Posts Tagged ‘fishkeeper’

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!

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Fancy That!

Monday, August 20th, 2007

I’ve just been talking to a local fishkeeper recently new to the internet and the world of computing and he recommended I visit the following website:-

This was the comment he made about it:-

An excellent diary of fishkeeping events from andys fish house somewhere in Yorkshire, he breeds Angelfish and Catfish, currently breeding Sturisoma Aureum, also has live webcams from the fish house, and live temperature gauge of internal and external temperatures. Lots of hints and tips from a real fishkeeper. I liked reading his daily ups and downs in the fish house. It’s good to read success and failures, real experiences in the fish house, from a fishkeeper.

Umm. Sound familiar!

I didn’t reveal my identity to him, but I’m sure he’ll be reading this, and the penny will drop!

Okay, back to things, I’ve been busy completing the installation of the latest six tanks, these are now all complete, fitted and filled, filtration is performed by Algarde dual Bio-Foam 200, and heating is provided by Visitherm 200 and 300 watt heaters. It’s taken me a while to tidy-up all the wiring.

I’ve also been very busy, collecting fish from around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. I’ll take some pictures of all these new fish and list the contents of the fish house shortly. I’m away on a course over the next week, so it will be in a few days. I’ve also got the results of my food trial, which I’ll also be publishing.

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Tahitian Moon Sand!

Monday, August 6th, 2007

If anyone mentions Tahitian Moon Sand!, I’m going to swear at them!

All of the fish tanks in the fish house do not have any substrate. It makes for easier maintenance and cleaning, no gravel or sand for the bacteria to live in, that needs regular use of a gravel cleaner. I do believe fish do colour-up better on a substrate bottom, and we could debate amongst fishkeepers, about breeding as well. The only tank that has gravel as a substrate, is the tank the Green Terror is in, and that’s because he’s emptied the gravel from within the pond plant baskets, to create his only substrate bottom, so I think he prefers to have gravel on the base of the aquarium.

I was given 25l of Tahitian Moon Sand! from a fellow fishkeeper, and I thought it would be a good idea to include it in two of my new breeding tanks! Maybe it was because I didn’t wash it, but the tanks were a right mess, so I decide to empty the two tanks this evening, empty the Tahitian Moon Sand! clean the tanks, and refill with just water!

TIP Always was your substrate very well before adding to the tank. Otherwise you’l’ have a disaster.

I’ll keep the Tahitian Moon Sand! until I create my Dennerle display tank! Coming soon….!

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Aequidens rivulatus aka Green Terror/Gold Saum

Sunday, July 8th, 2007

“Does exactly what it says on the tin” to repeat that well known UK phrase.

The female Green Terror has killed my Rusty Pleco (L077). I’ve had this pleco for about four years, when purchased it had blue eyes, in the last three years has taken on the more rusty colouration.

I purchased a pair of Green Terrors Aequidens rivulatus, from a local fishkeeper, which had difficulties with the male and female, male almost killing the female, and this resulted in a very shy female, unlike the male, which “charges” the tank everytime you go near it. I’ve had them seperated for four months, and the female has slowly been happier, not as shy, sharing the tank, was a Rusty pleco, which I thought was Indestructible (a bit like Captain Scarlet!), she’s proved me wrong! I don’t know why she flipped!

Male Terror
Male Green Terrors Aequidens rivulatus
Female Green Terror
Female Green Terrors Aequidens rivulatus

I’m hoping to breed them in the future, If I can get them together.

I like the Aequidens group of South/Central American Cichlids, and many years ago had some Aequidens Pulcher Blue Acaras (I think the latin name has changed since!), which is similiar to the Green Terror, but maybe not a killer!

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The King of All Catfish

Sunday, May 6th, 2007

The Royal Tiger Shovelnose catfish Merodontotus tigrinus or Brachyplatystoma tigrinum has got to be the king of all Tropical catfish.

This fine specimen is owned by a fellow fishkeeper, unfortunately not by me. I’ve always wanted one!

Merodontotus tigrinus1
12 inch young baby! The Royal Shovel Nose catfish Merodontotus tigrinus or Brachyplatystoma tigrinum

Merodontotus tigrinus2
I’m told he eats anything, but he’s feed on white bait,larger prawns,sliced trout,bloodworm and river shrimp

Merodontotus tigrinus3

UPDATE Sold to another fishkeeper for 350 GBP UK pounds.

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Just returned from another Stealth Mission

Friday, May 4th, 2007

Another long day at the office, and then an hours drive across the Humber Bridge to Licolnshire. Broughton near Bigg, just outside Scunthorpe.

I visited a local fishkeeper, who is shutting down his fish house, only to find he had a Royal tiger shovelnose catfish Merodontotus tigrinus or Brachyplatystoma tigrinum it’s new latin name and an fantastic Green Arrowana in his 7ft display tank.

This is the second time I’ve seen a Merodontotus tigrinus, the first one, was when it was first imported into the UK, and the price tag was well over a 1000 GBP for the fish.

More on my visit tomorrow.

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Back to the West Country

Saturday, April 28th, 2007

I’ve been away from my home and fish house, I’ve spent 10 days back in the West Country – Plymouth to be exact. Where the water is soft (ph 6.5-7.0) unlike my local tap water which is hard (you can stand a teaspoon in it!) and ph 8.0 – 8.5. and the vast numbers of tropical fish shops, I spent a day and a half visting them all!

I visited the following Tropical Fish Shops, when visting in and around Plymouth, and excellent stock of fish on display, South American Cichlids and Ls, I just wish I could have taken them all home!

and on the long journey home, I visited

Many Thanks and Good Luck to the following, hope to see you again in the future, on returning to Plymouth.

Ken at Devon Tropicals
Jerry at Bretonside Tropicals
Mark at Tropical Waters Aquatic Pet Centre

and a special thanks to

Chris at Plymouth Discus..

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Male Ancistrus

Thursday, April 12th, 2007

If you’ve come via a bookmark or RSS Newsreader “thru’ the backdoor”, you will not have noticed that I’ve changed the image on the Home Page.

It’s given me an opportunity to try out a new digital camera, the “boss” doesn’t read the blog, so she’ll never know, unless you tell her, and I’ll know!

I’ve still got a Digital SLR, which gives great results, but a decent Canon macro lens and flash is very expensive for such a camera, and you can get good macro fucntions in smaller compact Digital Cameras, you can also get closer to the glass with a compact Digital Cameras – this one was a bargain!

So here’s the first picture I took with the new camera, which is also featured on the home page, if you missed it, here it is again.

Male Ancistrus
Male Ancistrus sp. Bristlenose catfish to most of us fishkeepers, this one is rather special because it doesn’t have the usual colouration as most common, it is almost black with white spots, and it will not breed with any of the common females!

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A very special fish – Nannacara adoketa

Friday, March 30th, 2007

I saw these fanastic, stunning, excellent South American Dwarf Cichlids two weeks ago in a local tropical fish shop in York. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the quarantine space to purchase these fish at the time, and was tempted to purchase them, and ask the shop to keep them a few weeks for me. (All fish into the fish house is quarantined, before moving to different holding/breeding/display tanks)

I didn’t purchase them two weeks ago, and I didn’t post a blog entry either, just in case any other readers snapped them up! (crafty eh!). I’ve only ever seen Nannacara anomala, which I had a pair of many years ago, and successfully bred – another lovely South American Dwarf Cichlid, until 12 months ago, when a local fishkeeper, which specialises in Rare South American Cichlids, show me he/she had managed to breed successfully Nannacara adoketa – but he/she wasn’t selling any young, despite how much money I offered! It is possible that these are the young fish sold to a local shop, because I know he/she visits the same shop.

But I did purchase them today. Five Nannacara adoketa in total, three large fish, and two smaller fish. (Well it was payday!)

Nannacara adoketa1
Four Nannacara adoketa photographed from above, in Fintro.

Nannacara adoketa2
Single Nannacara adoketa, poor picture, try and get some better pictures.

I’ll quarantine the fish, feed them up for a few months, and later get a breeding tank ready.

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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.

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