Why do we do it to ourselves

I was driving through Hull earlier today sat at some traffic lights when a voice in my head said 'theres a fish shop round the corner' and I instinctively turned right and head to Frisby's. Frisby's is a great shop sometimes when you go its a bit meh but generally it is *chefs kiss*! And today it was 100% *chefs kiss*

I entered the shop and first struck by the shop pet Flowerhorn, stunning! Turned around and a shoal of adult Geophagus Megasema swam by in a huge tank! Reading the little cards trying to pick out the rarities I saw it, 'Nicaraguan Cichlid £20', now for those of you that don't know me they are my favourite fish, I need one in my life and I don't see them that often. I looked in the tank to see a 2 inch male "nice" I thought but felt relieved I hadn't locked eyes on a female.

Frisby's is proper old school, tanks all the way to the ceiling and its a tall space so there are tanks 10-12 foot up and as I scan up from the little male I clock a pair of Nics! The male is about 8 inches and stunning, the female was nice but I'm a bit picky and she had quite irregular black markings *phew* I thought not for me and I don't want a pair anyway but nice to see them.

Then I turn around and wow a tank full of Central American Cichlids...



I'm in proper trouble here, the BEST female Nic I have seen in years! Amazing colours even in a store tank and a clean black lateral line, great shape and so much personality. I think one of the things I like about Nicaraguans is the way they look at you, something about how their eyes are positioned they can look at you face on and sometimes (and this is probably with all cichlids) you proper feel like they are choosing you and I really felt it here...

Now I managed to walk away as she was semi paired with this chap.



So I convinced myself I shouldnt split them up... but I did then go to an other LFS who sell the tank I want and I've got a quote and order timescales... I've also just planned with my wife to move my 2 foot puffer tank to my home office and the Nics were pretty expensive (still a cost I'd pay but could put some other people off).

But urgh so hard to not come away with her - but at least I got a funny story to share here haha! What are your experiences like this? Its not just me right?

Wills

Wills said:

I was driving through Hull earlier today sat at some traffic lights when a voice in my head said 'theres a fish shop round the corner' and I instinctively turned right and head to Frisby's. Frisby's is a great shop sometimes when you go its a bit meh but generally it is *chefs kiss*! And today it was 100% *chefs kiss*

I entered the shop and first struck by the shop pet Flowerhorn, stunning! Turned around and a shoal of adult Geophagus Megasema swam by in a huge tank! Reading the little cards trying to pick out the rarities I saw it, 'Nicaraguan Cichlid £20', now for those of you that don't know me they are my favourite fish, I need one in my life and I don't see them that often. I looked in the tank to see a 2 inch male "nice" I thought but felt relieved I hadn't locked eyes on a female.

Frisby's is proper old school, tanks all the way to the ceiling and its a tall space so there are tanks 10-12 foot up and as I scan up from the little male I clock a pair of Nics! The male is about 8 inches and stunning, the female was nice but I'm a bit picky and she had quite irregular black markings *phew* I thought not for me and I don't want a pair anyway but nice to see them.

Then I turn around and wow a tank full of Central American Cichlids...

View attachment 159144

I'm in proper trouble here, the BEST female Nic I have seen in years! Amazing colours even in a store tank and a clean black lateral line, great shape and so much personality. I think one of the things I like about Nicaraguans is the way they look at you, something about how their eyes are positioned they can look at you face on and sometimes (and this is probably with all cichlids) you proper feel like they are choosing you and I really felt it here...

Now I managed to walk away as she was semi paired with this chap.

View attachment 159145

So I convinced myself I shouldnt split them up... but I did then go to an other LFS who sell the tank I want and I've got a quote and order timescales... I've also just planned with my wife to move my 2 foot puffer tank to my home office and the Nics were pretty expensive (still a cost I'd pay but could put some other people off).

But urgh so hard to not come away with her - but at least I got a funny story to share here haha! What are your experiences like this? Its not just me right?

Wills

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I'm betting that after you dream about the pair for a while, you go back and get them...they "picked" you with those eyes, after all...

This happens to me all the time. That's why my husband doesn't like me going in any LFS alone.I usually end up with something new, you have better will power than I. Especially, if I get the "eye" from any little fishies.

I keep telling hubs that I could have a way more expensive spending habit like shoes or designer handbags that I spend my money on. He secretly likes the fish because he will ask if I need help on maintenance day❤.

Nicaraguan Cichlid are beautiful fish.
They are also more intelligent than most fish if you observe their eyes carefully.

Slaphppy7 said:

I'm betting that after you dream about the pair for a while, you go back and get them...they "picked" you with those eyes, after all...

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When the tank is here I reckon late June, maybe early July I will definitely go back to Frisbys to see if they are still there. They are not a fish for everyone but I have a cunning plan! They were also £50 each which is quite expensive (especially in Hull) but not prohibitive for me as they mean so much for me but when I got my Elsie in (I think) 2010 she was £5.99!

SomethingsFishy24 said:

This happens to me all the time. That's why my husband doesn't like me going in any LFS alone.I usually end up with something new, you have better will power than I. Especially, if I get the "eye" from any little fishies.

I keep telling hubs that I could have a way more expensive spending habit like shoes or designer handbags that I spend my money on. He secretly likes the fish because he will ask if I need help on maintenance day❤.

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Its when fish give you the eye its just impossible! It is rare though so sometimes you have to take it (especially if you are in a position to) I know thats happened to me with a lot of my favourites from over the years, my puffers I have now 2 of the 3 did it but I can't be a 100% I got those fish as I had to stand away for the bagging due to social distancing. But they wag at me now so I like to think it was them lol.

I know its probably just me projecting onto the fish but its nice to think isnt it haha

Lajos_Detari said:

Nicaraguan Cichlid are beautiful fish.
They are also more intelligent than most fish if you observe their eyes carefully.

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I've always thought they are a special fish intelligence wise, but I've been reading a lot more about them recently and the things they do in the wild is just crazy. I've read that they dig burrows in river banks to lay eggs which is why they are the only cichlid species with non adhesive eggs, females will often create creches together so a group of females raising eggs and fry together, male Nicaraguans help female Dovii Cichlids raise their young in return for some kind of protection against the Nics biggest competitor the Neetroplus (not sure if this is so the female actively hunts them, or the brood is more successful so more Dovii make it to adulthood - but either way Dovii Cichlids being predatory have a diet made up more of Neets than Nics! They also effect the strains of other cichlids around them - eg Convict Cichlids have more successful broods when their neighbours are Nicaraguans and in areas that Nicaraguans are populous Midas Cichlids are a darker pattern, with the gold morphs being chased away despite being the same fish other than visually! Really really interesting fish.

Wills

I just recall that in the past I used to visit the fish shops near my area every week.
There were times when I visited them like 4-6 times per week.
I was waiting for them to bring in new and unique, and beautiful species.
And I was fortunate that there were 6 fish stores in the same buildings.

If the species are beautiful and unique, I would quickly do a search from the internets to find out more about the fish.
I would try to read as much as possible from the internets about their needs and compatibilities with other fish.
Those were times when I bought new fish almost every week.

I sure hope you realize how lucky you are to have that proper old school shop to go into. I would love to see something like that. Your pictures are awesome.

Until I recently retired and moved away, I did some work with an importer of rare fish. You want temptation? Yikes.

I refuse to look at nicarguensis, because you have me wanting to try them and I am staying with mainly small tanks. You see, my problem isn't going into aquarium stores. I can walk out empty handed. It's when someone tells me about a fish I have never kept, and they tell me why it appeals to them. Fishkeepers have their reasons for making choices, and I'm a sucker for a well expressed interest. I always want to see for myself.

Our local aquarium club used to have bags and bags of nicas, usually at 6 fish for $2 CAD, because the market was oversaturated. It was a favourite fish with people who bred for points and for how many species they could breed. Larger Central/North American species fell out of favour as space became more of a problem for aquarists, with rising costs. I used to sometimes do the auctioning, and there would be a bag of nicas, a bag of convicts, a bag of mbuna - with everyone in the room selling nicas, convicts and mbuna....

GaryE said:

Until I recently retired and moved away, I did some work with an importer of rare fish. You want temptation? Yikes.

I refuse to look at nicarguensis, because you have me wanting to try them and I am staying with mainly small tanks. You see, my problem isn't going into aquarium stores. I can walk out empty handed. It's when someone tells me about a fish I have never kept, and they tell me why it appeals to them. Fishkeepers have their reasons for making choices, and I'm a sucker for a well expressed interest. I always want to see for myself.

Our local aquarium club used to have bags and bags of nicas, usually at 6 fish for $2 CAD, because the market was oversaturated. It was a favourite fish with people who bred for points and for how many species they could breed. Larger Central/North American species fell out of favour as space became more of a problem for aquarists, with rising costs. I used to sometimes do the auctioning, and there would be a bag of nicas, a bag of convicts, a bag of mbuna - with everyone in the room selling nicas, convicts and mbuna....

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Yeah north and central americans are definitely no where near as popular as they used to be, I've personally never been that bothered by breeding as its not why I do the hobby, its interesting sometimes but overall not for me.

I think Nics are a fish that come and go in waves, just been watching some youtube videos and its interesting in the last year or so quite a lot of people have kept them and are keeping pretty nice journeys of them over time. I think people get lured in by the colours and relative small size but then realise actually they are a bit tough to keep, particularly for people that mix them with too many other cichlids.

Wills

Just wondering. Is the old Port cichlid still around. Aequidens portalagrensis , maybe it has a different name these days. Ports and Festivum Flag cichlids are really nice fish and somewhat peaceful as cichlids go as I remember. I haven't seen either in years.

Back in the fold said:

Just wondering. Is the old Port cichlid still around. Aequidens portalagrensis , maybe it has a different name these days. Ports and Festivum Flag cichlids are really nice fish and somewhat peaceful as cichlids go as I remember. I haven't seen either in years.

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I've not seen either for a while actually but I've not been going to the right shops recently. Both nice fish but dont get picked often as most people would go for angels over festivums and blue or royal acaras over ports.

For the tank I have in mind I want to stick to Central American Cichlids and I'd like to do 3 females of a Nicaraguan, a Salvini and an Electric Blue Jack Dempsey. The EBJD will be the hardest to sex but the other two are gender dimorphic so should be easy to find them. I do have some reservations as I havent kept Salvini or JD's before I feel it should work though. I'm also tempted just to do a group of female Nicaraguans and also thinking do I just keep a single female Nicaraguan as its more predictable?

Wills

salvini were the most aggressive Cichlid I ever kept. Brutal to tankmates. beautiful, but intolerant.

Festivus has been broken into 6 different species, as research went a little deeper, and versions of the 'flag Cichlid" were found in more and more places. I had Mesonauta egregius a few years ago. There seems to be no demand for them anymore. They are easy to get in their native ranges, but no one buys them to make it worthwhile to bring them in.

Ports are another one that went out of fashion, and dropped away. I looked for them for a few years, but no one wants to buy 300 of them from the exporter only to sell 3 or 4. The more the chains solidify and monopolize, the more fish like that will vanish from the hobby, if individuals don't breed, raise and sell them.

GaryE said:

salvini were the most aggressive Cichlid I ever kept. Brutal to tankmates. beautiful, but intolerant.

Festivus has been broken into 6 different species, as research went a little deeper, and versions of the 'flag Cichlid" were found in more and more places. I had Mesonauta egregius a few years ago. There seems to be no demand for them anymore. They are easy to get in their native ranges, but no one buys them to make it worthwhile to bring them in.

Ports are another one that went out of fashion, and dropped away. I looked for them for a few years, but no one wants to buy 300 of them from the exporter only to sell 3 or 4. The more the chains solidify and monopolize, the more fish like that will vanish from the hobby, if individuals don't breed, raise and sell them.

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Theres someone on here with a really chill Salvini I can't remember their name though. And the reason I think that mix could work is that all 3 have that same reputation. I do think though... that I might end up just with the Nicaraguan or maybe a group of 3? But if I did that would I just have one coloured up alpha and 2 a bit more drab?

Interesting about the Festivus I remember seeing something a few years ago about it being proposed but good they have done them as there are some real differences!

Wills

I've seen a few easy going nicas and Dempsies - especially the "whatever they did to it" electric blue version. But Murphy's law says that since I think salvini is the nicest (as a slightly smaller fish than the spectacular nica), I have never met one that didn't seem to have roid rage going on.

If I had a huge tank, my favourite big Cichlid is Satanoperca daemon, anthough some of the Retroculus are very nice. I would be sorely tempted to try nicas if I were ever to look to Central Americans again. With so many CAs, it doesn't matter what you start with - you finish with one.

That female nic in the photo is gorgeous! I can see why they're your favourite fish Impressed that you managed to walk away and not buy her, but also sad for you, because I know how much you want one, and that moment where you've found a fish that you really really want - argh!

You asked for our experiences - mine was my L183 plecos. I hadn't planned to get a plec. I thought they were cool fish, but wasn't particularly drawn to them, didn't want a bristlenose or anything like that. Then I saw the starlights in my store, and was hypnotised by them! Just kept going back to the tank and pondering whether I could make it work in my tank or not, and at £25, while not crazy expensive, it was more money than I was used to spending when buying guppies and cories!

Chatted with the owner about them for a while since I was a regular there, and he said he'd hold one back for me while I thought it over for a week or so. I agreed and did that research, still debated with myself about it. But when I went back the next week, I knew deep down I was getting one! And I swear, he picked me! Love my Ziggy Stardust Then I got another one, hoping I'll wind up with a male/female pair I can breed once they've matured, wanting to get a second while they were available and so they'd both be mature at the same sort of time frame.