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Hello ,
I would like to know: which is the ideal substrate for Erethistes sp: smaller or larger gravel or sand or is it not so important? Thank you!

The substrate in a stream we caught them in was very fine sand, but it probably doesn't matter as much, since they were hiding amongst vegetation (rather than in the substrate).

Hi Silurus,

thank you.

Well, I am just a little worried, not because they cannot hide in the substrate but because of the natural feeding habits they might have.

I momentarily keep them on small to larger gravel, but they have barbels like Corydoras, don´t they, and I can well imagine that they would prefer softer substrate which they can really dig into with their small straw-like mouths and slurp up their food. So far, their barbels seem undamaged but I know that the barbels of corydoras can be damaged when kept on gravel. What do you think???

I have kept them with coarser substrates, and they seem to do fine. I don't see the problems that one sees with Corydoras barbels over coarse substrate.

Hi Silurus,

well, you´re the expert - ok, so I don´t have to worry .

However, I would really very much appreciate it if you could go a little more into detail where there is the difference between their bartels and habit of feeding in contrast to Corydoras?

I have not seen mine dig as much as Corydoras, usually feeding more in the manner of aspredinids.

Hi
All my mothcats (Hara's)now have a sand substrate to them, although when a few were housed in a tank with a gravel/stoney substrate this semed to have no detremental effect on the barbels. however I have never observed them 'rooting' like corydoras in the substrate, if they do it seems that they only use the top couple of millimeters when feeeding on bloodworm, grindal worm & white worms although they will always eat the worms that are on the surface of the substrate first, I also feed mine brine shrimp and daphnia and for this they will actively feed mid water.

Hi,

thank you Silurus and Medaka. I am quite relieved to hear that. So I think they are fine for the time being. Should I ever decide to set up a new tank for them I will nevertheless switch to sand substrate.

By the way, mine like discus granulate and smashed peas, too. However, I have yet to see them feeding in mid water (when I give them daphnia ect.).

beware with granulate....often it's very hard, but it swells in contact with water.

most catfish don't chew, unlike cichlids they miss the equipment for that (cichlids have a chewing apparatus in their throat), wich means they swallow their food.

with such a tiny catfish, a rapidly swelling granule can block the intestine and cause death......I'd stick to crumbled flake (flake swells, but desintegrates much easier), bloodworms, cyclops, daphnia, artemia, white & black mosquitolarvae, blackworms and tubifex.

plenty choice.

Also; if you grind (break up) the granules, it's a lot safer; a peppergrinder is perfectly suitable for grinding up hard granules.

Hi!

Thank you for your´re comments. I basically already knew about the dangers of granulate, but you are right, I will be even more careful from now on and break it up before I feed it. Mostly I feed them frozen larvae, cyclops ect. and live food anyway.

Well, may I ask another question in this thread:
does anybody know what´s their lifespan?

does anybody know what´s their lifespan?

Quick answer No!
However, The Hara type Hara maeosotensis See http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... hp?t=13036
I still have three adults left from the group I spawned in 2002