Which Auchenipterids are being kept by PC members?

[Jools]

Interesting, I am keeping mine in a dimly lit tank with loads of wood and no plants. They're healthy, but I think I will swap it out for plants...


Jools

[Marc van Arc]

Interesting, I am keeping mine in a dimly lit tank with loads of wood and no plants. They're healthy, but I think I will swap it out for plants...

My specimens can always be found on plant leaves, so you could do a combination. Put some java fern and Anubias onto the wood and an echinodorus as a solitary plant. You'll not have to search for the Entomocorus any more

[Marc van Arc]

Here's another shot of this silly beast. Looks more like an insect, doesn't it?

[Yann]

Hi!!

Some new additions to my tanks!!!
Finally got 2 huge females Tatia intermedia... so they will go along with my 2 males... I even saw the male trying mating with one of the female... interesting to see them laying on the side on the ground with the male being able to rotate sideways its modified anal fin...

I also got my hand on 3 Entomocorus gameroi...with at least a pair...really great lovely cats

Finally got a huge pair of Auchenipterichthys coracoideus...these are really monsters... the female is at least 15cm long...with the male slightly smaller...

My Auchenipteridae familly is growing a bit...keeping 5 species representing 4 genus...

Cheers
Yann

[Marc van Arc]

Finally got a huge pair of Auchenipterichthys coracoideus...these are really monsters... the female is at least 15cm long...with the male slightly smaller...

Hi Yann,
Congrats. Nice assets.

Post some pix of the huge A. c pls. I bet you they are something else; 15 cms is just too large (or are you exaggerating )

[Yann]

Hi!!

I ll try to borrow a cam...as mine is dead...can't afford to buy a new one...

But here is the picture from the shop (iktus-aqua.fr) showing the species in question!!
There are no exaggeration... the female is well around 15cm!!! I know the size is too long... they were sold as A. thoracatus...but Carl Ferraris said they were not...which I thought too...


Cheers
Yann

[Marc van Arc]

It's so large I can't even see the head . But indeed, it is A. coracoideus and not (what I was thinking of)

Auchenipterichthys punctatus

[Yann]

Hi!!

I wanted to edit the post but can't... for some reason it goes beyond range...anyway

here is the link to the pic:
http://iktusaqua.free.fr/Auchenipterus_thoracatum.jpg
Cheers
Yann

[sidguppy]

Auchenipterids have cloudy eyes due to an extra layer of thick protective skin, but this one doesn't look like it should IMO

also I can see some red on the maxillary barbel. maybe it's infected?

[Yann]

Hi Sid!!

Not sure I understand your first comments?? Do you mean its eyes are anormaly cloudy??
Not sure if the specimen pictured here is one of the two I got...
Regarding redish...I saw this when the arrived... but I attribute it to the water being polluated through the sending overnight...the person who received them on first hand had to do a big water change from the bag cause the water wasn't good at all... so maybe this fish was pictured shortly afer arriving

Mine were showing some redish the first 2-3 days, but today they seems to be much better...and I couldn't spot anymore...while it was well and clearly visible the first day at home

Thanks for your input
Cheers
Yann

[Marc van Arc]

I think the extra cloudiness is caused by the flash? Being familiar with auchenipterids, I'm sure you are able to see if things look okay or not.
Good to read that the reddish areas have gone; as you say it may well be caused by the transport (which may also have caused the eye issue - if any).

On a side note: as the link shows a fine picture, could you perhaps remove the giant picture for it makes poor reading (not being able to see the entire posting, which also effects the whole page).
Merci.

[Marc van Arc]

While at it: remember this tiny (about 5 cms/2") T. galeatus bought in December 2007?

Atm they (1 male & 2 females) are over 20 cms (8"). How come? A very good appetite

[Yann]

Hi Marc!!!

thanks for your input.
The eyes on my specimens seems normal and fine...but I don't see them much for now

Regarding moving the bigger picture...I have tried it in many different ways but for some reason I can't access the edit button...
not showing on the page and can't even get there
I ll check with Jools if he can do something
Cheers
Yann

[Martin S]

While at it: remember this tiny (about 5 cms/2") T. galeatus bought in December 2007?

tr8.jpg

Atm they (1 male & 2 females) are over 20 cms (8"). How come? A very good appetite

t.gal big.jpg

t.gal big2.jpg

Nice!
It also confirms what Mats and I saw at Maidenhead on Saturday to be T.galeatus as they were identical to yours.
Martin

[Dave Rinaldo]

Off topic.....

Still waiting for the triple!

[Birger]

My newest addition,will go in with the others just thought I would get a picture before it disappears for awhile.

A nicely marked L.oncinus

a bit of a teaser for Martin S

Birger

[Martin S]

Birger
I'm very jealous!
Lovely specimen, and as you say, very nicely marked. As you say, good to get a picture before it disappears into the tank.
Martin

[Marc van Arc]

good to get a picture before it disappears into the tank

Or disappears completely. Major problem with especially smaller Auchenipteridae kept in larger groups is that you are hardly able to count them, so I took the opportunity while thoroughly cleaning the two smaller tanks yesterday and today. To my regret I have to say that from my group of 9 T. gyrina I was able to count only 7 specimens, A. spec guyana are down to 5 (was 6; and I literally had to "spoon" them out of their driftwood) and even the new group of 4 T. taeniatus lost one member of which I could only retrieve the right hand side pectoral spine attached to a piece of skull.....On the other hand, they're remarkably good hiders. I was also looking for a single C. perugiae - which is still in the wrong tank because I'm unable to catch it - and was sure this one had also vanished. Nevertheless, some bloodworms made it appear - but of course after redecoration......

[Birger]

Or disappears completely.

Marc,
Why do you think these "disappearances" have happened...inter species aggression ??

Birger

[Marc van Arc]

[Why do you think these "disappearances" have happened...inter species aggression ??

That could well be the case, as could be intra-specific aggression. My T. intermedia are quite aggressive towards each other and maybe towards other species as well. I also had a severe Ich problem some months ago, but the thing is that I never saw any dead fishes which led me to the conclusion that all had survived. It might seem odd that I didn't notice, but that tank is crammed with wood and plants and the victims simply became food for the others.
Furthermore I think a group always contains weaker specimens, which die because of that very fact: too weak to get to food etc. Again, due to their secretive nature these fish can only be "checked" when being fed or with lights out, which makes counting them very dificult to say the least. Anyone who has ever tried to count a group of 10 C. perugiae during feeding time will know what I mean .
Of course I also take into account that all my fishes sit in the same niche: nocturnal surface feeders, which makes the surface rather crowded.... I still have to "learn" that any tank space is limited.
Age may be a thing to consider as well: my A spec guyana are by now 7 years or older and I have the impression that smaller Auchenipteridae don't get very old. Although they do little to nothing during the day, they certainly make up for that during the night.

[Birger]

Two more new ones, but now that is it I think.
Sorry Martin...now you might never speak to me again.


First one needs a few good meals

This one is a brute and in decent shape

Birger

[Martin S]

Two more new ones, but now that is it I think.
Sorry Martin...now you might never speak to me again.

You can go off some people really quickly
I am always amazed at how the patterning can be so variable. Are they big enough to be sexable?
Am sure the first will be feeding soon enough - where have these come from - the same shop as the last one?
Martin

[kruseman]

My 6 Centromochlus perugiae were very ill the last 2 weeks.
I couldn't understand why their breathing was so heavy.
Their skinncolour turned somewhat pale and theydid not eat anymore.
The other fish (C. habrosus and Tanichthys micagemmae) were doing fine.

Than I thought of the metalstrips I put on the roots of the Bolbitis to avoid them drifting away in the current a while ago.
The label on the bag said: "Perfect for planting aquariumplants. None-toxic. "So I said to myself: No lead, so possible to use...
I was being very ignorant to say the least. They probably did contain lead or some other metal the catfish did not appreciate.
After removeing the d*** things I replaced all the water, cleaned everything and put in a coalfilter.
The remaining 2 (small- and bigspotted) are doing better now...

[Martin S]

Sorry to hear that - I lost all my C.perugiae, and all but two of my Tatia sp(2) recently, so know how frustrating to not be able to do anything.
I hope you two remaining fish pick up and don't suffer any long term effects.
Martin

[Richard B]

My 6 Centromochlus perugiae were very ill the last 2 weeks.
I couldn't understand why their breathing was so heavy.
Their skinncolour turned somewhat pale and theydid not eat anymore.
The other fish (C. habrosus and Tanichthys micagemmae) were doing fine.

Than I thought of the metalstrips I put on the roots of the Bolbitis to avoid them drifting away in the current a while ago.
The label on the bag said: "Perfect for planting aquariumplants. None-toxic. "So I said to myself: No lead, so possible to use...
I was being very ignorant to say the least. They probably did contain lead or some other metal the catfish did not appreciate.
After removeing the d*** things I replaced all the water, cleaned everything and put in a coalfilter.
The remaining 2 (small- and bigspotted) are doing better now...

I use lead strips to weigh down veggies in all of my tanks although it's not in there for too long - isn't solid lead relatively inert/non-affecting water quality? Is this similar to the poisoned swan scenario here in the uk when lead shot was found in the gizzards of dead birds & presumed to be responsible for lead poisoning but it was actually found to be the lead content of riverboat fuels - or have i got this completely wrong???

Surely if lead was a big no-no for fishkeeping it'd be avoided like the plague & not used for plant stems etc so widely???

[Richard B]

Nice Jag's Birger - what size are they & do you know the pH of the water they were in & have gone into? I had a theory that they became mich lighter in base colouration as the pH increased. This was based on my accidently having one in a tanganyikan set-up for ages, living unseen in an artificial root. When it ventured out one time it was as black & white as an L46! no creamy brown or rusty brown at all. It got moved to a SA set-up soon after it's "discovery" & before long changed to a more familiar colour scheme. This is not something i plan to test out so was interested if you knew pH as it looks quite a pale base colour.

[MatsP]

Richard,

You are right, solid lead is generally harmless - the water needs to be fairly acidic to make lead dissolve into the water-column. For any significant amount of lead to go into the water, the pH probably need to be below 4 - which is well below what the fish are happy to live in, at least in an tank.

--
Mats

[Birger]

where have these come from - the same shop as the last one?

All from separate sources, these last two were $35 Canadian each(about 19 or so GBP)

what size are they & do you know the pH of the water they were in & have gone into?

Do not know the pH they came out of...I have been relating the distinct black and white coloring to being in not very good shape the ones I have seen with the most distinct black and white coloring being the thinner ones....but maybe it is stress coloration and even if in good shape but not enjoying a higher pH they show it. I have not had mine in a higher pH than 7.8.
The larger one of these two is already a good 7 or so inches

Birger

[nvcichlids]

great price on them. I know my group (had I purchased them in a LFS) would have cost $50 per fish.

[nvcichlids]

While at it: remember this tiny (about 5 cms/2") T. galeatus bought in December 2007?

tr8.jpg

t.gal big2.jpg

Wow, I sure am jealous of 90% of the fish I am seeing looking back through this topic. I would LOVE some of the T. galeatus, or

Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus

, but the best I have found lately (other than my pair of

Auchenipterichthys coracoideus

) was a single male cent. perugiae, which the store wanted $20 for... are you serious? I really am in need of some new Auchenipterids, but nothing seems to come available in my area