I thought I would share this with everyone!

[DarylB924]

Hey everyone! I was searching through Craigslist for deals and I came across this add that I wanted to share. I am new to the hobby and have never been to anything like this so I hope to attend. Just thought I’d share with everyone. I am not affiliated with this and sincerely apologize if I’m breaking any rules by posting or if I’ve placed it in the wrong area!

 

[Wills]

I went to something like this ages ago. It was in a working mens club just full of people who clearly had huge fish houses. Some interesting things but also lots of day to day stuff, the thing that meant I came away empty handed was everything was sold in big numbers like 6 or 12 and that was everything like cichlids, plecos, oddballs so not always great for the casualist. But an interesting night all the same.

Wills

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Wish I lived there! Sounds like a fun event. Do you plant to attend?

 

[DarylB924]

I went to something like this ages ago. It was in a working mens club just full of people who clearly had huge fish houses. Some interesting things but also lots of day to day stuff, the thing that meant I came away empty handed was everything was sold in big numbers like 6 or 12 and that was everything like cichlids, plecos, oddballs so not always great for the casualist. But an interesting night all the same.

Wills

Wish I lived there! Sounds like a fun event. Do you plant to attend?

It is pretty close to me so I am hoping to attend. If for nothing else, I may see some nice fish and might learn something from an experienced fish keeper. If I do make it there I will let everyone know if it was worth the trip or share some pictures of interesting things I find

 

[GaryE]

I learned so much by going to things like that. Most of the time, the person selling fish has probably bred them, and that's where the real learning starts. It's really fun, plus you get fish that aren't sold in stores.

Remember though, people who breed and sell love their fish and want you to have the same enjoyment. They don't always see them from your perspective, so sneak off and google them before you buy. Some of those Pa people like BIG Cichlids.

 

[DarylB924]

I learned so much by going to things like that. Most of the time, the person selling fish has probably bred them, and that's where the real learning starts. It's really fun, plus you get fish that aren't sold in stores.

Remember though, people who breed and sell love their fish and want you to have the same enjoyment. They don't always see them from your perspective, so sneak off and google them before you buy. Some of those Pa people like BIG Cichlids.

It’s funny you say that garyE… I’ve been considering doing an African cichlid tank. Reason being, the water seems to be a great fit straight from the tap. Maybe that’s the reason for their popularity in my area..

 

[AmyKieran]

It’s funny you say that garyE… I’ve been considering doing an African cichlid tank. Reason being, the water seems to be a great fit straight from the tap. Maybe that’s the reason for their popularity in my area..

Do it! Africans are awesome

 

[GaryE]

My pet peeve is one people call Cichlids from one or sometimes two lakes on the gigantic continent of Africa "Africans", as if there weren't many many fish from other African environments. Malawis, Victorians, Tanganyikans - each of the great lakes has fish kept differently. Give me fish from Lakes Mai-Ndombe, Mweru, or Barombe Mbo anytime! Or the rivers - such wonderful fish.

That's a pet peeve rant done.

Your region was a hotbed of SA Cichlids at one point, but I'll wager you'll find Mbuna at that meeting. They're hardy, can be crowded and they love hard water. Love it? They need hard water.

 

[DarylB924]

Do it! Africans are awesome

I couldn’t agree more! I catch myself at the LFS at least once a week drooling on the tank glass. If they could be kept with tetra they’d be in my living room as we speak

My pet peeve is one people call Cichlids from one or sometimes two lakes on the gigantic continent of Africa "Africans", as if there weren't many many fish from other African environments. Malawis, Victorians, Tanganyikans - each of the great lakes has fish kept differently. Give me fish from Lakes Mai-Ndombe, Mweru, or Barombe Mbo anytime! Or the rivers - such wonderful fish.

That's a pet peeve rant done.

Your region was a hotbed of SA Cichlids at one point, but I'll wager you'll find Mbuna at that meeting. They're hardy, can be crowded and they love hard water. Love it? They need hard water.

i have never heard of any of those lakes before. Going to check them out right now. Down the rabbit hole I go!

 

[AmyKieran]

My pet peeve is one people call Cichlids from one or sometimes two lakes on the gigantic continent of Africa "Africans", as if there weren't many many fish from other African environments. Malawis, Victorians, Tanganyikans - each of the great lakes has fish kept differently. Give me fish from Lakes Mai-Ndombe, Mweru, or Barombe Mbo anytime! Or the rivers - such wonderful fish.

That's a pet peeve rant done.

Your region was a hotbed of SA Cichlids at one point, but I'll wager you'll find Mbuna at that meeting. They're hardy, can be crowded and they love hard water. Love it? They need hard water.

I’m sure, but if you compare the popularity of the fish bought from LFS and kept in home aquarium’s, the term ‘African cichlid’ will describe more than 90% of those fish bought which will probably be Malawi. Most other fish from Africa are simply just not bought or kept compared to the sheer number of people keeping Malawi. It also saves me typing ‘yeah fish from lake Malawi, and lake tanganyikan and Victoria are awesome’ that’s a big mouthful and takes time to write / spell. So Africans is much quicker

 

[Back in the fold]

Knowing that there are things like that going on out there , and there are a lot of them , is the one thing that makes living in a one dog town not so great. I would love to go to something like that. @GaryE is right. Those are the places where you talk to guys that really know and then the learning starts.

 

[DarylB924]

My pet peeve is one people call Cichlids from one or sometimes two lakes on the gigantic continent of Africa "Africans", as if there weren't many many fish from other African environments. Malawis, Victorians, Tanganyikans - each of the great lakes has fish kept differently. Give me fish from Lakes Mai-Ndombe, Mweru, or Barombe Mbo anytime! Or the rivers - such wonderful fish.

That's a pet peeve rant done.

Your region was a hotbed of SA Cichlids at one point, but I'll wager you'll find Mbuna at that meeting. They're hardy, can be crowded and they love hard water. Love it? They need hard water.

If you walked into the lfs around here you head would probably explode garyE the tanks with cichlids in the are labeled “ assorted African cichlids” or “SA cichlids” with absolutely no other info provided. It took me a little bit to realize most were mbuna. I can understand why it may be irritating to you.

 

[Back in the fold]

@GaryE where do you stand on chicklids in general or Bayta's ?

 

[FranciscoB]

I used to be a member of the Boston Aquarium Society and participated in their regular meetings and auctions, as well as others events elsewhere, as you described.
That is among the best ways to meet good people, learn stuff, get high quality plants/fish and sometimes hardware, usually for very reasonable prices. I still go to things like that where I live now. I did not know of the event you described, and although I am in PA, I will not be able to attend. If you can, you should and are likely to like it. Supporting such events (including benefitting from them) is one of the best ways to support the independent hobby (i.e., not the sucky chain stores).