How Do You Get A Hold Of Rare Fish?

[Keithoms]

Try and find some rares on aquabid

 

[Sirron]

I got almost all of mine at my local fish club, the one nearby in the next state and the ALA annual convention. My fish club is just 2 hours from the one in Indy so I use the sales at both clubs to both buy fish and sell my surplus. As Dave Oddballs said, it helps to know what you are hoping to find. I also make sure that I know how many cycled tanks I have at home in case I find something that I want. At this spring's club auction, I bought almost no fish at all but I found some very nice plants to help fill my newer tanks with nice greenery. I also found a few 10 gallon tanks that can save you if you buy a fish that needs an immediate home. At that sale I also sold off some of my surplus wild livebearer stock and got a decent price for them. This weekend I have been considering an auction in Missouri but I don't think I want to make that drive tomorrow. I would love to pick up a few more of the easier goodeids but need to wait and see what is available at the sales. Right now I have my Xenotoca eiseni in my summer tub/pond to grow bigger but I will not have room to bring them all into the house in the fall. That means that someone at the Circle City fall auction or at my own club's winter auction or even one of our monthly meetings will get a chance at some nice pond raised Xenotoca. My X captivus have been breeding like rabbits so somebody will get a chance at a few of those by next spring's ALA convention when they have had a chance to get to a nice size. Both kinds of Limias and both Ilyodons along with my Xenotaenia resolanae will be giving me enough fry by next spring's ALA convention that I will probably BAP them and sell a few at the ALA auction. One of the ways to earn ALA BAP points is by selling some of your young fish at the annual convention so there is always a good selection of fish there. Since everyone at the auction knows what the fish are really worth, the prices on the better fish can climb a bit more than at a club auction but that is OK if you are the seller, as I found out this year. My Xenotoca eiseni brought me more than I had expected.

I don't suppose you'd feel like shipping some There are two privately owned pet stores that once in a blue moon stock something unusual. I check in about once a week to see what they have, also I think I'll try that fish club inchworm mentioned. I don't "NEED" anymore fish right now but i've got those lovely empty tanks just waiting...lol. I guess patience is key right

 

[OldMan47]

If you attend the next meeting of the fish club, bring along some cash. You will want to pay for your membership, usually not much, and may get the chance to buy some fish. It is not unusual to have fish offered at a regular club meeting but with the small group of 20 or so people that often attend such a meeting, whoever wants the fish usually gets it at a very nice price. It is how I picked up my pair of Aphyosemion bivittatum - Funge (killie fish) and my pair of Limia melanogasters. The killies I am still trying to learn to care for properly so that I can breed them. I even made my first ever killie mop this evening. The Limias have filled the tank that I put them in and I have sold off a few pairs of the older ones.

 

[Sirron]

This may be a bit ambitous but I think I'm going to go for a pair of german blue rams. I know I said livebearers but these guys are just gorgeous. I was at a privetly owned fs today and saw them and fell in love. They are a bit pricey at $25 each, is this an average price? I think I'll put them in one of my 20g. So I will still have plenty of space if I run across anything else i Have to have. I've read that they are a bit hard to keep. The temp shouldn't be a problem as my water tends to be a little on the warm side, but how would I go about lowering the ph (around7ish) and will they do okay in hard water? If anyone has advice about this fish I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[BigC]

Your first port of call would always be your Local Aquarist Society and from there to the larger recognised National and International specialised bodies and Associations.
Join them and a whole new avenue will open up. Not only fish acquisition but also the knowledge base.
From a lifetime experience
Regards
BigC