Which Auchenipterids are being kept by PC members?

[Marc van Arc]

Still nicely patterned for that size. Mine are almost black (except for the tail and dorsal). You'll find that these are greedy feeders, so the difference in length will be gone in a couple of months. Females will become bulkier; males stay more slender. And mind you, this is a species that breeds easily.
I can only confirm Daniel B's experiences with this species. Plenty of eggs - which remain unharmed by other species - but once they become fry they won't last in an (Auchenipteridae) community tank. So if you want to raise some, see to it that you've got an extra tank somewhere.
Well done Yann. Just a few Auchenipterids more and they'll outnumber your Loricariids

[Yann]

Hi!!!

Thanks for the feedback...
Yeap the number of species keeps growing up... next one is Tatia aulopygia...and a possible "surprise" but more when in possession!!

Cheers
Yann

[Richard B]

Curious Yann - don't keep us waiting too long!

[Yann]

Hi!!
No problem... just waiting for everything to take place...

Cheers
Yann

[Marc van Arc]

While I was trying to make some pix of Corydoras loxozonus/melini (question is still due, provided I'll get better pix) I started doubting the camera for all pictures I got were blurred. So I went down to take some shots and this one came out (so it's not the camera....).
This is Ageneiosus sp. 3, which was known as A. vittatus but that turned out to be an incorrect ID.
Nicest part of the picture is the enlarged dorsal spine with tubercles. The male uses this spine to clasp the female and the tubercles provide more grip.
An other interesting conclusion is that this male is sexually mature at 14 cms TL, which makes it one of the smaller Ageneiosidae.

[Marc van Arc]

After the holidays I found two dead Auchenipterids in one of the smaller tanks. Or actually one and a half. One of the Tatia intermedia females was missing an eye and the whole facial area was reddish. I had to put her out of her misery. The other one was a completely clean skeleton, which could either be Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus or Auchenipteridae sp. guyana, as I was able to count all intermedias. Although I left the tanks properly just two weeks ago, some serious work was apparently needed again. And to be honest, the state that Tatia was in worried me a lot. So last Monday I started cleaning, getting rid of a thick layer of floating ferns containing blue algae, rearranging things in order to do a head count (that didn't work), you name it. Because of the rearrangements the Tatias started pushing each other for the best spots, so they looked worse the next day: scratched was the least and some even had larger white areas where the skin was completely rubbed off. That really made me feel unhappy and incompetent.
Tonight I was sitting in front of that tank and fed the fishes with mosquito larvae. All intermedias were present and their wounds are healing nicely. No sign of any red on any fish. That felt good. And then the T. taeniatus started to mate, not in the least troubled by the fact that other Auchenipterids were racing around them in search of food. That felt even better. I had no camera with me. Who cares. I was enjoying my fishes, which I hadn't expected a few days earlier. Things are looking good again

[Jools]

And Marc should be feeling better with the inclusion of Augusts catfish of the month. That and a picture of

Asterophysus

eggs soon to come online...

Jools

[grokefish]

Hooray for Marc! wow you get time to sit and look at your fishes!!!!

Matt

[Marc van Arc]

wow you get time to sit and look at your fishes!!!!

Yes, how about that for a change. A person has got to do something with 7 weeks holiday in a row
Matt, did you manage to find new homes for your Auchenipterids or do you still have some?

[grokefish]

Still got the 3Jags and the 3false jags.

Matt

[Marc van Arc]

Still got the 3Jags and the 3false jags.

Did you change your mind or are there simply no interested people for them?

[grokefish]

Bit of both, the jags are getting huge now.

Matt

[Marc van Arc]

I have a contact in the Netherlands who is able to get me some Tatias from Eastern Europe, which are neither intermedia nor galaxias, yet black and 9 cms TL atm. No further description or picture are available, so I think I'll have to refuse this (kind) offer. It's a little too vague imo. I talked it over with a friend and he came to the same conclusion. Unless the contact has found out any interesting additional information....

I phoned the contact person earlier tonight (to tell him I was not going to buy the fish) and guess what: he had some additional info. As I've been into the books and on the net since then (7.30 PM) and even I got a bit "Auchenipteridae blind", I would like to ask you to think with me and maybe one of you might see what I'm clearly missing atm. Here's the description:

Tatia (torpedo) shaped
9 cms TL (and have been so for some time)
brownish/black (or blackish/brown) body colour
spots present (don't know about size, colour etc)
white half moon shaped colouration in the caudal

Seller is not able to send a picture (no internet....) and the description is based on a simultanious translation from German to Dutch during a phone call.
Anyone who recognizes this fish, pls respond. My answer is due next Friday, so we've got 4 days left to come up with something.
Thanks in advance.

Btw: quote is mine and comes from the Tatia galaxias thread
Btw2: there's also a possibility that is no Auchenipterid at all, but let's not think of that scenario right now.

[sidguppy]

this description fits Microglanis a bit too well.....

we talked about this today and I still stand by my opinion: skip on this because it's too dodgy.
the whole situation smells of too much weirdness.

[Marc van Arc]

Yeah, I hear you. It is indeed tricky, but you know what it's like: always on the look out for new additions. And now with the extra info I thought this was worth a try. We'll see if any plausible name will pop up.
Don't worry, I will not buy them without having a serious clue.

[worton[pl]]

Hey,

funny thing but jet black Tatias are know in Poland. They are usually called

Tatia aulopygia

. Sorry I can't help you much more :/.

[Marc van Arc]

Thanks Worton. Too bad they aren't jet black
I have an idea where this is going to and it's the same that I had yesterday before I phoned the contact person.
Not only is the fish (species, genus, family?) unknown, on top of that comes the number of specimens (at least 9; at most 12). No idea where to house them unless I make thorough rearrangements. As said before, a bit too vague.

[Marc van Arc]

I've just informed the contact person that I am not going to buy the unknown "Tatias". As long as no picture or reference can be given, the deal is off.
Thanks JvW for your time and efforts to make this thing work. It's much appreciated.

[worton[pl]]

Hey,

just wanted to say that my group of 10, young

Centromochlus perugiae

have arrived to Szczecin from Germany. I should receive this little gems in next week.

I have currently one fishless 50l tank running for about 3 months (perfectly cycled but empty - just in case if I find something interesting in LFS ). I wonder if it will be sufficient for this fish even when they mature .

Second thing is about

Trachelyopterus fisheri

. Since this fish we talked with Marc about (smaller variety of his T. fisheri) are also in Szczecin (yup C. perugiae were imported by my friend I was thinking about bringing them to Lublin together with Centromochlus (shipping will be cheaper). However I currently have just one bigger tank that can house T. fisheri - it's 240l with 5 very young Aulonocara baenshi and 5 very young Placidochromis phenochilus. This cichlids are peacful but water is very hard with pH around 8 - I guess it is not the best idea to put T. fisheri in this water? I will ask my friend about his water parameters of course .

Thanks!

[Marc van Arc]

I have currently one fishless 50l tank running for about 3 months (perfectly cycled but empty - just in case if I find something interesting in LFS ). I wonder if it will be sufficient for this fish even when they mature

I think it'll do. Doesn't seem much water, but these little ones do not need a very large tank. I take it it'll be just the perugiaes in the tank and nothing else.
Provide some hiding places and keep the surface clear for swimming and feeding space.

However I currently have just one bigger tank that can house T. fisheri - it's 240l with 5 very young Aulonocara baenshi and 5 very young Placidochromis phenochilus. This c*****ds are peacful but water is very hard with pH around 8 - I guess it is not the best idea to put T. fisheri in this water? I will ask my friend about his water parameters of course

They may be hardier than wildcaughts with regard to water parametres, so ask your friend indeed. I personally wouldn't keep them in water like that. Moreover, I wouldn't do it for another reason: cichlids -however friendly- tend to be nippy; it's in their nature. What you'll probably get are some fisheris that are never at ease because they are more or less constantly being nipped. Not at nights of course, but during the day they'll be sitting ducks for any nosey fish.
Just my opinion of course.

[worton[pl]]

Hey,

well being impatience isn't good in this hobby . I will wait and get another bigger tank for them.
Thanks Mark

Regards.

[Yann]

Hi!!

So finally got the book of Mees from Steven Simpson, very pleased with it...really cool to have that book...makes me thinking on planning some collecting trip...

Beside that my order of Tatia aulopygia never arrived...the order of the "surprise" has been delayed for a few weeks, my T. intermedia that I thought was a pair, ended up being 2 males with the smaller one was at that time still unmature...even if it was well around 5-6cm long...so I am still searching for females for these 2...

On the positive note, my trio of C. perugiae has given me 2 spawns in the last 3 weeks and a third one should'nt be too long to come...

Cheers
Yann

[daniel60]

I've had some difficulties with the gulpers, but this one seems ok.
It was really happy to get a couple of malawi cichlids as tankmates.

[Marc van Arc]

I've had some difficulties with the gulpers, but this one seems ok.
It was really happy to get a couple of malawi c*****ds as tankmates.

I take it the malawis had expected a little more space

[Marc van Arc]

A few days ago I caught the Tetranematichthys male playing dead in such a way that I could take pictures that would make sense. Normally all that can be seen is a part of the body and the tail. Now look at this guy being lazy. He fooled my daughter (who came to warn me) and even a denisonii barb
Picture with flash is spoiled by trumpet snails, but shows the nape very well.
Picture without flash shows the fish more natural (imo), but has some reflections.

[Richard B]

He is being lazy indeeeeeeed, (yawn) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Yann]

Hi!!

a quick update on my perugiae, fry are doing good and eating well, the have well almost double in size and starting to loose a bit of their brown colour.
More spawn seems to be underway!!

And I am 6 days away from receiving the "surprise"!!!

Cheers
Yann

[worton[pl]]

Hey,

just wanted to say that I have received my group of

Centromochlus perugiae

.

10 little buggers but, sadly, 1 didn't make it. The rest however eats like crazy and are very active. They are less than 2cm long .

Regards.

[Marc van Arc]

It's always tricky to get rid of specimens when one has decided that a group is too large. My group of 16 Tatia intermedia was split in two several months ago and I kept 2 males and 6 females. At least twice a month I see eggs and/or juvies, but the group is definitely decreasing. Not only are the juveniles not able to make it in this tank with all the scavengers, but also the adults are having a difficult time for one reason or another. Three have died since last June, which worries me to a certain extent because either I see a large (mechanical) wound or I see nothing at all except for a dead fish.
The fact that I rediscovered a Centromochlus perugiae (male; which makes 5 males and 0 females) which I had given up long ago in the same tank, just gives a little comfort.
Anyone experienced something like this? Daniel?

[sidguppy]

maybe there's a territorial issue going on?

I've seen the tanks and the visible fish looked fine, ditto the plants and all and I know you do change water and all

then there's only the fishy interections left. too many catfishes competing for territory or hiding places at night maybe?
large mechanicval wounds don't just happen. they might be fighting a lot when everyone's asleep.