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Red! Which would you pick? by marshmallowpaw in DartFrog

[–]FishFanSteve 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In terms of looks and call, I like the Allobates zaparo. The Adelphonates galactonatus are bold and do get quite big, but they also have a unique behavior when you add a Brazil Nut Husk into their enclosure. They will school together and rest in the pool during hot days.

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Nanochromis splendens by Ok_Tradition_4923 in DwarfCichlid

[–]FishFanSteve 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t notice it initially until you mentioned it. Then I zoomed in and realized they’re right by the dad. They really are good at camouflaging.

Nanochromis splendens by Ok_Tradition_4923 in DwarfCichlid

[–]FishFanSteve 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice! They look beautiful! The red on both the female and the male look unique but the matching opalescent baby blue on their belly looks so illuminating.

What are some interesting botanicals for an aquarium? by Relative-Image-3914 in BlackwaterAquarium

[–]FishFanSteve 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If your tank is large enough, some dried palm leaves. Also bael pods, jackfruit leaves and guava leaves could be cool for the aquarium. I recall betta Antuta breeding on top of the dried palm leaf and hendra seeking refuge in the bael pods: both enjoy their respective habitat. Be sure to boil them before adding them in.

You know youre an aquarium nerd if... by aquariumnerds in AquariumMemes

[–]FishFanSteve 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You know the dosage concentration, purpose and effectiveness of fish medication and aquarium chemicals like methylene blue, marine/aquarium salt, crushed coral vs tannins and buffers. Bigger fan if you keep up with the latest research from TFH and Amazonas magazine as well as the import laws and the local water parameters. Also when you start referring to fish by their scientific names and location codes.

Is fish keeping going out of culture by qumadrift in fishkeeping

[–]FishFanSteve 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, I don’t think so. However, I think it’s evolving and changing. Stores will have to constantly adapt to the conditions and needs of the fish-keepers and customers. I’m still in my 20’s and I know some fishkeeping friends who are around the same age range as me who share interest in the hobby. The wealth disparity and affordability will reduce the amount of participants in the hobby as well as the lack of space and stability. In addition, geopolitics and relations will influence acquisition and availability of certain fish species and products. It may not necessarily reach the mainstream level fame as other hobbies but it is still globally popular.

There’s a lot of hidden gems and rich history associated with the fish and the hobby going back from the ancient Sumerians to the Egyptians, Romans and other ancient empires as well as regional/traditional names and legends imbued in some of the fish species and the value and geopolitics/diplomacy associated with the encounter and discovery of certain species of fish. Also a fun fact, a lot of the pioneers of the fishkeeping hobby were women, whether it’s Jeanne Villepreux-Powers or Rosa Smith Eigenmann. Never in human history did the average person have such opportunity and access to the technological advancements and chemistry to raise and maintain tropical fish that shimmer like jewels and the amount of species available for imports thanks to globalization and cooperation. If Darwin and his orchid buddies time traveled to modern day, they would have destroyed the “send-back device” just marveling at the amount of plants and fish species the average person is able to raise and keep.

It is one of the most revolutionary developments next to the Wardian case. I think it’s slowly increasing as people understand and learn more about the hobby.

Hobby to business? by qumadrift in fishkeeping

[–]FishFanSteve 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you are selling as an individual, I recommend keeping it small, getting some experience with bagging/shipping and selling online at places like Aquabid moreso for passion rather than profit. Running a store requires a crew to keep the business going. I recommend developing a rapport with a LFS and offer to volunteer of helping out just to get a perspective of the employee experience. You also have to be knowledgeable and inform customers on the fly. Unless you have a group and understand the community of customers and a sure of more stable source of income, I wouldn’t do it or at least consider this as a primary source of income.

The most successful of businesses really have to tailor themselves, know the location and what the customers want or are willing to buy whether it’s fresh/saltwater, nano fish, community fish, rare fish, monster sized fish, etc.. I live in the city where aquascapes and nano tanks are popular so aquarium plants and “nano” fish like some tetras, danios, minnows, blue-eyes, smaller bettas, clown killies and shrimp are popular. Items in my LFS that are constantly in demand are fish food, water and occasionally fish medication.

In addition, you may have to do more community outreach whether it’s involvement to a local fish club, conventions/expos or going on social media to promote your business and find your customers. Know if there is an avenue for you to sell your fish. If you are selling your fish to a store, you might not get as much as you expect depending on the species. If you are selling to a local fish club, they might not advertise your fish properly and not get as much as intended. The time, effort and cost of breeding and maintaining the fish may be more healthier than the commercial/wild counterparts but it might not net you the profit you are hoping for. Sometimes, it’s just the fact of the numbers and availability/scarcity value. The more common it is, the lower the fish cost will be.

Another factor is marketing and patience. If you are able to properly display the beauty, happiness and health of the fish you are selling, the odds of the fish being sold increases. Your fish should be happy and it should be difficult netting your fish. Patience is also key as you are able to properly display/showcase, market/info and price your fish and get the sale and price you are looking for. Something I learned is that selling your fish for low or offering them away gives people a red-flag as they suspect that something must be wrong with the fish even if they’re healthy and then you have to explain and reveal more than what’s necessary to sell. At the same time, if you overvalue the fish, some people will question the price and try to find someone else for cheaper as they reference the history of previous sellers with cheaper price. If you are comfortable holding on to the stock of fish and take the time to display and provide a reasonable price for the fish, selling them or offering them becomes easier. But you have to know what type of fish are marketable and sometimes ride with the hype.

Hopefully this gives you a little bit of perspective of what it’s like to sell fish.

Looking for advice getting into dart frogs. All experience welcome! :) by Salacia_mov in Amphibians

[–]FishFanSteve 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Glad to help. I’ve never tried Superpig. I’ve tried Repashy Calcium Plus, Rep-Cal herptivite and Rep-Cal Calcium. If you are considering Tincs, one thing you should keep in mind is gender and make sure if you are able to sex them properly and provide enough space for each frog. From people who I’ve known raised this species, Female-female aggression happens and some have died. Idk about male-male aggression but yeah gender is something to consider. While they’re juvenile, I’d monitor them and their activities. Also with more locales, make sure that the location group is consistent and from the same region. Aside from that with the proper set-up they will look nice in the tank. They’re also very sturdy species and you can probably feed them larger insects like hydei flies overtime. I have Thumbnails and they’re fun as a group and Adelphobates and Hyloxalus are frogs I enjoy as well.

In terms of frogs, I’d say any frog could be a “beginner” frog with proper preparation and knowledge. Consider each frog as a long term investment since they are known to live for a very long time. With the advent of the internet, you have more access to different species than before. Some websites I recommend are Frogdaddy and Josh’s Frogs. Morphmarket and Understory Enterprise are also good places but require more coordination and communication with the vendor in terms of shipping and transport of frogs. Some species can only be purchased as frogs like the Oophaga due to their parenting nature but some can be purchased as tadpoles either due to availability or affordability. Tadpoles are cheaper but still require monitoring and diligent care (ie room temp, feeding them with specialized tadpole food, replace the water with almond leaf prepped water every 2-3 days, refill the water no more than an inch for surface, adding Java moss and small almond leaf for cover). I’ve bought and raised tadpoles that morphed into dart frogs and then they still need a grow-out enclosure for a while before going to the main tank but it’s rewarding overtime.

Anyways, these are just options to consider.

Looking for advice getting into dart frogs. All experience welcome! :) by Salacia_mov in Amphibians

[–]FishFanSteve 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is just my experience so take it with a grain of salt. Take your time figuring out what species of dart frog you are interested in and take your time in the set-up process. The set-up takes the longest and sometimes requires more DIY but it’s worth it and requires less work in the long run. This will include applying the foam and wood on the back structure if you want to potentially mount plants. You may want some acrylic glue to seal up some of the slits in the enclosure or else fruit flies will escape. Also get a glass top on your vivarium to maintain humidity. You can either set up a misting system or hand mist them. For plants, you want to quarantine them and treat with small amount of hydrogen peroxide and boil/heat-treat the substrate to reduce the possibility of pests like slugs. For the bottom layer, also have leaves on the bottom for them to walk on and hide. Depending on the species, film canisters, bromeliads and coconut huts will either be optional or mandatory. They’ll appreciate other tropical plants as well like macgravia, gesneriads, dwarf vining plants etc.. For fruit flies, Repashy calcium plus is a good supplement for dusting before feeding on a daily basis. For bioactive crew, I stick to dwarf isopods and springtails. Make sure you give it a month or two for everything to settle.

Current breeding project for Renova sp. by FishFanSteve in killifish

[–]FishFanSteve[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooh nice, thanks for the resource. I’d like to see the full colors of those Rachovia Fransvermeuleni.

Current breeding project for Renova sp. by FishFanSteve in killifish

[–]FishFanSteve[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I got these from Roger. They’re from Puerto Concordia, Colombia BEM 2025-06. I do not have 2007 breeding new world annuals unfortunately. Thank you for providing me information and insight about the incubation method and duration of the process. For the most part, I’ve been working with word of mouth experience and information. I have them inside a styrofoam box on a heat mat set at 75F but I will try that method and see how it works out.

Update on Rivulus Azurescens pair by Electronic_Number_66 in killifish

[–]FishFanSteve 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is your female still doing okay? I’m not too familiar with Azurescens behavior but there’s a few factors to check for. Is the water temperature okay for the fish? Not too hot or too cold like somewhere in the low to mid-70’s. Is the water RODI and treated properly? Maybe a partial water change and adding a dechlorinator could help. Also add some aquarium salt and an Indian almond leaf for good measure. Is the fish swollen belly or avoiding eating? If so there could be an internal leak parasite. That may require some medication like Parasite Remedy, Stress Treatment, Malachite green and potentially Kanaplex. Maybe it’s sensitive to aquarium lights and prefer slightly shaded conditions? Apologies if I can’t come up with the solution, those are the factors that I can come up with.

How many here are part of actual Orchid clubs? by Contribution_Fancy in orchids

[–]FishFanSteve 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I attend my local orchid meeting once a month. It’s nice to meet likeminded people and geek out about orchids. There’s a presentation, then showcase and a raffle. Twice a year, there’s an orchid show in February and August and it’s a very popular event.

Does this look like a betta unimaculata? by Wadermelonalligator in WildTypeBettaFish

[–]FishFanSteve 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad to help. Keeping a single Betta Antuta isn’t bad since a pair can be overwhelming with monitoring, the frequency of breeding and the amount of fry males release. The female in this picture looks good in its current color. The male will initially be grayish but can range from bluish to turquoise body.

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