Allow me to introduce myself

[ben]

Hi all!

Since I'm new here I thought I'd let you all know who I am, particularly seeing that now I've found a fishkeeping club after 18 months of wondering whether one existed in Wgtn! On that note, I'm sure a few flyers in pet stores wouldn't go astray. You guys have been hard to find!

I have been keeping fish seriously for about 2 years or so. Currently I have two tanks, one 10 gallon Tropiquarium, and a 50g display tank.

In the 10g I keep 3 juvenile Botia Hymenophysa (green tiger loach- stoked to find these guys a couple of months ago) and a bristlenose to keep the java fern algae free.

In the 50g I keep clown loaches and Botia Modesta (blue botia/orange-finned loach). I have two 2l bottles of diy co2 going on this tank and am very happy with the growth of my marble queen swords, twisted vallis, and stargrass. Unfortunately my java fern doesn't seem to do as well under the 3.25 watts per gallon in the 50g as it does in the 1.5 wpg of the 10g tank.

In the past I have bred guppies, kribs and electric yellows, and I am on the lookout for something else to breed - perhaps ancistrus.

I regularly frequent the american forums, in particular Loaches online, and Tom's Place. One of my favourite fish sites on the net would have to be The Skeptical Aquarist.

It's so good to find a forum in NZ! How many of you guys keep loaches? I would like to see a forum on this site for loaches, so long as enough of you keep them of course ... I'm also interested in finding out your favourite pet stores ... I'm so jealous of the shops I see in magazines like PFK and TFH. The shops I have visited in Wgtn have never impressed me very much. Do you guys buy a lot of livestock off stores, or do you do a lot of trading within the club?

Regardless, I look forward to spending some quality time here

Speak to you soon.

Ben

[Rob]

Hey there and welcome Ben.

Yep some of us keep loaches.

Currently I have regular Kuhli's, cinnamon Kuhli's (a solid brown colour and more out going than the regular ones), Zebra loaches (Botia striata), Golden eel loaches (not 100% sure on the scientific name some sort of Pangio, possibly shelfordi) and Pakistani loaches (Botia lohachata or whatever it's been changed to).

I think I may have a pair of Pakistani loaches - one of them is definitely a female and the other may be a male. I tried them in a breeding tank once with no results - doesn't necessarily mean I haven't got a pair just that I lack patience or didn't hit on the right trigger for them.

I used to keep clown loaches but ended up selling them as I got tired of the horse shoe shaped holes they kept putting in the sword plant leaves.

As for where do we get our fish from? I buy most of mine from the local shop (here in Hamilton) he's pretty well always up with the play, is happy to order things in for you (most of the time - depends on how much one particular wholesaler has pissed him off, problem is that that they often have stuff that no one else does). Trading in the club is limited usually only the results from people breeding fish. There is some swapping of fish so that the 2 people can end up with a pair rather than 2 of the same sex.

[Caryl]

Hi Ben,

There are 3 fish clubs in Wellington. Upper Hutt, Kapi-Mana, and Wellington Aquarium Club. The first two are members of the Federation of NZ Aquarium Societies (FNZAS) but the last is not. Cees belongs to the Upper Hutt club and I can give you details for Kapi-Mana if you are interested. The Wellington group used to meet in a room at the zoo but I think they had to move premises recently. I can give you a contact there too if you want.

[Deleatidium]

Hello Ben,

I have just moved from Wellington to Palmerston North in the last 6 months. Wellington is pretty sparse in terms of fish shops. Animates in Kaiwharara is the only place I have purchased fish from.

I find their accessories and equipment a bit pricey when I have compared some items with other stores.

Where do you get your fish from?

I have a couple of kuhli loaches and hope to get a few more soon.

[Pegasus]

Hi Robyne and Cuviceps

We certainly can't have too many Discus lovers here, so a warm welcome to you both and hope you enjoy your time here.

Now don't be shy, we all want to know about your fish

[ben]

Thanks for your replies

When I started fishkeeping, I shopped at animates here in Wellington. It wasn't long before I started looking further afield and visited the Hutt Pet Centre, as well as that garden centre in Upper Hutt. The place in Upper Hutt had some Banjo cats which were good to see, but not much else. The hygiene at the Hutt Pet Centre was unsatisfactory so I stopped going there. These days I rely on Pete at Fins and Fangs to get me what I want. He seems to be the most knowledgable, his prices are good (or at least negotiable ), and he's near my work. Animates is a nice store, nice display tanks, but they change staff faster than they change fish, and they hardly ever have anything out of the ordinary. The Botia Hymenophysa that I got from Animates were ordered by mistake. Animates does keep a decent stock of seachem products though.

If anyone can be bothered (probably for the hundredth time) writing the details of where the U.Hutt and Wgtn clubs meet, I would appreciate it. I want to get involved !

Ben

[ajbroome]

Hi,

People looking for a good fish shop, close(ish) to Wellington, should

not forget Wet Pets in Palmerston North. The best shop I've seen

south of Auckland. In Auckland I usually visit Jansens and/or Hollywoods.

Hope that helps.

Andrew.

[ben]

I agree, WetPets is the best store I've visited. How about the redtail cat! And those giant clowns! awesome..

[Deleatidium]

Yes Ben, I agree totally about Animates and their ever changing staff. When I was a Victoria Uni I noticed at Student Job Search a few times an ad for shop assistants at a pet store in Kaiwharawhara. They only were paying about $8.50 an hour so it's no surprise staff don't stick around long.

Wet Pets in PN was certainly a pleasent surprise to find when I was about to move there. That red tailed catfish must eat some major food and that knife fish is incredible.