new fishkeeper in Jakarta

[jakarta]

Greetings.

Excuse me if this is in the incorrect forum. I hope portions of it will be enough to justify its presence.

I'm an experienced fishkeeper from America, who has recently relocated to Jakarta Indonesia. I've been here a few months, and now feel settled enough to set up a tank.

I have a few reasons for joining this forum.

1) Any other English speaking fishkeepers in Jakarta? If so, I might like to meet you to discuss the local scene. It is also generally a good idea, before purchasing an aquarium, to see if anyone has an unused tank....or is about to finish their contact and cannot take their fish when they leave.....

2) relating to #1....Does anyone happen to know a resource for Malaysian, Sudainiese, or Javanese common names for various fish? Or just what they call them here?

At one place they seemed to be using the Bahasa Indonesian phonetic pronunciations of Latin or "western" common names. "Chi-child" fish for cichlids for example. c = ch in the local language.

3) Suggestions for loaches for either a 50-60 gal planted rainbowfish set up (3-5 inch , shoaling fish in the open water), or a 25 gal neon tetra tank (one store had dwarf cories, and dwarf rainbows, blue eyes, yellow eyes, and dwarf rasboras are readily available here. Another place had clown killifish)

I will probably be setting up 2 tanks, one inside the cabinet of the stand holding larger one.

4) Gara gara tanks are set up in several of the malls here for foot cleaning services. I'm not sure what species they are using. I ask here, as loach/sucker catfish fans are the closest I can think of. Anyone know much about them?

5) Does anyone know a source for either sardine cichlids or shell dwellers on the island of Java? Other, more common, Lake varieties don't seem too difficult to find.

6) Rams and kribs are easy to find here, any stories of how they would interact with loaches would be appreciated. I'm thinking dwarf rams for the neon tetra tank, and maybe a pair of kribs with the rainbow fish. Successful breeding is not a priority.

[palaeodave]

I'm sorry nobody has replied to you yet. I don't know of any Indo posters here though. There may be local forums but I guess it depends on whether or not you can read the language!