Hi all, I’m considering getting a Atabapo red Colombian pike cichlid from The Wet Spot. Has anyone ever ordered one and was it actually a Atabapo 1?
Wet Spot question
- Thread starter Brazzen1
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I used to live in Portland Oregon, where The Wet Spot is located. I bought many a fish from them over the years. They are one of the very few trustworthy fish store/sites left. The store has probably over a 100 tanks in the store all individually filtered. Plus they have a where house with even more tanks for the online sales. If I was still in the US, they are the only ones I would trust to order fish from as both TUIC and Cichlids od the Americas have shut down operations.
I also had great experiences with anything I ordered from them.
That said, I never ordered an Atabapo Pike, because I never had the low pH, and soft water they require (pH below 6, almost zero hardness).
I do believe they have a connecction to Colombian exporters.
Below are a couple fish I received from them.
That said, I never ordered an Atabapo Pike, because I never had the low pH, and soft water they require (pH below 6, almost zero hardness).
I do believe they have a connecction to Colombian exporters.
Below are a couple fish I received from them.
Thanks guys, I feel you duanes, I’m trying to to figure out how to soften my water. Since moving to the country my faucets look like chalk boards.
For your viewing pleasure
Not my video, but it is of The Wet Spot main store
Not my video, but it is of The Wet Spot main store
Below is a snippet about the rive Atabapo,
just so you are not only atking my word for it.
Because this species is a fairly new addition to the aquarium hobby, expecting it to adapt to normal conditions of even pH 7 and moderate hardness, may lead to illness and loss.
The Rio Atabapo is a blackwater river with naturally
very low, acidic pH levels, typically ranging from 3.5 to 6.0, and very soft water with extremely low hardness, often described as having "hardly detectable" or 0-4 dH (GH) hardness.
just so you are not only atking my word for it.
Because this species is a fairly new addition to the aquarium hobby, expecting it to adapt to normal conditions of even pH 7 and moderate hardness, may lead to illness and loss.
The Rio Atabapo is a blackwater river with naturally
very low, acidic pH levels, typically ranging from 3.5 to 6.0, and very soft water with extremely low hardness, often described as having "hardly detectable" or 0-4 dH (GH) hardness.
Since my retirement customers have been emailing me asking where to get stock from these days. I personally recommend The Wet Spot. Steve runs a tight ship and the quality control, and identifications are typically on point. Maybe we will never know the exact point of collection but at the very least it will be the correct species and healthy.
As far as which Atabapo type. Shoot them an email and ask. Likely they wont know but hey you never know. Their imports are a little more generic than TUIC were. Where they likely place orders based off of a list. Whereas at TUIC we commissioned our own collections which often targeted specific species each season. No one else is doing that nowadays unfortunately.
ironically, everyone always talks abotu COTA being the TUIC competitor. Dan and I are friends and COTA wasn't really a competitor in the sense people thought. We sold different species, sure with some crossover central Americans. The business models weren't even the same. One was solely a breeder and the other a direct importer & distributor. The WS's internet sales side (so, minus the retail store) was the #1 competitor to us.
As far as which Atabapo type. Shoot them an email and ask. Likely they wont know but hey you never know. Their imports are a little more generic than TUIC were. Where they likely place orders based off of a list. Whereas at TUIC we commissioned our own collections which often targeted specific species each season. No one else is doing that nowadays unfortunately.
ironically, everyone always talks abotu COTA being the TUIC competitor. Dan and I are friends and COTA wasn't really a competitor in the sense people thought. We sold different species, sure with some crossover central Americans. The business models weren't even the same. One was solely a breeder and the other a direct importer & distributor. The WS's internet sales side (so, minus the retail store) was the #1 competitor to us.
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Too bad Kev, I just wish I had moved before you retired. Thanks for the advice.