tropical fish

Dragon Blood Peacock Cichlid

Photo is of a Dragon Blood Peacock Cichlid male, one of our breeders. A while back, we processed two breeding vats of dragon blood peacocks. This is a strain we got from www.livefishdirect.com in November 2012. The photo shows a typical male of this strain. We grew the fish to maturity and set ... Read More

Red Sailfin Molly

The photo shows two juvenile Red Sailfin Mollies (above) and a red Swordtail/Platy hybrid (below, for color contrast). I continue to work on new molly strains. For a long time now I’ve wanted to develop a Red Sailfin Molly. I’ve tried various crosses with no discernible progress. Then, about a ... Read More

Poecilia reticulata, McCauley Spring, New Mexico

Photo shows a group of Poecilia reticulata from McCauley Spring, New Mexico Across the Rio Grande River from Santa Fe, New Mexico are the Jemez Mountains. Nestled in the canyons of these mountains is a warm spring named McCauley Spring. McCauley Spring feeds a mountain stream about a yard ... Read More

Giant Marble Liberty Mollies

Back in 2013 I set up a cross of Poecilia mexicana, Campeche males with P. velifera, Campeche females. I didn’t expect much from this cross because earlier matings between P. mexicana and P. velifera hadn’t produced anything spectacular, but I often keep trying despite lack of good results. Being ... Read More

Aquazoo, a Thriving Mom & Pop Fish Store

The photo is of the interior of our customer Aquazoo. A while back, I blogged about the Demise of Mom & Pop Fish Stores http://goliadfarms.com/demise-mom-pop-fish-stores/ and the impact on our business. That blog received a number of responses. One response was private. It was from the owner ... Read More

Gambusia Road Trip – Day 5

Photo shows San Felipe Creek in Del Rio, Texas, home of Gambusia clarkhubbsi. The dogs, Tally, Gus, Oso, and Maya enjoyed romping in the creek. Day five started early because it was going to be a long haul. From Marathon we would follow US 90 to Del Rio, TX past Seminole Canyon State Park, a ... Read More

Gambusia Road Trip -Day 4

Photo: Cara, Tally, Maya, Gus, and Oso on the Gambusia Road Trip Day four had a great start. The second heater made the camper toasty warm all night. Even Gus had a comfortable night. Also, we had camped adjacent to the spring and its outflow, so getting to the habitat of G. nobilis and the ... Read More

Gambusia Road Trip – Day 3

Photo: Charles, William and Stephanie viewing tanks holding endangered fish species.   Day three started off a bit better than day two, but overnight it became painfully obvious one heater wasn’t enough. The heater had been set up at Cara’s end of the camper, and it kept half her roof ... Read More

Gambusia Road Trip – Day 2

Day two started off badly. First, we discovered that temperatures around 25°F with no heater made for a very cold night. Also, with no heat, the moist breaths of two humans and four dogs condensed on the canvas roof of the camper causing a steady rain of cold water. Cara had taken the back bed. I ... Read More

Gambusia Road Trip – Day 1

Day one started off slowly. First, I had check the greenhouse water pumps, something I thought would be done the day before. Second, we had load up supplies. Fortunately, Susie aided in this task (she desperately wanted us gone). We finally pulled away from the farm only five hours late at 11:00 ... Read More