Just got back from Emma's

[Mad Duff]

I've just finished releasing the fish that I bought today at Emma's, me and graeme picked up some lovely fish as per usual

Non Loaches first (just to build the suspence )

Scissortail Rasboras


Rasbora wilpita



Rasbora brittani


And now for the Loaches

Sinibotia pulchra ?




Schistura balteata



Hybrid Botia almorhae



Schistura mahnerti


4 x Clown Loach (thankyou to Emma & Steve for getting me these )

[Jim Powers]

Great looking fish!!!
Those Sinobotia (or whatever) have quite a bit of variation. I wonder if there are more than one species represented?

[clownloachfan]

Jim is right, the first sinobotia is alot different from the others. You are so lucky, i cant believe that there are pet stores in your area that actualy sell clown loaches that big and healthy. Nice Hybrid Botia almorhae by the way

[Graeme Robson]

Great pictures Mark! Hope you feel better soon Emma, you where missed!

My catch was:

10 x Sinibotia pulchra or something similar!
6 x Yasuhikotakia lecontei
4 x Vaillantella cinnamomea
5 x Puntius johorensis

With the Sinibotia's, i'm thinking there is 3 different species or variants mixed into the group. I'll capture some pictures of mine once they settle in.

Sinibotia longiventralis
Sinibotia pulchra
Sinibotia superciliaris

[daspricey]

OMG i am so jealous!

I really love those sinibotia, i thought there might be different sp to. What tank are they going in? Are they safe with small fish?

I really NEED to get down there, but i'm worried i will go bankrupt.

David

[Mark in Vancouver]

Those clowns look in typically good health, Mark. Nice catch! I love the scissortails, too.

[Mark in Vancouver]

The number of dorsal spines (10 by my count) is consistent with other named specimens of S. pulchra.

[Mad Duff]

OMG i am so jealous!

I really love those sinibotia, i thought there might be different sp to. What tank are they going in? Are they safe with small fish?

THey have a 30 gallon tank more or less to them selves for now, they have 12 Rasbora brittani for company and may either get some Botia striata for company or they may go in the 7ft - I cant decide.

I really NEED to get down there, but i'm worried i will go bankrupt.

That is probably the only problem with Emma's shop, to many fish to choose from and not enough money or tanks

Those clowns look in typically good health, Mark. Nice catch! I love the scissortails, too.

The Clowns are lovely and have all been returned to the shop by customers for what ever reason

The scissortails look lovely but the tail markings are strange, there were a couple of normal scisortails in the tank with these and they had normal tail patterns, I do remember some years back a few scissortails turned up with this type of tail pattern and they came into the country as Rasbora stigmatura

[Blue]

Nice pickups, Graeme and Mark!!:D Now I really envy both of you.

[Emma Turner]

I was really sorry to have missed Graeme & Mad Duff this time - unfortunately I was recovering from a really bad migraine.

However, it appears that they were well looked after and came back with quite a haul of cyprinids.


I also think there are several Sinibotia/Leptobotia in the mix too, and MD, those Scissortails came in a while back as being wild-caught R. trilineata. Don't know whether this helps or confuses things?! I noticed they looked quite different to the few remaining Scissortails we had left in stock when I re-ordered, and those would have been tank bred.

I was also really happy to hear that you took some of the Rasbora wilpita, MD, so get breeding!

Graeme, can't wait to see your pics. Did they make you a coffee in your favourite Norwich City mug?

Emma

[mickthefish]

hi MD

well youve really surprised me this time mark,?
can you tell me what was the point in buying the hybrid crap, it's not as if it's going to get any better because in the end it's still only a non-fish anyway.
sorry for bringing this subject up but i feel that the more people who buy this crap the more that will and is turning up in our shops.

cheers
mick

[Mad Duff]

I was really sorry to have missed Graeme & Mad Duff this time - unfortunately I was recovering from a really bad migraine.

Hope you are feeling better soon

I also think there are several Sinibotia/Leptobotia in the mix too,

So far looking at my 4 I cant decide if I have 2 or 3 different species

those Scissortails came in a while back as being wild-caught R. trilineata. Don't know whether this helps or confuses things?! I noticed they looked quite different to the few remaining Scissortails we had left in stock when I re-ordered, and those would have been tank bred.

This could explain the difference, I suppose it could also be a geographical difference between R. trilineata.

I was also really happy to hear that you took some of the Rasbora wilpita, MD, so get breeding!

I am glad I finally got some they are stunning fish

Did they make you a coffee in your favourite Norwich City mug?

Graeme moaned all the way home about not getting his favourite Norwich City mug

[Mad Duff]

hi MD

well youve really surprised me this time mark,?
can you tell me what was the point in buying the hybrid crap, it's not as if it's going to get any better because in the end it's still only a non-fish anyway.
sorry for bringing this subject up but i feel that the more people who buy this crap the more that will and is turning up in our shops.

cheers
mick

Normally I would stear well clear of hybrids but I took the opportunity to get these because regardless of the fact they are hybrids they are stunning looking fish and Loaches.

Like Martin has documented the growth and change of his hybrid histrionicas i am hoping to document the development of these fish, whether I bought these or not they will still be produced and shops will still get them and people will still buy them but if we as Loach enthusiasts have information at hand about their development and temperament then that surely is a good thing.

[Ciddian]

Wow! fablous!

[piggy4]

In fairness its all about personal choice ! you obviously like the fish ,i.e. the colour, pattern ,or possibly the shape ? not so sure about learning about them ? lets be honest nature god bless her, can give you countless choises of fish to learn about , so again its back to choice , in the case of these particular fish , what baffles me is the Almorhae tag ? i'll be damned if they dont look more like Rostrata ! at least when you bought them you knew that they were hybrids , i recently bought those Almorhae type fish from BAS the ones under the Orchid Botia tag, they looked like Almorhae BUT i'm thinking they could be hybrids ? for one they eat so much they swell up , not noticed this with my genuine Almorhae ! i did initially buy a huge group of them ,but have since passed most of them on , and no ,i didnt say that they could be hybrids , ha ha lets face it nobody told me ! so in your case at least you knew , and the truth is i'm not sure ? your hybrids are good looking fish ! though i've just picked up some wild Rostratas from Pier aquatics and they are STUNNING , just going back to the learning bit , if you like what you learn , then do you recommend them to others ? thats the worrying bit .b t w Mark hybrids aside your other choices are SUPERB !