Which Auchenipterids are being kept by PC members?

[Marc van Arc]

Certainly not the best of pictures and even more certainly no auchenipterid, but at least I'm regaining some fun in fish keeping from them.
I currently keep three specimens.
Sternarchorhynchus oxyrhynchus is the name.

20140605_155239.jpg

[wrasse]

We like the same fish Marc!
Though it seems there are so few knife fish species available in the hobby. I've kept glass knives for about 4 years now and never tire of watching how they move, interact and hunt for food. Your elephant nose knives look quite comical too.

[Jools]

Maybe I need to start PlanetKnifeFish???

Jools

[Marc van Arc]

@Richard: that's no news, is it?
Yes, they're absolutely marvellous. Moreover, they eat well and are very visible! I will do my best to make a small film, which gives them far more credit than the "bagged" picture does.
If you have been able to keep Eigenmannia alive for such a long time span, I'll take off my hat for you. That is indeed a great achievement!
The largest importer in The Netherlands currently stocks Compsaraia (Pelican beak knife fish). Quite rare, but also quite expensive.

To get this thing on topic again: how are your 2011 Pier ageneiosids? I'm very curious if we could be able to name them properly by now.

@Jools: that's a plan.

@both (or anyone else): I can't seem to find a (good) book solely on Gymnotidae. Does it even exist?

[wrasse]

I lost the last 2 of those ageneiosus fairly recently... and I can't say for certain why. Possibly diet-related, or maybe the water was too warm... I don't know. They were always fragile

My remaining glass knife fish are thriving and - yes, a decent gymnotid book would be useful.
Looking forward to seeing your knives on film

[Marc van Arc]

I have it ready for uploading, but it is way too big/large and I have no clue how to work around this.....

[Jools]

I have it ready for uploading, but it is way too big/large and I have no clue how to work around this.....

Grab the nearest person under 25 and ask them to upload it to youtube and then post it here?

Jools

[wrasse]

Hey Marc,

Maybe try: photobucket.com

[Marc van Arc]

In that case I will have to find out more and certainly increase my video skills.
The video is an equivalent of a snapshot and I would really like to add something good instead of something crappy.

I also need to catch some auchenipterids on film to stay on topic

[kruseman]

I had the chance to observe these fish for the first time: They are fun!

[Marc van Arc]

Saw a lot of very nice, rather large Tatia musaica today.
Male and females were easily distinguishable.
Not very cheap though at 60 euros per fish (although a discount of 10% was offered this weekend).
I had no trouble not buying any.

[Marc van Arc]

My Otorongos are definitely on their way back to improved health or - if you like - getting to some food.
It amazes me that these tiny fishes were able to last so long on an absolute minimum, due to a lot of bulging tank mates, such as the Chanallabes sp. - which role has greedily been taking over by the Hoplo littorale btw.
Thus I am not yet done catching fishes.
In order to make things easier for the Otorongos as well as the knife fishes, I will have to get rid of the Hoplos as well.

"Lesson" for everyone: you should keep Spinipterus sp otorongo in a tank/environment where they should be able to get some food on a regular basis. The way I have kept them so far is a brilliant example of "how NOT to keep them. The only reason my specimens are still alive is because they are so incredibly hardy; I am not to be given any credits for it.

[Marc van Arc]

And thus happened. The Hoplos are out and I was able to obtain a very nice knife fish species to take their place. I now keep three specimens of Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni and they are able to bury themselves in a sandy bottom completely.
Sold as M-(edium)sized I expected fishes of about 5 to 7 cms, but I was very surprised to find they measure about 15 to 19 cms - which is more than their given size in books. But then, there are many species in this genus and this probably is another species (I hope it isn't, for I am still a lumper).

I am terribly sorry for the off topic once more, yet I am certainly getting my fun in fish keeping back and I really wanted to share this.
The photo shows a close up of the head.

[Marc van Arc]

Is it the peace and quiet in the tank now that all characins have gone?
Is it the effect of catappa leaves (tanned water and a natural environment)?
Is it the company of guppys and their pheromones (not sure if other species should react to that, though)?
Is it just the time of year?
Or is it a combination of all four?
Anyway, my auchenipterid males are definitely "in the mood" .
More good news: the Otorongos are actually/finally growing.
The new gymnotid species turns out to be a burier, so I now have an even more elusive species that any auchenipterid I have ever kept.
The Elephant nose knives are doing fine, although I absolutely have one dominant specimen, which tries to chase all other knives away from food.

In short, I think I'll stick to this set up for a while. There's not much to be seen during the day, but the fishes seem to thrive.

[Martin S]

I've just added three

Ageneiosus sp(3)

to my tank...though have since been told they can be difficult to feed and keep the weight on! I did add some chopped live earthworms last night and two of the three took one or more, but the smallest wasn't interested. I'll have to keep an eye on them...it has been suggested that maybe they need live fish to flourish?

[Marc van Arc]

Hey Martin,

My trio did well on live feeders. The pair died a few years ago and currently I only keep the remaining single male. I have wondered several times why it is still alive, because it looks like a swimming head. Mind you, this fish is about 15 years old. Yet, when possible, it will grab an occasional feeder, but it feeds mostly on flakes and frozen foods. On the other hand, I would not be surprised when it dies shortly - but I've said that before.
Anyway, my other small ageneiosids also prefer flakes and frozen over live feeders and they are doing very well. Being wild caught - like yours presumably - they may need some time to get used to these foods.
Good luck with them; nice assets!

[Martin S]

Thanks Marc

I have tried chopped earthworm and the two larger of the two took some. I have seen them snapping for the odd bloodworm or flake that passes by, but am trying to find something that they will take more readily as I don't have feeders...apart from rummynose and cardinal tetras which may well become dinner!

They have really darkened up since being introduced, though cannot see any sexual differences (the largest is around 80mm SL) at the moment.

Thanks again

Martin

[Martin S]

This is one after they were added to the tank:

And one after a nice piece of chopped earthworm!

[Marc van Arc]

Hi Martin,

They look good!
This is a very nice species, especially when younger. Once old - like mine - they start to look like some kind of Stealth airplane, by which I mean that the fish's body parts seem out of proportion (large, flat head, skinny body) and don't seem to match anymore.

Your tetras are going to be food sooner or later; count on that.

Gender is not difficult (enlarged dorsal spine and thickened anal fin tip) but be aware of the fact that in Ageneiosus these features disappear after the mating season (which is sort of now - late Summer and Autumn). If you don't see any differences, they may still be too small/young.
Species will not grow larger than about 13 - 15 cms.
Great find and long lived. These will give you pleasure for many years.

My oldie "sat" a little higher on the sand than usual and no wonder: it had caught a female guppy last night. So far for skinny bodies

On a semi side note: yes, the Otorongos are growing at last!!

[Martin S]

Hi Martin,

They look good!
This is a very nice species, especially when younger. Once old - like mine - they start to look like some kind of Stealth airplane, by which I mean that the fish's body parts seem out of proportion (large, flat head, skinny body) and don't seem to match anymore.

Your tetras are going to be food sooner or later; count on that.

Gender is not difficult (enlarged dorsal spine and thickened anal fin tip) but be aware of the fact that in Ageneiosus these features disappear after the mating season (which is sort of now - late Summer and Autumn). If you don't see any differences, they may still be too small/young.
Species will not grow larger than about 13 - 15 cms.
Great find and long lived. These will give you pleasure for many years.

My oldie "sat" a little higher on the sand than usual and no wonder: it had caught a female guppy last night. So far for skinny bodies

Yes, I kind of realised that the tetras may end up food!
I think they are too small to show but will look at them closer over the coming weeks.
I am not worried yet, but only one of them appears to be feeding - have been trying earthworms to boost them up, but only one of the three takes them with relish. The other two are just not interested. Hopefully they will get hungry enough to realise it's food! I'll have to keep trying.

On a semi side note: yes, the Otorongos are growing at last!!

Sadly, I found one of my otorongos dead last night - no idea why, was small but chunky, no obvious damage but must have been dead less than a day.

[Marc van Arc]

Sadly, I found one of my otorongos dead last night - no idea why, was small but chunky, no obvious damage but must have been dead less than a day.

That's sad and strange, especially because there's nothing to be seen which could explain its death.....Hope your other specimens will remain fine.

I will get an extra 2 or 3 specimens from Kruseman shortly. He wants to get rid of them and I offered to "adopt" them as I think these fish are too rare to end up at an LFS. I will also welcome back a single Tatia dunni specimen for the same reason.

[Martin S]

Yes, very odd, though it is the first time I've seen any of them for months - as I've previously said, since moving them to the large tank, they have disappeared from view completely. I only see the T.dunni when I get in very late and the house is in darkness, but the C.schultzi are the only active woodcats at feeding time. I was watching the Ageniosus last night and the two that aren't feeding on worms seem to snap at passing flake/prima/bloodworm (as they seem to sit together in the same place), which is something, but I did count the tetras last night and am sure that the numbers have declined, even though none of them seem to look 'full'.
I'll keep trying with worms and an eye on the tetra numbers too! I've also got not one, but two breeding pairs of discus in the tank now - I have had one pair lay eggs regularly, but suddenly two other have paired up and started to lay. The eggs survive and hatch, but don't make it past the first night - to be expected with al the catfish in there!
Martin

[Marc van Arc]

How are the Ageneiosus doing atm? Settled in a little?
Sorry for not reacting to your Discus story. I know little to nothing about them, but I can imagine getting robbed of their youngsters constantly should disturb them(?).

I picked up two Otorongos from Kruseman yesterday. They had squeezed themselves in one pipe of a so-called ceramic shrimp shelter (some pipes on top of eachother, thus forming a triangle). As I did not want this horrid thing in my tank, I gently destroyed it with pincers. That went pretty easy as wet ceramic is rather soft and the fish came out absolutely unharmed.
The Tatia dunni didn't come as it was very, very skinny and we decided not to take any risks.

[Martin S]

How are the Ageneiosus doing atm? Settled in a little?
Sorry for not reacting to your Discus story. I know little to nothing about them, but I can imagine getting robbed of their youngsters constantly should disturb them(?).

They aren't feeding as well as I'd hoped - one will happily take worms, and I'm noticing a cardinal disappear every day or two - whilst not ideal, I'd rather that than them starve. They do grab at passing flake/Prima but not enough to sustain them. I'll keep trying with worms, but they do sped their entire daylight hours sat together in the same place!
The discus aren't bothered, intact the last two sets of eggs went and last night the two pairs laid again. The first pair has been at this process for at least 6 months!

I picked up two Otorongos from Kruseman yesterday. They had squeezed themselves in one pipe of a so-called ceramic shrimp shelter (some pipes on top of eachother, thus forming a triangle). As I did not want this horrid thing in my tank, I gently destroyed it with pincers. That went pretty easy as wet ceramic is rather soft and the fish came out absolutely unharmed.
The Tatia dunni didn't come as it was very, very skinny and we decided not to take any risks.

So I only have two left, though can't remember the last time I saw any of them out! Shame about the dunni - I do see mine from time to time (I have a trio) but much less than the C.schultzi which are definitely the most active at feeding time.
Good luck with the two new otorongos!
Martin

[nvcichlids]

I wish otorongos were available in the US. (sorry for the misspelling..)

[KungFish]

Me too.

[kruseman]

They're really nice.
But here, even in a small tank, they proofed te be absolutely invisible during day- (normal for Auchenipterids) and nighttime as well.

Now Marc has a big group. That's good.
The demolition of their apartment will soon be forgotten and forgiven probably.
; )

[Marc van Arc]

I'm currently looking forward to the arrival of some

Auchenipterichthys punctatus

in the Netherlands.
A real case of "long time, no see", because the first (and last) time I kept this species was in the eighties. Two specimens - which turned out to be a pair - as "stowaways" in a box that contained Tatia intermedia if I remember correctly.
As said, looking forward to keeping this species again. I have already reserved 4 specimens.
Will be continued.

[Marc van Arc]

About to leave for Amersfoort to pick up the four

Auchenipterichthys punctatus

.

The last time these were offered was in 2009 (OutsideInside Aquatics in Scotland). I stayed at Jools' for a week at that time, so no problems picking them up. They turned out to be A. coracoideus (Zamoras), so I did not take them.

These four should be the real deal -)

[Marc van Arc]

And they are!
Here's a link to a short video made by the owner of the aquatic shop I bought them from:
http://youtu.be/bRC4ork77tg

If you have the opportunity to visit this shop, do so. It's very worthwhile!!
http://www.utaka.nl