PlanetCatfish.com

G'day Larry

The page numbers are from your book.

I have a question for you that I am hoping you will answer.
On page 4 you mentioned "trace mineral supplements"
and on Page 14 you mentioned vitamin supplements.

What specifically are you using? Or could you suggest the kind of thing that you are using and hopefully I can get it here (downunder).

By the way your book is great I learnt soo much. I just wish I could get some more of the cats to try out your methods. But there are also so many great points that work on my other fish as well.

Thanks for writing a great book!!!
Thanks in advance for your reply

Hello and thanks for the remarks,
I still haven't got the quote thing down yet, so I'll do it the old fashioned way.

The trace supplements I was talking about are simply used to get the required minerals back in the water for the fishes physiological functions as well as buffer reverse osmosis water. If you are already dealing with very soft, neutral or slightly acidic tap water, you may be able to get around the r.o. issue. I, on the other hand, have tap water with a pH of 8.5 and a TDS over 500 ppm. There is no real choice. Kent Marine is the manufacturer I have stuck with for the past 8 years. Sorry, but I don't know of any others. I tend to stick with what works for me.
If you cannot find a similar product, you can use dechlorinated tap water to get the same specifications, but may have to tinker with the pH a little more.
Likewise, the vitamin supplement is also a Kent product. I usually just use it when feeding frozen foods since I don't believe that there is a constant need for it. With that said, I have found that fry which have their food, frozen or otherwise, dosed with the product have gotten slightly faster growth rates. Zebras do exceptionally well on it.
Kent has a website at kentmarine.com
They may be able to direct you to someone who sells in that part of the world.
On a side note I would like to say something if the forum can bear with me. It's been nearly six years since I first sat down and started reviewing my journals to get that book together. At that time, there was very little information available and it was nearly impossible to replicate the few published instances of spawning these fish. I was lucky enough to have been able to reproduce my results repetitively, and know why. I would first like to thank those members of the forum who first inspired me to take the project underway in the old catfish-l mailing list. I would then like to extend a special thanks for all the individuals who have told me how much of a difference I was able to make in their tanks. I especially get a kick out of the ones, there have been several, who have called me a PLECO GOD. I don't think anyone knows how it make me feel to know that my work has been appreciated at that level.

Thank you all,
Larry Vires

Hi Pl.eco God ;) ,
I´m quite glad to recognize that you are still living.
And most of all confirming your successes told in your book here again.
In German speaking countries there were already many aquarists in doubt of your successes. Your book, not available on legal ways, nowhere (in the U.S. bookdealers sell blueprints for 25 $, that´s also the way, I got my copy), then no fotos as a prove at all. And no Larry Vires to contact anywhere.
It seemed really a bit strange. About two month ago I asked Ingo Seidel (one of the leading pl.eco breeders in Germany, "Welsatlas") about your person, he also didn´t know anything, ...
Jools was the only person saying "Yes it´s true, it´s no fake" ;)
Rumor factory tells, you´re planning a new edition of your book with fotos? What´s true on it?
I´m looking forward to keep a legally bought Larry Vires book with some fotos in my hands, and not only a legendary blueprint ;)

Larry,

Would like to see a couple photos here if you can spare some? If you've not figured that out yet, then please email or PM me and we'll sort something out.

I'm sure everyone else would too?

Jools

G'day Pl*co GOD or Larry without his disguise

After a lot of searching I eventually found your book {By the way I bought what I am assured is a real copy of your book!} and then I was told that you were indeed still alive, just not online. No further information was obtainable as to what you were doing or what area of study you had moved into. I was thinking the worst, that you had left us.

It is wonderful to find out that you are indeed a real person, that is alive, well and now even online. It just keeps getting better.

Thanks for your prompt reply. Hopefully I won't come up with too many more questions for you.

Thanks for sharing all of your valuable information.
Sinatra

Hello again,
Several statements have been made over the years about the lack of photos in the original printing. At the time I did the book, finding a publisher which would accept the project for anything other than minimal payment was not possible. A major international publisher offered me $350 as is, and that was the best offer. As a result, I took it upon myself to publish and didn't realize all the repercussions involved. To make this a shorter story, I'll go ahead and say it. At this moment, there is a revised and updated edition of the book on my desk. I still have to do some work on it as there are several species which I haven't even added yet, but I expect to be finished with it by the first of the year.
Here's the bad news. Because there were so many problems with the first edition, I will not be self-publishing this version. This is the part that is going to upset a few people. I have spoke with 2 publisher, both of which can give international sales, but neither of them has been ecstatic about a lot of pictures being included. This was a big surprise to me as well. I am considering, still not confirmed as to my capability, producing a HTML based set of photos which I will distribute myself.
Any way I go about it, it will be at least a year, probably longer, before any kind of update is available to the public. The photo set could even be another 6 months past that. I am still looking for other prospective publishers, but I honestly believe I've talked to most of them that can do the distribution I'm looking for.
I can't even begin to explain how it makes me feel to think that the German hobby has doubted my work. At first, I tried to tell myself that it really doesn't matter, but the fact is that I wrote the book to get the knowledge base out there. For that reason, it does matter. I had thought that I had accomplished that and it is quite contrary to that goal.
I was contacted earlier this year regarding the black market copies of the book being available as various pdf files as well as the illegal copies which are being sold and exchanged. My response to the individual was that I really didn't mind them since they were still just advancing the available base. This can be confirmed by a member of this forum if they are willing to step forward. I will not name names.
I am also aware of the fact that the book was very difficult to get because I was unable to promote it the way it should have been done. That in itself was probably the major contributing factor for this to be done. That is the reason I do not want to self-publish the next edition. I'm sure a better known publisher can work around those obstacles better than I can.

Larry Vires

Hi Larry,
I don´t know, if it´s useful for you, but in Germany there is a publishing house called "Verlag Natur und Wissenschaft".
The two owners, Dr. Jürgen Schmidt and Harro Hieronimus are well known aquarium book authors. Harro is president of the German Liveabear Association and the German Rainbow Fisch Association. Former he was also frontman of the BSSW (catfishes, loaches, ...).
They are mainly publishing very special books in their publishing house.
Perhaps they are interested in your theme.

Maybe this would be a chance for you? Or is Germany too far away?

Asking is for free...
Here´s the contact:

mailto: info@verlagnw.de

Walter Wrote:

I don´t know, if it´s useful for you, but in Germany there is a publishing house called "Verlag Natur und Wissenschaft".
The two owners, Dr. Jürgen Schmidt and Harro Hieronimus are well known aquarium book authors. Harro is president of the German Liveabear Association and the German Rainbow Fisch Association. Former he was also frontman of the BSSW (catfishes, loaches, ...)

Larry,
BTW: Harro is (was till it went static) a frequent posted on the Cat-L listserve.

I have to add, in all sincerity, the lack of photos both in your book and at a number of Aquarium Society meeting programs you presented created more than a few cynics. This list of cynics has at times, regarding certain statements in print or in person included me.

That said; I do want to thank and congradulate you on the original work. As flawed and minimal as it is (given the $$$ constraints of self-publication), it was the first of it's kind and acted as a catalyst to get more people thinking about breeding these fishes. I do look forward to your new book.
Mike Evans in Northwood Iowa always used to say; "All fish breed, otherwise we wouldn't have any!" Your book reminds people of the simple truth in this statement.

Hello,

I spoke with Harro about the publishing of the first copy. The rate on getting the book published wasn't bad, but at the time it was still basically a self-publishing. They quoted me a rate on production of the book with black and white pics, color not available, and it seemed like a fair price. However, shipping from Germany for marketing in the states was going to eat me alive. Therefore, I chose a different means.

I can understand the skepticism now that I am looking at the opinions posted here. I myself have in the past worried about the response with the lack of photos in my presentations. However, I have only over the past year or so became a decent fish photographer. Most of the good photos I have are still taken by a friend who is really into photography. I have a disk with a few pics on it somewhere, but I'm still having trouble finding everything. I'll get some posted online as soon as I can find it. If not here, I am planning a personal site and will post the address.

Larry Vires

What kind of price did they quote you for the production? (I might have a professional interest )

Hi!

Please for such question a PM would be a better idea or open a new topic in Speak easy for such thread...
Lets try to get back to our Lories...
Cheers
Yann

HI Larry,
Long time, no see! Nice to see you out and about again. Please contact me off-list - we've got some things to talk about.

Mike Schadle