Nooboon Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 Hi, my name is Pete. I am originally from Martinborough in the Wairarapa but am currently living in Palmerston North where I am studying in my last year at Massey University. I have kept fish since I was 8 (15 years ago) and learnt a lot of things the hard way due to inappropriate info from pet stores. I have come a long way since then though and if money wasn't such a restraint I would have some lovely huge tanks. My interest has built over the past few years; somewhat due to the slightly better availability of aquarium related products here in the city. I am currently a moderator on a USA based forum http://aquariumpros.com/forums . My partner recently found this site and she told me about it. Wow. Until now, I was of the opinion that there wasn't many people in NZ that new much about fish keeping (going by experience with pet stores in general) but now I know better. This forum is full of knowledgable people talking about things like using compressed CO2 and power compact lighting that most pet store sales people have never heard of. I feel guilty for ever having such an opinion. My main interests are in bottom dwelling fish and aquatic plants but i am by no means an expert in either field. I currently have 2 tanks operating. 1 is the tank I began with 15 years ago; a 60 x 30 x 30 cm which I am trying to breed platys in and my main tank an odd shaped 65l x 30w x 63h, which is reasonably heavily planted. I hope to learn a bit more about you other fish freaks out there. I see ajbroome (Andrew is it?) is from Palmy and mentioned perhaps restarting a Palmy fish club in an old post. Did that go ahead? If so i would love to join. BTW, how long has this site been running? It seems you have built up a good number of members and there have been heaps of good questions asked (too many to read all of the ones I am interested in anyway). Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 Hi Pete and welcome. Glad you found us. This site has been going over 2 years now and improving all the time as more members sign up and join in. This is the official site of the Federation of NZ Aquatic Societies but you do not have to be a member to participate here. Palmerston North has a club which unfortunately has been in recess for a year or so but I believe they are about to become active again. Andrew can certainly keep you informed of their plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted June 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 What does the fnzas do and what do you get from being a member? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 Pete, > I see ajbroome (Andrew is it?) is from Palmy Sure am. Feel free to come see me sometime, I'm at [email protected] and am generally home at the weekends. I've got a small fishroom but am increasing the number of tanks and species kept and have various other critters as well. Either way, send me your details and I'll add you to our mailing list. > ... mentioned perhaps restarting a Palmy fish club in an old post. > Did that go ahead? If so i would love to join. The PNAS is trying to get back on its feet after some quiet years and you'd be more than welcome to join us. We don't have an 'official' meeting until August (tank repairing by Chris Downs from Wellington) but are having a 'social' gathering (dinner at The Celtic Inn) on Wednesday the 9th of July. Feel free to come along. Oh, and joining by joining PNAS you automagically become part of the FNZAS. Talk to you soon, Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 Pete said... >... how long has this site been running? Apparently since Jan 1st, 2001. Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 If you click on the 'fnzas.org is here' logo at the top of the page it will tell you all about us. We are an affiliation of like-minded clubs who want to see improvements and good information given about fishkeeping. Join an affiliated club and you automatically belong to the FNZAS. You get the Aquarium World magazine free (NZs only fishkeeping magazine and now coming out in colour) plus a Year Book which lists all the other members countrywide, plus a whole lot of other information. A great book to have with you when travelling. You also get to meet a lot of fellow fishkeepers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted June 27, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Thanks for the info. I tried clicking on the links above but if I try to access any of the fnzas pages other than the forums, internet explorer just quits on me for some reason. I am using a Macintosh computer here so perhaps there are some compatibility problems. Anyway, I'll email you my details Andrew. I would really like to come round to see your fish room some time if that is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Hey there Nooboon, Great to have you join us. It's amazing the amount of people who join and say they didn't know this forum existed, cos we sure make enough noise here to let everyone in NZ know about us... (all good shouting BTW he he) Lots of members here into the Cats and bottom dwellers, plus the plant scene, 'and' the high tech stuff to go with it, so you are in good company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Sheila Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 I am using a Macintosh computer here so perhaps there are some compatibility problems. Is the Massey PC lab too full again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted June 27, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Great to hear from so many people. I can see I am going to be spending quite a bit of time on this forum (much to my girlfriends disappointment I would guess). Is the Massey PC lab too full again? You have to pay for internet access outside of the massey related material at the labs. I already pay for it here at home so I'm not paying twice. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Sheila Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 You have to pay for internet access outside of the massey related material at the labs. Yeah I know, and I did too, although they stuffed up my account somehow in the first semester (last year) and I got like 5 months free to do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted June 27, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 I wish they would stuff up my account like that! Hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted June 29, 2003 Report Share Posted June 29, 2003 Hi there Pete - yet another 'welcome to the neighbourhood' message for you. You mention an interest in bottom dwellers. There are a few of us lurking about that have interest in mainly catfish and also loaches. So what's your favourite bottom dweller you currently keep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted July 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2003 My favourite one that I keep currently would have to be what I was sold as a "dwarf Hara hara catfish". They don't often do much and are really hard to spot due to excellent camo, but that is what makes them so attractive to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cees Posted July 1, 2003 Report Share Posted July 1, 2003 Thanks for the info. I tried clicking on the links above but if I try to access any of the fnzas pages other than the forums, internet explorer just quits on me for some reason. I am using a Macintosh computer here so perhaps there are some compatibility problems. Is that still the case? Any mac users out there? http://www.fnzas.org.nz/ shouldn't crash any browser if I can help it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted July 1, 2003 Report Share Posted July 1, 2003 Is that still the case? Any mac users out there? http://www.fnzas.org.nz/ shouldn't crash any browser if I can help it. Yes http://www.fnzas.org.nz/ does crash Internet Explorer on the Mac. It appears to be the style sheet fish_01.css that causes this problem as I did some test. I am not a HTML expert so I don't know the fix. Works ok on Apple's new Safari browser though. Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted July 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2003 Yeah it's still doing it. My girlfriend uses a Mac at work so I might go in at some stage and give it a try. At least that will confirm or reject any relation to the Mac system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 Yip I know the Dwarf Hara hara's - cool little fish, I love the way they go nuts over bloodworms and whiteworms. If I had to choose my favourite bottom dweller (that I currently keep) it would be close tie between Flagtail cory's, chocolate stripe cats and spotted talking cats, with the spotted talking cats just edging out the other two. Opps, forgot about the the hillstream loaches (spotted scooters, borneo suckers etc) - they've got to be my favourite ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted July 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 Yes I have some borneo suckers, really cool. Where do you get your fish from? Can't say I've seen many of those you mentioned here. I would love to get my hands on a REAL upside-down cat. I was pretty sure the ones they were selling here were just some other synodontis species and that was pretty much confirmed by Andrew Broome when I was speaking to him in the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauly Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 Yes, I love my hilstream loaches too . I saw some black fire eels and ladder eels at the lfs yesterday not quite cat fish but still bottom dwellers . Have you guys had any experience with these , they look awsome . Pauly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 I get the majority of the fish from my LFS (the Goldfish Bowl) here in Hamilton - I've developed a good relationship with the owner and he's happy to order me in things from the wholesalers that he wouldn't regularly stock (also if it's ordered in specially then I can haggle a bit). The Goldfish Bowl isn't as big Wet Pets but it looks after us really well. If anyone's coming to Hamilton and has only got time for one fish shop definitely make sure it's the Goldfish Bowl). The Flagtail corys I got 4 or 5 months ago - they were a special order in (they would have sold very slowly here in Hamilton because of their high price). The chocolate stripes I've had for a while but I still see them for sale around the place. The spotted talking cats was just a 'right place, right time' situation in that they were buy backs from someone getting out of fish. I'll have to inspect the Upside cats for sale here at the moment and see if they're Synodontis nigriventris or not. Sorry Pauly - I've never kept eels (I like them, just haven't added them to the collection...yet). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Sheila Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 I get the majority of the fish from my LFS (the Goldfish Bowl) here in Hamilton Brians a good guy isn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nooboon Posted July 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 I saw some black fire eels and ladder eels at the lfs yesterday not quite cat fish but still bottom dwellers . Have you guys had any experience with these Haven't heard of ladder eels (probably also go by some other name also -perhaps tyretrack eels?) however I know fire eels look great. I haven't kept these though as all of the fish I have kept are peaceful community types. Unfortunately those eels will make dinner out of smaller fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 Hmmm, I might have to look into getting a fire eel. I've wanted an eel for ages, just never seriously looked at getting one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 Brians a good guy isn't he? Yip definitely, knows what he's talking about and doesn't bullshit you when he doesn't know. THere are times where I think I should just get my pay put straight into his bank account though. I checked out the last '"upside down cat" at the Goldfish Bowl and yes it is S. nigriventris (ie the true UDC) - though I have seen some places selling black spotted synos as UDC's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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