It is just as Paul says: The main problem is getting such fish via parcel shipped to the UK. Temperature is the main problem. Paros can survive four or five days without problems in tiny plastic bottles hiding below a leaf because they don’t swim very much. But the temperature should not fall below 15 degrees Celsius. And we really don’t know how long the parcel will take to reach it’s final destiny. More than a week and things get critical. But maybe there is a solution, even for Hugues’ fish? Tell it here!
Generally speaking: There was no problem in Britain as Paro’s are concerned as long as Allan Brown was active as one of the best breeders of these fish ever. Every year he bred many species and variants with great success and brought all of them to the continent. But about three years ago he quit all his fishkeeping, and now Britain is a “distressed area” in this respect. It’s a pity!
In Germany, the many pupils of Dr. Walther Foersch have established a wide net of breeding Paro’s; nearly all species and quite a few variants are available. Our distribution network works quite well, but now winter is approaching; this will hamper the exchange of these fish over long distances.
But let me remind you of an important date: next autumn, 2013 (!), 28./29th September, we will organize in Hamburg the first international meeting of the Parosphromenus-Project (with lectures by M. Hallmann, H. Linke and others, simultaneously translated). Maybe, some American or Asian visitors will come, too; I shall ask Olivier Perrin from Paris to talk to us and so on. And there will be at least ten species available in greater numbers (among them two forms of nagyi, of linkei, filamentosus, quindecim, spec. Langgam, harvey, possibly parvulus, ornaticauda, and others). We would be very glad if some visitors from Britain would come and take many of these fish back home for their friends. We could and should organize this well in advance, beginning now.
So, I hope, Hugues will find a way for his fine collection, maybe in Britain, but that is up to him and the opportunities that we need for such a travel. The other thing is the long-term schedule: please note that date and place that I mentioned. There will be more information on it in newsletters to come.
### I just see the last posting of Andy’s now, it obviously was written simultaneously with me writing my message. Andy: a very good idea! We have some breeders with many species. If you come around I can organize the contacts and you could catch (nearly) as many fish as you want. If this i sthe right way, then write to me personally using: peter.finke@t-online.de
The
PAROSPHROMENUS PROJECT
