Q: Can I get a picture of the actual fish?

 

 

A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  

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I try to accommodate this request when I can. However, taking pictures of fish that may not even be purchased is not safe or a practical use of time.  My facility is not set up for photographing. This is not a pet shop or local fish store with bright, fancy decorated, show aquariums. I am an import / export & wholesale facility with unlit holding tanks that are bare or very minimally decorated with clay pots or pvc pipe for boundary or breeding purposes only. Often, the tank glass is very heavily water stained and in many cases the tanks may have tannins making the water brown or are tinted blue, yellow, or green from medications used on new fish. I try to not net a fish when it really is not necessary. In doing so, they will become stressed out (reducing the color and appearance temporarily making for bad photos anyway) or worse they may get injured while chasing them with a net as they dart and crash into the sides of the tank or any pots or pipes that may be in the tank.

Pictures of the fish are on the website. Click on the species name on the stock list.  Some photos are of the actual stock and some are older photos that accurately represent the fish on hand and may even be from the same breeding stock, collection local, etc. as the ‘old’ photo being used at the specific time.  Those 'old' photos are what I use to accurately ID many species upon arrival. many of those same photos are also used by the USGS to identify invasive species! Photos are also posted on the Tangled Up in Cichlids social media pages (see Facebook and Instagram).

Any request for a specific photo that I may not have readily available, or is already on the website, will automatically bump you to the back of the line while I answer other emails and fill other orders (possibly for the fish you are asking for). On popular, or rare fish it is then likely it will sell out before I get back to your special request. If I do not have a photo on the website, please use one of the recommend links or even google. Unless I am down to the last fish of a specific species the likelihood of me pulling a fish today and then repulling that exact same fish tomorrow to ship for you is nearly zero and the fish may be slightly different in color or appearance.  Tangled Up in Cichlids is one of the most respected vendors in the entire industry globally. The fish you receive, and the accurate identification is my reputation. You will receive what you have ordered and paid for.