Looking for specific fish

[Lynnzer]

I suggest you do a search for wholesale houses and see if they have any. They may not sell directly, though some will, but if they have what you want ask them who in your vicinity buys from them so you can ask them to place an order.

 

[GaryE]

Scrap the English name, although you've learned that lesson. There are Cichlids that share their trade name as you've learned, names that get recycled, names that get made up on the spot, sellers who make up English names because sales have slowed on the original name... once you take an interest in fish not in local stores, never use the English, french Spanish or any other language than Latin name.
Red breast dwarf cichlid is a name that could be stuck onto half a dozen species I have kept, and I have never heard it used in the trade where I am.

 

[jaylach]

I suggest you do a search for wholesale houses and see if they have any. They may not sell directly, though some will, but if they have what you want ask them who in your vicinity buys from them so you can ask them to place an order.

That looks like a really good idea but I'm not actually in any rush. I just made the bad order due to seeing what I thought I wanted and no one else had. I have a local mail order seller that is in the process of moving to a new warehouse that is right next to my apartments. It would be ideal if I could get the critters from them after the move is done.

Scrap the English name, although you've learned that lesson. There are Cichlids that share their trade name as you've learned, names that get recycled, names that get made up on the spot, sellers who make up English names because sales have slowed on the original name... once you take an interest in fish not in local stores, never use the English, french Spanish or any other language than Latin name.
Red breast dwarf cichlid is a name that could be stuck onto half a dozen species I have kept, and I have never heard it used in the trade where I am.

Ya, lesson learned. I just wish that I had aquatics stores like I did when I lived close to Cleveland Ohio and Ft. Worth Texas. The stores that I dealt with in both locations would happily find fish for you and order in if they didn't stock. Also, if you bought a tank, both would give you 'starter substrate' to get the ecology going quickly. That is probably why I was surprised by the slow turn over of the nitrogen cycle in my current tank as I never before had to experience a turn over from scratch. I just don't have that kind of resource here in my small town of Sheridan Wyoming. The closest thing I have is a Petco, not a place I totally trust.

 

[jaylach]

Oh, one more question on the Laetacara Dorsigera... at least for now... In a 20 gallon cube how many would you get. Earlier in this thread it seemed to be recommended to get 4 but that may have not included knowledge of my tank size. When I made the wrong order I ordered 3 in case one didn't make it. Researching I find recommendations for a pair needing a 10 gallon tank for a pair, some places say 15 gallons for a pair. Should I order 2, 3 or 4 if/when I find? Other population is 6 black skirt tetras, a tiny albino cory and a common pleco for which I need to find a home as it will get too large for the tank. Still, a smaller pleco will be involved.

 

[GaryE]

It just so happens I kept dorsigera. They were marginal dwarf cichlids to me, as while their bodies weren't long, they were really bulky as they aged. They could function in groups, but looked kind of awkward in my 30 inch/76 centimetre tank. I did the old trick of buying six to get both sexes, and they were all together until I divided the pairs and gave them away.

I like to give fish a lot of space and don't like looking at fish that appear cramped. Most people happily disagree with me. I'd use a 40 if I got them again.
I never kept the related L curviceps, a fish that was once easy to get and popular. I believe it stays a bit smaller.

Have you ever looked at Nannacara anomala? Like curviceps and dorsigera, it's an oldie in the hobby that gets no respect. I really enjoyed them as they were true dwarfs with feisty behaviour - much hardier than similar sized Apistogramma. They can be an "entry drug" into the Nannacara family, which has some rarely kept fish of great interest (but expensive).

 

[jaylach]

The Nannacara anomala actually look interesting but I really want the Laetacara Dorsigera. The Nannacara anomala could be a choice if it turns out that I can't get what I want. I DID just put in a request to Wet Spot asking if they could special order... Also the Nannacara anomala fish don't seem to fit the water conditions of the current population.

Too be honest I really don't care if a fish is currently popular or is retro. What the heck, at 67 I'm retro by nature. I just want what I want.