Czech Bred Apistos

[Levin Tilghman]

I've heard conflicting reports about fish bred and imported from the Czech Republic. Should they always be avoided or does it depend on the species?

 

[MacZ]

It depends on where you live. In Europe the czech fish are very unpopular and poor quality because we get second choice. Their export selection for the markets outside Europe are a bit better but that doesn't mean top notch either. You stil fare better with them than with south east asian bred fish or shady backroom breeders.

 

[Mike Wise]

I heard this from someone in Germany. The wholesalers travel throughout eastern Europe, and even Russia previously, where they visit local breeders and buy fish in quantity. Some breeders are quality and some (much) less. All the fish of the same species/strain are mixed together and sold to retailers in Europe and around the world. End result? Some fish are quality specimens but many are not.

 

[anewbie]

I've not gotten good life span out of the cz fishes i've purchased - maybe 1.5 to 2 years if i'm lucky. I tend to be much much better with wc fishes. So far in the past 3 years only one wc apisto (a male cockatoo) died prematurelly when it bloated up while i was out of town. Don't get me wrong it was a lovely fish and i was sorry to die but i was suppose to receive borelli and the tank wasn't chemistry suitable for them. the female is still alive and moved to one of my large but acidic soft community aquariums.

I had a string of bad luck with the cz fishes. I realize my fish keeping skills are not great but i'm having much better luck with the wc fishes - my female nijjensi (an f1) lived 4+ years and she died because i neglected her during a move which is kind of sad - because she was a really great fish. I know they don't live forever but she was in really good shape and probably another couple of years or so.