Rama chandramara

[Dinyar]

Well, Chandramara is stated as being hardy, but my experience has shown that it's not really so. And neither is it an inhabitant of slow moving waters. Like the closely related Batasio (I suspect that Chandramara IS a Batasio, but that's another story), this is a bagrid that is adapted for living in fast-flowing streams/rivers generally located at foothills.

We have had 20 R. chandramara in a 29 gallon tank since 15 Feb 2004. The plant is densely planted and filtered by an Aquaclear 300. Tankmates are about 30 loaches (mostly small Schistura spp.) and about 10 each of Erethistes pussilus and Hara jerdoni.

The tank has experienced much neglect and abuse, as I've been traveling extensively since February. It's been overrun by blue-green algae and filtration has choked to a trickle for several days. Apart from one Rama, which died within a few days of arrival, all the fish are alive and well. In fact, they have been pretty bulletproof. The only thing they are a little picky about is food: they will eat freeze-dried, frozen and live food, but won't eat flakes.

Very cute fish.

Dinyar

[Laguviashawi]

Well, Chandramara is stated as being hardy, but my experience has shown that it's not really so. And neither is it an inhabitant of slow moving waters. Like the closely related Batasio (I suspect that Chandramara IS a Batasio, but that's another story), this is a bagrid that is adapted for living in fast-flowing streams/rivers generally located at foothills.

We have had 20 R. chandramara in a 29 gallon tank since 15 Feb 2004. The plant is densely planted and filtered by an Aquaclear 300. Tankmates are about 30 loaches (mostly small Schistura spp.) and about 10 each of Erethistes pussilus and Hara jerdoni.

The tank has experienced much neglect and abuse, as I've been traveling extensively since February. It's been overrun by blue-green algae and filtration has choked to a trickle for several days. Apart from one Rama, which died within a few days of arrival, all the fish are alive and well. In fact, they have been pretty bulletproof. The only thing they are a little picky about is food: they will eat freeze-dried, frozen and live food, but won't eat flakes.

Very cute fish.

Dinyar

Dinyar,

Silurus was right in stating that the chandramara are river fish. However, the fish that you receive in the US are caught from huge water bodies known as "beels" which are a result of spillage from the rivers during floods. These fish are from Deeper Beel which is located in the Kamrup district of the Northeastern State of Assam in India, the river from where these fish originate flows down from the West Garo Hills of Meghalaya. As your tank is overrun with algae, please make sure to clear a wide open place for fish's movement. Your setting is perfect for the H jerdoni and o.k. for the E. pussilus but chandramara have a habit of standing still in clear waters and the algae may hamper their fliud movement and their fine pectoral spines too could get tangled. Yes, we have had problems too with feeding dry or flake foods, they simply refuse these. Live foods are best for these beauts.

Andrew