Fish: Re: [tropical fish club] Re: Buying Giant Gourami's

Hi Ray and Jeniffer
I have a horror story to tell when I went to a friends wedding many years ago.
The wedding was on a weekend and it was in the London area so we were to be gone
over the weekend.

At this time I was very new at keeping fish ( water keeper really; he he) and
for some reason I had raised the temperature up probably due to ick or something
but I forgot to turn it down before I left.
The poor unfortunate kid I had got to come in to feed cats and fiddies alike
came to a tank full of dead fish. Of course he didn't know it was overheated and
he was a little more then worried that I would be mad at him.

All I had left after that incident was one Sword Tail.
I have learned my lesson and I haven't boiled any fish since then. Touch wood (
just in case, I don't want to tempt fate).

________________________________
From: Ray <sevenspringss@wmconnect.com>
To: tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, December 21, 2010 5:53:25 AM
Subject: [tropical fish club] Re: Buying Giant Gourami's

Hi Jeniffer,

This is the problem weith having any inexperienced person watch & feed your fish
while you're away on vacation -- even when fully explaining to them (in your
best way of thinking) exactly how to do this. Most often, you'll come home to
dead fish, sometimes (usually) from overfeeding, or from other causes. Unless
the fish are really small, it's best not to even have anyone feed them as most
larger fish -- depending on their size -- can go without eating for at least 3
weeks OR MORE without dying from starvation. We don't like to see them go
hungry, but if the alternative is deathe due to ammonia poisoning at the hands
of someone not familiar with their maintenance, they're much better off with
missing a few meals.

As Giant Gouramis can easily reach 24", they're not the most popular fish found
in fish stores that the average community tank hobbyist would buy, so they're
not that commonly found. There presently are 3 sites offering them up on
AquaBid right now though, although they're not the original Osphronemus goramy,
(Giant Gourami). These are the very closely related Osphronemus laticlavicus,
(Giant Red Tail Gourami), which gets very near to the size of the original and
at least 20".

One Seller on AquaBid, from San Diego, CA, has a number of them at 4" for $25
each. There is another Seller in Portland Oregon with 3 1/2" fish at $20 each
(don't know if he has more than one). Then, there is another Seller in Arizona
with a 9" fish at $200+. All have nice color as all fins have red. Take your
pick if you don't mind having them shipped. I wouldn't know of any stire or
breeder local to you as I'm not in your area.

Ray

--- In tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com, "Jeniffer ~Dawson's Mommy~"
<cwgrlswty@...> wrote:
>
> My husband and I went on vacation for a week and had a house sitter. I
> warned the house sitter if my giant gourami's weren't here when I got back I
> would be very upset and go figure one of them died while I was gone . My
> problem is I got them from a pet store that went out of business and none of
> the other local pet stores around here have them. These are my favorite
> Gourami's and was wondering if anybody knew how I could find a breeder or
> fish store I could get more of them at? Thanks in advance for your help.
> Jeniffer
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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