Farlowella "Twig" Catfish

[sthomas048]

Hello, this Loricariidae has got my attention ! Anyone here own some of these Farlowella "twig" catfish ? Most of these available in the UK are F. Vittata ? Im planning my stock for my 125 litre tank which im currently cycling, how many could i keep in here ? I have lots of driftwood waiting for lounging on !

Any experiences you have had with these catfish, id really love to hear about.

Many thanks.

Stephen

[gage]

all i know, is that they are very delicate, good luck with them, there a great fish.

[Shane]

It is not so much that they are delicate as few people keep them in an appropriate set up. They are not good choices for the typical community tank. Ideally, they need a larger planted tank with very little to no competition for food. This means the only other plecs should be retiring peaceful spp. from hypoptopominae (like Otocinclus) and other loricariinae. No robust ancistrinae spp should be in the aquarium as Farlowella can not compete with them for food. Once acclimated they will eat a wide variety of vegetables, dry, and frozen foods.
Non catfish tankmates should be small peaceful tetras.

So to keep them long term, you need either a large planted aquaria with proper tankmates or a smaller species tank. A group of 5-6 will do great in a 15-20 gallon tank with no other tankmates or perhaps a half dozen neon tetras.

The last idea (and my favorite) is to set up a 30-40 gallon tank planted with grass-type plants and keep a combination or Farlowella, Sturisoma, Sturisomatichthys, etc.
-Shane

[sthomas048]

Hi Gage, Shane.

Yes, i could imagine how the Farlowella need that easy access availability of food, they seem very placid fish that they are there to blend in and be invisible in their environment, avoiding predators. Do you know what i mean ?

My tank is about 33 gallons so i could keep 6 Farlowella and 7 or so Otocinclus (and maybe some little tetra for upper level activity) ? I also like the sound of your last idea, it would be a very true to nature aquarium wouldnt it. The Otos also thrive being around lots of plants/grass areas, as mentioned in the excellent Catfishology article.

Thanks to both of you for your response.

Stephen

[racoll]

My tank is about 33 gallons so i could keep 6 Farlowella and 7 or so Otocinclus (and maybe some little tetra for upper level activity) ?

Sounds like a nice tank. You could also try breeding them too.

I would add some twigs/branches, as surprisingly the Farlowella love to spend time on them (more so than plants). I use dead Betula (birch). See below.

No robust ancistrinae spp should be in the aquarium as Farlowella can not compete with them for food.

Quite the opposite to your experience Shane, I have found they compete well with the Panaque/Hypancistrus etc I have kept them with, as the Farlowella are diurnal rather than nocturnal, and have no problems feeding out in the most open areas of the aquarium with the lights on full (which the other plecos are more hesitant to do). Attaching vegetables to near the surface of the tank is another good way to feed Farlowella.

However despite my experiences, Shane is correct.

all i know, is that they are very delicate

As Shane says, they are not that delicate, provided their needs are met. People have often said they dislike large water changes of fresh water and will die. This is not something I have found to be the case.

However they are sensitive to high temperatures and low oxygen levels. I lost six of my seven (I planned to breed them) when we had that really hot summer a couple of years back. My thermometer broke at the same time, so I have no idea how hot the tank really was. I would keep them between 25C and 28C.

Also make sure they have enough food of the right kind, as they are prone to starving or bloating on too much protein rich food. I would feed vegetables every day with a piece of algae wafer twice a week perhaps.

Most of these available in the UK are F. Vittata ?

Yes,

Farlowella vittata

are exported from Colombia. Occasionally you can get other spp. from Peru such as

Farlowella platoryncha

. I have not seen any Farlowella exported from Brazil.

[sthomas048]

Racoll, what an informative reply. Thanks.

I have been deliberating for a few weeks now as to what i should populate my tank with, i like so many sorts of fish. But one thing is for certain i want to keep it simple (only 2 or 3 types of fish per tank) and create a natural tank (to make it a healthy and familiar habitat). Im drawn to unusual fish, fascinated by the whys and whats of them. The ultimate reward is to have breeding fish i reckon and its something i will definately aim towards.

I have ordered some driftwood pieces (about 30-40cms long) and some Java Fern and Java Moss. I had thought about adding some branches too. I have a tree in my back garden and i have no idea which type it is , could i break some twigs off this ? Would i need to scrub then soak these in boiling water before placing in the tank ? I know some people recommend sticking them in the oven for half an hour.

I have a standard Juwel built-in filter that i have attached an air diffuser to. Quite a difference in the strength of flow now. Would this provide enough flow and oxygen for the Farlowella (and Oto) ?

Thats all my questions, once more thanks, your reply was excellent.

[Shane]

Quite the opposite to your experience Shane, I have found they compete well with the Panaque/Hypancistrus etc I have kept them with

This may be the key as they are not in direct competition with the wood eating Panaque or meat eating Hypancistrus. They do not compete well with ancistrinae that eat the same foods they do (i.e. Hypostomus, Ancistrus, etc) in an aquaria. Yes these fishes all exist side by side in nature, but they are occupying different niches. The camouflage of Farlowella lets them feed among submersed grasses and branches in shallow waters. Hypostomus and Ancistrus in the same river would be found deeper as they are more easily spotted by birds and animals in the shallows.
It would take a REALLY big tank to replicate actual niches. This is one of the "failures" of most biotope tanks. The fish in a biotope tank may all come from the same river or lake, but would never be found in direct proximity.
-Shane

[sthomas048]

Shane, your message is food for thought indeed.

I think im going to enjoy creating the best conditions i can for both my Farlowella and Otos. Above all else i want them to be healthy and happy. I know they will both appreciate a mature tank, so i will be patient and spend some time getting all the tank details right, from water to lighting to plants and decor in general.

I find it fascinating, the finer details of biotope, niche, habitat etc; Im definately not clever enough to give you a similar reply, but i know what you mean. Theres a great book called "Ecology" by Ernest Callenbach which really goes into detail about that stuff, i recommend it to anyone.

[AZCatfish]

I know this is an old thread but I am excited about my first

farlowella vittata

!

I found her at Pet Smart of all places. She seems to be doing great as she is in a peaceful planted tetra/cory tank just as Shane recommends.

Here is a pic of her luxuriating on a piece of driftwood with some curious ember tetras watching!