# Diving Trip to Africa!!!



## tirzo13

Getting pretty excited about the trip to Africa next week.
Going with Ad Konings and about 5 others.
Will be staying at Stuart Grant's station.
Hopefully i will get alot of actual fish pictures to post.
I can't wait to go diving and get some underwater shots!


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## DJRansome

Congrats! When will you be back?


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## ridley25

If this is the trip with Larry Johnson, do me a favour and keep repeating "Labeotropheus twewavasae (taiwanee reef)..."Labeotropheus twewavasae (taiwanee reef)..."Labeotropheus twewavasae (taiwanee reef)...he's looking into getting me some.

Have a great time!

kevin


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## tirzo13

yep, Larry Johnson, Steve Lundblad, Pam Chin, Juan Miguel, Claudia Dickenson, and a couple others.
Ill be gone for about 2 weeks, others are staying for a full month.


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## ridley25

Seriously: "Labeotropheus twewavasae (taiwanee reef)..."Labeotropheus twewavasae (taiwanee reef)..."Labeotropheus twewavasae (taiwanee reef)...

kevin

P.S. I'm very jealous!


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## John27

I'm very jealous too, lots of pictures!!

-John


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## tirzo13

Labeotropheus trewavasae is not an uncommon fish.
Larry is going to be on Malawi alot longer than me, I'm sure he will be bringing alot of stuff back.


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## ridley25

tirzo13 said:


> Labeotropheus trewavasae is not an uncommon fish.
> Larry is going to be on Malawi alot longer than me, I'm sure he will be bringing alot of stuff back.


Yes, but it's specifically the Taiwanee Reef variant I'm after. Those you never see anywhere.

Looking forward to some great pictures!

kevin


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## GotCichlids?

Envious just envious! Congrats! If you don't mind what's a group cost for something like that broken down individually?


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## tirzo13

flights of course depends on where you are coming from.
I'm coming from SFO so my flight would be more than someone coming from Miami.

Vaccines and pills, about $300, depending on how good your insurance is.

My flight is $2500, though I could have paid alot more.
Cheapest i saw for my location was $1800.
Changing a day would have put me at $3500.

when i get back i can post est. of what others flights cost.

Lodging runs about $100 a day, so thats another $1500.

Then there is other fees like travel from airport to lodge, extra food or drinks, scuba fees, boat fees.
Course there is other unexpected fee's like when a rebel or soldier sticks a gun to your head, but thats usually only $50, or a ride someplace.

So i'm looking at about a even 5k.
Could skimp at come up with 4k, or splurge and be 6K.


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## shaguars7

goodluck with the trip and fully enjoy it.
I am also looking for some Labeotropheus Fuelleborni "Hora Mhango" lol
I cant wait for pics from this journey!


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## Tiberian

have fun. look forward to seeing some pictures.


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## tirzo13

Packing all this stuff is a headache!

One Pelican 1600 hardcase takes up my BC and Regulator!
I have not even got to my fins, mask, wetsuit or cameras!
then sleeping bag, clothes.
shoot, i may only have space for my walk around speedo's!

I was hoping to only do one checked bag/case.
I can't see how i can do this with less than 2 checked and 1 carry on.
Oh well, whats another $300 when you already have $5k in to the trip!
I'm not so worried about the extra baggage fees, as having two checked bags increase chance of something getting lost or damaged.
$1000 in dive gear in one case, $1000 in camera gear in the other.


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## BillD

Doesn't sports equipment ride for free?


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## ridley25

BillD said:


> Doesn't sports equipment ride for free?


Ha! Ever tried flying with a bike? They ding you a hundred or more dollars and still manage to break your bike carrier.

Sorry for going off-topic...

kevin


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## tirzo13

i have never heard of sports equipment flying free.
Its still weight.

Would be nice if i did not get charged for it.
Ill just be happy if everything makes it there and back.


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## BillD

My sister in law and hubbie don't ever pay for their golf clubs (and what ever heavy items they add to the golf bag. On my last trip I was told my snorkling gear and such could travel in a seperate bag and be exempt from the weight restriction.


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## ridley25

I've often considered getting a golf bag shaped bike box since my bike weighs far less than a set of clubs. Unfortunately, airlines are very good at enforcing rules that are convenient to them.

If all the golfers stopped flying they would be out of business. If the people who fly with bikes or SCUBA equipment stopped flying they wouldn't notice the difference.

Hence the second class treatment.

Okay, that's enough off-topic economic conspiracy talk from me!

kevin


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## tirzo13

Hmm,
so golf equipment is free?
So i could get a hard golf case and put my gear in it?

Can someone find me a link where it says Golf or Sports equipment flys free?
I looked at quite a few airlines and could not find that information.

My dive gear AND camera gear weighs less than my golf clubs.

So someone please hook me up and show me a link for free golf gear travel.

won't help me now, as I'm now off to Africa.
See ya in 2 weeks!


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## tirzo13

I'm back!
Malawi was great, did about 9 dives.
The water was warm and clear, even at 100 feet down.
Ill show pictures later this week when i sort them all out.


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## Rhinox

tirzo13 said:


> I'm back!
> Malawi was great, did about 9 dives.
> The water was warm and clear, even at 100 feet down.
> Ill show pictures later this week when i sort them all out.


Looking forward to the pics!


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## ridley25

Me too! Did you get to Taiwanee Reef?

kevin


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## tirzo13

yep, we went there.
I had about 1000 pix, i have since deleted the real crappy ones, so i'm down to about 500.
I need to delete about 300 more.
Ill hopefully put some out this weekend.


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## tirzo13




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## ridley25

Awesome. Keep 'em coming!

kevin


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## DrgRcr

Great video!


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## axelfoley

awesome video! what an incredible opportunity! i'm living vicariously through your video, keep them coming indeed!


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## tirzo13

Ill add a couple more vids, but that was really the money shot.
Guess i should have saved that for last!
Most are just fish swimming away, so to have a action shot of a fish that is less common than mbuna and peacocks was pretty cool to me.
You don't get a action shot like that all the time.
Still working on deleting more crappy pix, but out of 1000, i only have maybe 20 pix that will even end up being B grade, maybe 2 shots that could make it as 2 inch shots in TFH or cichlid news, but for sure zero cover shot worthy pix like i had hoped.

I only had a $1000 system and i did not bring strobe/flash or even red filter, or have the much more expensive systems like Konings, Lars and Larry did (i also did not have exp/skills they have).

Lighting and Lens choice are much more important than the camera type/price in less than ideal lighting situations.


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## soulpride

totally cool. :drooling: maybe someday i will get to do that too  . after studying Marine Biology.


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## Rhinox

I loved that video. Those were some pretty big fry she kept taking in and spitting out. What were the fish in the background? I noticed something blue and something yellow.


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## tirzo13

Malawi 2010 crew. 
Dan, Steve Lundblad, Pam Chin, Larry Johnson, Tirzo13, John, Dr. Troy, Claudia Dickinson.









Lundblad, Tirzo13









Steve Lundblad, Layton, Pam Chin









Even in Africa hot chicks want Ad Konings.









Darn that postman!









Fish drying racks.









Tirzo13 eating dried lake sardines.









First Officer Layton, Tirzo13, Captain Robart.









First Officer Layton.









Captain Robart









Tirzo13 100ft down.









Tirzo13 and the good ship Lady Louise II.









Malawi Coast.









Malawi huts.









Miniature Malawi Cattle, not much bigger than goats.









Malawi craftsmen making figurines and masks.


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## tirzo13

Loading freshly caught fish for transport.









Loading fish for transport to Stuarts place.









Freshly bagged peacocks ready for 5 hour drive to the fish house.









Sorting freshly caught fish for holding.









Worker unbagging freshly caught fish.









Worker unbagging freshly caught fish.









Dan Glassco helping out.









Fish house tanks, holding for export or meds.









Row of Mbenji species vats.









20ft x 20ft holding vats.









Vats.































































Placidochromis phenochilus "Mdoka"


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## ridley25

Love that VC-10!

kevin


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## tirzo13

My underwater shots will follow soon. still deleting and sorting them all out.
The other pix where easier to sort through because we did not spend much time on land, so i did not take very many pix on land.


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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13

Mods.
Please delete the whole last post of pictures, they are doubles of the previous post.
thanks.


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## pomi

Seems you had a great trip. Thanks for sharing the pics....


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## gmaschke

really cool thanks for the thread and pics!


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## tirzo13

Clarias gariepinus aka Mlamba.


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## tirzo13

still don't understand why the vids don't embed.
oh well, click the link above for the catfish video.


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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13




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## Fighting Cichlids!

Those are some amazing pictures! Love to see Cichlids in their natural habitat.


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## tirzo13




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## kriskm

What an amazing trip! The photos are terrific. Just not sure what those two snails are doing....


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## tirzo13




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## ridley25

Who's that in picture #1 & #2? Amazing looking fish.

Is the second last one a Tropheops sp. 'broadmouth?'

kevin


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## tirzo13

Its Metriaclima aurora.
The ones i have seen at dealers don't quite look like that vibrant, the colors are more muddy, but all the ones i seen in the lake have that pattern and vibrancy.
not sure if ours are just overbred, or ones we get are from a location that does not have much color.
beautiful fish.

second to last one is a Tropheops "red cheek" from Likoma.


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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13




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## louisep887

Congrats!


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## tirzo13




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## ridley25

What ever kind of zebra that is in the middle pictures is an absolute beast! I bet he has a nice, big territory.

kevin


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## noki

Great pics! 8)

for once this smily is appropiate opcorn:


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## Kanorin

Fantastic pictures :thumb: 
I'm very jealous. I missed this thread the first time around because I don't look at the "general african cichlid discussion" very much. This thread isn't general african, it's Malawi!

Any chance you can tell us in which locations these pictures are taken from (I'm sure several)? I'm pretty sure I saw a Cynotilapia sp. Mbamba (nkhata bay) in there.


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## dielikemoviestars

So... where do I sign up for 2011's trip?!


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## tirzo13

Kanorin said:


> Fantastic pictures :thumb:
> I'm very jealous. I missed this thread the first time around because I don't look at the "general african cichlid discussion" very much. This thread isn't general african, it's Malawi!
> 
> Any chance you can tell us in which locations these pictures are taken from (I'm sure several)? I'm pretty sure I saw a Cynotilapia sp. Mbamba (nkhata bay) in there.


I put it in general as i was going to do both lakes at the same time, i ended up just doing malawi.
tanganyika is coming in april or may.

i did not keep a diary to match up fish with dives, but i did dive Nkhata bay.
This is our dive list.

Check-out dive at Nakantenga Island/Maleri
Early departure 7am for Mbenji Island (41km; dive), Nkhomo Reef (19km; dive), overnight to Likoma (150km)
Arrival Likoma about 9-10am; dive at Maingano Island, dive at Masimbwe Island; 
Go to Mozambique, CobwÃƒÂ© and dive at reef and perhaps new reef with flameback; 
dive at Taiwanee Reef (23km); travel to Kande Island (50km);
Dive at Kande Island and travel to Nkhata Bay (50km; dive);
Travel to Mara Rocks and dive (43km); 
Dive at Chitimba Reef (4km); dive at Gallireya Reef (9 km);
Travel to Mdoka (38km) and dive; dive at Chewere (12km);
Dive at Luwino Reef (16km) 
dive at south bay Nkhata Bay.


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## tirzo13

dielikemoviestars said:


> So... where do I sign up for 2011's trip?!


PM me.
I'm from SD too (carlsbad), so fellow SD'ers move to front of the list.
ever dive La Jolla?


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## tirzo13

Want to do some freshwater diving in Lake Tanganyika, Africa? i'm heading back in april/may or june.
Looking to take 4-8 people with me. The dive last year at Lake Malawi was fantastic, no wetsuit and incredible viz.
Lodging/food/boat/crew will run about 2k for about a week, we can even do a safari day.
flights are running 1500-2500.

PM me if you are interested.


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## borohands8593

Man I wish I had the money and the guts to go diving with the saltwater crocs and hippos!! Where in Lake Tang is it safe to dive? I know a large part of the lake borders Congo which is very dangerous, unlike Malawi and Victoria which are safer counties. Do you have the opputunity to bring fish back with you?


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## tirzo13

The danger of crocs does exist. Where i will be diving in Zambia there is crocs.
just part of the risk. just like getting shot and robbed by rebels.

February 28th is the deadline for me to plan on taking others to Tanganyika for April or May.

I may postpone it till September.
If i do i will be going to Uruguay in March and then Tanganyika later in the year.


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## tirzo13

I'm putting off the Tanganyika trip till August.

Diving is much better in August than May, which means nicer pix.
This allows people more time to get SCUBA certified and get dive practice in this summer.
Allows people to save more money, as many are broke after Christmas time, hopefully taxes won't screw you guys.

This also allows me more time to work on...
Burundi and Victoria combo (no diving in Victoria).
Malawi and Tanganyika combo.
Zambia and Tanzania combo.

Problem is if i do a combo it will be over 21 days.
Few people can do that, so most likely if i do that it will be solo.

Single location is about 7 days diving, and 1 day travel in Africa.
So roughly 11 days total with travel USA to Africa and back.

Next month, i'm going to be heading to South America to discover and photo new cichlid and pleco species.

For those interested,
Last issue of the ACA bulletin is devoted to our malawi trip.
there is other pix and stories by our group.


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## Chunkanese

Wow sounds amazing been wanting to do a wild life program in Seychelles doing dives and all that. But with my interest in cichlids dives in Africa would be very cool. Good luck in sa I would figure visibility would be very low?


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## tirzo13

VIZ in SA varies from crystal clear to zero.


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## RRasco

These trips are amazing. Definitely on my bucket list. Great pics! As everyone else is, I'm envious.


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## tirzo13

Returning to Africa in 9 days!

Dive list for Malawi Oct 2011

Nakentenga Island
Mbenji Island
Nkomo Reef
Masimbwe Islet
Maingano
Yofu Bay
Ndumbi Rocks
Makinila Bay
Same Bay or Chiwi
Taiwan Reef
Nkhata Bay
Sanga
Ussisya
Mbowe Island
Mara Rocks
Lions Cove (2 dives) or head to Kawanga for second dive.
Mundola


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## Catfish Dan

Wow! All I can say is WOW!!!! :thumb:


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## mbunabrandon

If only I had money the things I would do! This is on my bucket list of things to do before I kick the bucket. I am going to go stare at my tank now and pretend I'm swimming in lake malawi.


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## tirzo13

yes, its not cheap, but worth saving for.

lodging/boat/crew/air and tanks run about $1500 for the 2 weeks.
no real leverage with that.

flights run about 1800 to 2500.
so you are looking at $3200+, but closer to $4000.

then you have to purchase dive gear, and underwater camera gear if you want to take pix.
you can find this stuff used.


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## tirzo13

This is the rig im taking to Africa this year.
Hopefully will have pix a little better than the point and shoot i used last year.
Ikelite Nikon DSLR housing.
DS 200 and DS 50 strobes.


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## tirzo13

Leaving for Africa tomorrow!
I can't wait, 2 weeks of diving and pix!


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## juststayinthecave

Should get some nice pics with that beheamoth.

Good Luck


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## bluebirdnanny

:drooling: Wish I could afford a trip like that! But then my health would prevent it if I could! Oh, I am soooo jealous of you. Getting excited for you. Imagining the sights in store for you!!


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## Brandons714

WHAT KIND OF CICHLID IS THIS?!
I MUST get me some!
I'm a NOOB with the different species and stuff, but all I can guess is it's some kind of Hap? lol

I'm making a trip to the 2nd Largest Cichlid hatchery in the US (Just so happens to be about 50 miles away from where I live, in a place I go to all the time, but I just found out about this place.) this Saturday, and I'm definitely going to pick a few of these up if they have them!

-Edit-

Aulonocara Stuartgranti Usisya Flavescent

Is that right?!
I checked the Hatchery to see what they had that looked similar, I came across those, It's a type of Peacock I guess. =P


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## tile55

just caught this thread and all I can say is WOW :thumb: opcorn: =D> 
Fantastic pics, looking forward to seeing the new ones when you get back
Congrats.


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## fishman13

Good luck. Love to see all the pics opcorn:


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## DIAMOND_CICHLIDS

:drooling: waiting for more pics :drooling:


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## londonloco

opcorn:


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## quentin8

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


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## quentin8

Did you get lost in Africa?


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## Yxhyn

What's the name of the yellow cichlid???


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## monisaab

Lombardoi (Kenyi)...

Lovely fish...


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## stevenp

absolutely great pics :thumb: , must be the trip of a lifetime.Def goin on the bucket list.keep the pics comin, will keep watchin this 1 opcorn:


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## tirzo13

Back from another trip to Africa. So here are some new pix!


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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13




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## tirzo13




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## quentin8

Great pics


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## DIAMOND_CICHLIDS

Nice pictures :thumb: How long did you stay there? It took so long to get an update on this thread, I was starting to think you got lost in there :lol: 
I hope I will be able to make that trip some day...


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## tirzo13

I stayed two weeks.
Got busy, plus i was in South AMerica collecting, so not had alot of time.


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## tirzo13

Going back to Malawi in 4 days!
Hopefully have some nice pix in a month.


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## cichlid-gal

How awesome..now where the heck is the "envy" button...and yes pics pics and more pics please. Have fun tirzo13


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## cichlid_crazy

Its just not fair  
Have fun and bring back some more of your wonderful pics to share. :thumb:


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## master chi

I'm just now seeing this. Absolutely amazing Thank You so much tirzo13 for sharing your experience.Can't wait to see more when you get back!


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## Buzz_

Amazing pics dude well done!!

Tell me is this species?


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