new pikes after Uruguay

[BigPic]

Here are a couple shots of some of the Creni's that I brought home with me from my trip to Uruguay. . .

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/rayq/cichlids/Crenicichla-Lenticulata-01.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/rayq/cichlids/Crenicichla-Lenticulata-02.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/rayq/cichlids/crenicichla-missionera-01.jpg

I know. . . the Lents aren't from Uruguay, I happened to come across a pair while in Florida (on the way home) and I couldn't pass them up!

I also came home with 19 smaller pikes, some saxatilis, some Scotti, some Gaucho (I believe) and some small Missionera as well. The little guys are all together in a 5ft 70 gal and are near impossible to photograph for now, when they start eating better and put on a little bulk I will try to shoot them.

Thanks for looking :D

Ray

[Angler]

:WHOA::WHOA::WHOA:

Congrats on beautiful pikes and equally beautiful pictures.

:WHOA::WHOA::WHOA:

[cichlid fiend]

lovely!!!

[Tyranocichla]

Ray,
Those are really fantastic photos of equally fantastic specimens. The lentics made me a little nutty at first.....I was kinda wondering how that happened....then I read the bottom of the post :D
Great stuff!! Any C. celidochilus?
--Brian

[Will Hayward]

How did you bring the fish from Uruaguay home, and also the fish from Florida. Any problems claiming them at your home airport?

Very nice fish!

[BigPic]

:WHOA::WHOA::WHOA:

Congrats on beautiful pikes and equally beautiful pictures.

:WHOA::WHOA::WHOA:

Thanks :)

lovely!!!

Thanks as well :)

Those are really fantastic photos of equally fantastic specimens. The lentics made me a little nutty at first.....I was kinda wondering how that happened....then I read the bottom of the post :D
Great stuff!! Any C. celidochilus?
--Brian

I have been really lucky to have good contacts for the great fish and also a great teacher with regards to the pics - Thanks very much. No Celidos - we didn't really end up where they are and. . . there was quite a bit of rain and the rivers were all swollen.

How did you bring the fish from Uruaguay home, and also the fish from Florida. Any problems claiming them at your home airport?

Very nice fish!

Thanks for the nice feedback. We brought Styros down with us and packed them into our suitcases for the trip back. No problems in the US, here in Canada, just had to wait for the wildlife guy to come have a look, nothing more than red tape :ROFL:

[djdlemma]

Beautiful man!!

[BigPic]

Beautiful man!!

Thanks :)

[its_an_obsession]

awesome photos. enter that first one in photo of the month. it is one of the best ive ever seen IMO

[polish]

I just made the first one my new backround here at work, man what a great shot. Having that fish as the subject doesn't hurt either, what an amazing Pike.

[BigPic]

awesome photos. enter that first one in photo of the month. it is one of the best ive ever seen IMO

Thanks very much, I'm flattered, but, there is much better to come, they are finally starting to move around the tank - better photo opps all the time!

[BigPic]

I just made the first one my new backround here at work, man what a great shot. Having that fish as the subject doesn't hurt either, what an amazing Pike.

Thanks! if you need a higher res, let me know, I think I have it around somewhere :)

[its_an_obsession]

quick question with the photography... is there a certain technique to get the fish to stand out so brightly but yet the background is so black?

i wanna say its like ur using a flash but wheres the flash reflection on the glass of the tank. im baffled.

[devder1]

wow awesome pix!

[Tyranocichla]

BigPic,
Do you have other pikes also? If so, can you direct me to some pix of them?
Thanks!

[BigPic]

I do, no pics really yet, I do have some Punctata pics on here somewhere. . . I have only had these guys home for a week now! soon, I will be flooding you with different shots! Thanks,

Ray

[fobrinkle]

Great pics! What type of Cren is the first one?

[Taz2478]

you almost had me say the hell with whatever I was going to do and book the nov trip when I saw the lents...

can't wait to see the others.

[BigPic]

Great pics! What type of Cren is the first one?

Crenicichla Lenticulata and THANKS!

[BigPic]

you almost had me say the hell with whatever I was going to do and book the nov trip when I saw the lents...

can't wait to see the others.

Even without the Lents, it is a GREAT time, Felipe is the most amazing host you will ever have! If you need/want something, He will get it done for you. . . Thanks Felipe :headbang2 I'm sure Ken would agree, since he has been a number of times now and Spencer will be organizing more trips as well! All you have to do is decide to go, you will not be disapointed.

The Lents were something we came across while on the way home - I was lucky to get em!

[piKefaNatic]

looks stunning

[BigPic]

Thanks!

[tman]

I just picked some lents off spence before he left for the trip. I am having a hard time trying to get them to eat as they are so skittish. I have only seen one eat some mysis shrimp and the other two nothing. Let me know what works for you and what you are feeding them.

[BigPic]

A couple more shots that I just cleaned up. . .

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/rayq/cichlids/crenicichla-missionera-02.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/rayq/cichlids/crenicichla-lenticulata-03.jpg

Thanks for looking!

Ray

[BigPic]

I just picked some lents off spence before he left for the trip. I am having a hard time trying to get them to eat as they are so skittish. I have only seen one eat some mysis shrimp and the other two nothing. Let me know what works for you and what you are feeding them.

I had them eating gold fish the second day home, but, they are TERRIBLE hunters and the Oligosarchus that I brought home from Uruguay started out hunting the pikes! I have seen them eat a little bit of brine shrimp and Spence told me that he had the ones you got eating frozen krill. I am going to see him today and p/u some krill and see if I can jumpstart the eating! Good luck getting them eating. What kind of dithers are you using for them? I heard that the other trio he shipped before we left don't tolerate eachother at all!

[dogofwar]

All of the pikes I brought back from Uruguay - celos, missionaira, minuano - were eating bloodworms on day 1...and prepared foods (Kensfish flakes, NLS, etc.) within days. Mine also went crazy on torn up superworms.

From which river are the missionaira? Mine lurk and pounce on food!

I used buenos aires tetras as dithers...the bigger ones made it...the smaller ones were eaten. After quarantine, I dropped in a bunch of Archocentrus centrarchus grow-outs at about 3-4" and they all did great.

I kept 8 missionaira and minuano together in a 40g breeder. I think that they key is to have lots of PVC litter and other hiding spots....and feed well. The missionaira will hide in tubes not much bigger than they are (3/4" tube for a 5" fish).

[Chaitika]

Nice pics, Ray. :)

[BigPic]

All of the pikes I brought back from Uruguay - celos, missionaira, minuano - were eating bloodworms on day 1...and prepared foods (Kensfish flakes, NLS, etc.) within days. Mine also went crazy on torn up superworms.

From which river are the missionaira? Mine lurk and pounce on food!

I used buenos aires tetras as dithers...the bigger ones made it...the smaller ones were eaten. After quarantine, I dropped in a bunch of Archocentrus centrarchus grow-outs at about 3-4" and they all did great.

I kept 8 missionaira and minuano together in a 40g breeder. I think that they key is to have lots of PVC litter and other hiding spots....and feed well. The missionaira will hide in tubes not much bigger than they are (3/4" tube for a 5" fish).

Thanks for the input Dogofwar, the Uruguayan pikes are all eating pellets already! Actually, they ate pellets from the start, just the Lents aren't that vigorous on the food yet. I can't remember which river they came from off the top of my head, I'll have to go back and do some checking on them :ROFL:

Thanks Gerry, I can't wait for you to come down and have a crack at em!

Ray

[fishfarm]

You got me on the lents, I was like WTF! That's the great thing about Uruguay Crenicichla, they eat pellets right away, all of them. Yep, leaving Nov 29th, still have spots left .Ken

[Peanut_Power]

No kidding! I was super confused about the lents at first. Way to pull a quick one on all of us.

Awesome shots as always Ray! Absolutely loving them! Bout time we managed to snag an awesome photographer that is also an avid Crenicichlaholic! :D

BTW...those lents wouldn't happen to be the Rio Negro ones that John currently has are they? ;) They look awefully familiar. Keep a hold on them, they do turn out to be absolutely awesome! :D

[BigPic]

You got me on the lents, I was like WTF! That's the great thing about Uruguay Crenicichla, they eat pellets right away, all of them. Yep, leaving Nov 29th, still have spots left .Ken

I was thinking I may get some wheels spinning! sorry about that :ROFL:

I would say to anyone that is on the fence, take a trip to Uruguay! The people (especially Felipe and co.), the food and the fish are all amazing - not to mention everything else that is going on there!

[BigPic]

No kidding! I was super confused about the lents at first. Way to pull a quick one on all of us.

Awesome shots as always Ray! Absolutely loving them! Bout time we managed to snag an awesome photographer that is also an avid Crenicichlaholic! :D

BTW...those lents wouldn't happen to be the Rio Negro ones that John currently has are they? ;) They look awefully familiar. Keep a hold on them, they do turn out to be absolutely awesome! :D

Thanks so much for the good feedback, I still have lots to learn and improve on, but it feels good to know that it's getting better! You can thank Chaitika for pointing me in the right direction photo wise :headbang2

As for the Lents, I got 'em in Florida on the way home, saw them in a tank and couldn't pass them up, I didn't even think to ask the origin, I was just awestruck that I was getting them! I really don't have any plans to let em go. . . once summer starts, I have an RO unit with their name on it and a MAJOR feeding program as well.

More pics to come as they get more comfortable!

[Peanut_Power]

I'm thinking you should change your avatar to one of those pictures of the lents you took. ;) BOOOM BABY! :D

They do indeed look to be Rio Negro lents. Very very cool lents to say the least. Looking forward to seeing them full grown! :D

[BigPic]

I'm thinking you should change your avatar to one of those pictures of the lents you took. ;) BOOOM BABY! :D

They do indeed look to be Rio Negro lents. Very very cool lents to say the least. Looking forward to seeing them full grown! :D

Whats the matter??? Don't you like my Tetra??? :ROFL: I haven't gotten the right shot of them yet, I am SURE that they will indeed be my avatar, when the right shot shows up!

I am also looking forward to seeing them grown!

Thanks again for the comments :thumbsup:

Ray

[fishfarm]

I see nothing wrong with tetras. Ken

[BigPic]

They are pretty amazing (those are Acestrorhynchus right). . . for tetras :) I brought back three of them (Oligosarchus - very similar) at 3"-4", they hit pellets with gusto 20 minutes after being introduced to a tank! I bet the largest has grown nearly an inch in the week and a half since we've been back. . . .WHAT a pig!

[Chaitika]

I'm packing up my photo gear, Ray. I'll be on my way after eating. :naughty:

[BigPic]

Take your time. . . we are just starting to cook :)