Home Adverts Recent Added Auction Scam Alerts Forum List Your Ad ShopAds Videos Directory
Tropical Fish Aquariums & Equip Marine Fish & Marine Inverts Cichlids Malawi Tanganyikan Cichlids
Wanted Discus Goldfish, Koi & Ponds Retailers & Services ALL ADS By County

Home      Reply		Viewed: 301 -- Replies: 8
PM | All Topics | General | Cichlids | Marine | Coldwater | Tanks/Equipment | Diseases | Members

Posted	Mbuna
07-07-2006 15:39 by ryanroddis	Hi everyone.. I have been reading a thread called "Ad" Goes very deep and interesting to read, I have been keeping malawi's for just over 2 years now, I have to put all trust into my LFS when purchasing anything new, But a few of you seem to be able to spot a good specimen, I would like to know too, As mentioned above i have 2 years experience and children and work commitments dont give me the time to research them as much as i'd like to, SO if anyone out there has good tips on spotting the specimens from the interbred rubbish mentioned in earlier threads i'd be grateful to know... What to look for in a specimen How to spot an interbred fish etc etc... Any tips would be really useful! Thanks guys
07-07-2006 16:24 by yanton	first tip is not to buy them from your standard retailers but make a journey to a specialist retailer of rift valley (malawi and tanganyikan) cichlids. suggest chaplins or rod norris in bournemouth. maybe others can suggest a knowledgable retailer closer to you. where are you?
07-07-2006 16:27 by ryanroddis	I'm in S.Yorkshire, Its pretty rubbish for them kind of shops near me!!!
07-07-2006 16:34 by seawolf	why dont you try nige ,he has some for sale in lincon that is near you and seam to be good fish, forum date 6/7/06
07-07-2006 16:36 by ryanroddis	Cheers SW, I think me and you are in the same boat as fas as malawi's are concerned, I dont know that much, But people are quick to forget the practice makes perfect, we'll get there i suppose!!!! try, and try again!!!!
07-07-2006 16:41 by ryanroddis	I'm off until monday now chaps but any info on the first part of this thread would be great!!!
07-07-2006 16:41 by seawolf	yes i know what you mean,i was lets just say jumped on when i tryed to of load my overpopulated stock but know one asked where did i get the origanal batch from
07-07-2006 17:10 by wymcot	Guys, it is almost impossible to advise how to spot a hybrid/poor specimen without doing the research so you know what a proper one looks like. Yantons advise re going to recognised dealers or outlets is the best that can be given under such circumstances. Without wishing to sound like my own echoe, there is a hell of a lot of rubbish out there, and to top that off, some of the european importers are just as bad but in thier case, its messing around with the fish to make them look better than natural, ie colour feeding etc. Given the lake has the largest diversity of chiclids on the planet, plus the fish are in most cases as easy to breed as guppies. you need to be sure when you buy them. The one sure fire way of a gurantee is to buy wild caught fish from a recognised importer. Its then up to you to ensure any offspring are bred true, and if you can demonsrate this to potential customers, you can demand a higher price. Basically its a minefield out there and if you do happen to find a good source, keep well in with them Good luck
07-07-2006 18:17 by seawolf	hi wymcot i agree with you it is a mine field out there and as ryan says when you live in the middle of nowhere you are limited to your lfs or buying on the net. i will start first with the net, many sites when you go on them have stock photos not the real thing , and the prices are just say big ( yes i know you are paying for a quality item )but what stopping them passing of an inferior fish ,after all most people are happy to get the fish alive. I MUST POINT OUT I DON'T USE THIS METHOD TO BUY FISH. the second place LFS they have been given a lot of stick on here , and some do diserve it. unlike ryan who has limited choice of LFS i have 4 within 15 mile radius of me, and it was one i bought all my present stock. you will all say i got conned and he should be shut down ,but here's the story. my LFS manager i know personaly , my kids even go to the same school and we talk on a daily basis about fish,he got a stock of malawi in and he gave me the right info as he had kept them before, he advised me on stocking levels and decor and when tank conditions where right he would only sell me 6 fish at a time to avoid bullying. but lets get to the question of the fish , as i said i know him well he has no local private supplier as it is new to fish keeping up here ,and he has no breeding tanks at home, so he went to his local fish importer for stock and this is what he got. where they get them you will never be told ,but i do know this when he trys to get new stock for his fish they have to have an order from another shop in the area before they deliver. question been how many more shops have the same supplier and so the same stock given to them to be passed on to the public. i must point out 2 out of the 4 i have avilible to me i do not go in due to bad reputation of fish keeping , and we have only just got a big chainstore aquatics in our next town. given the big prices on the net by dealers, which should be by right for a quality item which i will not knock as it takes a long time and dedication to produce these fish. but you can see why people buy these fish in LFS when first setting up any tank as mistakes will happen ,and the prospect of having to buy 6 at a time which are very expensive ,people go for the cheaper opption as you said ,to the novice you can't tell the diffrence . and to that money wasted and misses moaning your hobbie costing more and more every day (and thats a compromise in its self !)

Previous | Fish Biz | Sitemap | Links | Clubs | Webmaster | Our Sponsors | ShopAds | Directory Visits