Channallabes apus

Squidward · Post by **Squidward** » 09 May 2011, 21:22

Hi All,

My LFS has some of these.
They look really interesting. Would the be ok in a community tank with smallest fish of about 5cm?

Are they aggresssive feeders?
There are some other cats (Bumblebees and Plecs) in the tank already.

Thanks

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 10 May 2011, 12:55

These do eat smaller fish & have a marked preference for "meaty" foods although in nature they eat a lot of insects. They are also great escape artists.....

5cm tank mates with soft bodies - tetras, platies etc might make a snack and i wouldn't guarantee the safety of anything this size in a community tank.

These are a really interesting species though and relatively trouble free although one of there most interesting features is rarely seen as tanks seldom allow terrestrial activity. Definately a species i'd recommend!

Squidward · Post by **Squidward** » 10 May 2011, 20:36

Richard B wrote:These do eat smaller fish & have a marked preference for "meaty" foods although in nature they eat a lot of insects. They are also great escape artists.....

5cm tank mates with soft bodies - tetras, platies etc might make a snack and i wouldn't guarantee the safety of anything this size in a community tank.

These are a really interesting species though and relatively trouble free although one of there most interesting features is rarely seen as tanks seldom allow terrestrial activity. Definately a species i'd recommend!

Any idea if they would get on with any other bottom dwellers/catfish?

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 11 May 2011, 12:15

Mine never bothered any of my other cats (synos, bagrids, etc)Small corys etc might be at risk (?) although they are spiny and not a lot will readily eat them

Squidward · Post by **Squidward** » 12 May 2011, 08:15

Richard B wrote:Mine never bothered any of my other cats (synos, bagrids, etc)Small corys etc might be at risk (?) although they are spiny and not a lot will readily eat them

Richard,
What size tank did you keep them in?

Squidward · Post by **Squidward** » 14 May 2011, 19:11

Well went to my LFS this morning, and decided to get one.

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 14 May 2011, 21:30

36x15x24

Viktor Jarikov · Post by **Viktor Jarikov** » 16 May 2011, 23:43

from Cat-eLog: -- Other Parameters-- Sensitive to bad water; this species appears particularly susceptible to bacterial / parasitic infections.

You must have not found this in your experience, Richard?

when it grows to 12", I'd guess it could eat a lot of smaller fishes, up to 5"-6" in length. so 2-incher might be a snack.

Is it less of a glutton and predator than other clariidae?

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 17 May 2011, 12:30

Viktor Jarikov wrote:from Cat-eLog: -- Other Parameters-- Sensitive to bad water; this species appears particularly susceptible to bacterial / parasitic infections.

You must have not found this in your experience, Richard?

It didn't seem particularly sensitive at all. Mine were well established specimens so they may suffer on import (?) The pic in Aqualog (and elsewhere)shows a fish with some infection http://www.hippocampus-bildarchiv.de/im ... s_apus.jpg - note the fine yellow spots - http://www.hippocampus-bildarchiv.com/i ... s_apus.jpg

Viktor Jarikov wrote:when it grows to 12", I'd guess it could eat a lot of smaller fishes, up to 5"-6" in length. so 2-incher might be a snack.

Is it less of a glutton and predator than other clariidae?

For a foot long fish it has a really small mouth, and only ate small platy sized fish - definately less of a glutton than clarias but still a really enthusiastic feeder!

Junttis · Post by **Junttis** » 18 May 2011, 06:34

Squidward wrote:Well went to my LFS this morning, and decided to get one.

Looks a bit like Gymnallabes to me?

Squidward · Post by **Squidward** » 18 May 2011, 08:14

Junttis wrote:
Squidward wrote:Well went to my LFS this morning, and decided to get one.
Looks a bit like Gymnallabes to me?

I think that is a synonym.

Junttis · Post by **Junttis** » 18 May 2011, 09:28

Squidward wrote:
Junttis wrote:
Squidward wrote:Well went to my LFS this morning, and decided to get one.
Looks a bit like Gymnallabes to me?
I think that is a synonym.

I meant . Does your's have pelvic fins? Hard to see from the photo. Nice fish whatever it is.

Squidward · Post by **Squidward** » 18 May 2011, 14:10

No pelvic fins.

I couldn't get a photo of the whole fish with my cr*ppy phone camera

jippo · Post by **jippo** » 18 May 2011, 20:41

Looks like . For sure it's not .

Squidward · Post by **Squidward** » 19 May 2011, 19:15

jippo wrote:Looks like
Gymnallabes typus
. For sure it's not
Channallabes apus
.

You could be right.
I was watching it this evening at feeding time. It does have very small pelvic fins which it holds against its body.

Junttis · Post by **Junttis** » 19 May 2011, 20:12

Squidward wrote:
jippo wrote:Looks like
Gymnallabes typus
. For sure it's not
Channallabes apus
.
It does have very small pelvic fins which it holds against its body.

So it is.

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