Aquatic plant, + collecting in Lake Gatun
- Thread starter duanes
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Little standoff today, thought someone might end up a meal, but not yet.
Here in Panama, Eleotris picta is called a Guavina, AKA water cow, and sleeper in other spots.
Here in Panama, Eleotris picta is called a Guavina, AKA water cow, and sleeper in other spots.
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One of the things I'd hoped to find in Lake Gatun but didn't, were water lilies.
I find lilies equally as interesting as the fish in tanks, especially if the flower.
I had kept tiger lotus in aquariums,
and normal hardy lilies in my ponds in Wisconsin.
Then about a week ago, on Panama’s version of Craigs list (called Encuentra 24) I saw an add for water lilies, with flowers of various colors.
After seeing the add, I sent an Email in english, but also immediately had Julio my regular Taxi guy on the mainland call in spanish and set up a meet to get a couple.
We went to what I thought would be a store, but turned out to be a very nice old single family home in a middle of San Fransisco, a high rent, commercial part of Panama city nestled between high rises, and surrounded by flashy commercial businesses.
Julio said, “he could get millions for this place, in a minute”.
The lily guy soon drove up and greeted Julio in spanish, and in perfect english then greeted me, I was surprised at how fluent he was, he replied that he had lived in Florida for 20 years, and was a real estate agent.
We wandered around the yard looking at his tanks of fancy line bred angelfish, and he dug around in a water filled vat and pulled out 2 small water lilies. He said you can have these, but I want to get you some very ornate ones out of my ponds where I live in the interior.
I gave him a note with the names of Panamanian endemic cichlids I was looking for, and explained I was most interested in native Panamanian Chogorros, he of course asked “why those?” being a fancy angel guy, but said he knew some people who were raising certain native fish in the interior to keep them from going extinct, and said he’d see what they could do.
The lilies he gave me were about 20” tall, with all leaves submerged in my 2 ft tall tank.
By day 2 in late afternoon, one of the plants had grown at least 4”, and two leaves were already resting on the surface,
I like to put lilies up against the front glass, because the stems are so unobtrusive.
I find lilies equally as interesting as the fish in tanks, especially if the flower.
I had kept tiger lotus in aquariums,
and normal hardy lilies in my ponds in Wisconsin.
Then about a week ago, on Panama’s version of Craigs list (called Encuentra 24) I saw an add for water lilies, with flowers of various colors.
After seeing the add, I sent an Email in english, but also immediately had Julio my regular Taxi guy on the mainland call in spanish and set up a meet to get a couple.
We went to what I thought would be a store, but turned out to be a very nice old single family home in a middle of San Fransisco, a high rent, commercial part of Panama city nestled between high rises, and surrounded by flashy commercial businesses.
Julio said, “he could get millions for this place, in a minute”.
The lily guy soon drove up and greeted Julio in spanish, and in perfect english then greeted me, I was surprised at how fluent he was, he replied that he had lived in Florida for 20 years, and was a real estate agent.
We wandered around the yard looking at his tanks of fancy line bred angelfish, and he dug around in a water filled vat and pulled out 2 small water lilies. He said you can have these, but I want to get you some very ornate ones out of my ponds where I live in the interior.
I gave him a note with the names of Panamanian endemic cichlids I was looking for, and explained I was most interested in native Panamanian Chogorros, he of course asked “why those?” being a fancy angel guy, but said he knew some people who were raising certain native fish in the interior to keep them from going extinct, and said he’d see what they could do.
The lilies he gave me were about 20” tall, with all leaves submerged in my 2 ft tall tank.
By day 2 in late afternoon, one of the plants had grown at least 4”, and two leaves were already resting on the surface,
I like to put lilies up against the front glass, because the stems are so unobtrusive.
The town San Pedro (where I live), on the island of Taboga, is a tiny part of the island, which is mostly uninhabited.
The island is about 10 miles off the southern coast of Panana, out in the Pacific.
It is mostly uninhabited, because the terrain is wild and inaccessible, everywhere except the small semi flat area the town sits on.
The island is about 10 miles off the southern coast of Panana, out in the Pacific.
It is mostly uninhabited, because the terrain is wild and inaccessible, everywhere except the small semi flat area the town sits on.
Went to the mainland Panama today to do a little recon for a future collecting trip. Any rivers close to the city are probably not usable, so went west to a few rivers where certain cichlids I'm looking for, are said to be. Checking for easy access from the highway, and general conditions.
First Rio Caimitillo
Next stop Rio Camarone, which turned out to be more of a tiny stream, a couple feet wide, and a few inches deep (maybe some killifish)
And Rio Pedro Miguel, where Geophagus crassilabrus are reported. A steep access.
And a large swampy area adjacent, but just above (in elevation) and feeds the Panama Canal, where I have seen people fishing with poles, and am told, fishng for peacock bass (they call them sargentos here), which are not on my radar being invasive, and quite possibly have wiped out the endemic cichlids in the swampy area.
First Rio Caimitillo
Next stop Rio Camarone, which turned out to be more of a tiny stream, a couple feet wide, and a few inches deep (maybe some killifish)
And Rio Pedro Miguel, where Geophagus crassilabrus are reported. A steep access.
And a large swampy area adjacent, but just above (in elevation) and feeds the Panama Canal, where I have seen people fishing with poles, and am told, fishng for peacock bass (they call them sargentos here), which are not on my radar being invasive, and quite possibly have wiped out the endemic cichlids in the swampy area.
I would be all up in that Rio Camarone. The last pic however gives me chills thinking about going into the water. It looks prime location for things that can eat me. Perhaps a boat and rod would be better suited there.
I am interested in the killifish of the area, and the Sicydium so I will not pass up a small stream like Rio Camarone when collecting.
But beside, and even more scary than the gators, there are some pretty nasty snakes here, to be very careful of when collecting, like the fer-de-lance.
