Batrochoglanis raninus

[hooliganATV]

Earlier this year I was floating around another forum as I'm a cichlid keeper at heart and came across some stuff about

gulper catfish

well my wife was hooked. this worked well for me because a wife with an interest in fish means more for me hahahaha. Anyway at that time I couldn't give a

gulper catfish

the space it needs so I showed her some other cat that were similar in build (her criteria for a cat was very simple) and I said I would keep my eye out when floating the LFS.

About a week or so later I was in a LFS and seen a sign for SA Bumblebee catfish with a label stating they were

Microglanis iheringi

but the fish wasn't, so I left it to investigate

this is the fish I photo in the tank at the LFS.



So after some in depth research I returned to the shop and ask them to hold them ( not releasing there was 3 in there) while i set up my tank.

I also know a member on here and the other forum was after one so I dropped him an email to say I had got some and i would get 1 down to him.

this is one of the three now, I believe they are

Batrochoglanis raninus

. Which is a good find as there are not many of these in the UK.



so a couple of question.

currently I have them in a small tank, just waiting to send the member his next week. is there any way to sex these? I have read alot on here about the other close relative and some have ways and some don't, I was just wondering if anyone had any success in sexing? I'm thinking these would make a good breeding project if I have a pair.

Once I move them in to a larger tank (30-50g) is there any catfish that you recommend would make good tank mates? I'm thinking about doing a cat only tank for the wife.

[Martin S]

I'd agree with your ID, and nice find!
As am sure you have read, these are predatory and should be kept with fish large enough to not become a snack. They will be most comfortable in a medium planted tank with bogwood, not too brightly lit. Mixing with other cats, you could add some large

Brochis

(

Brochis splendens

or

Brochis multiradiatus

), or small 'hoplos' - for some colour you could look at

Dianema urostriatum

?
HTH
Martin

[hooliganATV]

Thanks for the information.

the find was quite random and from an unlikely place. I was looking round a Maidenhead aquatics, which the manager is big on the SA cichlids so has some of the more sort after types and a bit of knowledge, the fact that they missed labelled and then gave me further discount for buying all three was just a bonus. but I would have thought more would have come up across the Uk as they use central order process. I seem to have a bit of luck in this chain of shops recently as another miss labelled cuban cichlids as Jags and I got them at a bargain price too.

Yes I read quite a bit on there instinct to eat everything in the tank hahaha. I have two options I'm currently looking at.

1/ try and give a guess at the sexes and set them up as a project and see if anything comes out ( not a short term plan hahahah).

2/ set up a larger tank and have a Cat tank of sorts.

oh and either will be conducted under the disguise of "what ever the wife wants", after all they are her fish hahaha.

[justarn]

hello dude, mine is doing well, thanks!-) just randomly saw this, not on here much!-0