Started off with 2 small oxydoras Niger back end of 2025. After wait for appropriately priced ones to appear in the uk. Some online vendors had stock, but were close to £200 for a 5” fish. Far more than I’d like to pay for a fish that averages around £40-60 in the known shops around the uk.
Two were purchased at 2” long from pier aquatics for the reasonable price of £45 each.
As all that have followed me know of my previous beasts I once owned, something I have had a desire to keep again. I did try back in 2022 but lost those to humans error with the filtration on the old 12x4. Since that I had left the idea alone for some time to revalue what direction I wanted to go in the hobby.
So let’s bring this upto date, to present day.
As a few of you see at the very start of May 2026, I had a 90% fish room wipe out due to a pacu chewing the heater wire in the fish house. Causing the worse loss of my entire time in the hobby.
Electrics tripped whilst I was at work for around 14 hours. Very shortly after I left the house from what the security cameras picked up.
Unfortunately, in the loss I lost one of the small oxydoras in the wipe out that I’d been growing out. But one managed to survive, which I was very grateful for. Now currently around 8 inches in size.
I was recently contacted by an hobbiest who I’ve known for many years via online Forums, although we had both managed to evade each other over the years. Always missing each other at events and shops. It was pleasure to finally chat face to face.
He was shutting down his large tank and had offered a large oxydoras to me for a small price, considering recent happenings my end, we both felt it seemed fitting for me to take the fish on. As I’m now with a large pond with basically a handful of smaller fish currently.
Fish in question is around 18-20 years old and over 3 feet. Which is a sight to see after these years of not owning much over 2 feet. A classic example of a o.niger, well proportioned and very impressive to the eye.
I collected the fish yesterday afternoon on the 7/6/2026.
It traveled very well and transferred into the pond without any mishaps. Some miner abrasions from transpiration , but nothing that will not clear up within the next week or so.
The only concern I have, would be the filters getting used to the new bio load. Whilst there is more than enough there to cope with a fish of this size. The pond just gone from being very lightly stocked to a 30lb / 36”+ fish being dropped into to. So there will be a week of monitoring water quality very carefully.
So far, there is no movement in the water quality.
I shall find time to update with pictures of the smaller oxydoras. When he comes out from under his wood in the pond. But for now, enjoy this pictures of the fish in transport in a 37” box.
Two were purchased at 2” long from pier aquatics for the reasonable price of £45 each.
As all that have followed me know of my previous beasts I once owned, something I have had a desire to keep again. I did try back in 2022 but lost those to humans error with the filtration on the old 12x4. Since that I had left the idea alone for some time to revalue what direction I wanted to go in the hobby.
So let’s bring this upto date, to present day.
As a few of you see at the very start of May 2026, I had a 90% fish room wipe out due to a pacu chewing the heater wire in the fish house. Causing the worse loss of my entire time in the hobby.
Electrics tripped whilst I was at work for around 14 hours. Very shortly after I left the house from what the security cameras picked up.
Unfortunately, in the loss I lost one of the small oxydoras in the wipe out that I’d been growing out. But one managed to survive, which I was very grateful for. Now currently around 8 inches in size.
I was recently contacted by an hobbiest who I’ve known for many years via online Forums, although we had both managed to evade each other over the years. Always missing each other at events and shops. It was pleasure to finally chat face to face.
He was shutting down his large tank and had offered a large oxydoras to me for a small price, considering recent happenings my end, we both felt it seemed fitting for me to take the fish on. As I’m now with a large pond with basically a handful of smaller fish currently.
Fish in question is around 18-20 years old and over 3 feet. Which is a sight to see after these years of not owning much over 2 feet. A classic example of a o.niger, well proportioned and very impressive to the eye.
I collected the fish yesterday afternoon on the 7/6/2026.
It traveled very well and transferred into the pond without any mishaps. Some miner abrasions from transpiration , but nothing that will not clear up within the next week or so.
The only concern I have, would be the filters getting used to the new bio load. Whilst there is more than enough there to cope with a fish of this size. The pond just gone from being very lightly stocked to a 30lb / 36”+ fish being dropped into to. So there will be a week of monitoring water quality very carefully.
So far, there is no movement in the water quality.
I shall find time to update with pictures of the smaller oxydoras. When he comes out from under his wood in the pond. But for now, enjoy this pictures of the fish in transport in a 37” box.
