PlanetCatfish.com

nvcichlids wrote:Are we talking about that Tropical Fish Distributors? The picture I saw looked like young jags, but I had only seen a few pictures of them that small (he was saying 1.5-2")

I've never seen jags that small or cheap, so that may have thrown me off. I've been wrong before. I do want to get the "real" jaguar cats someday, when I have a tank that they could live in. As of now, they'd have quite a few snacks in the form of their tankmates...

Yes, that guy. Seems too busy to help an interested customer. Screw 'im.

Just thought I would add a couple of new things. The C. perugiae seem to be doing well. I counted at least 4 of them last night in the frenzy. There might have been another - they are so difficult to follow.




A nighttime feeding video I took a week or so ago. I will have to get another soon - more of them partake at a time now.



This is sort of random, but here is one of the flagtail porthole cats that I ordered along with the perugiae, for my 55g. Unfortunately, the other one acted a little weird from the start and has since died. This one seems to be thriving, though.

Neat pictures and video. I am down to 2 females (both are healed from the sickness.) I may order another group of 6 from them and try my luck again, the only way I would not order would be if I can get 4x L177 for $20 each

nvcichlids wrote:Neat pictures and video. I am down to 2 females (both are healed from the sickness.) I may order another group of 6 from them and try my luck again, the only way I would not order would be if I can get 4x L177 for $20 each

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the oil cats - I just had one die, so I have some idea of your frustration. BTW, that's a tough choice you have to make. I am developing an affinity for fancy plecos, so I don't know what I would do personally.

Let me know what you decide to do...

I am going the L177 route right now, thinking of setting up a temp tank for them (while they are small (55 gal)) and then let them grow and see how things turn out. Might consider keeping some of the jag cats with them though lol.

Not a bad idea to go with the L177s. You should be able to pick up more C. perugiae over the summer, as I think that would increase supplies in the US (I have been wrong before, though). However, the $8 pricetag is still tempting me as well. However, I worry about receiving more weakened or diseased fish from them...

Also, I would be wary of housing jaguar cats with the L177s. It appears that the L 177s grow nearly to the size of the jags, but I personally wouldn't trust the jags with anything smaller than them. Have you kept jags before?

So, I have a bit of a story. Today, after I had lunch with my girlfriend in an area that I am not at all familiar with, I decided to check out a couple of pet stores that I drove past. Amazingly, one of them had...





C. perugiae! Even more surprisingly, they had apparently had them in stock for a couple of months before I stopped in. They had 4, but one of them looked about ready to die, so I only took 3 of them. They were $12 each, but considering the cost of shipping if I got more online, etc., I didn't mind paying that price. I just find it amusing that while you and I scoured the net for over a month for these guys, I had them available about 30 minutes away...


PS - I picked up two other fish today, both plecos. I posted them in my running "pleco obsession" thread: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 9&start=40

Great find, and same with the mustard spot, though the mustard spot may be a part of inbreeding (based on the blunt nose). Very nice none the less. I decided that I will get the L177's, once I can get my new appartment and a 55 gallon set up for them. BTW, I hate that you found more. I still only have 2, extremely fat females. If I get a chance to take some pictures this weekend, I will post next week some time. I am extremely busy with work (45 hours/week) and 16 credits of school, and the wedding.... very VERY busy.

nvcichlids wrote:Great find, and same with the mustard spot, though the mustard spot may be a part of inbreeding (based on the blunt nose). Very nice none the less. I decided that I will get the L177's, once I can get my new appartment and a 55 gallon set up for them. BTW, I hate that you found more. I still only have 2, extremely fat females. If I get a chance to take some pictures this weekend, I will post next week some time. I am extremely busy with work (45 hours/week) and 16 credits of school, and the wedding.... very VERY busy.

WOW, you are ridiculously busy right now! I have been pretty busy myself - I just finished tidying up a complete draft of my thesis to get to my committee this week. It's over 180 pages, lol. It's almost two theses...

I figured you might be jealous about the local oil cat find Unfortunately, when I got them into the tank, I noticed that one had small white specks on her (I think). Ugh. So, I started ich treatment. She died today. So, I am hoping that they will reimburse me for her or give me store credit. I knew that was a risk going into this- these seem to be some very sensitive fish.

And thanks for the comments on the mustard spot. I posted a couple of nice pics that I managed to get today in the other thread. I was doubting the purchase earlier today and yesterday, but I've come to really like it. Not too skittish and it doesn't hide all the time. I dig.

Cool, I am about to start inquiring information about the L177's so I can plan adequately for them. Love the 5 gal you have set up.

I got some new fish, I got a male/female . Suprisingly, they were extremely affordable ($5/each). I could not pass them up. They had several others, but my larger tanks are not set up where I am at right now, so when I move and get my larger tanks down here, I will go back and get the others (if available.) I will post pictures later tonight, they are not that great, but two of them seem like decent pics.

And here are the pictures as I promised.

About to be released:

One got out of the net before I could get individual pictures, but here is the other:

Resting in the back of the tank:

Barely can see him resting:

And one of my wild endler male (just had about 30 fry from them):

Nice fish! Where did you manage to find those? Locally?

And thanks for the comments on the 5 gal. I love it. Tomorrow I plan on picking up more of the hillstream loaches, if the LFS still has 'em.

On a side note 1 of the 3 C. perugiae that I got last week died. It acted funny from the start, so I was not surprised. Regardless, it sucks.

yeah I got them locally. They were labeled as Zamorah Cuctarin Cats, knew as soon as I read the name about what they were, but the others were huge. These two were sexed as male and female, and the others they had were all males (one was close to 4") these are close to 3". Needless to say, the endlers fry that were left in the tank were eaten.( did save about 20 of them though.)

nvcichlids wrote:yeah I got them locally. They were labeled as Zamorah Cuctarin Cats, knew as soon as I read the name about what they were, but the others were huge. These two were sexed as male and female, and the others they had were all males (one was close to 4") these are close to 3". Needless to say, the endlers fry that were left in the tank were eaten.( did save about 20 of them though.)

Nice find! It's always sweet to stumble upon surprising finds locally. Have you managed to snag any more pictures? the ones to you already posted did make me envious enough, though.

BTW, I picked up a pair of hoplo cats for my 55 the other day. I've been wanting them for awhile, but didn't want to buy them online (no one local had 'em besides a place that wanted $10 each). $7 per was no steal, but I'm satisfied. I may get another one or two as they are fun to watch.

Looks like a pair of Zamora Cats () - nice find!
What sort of size are yours?
I'm guessing you'll not get many more pics now they are in!
Martin

Yup, that is what I purchased them as (that is what I ID'd them at atleast) They are both around 3". And suprisingly, I do see them more often than I expected. If I ever wake up in the middle of the night, I see them cruising. I know they come out periodically throughout the day, will get more pics of them

Nice - look forward to more pics then!
I used to see these lots many years ago here in the UK, but don't seem to see them as often anymore.
Slightly OT but I see you have my favourites on your list () - how many and what size? I've been after one or more for ages - I now have one small (2.5"TL) specimen (thanks to another PC user) who can be seen regularly when the tank lights are off, especially when there is food! Loves (frozen) mysis shrimp.
Martin

I have 4 currently, they are in my large SA tank (which is at my parents house, so I cannot get pictures that easily.) I would LOVE to have them breed, they are close to 5" a piece, but I don't know how big they are when they breed, soo... My most recent additions were the madtoms, got a breeding group of 5 (2m/3f) and once again, don't know how they breed, but I know one female hides in her cave, then a male and female both inhabit a glass soda bottle (read the COTM on them and added one for sh*ts and giggles,) and the other two live under a rock ledge together. i hope that is a good sign.

Bad news. An outbreak of velvet has swept the tank that houses my oil cats and "fancy" plecs. Over the past month, I have done two ich treatments and the symptoms I saw persisted. After doing some more research, I think it's actually velvet. I lost my royal pleco to it and another oil cat is on the brink of death. Every other fish in the tank appears to have it as well.

Between this and the plants in my coldwater tank rapidly deteriorating, I'm seriously debating an end to this hobby. The past couple of months have been perpetual problems, from failing filters to illnesses, etc.

Martin S wrote:Nice - look forward to more pics then!
I used to see these lots many years ago here in the UK, but don't seem to see them as often anymore.

MA Stratford upon Avon have a tank full of them in superb condition - if you were after them i could drop you off some sometime (£5 each i think)

ahodge84 wrote:Bad news. An outbreak of velvet has swept the tank that houses my oil cats and "fancy" plecs. Over the past month, I have done two ich treatments and the symptoms I saw persisted. After doing some more research, I think it's actually velvet. I lost my royal pl*co to it and another oil cat is on the brink of death. Every other fish in the tank appears to have it as well.

Between this and the plants in my coldwater tank rapidly deteriorating, I'm seriously debating an end to this hobby. The past couple of months have been perpetual problems, from failing filters to illnesses, etc.

Thats no good. I have had a few problems the past couple of months but fish are my drug of choice. They keep me out of trouble and help me relax. A few set backs will not keep me from the hobby. I do hope that you stay in the hobby, but if you decide to leave, maybe I could help take care of some of your fish for you (althought I really hope you stay.) I hope you can get everything healthy soon.

BTW, the plants in your cold water tank are actually terrestrial plants. many fish stores have been stocking these marsh plants that can have their roots in the water, but need to be in open air to grow because they hold up for a period of time in their tanks. I would suggest adding a type of anubias plant in there. they cost a bit more than normal plants, but they are extremely hardy and can tollerate the lower temps (you could also buy an "ivy" plant and just let the leaves fall into the tank.)

Thanks for the comments. I don't necessarily want to get out of the hobby, but I just feel like a terrible fishkeeper and that things would be better off if I left. But I am going to stick it out and see how this goes. But it doesn't look good at all. Most of the plecos are hanging out on the glass near the top of the tank and the GN has planted himself on the filter outlet, right in the stream. I also lost another oil cat, but not the one that I saw on its last "legs" earlier. So, I may have little left when it's all said and done. Ugh.

As for the plants, that makes sense. These seem to be getting worse every time I look at them. I think, for now, they will be replaced by plastic ones when they go. After I move, I am planning on doing a planted tank of some sort- properly, with soil, correct plants, etc. We'll see how the next few months go, though. If things are still terrible when June or July roll around and I need to get things ready to move, I will just get rid of everything.

Richard B wrote:MA Stratford upon Avon have a tank full of them in superb condition - if you were after them i could drop you off some sometime (£5 each i think)

Thanks Richard, but am pretty fully stocked at the moment...not that I wouldn't say no if I had the room!

Martin

Woke up this morning to find a barely recognizable BN dead. As of yesterday, all of my BNs in that tank looked okay. This disease works fast...

If anything, the fish look worse today than yesterday. I'm not a bit optimistic about how this will turn out.

Here is a new guy harassing the keyholes:

sitting in its tube:

Cruising:

Turning around:

Coming out for cruise time:

Out and about:

Pygmy Cory:

L201's face:

201 and new guy:

Nice pictures, man! Those look like some nice, active catfish.

Removed a dead clown and my GN today. Ugh.

ahodge84 wrote:Thanks for the comments. I don't necessarily want to get out of the hobby, but I just feel like a terrible fishkeeper and that things would be better off if I left. But I am going to stick it out and see how this goes. But it doesn't look good at all. Most of the plecos are hanging out on the glass near the top of the tank and the GN has planted himself on the filter outlet, right in the stream. I also lost another oil cat, but not the one that I saw on its last "legs" earlier. So, I may have little left when it's all said and done. Ugh.

As for the plants, that makes sense. These seem to be getting worse every time I look at them. I think, for now, they will be replaced by plastic ones when they go. After I move, I am planning on doing a planted tank of some sort- properly, with soil, correct plants, etc. We'll see how the next few months go, though. If things are still terrible when June or July roll around and I need to get things ready to move, I will just get rid of everything.

you should remove the terrestial plants immediately to save your fish - as the plants will rot in the water, the water quality will deteriorate as the rot of the plants dump all kinds of nasties into the water. Fish need clean water and this is probably one of the reasons your fish are dying.

Take the plants out, do large water changes, wash your filters and seed the filters with beneficial bacteria - for the sake of your fish do it immediately.