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Sourcing Guppies in Scotland.
By vfranks from the V franks department, Section Ask Guppylog Posted on Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 08:24:28 PM PST

Where can I get locally bred fancy guppies in Scotland? I am wary of buying them from fish shops that import or have undisclosed sources, as I have heard that they are likely to die.

My local, trusted fish shop won't stock guppies. They source most of their fish from Asia and eventually gave up on the guppies. For four years now they have watched entire batches of guppies die of a viral intestinal bug during the two-week quarantine they give all their new fish.

Other local fish stores do stock them, but I am now very wary of buying from them, as they do not disclose their sources or quarantine new arrivals. I don't want my other fish to die and have to break down my tank because its been infected. My best hope is to find someone local with healthy guppies to spare.

I have always wanted to keep guppies. They are a small fish with a huge amount of colour, pattern and movement. They would be my first choice of fish but if I can't find a local source I can't have them.

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Sourcing Guppies in Scotland. | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)

(Comment Deleted) (none / 0) (#8)
by coulio on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 06:36:07 AM PST

This comment has been deleted by unclescott

Re: Sourcing Guppies in Scotland. (none / 1) (#7)
by redqueen on Wed Feb 01, 2006 at 10:06:13 AM PST

I am not sure where you can get guppies in scotland. However, I at first had the same problems with mine. They always seemed to die. I soon learned that with buying guppies, it is just trial and error but alot of times, the fish stores just do not properly care for them and they mostly die from negligence or inadequate education on how to raise them. They are very durable and strong fish once you get the hang of raising them. I was soon successful at breeding many generations of guppies with lifespans up to 2 yrs. I had one live almost 3. I found this interesting considering they only live a few months or less in stores. All in all, I believe that the reason for the scarcity of guppies in your area is due to the stores not properly caring for them. Maybe you could purchase some from the suppliers that your local stores use.
redqueen

Re: Sourcing Guppies in Scotland. (none / 1) (#4)
by nancylb999 on Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 08:22:48 PM PST

Hi There Vfranks,

I don't think I would be much help sourcing local private breeders for you, but I can provide some suggestions that might help you buy healthy fish.

First of all, go to a few of your fish stores during their least busy period of the week. At this point, the staff will have more time to speak to you.

Ask them "when" they expect to get new shipments of the fish you are interested in, then visit the store on that day.

At this point you can observe for yourself if the fish have arrived in a healthy, or sickened state.

Any tank that has fish you are interested in should be checked carefully. Spend some time observing all the fish in that environment. Are any sulking in the corner, or exhibiting unusual behavior that is not typical of the species? Are there any dead fish in the tank? Does the tank look filthy? Is the water cloudy, or do you notice large amounts of waste at the bottom?

Observing any of the above may suggest this is a tank you do not want to purchase fish from.

On the other hand, when you observe the tank, is it relatively clean, with clear water? All are the fish swimming as actively as you would expect for the species? If you place your finger at the waterline on the outside of the tank (just touch, don't tap), do the fish gather and follow your finger with enthusiasm (keeping in mind this can also be species specific behavior - some "shy" or scavenging types of fish will not react in this manner)?

These are the kind of tanks I look for when purchasing new fish.

Further to that, does the store offer some kind of guarantee? For example, the fish store I buy from will replace any fish that is purchased from their store, should they die in a well-established tank within 7 days (You have to bring in the receipt and carcass... yuck).

Most fish stores are forced to stock many more fish than their aquariums can support in order to maintain a profitable business. Needless to say, it's difficult to keep an entire store's inventory of aquariums in perfect health. Especially with an influx of new, well traveled, and perhaps, very stressed fish on a weekly basis.

Not that I am defending these methods, but it's what the majority of their customers demand, a large selection of fish to choose from on any given day.

The point being, take some time, ask questions, observe and make your own judgments based on those observations. Following the above has helped me to buy some healthy and long-lived inhabitants for my tanks.

Cheers,
Nancy.

Welcome to Guppylog V ! :) (none / 2) (#1)
by unclescott on Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 11:05:46 AM PST

I understand how frustrating it can be looking for quality fish or fish-keeping groups. When I was in the middle grades, I walked to school right by the building the local aquarium society met in. I was nuts about tropical fish and only learned of that group after it had moved and I was about to leave for college.

I know nothing about Scottish shops. I was able to scrounge up a number of addresses of Scottish and European aquarium groups which may or may not be of interest to you. Clubs vary a great deal in terms of "personality". Most are delighted to have visitors and if you mention your interest in guppies as you have here, I think you will get directed to people who can help you.

There used to be a British guppy group, but they ceased operation some years ago. :(

The following is what I found via the first 20 hits (of about 41,000) in a Google search for Scottish Aquarium Societies. You very likely will find more going further into that search. This is a start, clearly not a comprehensive list. But it has been a fascinating couple of hours.

These groups often have shows and auctions. They are wonderful sources of fish and information and friendships. I often look for certain guppies and other fish in the show sections and jot down the fish and breeder. When the auction takes place, it may be wise to keep an eye out for young fish from that same breeder and jot down the bag numbers prior to the actual bidding. If you can endure until the end of the auction, prices drop, often significantly. (And then one is in danger of purchasing too much.)

Not many auctions and shows are listed next to the clubs this early in the year. Check back, later, with the groups listed below, which interest you. I also included a list of 2005 shows because most clubs annually have their festivities about the same time.

I want to thank you for asking this question. Last January I spent several days putting together a world-wide list of aquarium clubs. There was a hold-up in getting that list onto Guppylog and it was subsequently lost with a hard-drive failure on my computer. (And some idiot didn't have it all backed up.) This time around I found more groups from Scotland and the chance to locate even more. There are a couple of umbrella groups. There is some repetition because I got different data from different sites.

I wish I had time to follow down every link on some of those sites. Sometimes a set of links opens up whole worlds!

If you should encounter other Scotch and other guppy and aquarium groups would you please let us know, as comments attached to this log or in a Guppylog diary or at least as an off-list e-mail to me? I will try to resurrect that international list. Help from anyone else on GL would be gratefully appreciated too.

Below is the list of groups which might in some way be of use to you. I hope you find a wonderful guppy contact.

All the best!
uncle scott

Federation of British Aquarium Societies:
http://www.fbas.co.uk/
http://www.fbas.co.uk/Members.html

Among the Scottish dates is the March 12
UNION SCOTTISH AQUARISTS AUCTION (tel: 01738 634689) 12th March

Union of Scottish Aquarists A.G.M. (01738 634689) 20th December, 2005

Federation of Scottish Aquarist Societies
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/clubs.htm

"The Federation of Scottish Aquarist Societies consists of 23 Aquarist Societies throughout Scotland who hold regular meetings and yearly Open Shows, thus highlighting in the Scottish International Open Show which incorporates the Scottish Champion of Champions with an Open Show for both Senior and Junior fishkeepers. Please have a look through our pages and join your local aquarist club today and keep the 'grassroots' of the hobby thriving"

Capital Aquarist Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/capital_aquarists_society.htm

Cumbernauld & District Aquarist Society (Meets weekly!)
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/cumbernauld_as.htm

Edinburgh Aquarist & Pondkeepers Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/edinburgh_aquarists_and_pondkeepers.htm

Glenrothes Aquarist Society (meets twice a month)
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/glenrothes_aquarist_society.htm

Auction = Jubilee Community Centre, Stenton, Glenrothes, Scotland = 19th Febuary

Council Meeting = Civil Service Sports club, Rosyth = 26th Febuary

Open Show & Auction = Jubilee Community Centre, Stenton, Glenrothes, Scotland = 21st May

Council Meeting = Civil Service Sports club, Rosyth = 28th May

Greenock & District Aquarist Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/greenock&district_as.htm

Grangemouth Aquarist Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/grangemouth_aquarist_society.htm

Lanarkshire Aquarist Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/lanarkshire_aquarist_society.htm

Musselburgh & District Aquarist Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/musselburgh_a_s.htm

Perth Aquarium Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/perth_aquarist_society.htm
Open Show & Auction = The A.K.Bell Library, Glasgow Road, Perth, Scotland. = 13th August

Council Meeting = Civil Service Sports club, Rosyth = 3rd September

Poecilia Scotia
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/poecilia_scotia.htm

Scottish Aquarist Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/scottish_aquarium_society.htm
Open Show & Auction = Jubilee Community Centre, Stenton, Glenrothes, Scotland = 17th September

AGM and Council meeting ==Civil Service Sports club, Rosyth == 19th November

Scottish Livebearers Group
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/scottish_livebearer_group.htm

Workington & District Aquarist Society
http://www.scottishaquarist.co.uk/workington_as.htm

Union of Scottish Aquarists (I did a double take with USA)
THE USA OPEN SHOW & AUCTION IS ON JUNE 12th.
http://www.fishwebusa.co.uk/

Kirkcaldy Aquarist Society
http://www.clik.to/kirkcaldyaquaristsociety

Musselburgh & District Aquarist Society
http://www.fishwebusa.co.uk/

Perth A.S. http://www.faircityaquaristsociety.co.uk/wiki/Main_Page

Solway Aquarist Society
http://www.fishwebusa.co.uk/

There is also a Poecilia Scotia. I'm quite sure that I have visited their site before, but it doesn't work at the moment. http://www.poeciliascotia.org.uk/
However the addy above does.

Greenock & District Aquarist Society
http://www.scotcat.com/gadas.html

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/club.php?club_id=22
see the links which list a LOT of clubs

Welcome to 'UK Only' Aquarist Classifieds
Fishkeeping Clubs pages
http://www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/clubs.php

Guppy Associations and Groups:

AIG Associazione Italiana Guppy
http://www.aig.italia.com/ (not working 1-16-06)

The Austrian Guppy Club.
http://www.oegg.net/

AKV Czech Guppy Club.
http://www.akvarium.cz/1899/

DGS Danish Guppy Club.
http://www.danskguppyselskab.dk/

Guppy - Club - Deutschland e.V.
http://www.guppy-club.de/

Deutsche Guppy Föderation.
http://www.dgf-guppy.de/
SGS Swedish Guppy Association SGS
http://hem.passagen.se/mikeno/english/eindex.htm

2005 European Guppy shows:
http://hem.passagen.se/mikeno/english/eiut05.htm

World Guppy Association (mostly European)

http://www.world-guppy.de/ (Check their links out!)

IFGA (mostly North American)
http://www.ifga.org/

Clube dos Criadores de Guppy / Brasilien.
http://www.ccg.com.br/html/index.html (Wrong addy?)

Japan Guppy Association
http://www.jga.gr.jp/

………………
Club lists:

http://www.fishlinkcentral.com/clubs/index.htm

http://uk.dir.yahoo.com/Science/Biology/Zoology/Animals__Insects__and_Pets/Fish/Aquariums/Organisati ons/

Koi: http://www.thepondprofessor.com/pondcare/pond_keeping_club.htm

http://www.aquaristsreunited.fslife.co.uk/

http://www.ifocas.fsworld.co.uk/WORLDFISHCLUBS.htm

http://www.fbas.co.uk/Members.html

http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/society.html

Re: Welcome to Guppylog V ! :) (none / 0) (#5)
by miskairal on Wed Jan 18, 2006 at 12:37:05 AM PST

Have added this to the Immediate Help section so this info isn't lost.
--
Repeat after me,
I will read the Immediate Help
[ Parent ]

Thank you Miskairal! :) (none / 0) (#6)
by unclescott on Wed Jan 18, 2006 at 09:41:02 AM PST

[ Parent ]

Re: Welcome to Guppylog V ! :) (none / 0) (#3)
by vfranks on Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 04:53:42 PM PST

Thank you for the links! I certainly did find them useful. There are more aquarist clubs in this area than I ever imagined so there is a good chance I will find my guppies. Ive gone through most of the links in my area for contact details. Most dont have emails so Ill have to do the pen and ink thing. I will let you know how I get on.

[ Parent ]

By the bye, I really feel for your local shop's (none / 1) (#2)
by unclescott on Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 11:27:50 AM PST

frustration over not being able to keep guppies raised in SE Asia. Next time they get an order in, especially if it is still in the shipping bag (of livebearers) from the orient, mention that they might want to take (borrow, steal) a TDS or conductivity meter and check that shipping water.

It has been the experience of some parties in Chicago, that when guppies and livebearers come in from the Far East, that their water has an amazing amount of salt. The shock of being moved rapidly to less mineral-laden water may be one reason why so many have been lost.

Your shop knows this and you probably do too, but for the benefit of others, adding a lot of sodium chloride will not show on any meters measuring DH or pH. A look at a hydrometer or TDS meter will indicate a staggering increase in the mineral content of the water.

Please see: Mollies, Salt and Asian Imports
http://www.guppylog.com/story/2004/1/31/5655/54195

I haven't done a systematic study of fish stomachs (nor will I ever), but I would also consider doing a preventive treatment with one of the commercial treatments for internal parasites. The percentage of fish with worms in the trade is just too high. Also, the active de-wormers in those treatments are a group of chemicals call anthelmintics. Perhaps it is dumb luck, but those anthelmintics are also sometimes useful against even hexamita and the much rarer Glugea. They are not antibiotics and one is not raising up bacteria with a resistance to antibiotics.

All the best again!
uncle scott

[ Parent ]

Sourcing Guppies in Scotland. | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)

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