Posts Tagged ‘aquarist’

Sheaf Valley Aquarist Society Fish Auction Report

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

I went to the Sheaf Valley Aquarist Society fish auction today, this is the second time I’ve been to a Sheaf Valley Aquarist Society fish auction. I received a very warm welcome from members of the society, and despite leaving late from York, and driving like a Forumla 1 driver, got to the auction before it started. Auction started shortly after 1pm, and was well catered for with refreshments, drinks and food, fanastic because I’d not eaten all day (I don’t do breakfast!), so it was nice to get a can of pop during a break, when I wasn’t bidding!

Just a list of the few fish that came up for auction, Corydoras (approx 10 different species), Platies, Mollies, Guppies, Angelfish, L-number catfish, Ancistrus (approx 5 different species), Cichlids, Danios, Gouramis and Killifish. I think there was something for most fishkeepers from beginners to experts, and also for sale F1 (local breed) King Tiger Plecos L66s, it wouldn’t be fair to list prices, just make sure you go to the next auction.Lots of dry goods, filters, food, electrical items, tanks. In my opinion, most tank breed local fish are always better quality than whats available in the local tropical fish shops. (if available).

The next auction, and it’s the last auction of the year is on Monday Evening 12th October at The Pheasant Inn, 822 Barnsley Road, Sheffield, S5 0QG. Auction starts at 20:00hrs.

This is the list of items I won today at auction

  • 6 x Pearl Danios (Danio albolineatus)
  • 2 x “Black Nose Sturisoma” (Sturisoma nigrirostrum)
  • 2 x L147 “Head Spot Pleco” (Peckoltia sp. (L147))
  • 2 x Pairs of “Line Breed Half Snakeskin Round Tail Moscow Guppies” (Poecilia reticulata)
  • 6 x Corydoras Kronei (Corydoras barbatus (Sao Paulo))
two boxes of fish!

two boxes of fish!

Again congratulations to members of the society for a execellent auction.

I was also lucky enough to win a few times in the Sheaf Valley Aquarist Society raffle today, and for first prize I selected a new Aqua One external filter and later some ceramic hoop filter media. So it’s always worth purchasing a strip to help out the society.

Raffle Prizes

Raffle Prizes

I also passed Simply Aquatics, 84 – 86 The Common, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, S35 9WN on the return journey, and this is one excellent shop. Excellent  slection of tropical, coldwater and marines, and very well maintained, and clean setup. Five stars and highly recommended, it will be on my places to visit next time I’m in the area. It’s only been open 6 months, and is definately worth a visit, whether begineer or expert. I also met David Marshall, Secretary of Ryedale Aquarist Soceity purchasing fish in Simply Aquatics as well (I didn’t know, I’d been sat next to him in the auction for three hours!). Just Google for David Marshall, Ryedale (click link and you’ll see who I’m referring to). He beat me to purchasing a very nice catfish, I must contact him, and ask him for the latin name, I also bought, what David Bought.

Purchased from Simply Aquatics,

  • 6 x Purple Zebra Danios (Danio rerio)
  • 5 x Spotted Silver Dollars (Metynnis lippincottianus)

The Zebra Danios were described as purple, but they look red/pink to me, the shop is a member of OATA, and assured me they were not dyed, and were true purple/red/pink direct from Malayasia. David and I were interested how these young danios develop and if they breed true. If DEFRA come knocking at our doors, we will know, thay they are GM fish! The Silver Dollars are to grow on for my large oddball tank.

Interesting!

Interesting!

Post to Twitter

Corys, Platies and Mollies by the bagful!

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

Well if you wanted any for a pound a bag you should have gone to the 1st Sheaf Valley Aquarist Society Auction today in Sheffield. Congratulations to Sheaf Valley Aquarist Society on a great auction. Auction promptly started at 1.00pm, and closed at 4.30pm, 20 large boxes (lots) of fish and stuff, and the first ever Fish Auction, I’ve been to where, they had a catalogue of the Lots, booked in, in Advance! Guppies, Platies, Mollies, Swordtails, Corys, Angelfish, Endlers, Bristlenoses (LDA016), and some very unusual home bred corydoras. I purchased the following :-

  • Five Bosemani Rainbow Fish
  • A pair of Nothobranchius rachovii
  • A pair of Bolivian Rams (breeding in the bag!!)
  • Ten Lamprologus ocellatus “Gold”

Post to Twitter

Drugs fail …

Saturday, August 4th, 2007

I thought the MYXAZIN broad spectrum bactericide was working and the ulcer was receding. But on the fifth day of treatment I noticed another small hole had appeared on the upper dorsal fin. I finished treatment on Friday 3 August, and completed a 50 percent water change, all the MYXAZIN seems to have done, is stained the silicon in the tank blue!

I asked a friend if he could ask Dr Peter Burgess to contact me. Peter was at Plymouth University the same time I was, and was also a member of the Plymouth & District Aquarists & Pondkeepers Society, with members including John Rundle, Dr Stan MacMahon.

Dr Peter Burgess BSc MSc Mphil PhD, is a fish health scientist, with more than 25 years’ experience as an aquarist. An author of numerous articles and scientific papers on fishkeeping, he is editor of the international journal Aquarium Sciences and Conservation. A visiting lecturer in aquarium sciences, he is also an international consultant to the aquarium fish industry.

Dr Peter Burgess suggested I try Pimafix, as I had already tried Melafix, which although marketed primarily as an anti-fungal, is also quite good at tackling some bacterial infections.

So I’m currently on a double dose of Melafix and Pimafix.

Furan-2 is not available in the UK, because it contains two antibiotics, and these are only availble with a prescription in the UK.

I’m not keen in treating with antibiotics, because it wipes out the bacteria in the filter, and it’s very difficult to get the right antibiotics for the correct becterial infection, unless a swab is taken from the infected area.

I noticed this evening, the angel fish behaviour has changed for the worse, the fish is no longer eating, it’s stomach appears distended, gasping for breath and the ulcer has grown in a matter of hours, the area has got larger. There is also a small hole visible in the caudal tail region.

I have emailed my Vet Matt Brash asking for a prescription of antibiotics.

Post to Twitter

Excellent Aquatic Auction.

Sunday, May 28th, 2006

I’ve just returned from Castleford Aquarist Society 14th Open Show and General aquatic auction Sunday 28th May 2006 at The Civic Centre, Castleford, West Yorkshire.

What an excellent aquatic auction. Started at 1.00pm and finished at 7.00pm, more lots than last year. I’ll let you know what I purchased and post some pictures tomorrow.

and I’ve also got a 10% discount leaflet for Yorkshire’s newest specialist aquatic store at Ranchu Aquatics, 6 Brook Street, Selby. Must drive down to Selby and investigate.

More dates for the Diary

North East Yorkshire Group Killifish Show and Auction Sunday 16th July 2006, Wigginton Recreation Hall, York. From 11.00am.

Post to Twitter

Hikari Saga continues …

Monday, May 22nd, 2006

This hasn’t got aything todo with Noggin the Nog or Nogbad the Bad, although the later could be compared with the EU Legislation in place! Please read on …

I received an email today from a fellow aquarist who breeds Good Quality Discus in South Yorkshire, asking me where I obtained my secret supply of Hikari Algae Wafers, as he has been having difficulties obtaining them. I quickly checked a few mail order suppliers and was surprised to find they were all Out Of Stock, last October I posted an entry, stating the EU had lifted the temporary restriction on Hikari products.

I’ve spoken to PPI this afternoon, the Sole Distributors for Hikari products in the UK, which stated that some stocks of Hikari products were imported into the UK, in September/October 2005, but the temporary restrictions of Hikari products are still in place. I had assumed after this press release in September 2005, that the temporary restrictions had been lifted.

Inspectors are currently visting the Hikari plants in Japan, and a Press Release is due in the next two-three weeks.

The Algae wafer market seems to have been flooded by King British, Tetra and others to plug this hole that currently exists, in my opinion these are not as good. Sera have a good product. Catfish Crisps, my Whiptails prefer these to Hikari Algae Wafers. But I’ve not been able to purchase these in 1kg bags, have I posted this before? rumours state that Sera once made this product for Hikari, before production was moved to Japan – Allegedly.

Sera now have their own excellent coldwater, tropical and marine range of fish foods.

Post to Twitter

Dates for your Diary

Sunday, May 7th, 2006

Open Shows and Auctions over the next forthcoming months in the North East. These are in my diary. Purchase some excellent quality fish, bred by fishkeepers for fishkeepers. Purchase a pair of Mature Black Bar Endlers for 1.50 GBP, not eBay auction prices for Endler fry!

Castleford Aquarist Society 14th Open Show and General aquatic auction Sunday 28th May 2006 at The Civic Centre, Castleford, West Yorkshire.

Caer Urfa Aquatic Society Open Show and Auction 2006 Sunday 4th June 2006 at The Charles Young Centre, South Shields.

Select Aquatic Society Open Show and Bring & Buy Sunday 4th June 2006 at Appleby Frodingham Social Club, Scunthorpe.

Yorkshire Association of Aquarist Societies Open Show and Auction Sunday 2 July 2006 The Villiage Hall, Stockton on the Forest, Near York.

The Tyne Tees Area Association Open Show and Auction, Redby Community Centre, Sunderland Sunday 6th August 2006.

Post to Twitter

Corydoras Loxozonus

Sunday, May 7th, 2006

I purchased two unusual Corydoras catfish today, at Ryedale Aquarist Society 7th Open Show and Fish Auction at Pickering, North Yorkshire. I purchased two Corydoras Loxozonus, I’ve not seen this species of Corydoras for sale before, a shame that there were only two, Corydoras look better in larger shoals.

I also purchased some in-expensive small catfish pellets, 2 GBP for 1kg, three 150 watt heaters and a Hagen 301 Powerhead for another Lifegard FB300 sand filter.

A good day out, and at least I came back with some fish!

There was also a breeding pair (this was the claim of the seller!) of Synodontis eupterus that sold for 10 GBP, I’ve not heard of this Synodontis being bred in capativity, but since tiny Synodontis eupterus keep showing up, I assume someone somewhere is breeding them. Almost had a punt on these, but I’ve not got the space, to accomodate two 8″ Synos!

Post to Twitter

What’s for supper?

Thursday, October 6th, 2005



An aquarist in Germany recommended that I try
Sera
Catfish Chips for Ancistrus and Pleco Catfish if I’m finding it difficult in obtaining Hikari
Algae Wafers, he has had great success with this product in Germany. Many high
quality aquarium products come from Germany, Eheim,
Tetra and
Dennerle
are just a few manufacturers,
so I’ll definitely experiment with this product.

Sera retailers in the UK are not common, but I know a place on my doorstep that
stocks Sera products. Petland, York is a
Sera retailer.

I purchased some Sera Catfish Chips for Ancistrus and Pleco Catfish, the
ingredients are very interesting because the usual marine algae and spirulina
are present, but willow wood and bark and alder wood are also ingredients. This
product will certainly help if you have no bogwood present in your aquariums for
the catfish to graze on. Many years ago, when I first saw a "pleco" in aquaria,
it was given willow wood and bark to graze on, this was before the days of any
"Algae Wafers", it was said, that chemicals in the willow made the catfish
sleepy, like an anaesthetic if they ate too much, so it was only fed in small
quantities. This is the first fish food product I’ve seen using "wood" as an
ingredient.

I offer my fish a varied diet to stop them getting hooked on one type of
food, I vary the food each day, here’s a list of the products I use:-

  • Tetra Prima.
  • Tetra Tips Freeze Dried Tablets.
  • Tetra Fresh Delica Daphinia, Bloodworm, Brine Shrimp.
  • Tetra Holiday and Weekend Food Sticks.
  • Tetra Min Flake Food.
  • JMC Catfish Pellets.
  • Barlow’s Aquatics Sinking, Stinking Catfish Pellets.
  • Nutrafin Max Complete Flake Food.
  • Aquarian Tropical Flake Food.
  • Phoenix Tropical Flake.
  • Today’s Freeze Dried Tubifex Worms.
  • ZM 000, 100, 200, 300, 400, Small, Medium and Large Granular Advanced Fish
    Diets.
  • Ruto Frozen foods, Spinach, Tubifex and Bloodworm.
  • Frozen prawns.
  • Courgettes, Cucumber, peas and lettuce.
  • Live Food when available.
  • and Sera Catfish Chips for Ancistrus and Pleco
    Catfish.

When I first started "fishkeeping", many years ago, when my Dad won a
goldfish at the Fun Fair, we came home with a glass goldfish bowl, and a
cardboard tube of ant eggs to feed the goldfish.

Tropical Fish Food Technology has greatly improved! If it had not improved, I
don’t think I would have been as successful in breeding and caring for the
tropical fish in the many years I’ve kept them. For many years I was hooked on
Aquarian Tropical Flake, not personally, but variety is the spice of life!

Go on, change your food today!

Post to Twitter

Bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble!

Tuesday, October 4th, 2005

….The Witches Cauldron Brew, the
bogwood is still soaking nicely.

I’ve seen the
L190
this evening, it’s still in the tank and feeding. I visited
Petland in my lunchtime today in York, they have an excellent collection of Ls
in stock, I almost parted with an

L177
but needed to catch the bus! Maybe next time! I don’t think they
have a website, but here’s a
review
by the Ryedale Aquarist Society.
 

I’ve just noticed that I use the
terms Ls and Lxxx numbers a lot, and some readers may be confused with what I am
referring to. The group of catfish I keep are in the scientific name
Loricariidae, this is pronouced
Lori KARI Iday or more commonly referred to Suckermouth Armoured Catfishes (yes
they do stick to the glass!), they have rows of armour plating covering body,
underslung suckermouth. They all come from South America. Originally when a
suckermouth armoured catfish was discovered, it was given a scientific name (latin),
and a common name, as more were discovered in recent years it became impossible
to readily identify them, and give them common names, so the L numbering system
was invented to uniquely identify each catfish, and hence the L series was born,
there is also an LDA series, the same has also been done for Corydoras
catfishes, Cichlids and Rays.

Endlers’ are doing well, and have another four fry.

Purple Spotted Gudgeon in the fish house are massive compared to the fish in the
display tank. Sexual difference possibly.

Many projects still to complete, fish house needs a tidy for the forthcoming
cold weather, and I’ve got a new temperature project finished, but need to
relocate the computer system in the fish house.

Again, I’m pulling the late shift all week, at the office, so not much time to
organise the fish house.

Had an excellent response from

Pond Supplies UK
, and a replacement end-cap for my Hailea air compressor
has been posted. That’s Excellent Customer Service, I’m still awaiting to hear
from Java-Plants (I think all
the Vallis is now dead!).

Post to Twitter

Cheap Alternative to Aquatic Planting Kit Pots

Monday, October 3rd, 2005

This was emailed to me by a fellow aquarist after having difficulties with the gibbiceps digging up the plants in my display tank. Reproduced here in its entirety with permission of the author – Amerce.

“Actually I managed to rig something a little bit cheaper up for myself with items I had left over or had squirreled away.

I had some peat left over from my killifish breeding pots (sterilized in the microwave), I had some aquarium sand (£2+ for a 3 kg bag), some fine gravel left over from another aquarium and some plastic containers left over from various things (Ferrero rocher container, strawberry punnet container etc. I’d punched some holes in the container bottom beforehand), the most expensive part was buying the plants and the plant rooter granules.

I lined the bottom of the containers with some peat, sprinkled some of the root granules and then tied up the plants (using the lead that java sent me), once I had decided where all the plants were going I then used the wet sand to firmly place the plants in the container (I’d washed the sand earlier and it was still a bit moist) the sand acted like putty and was easy to shape and mould around the plant roots, then I sprinkled the gravel over everything to make sure the sand and plants didn’t float up once it was placed in the tank, and because the containers had been punched before the water soaked in to the base of the container and gradually filled it and it sank nicely without loosing the plant, soil, or sand.

This way the undergravel isn’t bunged up with roots from the plants and you can take out the containers at any time to do plant maintenance and also move the container where ever you want without upsetting the plants too much.”

So this Christmas, save those Ferrero rocher containers, and recycle them, and save them from landfill!

Post to Twitter