common fish, that are gone from the hobby today???

[Innesfan]

Thank you. I've been looking for hatchets and have been keeping my eyes on several online retailers hoping some would come in.

Happy to help. Wetspot, I find, tends to get in several species of Carnegiella at a time. Not only did they have the three smallest species, they had marble and silver hatchests as well. They do this with Nannostomus too. They have had as many as nine species available at one time, and more than one population of a couple of them. Given that they are currently offering no hatchets and only one pencil, N. marilynae, I'd wager they're due for a refresh. If you don't already know, they update their list on Friday evenings.

 

[Mr Limpet]

Trichogaster fasciata, formerly known as the “Giant Gourami”, used to be a staple in local shops but seems to have disappeared completely. Wild-type T. labiosa haven’t shown up in NYC stores in over a decade.

 

[Fishkeeper123]

Here’s another thing you don’t see much anymore either . Shops with HUGE display tanks with fish that are abundantly full grown . Those Kissing Gourami’s can get huge and a really big one is an ugly sight .

Here’s one thing where the USA and UK fish shops differ. Every time I go into my LFS, I get an awesome view of a few display tanks. They have one with a stingray, Uaru, silver dollars and various other large beautiful fish. A heavily planted tank with baby firemouths, plecos, angels, various shoaling fish. Then an awesome large saltwater tank, with the likes of emperor angelfish and tangs. There are many other beautifully aquascaped tanks so probably 6-7.

This is such a great thread for a new Fishkeeper like me as I hadn’t even heard of the port cichlid and they are beautiful and hope to find one at my next LFS visit.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

I'm pretty sure you can go to Florida and catch your own Port Acara.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

You all know why these fish aren't in the hobby anymore? Because now we have glo fish, parrot cichlids, balloon mollies, electric blue everythings.

 

[Fishkeeper123]

I'm pretty sure you can go to Florida and catch your own Port Acara.

That would be one expensive fish as the reason to go to the USA for the first time.

You all know why these fish aren't in the hobby anymore? Because now we have glo fish, parrot cichlids, balloon mollies, electric blue everythings.

I can’t stand glo fish. They annoy me every time I see them. I don’t like any of the other but I don’t mind the EB fish, I keep an EB acara tho but my view is. Does it affect there quality of life if not then that’s fine other than glowfish.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

That would be one fish as the reason to go to the USA for the first time.


I can’t stand glo fish. They annoy me every time I see them. I don’t like any of the other but I don’t mind the EB fish, I keep an EB acara tho but my view is. Does it affect there quality of life if not then that’s fine other than glowfish.

You could catch a good number of exotics out of the canals of Florida. All kinds of cichlids from all over the globe.

So I say this not because I hate EBA's or anything, but a LFS or wholesaler only has so much tank space. What are you gonna do, stock a fish that has been a hobby staple for 40+ years or stock the latest and greatest money maker?

 

[Innesfan]

Of all the cichlids that are or were ever in the hobby I love the Port Cichlid . I haven’t seen them in my town since the 1970’s . I refer you to pages 425 - 427 of The Innes Book to see just how many eggs they do lay . The species description on page 453 gives some interesting information and what is most interesting to me is the small size aquarium that Dr. Innes claims to have had this fish spawn in . This is not a particularly large cichlid and should be more popular than it is . If I ever see them again I will snap them up in a heartbeat .

Ah, you must have the 19th edition of the classic. I believe that's the only one where that terrific spread is on pp. 425-7. And yes, the breeding tank was tiny. That said, most tanks were small back then. When I was a kid, and the first 20 gallon arrived in our living room, after only having 5s, 7.5s and a 10, we thought it was a swimming pool. Take a look in the back of your volume where he makes species lists for potential community tank combinations. He creates 12 such combinations of species. But all but two are for tanks 20 gallons and under. And the number of fish per tank!

I'll keep on the lookout for you and live vicariously through your experience if you get some. I've seen listings for the real deal on aquabid, though rarely.

And speaking of the real deal, @Rusty_Shackleford, I believe the 'ports' that set up house in the Florida canals are the pesky and lackluster imposter, C. bimaculatum, aka "the Black Port." This according to the USGS and others.

 

[Mr Limpet]

You all know why these fish aren't in the hobby anymore? Because now we have glo fish, parrot cichlids, balloon mollies, electric blue everythings.

That’s most likely one of the reasons. My local Petco devotes six tanks to various types of glofish.

I’ve also noticed that suddenly there are “platinum” forms of quite a number of species.

 

[Back in the fold]

Trichogaster fasciata, formerly known as the “Giant Gourami”, used to be a staple in local shops but seems to have disappeared completely. Wild-type T. labiosa haven’t shown up in NYC stores in over a decade.

Trichogaster labiosa , the Thick Lipped Gourami , was my very first ever Gourami and I loved them . Those and Trichogaster fasciata disappeared from my burg decades ago and haven't been seen since . Someone on this forum recently mentioned having T. labiosa so they are still out there .

Ah, you must have the 19th edition of the classic. I believe that's the only one where that terrific spread is on pp. 425-7. And yes, the breeding tank was tiny. That said, most tanks were small back then. When I was a kid, and the first 20 gallon arrived in our living room, after only having 5s, 7.5s and a 10, we thought it was a swimming pool. Take a look in the back of your volume where he makes species lists for for potential community tank combinations. He creates 12 such combinations of species. But all but two are for tanks 20 gallons and under. And the number of fish per tank!

I'll keep on the lookout for you and live vicariously through your experience if you get some. I've seen listings for the real deal on aquabid, though rarely.

Those lists of fish are incredible and as a kid starting out I overstocked my five gallon in such a way at times , going by that information .
I too remember seeing a 20 gallon for the first time and being overwhelmed at the sheer size of it . Those were the days .
The 19th edition is a masterpiece of the printers art . The paper , the binding and the print quality are something you just don’t see anymore and that book is heavy for its size . The text paper is 100# enamel .

 

[Mr Limpet]

Trichogaster labiosa , the Thick Lipped Gourami , was my very first ever Gourami and I loved them . Those and Trichogaster fasciata disappeared from my burg decades ago and haven't been seen since . Someone on this forum recently mentioned having T. labiosa so they are still out there .

Trichogaster labiosa are out there alright, but they’re always the line-bred red variety, usually sold as “Red Robin Gouramis” or “Red Honey Gouramis”. People buy them thinking that they’re T. chuna and are always surprised by how large they get.

 

[GaryE]

Do you guys regularly see Loreto tetras? There's one place in Canada that carries them, but that's one that's become uncommon.

 

[Innesfan]

Do you guys regularly see Loreto tetras? There's one place in Canada that carries them, but that's one that's become uncommon.

Yes. In recent years, once or twice a year in the few good shops left, a bit more frequently on line

 

[anewbie]

If it weren't for the question of what to do with all the baby Ports that will be produced, I'd make room for Cichlasoma portalegrense in a heartbeat. And yes, you just don't see them much, if at all. Even when shops and suppliers thought they had them, they didn't. They had C. bimaculatum, the Port's dull cousin. But a true Port is a handsome creature.

View attachment 366953

That critter looks very similar to my 3 year old wc female l. araguaiae in breeding dress; though the lateral line is a bit different and i guess they are a little smaller. Anyway i almost never see green form of nanacara amolae; just the stuff that cz breeds.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've never had a good local store; there was a great shop here for a couple years--great owner who knew and cared about his fish and other critters--but it went out of business. Most of my fish ordering is either custom orders through the very small local shop (it's part of ACE hardware, of all the weird things, and they always seem to carry the same 15 or so species) or online shops like TWS or Dan's. So discussions of local fish shops are far outside my experience.

I think that local fish shops, along with local everything-else shops, are in decline. But online ordering and selection is amazing, and will probably only get better.