Aspidoras - living conditions

claire 1303 · Post by **claire 1303** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:03

Please help! Myself and my mum are tank enthusiasts. She has a small biorb tank and has just got 3 aspidoras. She said they'll be all right in there, but I think they'd be better off in a larger tank with a sand/small gravel bottom (hers has the standard biorb greyish rocks). Can anyone settle this please!!

kim m · Post by **kim m** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:18

I only have experience with Aspidoras C-125, I don't know wich species you've got.

Mine like rather strong currents and fairly high temp. at 27-29 degrees celcius. They're housed in a 30 litre tank with sand bottom and bogwood with java moss.

Hope it's useful.

claire 1303 · Post by **claire 1303** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:22

Unfortunately I don't know what sort they are either! About 3 inches long at present, blotchy bodies and kind of checkerboard tails. At present the tank is about 12 gallons, I really don't think it's big enough for these beautiful fish, but my mum will need some persuasion before parting with them!! Maybe I'm just doing this because I know they'd look great in my tank!!!!

kim m · Post by **kim m** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:45

That description could fit any Aspidoras species...have a look in the Cat-e-log.

I think a gallon is 3½ litre...that would mean that 12 gallons is 42 litres, wich would be enough room. I'm not crazy abut those orb/goldfisgbowl-things though.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:52

It is my opinion that these catfish need more substrate area than the size of a saucer you get in those bowls.

I don't like those bowls one bit. They have a tiny surface and substrate area, and don't give the fish any area of shelter when they want to escape from the glare that surrounds them on all sides.

Also, that biorb gravel will reduce their whiskers to stumps in no time at all. This can lead to bacterial infection.

I agree with you, they need a larger rectangular tank with a sand substrate, bogwood and leaf litter.

Keeping them in that bowl will lead to their premature demise.

I hope you talk your mum round

claire 1303 · Post by **claire 1303** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:55

Thanks for this! I don't like the biorbs either, but it does suit my mum's space. I'll show her what you've written, I think she'll agree that they need to move into my more spacious tank!

Thanks for your help

Claire

pturley · Post by **pturley** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:59

claire 1303 wrote:

About 3 inches long at present, blotchy bodies and kind of checkerboard tails.

From your description, it sounds like you may have Scleromystax barbatus and not a species of Aspidoras.

I am not familiar with any species of Aspidoras that approach that size.

Although if you weren't familiar with the catfishes, from your description it could also be Corydoras paleatus .

claire 1303 · Post by **claire 1303** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:09

Hi Paul

Have looked up that species - looks like it to me!

Can you give me any tips on its care that you could share with me? As you probably realise I'm a beginner in this species!

Thanks

claire 1303 · Post by **claire 1303** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:10

Sorry Paul - I meant to say it looks like Corydoras Paleatus!

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:16

kim m wrote:That description could fit any Aspidoras species...have a look in the Cat-e-log.

I think a gallon is 3½ litre...that would mean that 12 gallons is 42 litres, wich would be enough room. I'm not crazy abut those orb/goldfisgbowl-things though.

Being pedantic as I am, I have to point out that a gallon is either 3.8L in the US or 4.5L in the rest of the "gallon-using" world.

For very rough calculations, using a multiplier (or divider) of 4 gives roughly the right result, but there's 20% difference between the smaller and larger version of the measure.

So 12 UK gallons, which I think is what Claire means, is about 54 liter. In the US, 12g would be 45 liter.

--
Mats

kim m · Post by **kim m** » 19 Jan 2007, 15:25

pturley wrote:claire 1303 wrote:
About 3 inches long at present, blotchy bodies and kind of checkerboard tails.
From your description, it sounds like you may have Scleromystax barbatus and not a species of Aspidoras.

I am not familiar with any species of Aspidoras that approach that size.

Although if you weren't familiar with the catfishes, from your description it could also be Corydoras paleatus .

Arh...hadn't paid attention to the size of the fish

...my bad.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 19 Jan 2007, 15:39

3 inch Aspidoras caught my eye as well. That would be one for the records books I'd say. Sounds like you have figured out what they really are. I have had some A. pauciradiatus for about 4 months and they are still barely one inch long.