Top 5 Collecting Trips

[divemaster99]

What are your guys personal top 5 dream places to go collect fish? Money aside, if they were all free and you had a week in each place, where would you guys like to go and for what kinds of fish?

Mine:

5) Lake Tanganyika
For: Synodontis and maybe a Kampango

4) Central Virginia
For: Mountain Redbelly Dace, Bluehead Chubs, Margined Madtoms (among other natives)

3) Peru
For: Corys, Plecos, Doradids, Auchenipterids, Pimelodids, etc (pretty much all catfish down there)

2) Central Colorado
For: Red Shiners, Colorado Pikeminnow (if they were legal to take), Madtom Species, Cutthroat Trout (among other natives)

1) Northern Florida
For: Southern Lepomis species, Bluefin Killifish, Pygmy Sunfish, Darters (once again among other natives)


How about you guys?

 

[duanes]

In no particular order, and just getting photos or video would be satisfying to me
1. southern Iran for Iranocichla hormusensis
2. Cuba for Nandopsis ramsdeni
3. Madagascar any of the obscure Paretroplus
4. lake Barombi mbo for Stomatepia mongo
5. Bocas del Toro Panama for Tomocichla asfraci
this last one may happen, I'm going to Panama in a few weeks, whether I get as far as Bocas is the question

 

[divemaster99]

In no particular order, and just getting photos or video would be satisfying to me
1. southern Iran for Iranocichla hormusensis
2. Cuba for Nandopsis ramsdeni
3. Madagascar any of the obscure Paretroplus
4. lake Barombi mbo for Stomatepia mongo
5. Bocas del Toro Panama for Tomocichla asfraci
this last one may happen, I'm going to Panama in a few weeks, whether I get as far as Bocas is the question

Those are some nice looking cichlids duanes! I'm not really a cichlid guy but I'd love a pair of those Iranocichla

 

[duanes]

Yes Iranocichla have been on my bucket list for decades.
The last time I saw them for sale, they were @ $300.00 each, and because I like to acquire cichlids in groups of 5 or more, way out of my reach.

 

[reptilerescued]

Mariana Trench. ( creepy stuff down there) I'd need James Cameron to get me there he's the only one with the money and equipment to make it happen.

Galapagos islands. Just a really kool part of the world.

South American under water caves.

Congo basin

Amazon basin

I'd take only pictures and leave only foot prints.

Rich

 

[Chicxulub]

I'd love to have a Colorado pikeminnow as well, Sean. They're essentially a Bambusa from America. They have large, hooked gular teeth (throat teeth) and in historic times, they achieved 5' in length. It's a crying shame that they're doing as bad as they are. We should all buy fry at $300 a pop to help support the farming effort.

For anyone not familiar, this is the fish:

 

[divemaster99]

I'd love to have a Colorado pikeminnow as well, Sean. They're essentially a Bambusa from America. They have large, hooked gular teeth (throat teeth) and in historic times, they achieved 5' in length. It's a crying shame that they're doing as bad as they are. We should all buy fry at $300 a pop to help support the farming effort.

For anyone not familiar, this is the fish:

View attachment 1041152

I'd pay $300 for one. Grow it out in the 300 I'm setting up then put it in the pond I'm building in April. My wallet is going to hurt by Spring what with building a basement Fishroom, getting around a 300G, and setting up a 1500G pond

 

[Chicxulub]

I'd pay $300 for one. Even $500. It would be the crown jewel of a dedicated Colorado River analogous biotope, with other, common, easy to acquire cyprinids as stand ins for other local fishes that are just as endangered and hard to find.

Oh and I was wrong, they got to 72" historically.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/fish-extirpated-species.htm

But I fear that I've horribly derailed the thread. I'm sorry about that.

My top five:

1- confluence of the Congo and Black rivers

2- Upper Ganges.

3- Mississippi-Missouri confluence

4- Colorado River

5- Meeting of the Waters​

 

[Lepisosteus]

My top 5 in no order
1) most lakes in Ontario, I've only done a small few
2) great barrier reef
3) underwater caves south america and mexico
4) amazon river, all parts
5) Mariana trench