# Best freebie?



## Kevin Eades (26 Apr 2021)

What is the best freebie you have had in the hobby? I think mine so far is my cherry shrimp. I got 3 baby dot hitch hikers when I bought my armano shrimp and now I have 4 tanks with armies of them in them. Would love to see what you guys have had free or found extras you weren't expecting? Here's some pics of the armies at work


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## Courtneybst (26 Apr 2021)

My first big tank! I got a 200L from my Dad for free when he upgraded his and I had so many adventures with that thing, and learnt so many valuable lessons.


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## EA James (26 Apr 2021)

I got 4 of these beauties last week thanks to the lovely @shangman 
Not technically free, they were part exchanged for some red root floaters 😂


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## Kevin Eades (26 Apr 2021)

EA James said:


> View attachment 167508
> I got 4 of these beauties last week thanks to the lovely @shangman
> Not technically free, they were part exchanged for some red root floaters 😂


Love the community spirit on this forum. Great to help out or swap with others. More sustainable too!


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## EA James (26 Apr 2021)

Kevin Eades said:


> Love the community spirit on this forum


Me too! It's a great place


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## shangman (26 Apr 2021)

Best freebie for me was Mister Apister. He was bought by my dad for his 45L tank after reading that would be enough space somewhere on the internet. He bought the fish, who stayed in the 45L a week, which I visited a lot more than usual since he was so captivating and mysterious (I hadn't kept apistos before and didn't realise how lovely they are and felt very jealous), and at the end of the week my dad gave him to me because it was obvious that he looked too glorious, large, and cramped in the 45L. And thus began my love affair with apistos...

Now I give his babies to people as freebies, long live the Mr Apister Juniors! Very happy that they are already featured here!! 😍

Here is a photo which, as lovely as he looks here, does Mister Apister no justice at all compared to how regal and colorful he was irl... I'm very glad his offspring have gone to homes with great photographers!


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## Kevin Eades (26 Apr 2021)

shangman said:


> Best freebie for me was Mister Apister. He was bought by my dad for his 45L tank after reading that would be enough space somewhere on the internet. He bought the fish, who stayed in the 45L a week, which I visited a lot more than usual since he was so captivating and mysterious (I hadn't kept apistos before and didn't realise how lovely they are and felt very jealous), and at the end of the week my dad gave him to me because it was obvious that he looked too glorious, large, and cramped in the 45L. And thus began my love affair with apistos...
> 
> Now I give his babies to people as freebies, long live the Mr Apister Juniors! Very happy that they are already featured here!! 😍
> 
> ...


Beautiful fish. I'd love to have them but dealing with the offspring reminds me of why I'll never get guppies again.


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## mort (27 Apr 2021)

Not freshwater but in marine I had lots of lovely freebies but the best were mantis shrimps. I kept them in dedicated tanks and had 9 running at one time (was known in the local area for taking them in) till I managed to rehome a few to fellow enthusiasts. They are fascinating creatures with some strange but cool biological features.


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## shangman (27 Apr 2021)

Kevin Eades said:


> Beautiful fish. I'd love to have them but dealing with the offspring reminds me of why I'll never get guppies again.


I'm hoping a larger tank to avoid aggression and some schooling fish to eat most of the babies might make this not too bad. I've loved raising the first brood, but it is quite a lot of effort! (and by quite a lot of effort I mean SO MUCH EFFORT)


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## Zeppo (27 Apr 2021)

EA James said:


> View attachment 167508
> I got 4 of these beauties last week thanks to the lovely @shangman
> Not technically free, they were part exchanged for some red root floaters 😂


That is a beautiful fish. What is it?


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## Simmo (27 Apr 2021)

Jammy! 😂 I only got one free RCS! Hopefully its haemaphrodite 😉


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## dw1305 (27 Apr 2021)

Hi all, 


Zeppo said:


> That is a beautiful fish. What is it?


<"_Apistogramma macmasteri_">. 

cheers Darrel


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## Dogtemple (27 Apr 2021)

I got a free VW Passat once, no mot but fixed the exhaust and it passed.


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## John q (27 Apr 2021)

Dogtemple said:


> I got a free VW Passat once, no mot but fixed the exhaust and it passed.


Lol, got a siezed Peugeot ludix blaster scooter 8yrs ago for free, put a new head and piston on it (£60) and its still going like a good un.


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## sparkyweasel (27 Apr 2021)

shangman said:


> . I've loved raising the first brood, but it is quite a lot of effort! (and by quite a lot of effort I mean SO MUCH EFFORT)


I used to raise 600-1000 babies a month. 
Mostly Angelfish, and several species of Apistos. 
On that scale you need to get things well organised, but it's still a lot of work.


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## shangman (27 Apr 2021)

sparkyweasel said:


> I used to raise 600-1000 babies a month.
> Mostly Angelfish, and several species of Apistos.
> On that scale you need to get things well organised, but it's still a lot of work.


😱 Wow!! That's a LOT of BBS!! I found raising 36 exhausting 😂

Very fascinating, I would love to hear about it how it all worked and what the best ways of raising them you found were.


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## PARAGUAY (27 Apr 2021)

Subscribing to Practical Fishkeeping special offer of free Fluval U3 seiries filter🙂 Considering the magazine well worth it anyhow


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## Kevin Eades (28 Apr 2021)

PARAGUAY said:


> Subscribing to Practical Fishkeeping special offer of free Fluval U3 seiries filter🙂 Considering the magazine well worth it anyhow


That's a good deal especially as you said the magazine is great


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## confusedman (28 Apr 2021)

I take this opportunity to share my devotion for @shangman 
She gave me some filter media, some floating plants and a lot of reassurance when I was panicking


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## sparkyweasel (28 Apr 2021)

shangman said:


> Very fascinating, I would love to hear about it how it all worked and what the best ways of raising them you found were.


I'll start another thread for that, rather than hijack this one. I'll have a look for some photos too.


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## sparkyweasel (5 May 2021)

shangman said:


> Very fascinating, I would love to hear about it


At last, I've started the thread. 
BBS hatchery


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## Paulthewitt (13 May 2021)

shangman said:


> Best freebie for me was Mister Apister. He was bought by my dad for his 45L tank after reading that would be enough space somewhere on the internet. He bought the fish, who stayed in the 45L a week, which I visited a lot more than usual since he was so captivating and mysterious (I hadn't kept apistos before and didn't realise how lovely they are and felt very jealous), and at the end of the week my dad gave him to me because it was obvious that he looked too glorious, large, and cramped in the 45L. And thus began my love affair with apistos...
> 
> Now I give his babies to people as freebies, long live the Mr Apister Juniors! Very happy that they are already featured here!! 😍
> 
> ...


thats a beautiful apisto. What type is it?
Macmasteri?


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