PlanetCatfish.com

Andrew wrote: ↑01 Sep 2022, 14:31 Check this out:

That's pretty cool! Nice souvenir!

Time's running out...

Hotel Rooms must be reserved by Wednesday, Sept 14
T-Shirts must be ordered by Thursday, Sept 15 (we'll have a few extras but can't guarantee availability or price)

See you soon!

Hello,
Jolls I'll take an XL shirt , please.

Martin Ortiz

Andrew wrote: ↑01 Sep 2022, 14:31 Check this out:

I get a URL expired error on that image? Now we all want to see it!

Jools

Jools wrote: ↑14 Sep 2022, 16:01

Andrew wrote: ↑01 Sep 2022, 14:31 Check this out:

I get a URL expired error on that image? Now we all want to see it!

Jools

It was a rack with a series of glasses, each marked with the logo of a CatCon year. Pretty impressive; nice accent to a man cave or a lady lair / she shed.

Cheers, Eric

TwoTankAmin wrote: ↑31 Aug 2022, 15:06 I am in. While PC T-shirts would be cool, I never wear T-shirts and do not own any. On the other hand my bro must have over 100 Grateful Dead and other band T-shirts.

Of all the speakers for the Convention the one I most want to meets and be able to talk with is Leandro. All my plecos are Big bend fish and he sure knows that stretch of river. Next most is Eric.

The last two CatCons I sponsored several speaakers. But the ones I wanted to do this time have been taken.

Unfortunately, for me this event is most work. So I do get to do much more than set-up the room for sales, sell, sleep, pack up to leave and, with luck, attend at least one presentation. This is my farewell tour as well as it is for the event.

Hello Chris,
I really did not want to tell you his, but when people meet Eric they act polite and say nice things, reality is other wise. He is a great guy and full of insights, wink wink. It will be his pleasure to meet you as it will be mine.
It will be a great event!
Double Cheers,
Martin Ortiz

Mexnotex wrote: ↑17 Sep 2022, 01:11Hello Chris,
I really did not want to tell you his, but when people meet Eric they act polite and say nice things, reality is other wise. He is a great guy and full of insights, wink wink. It will be his pleasure to meet you as it will be mine.
It will be a great event!
Double Cheers,
Martin Ortiz

All true.

So, I could not wait until Friday the 7th to arrive, so I rebooked to come on Thursday.

I have a lot of L173 offspring from my breeding group which originated from TR parents. I sold that breeding group and 15 of their kids with them. I have a whole lot of children left. (Sizes TL) In a 33L are about the 50 smallest. Most <1.25 in. maybe a few hit 1.25 -1.5. In a 125 are about 60 from 2.5 to a few around 4 inch. Finally, there are 40 from 1.5 to 2.5 in a 40b on the terrace. I could bring about 100 and have a sale? Go home with none....

Also, the person who bought the F1 L173s here will pick them up at the event Friday. So I should be able to send Jools home with donation in the form of green and white pictures of dead presidents.

TwoTankAmin wrote: ↑17 Sep 2022, 08:12So I should be able to send Jools home with donation in the form of green and white pictures of dead presidents.

Awesome, thanks! Good to see the fishes getting spread around the US too.

Cheers,

Jools

T-Shirts order put in! I got a few extra. Sorry Andi, sizes only went up to XXL, but I am sure we can find you something!

Cheers,

Jools

Jools wrote: ↑28 Sep 2022, 10:28 T-Shirts order put in! I got a few extra. Sorry Andi, sizes only went up to XXL, but I am sure we can find you something!

Cheers,

Jools

Everyone attending the Saturday Banquet, make sure to wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt!

Andrew wrote: ↑30 Sep 2022, 14:29 Everyone attending the Saturday Banquet, make sure to wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt!

we are going shopping today, that I'll well dressed

Cheers Andi

I have never nor do I plant ever to own a Hawaiian shirt. Plus, after years of attending events I have learned that hotel food for these things is usually awful and inevitably cold when served. My practice in the past was when, as a vendor/sponsor, I got meal tickets which came with that, I told the sponsoring org. either to use that portion of my fee as a donation to the org. or to give the meal tickets away to somebody who might use them. Usually they go to one of the volunteers workers who make the event possible or to the spouse of one of the speakers which is fine with me.

At every CatCon I have attended in the past I spent Saturday evening packing up most of the stuff I drag along with me to be a room seller. I am usually up until 3 a.m. to get it done. I need to have it all packed and back in my car to make the Sunday noon check-out time.

Unfortunately, CatCon is more like work than fun for me, for the most part. And I am going smallish this year- 2 x 20L and 2 x 10 tanks. But I will also use a smaller Rubbermaid or two as well.

I normally try to attend one or even two of the presentations, but my experience has been the 3rd floor can be active for selling as long as one is in their room and the door is open.

TwoTankAmin wrote: ↑30 Sep 2022, 17:29 I have never nor do I plant ever to own a Hawaiian shirt. Plus, after years of attending events I have learned that hotel food for these things is usually awful and inevitably cold when served. My practice in the past was when, as a vendor/sponsor, I got meal tickets which came with that, I told the sponsoring org. either to use that portion of my fee as a donation to the org. or to give the meal tickets away to somebody who might use them. Usually they go to one of the volunteers workers who make the event possible or to the spouse of one of the speakers which is fine with me.

At every CatCon I have attended in the past I spent Saturday evening packing up most of the stuff I drag along with me to be a room seller. I am usually up until 3 a.m. to get it done. I need to have it all packed and back in my car to make the Sunday noon check-out time.

Unfortunately, CatCon is more like work than fun for me, for the most part. And I am going smallish this year- 2 x 20L and 2 x 10 tanks. But I will also use a smaller Rubbermaid or two as well.

I normally try to attend one or even two of the presentations, but my experience has been the 3rd floor can be active for selling as long as one is in their room and the door is open.

Hello Chris,
I sent an email not sure if you have seen it.
Can you send me a PM, please?
M Martin Ortiz

Andrew wrote: ↑30 Sep 2022, 14:29 Everyone attending the Saturday Banquet, make sure to wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt!

Or kilt?

Jools

Jools wrote: ↑02 Oct 2022, 16:24

Andrew wrote: ↑30 Sep 2022, 14:29 Everyone attending the Saturday Banquet, make sure to wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt!

Or kilt?

Jools

I think just pink kilts will be accepted

Jools wrote: ↑02 Oct 2022, 16:24

Andrew wrote: ↑30 Sep 2022, 14:29Everyone attending the Saturday Banquet, make sure to wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt!

Or kilt?

Jools

Kilts are okay as long as they're purchased at Hilo Hattie's!

See you soon!
Cheers,
Eric

P.S., if kilts were an Irish phenomenon, I would have said buy them at "Hil O'Hatties!"

Perhaps this would do: https://mauiceltic.com/hawaii-tartan.htm - see you all soon, Rob and I meet in Dublin then head out.

T-Shirts and mugs are packed!

Cheers,

Jools

Maybe a Hawaiian shirt with a kilt?

Andrew wrote: ↑05 Oct 2022, 01:16 Maybe a Hawaiian shirt with a kilt?

That's it

It could happen!

Jools

Getting my final affairs sorted ... well not quite THAT FINAL... but anyway, getting my last chores done before tomorrow's flight and I get an announcement that my flight has been moved two hours earlier. Ugh, now I'm getting up at about 3am to be on time. Dang, that did not make me happy. It will be sweet, though, to arrive at CatCon and relax.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Cheers, Eric

I also suffered some flight chaos out of Edinburgh. However, it resulted in me being on the same flight out of Dublin as Rob Graham (zebrapleco.com) and his son who had flown in from Glasgow. As luck would have it they were sitting behind me.

Imagine our suprise when Steve Grant turned up and sat next to them. What are the chances?

How fun is that?!

Cheers, Eric

I did a very stupid thing. Years ago i received a box with 99 zebras in one big bag. Ultimately there were 3 DOAs with two fish dying soon after they vame out of the big bag into a bucket of clean water. So I fibured it was possible to ship like this.

I bagged 38 L173s in a 19 inch wide 32 inch tall double bag. Losys of air and a bunch of PolyFilter in the water. I bagged them last night about 10 pm. I decided to check on them at 7 tinight and it was a disaster. 27 dead fish and 11 alive. I am am a fool.

I just jacked the second box with fish boxed bagged more traditionally. 5 -7 fish/bag and 8 or 10 inch bages with lots of air. All the fish were fine in those bags. What I had done was all those bags were in a tallish styro and the all but one bag was vertical. Now I have space open and am laying the bags horizonatally but not stacked.

Fortunately I can still bring 19 from TR parents as well as a few true F1 173. I also have some smaller RB line 236 and then a proven reverse trio of 236 from an unidentified European breeder with offspring from both the bachelor male and the pair.

I hate it when I do something dumb and I kill fish. I was trying to do less bagging and instead I created lass fish

Hi TTA,

I'm sorry for your loss. That hurts, especially when we can know it was our action that led to the problem. I told myself long ago that I will always make mistakes, no matter how long I'm at this. Just learn and move on.

See you soon,
Eric

Got home a few hours ago. I had a great time and so did most of the folks there as far as i could tell. I saw all of those crazy flying Scotsmen. I met Eric and Leandro Sousa who is likely the world's foremost expert on the fish of the Rio Xingo which is from where all of my plecos come.

Catfish people are all pretty great folks. I am sorry this may have been the last CatCon.

The best part was in talking with Barbie who, more than any body else, was the one person who made most of what I have done with plecos over the last 16 years possible as well as teaching me some of the more important things I needed to learn. She told me she had met somebody who, when they found out she worked with plecos, suggested Barbie might learn a lot by talking to me. That one made me really laugh. There is nothing I know about plecos or spawning them that she didn't know at least a decade before me and most likely was the one who taught it to me.

I also got to see and talk a bit with Shane Linder and Stephan Tanner. Pretty much the only time I get to see any of these great folks is at an event like CatCon.

Finally, I sold a few of my high dollar fish and managed to make sure some of it ended up helping this site, the Potomac Valley Aquarium Society who hosted the event and IctioXingu. Being able to do that is one of the benefits of working with the fish. It is important that as many of us in the hobby support such organizations because, without them, there may be no hobby.

Just got home. What a wonderful weekend, seeing old friends again and meeting some (including Shane and TTA) for the first time. This was the best CatfishCon I've ever been to. (Okay. It's the only one I've ever been to also, but it was still the best:)) ).

Cheers and thanks to everyone in PVAS and elsewhere who put it on. Thank you to all the sponsors, especially Plecocaves.com which sponsored my presentation.

Now to look forward to the next Cataclysm and whatever comes after.

Cheers, Eric

#MoreTanksForCairn

Pleased to hear everyone had a good time, I had the flights, hotel and ticket to the previous CatCon booked but then covid cancelled it, unfortunately I couldn't make this one, but do plan to be at Cataclysm next year, hopefully I'll see some of you there!