The Good, the Bad and the Barbeled

[Onsaud]

So, I was talking with some friends online about this site. It was kind of confusing and I don't totally understand where the conversation went myself, but somehow it ended up with this... short story of sorts. I haven't been on PlanetCatfish very long myself, so it might not be totally accurate. Hope you enjoy!

Also, sorry for leaving out the African catfish forum. I'm new!


• • •


High noon.

All’s normal in the town of the PlanetCatfish forums. The sun beats down the dusty street, but under the cover of roof and darkness, catfish enthusiasts mill about their natural business. It’s been a slow day over at the Speak Easy, but there’s never been a dry spell they couldn’t handle. South American Catfishes (Calliicthyidae - Cories et al) is busy, but as usual not so much as South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al), the real heart of town.

Behind the swinging double doors, aquarists huddle and murmur in the murkily lit saloon. Smoke wafts amidst the low chatter about breeding, sexing and water parameters. These aren’t the people you’ve met on tumblr or on reddit—these are fishkeepers. Men and women who’ve seen decades of tanks come and go, men and women who know just how to wrangle a belligerent Hypancistrus zebra right. These are not people who need internet validation.

But then the double doors clatter and the sun lances in. The sudden, orange light is cut into swaths by a tall, dark shadow. In walks the new kid. Grizzled aquarists raise their heads from their card games and COTM articles for the first time all day. Everything comes to a standstill. The kid glides through with a cocky stride, oblivious of the roomful of steely eyes evaluating his every move. Men look up from their cave setups and drinks are set down with a cautious clink. The kid sits down at the bar, orders a drink from the bartender. All is silent for minutes; the very air holds his breath. All eyes watch the new kid finish his glass, then set it down with a confident, satisfied thunk. He turns slightly and takes a breath.

“HELP MY PLECO DIED WHAT DID I DO WRONG”

[Birger]

I noticed you shied away from talking about those of us that dabble in the denizens of Dark Continent...the African Catfishes!!

Birger

[Onsaud]

Ooh, I haven't dabbled so much in that particular field—it's yet a mystery to me. Once I've toughened my catfish mettle with experience, maybe. I'm still very, very novice.

[Birger]

We are always there, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting cory nut or pleco lover to entice them to the dark side...come see us if you dare!!

Birger

[Onsaud]

"Not the Synodontis! Anything but the Synodontis!"

[Jools]

Hi Onsaud

Given the current Facebook style of forum use ("dive into a group of people you don't know and ask a question that may have been asked every couple of weeks for the last decade"). It is refreshing to read such an introduction. In fact, its a really good piece of writing IMHO.

While I rather considered the forum more middle earth than Wild West (and your saloon bar replaced by the infamous Prancing Pony), you are very welcome in either!

Cheers

Jools

[Narwhal72]

Excellent story. I loved it!

Of course I would have changed it to the Mos Eisley cantina. A surly bartender blurts out "Hey, Your Cichlids, they can't come in here. They have to wait outside."

Andy

[naturalart]

Welcome Onsaud, always good to hear from a budding catfish nut, particularly in the bay area. I live in the east bay.

[Onsaud]

I never read Lord of the Rings, I'm sorry to say, and I haven't seen the movies in a while. To be fair, based on the site's name, I always pictured some sort of water planet populated only by catfish. But my friends and I figured a grizzled saloon suited the story pretty well. It is definitely intimidating to dive into an unfamiliar forum—I don't do it very often. I figured this would be how I introduced myself!

Ha, thanks! "You and your oscars aren't welcome here!"

Thanks, naturalart. I'm just a budding catfish nut yet—I've only been keeping tanks for little over a year—but hopefully in a few years I'll be fully indoctrinated! Say, are there any good catfish-keeping places in the bay area? The LFS I usually go to is very nice but pretty small (Aqua Forest Aquarium), and the only big one (6th Avenue Aquarium) is pretty sketchy.

[naturalart]

Yes, 6th Ave has a dubious reputation for good reason. but I must admit, on a rare occasion, I've lucked out on a few pretty nice fish from there, with tons and tons of 'caution and quarantine'. That said: check out "Ocean" on Cedar and Polk. Justin runs a honest shop despite the fact it's tucked away in a little 'crack' near a homeless shelter. Dont be deterred by that, its worth the trip. He usually has really cool fish and plants.
In the east bay: although we lost half our shops in the last economic down turn, Albany Aquarium is still hanging in there. Tropicalfish World carries some of the bigger catfish if you're into that. And if you're up for a little more driving, Superway aquarium is down off Tennyson in Hayward.
I'm sure you've heard this before, but as you are a beginner, I cannot stress enough: No matter where they are from, quarantine!, quarantine!, quarantine!; for at least a month.

[Onsaud]

I was at the Randall Museum (you know it?) opening a bag of feeder goldfish; one of the guys commented that it smelled like 6th Avenue Aquarium. You're right, they do have some pretty cool fish—black ghost knives and arowanas and even a nurse shark—but I'm still not taking chances.

Ocean Aquarium, huh? I don't know that place; I've been to Lucky Ocean, but not Ocean. I'll have to check Ocean out, thanks! Looks like people like it from reviews.

I have a pretty small tank and not a lot of space, so I think the shops in San Fran are good enough for now. I've been putting of setting up a quarantine... I could probably use my old 5-gallon that I'm using for daphnia right now, since I'm not gonna be getting any big fish; like I said, I have a small tank. I could probably use it for quarantining plants, too!

[naturalart]

Yes, I've been to the Randall Museum, but its been quite a while. I have to agree with you; 6th Ave is a risky place.

You can raise daphnia in a bucket. If I were you I would dump the daphnia and set that 5g up as quarantine. Most good aquarist practice quarantine. There's just no substitute. And yes, quarantine your plants too!

[Onsaud]

The Randall museum is a great little place, just not enough fish!

I just need a bucket, then. I used the tank 'cause it was the first thing that came to mind, but you're right—I've actually been looking around for a replacement so that I can use the 5-gallon as a quarantine. That'll be especially helpful in the future to avoid snail and algae infestations—I got some crazy bladder snails and spirogyra, which is apparently the algae from hell.