lol:

The FNZAS is certainly going ahead at the moment, thanks a lot to this site.

Hi Caper and Caryl,

Thanks for the welcome, I appreciate it. Caper, I specialised in just a few species and filtration (I was a consultant as part of my business) so my knowledge first-hand is limited to those areas.

This site is certainly great. :-)

few species and filtration (I was a consultant as part of my business) so my knowledge first-hand is limited to those areas

All a part of fishing keeping though...so, you are not getting out having your brains picked :evil: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: oh darn, did it again, I meant nice to meet you!

Heh! I'm quite prepared to help anyone in anyway that I can although please don't ask me to come look at your fish, I've a sore back and don't think I'm able to walk/swim halfway around the planet.

Alright...I'll make a deal with you...I have a sore back too...so can we meet half way...hmmm, somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean I think :lol: :lol: :lol: