Just wish this was happening in my tank

twig catfish


news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/11...ver-zoo-picture.html

Ditto, but I think I have 2 females.

At least one forum member has bred Farowella and at least two have bred whiptails, so we might get some details

Daragh

mickeywallace wrote:

twig catfish


news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/11...ver-zoo-picture.html

very nice plec

Daragh_Owens wrote:

At least one forum member has bred Farowella and at least two have bred whiptails, so we might get some details

Daragh

Here's hoping!!!....?

Question: how old/what conditions are needed to sex Farowella?
(I have them 3 months. They've gotten over the sulk about being in tank, figured out that courgette is food (took a month, but in the process copped on to algae wafers aswell!) and now seem content (and even fight the big female cory for food).

Tank is heavily planted with LOTS of bogwood,the checker-boards spawn all the time (and ottos in may/november, but the big cory eats the eggs within 10 minutes).



P.S. PH 6 to 6.5, Gh about 50, nitrogen componds negligible.

it is nearly 20 yrs since i kept and bred these fish but these are some details as i remember them.
the pair were at least three years old and the male was easily identified by his larger size thicker longer nose and obvious cheek bristles. about 60 fairly large eggs were laid about an inch or so from the surface on the front glass, where the male protected them and stayed beside them till they hatched. the hatched fry dropped to the substrate and were unharmed by tankmates. they were hardy and grew well. water was ph below 6 and very soft, temp about 80f. tankmates were corydoras and small tetras.
whiptails are cave spawners and again the male guards the fry much like the bristlenose. again the male has obvious cheek bristles and is generally more spiny. the females nose is sharper and triangular and the males is longer and rounder. again the fry are hardy and grow well.

at that time there were reports of the fry of these species dying off after a few weeks but it was later found that this was caused by sudden or large variation in water depth during water changes.
when doing water changes with young fry it is advisable to add and remove water at the same time by syphoning, avoiding changes in depth. i always did this and the fry were easily raised without problems.

for conditioning these species for spawning, whiptails will certainly eat a meaty wormy diet as well as some greens and i think the farlowella are the same. all my adults were mature fish and i reckon this is necessary for these fish to spawn.

cheers Derek
You should write a book!!!!!!! and i am booking my copy now!!!!!!!!

Thanks Derek, excellent info there, no amount of googling can match personal experience - it's priceless.


Daragh

Daragh_Owens wrote:

Thanks Derek, excellent info there, no amount of googling can match personal experience - it's priceless.


Daragh

so true!!!!!

Defo truth in that. Hence the reason I never buy a fish without asking you guys.....oh and the missus too!haha!

Cheers!!
I will give them a bit more time before I decide to get more. There is a new (much bigger) tank in waiting for their permanent home. I think 6 months after cycling should be good for them (?).

The water level thing is interesting. I know they can get very sulky about water changes (and have kept them very small for the first few months; the embers are not amused, but have gone red, the glowlights are happy).
Last week I did a 35% change. One of the Farowellas is still having a minor sulk over it. (But not clamping fins etc.......). Must try the constant level thing.


P.s. Anyone who wants to try raising Dicrossus filamentosa eggs, please feel free to pm me. The mothers are wonderful (viscious!!) while watching eggs, but hopeless after they hatch.