What is your aquarium holy grail?

[GaryE]

Just for the fun of it, what are three fish or other aquarium inhabitants that you would love to keep, but can't find? If we know and see them, maybe we can help each other.
Mine are, in no special order:
Enigmatochromis lucanusii, a dwarf cichlid from Guinea, Benitochromis uffermani, a Cichlid from Cameroon, and Aphyosemion cameronense, a killie. I like African fish.

Are there any other Holy Grails out there in Canadaquarian minds?

[l_l_l]

I'd really love to lay hands upon the barilius canarensis.

[DJay]

My list of Holy Grail fish continues to grow as I reflect on those species that I've wanted for "forever." Whether I read about them as a kid (a long time ago!) or saw them on fish lists while working at a local aquarium store in my late teens (still a long time ago!) or even those species I've viewed more recently online, it seems there are always new discoveries and imports that make the list lengthen. Some of these fish I've seen in person, but we're unable to acquire at the time, while others have only been distant dreams. Not all are particularly "rare" but just unavailable in my hometown. Here is the first draft of my list, I suspect I'll be adding to it as days go by and I remember other species that I "have" to keep:

Barbus jae - a small African barb
Nannostomus espei - a vertically banded pencilfish
Ivanacara adoketa - a cool dwarf cichlid
Tilapia joka - a dwarf tilapia (although dwarf may be relative)
Betta macrostoma - a big, beautiful, mouth brooding betta
Crenicichla compressiceps - a dwarf pike cichlid
Neolebias ansorgii - an African tetra

[GaryE]

I had thriving colonies of barbus jae and Neoloebias ansorgii until about a year ago. The jae ran for close to 9 years but went out as the last young were all male. It is fantastic and I would love to get them again. The ansorgii just stopped breeding after a couple of generations. The green Congo ones have come to Montreal 3 times in 4 years.
T joka gets big. I've seen them - no dwarf there. And very aggressive. I. adoketa is being bred here and have been offered to me recently, but is expensive still. N espei is not uncommon in stores locally. C compressiceps comes every few years - a pretty but nasty little thing. They are super aggressive within their species. I only know one guy who has bred them without the couple killing each other.
Macrostoma can be gotten, but at hundreds of bucks each.

It pays to communicate though. Where are you? If by chance jae or ansorgii show up, I could grab extras and send them to you in season, at cost.

[alexmtl]

At this point of my current aquarium capacity I am focused on rare small livebearers. While I desire to specialize with livebearers I have been actively tracking other smaller fish, like some of the endangered pygmy sunfish, nothobranchius killies and lambrologus shell dwellers.

I would love to keep wild type angelfish again but in time when I am able to have large aquaria.

Each evening I try to dream a bit. I have a computer file that I use to actively take snapshots of rare fish from various sources, like wholesalers, other forums and online magazines, to fuel my thoughts.

Last year my holy grail included many of the Phallichthys species. I have them now, so the list has changed. Great thread Gary !

[vince0]

I finally reached one of my holy grails lasdt year and that was to successfully raise angelfish. I know it doesn't sound like much, considering everything else I've raised but for some reason success always eluded me. I finally did what I always do, and tried to get wild angel stock. I got close with my F1 Guyana red spot, and I have the fry to show.

Last year also brought me much success in the Corydoras breeding department. Through some expert advise, I redesigned my breeding strategy and now have the Sterbai and metae juvie to show for it.

I think next I will be doing discus. I also have many rainbowfish breeding projects at this point and am really enjoying this focus. Also, watching steve go, I think I might want to get into Koi one day.

[DJay]

Thanks for the response Gary!

It pays to communicate though. Where are you? If by chance jae or ansorgii show up, I could grab extras and send them to you in season, at cost.

I appreciate the offer. I'm in Edmonton, so a bit of a stretch from your part of the country. When the weather warms up, I may take you up on your offer if any of my list shows up. Thanks!

The ansorgii just stopped breeding after a couple of generations. The green Congo ones have come to Montreal 3 times in 4 years.

Lucky! I would love to find the red form though. They're the ones I always think of when I think Holy Grail

N espei is not uncommon in stores locally.

That's interesting. I've never seen these in person, unlike the frequently seen N. eques, or the Rasbora with the same species name, R. espei. Everything I've read online says they are uncommon and very challenging to keep/breed. Just goes to show, depending on where you are, common/uncommon is all relative.

T joka gets big. I've seen them - no dwarf there. And very aggressive.

Again, Internet reading vs. reality

[DJay]

Everything I've read said that males max out in aquaria at about 5" and females 3-4". Also, that they aren't nearly as aggressive as their similar looking cousins T. buttikoferi. Guess I won't be keeping these anytime soon.

I. adoketa is being bred here and have been offered to me recently, but is expensive still ... C compressiceps  comes every few years - a pretty but nasty little thing. They are super aggressive within their species. I only know one guy who has bred them without the couple killing each other.
Macrostoma can be gotten, but at hundreds of bucks each.

Yes, price plays a role in whether or not I ever end up with these fish

[DJay]

I've seen the compressiceps locally, but very quickly there was only a single male in the tank. I think that is the challenge ... Keeping even a pair from killing each other. That's one of the reasons it's a holy grail fish for me.

Thanks for all of your comments Gary! Makes me want some of these fish even more.

Duncan

*Sorry for all the consecutive posts! Really, not sure what happened ... not trying to pad my count
Was posting from my phone and it chopped up my one long post

[CAAIndie]

I've seen the compressiceps locally, but very quickly there was only a single male in the tank. I think that is the challenge ... Keeping even a pair from killing each other. That's one of the reasons it's a holy grail fish for me.

Thanks for all of your comments Gary! Makes me want some of these fish even more.

Duncan

*Sorry for all the consecutive posts! Really, not sure what happened ... not trying to pad my count
Was posting from my phone and it chopped up my one long post

no worries

[Sbenson11]

Hmmmm

Well I think I may have answered this question before and really the answer hasn't changed nor the controversial nature of it.

So as I have said before I would never even consider trying to keep such a magnificent animal such as this unless I had a suitable enclosure. By that I mean a very, VERY large tank for it to live in. Not just survive but live comfortable in.

So as in the past my Holy Grail is still a Black Tip Reef Shark. Seeing I get three choices, lets throw in a Sting Ray and a Moray Eel to keep him company.

Steve

[CAAIndie]

I'm not sure I have a holy grail yet, as I have so many fish that I CAN and WANT get... that I don't have room for yet.

I guess what I would really like to keep would be...

-Some of the rarer pelvicachromis species
-Dicrossus gladicauda or warzeli
-Apistogramma borelli 'opal' (just a beautiful fish)

Dwarf chain loaches were certainly on my list, but I did manage to find those this year, albeit with a hefty pricetag. They have been a total joy to watch.

[GaryE]

If I could sit and watch a large aquatic animal for a long time, I think I would pick a Moray eel. They are fantastic things.
In a tank, it would take a home saltwater lake. It's a plan.

[Fishypastor]

Well my holy grail is probably not as holy since i've only recently got back into the hobby but here goes:

1. Neolamprologus multifasciatus - shell dweller. Have read lots about them and their behavior sounds fascinating. Can't find them locally yet!
2. Getting my Kribs to give me fry. They've laid eggs several times but always end up eating them a few days later. I think they are fungusing or not being fertilized by male.
3. Having a big oscar in a big tank. Not undoable, just don't have the time or cash or space to do it.

[Suprd71]

As some of you know, the fish I like are the big, mean South and Central American cichlids. In the past several months I have acquired Parachromis Dovii, Red Tiger Motageunse and Ex-cichlasoma Festae. This spring I have high hopes of getting in Cichlasoma Trimaculatum, aka the Trimac. True Trimacs are ultra rare, so naturally a must have for me.

[Biulu]

I would like to get fry from any of the several eggscatterers I keep, especially of the pseudomugil species.

The same goes for my angelfish that keep messing up....

[sailfinja]

Aphyosemion sjoestedti (blue gularis), I have had a pair who have been doing well for a few months now and hopefully will be seeing fry. Pseudoxipho bimaculata (spotted-tailed mosquito fish), don't know why I am drawn to this drab coloured fish. Ilyodon furcidens, I have one male from my last attempt, will likely try to get some from the U.S. again this spring

[Orlon11]

I'm still hoping to find a female scarlet badis one day...I have seen so many of them for sale, but every one without exception is a male.

Other than that, I would like to set up my 55 at some point and have some nice big schools of tiny fish - I feel like that would be a lot of fun to watch! But at the moment that project is on the backburner as I'm currently building a vivarium for poison dart frogs.

[Biulu]

Just for the fun of it, what are three fish or other aquarium inhabitants that you would love to keep, but can't find? If we know and see them, maybe we can help each other.
Mine are, in no special order:
Enigmatochromis lucanusii, a dwarf cichlid from Guinea, Benitochromis uffermani, a Cichlid from Cameroon, and Aphyosemion cameronense, a killie. I like African fish.

Are there any other Holy Grails out there in Canadaquarian minds?

@GaryE: There is a guy in Dresden (Germany) that keeps about 10 different strains of A. cameronense. I guess he collected them himself? I will be in Germany mid February but not in Dresden. I am willing to bring you back eggs but I guess it will be too cold for shipping still? Like here February is the coldest month of the year.

[GaryE]

When you sent me the list, my jaw dropped. Every fish that man has would, on its own, be the most difficult thing in my set-up. All are hard to breed. And he has dozens. Wow. That is a serious fishkeeper.