Re-location to Peru, Dwarf cichlid queries

[JimM]

Long story short, my wife and I may be re-locating to Peru...call it a semi-retirement.
We'll be in the Madre de Dios/Puerto Maldonado/Tambopata River area.

I'll be starting a fish farm (food fish) but as a long-time cichlid/fish guy, I'm thinking of dipping my toe into ornamental breeding/export, including or even specializing in dwarf cichlids.
I know there's a lot of balls in the air with that statement...it's early days. Cories are another possibility.

What I'd like to know is, in that immediate area, are there enough species of interest/commercial viability to bother with?
I can of course travel within Peru, but I know this area is basically Apisto central...but I'm looking for some insight. I've never been an Apisto guy before this, so I welcome any/all input, advice experience. I can enlist native help with locations etc to a large extent I'm sure.
Simply put..what's down there?

Hassles of export etc might be more than I can, or am willing to deal with...but that's to be determined later.
I'm in the exploratory stage right now.

 

[Ttw]

In that area I collected A. luelingi, urteagai, and rubrolineata. Some of the urteagai were very striking. I don't ever see these fish offered for sale. Don't have any idea about commercial aspects.

 

[Mike Wise]

There are many other apistos in the Madre de Dios system in Peru. Many of these are undescribed. If you are really interested in what is in the area, take the time to look through TomC's web site, especially the listing of >500 apisto species/forms: https://www.tomc.no/page.aspx?pageid=127. I would dearly love to get A. sp. "Kosho-kosho" (a high-fin A. urteagai-like species). One of my species maintenance projects is keeping A. sp. (affin. luelingi) "Cristal" in the hobby. Both were found just outside of Puerto Maldonado, but neither are imported now.

 

[JimM]

OK...interesting. I have some research/familiarization to do without a doubt, as Apistos were never my thing before this. (into the larger species, Heros etc etc) However since I'll be in the middle of Apisto central, it makes sense to educate myself on these guys.

I might end up setting up a fishroom, and collecting, etc. However to what extent this comes to pass/what it looks like remains to be seen. I can probably send them up north to Iquitos for export etc, but that's some networking etc etc that needs to happen. So it's early days.

 

[rasmusW]

I hope you succeed with all these dreams.
I have no useful tips but it all sure sounds fantastic.

-r

 

[Mike Wise]

One thing I never saw in any collector's home or wholesaler's warehouse is a commercially made tank. Everyone makes their own from glass panels and silicone. It's just too expensive to ship them from manufacturers in Lima.

 

[JimM]

One thing I never saw in any collector's home or wholesaler's warehouse is a commercially made tank. Everyone makes their own from glass panels and silicone. It's just too expensive to ship them from manufacturers in Lima.

I noticed the same thing mostly...I did see a few commercial tanks in one guy's house in Peurto Maldonado however...but the rest of his tanks he had outdoors were homemade. People ship things from Lima all day long there...so I'll see what's available. I agree though most people do the DIY thing.

Starting from basically ground zero with the Apistos is going to be tough...at the very least time-consuming to get my bearings. We'll see what happens. I'll like just do some scooping in my spare time (which will be limited for a while) and see what shakes out, if I can properly identify it etc etc.

Rasmus...thank you!

 

[Mazan]

Here (Ecuador) most people make their own tanks or have them made, much cheaper than buying ready made ones.

 

[christian62]

Avez vous trouvé un importateur comme Glaser ou runemans en Europe

 

[Mike Wise]

Another possibility to being simply an exporter is developing an Eco-tourism side business.

 

[JimM]

I think exporter is out of the question for a variety of logistical/cost vs payoff reasons.
Eco-tourism, a similar set of issues I think. There are several Eco-Lodges in the area already.

I could in theory offer collecting trips eventually, but there's a lot that needs to fall in place before that can happen. Networking, partners, accommodations etc etc. Not out of the question long term though.

 

[MacZ]

As long as your plans don't include things like this guy did: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Fitzcarrald

Btw, good movie based on that one:

Fitzcarraldo - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And also, please don't end up like this:

Aguirre, the Wrath of God - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Sorry, couldn't resist. The idea of moving there and starting a business made me think of all this madness.

 

[christian62]

Je crois qu'un particulier en voyage de collecte ne peut sortir les poissons du pays ou ils ont été collectés.
Il doit les faire expédiés par un exportateur agréer.
Donc impossible de ne pas passer par un exportateur.

 

[Mike Wise]

Je crois qu'un particulier en voyage de collecte ne peut sortir les poissons du pays ou ils ont été collectés.
Il doit les faire expédiés par un exportateur agréer.
Donc impossible de ne pas passer par un exportateur.

"I believe that an individual on a collection trip cannot take the fish out of the country where they were collected.
He must have them shipped by an approved exporter.
So impossible not to go through an exporter."

That is true now. 10 years ago I could take them on my plane as baggage, but not now. Now you do need an export and import license, health certificate, etc. It would be best to work with an in-country exporter, like most foreign collectors do. I believe French citizens can bring in fish from French Guiana with less problem because French Guiana is a province of France, like Hawaii is a US state.

 

[JimM]

Je crois qu'un particulier en voyage de collecte ne peut sortir les poissons du pays ou ils ont été collectés.
Il doit les faire expédiés par un exportateur agréer.
Donc impossible de ne pas passer par un exportateur.

Yes, I'd have to use an exporter if I got to this point.
Logistics etc make it unlikely.