Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Shops online or sellers focus on Malawi?

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Orlando (Radek)
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15 Jun 2013 09:23 - 15 Jun 2013 15:40 #1 by Orlando (Radek)

Shops online or sellers focus on Malawi? was created by Orlando (Radek)

Hi lads,

Any one knows websites where you can buy Malawi or any proper retailer in Ireland whom would sell them... I know you will get some of Malawi in shops...but they not always seems to be clear fish, lots of malawi are hybrids already selling under different name...and it’s so difficult to get proper Aulonocara females…

If someone would have any non-sponsors details please pm me, much appreciated.

Cheers

Last edit: 15 Jun 2013 15:40 by Orlando (Radek).

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JohnH (John)
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15 Jun 2013 09:57 #2 by JohnH (John)

Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Shops online or proper malawi seller in Ireland ?

This is a terrible picture you paint of the Forum Sponsors, and it's hardly fair!

Shops really are at the mercy of their suppliers and if they order Malawis they have to take the suppliers 'on trust'.

As with so much else in the fish world nowadays a large proportion of stock comes from the Far East and there the motivation is all about profit, if they can produce hybrids which grow faster (and are therefore saleable more quickly) they will do it.

Likewise, they cannot find a such a good market for females, so these are destroyed to save having to waste time and food on something they cannot sell. There is even a rumour that they are getting hormonally treated to produce all males, but this cannot be substantiated so it remains just a rumour.

My suggestion is that you try to find either true European-bred fish or attempt to locate an importer of truly wild fish (or a breeder of them).

As far as my information goes, many of the Aulonacaras are actually hybrids anyway, I don't know about the Blue Neons you mention - perhaps they aren't.

Can anyone else help Orlando with his problem? (Please, though, send him non-Sponsor details by PM).

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.

ITFS member.

It's a long way to Tipperary.

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davey_c (dave clarke)
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15 Jun 2013 11:01 #3 by davey_c (dave clarke)

Replied by davey_c (dave clarke) on topic Shops online or proper malawi seller in Ireland ?

Hey orlando, shops try to stick to what they can sell because thats business pal. Fish markings vary so sometimes 2 of the same fish can look different to an extent. Did ye try AV because ian seems to have malawi's to boast about everytime I'm in :lol:

I'd agree with john though and say get 2 quality types and breed your own hybrid because otherwise they might be hard got.

Below tank is for sale

my plywood tank build.

www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...k-build-diary#137768

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15 Jun 2013 11:24 #4 by igmillichip (ian millichip)

Replied by igmillichip (ian millichip) on topic Shops online or proper malawi seller in Ireland ?

The other problem here is the name one is asking for......as far as I know there is no such fish called Auloncara Blue Neon.
That is just a made up name by the trade. Hence, with a made-up name the trade can call anything it wants anything it wants. They can even call an Angelfish a long-finned discus fish if they want.
If I have my eye on a Silver Merc and order a Silver car then I should not be surprisd to get a silver Yaris arrive.
So by looking for a malawi without given a proper name will result in getting anything.....you ghet what you ask for.

On another side, the prices of Malawis in shops are silly low.
Never have Malawi's been so cheap to buy.
When I was securing Auloncara's or many Tanganyikans or Malawis straight from the wilds and with locations supplied, it would cost an arm and a leg for the fish. Choice today is fantastic, but quality on many (no matter where you go) is not going to be like it once was.
The lowering of quality is not the fault of the shop.....it is simply a symptom of a once over-demand, non-quality control by random breeders, and the fact that not all fish can be taken from the wilds anymore.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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Orlando (Radek)
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15 Jun 2013 12:54 - 15 Jun 2013 13:20 #5 by Orlando (Radek)

Replied by Orlando (Radek) on topic Shops online or proper malawi seller in Ireland ?

I didn't mean it to painted sponsors in black... this not the point, Im still shoping in their shops and I would still recommend these sponsors where Im shoping, to my friends... And I really think they are pretty good...so sorry if this is sounds in that way, but I really didn't mean it. And I totally forget that we can't put links on forum to different shops... sorry its probably after last night xD

I know from fact,that there is so many of Malawi kinds that's is very very very difficult to named them. It just pity when buying small fish and you think that you got it this what you want. Then after 3 months when fish grown up it seems to be different...hybrid or whatever... or when you fry's doesn't looks like their should...

igmillichip I just gave common name of blue neon for example, If I'm really in to fish I always use their full latin name but you are right with this. True is that people doesn't want to pay big money for fish so probably this push it the market as well. Thank you for your help.

davey_c yeah mate, I got lots of malawi from Ian and Im happy about them. Sometimes you looking for one fish and you cant get it anywhere,or if you can get it doesnt looks like "clean" fish

Thank you again lads

Last edit: 15 Jun 2013 13:20 by Orlando (Radek).

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15 Jun 2013 15:25 #6 by igmillichip (ian millichip)

Replied by igmillichip (ian millichip) on topic Shops online or seller focus on Malawi?

I know the Blue Neon was just an example you gave.

It can be difficult at times to ascertain exactly what you are getting with some species....especially some young fish.
There are quite a few "hybrids" out there, but some that I have seen blasted as "hybrids" are no more than poorly selected and bred pure breds.

If we are after conservation, the avoid hybrids; if we want a nice looking fish for cheap, then that is the choice of the buyer (and a number of fish commonly available historically are hybrids anyway even if never labelled hybrids).

Keep hunting is the answer. Although I have bought blind in the past and used to get nearly all of my fish via "mail-order" in the 70s and 80s, I did have assurances that the fish were what they were described as as there were very few traders in rift cichlids then.

ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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derek (Derek Doyle)
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16 Jun 2013 19:50 #7 by derek (Derek Doyle)

Replied by derek (Derek Doyle) on topic Shops online or seller focus on Malawi?

Good thread this and I would not disagree with any of the above posts but I do believe that with all the supermarket type shops, there is room for a good old fashioned shop such as daves old trop shop. Malawis are in a bit of a slump (happens every couple of years and then recovers) because there is a lack of good quality fish available. Even breeders are not encouraged to bring in good stock to breed from as most buyers are more concerned with price above quality and even more worryingly most buyers don't know the difference between a good fish and a hybrid.
On the subject of Aulonacaras the demand for more and more colourful fish means that pure bred fish are almost extinct in the hobby as they cannot begin to compete with the man made stuff. When looking for good aulonacara stock the hybrid giveaway are the vertical stripes on the body, these should be even and straight without blotches or horizontal stripes.

30 tanks specialise in african cichlids, angelfish and various catfish

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sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
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086 8442267

16 Jun 2013 20:53 #8 by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)

Replied by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie) on topic Shops online or seller focus on Malawi?

i have always found The Little fish shop (formerly aquapaws) always has a decent selection of quality Malawis, maybe its because Peter there loves em

give Petra a call there she'll do her damnest to get you what you want, plus its a good day out going to Galway

Fishkeeping the Only way to get wet and wild

currently 25 tanks, and breeding is the aim of everything i keep
location:Limerick

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Orlando (Radek)
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17 Jun 2013 18:42 - 17 Jun 2013 18:58 #9 by Orlando (Radek)

Replied by Orlando (Radek) on topic Shops online or seller focus on Malawi?

Good point Derek. I think as Ian said hunting is the answer. I found good inbreeding place in Slovakia waiting for reply from them.
Well another think with Malawi would be that mostly people would go for totally mix of Malawi... some sellers says that you shall overstocks Malawi to reduce aggression...well you can do that but is the lazy way in my opinion. You can choose Malawi to your tank in that way that they all gonna live peaceful and in happiness and they will not mix up with each other. Mostly people if they go for Malawi they wanna get colorful tank and they don't really care if they crossed. So you all have a right, sellers just follow these whats going on on the market. Its easier for them to suggest to overstocking tank with Malawi, they will sell more fish and customer will be happy as well and their tanks will be full of colorful and beautiful fish. For some people is the hobby for other people only decoration in the house.
So true is that even you think you got proper chicken fillets in Tesco you can find out that it was horsemeat

The world just goes in wrong direction, but I still believe that there is in Ireland place where you can get good Malawi.

P.S. Sheag35 thank you for let us know about Peter shop, I think I will be planning trip to Galway

Last edit: 17 Jun 2013 18:58 by Orlando (Radek).

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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Shops online or sellers focus on Malawi?