Which Auchenipterids are being kept by PC members?

[Jools]

My Liosomadoras morrowi left the hideout this morning and I was able to take some pics.
She(?) is 6" SL and becoming quite impressive. Wish I could find her a partner!

This gloriously fat lump of a fish should be in the catelog!

Jools

[Marc van Arc]

At this size, as I understand it, they should be sexable by looking for a genital papillae and from above the pectoral spines should be much thicker. 6" fish should be big enough for any sexual dimorphism to show, correct? I am hoping to be able to try and choose a pair.

Afaik, yes.
Most important is that you are going to be able to obtain your most favourite fish. Congrats Martin!!
Will they be going in the bigger tank as well?

[Martin S]

At this size, as I understand it, they should be sexable by looking for a genital papillae and from above the pectoral spines should be much thicker. 6" fish should be big enough for any sexual dimorphism to show, correct? I am hoping to be able to try and choose a pair.

Afaik, yes.
Most important is that you are going to be able to obtain your most favourite fish. Congrats Martin!!
Will they be going in the bigger tank as well?

Mark
I have just edited my post before reading yours.

And when they said 6", they meant it! I have never seen jags so big! The four that arrived were all but one regularly marked - the odd one had more spotting than the usual markings, and of these 4 one was a definite male from the thick pectoral spines. The rest I could not be sure.
I think that thay are just too big for me, so back to the 2" fish I'd found at another shop - if I had a larger tank now, I wouldn't hesitate, it's just that these are much bigger than I'd expected.

But, yes the plan is to keep these with the T.wallecai, and pretty much everything else will go into the smaller tank, which I still have not been able to collect and set up. I have been keeping the tank stocked with large river shrimp and regularly see the three T. sp2 at night feeding - am off between Christmas and New Year and intend to collect and set up then. Not what I planned at all!
I was considering what to add for some movement in with them - I guessed I'd be OK with 6-8 Congo Salmon/Tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus) as they are large enough not to be food for the T.wallecai(?) If not any other suggestions?
Martin

[Birger]

I guessed I'd be OK with 6-8 Congo Salmon/Tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus) as they are large enough not to be food for the T.wallecai(?) If not any other suggestions?

Keep in mind these are fairly aggressive feeders gobbling up as much as they can, as fast as they can, and they do this very well.

[Marc van Arc]

There's just the gender problem when you decide to go for the smaller specimens. For the rest that decision would only have advantages (space, life span etc).

I hope you'll be able to set up a nice tank. Pls don't rush. I usually rush and then find out later there were better/simpler solutions if I had given myself some time to think things over.

The Tetranematichthys is a swallower, no biter. Anything that doesn't fit will be left alone. Thus, fishes with some hight aren't bothered at all.

[Marc van Arc]

Yes I saw the red mark after I buy them, and I think the fish got hurt when the seller was catching him,

That could very well be the case. I had to catch some myself yesterday and although I caught them very carefully I discovered torn fins and small injuries as well......These will heal very quickly btw. Pls keep us posted!

[Martin S]

I guessed I'd be OK with 6-8 Congo Salmon/Tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus) as they are large enough not to be food for the T.wallecai(?) If not any other suggestions?

Keep in mind these are fairly aggressive feeders gobbling up as much as they can, as fast as they can, and they do this very well.

Thanks, will do.

There's just the gender problem when you decide to go for the smaller specimens. For the rest that decision would only have advantages (space, life span etc).

Yes, I was really hoping when they said 6" it would be an exaggeration, but sadly not - I just don't have the hiding spaces for such large fish.

I hope you'll be able to set up a nice tank. Pls don't rush. I usually rush and then find out later there were better/simpler solutions if I had given myself some time to think things over.

Yes, me to. Once Christmas is out of the way, I will have space for the second tank, and want to get the smaller stock out anyway - mainly so that I can increase the T.sp2 numbers, which I won't do with the wallecai around! I know that any jags I get will eventually get big, but also know they are very slow growers - I think the smaller ones are my only option - I agree that I will lose the ability to sex them, but they are my favourite fish, so if I end up with 2 of the same sex, it won't be the end of the world!

The Tetranematichthys is a swallower, no biter. Anything that doesn't fit will be left alone. Thus, fishes with some hight aren't bothered at all.

Thanks, as always, Marc.
Martin

[Marc van Arc]

On Entomocorus spp.

Hmmm, then I have two species then.

At least one of my five specimens shows dark areas on both caudal lobes, which makes it look like a cross between E. gameroi and E. radiosus with regard to tail pattern

Here's a picture:

[Marc van Arc]

Here's a better one on which the fish doesn't look like ET

[Richard B]

does this help at all?

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... ?news=1190. with entomocorus IDs?

[Marc van Arc]

Exactly one year ago I picked up my Tetranematichthys trio. Now it seems that the 23rd of December is going to be a lucky day for me, for today I got four new assets from a German shop namely

Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus

. As they are a bit skinny I've placed them in one of the smaller tank in order to avoid the food competition in the large tank (in which they eventually will go).

Here's the famous bucket picture:

And here's one in the tank (pls ignore the ^%&^#&%# snails!)

[Marc van Arc]

does this help at all? http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... ?news=1190. with entomocorus IDs?

Don't know Richard. Like I said before, it seems a combination of two tail patterns.....

[Yann]

Hi Marc!!

really a nice fish...
Look aslo much darker than the normal E. gameroi... likely something new...I doubt it is an hybrid ...
too bad there is just one!!
Cheers
Yann

[Marc van Arc]

really a nice fish...Look aslo much darker than the normal E. gameroi... likely something new...I doubt it is an hybrid

No hybrid I'm sure. These fish have the ability to show very different patterns. Perhaps the tail pattern differenciation is incorrect??

@Richard: my reply to your helpful remark was not meant to be blunt. Sorry for that.

[sidguppy]

personally these Trachelyopterichthys are among the best looking Auchenipterids in my opinion

I know that Tatia's and Entomocorus are all the buzz these days, but if I was to choose the best looking Auchenipterids this Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus would be in the top 3, together with Liosomadoras oncinus and Ageneiosus magoi.

Like Wim said yesterday; if you want to see really interesting fish, you have to cross the border (from Netherlands into Germany)

seen em eating, marc?
I just discoverd my brandnew pleco on a pile of obvious pleco turds, so mine is. ;)

[Richard B]

@Richard: my reply to your helpful remark was not meant to be blunt. Sorry for that.

Hey no worries - it is Christmas eve after all & if you're like me, still ridiculously busy

[Marc van Arc]

seen em eating, marc?

Yep, and so will you if you look down just a wee bit

The attachment T. taeniatus.jpg is no longer available

I could also get a nice facial of the Auchenipteridae sp. guyana (although that was not the intention of the picture; see one further below)

What I wanted to show you all are a couple of Trachelyichthys eggs. Contrary to T. intermedia eggs these hardly stick together, so they can be found everywhere on the bottom. Much larger too. A few sit just below the ventrals of the T. intermedia swimming by. If you look carefully you can also see them in the second picture just below the left maxillary barbel of sp. guyana.

[sidguppy]

hehe, they -the Pyama Cats- look even smaller than those fat black Tatia's.
they got length, but not much else.

was a good thing they're housed in the smaller tanks. easier to spot potential trouble and to fatten em up ;)

Trachelyichthys eggs......
damn. too bad my water's so much more basic than yours, otherwise I'd say I'd drop by with a bucket, vacuum em outr and raise the fry.
I got all kinds of baby food and hatcheries and so on.
but the difference in pH will kill them, and short of screwing up the water, making it unbuffered and dangerous, I cannot change that.
too bad!

[GW_NL]

Wow Marc, the Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus look great! You know where to find me in case you want to get rid of them

The oncinus en caracoideus are doing fine as far as I can tell.

Unfortunately I'm not a great photographer....

[Richard B]

That is a great looking Jag!

I'd be completely jealous if i didn't think mine was as good

[Marc van Arc]

Wow Marc, the Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus look great! You know where to find me in case you want to get rid of them.
The oncinus en caracoideus are doing fine as far as I can tell.

Hi GW,
I understand your enthousiasm, but I'll keep the T. taeniatus over here if you don't mind .
And I'm very happy that you're pleased with your new auchenipterids. I'm pleased too that they've found a good home.
Never mind you're no good photographer; as long as you're a good fish keeper all is well

[Richard B]

Surfing a bit i came across this for UK woodcat wanabee owners...

http://tropical-imports.co.uk/stock.htm

Good prices on the Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus £5.00 & Trachycorystes trachycorystes £50 i thought

[Marc van Arc]

Best things on the list however are the Ageneiosus (not marmoratus btw). I wouldn't mind adding some of those.
T. taeniatus at bargain price; I paid 25 euros (about 25 GBP atm) per fish. However I saved 700 euros by not having to cross the Northsea .
T. trachycorystes is not expensive either. Is there a difference between the bucket specimen (genuine imo) and the tank specimen (a bit too high and rounded imo)? Pity one can't see the tail in the tank specimen picture.

[Martin S]

Surfing a bit i came across this for UK woodcat wanabee owners...

http://tropical-imports.co.uk/stock.htm

Richard
Cool link - thanks

Best things on the list however are the Ageneiosus (not marmoratus btw).

Marc
Any idea what these are - I don't have the tank space , but do really like these - I had a single A.marmoratus many years ago and it was an incredible fish to watch.
Martin

[Marc van Arc]

They look somewhat like this:

Ageneiosus sp(2)

. I'm under the impression that a fair number of smaller Ageneiosidae has been "discovered" recently, which have found their way into the hobby.
Previously, Ageneiosids were considered large fishes with just one small species (the former Tympanopleura piperata; now

Ageneiosus piperatus

).
So I wonder if you don't have enough tank space for I think these will grow no larger than 8" (tops).

[grokefish]

I miss the Grokefish.

Matt

[Martin S]

They look somewhat like this:

Ageneiosus sp(2)

. I'm under the impression that a fair number of smaller Ageneiosidae has been "discovered" recently, which have found their way into the hobby.
Previously, Ageneiosids were considered large fishes with just one small species (the former Tympanopleura piperata; now

Ageneiosus piperatus

).
So I wonder if you don't have enough tank space for I think these will grow no larger than 8" (tops).

Interesting - thanks Marc.
Not that i wouldn't love to but I'm going to not try considering keeping these (would only do so if I could set up a tank just for them, which is not going to happen, at least for the forseeable future), but guess they would fare better in a group, rather than a single specimen. I'd expect a 4' tank really the smallest for a group of four or five, to give them the swimming/hunting space they would need?
Thanks again Marc
Martin

[Marc van Arc]

I'd expect a 4' tank really the smallest for a group of four or five, to give them the swimming/hunting space they would need?

So this is not a question? For I have no intention to start you doubting your decision

[sidguppy]

Why not go for a 5 foot tank?

this way you have room to spare for some other, more lively fish

the tiny Ageneiosus are really nice (Ive seen Marcs' ) but they're not exactly the worlds' liveliest fish.

if I'd use one word to describe them "torpid" would do nicely

in a 5 footer you'd have room to spare and you could add Hoplosternums, Dianema, Brochis, Opsodoras, mediumsized highbuild Characins like Poptella or Gymnocorymbus or something; none of these competes with the Ageneiosus for food (they don't eat small fish) and their lively antics are useful; might give the Ageneiosus a feeling of "safety". dithers in fact.

a speciestank with 5 small Ageneiosus of the more sleepy species will be something like a speciestank for Bunoccephalus......
it's your tank, mate; but I'd like to see movement in a tank now and then


they're quite different from the larger Ageneiosus magoi Marc had a long time ago.
now there's a really active cruisin' Ageneiosus.
Marc had only three, but I still remember that tank. they were visible and active, even with the lights on.
awesome fish. if the tapwater here was unsuitable for Tanganyika or Madagascar and suitable for Amazonian fish (unfortunately it isn't) that would be the fish I'd build a tank for. with some Doradids and the larger Callichthyidae and some goodsised Characins.

[panaque]

Just thought I'd post some pics of my C. perugiaes here. They seem different from the one in Martin S's avatar. Many more, smaller spots and no markins in the caudal.
First a rather gravid female. This was taken a few days ago and today she is sitting on a nice clutch of eggs.

C. perugiae female

And here is the father (that's his reflection on the right, not another fish...).

C. perugiae male

Hope you like
Cheers
Frank