Members submitted Fish Profiles

Fins · April 9, 2005

<DIV id=Qtextbox>Author: YeW2001 Hi Guys -

We are going to run this thread again

. It was successful last time - what you do is copy and paste the template out of my first post (this one!!) and then fill in the blanks (after the colons)

- make sure you select the "HTML" option before submitting.

Maz - our profiler will come along and add the profiles to the profiles list on the SCP

*********Start copy and paste************************

Scientific name: Example examplus

Synoma: Oldnamous redundacus

Common name: Red earred example fish

Country/Region of Origin:

Specific localities/morphs:

Natural habitat:

Natural foods/prey:

Water chemistry in the wild:

Predators:

Brood size:

Sexual dimorphism:

Breeding method/family structure:

Husbandry Requirements

Acceptable water chemistry:

Tolerance of conspecifics:

Tolerance of heterospecifics:

Minimum tank size:

Sex ratio:

Temperature range:

Acceptable foods:

Tolerance of plants:

Notes:

*************End copy and paste***************

-- YeW</DIV><H2>Replies »</H2><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: YeW2001

Scientific name

: Dicrossus filamentosus

Synoma

: Crenicara filamentosa

Common name

: checkerboard cichlid

Country/Region of Origin

: South American

Specific localities/morphs

: relatively few - almost exclusively from Columbian Orinoco region.

Natural habitat

: clear (although tanin rich), shallow, moving water (

Natural foods/prey

: micropredator, primarly insect larvae.

Water chemistry in the wild

: pH: 5.3- 5.5, gH

Predators

: larger fish/birds etc.

Brood size

: ~100 - 200

Sexual dimorphism

: pronounced, males have a lyre shaped tail, along with blue colouration in the dormal, ventral and anal fins. The face also in the male is also spotted with blue and red, primarily under the eye.

Breeding method/family structure

: biparental substrate spawner

Husbandry Requirements

Acceptable water chemistry

: pH 4-6, peat filtered water, low in nitrate.

Tolerance of conspecifics

: good - in tanks large enough to house multiple pairs

Tolerance of heterospecifics

: good.

Minimum tank size

: 60 cm, 80 l

Sex ratio

: 1m: 1f

Temperature range

:27-30 C

Acceptable foods

: unfussy, will accept a variety of live, frozen, flake and pelleted food.

Tolerance of plants

: excellent.

Notes

: This is without doubt one of the loveliest cichlids I have ever kept. Graceful, intriguing and inquisitive is how I would describe them. They are, however, not for beginners. They are very hard fish to keep well.

I never achieved what I would now consider to be good success with these fish. They are (in my experience at least) inveterate egg eaters - a habit which they will undertake at the slightest stress.

My best sucess was raising a small number of fry in a tank that was very densely planted with Anubias spp., Java moss and Java fern. The plants should be planted in such a way that the spawning site (although they often choose flattened leaves) should only be partially visible and only from 1 side of the tank. I used a sponge filter on this tank along with an aquaclear mini (which was filled with stockings containing peat moss) and it seemed to be adequate.

Water changes should be carried out with religious zeal (at least weekly - possibly more). Denitrifying filters such as denitrating coils or plenums may be useful in keeping this nitrate sensitive species.

They are a most underrated species and I would recommend them to anyone with a spare 2' tank who wants to try their hand at something really challenging.

-- YeW</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: oo Spooky oo *********************FORM*********************

Species information

Species: Variabilichromis moorii

Synoma: Lamprologus moorii, Neochromis moorii, Neolamprologus moorii

Common name: Variabilichromis moorii

Origin: Lake Tanganyika

Localities/Morphs: Mbity Rocks and Kinyamkolo (Mpulungu), Lake Tanganyika, Zambia

Maximum size: up to 11cm but some say that the female is the larger of the pair

Natural habitat: In the lake, moorii are found in the shallow, rocky habitat. Maximum depth in this area is 10 meters.

Natural foods/prey: Small invertebrates and plankton

Water chemistry in the wild: ?

Predators: larger fish

Brood size: up to 500

Breeding method: Territorial cave spawner. egg layer

Husbandry requirements

Minimum tank size: standard 2ft for a single pair is the minimum, as these fish are a secretive spawner a standard 3ft would be much more preferred with lots of caves and hiding places for the pair to spawn.

Sex ratio: 1m, 1f

Tolerance of conspecifics: very aggressive towards its own kind but once a single pair has formed they are quite peaceful towards each other as a pair.

Tolerance of heterospecifics: average - can be very aggressive towards other tank mates but in a large tank can be kept with other tank dwarfs such as Altolamprologus calvus or Altolamprologus compressiceps

Water chemistry in aquaria: pH: 7.5-9, general hardness 12-20 gH, carbonate hardness 8-15 dKH

Temperature range: 24-26 degrees Celsius, can tolerate slightly higher temperatures temporarily but optimum is 25

Foods accepted: omnivorous, they will take almost everything offered. Pellets, flakes, live black worm, live or frozen brine shrimp.

Special requirements: no real special care is required with these fish as they are quite hardy but regular water changes and slightly harder water parameters are preferred.

Notes

some interesting points:

- there are Several locality variants of this fish, but the only difference in appearance occurs in fry and juveniles. All varieties, as adults, are dark brown to black in appearance. The colour variation in the fry from different localities display from dark brown to pale yellow to a bright yellow/orange.

- all fry show a very bright neon blue in the dorsal, tail, and pectoral fins, which stays with the fish into adulthood.

- once the fish matures the colours display incredibly which is the reason why i decided to get a few.

- one big factor which persuaded me into getting these lovely fish is that they are a substrate/cave spawner and guard the eggs and protect free swimming fry which was a welcome change to the very common mouth brooding technique that so many other African cichlids use.

- this little African cichlid is a pleasure to keep and i find that they are extremely underrated and would recommend them to any keen cichlid enthusiast.

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juvenile male

cheers

Daniel.....

soulfly_maximus@hotmail.com

coburg Melbourne

....I once had a handle on life and then it broke....</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: oo Spooky oo *********************FORM*********************

Species information

Species: Placidochromis sp "phenochilus tanzania"

Synoma: Placidochromis phenochilus (Trewavas, 1935)

Common name: pheno

Origin: Lake Malawi, Africa, Tanzania

Localities/Morphs: the coast of Tanzania, between Makonde and Lupingu.

Maximum size: males can reach 16cm and females reach 12-13cm

Natural habitat: open areas that have sandy bottoms.

Natural foods/prey: small invertebrates.

Water chemistry in the wild: ?

Predators: birds and other fish.

Brood size: 20-40

Breeding method: maternal mouthbrooder

Husbandry requirements

Minimum tank size: standard 4ft for a small colony but a larger tank is preferred

Sex ratio: as these fish are quite peaceful 2-3 males and 5-6 females would be ideal as the extra males would spawn creating different bloodlines in fry produced. creating better genetics.

Tolerance of conspecifics: peaceful

Tolerance of heterospecifics: very good - should only be kept with other peaceful Malawis.

Water chemistry in aquaria: pH: 7.2-8.2, general hardness 10-20 gH, carbonate hardness 4-9 dKH

Temperature range: 23-27 degrees Celsius, can tolerate slightly higher temperatures temporarily but optimum is 25

Foods accepted: micropredators, they will take almost everything offered. Pellets, flakes, live black worm, and frozen brine shrimp.

Special requirements: no real special care is required with these fish as they are quite hardy but should be kept other peaceful malawis as any fish that is aggressive would have no problems pushing these guys around. the only other thing recommended with these fish is a fine substrate.

Notes

some interesting points:

- These fish are one that only gets better and better with age. As juveniles they resemble there cousins the Placidochromis electra but as they age they develop a dark blue colouration with black barring. once this fish reaches approx 12-18 months of age they start developing a chrome silver blue spangling and this patterning only intensifies with age. unfortunately this colouration only shows with the males of the species but each male is different to the next with the spangling like a fingerprint.

- one fascinating point is how this species feeds in the wild. the phenochilus follows a larger fish that creates a sandy cloud when its sifting for food and picks out the invertebrates as the larger fish is sifting, it has been said that the pheno will follow larger fish for food swimming from cloud to cloud grabbing every tasty bit of food it can. I personally have seen this behavior displayed when doing water changes and disturbing the substrate. all the phenochilus quickly hurry over and dart in and out of the sediment looking for food.

- i would strongly recommend this fish for any hobbyist especially a hobbyist that enjoys the more peaceful cichlid.

**************** END FORM**********************

here is a pic of two juveniles 3cm and 6cm

curtesy of Anita Ozfish a adult male pheno

cheers

Daniel.....

soulfly_maximus@hotmail.com

coburg Melbourne

....I once had a handle on life and then it broke....</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: oo Spooky oo *********************FORM*********************

Species information

Species: Neolamprologus sexfasciatus "gold"

Synoma: Lamprologus sexfasciatus

Common name: yellow 6 bar

Origin: Lake Tanganyika Africa

Localities/Morphs: Cap Tembwe in Zaire, Kipili Tanzania, and Katete Zambia

Maximum size: males can reach 15cm and females reach 12-13cm

Natural habitat: sexfasciatus inhabit shallower sandy areas of lake Tanganyika were there are the empty snail housings of Neothauma Snails and rocks that provide shelter and spawning sites.

Natural foods/prey: small fish and snails

Water chemistry in the wild: ?

Predators: birds and other fish.

Brood size: 100-300

Breeding method: cave/shell spawner ... egg layer

Husbandry requirements

Minimum tank size: i would recommend that a 4x18x18 be the absolute smallest tank to house a pair of these guys as they are extremely aggressive.

Sex ratio: 1m to 1f

Tolerance of conspecifics: can get very aggressive

Tolerance of heterospecifics: ok - should only be kept with fish that can hold there own. should not be kept with other shell dwellers.

Water chemistry in aquaria: pH: 7.9-8.9, general hardness 10-20 gH, carbonate hardness 9-12 dKH

Temperature range: 23-27 degrees Celsius, can tolerate slightly higher temperatures temporarily but optimum is 25

Foods accepted: omnivorous, they will take almost everything offered. Pellets, flakes, live black worm, and frozen brine shrimp.

Special requirements: no special care is required with these guys as they are quite hardy. only that the water temperature should rarely exceed 29 degrees Celsius as anything higher will be fatal and high water quality is a must.

Notes

some interesting points: one of the biggest reasons i like these guys so much is there colour (gold body black bars and blue highlights) that is not very common at all. unlike there close cousins the Neolamprologus tretocephalus witch closely resemble the Cyphotilapia frontosa a common colour (blue/white body black bars).

- The gold sexfasciatus are an extremely fascinating fish to watch with both there social behavior and reproductive behavior. The males can get extremely aggressive during spawning and tank mates should be carefully chosen as anything housed in with the gold sexfasciatus will come off second best to say the least. one last point to be made is not to confuse localities and end up with crossbreeds due to wrong selection of parenting fish. so some research is recommended before deciding to purchase any fish.

- all else aside the gold sexfasciatus is not a very common species at present and all efforts should be made to preserve these wonderful and interesting cichlids. I for one really enjoy these guys and hope to keep them for many years to come.

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3cm fry

this pic of an adult is curtecy of Anita Ozfish :-D

cheers

Daniel.....

soulfly_maximus@hotmail.com

coburg Melbourne

....I once had a handle on life and then it broke....</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: oo Spooky oo *********************FORM*********************

Species information

Species: Altolamprologus calvus "black"

Synoma: Lamprologus calvus

Common name: black calvus, calvus, black pearl calvus.

Origin: Lake Tanganyika Africa

Localities/Morphs: Zambia and southern Zaire, Lake Tanganyika

Maximum size: males can reach 15cm and females reach 10-12cm

Natural habitat: Rocky areas where there is sufficient cover and adequate breeding grounds as the calvus is a shy fish and very secretive.

Natural foods/prey: small fish, fish eggs and invertebrates

Water chemistry in the wild: ?

Predators: larger fish when young.

Brood size: 70-300 depending on the age of the fish

Breeding method: substrate spawner ... uses shells or crevices in rocks to breed

Husbandry requirements

Minimum tank size: i would recommend that a 3x14x18 be the absolute smallest tank to house a breeding pair.

Sex ratio: 1m to 1f or can be kept in a breeding harem with multiple males and females but a large tank is required for this.

Sex differences: Males tend to be bigger if out of the same batch of fry

Tolerance of conspecifics: can get very aggressive

Tolerance of heterospecifics: ok - can be kept with other fish in a community tank and rarely bothers with other fish other than its own kind. recommended tank mates would be frontosa but only if the calvus was a decent size, Cyprichromis leptisoma and any other well tempered fish.

Water chemistry in aquaria: pH: 8.0-8.9, general hardness 10-20 gH, carbonate hardness 9-12 dKH

Temperature range: 23-27 degrees Celsius, does not tolerate slightly higher temperatures very well. optimum is 25

Foods accepted: omnivorous, they will take almost everything offered. Pellets, flakes, live black worm, and frozen brine shrimp. foods containing animal products such as beef heart should be avoided as its detrimental to the calvus's health as the fat will be stored in the liver of the fish and then degenerate causing ill health and death

Special requirements: no special care is required with these guys as they are quite hardy. only that the water temperature should rarely exceed 29 degrees Celsius as anything higher will be fatal and high water quality is a must.

Notes

some interesting points: i must start in saying that the calvus and its closely related cousin the Altolamprologus compressiceps have fast become my favorite species of fish i keep. now i'm not going to say that it was love at first sight as the first time i saw the calvus i thought they were the most hideous and prehistorically looking ugly creatures i had ever seen, but that fast changed after constantly watching the interesting behavior of a friends calvus, and soon fell in love with them. then i just had to have some and soon acquired 7 2cm fry.

I soon found out how painstakingly slow growing the calvus is and after 6 months they have only grown 2cm but in saying that and studying them i have found that i have 3 males and 3 females due to the size differences between them and also their social behavior.

unfortunately i lost one due to it jumping out of my tank and have found that the calvus is infamous for jumping out of tanks so precautions are necessary to prevent them from doing so as it is heart breaking finding them on the floor so all holes in the tops of tanks should be covered even the smallest ones.

from all the research i have done there seem to be only 3 different colour morphs of the Altolamprologus calvus and they are the black, yellow, and white. i have only seen the white and black forms available in Australia so far but strongly recommend keeping different colour morphs separately to prevent hybridization.

- The calvus is a very intimidating looking predator and many people think they are tank destroyers but this is not the case and have found that they will very rarely show any interest in other fish and concentrate more so on its own kind. the calvus will happily coexist with other tank mates providing the tank mates are chosen wisely.

one very unusual characteristic of the calvus is its defense mechanism which is when another fish attacks the calvus will bend its body towards the attacker to allow it to bite and once the aggressor has bitten it soon finds that the calvus has spiky scales which shreds the attackers lips and teaches it to be weary in attacking again.

one last behavioral characteristic of the calvus is its hunting technique. the calvus will hover and cruse looking for prey and when food is found it stops and slowly lines up for the kill. the calvus will slowly glide all the while with its eyes on the prey and within a blink of and eye using a sucking motion the tasty morsel is gone. this is a technique used in the wild in catching prey in cracks and crevices where a fish could never normally reach and with the calvuses specially developed mouth structure it allows it to suck prey from the smallest hard to reach spots.

- the only characteristic which i have not yet had the pleasure of witnessing is the breeding ritual. there are many different ways that many different people have successfully bred this species but i unfortunately can not input any useful information other than a caution on using shells for breeding purposes with calvus as i have heard from friends once the calvus reaches a certain size the female can actually get stuck in the shell and die so the alternative to using shells would be ceramic or porcelain (glazed) pots which are large enough for the female to enter but preventing access by male but also large enough so that the female would not get stuck..

- in conclusion the calvus is an extremely enjoyable and interesting fish to keep and though the only draw back is the age it requires to reach sexual maturity 2.5 years.

i love these guys and would find any fish house collection incomplete without these guys so go out and get some you will not regret it.

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4cm juv

adult pair

calvus male

p.s Dave if there is anything you would like to add or edit feel free

^l

cheers

Daniel.....

soulfly_maximus@hotmail.com

coburg Melbourne

....I once had a handle on life and then it broke....</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: oo Spooky oo *********************FORM*********************

Species information

Species: Fossorochromis rostratus ( Boulenger 1899 )

Synoma: Cyrtocara rostrata, Haplochromis macrorhynchus, Tilapia rostrata, Haplochromis rostratus (Boulenger 1899), Cyrtocara rostratus (Greenwood 1980)

Common name: rostratus

Origin: Lake Malawi, Africa

Localities/Morphs: Along the coast of Lake Malawi from Nkhata bay to Chilumba

Maximum size: males can reach 25cm and females reach slightly less.

Natural habitat: In lake Malawi they live on open sand patches together with Cyrtocara Moorii and Protomelas annectens and do not require the cover of rocks.

Natural foods/prey: small fish and invertebrates

Water chemistry in the wild: ?

Predators: larger fish when young.

Brood size: 30-60

Breeding method: maternal mouth brooder

Husbandry requirements

Minimum tank size: i would recommend that a 4x18x18 be the absolute smallest tank to house young juveniles as these fish grow quite large.

Sex ratio: 1m to 5-6f or can be kept with more males and females but again a larger tank would be required.

Tolerance of conspecifics: ok - can be aggressive

Tolerance of heterospecifics: ok - can be kept with other fish in a community tank and rarely bothers with other fish other than its own kind. recommended tank mates would be other larger fish. smaller fish should be avoided as the rostratus have very large mouths and would soon eat anything small enough that would fit.

Water chemistry in aquaria: pH: 7.5-8.5, general hardness 10-20 gH, carbonate hardness 5-8 dKH

Temperature range: 24 to 28??C .

Foods accepted: piscivore, they will take almost everything offered though. Pellets, flakes, live black worm, and frozen brine shrimp.

Special requirements: no special care is required with these guys as they are quite hardy. only that a large tank is necessary when these fish get larger.

Notes

some interesting points: one of the most interesting behaviors of the rostratus is its defense mechanisms and avoidance tactics. when the rostratus feels threatened it will quickly bury its self in the substrate to avoid a predator and this behavior has also been documented my local fisherman who say the rostratus employ this tactic to avoid their nets. in saying this it is important to ensure that the substrate used in an aquarium is a fine sand or gravel so that the rostratus does not cause injury to its self as a larger grained substrate would damage their soft lips and head when attempting to dive and hide.

- Another interesting behavior is the way the rostratus feeds and that is it feeds in a similar way to the south American species Geophargus eartheater. the rostratus has a very uniquely developed moth structure with soft extended lips it uses to suck up huge amounts which it sifts through to find small invertebrates inside. the Cyrtocara Moorii and Protomelas annectens are almost always in the near vicinity of feeding rostratus catching and stray food that has escaped the rostratus.

- The only drawback i could see with keeping rostratus is the age it requires to reach to be sexually mature enough to breed and in some cases can take up to 2 years to attain this and the rostratus can be a very hard fish to sex due to this late blooming. some males can even be at a full grown size and due to there being an already present dominant male the sub dominant male will look identical to a female and never show male colouration until the dominant male is removed.

- the biggest factor in persuading me to purchase some rostratus is the unique and gorgeous colouration of a male rostratus which in my opinion not many fish can rival a splendid contrast of metallic greens, blues and black. The rostratus is a fairly commonly available fish in Australia and if you had a big enough tank would whole heartily recommend this fish to any keen fish keeper.

**************** END FORM**********************

cheers

Daniel.....

soulfly_maximus@hotmail.com

coburg Melbourne

....I once had a handle on life and then it broke....</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: 00 MooRRii 00 Scientific name: Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum

Synoma: Platystoma tigrinum

Common name: Tiger-shovel-nose catfish

Country/Region of Origin:Found almost everywhere in the the Amazon and Orinoco Basins

Specific localities/morphs: Each Tiger-shovel-nose (TSN) has it's own unique pattern, with no two fish being the same. having said that their is no set difference in fish found from different locations.

Natural habitat: Can be found in slow moving waters but are usually found in fast flowing streams, where they use their extreme strength to fight strong currents.

Natural foods/prey: TSN will eat almost anything they can fit in their mouths, stomach contents of wild-caught specimens have shown them to eat crustaceans, small fish - including heavily plated Loricariidae species.

Water chemistry in the wild: pH- 6.5-7.5 temp- 25-28C

Predators: These fish are the predators rather then the prey. Although when young they can be eaten by most other predators.

Brood size: unknown.

Sexual dimorphism: Females are said to be a heavier/thicker fish.

Breeding method/family structure: Egg-scatterers.

Husbandry Requirements

Acceptable water chemistry: The Tiger-shovel-nose are not an overly fussy fish when it comes to water chemistry excepting most pH levels as long as they are not at either end of the extremes. The most crucial part in keeping a TSN is having good water quality, with no ammonia or nitrites. To accomplish this a very good filtration system must be put in place, these fish put a large strain on even the best filtration systems through messy eating and their overall size and waste produced.

Tolerance of conspecifics: TSN tolerate each other well, as long as they can't prey on each other they should be fine.

Tolerance of heterospecifics: Not an aggressive fish but will eat almost anything that will fit in their mouths including suction cups and thermometers, I have seen mine try and suck the thermometer off the glass.

Minimum tank size: Tank size is very important when considering a TSN. Most books and websites state that a 300gallon tank is required (~1150liters) which at it's best is 6'x3'x2.5' which is in fact a little more then 300gallons. How is a fish with the potential to reach 150cm in the wild going to be happy and live a full and healthy life in a tank that is only a little longer then the fish it'self? The fact of the matter is that the fish will become stunted and well eventually die prematurely. In my opinion and experience a tank of no smaller dimensions of 12x4x3 should be considered for housing an adult Tiger-shovel-nose, of course smaller tanks can be used for raising the fish.

Sex ratio: not important.

Temperature range: 25-28C

Acceptable foods: These fish will eat almost anything. It's good to vary the fishes diet. Any of the following foods can be used; squid, prawns, chopped up fish fillets and just about anything else that can be found at a fish market.

Tolerance of plants: Plants are not something that are usually included in a Tiger-shovel-nose tank or any other tank-buster tank for that matter, plant will most likely become uprooted and destroyed.

Notes: This is a truly amazing fish. I have raised mine from a skinny 3" specimen which would have weighed no more then 10gms to a 34" eating machine, in a little less then two years. This shows the true potential this fish has to grow and consume. My Tiger-shovel-nose has eaten quite a few tank mates which include; oscars, silver dollars, Cichla monoculus and salmon tailed catfish.

TSN are intelligent fish being able to distinguish between their owners and other people. They also become good beggars once settled in knowing that if they swim around looking hungry that their is a good chance of being fed. Do not feed adult TSN even day. I feed mine three times a week allowing time between each feeding for the catfish to digest it's meal and swim around. Small TSN can be fed everyday.

These fish are particularly popular in the US, being sold to unknowing customers, who take them home and place them in 2' aquariums, only to have the fish die shortly after purchasing them. In Australia we have strict import laws, and the Tiger-shovel-nose catfish is not an legal import. This suggests that some TSN catfish may have been smuggled into the country. This rarity means TSN often demand a high retail price. I highly recommend a TSN to anyone who has the time and money to keep one, a fish that will truly reward it's owner.

</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: oo Spooky oo ive got some pics for the saulosi and hartwegi profiles i did if your interested

i couldnt decide out of the 3 pics of the boys so ill leave the desicion up to you

and the hartwegi

male

female

thanks Dave

cheers

Daniel.....

soulfly_maximus@hotmail.com

coburg Melbourne

....I once had a handle on life and then it broke....</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: 00 MooRRii 00 Yew what needed editing?

</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: YeW2001 Alex -

I just clarified a few issues re: smuggling

. Nice profile Alex

- would be happy to see more!

Cheers -

-- YeW</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: 00 MooRRii 00 Ok no probs. I'll get some more done when i get some spare time.

</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: Lyndon Giles

Scientific name

: Paratilapia polleni

Synoma

: N/A

Common name

: Black diamond cichlid, Marakely (Native name)

Country/Region of Origin

: Madagascar

Specific localities/morphs

: There is a little difference in the amount and colour of spotting.

Natural habitat

: Undemanding/varied. It has been caught in blackwater, the highly mineralized waters of soda springs to lightly brackish water along the coast.

Natural foods/prey

: carnivore; crustaceans, insect larvae, bedotia and other small fish.

Water chemistry in the wild

: pH: 7.0-8.0, temp 20-40 (Have been known to stand a range of 12?c for short exposure up to 40?c where they have been found in hot springs in the south of the island.

Predators: kingfishers and larger introduced species. Man, who uses this fish as a source of food.

Brood size

: From a few hundred eggs to a few thousand in larger specimens with quite a good hatch rate.

Sexual dimorphism

: The outward difference is minimal. Size is as general with cichlids a good indicator as males grow considerably larger and more quickly.

Breeding method/family structure

: Substrate spawner. Eggs are laid in a self adhesive clump similar to that of Hypsophrys nicaraguense. The female fans the eggs while the male stands guard.

Husbandry Requirements

Acceptable water chemistry

: Paratilapia polleni is not a fussy fish when it comes to pH and hardness living and breeding from pH7-8 its only issue is with ammonia and nitrites at levels which a Central American could live in very comfortably but can quite easily result in the death of a polleni.

Tolerance of conspecifics

: Tolerates others of its kind moderately well when not in breeding mode with the occasional altercation but all bets are off come spawning time.

Tolerance of heterospecifics

: More tolerant of other species than its own, polleni will live peacefully with much smaller fish till spawning. A good chasing off is generally enough to satisfy.

Minimum tank size

: 300L. For breeding the consensus seems to be a small tank (mine is 400L) or a very large tank rated in the thousands of litres.

Sex ratio

: They can be kept in small groups of 1 male to multiples of female but adding another male usually ends in disaster in all but the largest of tanks. A male will sometimes breed with more than 1 female if available though he has a "prefered" mate.

Temperature range

: 24-27?C is a comfortable range in the tank Extremes in nature are expected to occur but getting all the variable right in the tank at either end of the scale is nigh on imposible and leaves little margin for error.

Acceptable foods

: In my experience this fish is a fussy eater and will eat new foods only when starved for days being offered only the new food. I have noticed on the introduction of new foods that the polleni will seem to be tasting the water near the food before actually attempting to eat the offered morsel. Adults will eat pellets, krill, frozen blood worm, brine shrimp, garden worms and small feeders if they can be convinced they are food. Flake food is not prefered though will be taken.

Tolerance of plants

: Plants are generally ignored during the day to day life of the fish but upon spawning plants are torn to shreds (as evidenced by the destruction of a prized new red Barclaya).

Notes

: Paratilapia polleni is particularly prone to attack by parasitic protozoans. They are known to be very succeptable white spot and mine have been afflicted by Anchor worm which is incredibly hard to get rid of. Polleni is one of the only cichlid species known to suffer attack by anchor worm, a good reason not to feed wild caught live food like gambusia.

Overall the species is very intelligent, beautiful and interesting to observe. A fish the hobbyist may find a little different from the norm.

Lyndon Giles

</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: Mazimbwe C'mon Memebers(no insult intended) I am nearly finished with this lot of profiles and no-one has added any for a little while...don't let me slack-off you Peep's.

</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: fiona ls Woo hoo, I still had this archived!

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Species information

Species:

Anomalochromis thomasi

Synoma:

Hemichromis thomasi

Common name:

African Butterfly Cichlid

Origin:

West Africa riverine - Guinea to Liberia.

Localities/Morphs:

Maximum size:

Males approx. 8cm, females approx. 6cm

Natural habitat:

Small streams under forest cover.

Natural foods/prey:

Omnivore/micropredator

Water chemistry in the wild:

Mostly soft, acidic, although aquarium fish will also flourish in harder and more alkaline water conditions.

Predators:

Brood size:

Approx. 50-100

Sexual dimorphism:

Males grow larger than females, have more pointed sexual papillae than females, which are blunter. Females more rounded in body. Otherwise similar.

Breeding method:

Open substrate spawner on flattish surface such as rock, wood or a large leaf.

Husbandry requirements

Minimum tank size:

Pair will spawn in standard 2ft.

Sex ratio:

One to one. Form fairly stable pairs.

Tolerance of conspecifics:

Will live as groups when young or in high numbers, lower numbers will result in territorial behaviour between pairs. If fish are allowed to form adequate territories only display aggression at borders of territories is seen. When fish are placed into existing territory death may result for the introduced fish.

Tolerance of heterospecifics:

Very peaceful, will not harm other fish including neons or white clouds. White clouds particularly form useful dithers. They can also flourish with the more peaceful mbuna - have not tried them with more aggressive fish than this.

Water chemistry in aquaria:

Tolerates quite acidic to fairly alkaline. Best from approx 5.5 to 7.8. Hardness not critical. pH does not seem to affect sex ratio of fry.

Temperature range:

Best is standard tropical range, approx 22-28degC, but can live and be active in lower temps. Lowest I have had them in was 15degC (unheated Autumn on covered verandah before moving inside). These fish grew more slowly than those kept in higher temps. When brought into higher temps, they spawned almost immediately.

Foods accepted:

Almost anything. Flake, pellet, frozen, home made; live food is relished.

Special requirements:

None really. A hardy and peaceful fish that exhibits interesting behaviour.

Notes

Anomalochromis thomasi are an underrated fish that when kept under the right conditions and lighting can be extrememly attractive, with bright blue iridescence in spots over their bodies and in patterns on their faces. Their fins can contain quite vivid red markings. They can vary the pattern of dark markings on their bodies. Usual is a stripe through eyes, a dark spot on the body and another on the caudal peduncle. Dominance influences the markings they show. Dominant males will not show spots, while dominant females will often show some barring in addition to or instead of their spots. When in breeding condition they show an attractive purplish flush over their abdomens.

A. thomasi can be kept under a wide range of water conditions. They will live happily with any community fish I have tried them with. Their lack of aggression can mean that they will spawn most successfully when kept on their own or with innocuous dithers such as White Clouds. Catfish will eat their eggs.

Being open spawners, it is possible to watch the development of their eggs, and then the tiny wrigglers when they are transferred by their parents to shallow pits dug into the substrate. When the young become free swimming (still guarded by their parents), it's time to start feeding them.

It has been said that these fish may tend to eat their eggs, but I have found that when kept in stress-free conditions they only eat infertile eggs. It is probably best to have not too much water flow for breeding fish, in order to achieve optimum fertilisation. I have had several infertile spawning events with one particular male. It is possible that occasional males may be infertile and if one pairing gives infertile eggs it may be worth trying a different male.

The young are easy to raise and grow well on microworms and crushed pellets or flake. They are attractive, silver with the dark spots, and start to show the blue iridescence when 2-3cm. They may start to breed at about 3-4cm (females), 5-6cm (males).

A. thomasi are available in some shops intermittently but vary in quality - vigour, body shape, shape and clarity of markings, and amount of colour on body and fins. You may expect to pay in a shop anywhere between $6 and $12. A breeder will sell them for a bit less.

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Pics coming ... won't take long ...

Fiona L.S.

Lalor Park, NSW</DIV><DIV id=Atextbox>Author: Beagly G'day

Here is the profile that I did on the Hoplo a little while back, sorry no pics until someone comes up and takes some, sorry.

Species information

Species: Megalechis thoracata

Family: Callichthyidae Callichthyinae Siluriformes

Synoma: Callichthys exaratus, Callichthys longifilis, Callichthys thoracatus, Callichthys longifillis, Callichthys personatus, Callichthys pictus, Callichthys sulcatus, Hoplosternum longifillis, Hoplosternum thoracatum niger, Hoplosternum thorae, Hoplosternum magdalenae, Hoplosternum orinocoi, Hoplosternum oronocoi

Common name: Hoplo, Hoplosternum thoracatum, Port Hoplo

Origin: Brazil, Guyana, Martinique, Peru, Paraguay, Trinidad, Venezuela

Localities/Morphs: None known.

Maximum size: 19cm Males, Females 14 cm (This is the largest female I have seen)

Natural habitat: Large rivers and shallow muddy waters with dense vegetation. They can be found in schools that number over a thousand. In the dry season the pools dry out. The hoplos merely dig into the mud and await the wet season. They have the ability to breathe via their stomach. In nature they can also move across land to the next water source.

Natural foods/prey: Omnivorours, crustaceans and small invertebrates.

Brood size: 600+

Sexual dimorphism: Males develop a pectoral fin that has a leading edge that is a red/brown colour, like a pipe cleaner. Females do not. The males coracoids almost touch whilst the females (esp. if full of eggs) remain separate.

Breeding method: Bubblenest builder. Please refer to an excellent article here by Terry Rowlands on how to breed them and also how to raise the fry.

http://ausfish.virtualave.net/articles/hoplos.shtml

Minimum tank size: No minimum, however for breeding a three foot tank is recommended.

Sex ratio: For breeding one male and one female is best. Two males in a large breeding tank is possible however males do get aggressive when spawning!

Tolerance of others: They are fantastic aquarium inhabitants. They do not quarrel with others and get along fine in a large aquarium either singularly or in a school of their own. The only time they may become problematic is during feeding as they can push shy fish aside.

Water chemistry in aquaria: pH 6.0 ? 8.0, Breed at 25 degrees.

Temperature range: 18 ?28 degrees. At 24-26 degrees the fish seem happiest.

Foods accepted: Everything, from worms through to pellets and flake.

Special requirements: None

Notes They seem to be quite active during the morning and then settle in the afternoon. They can be out digging around in the substrate at any time. They do not move large amounts of the substrate around and may at times dislodge some loosely planted plants, but anything well planted is not disturbed.

Interestingly I have seen them sometimes perch up high on a leaf, filter accessory or whatever. When they were young my group of them, 8, used to regularly all hangout up in the leaves of a tall plant. Sadly as they have aged this behaviour has diminished.

I consider these fish to be so ugly that they are beautiful. Trouble is not a word that can be used to describe them. My only fear is that in Australia we have limited breeders of these wonderful fish and should a disaster occur these fabulous fish may be lost to the country (Due to our strict importation laws).

CYA Beagly

Katoomba

,

Blue Mountains

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