No SAEs at Tri-Mar

[Alien Anna]

Hi, for any of you hoping to get some of the new batch of SAEs that were supposed to be coming in to Tri-Mar, we've had a major disappointment: they aren't SAEs.

The guy just told me this morning - despite what it says on their website, the fish they have are not Crossocheilos siamensis, but False SAEs, Epalzeorhynchos sp. Needless to say, he's gutted, as are the dozens of potential owners all over the country who wanted to buy them False SAEs are great fish and do eat algae (although they don't eat brush algae like SAEs), but the problem is many people are trying to make up schools of SAEs.

I don't blame Tri-Mar, although I did ask them about my snail problem and have somehow ended up with a school of dwarf "chain" botias (How did that happen?), plus some tetras to make up my schools. I'm a little dangerous let lose with a credit card and an enthusiastic fish guy with some top quality fish for sale

 

[Lithril]

Probably best not to talk about credit cards around me, I'm definately too weak willed to own one... usually try to keep mine in the fridge and wear gloves when handling, the GF tends to get a bit mad when I mention I'm going to the lfs

Especially as I'm hopefully getting another tank and started talking about buying a new filter, landscapes etc... Mind you still trying to figure out where I'm going to put the tank... found out the tank was going free and thought I'd worry about placement later!

 

[EddieW]

I know exactly what you mean. I put an order in with Monty at Tri-Mar last week and it was only a LOT of will power prevented me from get twice as many fish as I did.

I was expecting them today but I got a call yesterday afternoon that there had been a problem and the courier had had to return one box out of the shipment. Of course it had to be MY box - not a major problem just one of the bags of water being used as padding started leaking, but it means the fish had to go back in the tanks and will be repacked today and I will now get them tomorrow. I just hate waiting

When do you get your fish Anna? BTW that is an excellent price for the loaches, one of my LFS had some in a while back marked up as @Dwarf Chain Loaches, extremely rare' and were asking £16.95 each!!! I was very tempted as they were lovely, but had to be sensible for a change.

Cheers, Eddie

 

[Alien Anna]

When do you get your fish Anna? BTW that is an excellent price for the loaches, one of my LFS had some in a while back marked up as @Dwarf Chain Loaches, extremely rare' and were asking £16.95 each!!! I was very tempted as they were lovely, but had to be sensible for a change.

Hi - I've asked for my fish to be delivered next week as I don't like to be rushed when getting a new species of fish. I'd like to read up on them and make sure I've got the right conditions for them.

Monty at Tri-Mar seemed pretty insistent that my set-up would be fine but I'm agonising about quarantine because chain loaches need very high levels of water quality and whatever I do, a quarantine tank is never going to be good enough. I'm also getting cardinals which I've not had much luck with to date - I think if anything, I'm too cautious with them and that causes more problems than it solves. The new rummy-noses I'm getting also require 100% water quality.

Given how tough my main tank fish are (having survived my beginnerhood largely intact), I'm thinking I may risk it but put some Melafix in the tank as a back-up. I'm pretty sure Tri-Mar fish are not going to be infected with anything nasty. I'll keep my hospital tank cycled in the meantime - its only 5 gals, so isn't big enough for all the fish I'm buying, but if anyone gets sick I can put one or two fish in there.

See, it's going to take till Tuesday to decide what to do. I had it all worked out with the SAEs and then I had to change tack. I wonder if my husband is going to notice that the fish I've bought aren't the SAEs he generously said I could get, but something else entirely.

 

[Lithril]

hmmmm may hav to go out in a bit... think a slight deviation is called for...wonder if the GF will guess if I just happen to go past the lfs. Could do with some more algae tablets and flake... possiblly something to keep the air line buried... hmmm whats this filter floss like, wonder if it will fit in the internal filter???... oh yeah the bulbs gone in the hood (I really have to change the light keeps blowing bulbs)... wouldn't mind a plant either... bugger I'm just going to leave the GF at home I think, its easier to explain afterwards

 

[Lithril]

Ok thats 2 plants later, some algae discs, more flake food and a new light bulb...hmmm I must be improving, may have to go again tomorrow to test this theory!!! Mind you did have a look and start estimating equipment for my new tank