..something from the rare fish front I want to share:
yesterday I was at OF-Aquaristik (a small Importer/wholesaler) near Frankfurt. Oliver (the owner) frequently gives me the opportunity to fotograph some fish of his collection (and, of course, size up my own; usually, I don´t go there to buy something, but rarely leave without at least one bag), and this time I was very delighted to actually see some Kronichthys lacerta. Didn´t expect to actually see some in my life without going to Argentina. If I had a basement where I could keep "cold" fishes, I would have bought them without one further thought.
Just two of the better shots I could get without setting up a foto tank (they are browner in real life; that´s because of the built-in flash I had to use):
According to literature, they are a very delicate fish despite their size of approx. 10cm. They require high levels of oxygen, well treated water and definately lower temperatures, around 20°C and below. Unfortunately, conditions I could not maintain in a south-side, ground floor appartement with mainly Xingu-type catfish tanks..
Cheers, Sandor
P.S.: Will also send some to Jools, but without the annoying text, of course!