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PCS & Stuart M. Grant - Cichlid Preservation Fund - Details here


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Lichnochromis Acuticeps - Malawi Gar


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#21 Fox

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Posted 09 September 2014 - 10:03 AM

Kathy (humbug) is at Lake Malawi at the moment :)

#22 humbug

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Posted 28 September 2014 - 02:50 PM

Saw some beauties in the tanks of the exporters Stuart M Grant at Senga Bay, Malawi, a couple of weeks ago.  Three large fish including a huge male, plus a stack of smaller fish.  Kept being drawn back to that tank time and time again.  Some stunning fish in the fish house, but there is something special about the lichnos.   Soooo frustrating seeing those and other beautiful fish there - so close and yet so impossibly far.  Will post some photos of them when I get a chance. 

 

Mine are making all the signs of thinking about breeding.  Dominant male is coloured up again. The boys are bickering. Might look at separating them out into a quieter tank, but I just think they are too young yet.  They just need a bit of time and patience. 



#23 Fox

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Posted 28 September 2014 - 08:04 PM

Please share all your pics here Kathy, We wont complain about how many there is :) And if someone does I'll tell them to shut up hahah



#24 Redevilz

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Posted 28 September 2014 - 08:25 PM

Haha.

What he said.

#25 Mattymak

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Posted 29 September 2014 - 02:00 AM

Agree with Az also! Haha

#26 humbug

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Posted 29 September 2014 - 09:24 AM

Will do - when I can find a few minutes to breath!  The "complainers" are just my fellow admin on that group - they like to give me stick. Don't take them seriously!  Who needs enemies with mates like that :) .  Just wish it was easier to post photos on forums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Need to find an easier way to share this stuff with people!


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#27 Fox

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Posted 29 September 2014 - 04:16 PM

Easy way to to it is to copy and paste the photos from FB.

#28 humbug

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Posted 01 October 2014 - 10:10 PM

Some photos of wild caught Lichnos in the fish house at Stuart M Grant Ltd, Senga Bay, Malawi, taken 8 & 10 September, 2014.  I may have more photos of other lichnos I took later in the trip, but I haven't got there just yet. 

 

Sorry about the quality of some of these - the tanks are heavily encrusted and photography is challenging.  I won't apologise, though, for the number of shots  (only a fraction of what I took).  I was positively drooling over these fish.  I KEPT being drawn back to that tank.  The big male was HUGE!!!!   I was more than relieved that these fish had been shipped by the time I returned later in the trip!

 

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Edited by humbug, 01 October 2014 - 10:13 PM.


#29 humbug

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Posted 02 October 2014 - 08:15 PM

A few photos of my Lichnochromis taken this afternoon.

 

 

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The boys sparring

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Flirting with the girls

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#30 Fox

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Posted 02 October 2014 - 08:31 PM

So stunning Kathy! I really hope you breed these and get them on the market again.
The top lip on the wilds are a little different, were they breeding these or were they getting ready for transport ?

#31 humbug

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Posted 02 October 2014 - 09:20 PM

The exporter (Stuart M Grant Ltd) do no captive breeding other than the two species they are breeding for re-release for the SMG Conservation Trust. 

 

All of the fish are wild caught and then shipped out to buyers.  David was saying that they sell very few haps other than to Hong Kong.  HK generally buy large display males - hence why there are so many adult males in the tanks.  Having said that, I think the large Lichnos in my photos went out in a large shipment to France. 

 

Over the next few days I'll put together a bit of a photo essay describing how they catch the fish and then handle them through to export. Will post it on the forum. 


Oh, and the fish I photographed at SMG in Malawi are MUCH bigger than mine!  Those fish were MASSIVE!!! 



#32 deliriouz

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Posted 04 October 2014 - 09:20 AM

Awesome trip! Can I ask if you have to take praziquantel after the dives?

#33 humbug

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Posted 04 October 2014 - 01:32 PM

The cost of the safari was pretty reasonable, I thought.  The cost of airfares was less than I expected.  The cost of a few extra days food and accommodation to chill out before the trip proper started was ludicrously cheap!  The expense of some new diving gear and camera gear - you wear that because it was overdue anyway.  But the cost of vaccinations and medications!!!!!!  Eeeeesh - that's something I hadn't reckoned on!

 

OK - I went the full hog.  Tetanus, diphtheria, Hep A & B, cholera, yellow fever, rabies and a stack more I can't think of now.  Three visits to the travel doctor and a very sore arm for several weeks.  Add to that the malaria treatment . . . . . its not cheap!!!!!!!! 

 

And now I need to consider the possibility of bilharzia.  The waters we were diving in are a problem.  The Australia Government travel advice for Malawi says quite clearly - don't swim in the lake.  Hmmm - a bit difficult on a diving holiday.  Two schools of advice - one says wait 12 weeks and have a blood test to see if you are infected.  If so, treat with antibiotics before permanent liver damage is done.  Other school says assume you have it and just treat for it.  Will get advice from my doctor on that one.

 

Sounds like a whole heap of reasons not to travel to Malawi.  Was it worth it????  YOU BET YOU IT WAS!!!!!!!!!  A few bucks, a few jabs and the inconvenience of taking a few tablets -  for the opportunity to experience what I've had the extreme privilege of seeing???  :)


Edited by humbug, 04 October 2014 - 01:34 PM.

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#34 deliriouz

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Posted 04 October 2014 - 06:06 PM

I would take the praziquantel anyway! I was on the shores of lake Victoria in 09 but decided against diving in as I wasn't keen to catch shisto. Regret not doing it now.

Edited by deliriouz, 04 October 2014 - 06:25 PM.


#35 -Rob-

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Posted 10 October 2014 - 10:21 AM

I am so glad to see you have a colony that could breed, best of luck, they are such a great fish. The male at Senga bay is a beauty! How big was he - he looks to be around a foot long. Here is a couple of shots of my male from a few years back.

 

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Edited by -Rob-, 10 October 2014 - 10:22 AM.


#36 humbug

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Posted 10 October 2014 - 08:09 PM

Great shots, Rob!!!  I've found the sods are pretty hard to photograph - just sooooo fast! 

 

The big male in the fish house in Malawi must have been at least 12 inches.  He was BIG.  Mine are nothing like that size yet - just babies still. 

 

I've just got home from a few days away with the family at the beach.  Took the opportunity to spend some time looking at video I took on the Malawi trip.  I have some footage of that tank, but I've spent the evening trying to teach myself how to edit and upload video.  As soon as I crack it, I'll post it, but don't hold your breath :wacko:



#37 humbug

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Posted 29 October 2014 - 06:56 AM

Here's some footage of the Lichnos in the fish house at Stuart M Grant Ltd in Malawi, 10 Sept 2014

 


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#38 Fox

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Posted 29 October 2014 - 08:45 PM

Look at those big beautiful big lips :)

 

 

Sensational looking species.

Thanks for sharing Kathy.



#39 -Rob-

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Posted 30 October 2014 - 07:23 AM

That is something really special you captured there Kathy, thanks heaps for sharing it.

 

Looks like those ones are the Malawi side variant which differ slightly to the Tanzania side variant we have here. 



#40 Hypanheaven

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 10:02 PM

I bought a heap a while back from Werdna, problem i had is that they demanded space, yes you can have them in 6x2 but the dominant male basically wants the whole tank, i started with 12, ended up with 3! caught them eating each other on more than one occasion, had a few pass away from choking on the buddy they were trying to eat! amazing looking though!

Probably from experience wouldn't recommend them in a community tank, the last 3 were happy in a 5x2 but couldnt put anything else in there....thats my experience anyways






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