#just goddamnit I don't *like* macmasteri in the first place

[underthehedge]

This morning has been disappointing. I've finally got the money to stock my fish tank that's been sitting, cycled, but devoid of fish for the last 18 months, last week I got some cardinal tetras to go in it because I'm doing an upper Negro biotope type thing. They seem to be doing well, and though cardinals aren't my favourite fish, they've brought my a lot of joy.

But they were really just a prelude to the main event: ordered 11 days ago but arriving this morning was a pair of Apistogramma gephyra, perfect for the system I'm trying to replicate, gorgeous and small. I have been chewing the walls for the last week waiting for them to arrive, even though I knew it was going to be today. Just look at this photo from the seller's website!

Opened the box, pulled out the first bag ready to stare lovingly at my new fish and...why are their tails like that? I mean, apistos famously change colour a lot but the tail is square, and orange-red.

Shite pic I know but it is what it is.

They've sent me a pair of A. macmasteri "red" by accident. A fine fish I'm sure, clearly a lot of people like them, and they're the same price so it's not like the sellers are trying to rip me off. Tbh they're by far a more popular fish than gephyra.

Unfortunately I personally don't care for macmasteri, but beyond that they're from the Rio Meta, a whitewater river, while my tank is distinctly blackwater (conductivity of "lol no", pH somewhere south of 5.0, it's basically just slightly grubby RO). And apistos are noted to be territorial with not just their own species, but others in the genus so I can't just get some gephyra too now without having to send those back, which...shipping fish is a pain and not one I'm set up for. I'll see what the seller says but suffice to say I'm disappointed, went from giddy with excitement to dejected in seconds.