Visit to MA @ Oxford...

[MatsP]

I went on a little drive out to Maidenhead Aquatics in Oxford (Wheatley) on Sunday. It is not a place I go to very often, given that it's 60+ miles from where I live. But it's a place well worth a visit.

They had the usual stock of various common corys and plecos, but some of the less common ones I think should be listed - note that ID's are as per label unless I'm 100% sure that I know better:
L106 "Spotted Orange Seem Peckoltia" - £25 or 2 @ £45. I bought two, hoping that it's a pair.
L288 Peckoltia - £25
L134 £45(?)
L200 Decent size (3-4"), can't remember price.
L128 £55 or 2 @ £100. Tiny, less than 2" TL.
L240 £95 or 2 @ £180. Mature, 8" TL, possibly a pair.
Wild caught Ancistrus, listed under some L-number, but I can't remember what number. £25(?)
Gold nuggets, two different kinds. £45(?), 3"+ TL.
XXL gold nugget £200(?), 8", possibly female.
"XXL" Adonis pleco, 10-12" TL, £175.
Panaque nigrolineatus - £45(?), about 3-4" TL.
P. L90 - can't remember price, around 3-4"
Rineloricaria sp. can't remember price, 4-5" TL.

Synodontis alberti - Can't remember the price - not ridiculously pricey.
S. decora - £8, 2 @ £14 - Not hybrids, clearly showing dorsal fin extension. 2-3".
S. flaviataenata - £9, 2 @ £16 - good size, around 3".
S. multipuncta - Definitely Hybrids. Didn't look for a price.
S. brichardi - Didn't check price.

Oddballs
Parauchenoglanis macrostoma. £10 (?), around 3-4".
Microglanis poecilus (??), £3.50 or 4 @ £12. Looked nice, I bought some for Martin S. Probably not correct ID.
Zamora cat - Auchenipterichthys coracoideus - £15 (?), good size if correct ID. They hide all the time, so I'm not convinced the ID is correct - I wasn't looking for woodcats, and I wasn't quite sure what "Zamora cat" actually meant. They looked a bit rough, but may be "as they should be".
Liosomadoras oncinus - £65 - large, probably female, single fish.
L. morrowi - £25(?), good size, several of.

I'm sure I've missed several things.

--
Mats

[Richard B]

Definately a place to visit for those in the UK who haven't been & this is typical (if not a little light) for their stock.

Mats - none of Racoll's

Pseudohemiodon sp`marbled`

left?

On the subject of Zamora cats - MA Stratford have immaculate adults at £5 each if anyone was interested.

[Martin S]

I have to say, I spotted that Mats mentioned them - not seen them for sale for a long time, and they may be a suitable addition to my bigger tank...shame it's not closer as think I might have to pay them a visit! And at £5 each, I'm sure a few of them would be escorting me home
Am hoping, next time Mats goes to Wheatley, to join him.
Martin

[andy75]

wow, thats a preety good list of L numbers there, why is it that the MA's in swindon never have any good L numbers in there? Im not that far from oxford so i must take a visit after xmas is out the way.

Do they always have a good range of L numbers in there?


Andy

[MatsP]

I think most shops have a fairly spurious level of stock. But it is a branch that regularly have some interesting stock of one sort or another - although this is only my second visit there, but Richard B also holds it in high regard - he's not particularly interested in L-numbers, but the fact that they have a wide variety of catfish can satisfy most people, I think.

Between Christmas and New Year may be a good time for me to do a second visit - maybe we can have a "Mini PlanetCatfish meetup"?

--
Mats

[Martin S]

Between Christmas and New Year may be a good time for me to do a second visit - maybe we can have a "Mini PlanetCatfish meetup"?

I'm working in between, but am sure I can sort something out for one of the days, even if I have to 'work fro home' . Be good to go, especially if we can make it, as Mats says, a mini meet up. If Richard can make it too, he can finally get his small tank set-up at the same time!
Let me know once you've decided on a day.
Martin

[racoll]

S. flaviataenata - £9, 2 @ £16 - good size, around 3".

Dear God, those have been there since the shop opened about 4 years ago.

Every time I went in there I told them it was criminal that they haven't all been sold yet.

A beautiful catfish at a great price - who needs hybrids?

[MatsP]

S. flaviataenata - £9, 2 @ £16 - good size, around 3".

Dear God, those have been there since the shop opened about 4 years ago.

Every time I went in there I told them it was criminal that they haven't all been sold yet.

A beautiful catfish at a great price - who needs hybrids?

Yes, in my the more local branch of the same chain, they have one about the same size at £30-ish, so £9 is a very good price - which is why I got two of them when I was there last time - I just need more/bigger tanks to keep more of everything that is nice and good price at that shop! ;)

--
Mats

[Richard B]

They generally have a very good selection of cats, but also include some fish a bit more special on odd occasions such as large wild

Synodontis granulosa

, Euchilichthys sp,

Leptodoras juruensis

,

Ageneiosus brevis

,

Planiloricaria cryptodon

- well worth a visit at any time

As regards a mini PC day out - i'm most likely "in"

[Chrysichthys]

Just a few comments since that shop is on my home turf:

I've seen that big L. oncinus, it's a real beauty, but I can't afford it myself. I was hoping Martin S. might be interested, but he says he can't afford it either.
Mats, I'm glad you agree that the S. decora aren't hybrids. I was 99% sure that they weren't, but the fact that they're so cheap had me a bit worried.
I'm waiting to see if they lower the price again on the flavs, I think it has dropped at least once due to lack of sales.

[MatsP]

I'm waiting to see if they lower the price again on the flavs, I think it has dropped at least once due to lack of sales.

They didn't seem to have that many. If you are interested in several of them (rather than a single one), I'd say make an offer on the group [or ask "Can you give me a good price if I buy the lot, you've had them for a long time...?"]). You can haggle in the shop, you know.

--
Mats

[Martin S]

I've seen that big L. oncinus, it's a real beauty, but I can't afford it myself. I was hoping Martin S. might be interested, but he says he can't afford it either.

Mats did text me about it whilst he was there, and am sure you've mentioned it before to me, but it's just out of my price range on the fish front at the moment. I'm still unsure of the sex of my smaller one too, so until it's big enough, I also don't want to risk ending up with three females!
I am keen to see it though
Martin

[Chrysichthys]

If you are interested in several of them (rather than a single one), I'd say make an offer on the group [or ask "Can you give me a good price if I buy the lot, you've had them for a long time...?"]). You can haggle in the shop, you know.

They probably do know me well enough for that. A single one would be no problem to get, but I understand they're better kept in groups. Anyway, the tank they would be going into if I got them (our new one at work) isn't fully cycled yet and won't be for another month or so.