Whoops… I bought fish by accident… has this ever happened to you???

[Fishmanic65 181]

Several years ago, I ordered an assortment of fish including a group of cardinal tetras form Wetspot and they made an expensive mistake. They sent me a Blue Phantom Pleco L128 in error. Evidently they mixed up my order with another customer. They let me keep the Pleco (retail price of $40) and then sent my correct order of Cardinal Tetras and some other fish and discounted the shipping fee. I'm not complaining.

 

[GaryE26 24]

When I read @TwoTankAmin 's stories of his Loracarids, I always think the following. Here you are, a person who saw one type of fish you liked that next to no one had bred or has bred. And you bred them and made them available. As a fish breeder, I see that as both amazing and not.
Not because even if you haven't bred many fish, if you put your mind to it, work at it and keep an eye on the goal, you can not only do it, but do it repeatedly. These stories are proof of that. When people ask here about fish they should try if they want to get into breeding, I think we should say the fish you want to breed is the best. If a person is motivated, smart, organized and methodical, chances are they can eventually pull it off. There's so much more satisfaction in accomplishing difficult things than easy ones.
Accomplishing them once can be luck, to a slight degree. Repeating it is skill, and as long as your body and your resources allow it, you can try. You can make yourself experienced if you want to.
Would I be able to breed L 173?
No.
I doubt I could set my mind to the project as they aren't a favourite fish. I can admire them, but the legwork and dedication needed wouldn't be there. But if you talk to people into breeding, most have a fish that people thought they couldn't get to second generation that they figured out because they really wanted to. The second killie I ever bred was one reputed to be close to impossible. I knew nothing, but as with the story here, I made sure I learned something fast.

If your fish give you fish by accident with unexpected breeding, and you like the idea, why not go after something exotic? Then you can have a tale of being sent the wrong fish...

 

[Magnum Man66 180]

I dialed up the heater to around 78 degrees… there are already 2 resin hollow logs in this tank, so it should be fine, plus my next lot of cichlid caves will be here early next week…

I see my order is listed as “on hold” right now… I don’t buy enough from this seller to know their routine… hopefully there is not a problem… but if they tell me they can’t ship the Pantodon, I guess 3 strikes and no butterfly for me???

 

[TwoTankAmin54]

Fishmanic's experiences reminds me of the old Monopoly Community Chest card which said, "Bank error in your favor—Collect $200"

 

[Magnum Man66 180]

I heard from Wet Spot… looks like delivery of these fish this Wednesday or Thursday

 

[ohhfishhh]

I’ve been wanting a Pantodon buchholzi ( African butterfly fish ), and have ordered one twice, both times the order went through, I paid, only to have them cancelled off my order… 1st time I had other stuff ship, 2nd time I just cancelled the whole order…

the 3rd try I ordered from Wet Spot, I’ve been happy with fish from them in the past, but they are not one of my “go to sellers”, as I find their website more difficult to use…

well now I have a butterfly, and a couple plants coming, and surprise… it turns out from long ago, and not easily noticed I had 2 Steatocranus casuarius ( Buffalo heads ) in my cart, from long before I started adding the community of African dwarf cichlids to my African tank… I’m really happy with how things are going, in that tank, and not that I wouldn’t like the buffalo’s, but think I need to figure out another place for them…

guessing that has never happened to you guys???

I have one cool water tank that hasn’t really worked out like I have wanted… this maybe a signal for a time for a change in that tank… it’s a soft water tank, it’s got a lot of terrestrial plant roots and a white sand bottom, and 2 hang on back filters and a couple rolling large air stones… I could dial up the heat… is that a far stretch for the buffalos… I’ll have to do some search to figure out the best place for them… seems I now have a couple African buffalo heads…

That sounds like a classic accidental cart purchase. The buffalo heads could work in a separate setup, but I would not just raise the temperature and leave the tank as is. Steatocranus casuarius prefer good oxygenation and noticeable water movement, with plenty of rocks, caves, and territories. They can also be quite territorial, especially once established.

 

[Magnum Man66 180]

@ohhfishhh … most of my tanks are riverine tanks, this particular tank, has 2 hang on back filters, and 2 - 6 inch air stones on full air, currently, there is a clan of bitterling that have made a home in one of the resin hollow logs ( I almost never see them, but there are a couple of the caves right now, so if they are forced to move there are other places for them, and I’ve been buying ceramic cichlid caves lately, and have several here, not in use, that I was going to add to this tank, that would likely be preferred by the buffalos

I have thought about adding a wave maker, but I hate suction cups, but I recently found one that attaches with a strong magnet… this is an old “thick glass” tank… the magnet says it’s good for up to 10 cm glass, so it may work???

thoughts from you guys on a wave maker, if installed for these fish… the manufacturer shows adding it at the surface, for surface agitation, but I get plenty of that with the hang on backs and 6 inch air stones, I’d be inclined to put it on the bottom, to increase flow at the bottom of the tank???

 

[ohhfishhh]

@ohhfishhh … most of my tanks are riverine tanks, this particular tank, has 2 hang on back filters, and 2 - 6 inch air stones on full air, currently, there is a clan of bitterling that have made a home in one of the resin hollow logs ( I almost never see them, but there are a couple of the caves right now, so if they are forced to move there are other places for them, and I’ve been buying ceramic cichlid caves lately, and have several here, not in use, that I was going to add to this tank, that would likely be preferred by the buffalos

I have thought about adding a wave maker, but I hate suction cups, but I recently found one that attaches with a strong magnet… this is an old “thick glass” tank… the magnet says it’s good for up to 10 cm glass, so it may work???

thoughts from you guys on a wave maker, if installed for these fish… the manufacturer shows adding it at the surface, for surface agitation, but I get plenty of that with the hang on backs and 6 inch air stones, I’d be inclined to put it on the bottom, to increase flow at the bottom of the tank???

I’d focus on creating gentle circulation rather than adding more surface agitation. With the HOBs and strong aeration, your oxygen exchange already sounds good. A small wavemaker near the bottom could help eliminate dead spots, especially around the caves, but I’d keep the flow broad and low rather than blasting the fish. The magnetic mount sounds like a better option if the glass thickness is within its rated limit.

 

[Jennet45 103]

OK, fess up time. When I went to pick up my neon green rasboras which they were holding in behind the scenes at my lfs, I had a wander down their other fish tanks. Bad move, on a high pain day for me. Saw some Brochis sodalis and bought three of them.
Completely forgot that I wanted to put some shrimp in my aquarium, and got home to read up on them, only to find not only do they eat shrimp, but I should have stuck to dwarf corys. Oh my days. And my half a brain cell. Better contact the store to see if they will take them back for me. Thanks Whistling Badger for the prompt.

 

[ohhfishhh]

OK, fess up time. When I went to pick up my neon green rasboras which they were holding in behind the scenes at my lfs, I had a wander down their other fish tanks. Bad move, on a high pain day for me. Saw some Brochis sodalis and bought three of them.
Completely forgot that I wanted to put some shrimp in my aquarium, and got home to read up on them, only to find not only do they eat shrimp, but I should have stuck to dwarf corys. Oh my days. And my half a brain cell. Better contact the store to see if they will take them back for me. Thanks Whistling Badger for the prompt.

Haha, I think we’ve all had one of those well, that wasn’t the plan moments! Hopefully the shop will take them back, but at least you caught it before adding the shrimp.