Have you considered online vendors? Many are very reasonable and there are members here who breed and ship.
Help to ID this lake Cichlid Please
- Thread starter CWO4GUNNER
- Start date
Don't mean to be rude, but it's not really fair to the fish to put them through your trial and error learning process. Most of the killings happen when the lights are out so you can't say, "As soon as I see aggression I'll remove the culprit" - besides, if you have decorated your tank like you should for mbuna, it's going to be a major PITA to move all that rock to catch a couple of fish.
You may live in a small town, but you never know - someone 30 minutes away could be breeding mbuna that would be perfect for you.
There's no reason for you to be selecting fish this way, Gunner - you're using advanced filtration, have a huge tank and obviously care about the fish a great deal. You've already invested lots of money and time into your tank, so now out of convenience you're getting fish that are poor choices?
You've got a tank like an expert...don't stock like a newb
You may live in a small town, but you never know - someone 30 minutes away could be breeding mbuna that would be perfect for you.
There's no reason for you to be selecting fish this way, Gunner - you're using advanced filtration, have a huge tank and obviously care about the fish a great deal. You've already invested lots of money and time into your tank, so now out of convenience you're getting fish that are poor choices?
You've got a tank like an expert...don't stock like a newb
Cant argue with you "Platytudes" that breeders would be better but I also have to consider expenses and if you haven't already guessed Im a conservative and watch what I spend so that I can land on my feet, and I think I'm pretty good at it. People keep fish for probubly as many reason as they are partial to certain types. I primarily keep them for ornamental reasons and becasue I enjoy watching them.
I will probubly never be that selective as to breed strain or mixed strain for the same reason I get my dogs and cats at the pound or supermarket front entrance, to me they are every bit as good and actually better since they are not prone to recessive gene breeding.
But believe me no offense taken, some people either will or will not help when a question is asked but there will always be someone to give a helpful answer somewhere, of that I am confident.
I will probubly never be that selective as to breed strain or mixed strain for the same reason I get my dogs and cats at the pound or supermarket front entrance, to me they are every bit as good and actually better since they are not prone to recessive gene breeding.
But believe me no offense taken, some people either will or will not help when a question is asked but there will always be someone to give a helpful answer somewhere, of that I am confident.
I think you have it wrong. Getting fish from a breeder is usually way cheaper than getting them from a lfs. Example, I bought some White top haras from a local breeder, I paid $3 per fish. The LFS sells then for $10 each. I bought some syno petricola as well for $5 each, the LFS-$20 each. I can go on and on.
Well OK, Im thinking more along the lines of internet or online store breeders in which although their prices are competative even great when they are on sale, the shipping is always a killer unless you buy a shoal. So yeah I need to find out who is breeding in my own town. Its definitely worth a try, ill post a want add in CL for the entire county which covers 5 small towns about 140K population Ill also start checking the local bulletin board at mom & pop LFS's and see what happens.
Thanks:idea:
When you buy online it should work out to even at least against your LFS. You're generally buying a group, and the price shouldn't increase as the fish do. You get your LFS price, plus shipping to your door.
Took the Melanochromis auratus back and VetSmart was willing to do the refund but weren't sure they believed me as I for got to take a species printout. They wanted me to make an exchange becasue the had other medium Cichlids I have never seen. Orange pink looking fish with bulbous heads like a beluga whale and a few purple spots. Ill wait as Im looking for more male E. blue Haps anyway.
