Wow! What a weekend! On Friday I went to visit the (amazing) fishroom of Nigel Roberts, who is perhaps the most successful hobbyist breeder of tropical fish I have met to date. He's breeding red veiltail fighters, marble angels, kribs, a number of killies, ruby barbs, congo tetras, golden-eye dwarf cichlids and a whole bunch of others. And all in a space the size of a bathroom!
It was, admittedly, a bit of a trek to drive out to Worthing to see the fish, but it was well worth it. I came away with six medium-sized angels, a shoal of ten large congo tetras, an adult pair of kribs and a trio of golden-eyes. And the price of all these fish? Well, let's just say I definitely got my money's worth.
As if that wasn't enough, I went to the TA Aquaculture fish auction on Sunday with Simon M. and his mate James, who is a Tanganyikan fanatic. I was like a kid in a candy store all day. Never seen so many gorgeous fish at such insanely cheap prices. I went a little bit OTT, I have to admit! The killifish were outstanding, as were the specially brought in WILD Tanganyikans, which were auctioned for peanuts and still had no takers (most people were there for the killies, bettas and livebearers).
I think I did very well in the end. The only fish I dearly wish I had bid more on were the pairs of Betta simplex and Betta albimarginata. And part of me agrees with Simon's opinion that it would have been worth picking up half a dozen Julidochromis marlieri for £5 each to sell on. Thankfully a lack of tank space prevented me from doing this!
So, what did I come away with? Two pairs of Fundulopanchax gardneri 'P82'; two pairs of Aphyosemion striatum 'Cap Esterias'; five Limia nigrofasciatus; about twenty Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor; a pair of Aplocheilus panchax; and a huge pair of Heterotilapia multispinosa.
I was in a bit of a daze when I got home...
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