South American Stock Sources

[danielp]

Who sells the best stock?

Have spent quite a bit of time on Jeff Rapps web site lately.

Really liking some of the Gymnogeophagus species.

[TaTeR ToT]

imo jeff has one of the best stocklist when it comes to sa/ca fish.

but, there is another site that has geo jeff has never gotten in aswell as other ridiculously exotic species.

i just cant remember the name, bt its a sponsor of tfh magazine.

[mark razmandi]

forget gymnos man, if they are from rapps they are most likely wild and it requires ALOT of knowledge to care for gymnos....GEOSSSSSSS are the way to go

[newb]

Not being rude to any above comments but...If gymno species are what drive you in this hobby...do your research, read up on them, be ready for any drawbacks(illness,ect.) and I say go for it. I have failed with fish in the past but I didnt quit. NO fish is too difficult to keep in an aquarium. Let criticism drive you. Good Luck.

[mark razmandi]

Not being rude to any above comments but...If gymno species are what drive you in this hobby...do your research, read up on them, be ready for any drawbacks(illness,ect.) and I say go for it. I have failed with fish in the past but I didnt quit. NO fish is too difficult to keep in an aquarium. Let criticism drive you. Good Luck.

no need for research, i can tell you everything you need to know here. depending on which gymno you decide to get. many can require an extremely low ph around 6 or under. considering houston tap is 8, that already creates a problem. Next, gymnogeophagus require a "cool down" period where the water is kept as low as 65 degrees for up to 3 months to imitate their natural habitat and breeding habits. Considering getting your water temp as low as 65 degrees for 3 months in houston is near impossible, the purchase of an highly expensive chiller might be in order. I this cool down process is not followed, your fish will fade and die prematurely. I know this from experience. They also will be come extremely prone to bloat and infections when not "cooled down" periodically. If the gymnos are tank raised then you can get away with not taking as strict care of your gymnos. However, unlike thinking the fish i keep are only for those worthy, i say give it a shot and if you ever need help, let me know. ill be glad to lend a hand. i have never recieved a wild fish and had it die in my care to my own neglet.

[newb]

always a need to research...there is always something more to be learned. Ph can be lowered by using some chemicals and other options are things like indian almond leaves and peat moss just to name a few. Many ways of adjusting the ph...research will lend you the knowledge of how to do so. To cool the water down in your aquarium you can remove the tops, add plenty of surface aggitation to let the cooler oxygen enter your tank and have as few motors(canister filters, HOB filters, Powerheads, etc.) as possible touching your water. Perhaps attach a fan to the side of your aquarium or under your canopy to help the air be cooler and to reduce temperature rising from your lighting. How about an air conditioner??? does it matter which months the water needs to be cooled...if not then from Dec. to Feb. you should have no problem with this at all. a Last resort could be to use a cooler and Im sure you can find one for fairly cheap on a saltwater website or just find an old fridge and modify it to work for you. See...with just a little research your problems are solved. Good Luck Daniel. Good points to bring up Mark.

[danielp]

I'm kinda wanting the old cliche here "have your cake and eat it to". It's going to be a main focal point in my living room.

I have a high maintenance job and things have been tough at home with my wife fighting cancer for the 2nd time in 4 years (she's in remision for the 2nd time thank god) and I want something I can sit back and enjoy without having to worry about to much about it.

I bought that 125 from NDsuperduty Saturday. i'm in the process of stripping the stand to restain it.

All filteration, heaters, lighting, hardware and what ever else i put on it will be new.

I want the aquascaping to be a professional looking as possible, basically a show tank. I've had 30 or so tanks over the years and I want this one to be the grand mack daddy.

The fish requirements are nice fins, lots of color and easy to maintain.

I really like the Gymno blue neon's. i've looked at 100's of fish and I've never done SA's other than the occasional pleco.

I'm open to suggestions.

Cooling a tank to 65f down here I'm not going to try and fight that battle.

Thanks

[sunrise]

During the winter months in the Houston area, one could not heat the room (close the vents) where the fish are kept to simulate the cool down period. sunrise

[newb]

maybe try like Petro Moshi...lots of color, personality, and nice fins as well. Granted maybe not like Geos...but the aquascaping IMO is so much cleaner in a Tang tank.

[danielp]

maybe try like Petro Moshi...lots of color, personality, and nice fins as well. Granted maybe not like Geos...but the aquascaping IMO is so much cleaner in a Tang tank.

Very nice fish. Seem like they would be a little big for a 125 when full grown and wouldn't be very accepting of non species tank mates?

[cichlid1409]

petros are generally only aggressive to other petros but im sure there are some exceptions. i keep a pair of eretmodus cyanostictus 3" full grown, in with my trophs and 7" petro no problem. a 125g would be fine for some moshi just not alot of them.

[danielp]

All good points.

Mark I would like more pro vs con feedback on geo's vs gymno's with opinions based on the gymno's being tank raised.

I do think I want to go with a SA tank.

I think one of the biggest issues is pH.

Do you maintain your geo's in houston tap or do you chemically lower it?

Have been thinking Peacocks but I'm not that big a malawi fan.

Yes Newb a Tang tank is a close 2nd. I could pick up some trophs but they aren't in the plans right now.

Good responses. Thanks

[danielp]

I've exchanged a few e-mail with Jeff Rapps and he says the stuff Im inquiring about is tank raised.

I'm fine with tank raised as long as i can be assured that the strain isn't past a F1.

thought most of his stuff was wilds.

He alos mentioned that all of his fish are doing fine in the low 70's.

He did mention that wilds do need to go thru a cool down period like Mark is talking about.

[mark razmandi]

gymnos are great, ive kept several species of them. balzanis are my favorite but i find gymnos to lack highily in color and overal growth compared to geos. geos are awesome in my opinion but i can be biased. I keep my geos in houston tap with no problems. they are not a fish for a beginner but with the right care you wont have any problems. geos are SUPER PRONE to HITH but the ways to avoid it are nice and clean water, preferably a wet/dry system on the tank. they require a huge variety in diet or they WILL contract hith. i used a main staple of tetra color bits mixed with NLS 1mm formula, bloodworms 3 times a week. it is also good to give them shelled peas and other greenery (experiment with different types). I have personally never seen a fish with the personality and color that a geo has. you are more then welcome to come check out my tanks anytime to help you make a decision. OH and add a good amount of drftwood to your tank and it will lower your PH to a comfortable level. mine is around 7.4 in my 90g. great for the geos i keep. you can ask me any more questions you need to know about geos.

[danielp]

So which geo do you think has the most color?