Continuation of my intro thread.

NamedNut

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This thread is a continuation of my introduction thread: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/first-time-tortoise-owner.205149/

@Tom Now for MY question to YOU: What kind of cichlids? I was a fish guy long before I was a tortoise guy. I've kept most of the cichlids form around the world and I enjoy them immensely. I started with the big South American bruisers, as so many people did back in those days, but my tastes evolved. I worked for a wholesaler for a time as a younger man and had access to all sorts of different and uncommon Africans. I've had many a tank over the years, but I always go back to Tanganykans. I've bred most of the available Julidochromis, several of the Lampropeltis, and kept several of the Tropheus. I also LOVED all the different Synodontis, though I never did get them to breed. The guy I worked for specialized in catfish, so we had all sorts of unusual Synodontis.

Currently, I am down to just one 135 in my living room. It is shared by a single large Texas cichlid, a bunch of leporinus, one pleco, and one errant psudoechromis that does not belong at all, but was abandoned at our house by my BIL. I look forward to learning about yours! If you don't want to clutter your intro thread with fish talk, you can always start a fish thread in the "other pets" section and we can nerd out over there instead. :)

It's really hard to beat Cichlids, regardless of where they come from. I would absolutely love a shelly aquarium.

I've kept more SA/CA Cichlids than anything. I was working on an all male Aulonocara 90 gallon back in 2015 but upon a random weekly visit to my LFS "The Wet Spot Tropical Fish" I came across a freshly imported wild group of 8 of my all time dream fish... Hoplarchus Psittacus, about 4.5" at the time. I had never seen them in person before and immediately knew what had to be done.... I bought all 8 and took them home, setup my emergency tank and transferred all the Aulonocara to it and then drained the 90 gallon, removed everything that could buffer the water and put together an aquascape for SA. Aulonocara were traded in for credit... still regret that.

Here's a few video after I added some plants, tank was very fresh.

At this same time I was working on a 150 gallon that I had received for free but had to completely rebuild as the silicone had failed in multiple places. I spent a month or so taking it clear down to panels of glass and back to a siliconed fish tank, while I was letting it cure up my friend that has impeccable luck at finding large fish tanks for dirt cheap found a large group of 8'x2'x2' 240 gallon acrylic tanks, I bought two of them (only ever setup one)

I setup one of the 240s and put the H. Psittacus in it and raised them for about 2 years until we moved, goal was to get a breeding pair... from what I could tell there were and most likely still is only a hand full (or less) of breading pairs in North America, I've never seen CB for sale commercially. Shortly after moving I had a pair spawn inside a pot, they ate the eggs by the end of the day. About a year later they spawned again without me noticing and after a long period of pretty bad neglect (life and family medical emergencies)... there were fry swimming around..

We had to move again to help my folks out in 2019 and I made the decision to leave the fish keeping hobby (dumbest move ever). Sold the complete setup and nearly all my supplies.

Over the past two years I've bought two new 4' 120s, equipment, etc. and built two stands and hoods. I just recently... like 3 weeks ago setup the first 120 in my office at work, photo below from right now, doors are not installed yet. I'm cycling it with Danios in a couple of months I'll add something not sure what, yet... Would love to get a group of Geophagus again.. might go the route of Acara or maybe even a Severum... not really sure, will probably just got to "The Wet Spot" and wander the aisles for a few hours and leave with what ever speaks to me that day and is appropriate for the size aquarium I have. General requirements are hardy, appropriate size and not so crazy that I wish I could have it at my house.

Once the first 120 is about 6 months old I'll be stealing a filter from it, replacing with a new one and then setting up my second 120 at home; current plan is for Mbuna. I bought four fx6 filters (two for each 120).

Second to my H.Psittacus, the favorite fish I've had was a Mastacembelus Shiranus, he was incredibly curious and friendly.. would eat from my hand (frozen bloodworm) and I could put bloodworms into a water bottle and he'd swim into it. He was cool.

In no particular order and several missing... I've kept Severums, Geophagus, Oscars, Angles, various small community fish, Synodontis (not to your level)... drawing a blank on everything else LOL. Still a long list that I want to keep over time. I've held off on a lot of the big bruisers until I get to a final destination house, similar to Tortoises... some bigger species I want to keep someday, but for now my little Russian is plenty big enough!
 

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NamedNut

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No, I don't keep fish anymore, but I'm learning quite a bit about them because I moderate the apistograma.com forum.
That’s awesome, I use to see a guy online named Lief (I think) that had what appeared to be a large fish room of nearly every species… i bet he’s on there.

They’re cool.

How many forums are you admin/mod on? I’d go insane with just one.
 

Yvonne G

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That’s awesome, I use to see a guy online named Lief (I think) that had what appeared to be a large fish room of nearly every species… i bet he’s on there.

They’re cool.

How many forums are you admin/mod on? I’d go insane with just one.
I just look for spam, as I'm not well versed in type of animals on the different forums - Beardeddragonforum.com, geckforums.net, tarantulaforum.com, tegutalk.com, and, of course, this one (thank goodness there are no snake forums that needed my services!!!!!) Of all of them, I find myself reading the posts on the Apisto forum the most. Some of the pictures they put up show some mighty pretty fish.
 

NamedNut

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I just look for spam, as I'm not well versed in type of animals on the different forums - Beardeddragonforum.com, geckforums.net, tarantulaforum.com, tegutalk.com, and, of course, this one (thank goodness there are no snake forums that needed my services!!!!!) Of all of them, I find myself reading the posts on the Apisto forum the most. Some of the pictures they put up show some mighty pretty fish.
Wow, you keep yourself busy by the sound of it!
 

ZEROPILOT

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Too bad you're not in south Florida.
We've been living with at least 8 central and South American cichlids and also a few African cichlids that have flat out taken over vast areas of our water ways.
Currently the Mayan cichlid is the most common fish. Then the Jaguar and Midas. Salvini and Convict. ....You'd be hard pressed to find a native fish.
 

NamedNut

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Too bad you're not in south Florida.
We've been living with at least 8 central and South American cichlids and also a few African cichlids that have flat out taken over vast areas of our water ways.
Currently the Mayan cichlid is the most common fish. Then the Jaguar and Midas. Salvini and Convict. ....You'd be hard pressed to find a native fish.
I've heard this and seen it many times online. South Florida is special place! I'm jealous of those that get to experience it daily.. except for the hurricanes.

It's unfortunate that people release their pets and then they take over.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I've heard this and seen it many times online. South Florida is special place! I'm jealous of those that get to experience it daily.. except for the hurricanes.

It's unfortunate that people release their pets and then they take over.
The air, waters and land have been transformed
 

jeff kushner

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I just look for spam, as I'm not well versed in type of animals on the different forums - Beardeddragonforum.com, geckforums.net, tarantulaforum.com, tegutalk.com, and, of course, this one (thank goodness there are no snake forums that needed my services!!!!!) Of all of them, I find myself reading the posts on the Apisto forum the most. Some of the pictures they put up show some mighty pretty fish.

(you hear a low, deep sort of voice....like the ones they use for the Monster Truck rallys;)

When you need to sleep at night, who do you call?

Yvonne G- mercenary spam hunter.​



It's early, my filters aren't in place yet, couldn't resist
 
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