Emperors are here!

The forum for the very best information on loaches of all types. Come learn from our membership's vast experience!

Moderator: LoachForumModerators

User avatar
Emma Turner
Posts: 8901
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Post by Emma Turner » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:04 pm

Congratulations, Mike, you sound so excited! 8) With the 5" specimens at the shop (some of which went home with Mad Duff & Graeme) we have all seen marked sexual dimorphism in that the males have a much larger head with fleshier lips. Females seem to have a more rounded snout. I have seen colourful specimens of both sexes.

Emma
Image
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
Image

Mike Ophir
Posts: 417
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 9:22 pm
Location: MA, USA

Post by Mike Ophir » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:13 pm

Thanks for the comments guys and gals. I really am enjoying them...they are such an active fish. They are constantly out and about, doing the loachy dance and shoaling around the whole aquarium. They seem quite placid as others had reported and in return, the other loach inhabitants do not seem to be bothering them either. Their color patterning is quite striking. How does their appearance change as they grow? The group I have now are 4 inches long on average....I am really happy that an opportunity came along to get some. Many thanks go to Frank for looking for some for me.

Will keep you updated on how they develop. Is this really the first shipment of them to the USA?

Mike
A proud member of LOL since 1998

User avatar
Emma Turner
Posts: 8901
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Post by Emma Turner » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:25 pm

Mike Ophir wrote:Is this really the first shipment of them to the USA?
Mike
Frank received a shipment in May 2007, about a month after we received the first UK import if I remember rightly. This is only the second batch that has been collected for the aquarium trade though.

Emma
Image
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
Image

User avatar
Frank M. Greco
Posts: 91
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:01 pm
Location: Long Island, NY
Contact:

Post by Frank M. Greco » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:25 pm

Mike Ophir wrote:Will keep you updated on how they develop. Is this really the first shipment of them to the USA? Mike
Hi Mike. Glad you liked the fish. This is not the first time I've had them. I got them about a year ago, and then they disappeared from the import lists. Now they are back, and at a much more reasonable price.
Frank M. Greco

Mike Ophir
Posts: 417
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 9:22 pm
Location: MA, USA

Post by Mike Ophir » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:44 pm

Yes, indeed. I wonder what could account for the price drop? More available? Easier access to their native habitat?

Mike
A proud member of LOL since 1998

User avatar
Mad Duff
Posts: 2821
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:58 am
Location: Middlesbrough, UK
Contact:

Post by Mad Duff » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:02 am

Lovely looking fish Mike :D

Like Emma said the key to sexing them seems to be the shape of the face males have longer faces with bigger lips while females are more rounded, also like Emma I have seen colour variations among my males and females, I have come to the conclusion that when they go paler its their version of greying out in clowns or going totally silver in sids.

I have 4 large Histrionicas in with my emperors and they get on really well and more or less permanently shoal together.
Image

Pardon my honesty - I am a Northerner

14 loach species bred, which will be next?

User avatar
Frank M. Greco
Posts: 91
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:01 pm
Location: Long Island, NY
Contact:

Post by Frank M. Greco » Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:50 am

Mike Ophir wrote:Yes, indeed. I wonder what could account for the price drop? More available? Easier access to their native habitat?

Mike
Probably both as easier access would make more available. Or they were not selling many at the old price and decided to lower it.
Frank M. Greco

User avatar
tariesindanrie
Posts: 2311
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: Berea, Kentucky- USA

Post by tariesindanrie » Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:57 am

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Just beautiful, Mike!!! Thanks so much for sharing the pics, though I am sure they don't do them full justice. Please keep us updated!


Kate
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”- Dr. Seuss

mickthefish
Posts: 3281
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:20 pm
Location: manchester, england

Post by mickthefish » Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:07 am

mike is that overall length as if it is they are starting to send younger fish over.
good looking healthy fish a credit to you and frank your supplier.

mick

NancyD
Posts: 1608
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:17 pm
Location: SF bay area,US

Post by NancyD » Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:13 am

Congrats Mike! Great looking fish!
Image

User avatar
Doc
Posts: 422
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:36 pm
Location: Grange Park, Thatto Heath. St Helens.
Contact:

Post by Doc » Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:29 am

I'm jealous. I really want some Emperors. I'll just have to wait a little longer. Those look gorgeous Mike.
So many species of fish yet so little time, space and money to keep them all...

User avatar
Bully
Posts: 384
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:08 pm
Location: South Wales

Post by Bully » Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:43 am

Lovely looking fish!!
Doc wrote:I'm jealous. I really want some Emperors.
That sums it up for me too :)

User avatar
Frank M. Greco
Posts: 91
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:01 pm
Location: Long Island, NY
Contact:

Post by Frank M. Greco » Fri Aug 29, 2008 12:21 pm

mickthefish wrote:mike is that overall length as if it is they are starting to send younger fish over.mick
Hi Mick. The first ones I got were about 7" TL, or perhaps a hair (fin?) longer.
Frank M. Greco

Mike Ophir
Posts: 417
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 9:22 pm
Location: MA, USA

Post by Mike Ophir » Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:03 pm

Good point Mick,

They are definately smaller than photos I have seen of large specimens here on the LOL species index page.

Mike
A proud member of LOL since 1998

newshound
Posts: 630
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:05 pm
Location: northern ontario

Post by newshound » Fri Aug 29, 2008 7:49 pm

frank I love your website.
I will order from you someday!
drain your pool!

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 112 guests