Sounds like the Rafael should be fine, I wouldn’t keep a bichir with Africans for many reasons. You could do a bichir tank. Depending on how hard you want to work on maintenance, you could put quite a few smaller bichirs in there
Gutsy Mix, Can it be Done? 2.0
- Thread starter SilverArowanaBoi
- Start date
Seems like the type of fish that does well anywhere. Out of the tap my pH is 7.5 (I don’t believe it’s hard water though) and my raph does fine.
I’m just piggybacking off of what phree said, my African butterflies were not picky eaters and took flakes and pellets, anything that stayed on the surface for a couple of seconds and could fit in their mouth they ate.
You say you want rare fish, fish that nobody else has in their tanks but fish that rare are never going to make their way to your lfs, they’ll always be shipped to you either from an exporter/importer, or a site. $30-80$ shipping is normal and if you get the really rare stuff then you could be looking at $100+ because the shipper will only ship it airport to airport which you then need to plan your day around so you can go pick up your package.
I can confirm this as I have personally did what you’re talking about. When I began keeping fish there wasn’t a single person that kept Wallace’s shoehead catfish in this country (that I was aware of) and there wasn’t a single place to buy them online. I had to beg multiple platforms online for years before aquaimports and the wet spot finally brought them in. If my memory serves correctly I bought that first batch at $100 a fish for 6 fish andthe shipping was about $70. It’s because of me that you can find those catfish for sale occasionally online in America. If this sounds like it’s to much for you at this time then I’d hit the brakes and wait for a couple years for when you have a steady job, a place of your own, and enough money to fund something like that. I’m not trying to discourage you, no, I want to see more young keepers in the hobby.
Honestly, I think it was overkill for shipping, even If it's normal. I'm not going to pay the same amount of money that the fish costs for shipping; I can use that money elsewhere, like more in-person fish or other supplies.
I'm going to the fish store on Saturday, and they frequently have rare oddballs (no joke, they have everything from rare catfish to rare cichlids and more), so maybe I'll find my dream fish there. This specific store had full-grown Blood parrots for like $80, and I'm seriously thinking about getting one as my centerpiece (I'm going in with over 100 dollars), and then maybe getting some cheaper cichlids, such as jack dempseys or convicts, or maybe even more Striped Raphaels to go along with it.
I'm unsure what I want, and I've been fretting all week...I'm probably just going to stop fretting and just wing it and see what the store has and get what catches my eye that is appropriate for my tank size; the planning has been driving me nuts, and I think I'm like a broken record to my friends and family at this point lol.
I'm going to the fish store on Saturday, and they frequently have rare oddballs (no joke, they have everything from rare catfish to rare cichlids and more), so maybe I'll find my dream fish there. This specific store had full-grown Blood parrots for like $80, and I'm seriously thinking about getting one as my centerpiece (I'm going in with over 100 dollars), and then maybe getting some cheaper cichlids, such as jack dempseys or convicts, or maybe even more Striped Raphaels to go along with it.
I'm unsure what I want, and I've been fretting all week...I'm probably just going to stop fretting and just wing it and see what the store has and get what catches my eye that is appropriate for my tank size; the planning has been driving me nuts, and I think I'm like a broken record to my friends and family at this point lol.
In assure you$30-$80 for shipping is very average and reasonable. If you think you’re gonna have a BP in a 55 with a JD or con, I can guarantee that there’s going to be problems. Maybe not immediately but there will be problems
Do not just “wing it” you need to slow down and not fly off by the seat of your pants if you want to be a successful fish keeper. I recommend going in, writing down what they have that you like, then reporting back here so we can advise you. There are many people here who have been keeping fish for longer than you’ve been alive, do not take for granted the knowledge you have available to you.
I’m 49 and I think some of you have been keeping fish longer than I’ve been alive lol
When I said wing it, I didn't mean literally "winging it" and just getting whatever I want; if that were the case, y'all would hate me if I told you what I got afterward, lol. What I meant was "a planned wing it." Basically, I go in with a general idea of what I want, but not knowing exactly word for word what I want. It would be hard to go in and write what they have down; rarely do they keep the same stock as they change it every couple of days. I have called them every day, though, and they still have Striped Raphael catfish and adult blood parrots...
Yesterday evening, I came up with an idea where I list out the fish that have seriously kept recurring in my mind; here are the results of that:
1. Adult Blood Parrot
2. Predator Electric Blue Hap
Background: I once had an adult deep-water hap male and female pair; they were some of my prettiest and best fish. Both were a rich blue color that was simply stunning. I had to get rid of them, though, because after they killed my angelfish (yeah, I know, rookie mistake, never mix African cichlids with SA cichlids), I feared that they would kill my Striped Raphael among a few other smaller catfish I had at the time and I love my precious Raphael so...
3. Striped Raphael Catfish (shocker lol, anyone who has read this thread or other threads I've posted knows that I love my raphs lol)
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find locally any local haps and much less predator haps, so if I want a large, colorful cichlid for the tank, the blood parrot will be my go-to option. What tank mates can an adult blood parrot have in a 55-gallon? They have a wider range since they have smaller mouths and less predatory instincts.
Maybe that shipping is reasonable for y'all as y'all have at least decent paying and maybe good paying jobs that can support this hobby, but like I said before, I don't have a wide budget parameter, and wasting half of my money on shipping isn't worth it to me. If it were closer to $5-$15, I would do it, or if I had an extensive fish-keeping budget, but not if it would cost the same or more than the fish itself. I don't trust shipping fish anyway; I'd much rather see the fish in person to see if the stock is healthy and appropriately active for their type.
I mean, y'all have to admit it is better to see what you are purchasing in person, and who in this hobby doesn't like a trip to the fish store?
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Placidochromis electra aren’t really all that predatory or aggressive and shouldn’t really bother a Rafael as long as there’s a few places for it to hide. If you’re looking for haps and you’re on a budget, have you tried PetSmart/Co? I’ve found some nice ones for $7-$12. Don’t worry if they look plain, they’ll color up as they mature. If they’re nearly fully colored and small, stay away or at least be aware they could still be female . It means they’re juiced
