Potentially Another World First!

It is moments like these that are truly special. We put a lot of time and effort into our work. This makes it all worth it! The only other feeling that comes close to this is collecting a new species of fish. It is with great pride that we share that potential first spawning of Tatia gyrina!

We will be the first to admit that there are probably not a lot of people keeping this species but it has been coming in to the hobby over the last few years quite regularly. It is likely that most of the imports are coming out of Peru. While the distribution of this species as listed as Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Suriname, it is highly unlikely these are all the same species. This would mean a distribution of several thousands of miles and living in rivers that do not connect to each other.

The original description of Tatia gyrina comes from Iquitos, Peru (Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2008).  Specimens from Suriname are stated to be the same species from Peru but we have our doubts. Further DNA testing may shed some light on this intriguing story. Until then, we will assume that the fish from Peru are the original T. gyrina.

The species itself is pretty straight forward for woodcat species. They reach approx. 2 1/4-2 1/2″ and a 10 gallon aquarium outfitted with a sponge filter is all that is needed. Place aquarium sand, driftwood and some small caves in the aquarium and you have the perfect environment for this species. A diet of frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, Daphnia and the occasional feedings of small pellets and flake foods are all that are needed.

Our fish are now several years old and so it was not so surprising with an increase in water changes and feedings that our group produced eggs. The water we use is half tap water and half R/O water. We have shared this previously with you and this gives us a pH under 7.0 with a hardness of just under 100 ppm. Fingers crossed that we can raise these up! Stay tuned for more updated and do not forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel! For additional photos of the parent fish, check out our photos on PlanetCatfish.com at: Tatia Gyrina PlanetCatfish.com Profile

Colombia and Venezuela Rainy Season

We write this post to share news of the Colombia and Venezuela 2018 rainy season. This year marks the worst flooding in over 40 years! Many families have been displaced along such iconic rivers of the Rio Meta, Rio Atabapo, Rio Vita and of course down river on the Rio Orinoco. Over 4,000 people and nearly 1,300 families have been affected. While this number may seem small, many of these families are the same families that fish for our beloved fish species like Altum Angelfish, Panda Uaru, Blue Phantom Plecos and many more!

Our guide and exporter, Hernando Gil, notified our collecting group of the flooding a few weeks ago. It only seemed like the right thing to do to send funds to people of Colombia. So our entire group worked on pooling our money together to send down. Just this week, Hernando received the funds and will be looking to send some much needed supplies.

Colombia is more than just the fish we collect, it is also about the people. With our group heading to Puerto Carreno, where the Rio Meta and the Rio Orinoco meet, it is important to take care of the people that invite us into their great country. We wish we could do more to assist them and we will continue to look for ways to help. Hopefully things return back to normal for the people of Colombia. Until then, we will be thinking about them.

Dates for Colombia 2019 are Set!

The dates for Colombia 2019 are set. We are super excited to be going back. The plan is to head to Puerto Carreno in northeast Colombia along the Venezuela border. There are many fish that come from this region, in particular, Loricariidae. Such notable species include: Peckoltia sp. “L-103”, Panaqulos sp. “L-104”, Hemiancistrus sp. “L-128”, Hypancistrus debilittera L-129, Leporacanthicus sp. “L-326” and a whole bunch of other species that are not regularly imported!

A lot of planning will go into this trip. There is a long list of things to do before we go such as buying gear, buying a new camera (our old water proof camera is now 8 years old!) and preparing new aquariums for new and interesting species. We are also trying to spot a few places to visit in hopes of finding new fish. If you have never been to South America to collect fish, we highly recommend it. It is a beautiful and magical place with so much to offer. But there is still a long wait until we leave.  Until then, please enjoy a video from this year’s trip.