The challenge part 2

[MatsP]

No points if you get in the points.
Mats

I think Hoplo should be allowed points for any she hasn't bred already ...

Callichthys serralabium (never seen any)
Dianema longibarbis (haven't got any)
Dianema urostriatum (got 9 but no spawning)
Hoplosternum magdalenae (never seen any)

Dianema longibarbis aren't hard to get in the US (I've even seen them in Petsmart). Though I've never seen Callichthys callichthys anywhere.

Yes, that's fair, I think.

--
Mats

[grokefish]

As it is The Grokefishs' challenge and am therefore the MASTER CONTROLLER, I declare that Hoplo may join in if she likes, the more experience the better.

There are no points, the prize is picking the next species.

The Grokefish has spoken.

Matt

[worton[pl]]

Hey,

co currently we have:

mummymonkey ?
L number Banana
nvcichlids
MatsP
Birger
Jools
Hoplo
Hmm Grokefish are you in?
Things are getting more interesting

[TP]

I'm still in with littorale or thoracata!

[Birger]

As it is The Grokefishs' challenge and am therefore the MASTER CONTROLLER, I declare that Hoplo may join in if she likes, the more experience the better.

There are no points, the prize is picking the next species.

The Grokefish has spoken.

Matt

hehe...I like that, lets not get too caught up in rules

[mummymonkey]

I've just sold the last of my thoracata (to Ian Fuller as it happens) so I don't want to breed them again so soon. I'll see if I can get another one from the list.

[worton[pl]]

Hello,

ok so I add you to a list mummymonkey - beautiful thing about this challenge is that there is absolutely no reason to do things fast ;).

So currently we have 10 declared participants:
mummymonkey
L number Banana
nvcichlids
MatsP
Birger
Jools
Hoplo
Grokefish
TP
Worton

Regards.

[grokefish]

Hmm Grokefish are you in?

What do you mean it's my challenge, you header

Matt

[hoplo]

Hi guys,

Sorry to mess you all around but i am not going to do it.

Andy (my hubby) says it would not be fair for you all.

[worton[pl]]

Hey,

why? You will may say to us your methods once you will be first. There is no winners or losers in this challenge . Being first means only that you will choose next species .

[MatsP]

Hi guys,

Sorry to mess you all around but i am not going to do it.

Andy (my hubby) says it would not be fair for you all.

But you could join me and whoever else it was (sorry, couldn't scroll back far enough to check the name) in an attempt to breed Dianema urostriatum. They are not quite similar anyways, since they do not (apparently) build any bubble-nest, but breed in a way more like Cory's.

--
Mats

[grokefish]

Hi guys,

Sorry to mess you all around but i am not going to do it.

Andy (my hubby) says it would not be fair for you all.

But you could join me and whoever else it was (sorry, couldn't scroll back far enough to check the name) in an attempt to breed Dianema urostriatum. They are not quite similar anyways, since they do not (apparently) build any bubble-nest, but breed in a way more like Cory's.

--
Mats

Thats the spirit Mats

Matt

[Birger]

hoplo wrote:Hi guys,

Sorry to mess you all around but i am not going to do it.

Andy (my hubby) says it would not be fair for you all.



But you could join me and whoever else it was (sorry, couldn't scroll back far enough to check the name) in an attempt to breed Dianema urostriatum. They are not quite similar anyways, since they do not (apparently) build any bubble-nest, but breed in a way more like Cory's.

--
Mats

I agree that you should stay on Hoplo...at the very least we could give you a fancy title like "Hoplo Challenge Technical Advisor to the Master Controller"

There will be other challenges where you will not have the jump on us, then it may be one of the others.

Birger

[L number Banana]

hoplo wrote:Hi guys,

Sorry to mess you all around but i am not going to do it.

Andy (my hubby) says it would not be fair for you all.

Hoplo's Hubby sounds fair and very considerate but the experience she brings would be very welcome by me and most likely others. How about give the hubby some hoplos (the fish ) and join the challenge by documenting HIS success.

Either way Hoplo should be in somehow, Chief Hoplo BigWig CatMaster, 2nd to the Controller Freak at least

edit: and we need more women here anyways!

[grokefish]

hoplo wrote:Hi guys,

Sorry to mess you all around but i am not going to do it.

Andy (my hubby) says it would not be fair for you all.

Hoplo's Hubby sounds fair and very considerate but the experience she brings would be very welcome by me and most likely others. How about give the hubby some hoplos (the fish ) and join the challenge by documenting HIS success.

Either way Hoplo should be in somehow, Chief Hoplo BigWig CatMaster, 2nd to the Controller Freak at least

edit: and we need more women here anyways!

Matt

[L number Banana]

Hi,
My LFS is getting "Port Hoplo Cats" in tomorrow and I've printed out the info sheets and some pictures just in case they're one of the challenge fish. The only one I don't want is Hoplosternum littorale because it would get too big eventually. Anything I should look for to be sure it's not that one?

The Megalechis both look different enough but H. punctatum and H. magdalenae look a bit the same as H.littorale in the light colour pictures. Light colour, spotted etc.

Sorry to ask such a newbie question but I've never even seen these in real life!
Thanks as always

[Birger]

Hey Banana's

Take pictures with you of the two Dianema species, this is the Porthole Catfish

Dianema longibarbis

They are good for the challenge as well.

Any littorale I have seen for sale look just like the first picture in the catalog (they have that sort of uneven dark line between the plates going down their side...unless they are bigger and then they get dark AFAIK.
The H. magdalenae are not that common.
The H. punctatum are more likely to get mixed up with the Dianema species.


Birger

[nvcichlids]

my lfs has in "hoplo" catfish, but they all have what look to be "skuffs" or scraps and markings on their foreheads. Would they still be safe fish to get or should I wait until I find some that look in perfect health?

[Birger]

You could check if they could hang on to a few for you and you could see if they will heal a bit or continue to eat that sort of thing.
They are also fairly tough so you could possibly risk it if you think it might be hard to obtain more later(of course depending on price & budget)
If they look otherwise healthy and are eating...but you would have to quarantine just in case!!!

Did you figure out which species they are?

Birger

[L number Banana]

Birger wrote:

Take pictures with you of the two Dianema species, this is the Porthole Catfish Dianema longibarbis

They are good for the challenge as well.

What a beautiful fish! I kinda hope that's what they turn out to be

nvcichlids:

my lfs has in "hoplo" catfish, but they all have what look to be "skuffs" or scraps and markings on their foreheads. Would they still be safe fish to get or should I wait until I find some that look in perfect health?

Are they relatively easy to get there? If so maybe wait but if your LFS has a guarantee it might be okay as long as you can QT them for a bit just in case. Maybe you can get them for a really good price and pamper them back to perfect health?
I'll see what the experienced fish people have to say here, I'm not too experienced.

[MatsP]

Dianema

are fairly rare - not sure why, I don't think they are that rare in nature, but I couldn't say for sure. But they are very pretty, and fairly good for a community tank - they aren't the most aggressive on food, so make sure there aren't too many others that compete for food tho'.

According to Richard B, they are in good condition when they are hovering over the substrate, rather than sitting on the substrate. They are, in my mind, not quite as hardy as their browner hoplo brothers and sisters.

--
Mats

[Birger]

Dianema are fairly rare - not sure why

Here I see them now and then, I would not call them rare, lucky for us I guess.

Birger

[MatsP]

Dianema are fairly rare - not sure why

Here I see them now and then, I would not call them rare, lucky for us I guess.

Birger

Sure, it depends on wholesalers/importers/breeders and their choices of what to bring in/keep.

--
Mats

[nvcichlids]

I guess they do not sell well around here, so that is why I haven't been able to find more. I may consider it. Would they be ok in an Alstad's Way type of tank? (all natural, heavily planted, no air, no filter no heater no light just sunlight.(as a hospital tank))

[L number Banana]

nvcichlids:

Would they be ok in an Alstad's Way type of tank?

Is that the same as a Waldstad Tank? So nice to hear there are other el natural tanks here

I think the dianema need temps from 24-28 so maybe too cool depending on your location? The M. picta says 18-24c temps. Also If you added a heater, it won't mess up your tank if it's the Walstead method (real soil/sunlight/no filter) but there may be some cooler water plants that wouldn't like it. Would love to see some pics of your tank if it's settled in yet.

I've got a similar tank being set up for madtoms

[L number Banana]

No luck on the Dianema for me today
The 'port Hoplo Cats' didn't show up with the order today but the staff looked at my pictures and ID'd them as L.pectorale in the juvenile picture. Too cool for my big tank but maybe good candidates for the madtom-to-be tank. They're back on order for next Friday. Still have M. thoracta coming in on the 18th.

PS just as a side note - I saw a 16"? White tailed Remora Shark sucker! (Saltwater Echeneis naucrates) Someone once bought it as a "harmless fish that grows to about 4" Ate all it's tanksmates and outgrew his home - what a stunning fish! cool sucker type thing.

[L number Banana]

Some inspiration for everyone while we wait for our Hoplos to arrive etc.
A youtube video of H.littorale building a bubblenest from leaves and other tank plants. Cool.
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[Carp37]

I've only just seen this thread; I've been meaning to try to breed Megalechis thoracata or Callichthys callichthys this year, but am struggling with tank space due to the sheer quantities of fry my Ancistrus churn out- they're in a quiet spell at the moment so once these fry have gone I'm hoping to have a tank free. Although over half my hoplos (all four of the males and two of five females) and all the Callichthys are from Hoplo anyway!

Would Callichthys count in this challenge? I'm pretty sure they're mature as they're over 2 years old now; the hoplos might be a bit borderline on age (although one male has pretty quickly caught the older females up size-wise at about 4" SL).

[L number Banana]

Hi Carp37,
Welcome to the challenge!

Here's the list:

Megalechis thoracata

Hoplosternum littorale

Hoplosternum magdalenae

Hoplosternum punctatum

Lepthoplosternum pectorale

Megalechis picta

and

Dianema

Don't know if Callichthys callichthys are in but Grokefish is the KingCat for this challenge so I'm sure he'll weigh in on this. In the meantime, you have M.thoracata so you should be in with those guys at least. I have 5 of these and they're just small so I don't expect breeding activity any time soon

[grokefish]

All the mentioned species are approved.

Anyway I have got back from 3 weeks in Cumbria and my 6 hoplos are now 1" long, when I left they were about 1/4 of an inch.
They grow fast!

Matt