• You liked BFD7 now you should join this forum and of course become a club member to see what CCA is all about.
  • Thank you to everyone who registered and showed up for the BIG Fish Deal #7.

What a great meeting!

Sonny Disposition

Active Member
As usual, I had a blast at the last CCA meeting. It was nice meeting the speaker and learning about anabantoids-- a group that I have pretty much over looked.

After the presentations, I was talking with Mark, I told him about my childhood experience with red paradise fish. When I was ten years old, I put the paradise fish in a five gallon tank with my swordtail. The paradise fish swam up to the swordtail, and pulled the eye out of his head. (I haven't kept them since.)

Mark said that the aggressiveness had been largely been bred out of the paradise fish and they weren't quite so mean any more.

So, if I can free up the space, maybe I'll give a childhood favorite another try.

The Tanganyikan talk was also interesting and informative, and I liked the barbecue that someone went through the time and trouble to make.

For the auction, I scored a big bag of Aulonocara baenschi for only $5. (I was a little disappointed for the seller that no one put their hand up, so I bid on them.) Now I'm looking forward to growing them out.

Thanks again, CCA!
 

Becca

Members
Can you post a link to some information on the Red Paradise fish? I missed the paradise fish part (which I really wanted to hear) because of a hungry baby.
 

skanda

Members
I agree with Bob. It was a great talk and the second presentation on Lake Tanganiyka was great too. I have read some of Mark's articles on the TFH magazine and I am really impressed with CCA for getting such a classy speaker down for this month's presentation. Maybe it would be a good idea to get speakers that specialize in different fish groups down once in away to add variation to the club even though CCA is primary a cichlid club. This would also attract other hobbyists specializing in other groups of fish such as as cyprinids, anabantoids, killies, and livebearers for example participate in the meetings.

Growing up as a youngster in the beautiful island of Sri Lanka, I had the opportunity to keep two of the species that Mark mentioned in his talk: Malpulutta kretseri, the spike tailed paradise fish and Belontia signata, the ceylon paradise fish, both endangered now and listed as C.A.R.E.S species. These jewels are rarely available to hobbysist in the US nowadays due import restrictions as they are both protected species. The main cause for their decline is due to increased use of pesticides in agricultural activities and habitat degradation. Due to these reasons, they are not widely encountered even in their native habitat let alone available in the hobby.

In anycase, both species had smiliar temperaments to the common paradise fish found in fish stores throughout and had unique personalities. Both species had an agressive temperament and were also great jumpers! Many a times I've found my combtail lying on the ground covered in dog fur and nearly dried up, only to have it recover in a matter of minutes after putting it back in the tank.

I only wish both these species would make a good recovery and would someday be available again to Anabantoid enthusiasts.

BTW I scored the second bag of Aulonocara baenschi, also for only $5. I put them in my community tank to grow them out.

GO CCA!
 

Frank Cowherd

Global Moderators
Staff member
I too enjoyed the talks. I got enthusiastic about getting some of the new (to me) types of bettas and think I can get them through either Rachel (CCA Sponsor - Invertebrates by Msjinkzd ) or Josh (CCA Sponsor - Batfish Aquatics) since both said have some of these fairly often. I have always had some of the usual anabantoids, my favorite is the blue gourami. I keep 2 to 4 pairs in a 180 with a variety of other fish, yet they spawn in there and display for each other in gorgeous colors. I also have in there three large pink kissers. And I have been trying to get a couple pairs of pearl gouramis to breed. Succeeded last year but only one lone fry survived and I lost him when I moved him to a new tank.
 

Becca

Members
I have a fish that was sold as a spiketailed paradise fish (got him at tropical lagoon) but I don't know that he's a Malpalutta kretseri - he has stripes rather than spots. I think he's Pseudosphromenus dayi. Whatever he is, he's awesome, hardy (only fish my office didn't kill), and builds nests like a champ.
 

Yael

Members
Oh drat - I didn't realize that there was a second talk and took my fish home to get them into their new tank.
 
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