Some recent catches.... Old Woman Angelfish

[Narcosis1]

Kingi's can be exported from South Africa but permits are really difficult to obtain. The recent ones that were in the market were from South Africa.

The Gems caught in SA are really black and they are very very big, saw one recently about 20cm. Difficult to confirm but it was about that size.

Its difficult to confirm if the Gems have come from South Africa, we do not have regular collectors of them, more Mauritius and Madagascar.

[coralfriend]

To Digiman,

I am highly appreciate your deep water tank. It is very neat and full of rare fish. I think that I mean the Gem tang from mauritus with small size is the one I refer to. Regarding the tosanoide flavofasciatus or filamentosus, the temperature of your tank may be too high. I guess that velvet is brought into my tank by Sakura anthias. It seems to me that my wrought iron butterfly and Basabei is not easily affect by velvet. Diet is a main issue of Basabei because I do not notice that my basabei accept any food. If your tank is full of live mysid or amphipod, he can survive. Basabei is a difficult butterfly to maintain in captivity.

[yikai]

That's interesting to hear that your basabei did not eat. Koji reported it was easy to feed on mysis and easier than excelsa. But being a deepwater butterfly it is still difficult. They are not so easy to get velvet? I am surprised. Normally butterflies are very prone to disease and die very fast

[Digiman]

To Digiman,

I am highly appreciate your deep water tank. It is very neat and full of rare fish. I think that I mean the Gem tang from mauritus with small size is the one I refer to. Regarding the tosanoide flavofasciatus or filamentosus, the temperature of your tank may be too high. I guess that velvet is brought into my tank by Sakura anthias. It seems to me that my wrought iron butterfly and Basabei is not easily affect by velvet. Diet is a main issue of Basabei because I do not notice that my basabei accept any food. If your tank is full of live mysid or amphipod, he can survive. Basabei is a difficult butterfly to maintain in captivity.

It's surprising to hear that basabei doesn't feed. Koji shared with lemon before that his basabei feeds on mysis quite readily. His video also featured basabei a few times and all eating mysis. However he said basabei seems to be very susceptible to swim bladder problem and he needs to do needling often.

Sadly Singapore climate is very hot. My chiller cannot bring the temperature below 24 degree. I just bought a pseudanthias rubrolineatus which Koji kept at 19 deg in his tank. I am keeping it at 26 deg and the fish is eating well and very fat now. As long as the tosanoides is healthy and eating well, i will try keeping one.

Thanks for the info

[Narcosis1]

Does anyone know what the last Debelius Angels sold for? Or if they were collected again, what would they sell for?

[Digiman]

Does anyone know what the last Debelius Angels sold for? Or if they were collected again, what would they sell for?

I do not know the exact amount they sold for. But base on hearsay, the last few in Japan years back sold for USD7k.

[Narcosis1]

Am I correct in saying that they are rarer than the Peppermint and Narcosis? So an acceptable price would be $7-9k?

[Digiman]

Am I correct in saying that they are rarer than the Peppermint and Narcosis? So an acceptable price would be $7-9k?

Depends on how you compare rarity.

If you base it on the number that has entered the trade, then debelius is fewer and rarer.

However if you compare the depth at which they are caught yet, the amount of work required to collect them, then peppermint and narcosis may not be less rare than debelius.

Personally i expect the debelius to be nothing cheaper than $6k. However anything above $10k i would find it hard to swallow.

[Narcosis1]

I would say rarity is based on how many are currently in the aquarium trade.

The Debelius Angelfish is found between 46 - 90 m. If 46 m great, its just a normal dive but if its 90 m, a lot more goes into the dive.

I would also think that it would be between $ 6-10k. The logistics in getting the Narcosis and Peppermint are difficult as the depth is over 100 m, which makes the risk extremely high, but even at 90 m, risks are still the same.

[Digiman]

Do you plan to collect debelius?

[yikai]

Debelius can be found at 40+ m but I think that is pushing their shallow part of their range. The main population should be deeper. Based on accounts of past collections and hearsay, their location in Mauritius is not widespread and appear to be localized. So finding the correct depth and location may prove difficult, and may explain why so little have appeared despite extensive collection from the area.

[Narcosis1]

I have been doing alot of research and have been told by a few people on where to locate them, they do state that they are found deeper than 50 m though and every now and then, seen in shallower depths.

It all depends on how much they can be sold for? Logistics, risk and cost don't make it seem suitable for anything less than $ 7k per fish. It currently costs us $ 1200 a day to do a dive deeper than 80 m. That's excluding flights and accommodation. My dive team consists of 10 people.

[coralfriend]

Hi digiman,

Your pseudanthias rubrolineatus is in very good condition. I love it very much! Could you mind to tell me how much does it cost! It is very good to hear that they perform well at 26 degree. I also own a pair of common pseuanthais fasciatus. They are hardy. I use 20 degree to keep them and it seems to me that they behave very well. Both of these species are quite similar in appearance although they found in different depth inside the ocean. It is possible that both species can adapt a wide range of water temperature. Is it possible to get one more to form a pair? I think that the most colourful anthias is mating color anthias!

My basabei is also come from Koji. It appear to eat small amount of very small size mysis when I firstly introduce into my tank. Surprisingly, it only keen on finding prey from its surrounding environment once it is acclimate inside my tank. It will chose a small size one if I buy it nowaday. I think that small size basabei may be more readily accept frozen mysis than large size basabei. I have kept reeffish for some years, I find that many informations provided by the fish supplier is not totally correct. You will know all the fact after you have experience of keeping them. I want to ask you a simple question. Do you know whether there are any Basebei still swimming inside a Hobbyist's tank. Not much, I guess!

[Digiman]

Hi Coralfriend,

I will pm you the price of rubrolineatus. I am so glad to hear you like this anthias! It is a very rare anthias and even harder to find than tosanoides. However not many reefers can appreciate the difference between rubrolineatus and fasciatus. I will not be getting another rubrolineatus even if i have the chance because I have bad track record with pseudanthias. I am happy with just one healthy one. This rubrolineatus has been with Koji for many months and is very well-conditioned. It took pellets the very first day it entered my tank. I kept it at 26 deg without any issue. My other deepwater fishes like fuscipinnis, sacura, spanish flag etc all do very well at 26 deg and some have been with me for a very long time. So i agree with you not every fish needs to be kept at super low temperature. In Sg our climate is very hot and running a tank below 24 deg long term is not viable.

I am sad to hear about the difficulty of basabei butterfly. It is one fish that i hope to try in future, but because of what you are sharing with me now i guess i will have to pass on this fish. Maybe i will try a roa excelsa instead. There is one japanese that has kept a basabei butterfly long term, the reefer who also have a debelius and personatus swimming in his tank. Koji has shared with lemon that basabei is a very challenging butterfly, so i guess your experience with the fish once again convince me to stay away from it for the time being.

Earlier this year Hong Kong Sealife brought in one big Roa Excelsa and one big basabei butterfly. Do you know what happened to them? Are they still alive?

[Narcosis1]

And .....................

[aray]

Narcosis1,do you go with the name Blue Ring Sting in RC....?

[Narcosis1]

That is me yes. @aray

[aray]

thought so...i am auem there...

[Narcosis1]

Oh. Nice. Nice to see guys from other forums on here as well.

[Narcosis1]

Enjoy...

[Narcosis1]

Enjoy...

[yikai]

beautiful.

just saw your post on RC. your new kingi.

how is it? properly decompressed and feeding?

[Narcosis1]

He is doing well. Long staged decompression. Doing well, no bloating and eating a bit. Will focus on getting him to eat more today.

[ml708]

Hi Narcosis1, I'm just curious, but do you ever encounter any orange roughy, oreo dory and flashlight fish in your dives? I would love to set up a tank with all these deep sea creatures!

[Terryz_]

Bro, orange roughy and orea dory will not be sighted in any dive even in region they are found as the depth they are found in is way way below divers range.. They can only be caught thru trawling boats.. But they are near impossible to keep them.. orange roughy optimal temp is near freezing temperatures.