messing about with an 80G tank

[sidguppy]

despite my Madagascar hobby I kinda missed the old concept of a (almost) pure catfish tank

I used to have those for ages but I went biotope into African riverines (catfish, barbs, cichlids, polypterids etc) some 17 years ago, then 11 years ago went Tanganyikan.
kept the Tanganyika cats and went Madagascar

now since the Malagasy cichlids takle ages to mature (I enjoy them a lot, still) I took the oppertunity to turn 1 of my smaller tanks into a catfish biotope.

it currently holds 2 different Parauchenipterus juveniles; 5" specimen, 1 is

Parauchenoglanis punctatus

, the other one is unknown, it looks exactly the same but lacks the white edges on the fins.
4 Ancistrus spp (the Schildpatt version 1M 3F), 1 Isichthys henryi (weirdest fish I have in ages) and as of yesterday I am now the proud owner of Marc's 2

Rhinodoras dorbignyi

I also had a group of 5 Steatocranus irvinei in there, but they tore up my weird mormyrid. once I found out they harassed my wiener fish (it looks like a hot dog with fins! ) I removed them.

this will be a non cichlid set up. but I do know I need a tank upgrade if the fish grow! all are small for now, except the Rhino's wich are quite fat and about 6-7"

[Richard B]

Nice one Sid - i look forward to pics if they become available

[sidguppy]

my camera's busted and I HATE messing about with camera's

not in the least cause it's such a hassle

persons with camera's are welcome to tinker with them, though. as long as I don't have to

[Jon]

people don't keep enough bizarre doradids these days.

[Richard B]

people don't keep enough bizarre doradids these days.

Agreed - however there aren't a lot available beyond the 'norm'

[Birger]

Isichthys henryi....definately an odd fish, for anyone wondering as I was http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/Pictures ... at=species

[sidguppy]

uhuh
it was a by catch between the by catches.

A small LFS near Rotterdam that specializes in weird fish had a bunch of Mormyrids imported and next to the Elephant nose fishes they ordered, they had as extra's a mix up of several Marcusenius and Petrocephalus.
the owner also told me of a highly unknown fish in there wich looked "like an eel".

since he also had juvenile Gymnarchus (a species far too large for regular hobbists) I feared it was just another Gymnarchus baby, until he lifted the PVC pipe this fish was hiding in

then I knew I would not leave with it.

it's doing great actually. I've tried weird Mormyrids in the past and often they last a few weeks, a few months and then they turn into emaciated swimming skeletons and die.
this particular fish has almost doubled in length and is nicely rounded. it looks exactly like a very slim sausage with fins on.....

what REALLY surprised me, given the shape and the small mouth is that it's a highly effective piscivore, well capable of feeding on 1-1.5" fishes....it decimated an entire school of Poecilia's and even got a juvenile Paretroplus I'd mistakenly put in there thinking it would be safe.