As I've mentioned on a few forums, the sad truth is that we only have two LFS on our island out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Most tropical fish are imported from Taiwan, the Philippines or Singapore...and as a former pet store manager, and aquarium design and maintenance biz owner, I know that a lot of hanky panky goes on in those places...hormones, etc.
Anyway, this LFS had several tanks labeled as "Cichlids". Yep...that was it...no scientific names...not even English names. Being as I only have a four-foot tank which holds 45 gallons of water when empty, I was thinking about getting half a dozen of something simple and hardy, like Zebra Convicts. Then I saw this one "Cichlids" tank on the end of one row which had these pretty blue striped nameless cichlids in it.
I questioned two employees about them, and they were both clueless, but they said that the owner would know when she arrived shortly, being as she made the fish orders.
Of course, while I waited for the owner to arrive, I pointed out to one of the employees that they really needed to provide more info regarding the fish that they sell. I told him that inexperienced aquarists might not mind a tank labeled as "Cichlids", but for someone like me, a serious aquarist who has been in and out of the hobby for some forty years, their approach was very unprofessional, and didn't encourage confidence.
Well, things got worse.
The owner arrived. I had suggested to one of the employees that all the owner had to do was look at her invoice for the previous shipment in order to determine the identity of the fish in which I was interested. I waited a while and then approached the owner who was busy looking at a book.
Are you ready for this one?
I asked her about the fish in question. She pointed to a picture in the book and said that the fish in the end tank were Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania, and that they would develop the yellow belly as they matured.
Oh yes...I can hear you letting out a gasp of disbelief way over here!
I was equally clueless regarding the identity of the fish, as I found four possible species in the two books that I had carried with me to the store. Yes, I do that!
Anyway, I accepted what she said at face value...that is, until I began inquiring online. GULP!
I've had these fish for two months now, they've grown considerably, and it is quite obvious that they are NOT Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania, and don't even have the body shape of Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania, but are in fact like little torpedoes...just like M. Johanni and M. Cyaneorhabdos.
So at $5 each, I've got five fish that may possibly be M. Johanni/M. Cyaneorhabdos hybrids, or maybe M. Johanni/M. Auratus hybrids, or who-knows-what.
That's the story in a nutshell of how I came to acquire Bully Boy and his four tank mates.
BTW, this is NOT the store where I worked almost 20 years ago. I worked at the other one, and we used English and/or scientific names. I strongly believed in educating the patrons of our business regarding the care of their fish.
Anyway, this LFS had several tanks labeled as "Cichlids". Yep...that was it...no scientific names...not even English names. Being as I only have a four-foot tank which holds 45 gallons of water when empty, I was thinking about getting half a dozen of something simple and hardy, like Zebra Convicts. Then I saw this one "Cichlids" tank on the end of one row which had these pretty blue striped nameless cichlids in it.
I questioned two employees about them, and they were both clueless, but they said that the owner would know when she arrived shortly, being as she made the fish orders.
Of course, while I waited for the owner to arrive, I pointed out to one of the employees that they really needed to provide more info regarding the fish that they sell. I told him that inexperienced aquarists might not mind a tank labeled as "Cichlids", but for someone like me, a serious aquarist who has been in and out of the hobby for some forty years, their approach was very unprofessional, and didn't encourage confidence.
Well, things got worse.
The owner arrived. I had suggested to one of the employees that all the owner had to do was look at her invoice for the previous shipment in order to determine the identity of the fish in which I was interested. I waited a while and then approached the owner who was busy looking at a book.
Are you ready for this one?
I asked her about the fish in question. She pointed to a picture in the book and said that the fish in the end tank were Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania, and that they would develop the yellow belly as they matured.
Oh yes...I can hear you letting out a gasp of disbelief way over here!
I was equally clueless regarding the identity of the fish, as I found four possible species in the two books that I had carried with me to the store. Yes, I do that!
Anyway, I accepted what she said at face value...that is, until I began inquiring online. GULP!
I've had these fish for two months now, they've grown considerably, and it is quite obvious that they are NOT Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania, and don't even have the body shape of Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania, but are in fact like little torpedoes...just like M. Johanni and M. Cyaneorhabdos.
So at $5 each, I've got five fish that may possibly be M. Johanni/M. Cyaneorhabdos hybrids, or maybe M. Johanni/M. Auratus hybrids, or who-knows-what.
That's the story in a nutshell of how I came to acquire Bully Boy and his four tank mates.
BTW, this is NOT the store where I worked almost 20 years ago. I worked at the other one, and we used English and/or scientific names. I strongly believed in educating the patrons of our business regarding the care of their fish.
