Seattle area fish climate vs other areas...

[FishBeast]

You're right, the fish culture (or lack thereof) here is a bit different. I've noticed not a lot of people keep bigger, monster-type fish. What you'll find for example on facebook are mostly bettas, livebearers and of course plants. There does seem to be a hipster-ish vibe to planted tanks, aquascaping etc. Nothing wrong with it mind you... it's just the climate of the hobby in our region as you mention.

I keep some bichirs myself and some oddball fish like a datnoid, red wolf, ets as well as specialty fish (hillstream loaches). I am also in MFK! I must confess I keep a planted shrimp tank too hahaha. Anyway I'm on MFK, same handle.

This is a good group here on the FishBox. Really helpful and dedicated hobbyists!

Nice meeting you and that is an amazing collection!

 

[Orthopod]

You're right, the fish culture (or lack thereof) here is a bit different. I've noticed not a lot of people keep bigger, monster-type fish. What you'll find for example on facebook are mostly bettas, livebearers and of course plants. There does seem to be a hipster-ish vibe to planted tanks, aquascaping etc. Nothing wrong with it mind you... it's just the climate of the hobby in our region as you mention.

I keep some bichirs myself and some oddball fish like a datnoid, red wolf, ets as well as specialty fish (hillstream loaches). I am also in MFK! I must confess I keep a planted shrimp tank too hahaha. Anyway I'm on MFK, same handle.

This is a good group here on the FishBox. Really helpful and dedicated hobbyists!

Nice meeting you and that is an amazing collection!

I tried to be somewhat politically correct when talking about the hipster-ish nature of this plant thing over here but who am I kidding, I can’t stand it, lol. I appreciate a nicely Aquascaped aquarium but it will always be secondary to the fish.

I like your taste in fish - have always wanted to keep Hoplias aimara as well.

About 10 + years ago and before I had kids, i planned my vacation as a collecting trip to the Peruvian Amazon and I actually collected red wolves. It got me into a lot of fish that I wasn’t previously - that’s how I got into stingrays as I collected a pair. Also, collected apistogramma and Killifish. I collected a 6+ inch pair of amazing killys that I can no longer even remember the name of that really had not been imported before. Everyone would love Killys if they saw 6 inch males from this species.

anyway, I brought back some red wolves that I have to say had about as much personality as any fish I’ve kept (except rays (I have a ray that when she’s hungry she will squirt water out of the tank to get my attention)).

sorry for my rambling but good taste in fish.

 

[Orthopod]

I tried to be somewhat politically correct when talking about the hipster-ish nature of this plant thing over here but who am I kidding, I can’t stand it, lol. I appreciate a nicely Aquascaped aquarium but it will always be secondary to the fish.

I like your taste in fish - have always wanted to keep Hoplias aimara as well.

About 10 + years ago and before I had kids, i planned my vacation as a collecting trip to the Peruvian Amazon and I actually collected red wolves. It got me into a lot of fish that I wasn’t previously - that’s how I got into stingrays as I collected a pair. Also, collected apistogramma and Killifish. I collected a 6+ inch pair of amazing killys that I can no longer even remember the name of that really had not been imported before. Everyone would love Killys if they saw 6 inch males from this species.

anyway, I brought back some red wolves that I have to say had about as much personality as any fish I’ve kept (except rays (I have a ray that when she’s hungry she will squirt water out of the tank to get my attention)).

sorry for my rambling but good taste in fish.

You're right, the fish culture (or lack thereof) here is a bit different. I've noticed not a lot of people keep bigger, monster-type fish. What you'll find for example on facebook are mostly bettas, livebearers and of course plants. There does seem to be a hipster-ish vibe to planted tanks, aquascaping etc. Nothing wrong with it mind you... it's just the climate of the hobby in our region as you mention.

I keep some bichirs myself and some oddball fish like a datnoid, red wolf, ets as well as specialty fish (hillstream loaches). I am also in MFK! I must confess I keep a planted shrimp tank too hahaha. Anyway I'm on MFK, same handle.

This is a good group here on the FishBox. Really helpful and dedicated hobbyists!

Nice meeting you and that is an amazing collection!

Also, see you are in gig harbor - nice, I’m in poulsbo.

 

[FishBeast]

I tried to be somewhat politically correct when talking about the hipster-ish nature of this plant thing over here but who am I kidding, I can’t stand it, lol. I appreciate a nicely Aquascaped aquarium but it will always be secondary to the fish.

I like your taste in fish - have always wanted to keep Hoplias aimara as well.

About 10 + years ago and before I had kids, i planned my vacation as a collecting trip to the Peruvian Amazon and I actually collected red wolves. It got me into a lot of fish that I wasn’t previously - that’s how I got into stingrays as I collected a pair. Also, collected apistogramma and Killifish. I collected a 6+ inch pair of amazing killys that I can no longer even remember the name of that really had not been imported before. Everyone would love Killys if they saw 6 inch males from this species.

anyway, I brought back some red wolves that I have to say had about as much personality as any fish I’ve kept (except rays (I have a ray that when she’s hungry she will squirt water out of the tank to get my attention)).

sorry for my rambling but good taste in fish.

Wow! It’s incredible that you’ve actually gone collecting. A personal dream/goal of mine when I was a kid, reading back issues of Tropical Fish Hobbyist and imagining what it would be like to actually visit Brazil and the Amazon. This is my wolf, raised from about 3” in as many years or so... The aimara would be a “holy grail” fish for me, perhaps in another life where I have a huge gallon tank! Another dream fish would be its African characin cousins, the hydrocynus species!

 

[Orthopod]

Very cool - what was crazy and cool about the red wolf - I would find them in almost nothing more than a puddle - same things with the killis. Wes (fugupuff Rare Fish) regularly brings in aimara - they cost a pretty penny though.

Collecting was Awesome and something I will never forget - I’d love to go again but to the Xingu which the majority of my holy grail fish are from. Love to find some like minded friends interested in going. I went by myself the first time and while it was awesome , it would be fun to do it with a like minded buddy. Separately, Brazil is more stringent than peru with their export and collecting regs. The other fun part of it was going to all the exporters places in Iquitos and seeing the entire economy that surrounded fish there. I remember a rubber pond at one of the places with 40+ 6 foot electric eels in it and remember thinking it would be a good add to a James Bond villains place, lol.

 

[fishguy1978]

Where were you in NYC? I was in Alphabet city across from Tompkins Square park.

 

[Orthopod]

Where were you in NYC? I was in Alphabet city across from Tompkins Square park.

I lived in the upper east side 95th and 3rd - I loved the fish community there. Was always picking up stuff from fellow hobbyists on Eastcoastcichlids.org. The fish stores were awesome in china town and Brooklyn - also a few good ones in queens where I rotated as well. Now, they have monster aquarium in queens which is phenomenal. Has oddballs and amazing selection. Just had them ship my father 10 angels for Father’s Day. Great place to order from by the way.

separately, I had a Favorite Chinese fish store in Manhattan’s China town that was a hole in the wall that imported awesome plecos and the owner was “The pss over here guy” with a secret room in his store, lol.

 

[DMD123]

separately, I had a Favorite Chinese fish store in Manhattan’s China town that was a hole in the wall that imported awesome plecos and the owner was “The pss over here guy” with a secret room in his store, lol.

And this is where the Mogwai come into the story... lol

 

[Orthopod]

And this is where the Mogwai come into the story... lol
View attachment 6391

Basically your right, lol. Just don’t feed it after midnight.

 

[fishguy1978]

There was a store over in Brooklyn that was amazing. They had several custom display tanks that were made to look antique. One was a few inches deep and tabletop size covered with duckweed. It was stocked with live bearers. Unfortunately, the business partners split and the one that built the tanks left and so did the tanks.
I worked for NY Aquarium Service and manages all the accounts in Jersey and L.I.

 

[sir_keith]

... The other fun part of it was going to all the exporters places in Iquitos and seeing the entire economy that surrounded fish there...

Yes, I've been to the Iquitos market as well. They really don't have much of anything, resource-wise, except for fish and tropical fruit. Makes for a mighty tasty cuisine; the Dourada (big, ugly catfish) are particularly tasty!

 

[Orthopod]

There was a store over in Brooklyn that was amazing. They had several custom display tanks that were made to look antique. One was a few inches deep and tabletop size covered with duckweed. It was stocked with live bearers. Unfortunately, the business partners split and the one that built the tanks left and so did the tanks.
I worked for NY Aquarium Service and manages all the accounts in Jersey and L.I.

Think I remember that place. I knew nyc, Long Island and New Jersey by fish store geography lol.

There was a place in white plains that was primarily an aquarium service company but had a wear house where they had their supplies and fish that I used to go to get some amazing fish lol. Also, I used to make the drive to amish country From NYC to a place for pets which was amazing at the time And one of the only places I could get L25 and L95 plecos.

for African Cichlid’s there was a place upstate that would import straight from the lakes and I would get amazing wild caught Africans. Nostalgia attack, lol

 

[Orthopod]

Yes, I've been to the Iquitos market as well. They really don't have much of anything, resource-wise, except for fish and tropical fruit. Makes for a mighty tasty cuisine; the Dourada (big, ugly catfish) are particularly tasty!

When I was collecting , we traveled down the river on an old river boat and would get up and fish with our rods. We’d eat the edible part of the catch. Ate lots of big ugly catfish. Also, black pirrhana are tasty and some are near 2 feet.

 

[sir_keith]

When I was collecting , we traveled down the river on an old river boat and would get up and fish with our rods. We’d eat the edible part of the catch. Ate lots of big ugly catfish. Also, black pirrhana are tasty and some are near 2 feet.

Yes, we did the same thing. After spending a week out in the jungle- my girl and I plus a guide- we boarded a river boat for the next 10 days. Awesome time. We did have piranha that we caught for lunch; they were bony little things, but nasty enough to nip at your toes if they got loose in the bottom of the dinghy.

 

[Orthopod]

Yes, we did the same thing. After spending a week out in the jungle- my girl and I plus a guide- we boarded a river boat for the next 10 days. Awesome time. We did have piranha that we caught for lunch; they were bony little things, but nasty enough to nip at your toes if they got loose in the bottom of the dinghy.

The red belly’s are tiny and school but the blacks can be beasts and are solo fish.

 

[Betty]

I've noticed the interest in plants over fish as a member of the GSAS too. (Have lived many places as well.) I love the look of the heavily planted tanks, but I suck at keeping them alive and I just have way more interest in fish. Mbuna have always been my favorite, but there is very little interest in this area. I miss going into fish stores and being overwhelmed with the selection and spending too much time looking at all of the cichlids.

 

[Orthopod]

I've noticed the interest in plants over fish as a member of the GSAS too. (Have lived many places as well.) I love the look of the heavily planted tanks, but I suck at keeping them alive and I just have way more interest in fish. Mbuna have always been my favorite, but there is very little interest in this area. I miss going into fish stores and being overwhelmed with the selection and spending too much time looking at all of the cichlids.

I can relate - I know geography of places I’ve lived by fish stores lol . And as for Mbuna, have a special place in my heart for the various afra species. Always been a fan and have kept tanks of them in the past.

I have nothing against aquascaping and plants per se - I just don’t understand the primary interest being the plants.