For the first time we can offer this pretty Leporinus, which was scientifically described only in 2000. Be careful not to confuse it with L. octomaculatus, because this is a completely different species; here the confusion of one letter has consequences!
So far Leporinus ortomaculatus is known from the Rio Surumu, Roraima, Brazil and from the rivers Rio Caroni, Rio Caura and Orinoco to the Delta Amacuro in Venezuela. Our animals originate from Brazil.
Two peculiarities make Leporinus ortomaculatus especially interesting for aquarium care: first, the species remains small by Leporinus standards. The largest specimen known to date was 11 cm long, so it can be assumed that the fish will hardly become longer than 15 cm in the aquarium (as is well known, Leporinus are long-lived fish and will certainly become much older and thus larger in the aquarium than in the wild). And secondly Leporinus ortomaculatus belongs to the most peaceful of all Leporinus species. Although there is constant teasing and chasing among them, as it is so typical for Leporinus, there is not even any fin damage!
For our customers: the animals have code 265763 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
One of the most beautiful freshwater fishes of all is Channa micropeltes. This snakehead lives in groups and its favorite pastime is eating. It is therefore constantly on the lookout for food and swims lively in a shoal through the aquarium.
Although every word up to this point is true, it is still only half the truth. Because with over 130 cm maximum final size Channa micropeltes is also one of the largest snakeheads at all. And from about 15-20 cm length it loses the beautiful, bright juvenile coloration and changes from a schooling fish to an aggressive loner. Now it is black-brown marbled on the back. However, his favorite pastime remains eating and who makes the mistake to put Channa micropeltes because of his beautiful juvenile coloration in a community aquarium with small peaceful fish, soon has only one fish in the aquarium: a fat Channa micropeltes.
So if you are interested in these animals, you must have a really big aquarium. Then snakehead and human can enjoy each other for decades.
For our customers: the animals have code 409202 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
The correct name of this beautiful catfish from the Rio Xingu is a matter of dispute among experts. In many parts of South America similar looking catfishes can be found, which are all close to the species already described in 1840 as Hypostomus emarginatus. These were assigned to the genus Squaliforma in 2001, and to the genus Aphanotorulus in 2016. There are also some L-numbers: L11 (Rio Xingu, Brazil), L108 (Ecuador, Rio Napo), L116 (Rio Trombetas, Brazil), L131 (Rio Tapajós, Brazil), and L153 (Venezuela).
Nathan Lujan wrote us: “All the members of the Hypostomus emarginatus “group” were pretty well resolved in our paper where we identified that they were actually in Aphanotorulus. Even though the type location is only listed as the Amazon, we showed that it likely came from the lower Amazon. Figure 8 in our paper is a distribution map for A. emarginatus, which shows the lower Amazon and its major tributaries plus the Essiquibo. The likely sister species is A. horridus, found in the upper Amazon, basically upstream of its confluence with the Rio Negro. Figure 12 in our paper is it’s distribution map. Here’s the link to the paper: https://www.mapress.com/…/view/zootaxa.4072.5.1/4170“
L11 is a wonderful large catfish for appropriate aquariums with fish from the Rio Xingu. In cichlid tanks it is an excellent algae eater. On the one hand it can take a poke, but on the other hand it is peaceful against conspecifics as well as against other fish. Fish from the Rio Xingu should be kept warm, 26-30°C correspond to the natural conditions. Under such conditions L11 can grow up to 40 cm long and live in the aquarium for decades.
For our customers: the animals have code 26480-L 011-5 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Quite clearly – none at all! Because this genus is exclusively from South America. But in Indonesia these beautiful large tetras are bred and occasionally we import juveniles from there. Then one wonders which species it is. We get them as S. insignis and so we sell them on, but is the determination correct? This question never left us and now we believe we can give an answer.
According to the most recent scientific review of the group (Castro & Vari, 2004), there are six species of Semaprochilodus: S. brama (Rio Tocantins and Rio Xingu), S. insignis (Amazon basin), S. kneri (Orinoco basin), S. laticeps (Orinoco basin), S. taeniurus (Amazon basin), and S. varii (Suriname and French Guiana). A common name in the hobby is S. theraponura, this is a synonym of S. insignis.
Semaprochilodus brama and S. varii are not of further interest in the following, because S. brama has a completely markless caudal fin and is therefore easily recognizable and S. varii has more than 12 narrow stripes in the caudal fin and is therefore also unmistakable. Very small juveniles of 3-4 cm look quite colorless with all Semaprochilodus, therefore we had to wait with our Indonesian imports until they had grown up to about 6 cm length.
From the remaining four possible species we could now exclude S. insignis, because it has five stripes in each caudal fin lobe (plus one in the middle of the caudal fin), but our animals have only three to four. This leaves S. kneri, S. laticeps and S. taeniurus, all of which have three to four stripes per caudal fin lobe. The three species have distinctly different high backs. S. taeniurus is the most slender species, almost topedo shaped compared to the others, then comes S. kneri and S. laticeps is really high-backed. Of the three, only S. laticeps has a pitch black membrane adjacent to the gill cover. This is clearly missing in our animals and so we can put the identification case to the files: the bred ones are Semaprochilodus kneri. But whether this name will be accepted in the trade is questionable. In practically all aquarium books S. kneri is shown as S. insignis, S. taeniurus or S. theraponura (e.g. in volumes 2 – theraponura – and 3 – insignis and taeniurus – of the Aquarium Atlas, but all three entries show S. kneri) and as is well known, nothing is as persistent as a thorough error.
For the care this is unimportant, because all Semaprochilodus become 30-40 cm long and are beautiful, impressive large tetras. They are Aufwuchs and detritus eaters and can be compared aquaristically quite well with kissing gouramis (Helostoma). Like them they have only a narrow throat and can’t do much with coarse food, which is why they can be kept together with much smaller fish. Among themselves they are sometimes somewhat quarrelsome. This can be counteracted by keeping at least 5-6 specimens together.
For our customers: the animals have code 290452 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
The zebra cichlids of Lake Malawi were among the first cichlids to come to us from this great lake in the 1960s. At that time they caused real enthusiasm storms. Aquarists had no idea of the enormous diversity of species and forms that exist there. So the zebras were simply called “Pseudotropheus zebra” after one of the few described species.
Today one knows it better and distinguishes with the zebra cichlids 32 different species, whereby there are also still undescribed ones and all form besides several distinguishable location variants. These zebra cichlids in the narrower sense were also separated from Pseudotropheus and transferred into their own genus, which is called Maylandia. A synonym to Maylandia is Metriaclima, so you can find all Maylandia species in the aquaristic literature also as Metriaclima.
Unfortunately, these species interbreed easily in the aquarium, so unintentional hybrids often occur. The beautiful blue Maylandia we received from Thailand under the name “M. estherae Blue” certainly do not belong to the species M. estherae, but are M. callainos with some M. zebra blood. For all hobbyists who just want to keep beautiful blue Malawi cichlids, Malawi cichlids from Far Eastern breeding are a good choice.
The first documented domesticated form of the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) was a Spadetail. That was in 1849. At that time certainly fighting fishes were bred for a long time, but they resembled more or less the wild fishes and were selected only for their fighting characteristics. The appearance of these animals was a minor matter. Only much later, when fighting fish were bred for export as ornamental fish to Europe and the USA, were veil-finned animals also bred. This was shortly after the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.
Nowadays the spadetail has largely disappeared. We have now received very interesting and rare spadetails with yellow ground color and bright yellow gill cover stripes (in the wild species these are red) from Thailand, the mother country of fighting fish breeding. Short-finned fighting fish are generally called pla kat.
During the photo session we had to look carefully the animals did not hurt each other. Because unlike most Betta splendens, the animals of the Pla kat Yellow cheek Spadetail bite very early, when other forms still display harmlessly for a long time. Our trick: there were 10 adult females in the tank. So the males always dsiplayed only briefly (a few seconds) and were immediately distracted from each other again by the ladies. We can therefore assure you, dear readers, that all fighting fish involved in the photo session were brought back into their single rooms completely unharmed,
For our customers: the animals have code 390071 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Fully grown angelfish of the various breeding forms are comparatively rare in the trade. The reasons are obvious: The breeding is time and space consuming, because they are still cichlids, which demand a certain individual space for themselves. That’s why XL angels have to be comparatively expensive. But occasionally such animals are in demand and we then ask our breeders to satisfy this demand.
Therefore we have just such adult angelfish in color mix in the stock. With them it shows up clearly that probably all breeding strains finally – at least by crossbreeding – are to be assigned to the eimekei form of the angelfish. Pterophyllum eimekei is currently by most scientists not seen as an independent species, but as a variant of P. scalare, which differs among other things by a lower body height from typical P. scalare. However, this only becomes apparent in fully adult animals, the otherwise commercially available angelfish juveniles of 3-6 cm body length of both forms look the same.
For our customers: the animals have code 688707 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Finally we have the dwarfish Neoheterandria elegans in our stock again. They originate from German breeding. These are among the smallest livebearing toothcarps regularly kept in the aquarium. Males grow to about 1-2 cm long, females up to 3 cm, but usually around 2 cm.
The Teddy Livebearer, as it is called to distinguish it from the actual Dwarf Livebearer Heterandria formosa, originates from Colombia and likes it cozy and warm with 24-28°C.
Otherwise the animals do not have high care requirements, which even beginners can fulfill well. The water values (hardness, pH etc.) hardly play a role, everything is eaten, which fits into the small mouth. In addition, the species is completely peaceful.
The females of the Teddy Livebearer have only 1-2 young per day during a litter period, but this takes several days. Therefore, they should not be placed in spawning boxes, but in densely planted, small extra aquariums, from which the young are collected daily and transferred to a rearing aquarium.
For our customers: N. elegans has code 438352 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Lexicon: Heterandria: means “different male”. Neoheterandria: means “new heterandria”. elegans: means “elegant”.
One of the oldest aquarium fishes is the Buenos Aires tetra, of which the correct scientific name was only recently determined: Psalidodon anisitsi. To most aquarists, however, the species is probably still known as Hemigrammus caudovittatus (or Hyphessobrycon anisitsi), and it is under this name that it is found in most aquarium books.
Since its first importation in 1922 from the inflow of the La Plata River (Argentina/Uruguay) this up to 7 cm long fish has not disappeared from the hobby, although it is quite fond of aquatic plants, which is not appreciated by most aquarists. But its beauty and unpretentiousness – especially with regard to the water temperature, which can drop to 14°C, which used to be an important criterion – let it find new friends again and again.
It is almost never imported from South America, all animals in the trade are offspring. Also an albino breeding form of the Buenos Aires tetra has been created and enjoys a certain popularity among albino fans.
It is important to keep this fish in a group (from 10 specimens upwards) in aquariums as large as possible with plenty of free swimming space, then it comes into its own best. The robust species can be kept very well as a by-fish to cichlids of this region (Gymnogeophagus, Geophagus of the brasiliensis group and Australoheros). Supplemental feeding of plant-based flake food can at least somewhat curb the cravings for aquatic plants.
For our customers: the natural form has code 256202, the albino form 256302 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Nannostomus, also known as pencil fish, propel through the aquarium like small, colorful zeppelins. The unusual, somewhat stiff-looking swimming style makes them unique in the colorful world of tetras. There are quite a few species of Nannostomus-species, but the Red Pencilfish (Nannostomus beckfordi), which grows up to 6.5 cm long (but appears smaller due to its slender body shape), is the species best suited for community aquariums. Usually it grows only 5 cm long.
Important for Nannostomus beckfordi, which originates from the central regions of the Amazon basin and Guyana (the photos show bred ones), is a calm fish community, so that it can develop fully. It prefers to swim in the middle and upper water layers. The males in courtship mood are completely different colored than the females, otherwise they can be recognized by the higher amount of red in the fins and the differently shaped anal fin. A water temperature of 24-26°C suits them best.
For our customers: the fish have code 271513 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The species of the genus Lepidiolamprologus belong with about 15 cm final length to the largest representatives of the Lamprologus relationship in Lake Tanganyika. They are predatory animals that like to feed on small fish. Like so many predators, they are remarkably peaceful toward fish that do not serve as food.
In the lake, Lepidiolamprologus attenuatus inhabits areas with sandy bottoms; it builds craters in which it spawns. However, the species does not spawn in the sand itself, but on small stones or shells found in the crater, because all Lamprologus relatives are adhesive spawners that must attach their eggs somewhere. Both parents guard the fry together. At breeding time they get black pelvic fins, as can be seen well in the animals on the pictures, which came in breeding mood in the photo tank.
By the way, L. attenuatus can easily be confused with a snail cichlid, Neolamprologus meeli, which has a very similarly marked caudal fin. However, the head profile of both species is very different. During our photo session, an N. meeli had accidentally snuck in with them, because when caught out – that is, in fright coloration – the two species look extraordinarily similar, and the N. meeli must have jumped in from the neighboring tank to join its cousins. In fact, Ad Konings argues that N. meeli should be placed with Lepidiolamprologus at the genus level. More about N. meeli can be found here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/neolamprologus_meeli_en/
For our customers: Lepidiolamprologus attenuatus has code 541602 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Archerfishes can be divided into two groups: those that live in the brackish water of estuaries, reproduce there as well (all archerfishes are free spawners without brood care) and can also live in pure seawater. These species are therefore widely distributed along the coasts of the Indo-Pacific from India to Japan and Australia. And then there are the freshwater species that spend their entire lives in freshwater and reproduce there as well. Complicating things is that there are populations of the brackish water species that live in pure freshwater. However, you cannot tell from which population the brackish water species come from and therefore you have to rely on the information provided by the exporter so that you can finally care for them correctly.
Many of these findings have only been made in the last few years and have not yet become common knowledge. One of the pure freshwater species is Toxotes mekongensis, which, as the name suggests, is known from the Mekong River. We have now received this species from Vietnam. The pattern of markings with the long band in the middle of the body, reaching from the back to the belly, is typical for this species.
T. mekongensis grows to about 15 cm in length. It is not necessary to feed archerfish with insects (although T. mekongensis spits well and unerringly), but they need a lot of food. Ideal are dried stream shrimps (Gammarus) as basic food, which you give 2-3 times a day in small amounts (as much as will be eaten in 5 minutes). In addition, the animals take almost all food of animal origin that fits into the mouth, including small fish and shrimp. Only from the bottom they do not like to eat. Among themselves archerfish are relatively compatible. Females grow larger, otherwise there are no external sex differences.
For our customers: the animals have code 468512 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
If there is one fashionable fish that has defined the last decade, it is the Endler guppy, Poecilia wingei. This small guppy species has countless fans all over the world and efforts are made to preserve the “pure” strains of wild caught variants. However, in the wild these wild variants are by no means uniformly colored, on the contrary, they occur partly strongly mixed, and often only a few specimens with particularly striking coloration have been taken. By selection breeding, strains can be obtained relatively quickly, in which the males look very similar.
The “Campona No48” is such a cute dwarf. One of its peculiarities are the white pelvic fins in the male, which in certain stages of courtship are stretched far forward that they could form a straight line with a white line in the dorsal fin. As with all Endler forms, the black pattern elements are additionally particularly prominent during courtship.
For our customers: the animals have code 419019 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
In 1915 the scientist Carl Eigenmann described a new tetra genus, which he named Megalamphodus. Type species is M. megalopterus, an aquaristic very well known species: the Black Phantom Tetra. In 1997 Megalamphodus became a synonym of Hyphessobrycon. Of the remaining species assigned to Megalamphodus in 1915 (ecuadoriensis, eques, heteresthes, melanotus, micropterus), only the Serpae tetra, H. eques, is encountered in the hobby; the appearance of the others is largely unclear – they are known only from dead, preserved specimens.
Now we could import most likely one of these species: Hyphessobrycon micropterus. This tetra is considered endemic to the Rio Sao Francisco river system (it flows through the states of Minas Gerais, Bahia, Sergipe, Pernambuco and Alagoas in Brazil), so it occurs exclusively there. The Rio Sao Francisco flows in the east of Brazil and has no connection to other rivers, which easily explains the high percentage of species endemic there.
Whether the pretty tetras now imported by us from the Rio Sao Francisco, which somewhat resemble very intensely colored Pristella, really belong to the species H. micropterus, which has been described over 100 years ago, must be shown by further, time-consuming investigations. Only in 2018 an almost identical looking species, H. piorskii, was described, but it occurs about 1,500 km further north (Maranhao state in the Munim and Preguiças rivers).
For our customers: the animals have code 261853 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
We are proud to present this unusual first import. The rarity of this pretty large catfish in the hobby stands in strong contrast to the fact that it was scientifically described as early as 1876, is widespread (our animal comes from the Rio Negro in Brazil, but it also exists in the Rio Madeira, in Peru and in the llanos of Venezuela and other areas of the Orinoco) and is a popular and frequently traded food fish. However, the high color variability described in scientific papers suggests that several unrecognized species are involved. The genus Pimelodina is monotypic, so there is only this one scientifically accepted species.
Pimelodina flavipinnis grows to a length of about 40 cm, our specimen is therefore adult. Within the large catfishes of South America P. flavipinnis stands out due to its unusual snout shape in combination with an underslung mouth. This naturally raises the question of how and from what the animal feeds. The long barbels indicate the predatory character; however, stomach content examniations revealed aquatic insect larvae and substances that accumulate when chewing through soil, such as sand and seeds.
The preferred habitat of this species is riverine lagoons. In June and July the animals perform spawning migrations. We cannot say much about aquarium life yet, except that our animal behaves relatively calmly and does not tend to frolic; this is a feared phenomenon in larger fish, because panic reactions are naturally associated with a high risk of injury. The slight injuries that our animal showed after importation are therefore probably due to the catch. In Brazil, the professional fishermen who catch this species for food use long seines.
For our customers: the animal has code 278957 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
In the meantime it has turned out that these animals are Mylesinus paucisquamatus from the Rio Tocantins and the statement that they came from the Rio Xingu was a mistake.
New species of large fish are still being found in the rivers of South America, despite they have been well studied. This is mainly due to the fact that many species look extraordinarily similar. For some, such as the large silver dollars or pacus, there is also the fact that they undergo quite dramatic changes in shape and color during their lives; this is also called ontogentic changes.
The Rio Xingu is a clear water tributary of the Amazon in Brazil. From there, more precisely from the rapids area, two new Tometes species were described in 2016, namely T. kranponhah and T. anclorhynchus. The two species look quite similar. The main distinguishing feature is the mouth shape. There is also a color difference, because T. kranponhah has a black spot on the gill cover as an adult fish, which is missing in T. anclorhynchus. The two species also differ in final size. T. kranponhah grows to around 40 cm in length, while T. anclorhynchus reaches around 30 cm in length.
Tometes kranponhah is an endemic of the Xingu, where it is said to be quite common. In contrast, there are only a few collections of T. anclorhynchus, but the species is more widespread and also occurs in the system of the Rio Tocantins.
We can say little about the behavior. Our juveniles (10 specimens, 5-7 cm long) are somewhat quarrelsome among themselves, as can be seen from the slight fin damage, but this is kept within acceptable limits.
For our customers: The animals have code 297333 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
The “Cape Lopez” (Aphyosemion australe) is one of the longest serving killifishes. It was discovered due to aquarium imports from Gabon (Ogooué River estuary, Port-Gentil, Cape Lopez, northwestern Gabon), from where it was first brought in 1913. In 1921 Arthur Rachow described it as a new species, then cautiously as Haplochilus calliurus var. australis. The close relationship to Haplochilus calliurus (today Aphyosemion calliurum) assumed by Rachow has not been confirmed, the two species cannot be successfully interbred beyond a first generation.
It is not even that unlikely that many of the Cape Lopez kept in aquariums today are still descended from these first imports. In the 1950s a golden colored mutant was added, which was given the scientifically invalid name Aphyosemion australe hjerreseni, and later a dark brown breeding form, called “chocolate”.
The Cape Lopez is among the simplest of all killifishes. It is a plant spawner and the eggs can develop both underwater and stored dry. Few killifishes are suitable for community aquariums, but the Cape Lopez is one of them because it is not very shy and is also uncomplicated with regard to feeding. Of course one must select a possible company with much expert knowledge, by-fish must be absolutely very peaceful and not too lively.
The life expectancy of the Cape Lopez is about the same as for similar sized livebearers (e.g. guppies), i.e. 1-3 years. The maximum size for Aphyosemion australe is given with approx. 5,5 cm (including tail fin).
For our customers: the wild form has code 304502, the golden 304702 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
We have received juveniles of the “Black Lancer” from Indonesia. The adult fish is pitch black with a white caudal fin and a narrow white horizontal stripe running along the middle of the body. The stripe begins below the dorsal fin and extends into the caudal peduncle.
The 4-6 cm juveniles of this up to 20 cm long animal look quite similar in places, but some have white markings on the body; however, they can turn these on and off depending on their mood. In the case of a Bagrichthys macracanthus juvenile, which appears black to the naked eye, the lighter banding does show up in the strong light of the flash.
We could import the beautiful species Pyrrhulina brevis already several times from Peru (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/pyrrhulina-brevis-2/). This time they have a very intensive pattern in the anal fin, which reminds of an eye spot and corresponds with a similar pattern in the caudal fin. They are magnificent fish!
For our customers: the animals have code 286754 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
This is probably the most beautiful species of the bumble bee gobies, because the males (also some females) develop a splendid orange-red in the rear half of the body. The females are mostly yellow in color, but they are easily recognized by the comparatively smaller head regardless of coloration.
The species was and still is confused with B. xanthozonus. However, B. xanthozonus has more than 50 scales in the longitudinal row (our animals have a little bit more than 30); it is very questionable, if the “real” B. xanthozonus has ever been kept in the aquarium.
Brachygobius doriae grows only 3.5-4.5 cm long and therefore fits perfectly into smaller aquariums. We have magnificent animals in showsize in the stock, which come from Borneo. Some salt addition (1-2 grams per liter) does the animals good, but is not absolutely necessary. This is a brood caring species in which the male guards the spawn, which is pinned to a cave wall or the like, until the larvae hatch. After that the brood care ends.
For our customers: the animals have code 403705 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Lexicon: Brachygobius: Latin, means “short goby”. doriae: dedication name for the collector of the species, the Marquis J. Doria. xanthozonus: Latin, means “with yellow bands”.
From the upper Amazon in Peru comes the beautiful garnet tetra, which grows 3-4 cm long. The very peaceful animal actually has characteristics like a carbuncle, a gemstone, which in fairy tales has the ability to make the owner invisible: because the eye and tail root of Hemigrammus pulcher shimmer like gemstones, but the individual fish in the troop is thus difficult to spot for prey predators. Within the species the luminous markings serve for recognition of conspecifics in the dark home waters.
Perhaps in the first moment one passes it by carelessly in the pet shop, because in the bright dealer tank it does not appear very colorful, but this changes when the carbuncle tetra comes into a well planted aquarium with subdued light! As is common with tetras, the male is smaller and more delicate than the female. The garnet tetra is an ideal combination to the neon tetra, which comes from the same region.
For our customers: the animals have code 257002 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The tetras of the genus Leporinus (the genus name is a derivative of the Latin word “lepus” for “hare”) belong to the characteristic river fishes of South America. They owe their name to the shape of their mouth in combination with the elongated “hare teeth” in the lower jaw of some species, which reminded the genus descriptor of hare snouts. About 90 species have been scientifically described. Exactly how many species there are, however, is a matter of debate, as it is difficult to distinguish one species from another.
The only species regularly available in the pet trade is certainly Leporinus fasciatus. On golden-yellow, sometimes silver-white ground the vertical bands stand out effectively. This widespread species grows to a length of about 40 cm and we currently have both wild caught specimens from Venezuela and captive bred specimens from Indonesia in our stock. The pictures show wild specimens.
Very similar is Leporinus affins, which grows about 25 cm long. The word affinis means “similar” (meaning “similar to Leoprinus fasciatus”) and that fits it very well. The outward similarity of the two is striking at first, but you can clearly see that they are different species if you know what to look for. The easiest way to tell them apart is to look at the body ringlets below the adipose fin: in L. affinis there is one broad band here, while in L. fasciatus there are two narrow bands that are much closer together than the rest of the body bands.
Leporinus are very interesting aquarium fishes if you can provide the space for them. Among themselves they form a hierarchy. Important is additional vegetable food (leafy plants, like spinach, salads, dandelion etc.), also water plants are grazed with stump and stem. Concerning the water values the fish are undemanding, however humic substances promote the coloration. In soft, slightly acidic water they are very, very colorful.
The aquarium must be covered absilt completely: Leporinus jump incredibly accurate!
For our customers: Offsprings from Indonesia have code 265903, wild caught (currently from Venezuela) have code 265905 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
The needle catfishes (Farlowella) are one of the most species-rich genera within the whiptail catfish relationship with currently 30 recognized species. The species look very similar to each other. Distinguishing features are mainly the arrangement of the bony shields along the flanks and on the abdomen, which is naturally hard to recognize on the living animal. From an aquaristic point of view, the shape and coloration of the snout process, also called rostrum, is more useful, but uncertainties in identification always remain with these animals.
From Manaus in Brazil we currently receive an attractive Farlowella species, which is probably F. amazonum. That this species is very variable is shown by the high number of synonyms: no less than six double descriptions are listed by Retzer & Page in their 1996 revision of the genus! Farlowella amazonum grows over 20 cm long. There is a great similarity to F. platorhynchus (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/farlowella_platorhynchus_en/, there also general care instructions for Farlowella), which by the way is also put into the synonymy of F. amazonum by newer authors.
For our customers: the animals have code 253633 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
If you like Danios you will love Opsarius! They are lively, very elegant swimmers, more similar in behavior and appearance to trout than to other danios. As a popular collective name for the group, which includes the genera Opsarius, Barilius, Raiamas and Opsariichthys with a total of about 70 species in Asia and Africa, “Trout danios” fits very well. However, the classification of the genera is not always unanimous, because they are quite similar in their overall habitus.
This is also the case with Opsarius barna, which was already scientifically described in 1822 and is now and then classified in the genus Barilius. Currently, however, the up to 15 cm long danio is classified in the genus Opsarius. In fact this is not only an academic question, because it has been shown in aquaristic practice that Opsarius species are much more compatible than Barilius species. In the case of Barilius – according to practical experience – it is necessary to keep as many animals as possible (preferably 10 or more) in aquariums as large as possible with strong currents, so that intra-species aggression is kept within limits, while Opsarius are also well tolerated in smaller groups (from 5 specimens) in normal sized aquariums (10x the body length with appropriate width and height) and aquarium-standard currents.
Opsarius barna is found along the foot of the Himalayas and is widely distributed. Accordingly, the adaptability is good. However, these subtropical fish should not be kept year in and year out at constantly high temperatures. 16-20°C in winter and 24-26° in summer (a few degrees above or below will not hurt, but should not last for long periods) are just right.
Eaten is dry, frozen and live food of suitable size, vegetable food does not interest O. barna. Males grow slightly larger than females and appear more high-backed. We know nothing about breeding Opsarius in the aquarium; the closely related Barilius and Raiamas species are bottom spawners, depositing their spawn in sand and gravel.
For our customers: the animals have code 372832 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Hearing the name Tabasco, the first thing that comes to mind for a Central European is the spicy chili sauce. However, the Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) that bears this name is neither particularly fiery nor particularly red – it merely originates, like the chili sauce, from the Mexican state of Tabasco, where this population was first found by Dutch ornamental fish enthusiasts and brought to Europe (more informations on that are in preparation).
The basic coloration of the animals is an inconspicuous gray; what makes them very special is the golden bordered shoulder spot, which many (but not all) animals show. This characteristic is also known from populations from the Mexican state of Veracruz. So far this “Admiral´s epaulette” has not been crossed into breeding lines. Other interesting features of this wild platy from Tabsco are the partially transparent gill cover, resulting in a red spot, and a highly variable tail root pattern that can be completely absent, form a double crescent, or a Mickey Mouse pattern.
The particular challenge in long term breeding of such fish is to maintain variability. It is all too easy to succumb to the temptation of selecting particularly pretty specimens, which results in a uniform type after only a few generations that no longer has much in common with the wild population. To avoid this, as many color variants as possible from the respective population should be allowed to swim in the largest possible mixed shoal. This at least increases the probability that the diversity of forms of a population prevailing in nature will also be preserved among the offspring born in the aquarium.
For our customers: the animals have code 476577 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
The genus Lithodoras belongs to the thorny catfishes (Doradidae). There is only one species scientifically described, which has its distribution in South America: L. dorsalis, which inhabits the Amazon basin; in addition, the species was reported from a creek near Cayenne (French Guiana), but the latter occurrence still needs confirmation. The maximum length of L. dorsalis is given with about 100 cm, it is one of the largest thorny catfish species at all.
We could import four Lithodoras catfishes now. Our specimens are 25-30 cm long, so probably young sexually mature. In contrast to many other thorny catfishes they are very active swimmers. Possibly they were caught on spawning migration, because in the two photographed animals (which by the way get along excellently and are good eaters) differ in the shape of the dorsal fin spine. The possible male has a dorsal spine whose shape is reminiscent of the shape of the dorsal fin spines of sexually active male dolphin catfish (Ageneiosus & Co.). But such indications are, by their nature, speculative. We feed our Lithodoras mainly with dry food (granules), which is eagerly accepted, plus Tubifex from time to time.
For our customers: the animals have code 266459 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
From Indonesia we have received captive bred specimens of a gar species, which stands out due to its reddish brown (normally blackish, gray or silver) basic coloration with partly brick-red coloration parts. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to name the species correctly, because the reliable identification of gar is only possible on the basis of characteristics that are not visible on living specimens, and we have never had any losses with these fish so far. In addition, it cannot be ruled out that these fish are cross-bred (hybrids), which could only be “unmasked” with elaborate genetic examinations.
To us it seems most likely that the fish are a breeding form of Lepisosteus oculatus – or a cross.
One must assume with these animals that they can become over one meter long. From this it is obvious that the red gars are only suitable for specialists, zoos and show aquariums. However, for them the fish is a beautiful attraction.
The care is not difficult, except for the size. The fish become tame and can be easily fed with frozen fish, which they take from a forceps. In nature, gars often inhabit oxygen-deficient waters and therefore have an air-breathing habit. Strong currents are not liked by gars. They are completely peaceful against conspecifics and non-species fish that do not serve as food.
For our customers: the animals have code 848023 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Currently we have very nice Boraras merah in stock. The species is a very close relative to B. brigittae and at least in some populations the females of B. merah look like B. brigittae and only the males have a typical B. merah pattern (see also http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/boraras-brigittae–boraras-merah_de_1107.html). Cross-breeding experiments also show that both varieties are extremely close to each other in a genetic sense. In the population we could import now, however, both sexes seem to be represented and both look like B. merah.
For our customers: the animals have code 452752 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Moonies are magnificent brackish water fish. In pure fresh water they should be kept only temporarily, if possible, because they are very sensitive there. If it has to be freshwater, then the pH value must not drop below 7 and the nitrate value must not rise above 50 mg/l, nitrite is harmful even in very small amounts. In brackish or seawater (from 10-15 g salt/liter), however, they are robust animals. The fish we can offer right now are from Indonesia and were caught near Java.
Monodactylus argenteus should be kept in aquariums as large as possible, because they grow to a length of 15-20 cm and are very eager to swim. Juvenile specimens can be very incompatible with conspecifics, but this varies from individual to individual and there are also very compatible animals. It is best to keep them in a group of 10-12 (or more) so that any aggression is dispersed. A strong current and a good oxygen supply are further prerequisites to enjoy the animals for many years. The sexes cannot be distinguished externally. The fish spawn at night. They are free spawners without brood care.
The temperature should be between 24 and 28°C. They eat all usual dry, frozen and live food, if it fits into their mouth. Since these fish have a high metabolism, feeding several times a day in small portions is recommended.
For our customers: the fish have code 436202 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The belly sucker catfishes (Glyptothorax) are almost unknown in aquaristics. It is a very species-rich group (over 100 accepted plus probably still numerous undescribed species) of mostly small, current-loving catfishes. The extremely sparse care experiences with these catfishes show that they are (as with many stream fishes) sensitive animals, which tolerate neither stronger organic pollution nor the accompanying bacterial load. In other words: the largest possible, well acclimated, vigorously filtered and sparsely stocked aquariums are the basic prerequisite for the long-term successful care of these fish.
Concerning the compatibility it is to be said that neither other species nor conspecific fish are bothered. As flowing water inhabitants they are adapted to sandy substrate (in which they also sometimes burrow) with larger stones. Chemical water composition is incidental, but remember that hard, alkaline water provides more favorable living conditions for many bacteria than soft, acidic water. Therefore, because of their sensitivity to bacterial infections, we recommend soft to medium hard water and a pH between 6 and 7. These fish are also demanding in terms of diet. Dry food and granulates are hardly accepted, at least not during acclimation. Preferably live food is given (white mosquito larvae and adult Artemia are ideal for hygienic reasons, but the animals also like to eat Tubifex and red mosquito larvae, plus mayfly larvae and various small crustaceans), later the animals also take frozen food.
From South India (Kerala) we have now received 2-3 cm long juveniles of a Glyptothorax species, which is tricky to determine. Unfortunately all Glyptothorax from Kerala have to be considered as endangered species, because the distribution areas are small and pollution by industry and agriculture is increasing everywhere; the few specimens caught for aquaristsics do not pose a threat to the free-living population, that much can be considered as certain.
But which species have we imported? Of the Glyptothorax species reported from South India so far, G. lonah, G. trewavasae, G.poonaensis, G. elankadensis, G. davissinghi and G. annadalei can be excluded because they have a completely different pattern, while G. madraspatanus, G. malabarensis, G. anamaliensis and G. housei roughly correspond to our animals in terms of body coloration. Since we received only juveniles (all mentioned species grow to about 10 cm) we decided to call them G. cf. housei for the time being, to which they correspond most closely in coloration at present.
For our customers: the animals have code 418053 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers. Only a few specimens available!
Among the numerous shrimp species that have gained a firm foothold in the hobby are two larger species of fan shrimp, namely Atyopsis moluccensis, the Moluccan mountain rock shrimp from Southeast Asia, and Atya gabonenis, the Gabon giant fan shrimp from West Africa. They grow relatively large (A. moluccensis approx. 9 cm, A. gabonensis approx. 14 cm), but are completely harmless to even small fish, as they only fish small food particles out of the water with their claws, which have been transformed into fans.
For food acquisition, the shrimp sit down in the current and open their hand fans. This looks a bit like they are positioning radar antennas. As an adaptation to the strong currents in the natural habitat, the end limbs of the rear three pairs of walking legs are re-shaped into pointed spines, with which the shrimp still find a firm hold even in tiny cracks in the rock. Fortunately, the animals do not only eat the floating material they fish out of the water, but also finely grated dry food, food tablets and frozen cyclops.
Atyopsis moluccensis is enormously variable in color, there are beige, green and brown animals within one import, they can have a dorsal stripe or also a diamond pattern or white spots. All color variants have the characteristic stripes on the side of the carapace. The males can be recognized by the thickened first pair of walking legs.
Usually these shrimps are not bred, because the larvae develop only in seawater and their breeding is connected with some expenditure; since the adult shrimps are popular food in their countries of origin, the comparatively few animals, which are needed for aquaristic purposes, are available inexpensively as wild collected specimens.
For our customers: the animals have code 481235 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to the wholesale market.
From Brazil we received beautiful whiptail catfishes, which we thought at first sight to be Rineloricaria lanceolata, a species with a very wide distribution. The high proportion of reddish animals was striking. The majority of the fish are small, 3-4 cm long and marked like R. lanceolata, but there are a few adult specimens among them. These fish have a conspicuous dot pattern on the head. Consultation with loricariid specialist Ingo Seidel and review of the original description revealed that it is probably Rineloricaria heteroptera. This whiptail catfish was described from the Manaus area in 1976; the paratype shown in the original description is spotted exactly like our adult fish.
According to Evers & Seidel (Welsatlas Vol.1), R. heteroptera was often bred in the former GDR, but was later displaced by the similar and more productive R. lanceolata. The popular Red Whiptail Catfish, a breeding form, probably originates from the old strains of R. heteroptera.
This whiptail catfish grows to about 13-15 cm in length and is very suitable for aquarium care and breeding. The clutches are relatively small with 40-60 eggs. Rineloricaria are mixed feeders, eating both plant and animal foods. They appreciate free bottom areas with sand and gravel. They breed in relatively narrow burrows (bamboo tubes or the like), the male guards the spawn and larvae until they swim free. The water temperature should be between 24 and 30°C, for breeding usually soft and slightly sour (pH 5,5-6,5) water is necessary. Without breeding intentions the water values are of secondary importance.
For our customers: the fish have code 288352 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
From Colombia we received a nice Corydoras species, which threw us into some confusion during identification. They were sent as C. armatus, a species described from the Rio Huallaga, a right-bank tributary of the Rio Maranon (the larger of the two headwaters of the Amazon) in Peru. C. armatus is a conspicuously high-backed species with a black, particularly elongate dorsal-fin spine, and is one of the first species of Corydoras ever known to science. The species was described in 1868 as Callichthys armatus.
In the hobby, a scientifically undescribed species from Peru was initially thought to be C. armatus, which today bears the C number 96 and has a conspicuous dark stripe running vertically below the dorsal fin. In addition, this species has a distinctive eye mask. It originates from the Rio Nanay.
There is also a very close resemblance to Corydoras loretoensis, which is less high-backed compared to C. armatus. C. loretoensis comes from the province of Loreto in Peru.
Finally, in the border area of Brazil and Bolivia, in the upper Rio Madeira basin (Rio Abuna), there is a Corydoras optically not separable from C. armatus, which is traded as C. sp. “dorsalis” or C. sp. “ogawae”. If there were not 2.500 km air-line between both localities, nobody would doubt that the animals should be counted to C. armatus. This fish got the code CW86.
Also the Corydoras armatus, which we sometimes receive from Venezuela, are optically indistinguishable from typical specimens from the Rio Huallaga.
Also very similar is Corydoras osteocarus from Venezuela, which is very rare in the trade. It can be recognized quite well by the short dark band immediately in front of the caudal fin and the much lower dorsal fin.
Back to the Colombian: these animals are in their physique rather of the flat type and we suspected at first, it would be C. loretoensis, which the Colombian supplier had bought in Peru. This was indignantly rejected by the supplier and in the two days of correspondence with the supplier some of the animals also developed a black coloration in the dorsal fin spine which was not seen before. In fact, they now look more like C. armatus than any other species in the complex. We have learned that they originate from the Rio Putumayo, a left-sided Amazon tributary in the border region between Colombia and Brazil.
For our customers: the animals have code 222124 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The Flying Fox, Epalzeorhynchos kalopterum (Epalzeorhynchos is neuter, so if the species name is an adjective – as in this case – it must end in the Latin neuter suffix -um), originates from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, where it is a resident of flowing waters that carry deep dark brown black water. They are probably the most beautiful algae eaters of all. From time to time we have offspring on offer, which is why only relatively rarely wild catches are imported. Currently, however, we have once again received adult specimens via Singapore, whereby “adult” refers to the wild animals. In the wild they reach 10-12 cm in length, while old aquarium specimens are said to have grown up to 16 cm. This is because fish grow throughout their lives (albeit slowly and little after reaching sexual maturity), and since such a Flying Fox will easily live up to 10-15 years in the aquarium (hardly ever over 3 years in the wild), they can grow quite large under certain circumstances.
You will certainly not keep these beauties only because of their algae-eating properties, especially since adult animals are rather to be classified as “lazy” in this respect, in contrast to 3-4 cm long juveniles, but they still have to grow.
Among themselves, the animals can be quarrelsome, which is why you can often keep only one specimen in smaller aquariums. In large tanks (from 150 cm), which are also furnished with a lot of root wood, this is much less unpleasant. Although the fish form a hierarchy, which is strictly observed, they are often found resting together in the same hiding place. If you want to try a group keeping, there should not be less than 8 specimens, so that this behavior can develop. Epalzeorhynchos kalopterum are usually peaceful against fishes of other species as long as they don´t look similar to the Flying Fox.
For our customers: the animals have code 415306 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale. Only a few specimens available!
Silver mollies are among the most popular livebearers. Most of the silver mollies in the trade are a breeding form of Poecilia latipinna. Since the species Poecilia latipinna, P. sphenops, P. mexicana and P. velifera can be crossed and color characteristics and certain fin shapes (e.g. lyratail) are transferred to the hybrid young, the desired characteristics can be transferred to the parent species by backcrossing the hybrid young to the parent species. This is what happened with the silver colored sailfin mollies (Poecilia velifera), which, like sailfin mollies in general, are not easy but splendid fish for advanced enthusiasts.
For our customers: the animals have code 433034 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
From a German breeder we received this extraordinarily attractive wild form of the swordtail. Unfortunately we could not find out where exactly and by whom these animals were collected. It could only be determined that they were originally brought from Yucatan (Mexico). As a distinction to the completely different looking X. hellerii “Yucatan” (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/xiphophorus_hellerii_yucatan_en/) the animal is called Xiphophorus hellerii “Yucatan 2”.
Besides the attractive coloration Xiphophorus hellerii “Yucatan 2” stands out due to its peaceful nature. It is well known that males of the swordtails can be quite incompatible with each other, but the males of “Yucatan 2” are a laudable exception to this rule, according to the breeder!
For our customers: the animals have code 476759 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Because of the enormous popularity of the butterfly cichlid or blue ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi), there are mainly offspring and breeding forms on the market. Also the wild-colored offsprings differ clearly from the wild species: they are considerably larger (4-5 cm body length without caudal fin compared to 2-3 cm with wild-caught fish) and at the same time twice as heavy!
The original home of the blue ram is in the hot Llanos in the Orinoco basin of Colombia and Venezuela. We obtain them fairly regularly from there, although in much smaller numbers than the offspring, because at first glance the wild cousins appear more colorless and inconspicuous, which is why offspring sell much better in the trade. The wild cousins are rather something for connoisseurs and experts.
Recently, when we had jumbo offspring in the stock again, we wanted to photograph a wild-caught male and an offspring male together to demonstrate the difference, but the offspring – probably due to their body mass – intimidated the natural cousins so much that they did not approach each other – the offspring dominated in the tank, the wild-caught hid. That’s why the wildlings remained alone in the photo tank for a while after the offspring rams had already moved out again. After a short time they felt so well there that they marked out territories and showed by their lively nature and their beautiful color, why they became one of the most popular ornamental fish at all!
For our customers: the animals have code 686513 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Oligolepis acutipennis is one of the most widespread gobies of the Indo-West Pacific. The species, which can grow up to 15 cm long, is distributed from South Africa via East Africa, the Persian Gulf, Madagascar, Indonesia and along the entire coast of Southeast Asia to Japan. From this wide distribution one can easily conclude that the larvae of this goby develop in the sea. However, the goby itself is euryhalin, so it can tolerate both pure freshwater and pure seawater (and any salt content in between). Only the pH-value must never drop below 7, just above 8 is better. Our specimens come from Indonesia, are 4-6 cm long and sexually fully developed. We maintain them in pH-stabilized fresh water.
When the males bicker – and they love to bicker – it is a fantastic sight. With their mouths wide open and their fins literally stretched to breaking, the males circle around each other until one of them gives up. Females are similar in colour to the males, but have less strongly developed fins. The fish are cave spawners, the male guards – as far as we know – the spawning until the hatching of the young.
The whole colouring of the fish indicates that sandy bottom is their preferred habitat. On the sand, which should be as fine as possible, a few flat stones of about 6-8 cm diameter are placed, which become the centre of the males’ territory and are undermined. Everything that fits into the (big!) mouth is eaten, even small fish, but actually the big drawer is used to chew through the sand for small food particles.
For our customers: the animals have code 439722 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Corydoras reynoldsi is a pretty cory catfish that has been described in 1960. It was collected in the Caquetà province, eastern Colombia. It remained unknown in the hobby quite long, as this area is far away from the usual collecting areas. In 1997 the cory enthusiasts became aware of another, quite similar species of Corydoras that was exported from Brazil. Although the species looked very much like Corydoras reynoldsi, there were also many differences. So the new fish was called Corydoras sp. aff. reynoldsi (= similar species to reynoldsi). Another usual trade name was Corydoras „Asher“ after the exporter. Only 2004 the real Corydoras reynoldsi appeared in the hobby. Now it was clear that we were dealing with two different species. The “Asher“ in the meantime (2003) had been scientifically described as Corydoras tukano. Its natural distribution is the Rio Tique in Brazil, which is a tributary of the Rio Negro basin.
Both Corydoras species are really nice and stay relative small. They hardly reach 5 cm. However, they should be kept by experienced aquarists only, as they are rather delicate and easily get bacterial infections. It is necessary to keep them at high temperatures (26-28°C), and soft and acidic water.
For our customers: Corydoras tukano has code 245622, Corydoras reynoldsi 243603 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
The chocolate gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides) still belongs to the legendary ornamental fish species. Although the species is common in the wild and other fish of the same habitat (e.g. harlequin barbs) do not cause significant problems in the aquarium, it is a gamble whether chocolate gouramis will do well there. Possibly this is related to the fact that there are several, very similar species and that they have different sensitivities – at least this is what some observations and field collections indicate.
Additionally, all chocolate gouramis are extremely susceptible to infectious diseases of all kinds and tolerate medications poorly – an unfavorable combination!
We currently have chocolate gouramis in stock from Jambi Province on Sumatra. Many specimens from this population stand out with an attractively marked anal fin. Another peculiarity of these fish is that there are often specimens with Piebald markings. This refers to animals in which pigmentless (i.e. white), irregular spots appear. At first sight this seems frightening, because bacterial infections and also other diseases look quite similar. However, treatment is not necessary, and may even be harmful. We observe this phenomenon with the animals of Jambi from time to time, first we noticed it in 2007. We bred these fish once as a test, the photo of the breeding female is from this time.
For our customers: the fish have code 455803 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The Green panchax (Aplocheilus blockii) is one of the tiniest and most beautiful species of panchax in Asia. We were able once more to import the species from Kerala (South India). Its maximum length is around 3 cm, at least as far as wild collected specimens are concerned. Aquarium specimens may become a bit larger due to the paradise-like aquarium conditions. The absolutely peaceful animals are ideally suited for the so called nano-aquaria. Regarding water chemestry the species is not demanding at all, but very soft or very acidic water should be avoided. In the case such a water runs out of the tap, one should add a teaspoon of salt (for reef aquaria) per 10 litres of water.
Live food is very much wanted, but the fish also feed readily on frozen or dried food items. The Green panchax ignores plants with the exeption of spawning. Here the fish prefers the roots of small swimming plants like Salvinia.
For our customers: the fish have code 303213 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Aplocheilus: means “with a simple lip”, refers to the mouth structure. blockii: dedication name.
This is one of the large river catfishes of Africa. We were able to import some specimens once more from Nigeria. However, the species has a very far distribution and is found in the Nile, most parts of West Africa and also in the rivers that flow through the savannahs and riparian forests of East Africa. The species can become as long as 80 cm.
In the aquarium these cats are rather peaceful, but of course small fish are eaten. Clarotes laticeps is swimming more often if the open water than one is used to see from that type of fish. They also try to jump for food over the water surface; so it is wise to cover the tank properly.
For our customers: the fish have code 114954 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in small numbers only!
For a long time this beautiful dwarf cichlid from the basin of the Rio Nanay in Peru sailed under the name “cf. juruensis” or “sp. Black Chin”. Only the scientific description of the species in 2012 put an end to the confusion.
Great similarity exists to A. juruensis and A. cacatuoides. From both species living Apistogramma allpahuayo (the species name refers to the type locality, small streams flowing into the Quebrada Allpahuayo in the Reserva Nacional Allpahuayo Mishana) can be distinguished by the pitch black chin area, which is only rarely not well visible in very few mood situations.
These are very beautiful, easy-care dwarf cichlids. Males grow to about 7 cm, females to about 4 cm. One should offer them, like all Apistogramma species, preferably germ-poor water, sandy soil and structure-rich furnished aquariums. In nature a large part of the food of Apistogramma species consists of decaying plant parts (dead leaves etc.). The fish do not digest the plants (they cannot do that), but the numerous microorganisms living in the “compost”. In the aquarium you must therefore be careful not to feed too fat, the digestive system of these fish is set up for high fiber food. Wrong feeding (e.g. too much worm food) makes Apistogramma inevitably ill.
Apistogramma allpahuayo is a black water inhabitant and shows accordingly in soft, sour water the most beautiful colors. The temperature can be between 24 and 28°C.
For our customers: the animals have code 622723 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
The large-sized species of the spiny catfishes (Pimelodidae) belong as adult fishes to the desired food fishes and not less desired species for fans of predatory catfishes with giant aquariums. As juveniles, these animals often look completely different and have, for example, absurdly long fin processes.
The Shovelnose catfishes of the genus Sorubim are with about 50 cm final length still to be counted to the smaller representatives of this group. Their youngsters have a gigantic enlargement of the lower tail fin half, which is colored black besides. The purpose of this anatomical peculiarity is probably that potential predators mistake this caudal fin lobe for the fish. If they snap at it, the thrust often goes nowhere because a prey grabber expects the prey to move forward.
Aside from their expected size, Sorubim are good aquarium fish that are peaceful toward conspecifics and other species that are not considered food. Sorubim like to stand vertically, head down, on wood or large plant leaves, so this should be taken into consideration when setting up the aquarium.
Interestingly, Shovelnose catfish shed their skin regularly, similar to what is known from reptiles. When catching them, beware of the pointed pectoral fin spines, which can sting poisonously.
In the aquarium, small juveniles prefer to eat live food (e.g. white mosquito larvae), but Sorubim can be well accustomed to frozen food. Grown-up animals are best fed with frozen smelts. Shovelnose catfish are not interested in plant food.
For our customers: the animals have code 293202 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Fishes of the genus Barilius are ecologically best compared to trout in the Indian region, where they do not naturally occur. Barilius thus prefer to live in clear waters with a gravelly bottom and some current. They are mostly seen in loose groups, they are not really schooling fish. They like to “play” among themselves, chasing each other over short distances, but without harming each other. They are small predators that prefer to eat insects that fall on the water surface, but also insect larvae living in the water, crustaceans or even small fish belong to the prey spectrum. The mouth gap of Barilius is comparatively large.
The coloration of Barilius is also comparable to that of young trout. Both have a number of dark vertical stripes on the flanks. There is a lack of striking colors, but Barilius are nevertheless often very colorful, especially yellow and blue colors iridesce on their bodies depending on the incidence of light.
Quite different from trout, however, is their reproductive behavior. While trout are migratory fish that move upstream to reproduce and dig pits in the ground where they spawn, Barilius, as far as this is known at all, dive into the ground and spawn in the gravel. However, it must be said at this point, the reproductive behavior of Barilius species is virtually unexplored.
One of the most beautiful Barilius species is B. ardens from the Indian state of Karnataka, which we can offer just once again. The magnificent fish grows (with caudal fin) about 12 cm long.
Very similar (and apparently sometimes mixed with B. ardens) is B. malabaricus, which differs from B. ardens by smaller flank spots and a differently colored caudal fin; in B. malabaricus the median caudal fin rays are not white.
For our customers: the animals have code 372842 (md) and 372843 (lg – xl) on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
The Hypancistrus catfishes with striped pattern are on the one hand a wonderful enrichment for the aquaristics, because they look beautiful, don’t grow too big and can be bred quite well, on the other hand they are constant cause for quarrel. Because in many cases it is hardly possible to determine them exactly. This is due to the fact that these catfishes are extremely variable in their markings and also vary greatly in body shape. In the case of the Rio Xingu species (L66 & Co.) it has already been established by molecular genetic studies that they frequently hybridize in nature.
The said applies in full extent also to L475, which we could import now. According to the exporters it originates from the Rio Nhamunda (Brazil), where ornamental fishes have been caught for a long time because of the very beautiful discus fishes that occur there. However, Hypancistrus are hard to catch without diving equipment, which is why the entire genus of these very conspicuous and by no means rare catfishes was not scientifically recorded until 1991.
There are not two specimens of L475, which have exactly the same pattern. Most animals have an irregular banding pattern of broad, dark bands on a white background, but there are also specimens where the dark bands are so broad that it looks as if in this case black animals have a pattern of white, thin bands. In most animals the dorsal fin has three horizontal bands, but there are also animals with a vertically striped dorsal fin. Typical for all individuals of L475 is that they have a white nuchal band running around the body from one ventral edge to the other, beginning at the base of the pectoral fins and continuing in most cases on the inner side of the fins, behind the spine ray. Furthermore, all animals have a white, suggestively W-shaped band just anterior to the base of the dorsal fin.
Like all Hypancistrus, L475 are mixed feeders, eating both plant and animal foods. The maximum length seems to be 12-14 cm. Such fish are kept in aquariums rich in hiding places and caves, with strong currents and good filtration and temperatures between 28 and 32°C. Too low temperatures are the most common care mistake with these fish. The water values are of secondary importance for the fish, but soft water with a pH around 6 is favorable, because less bacteria develop in this environment than in hard water with a pH around 8.
For our customers: the animals have code 26480-L 475-3 (8-10 cm) and 26480-L 475-4 (10-12 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The Yellow Congo Tetra (Alestopetersius caudalis) originates, as the name suggests, from the Congo. However, it is almost never traded as wild catch, because it can be bred very well. With a final length of about 6 cm it belongs to the smaller species of the Congo tetra relationship. In the course of its aquaristic career it has already changed the genus name several times and one finds it in the literature also as Hemigrammopetersius caudalis or Phenacogrammus caudalis.
Depending on the incidence of light, the animal looks different. In light from above it is yellowish-transparent, in light obliquely from above the back glows blue and in light from the side the body sparkles as if it is set with diamonds.
Alestopetersius caudalis is completely peaceful, but somewhat shy, which is why it should be kept in as large a group of conspecifics as possible in a densely planted aquarium that also leaves enough swimming space, with light that is not too bright. Each drinking water is suitable for the care. However, the animals show the most beautiful fin development in soft, slightly acidic water (pH around 6). The temperature should be between 22 and 28°C. All food of animal origin is eaten, no matter if dry, frozen or live food. A special joy for the animals is feeding them small fruit flies (Drosophila), a trick breeders use to achieve the most abundant spawning of females.
For our customers: the animals have code 138004 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Mostly we receive the Indian Pearl Cichlid (Etroplus suratensis) as wild catch from South India (formerly also from Sri Lanka) or as German offspring from zoo aquariums. Now, for the first time, we have imported bred ones from Indonesia; some specimens of these offspring do not show a stripe pattern, but have an irregular bow and scroll pattern on the back half of the body. In the wild, such fish would have little chance of survival. Juvenile Etroplus suratensis live in larger groups and whoever stands out in color quickly becomes the prey of a fish eater. But in the aquarium there are no predators and so such mutations can survive. One thing is for sure, they look very interesting!
We were able to import the rare Red-eyed Deltatail-suckercat, Lasiancistrus heteracanthus, in small numbers from Peru. The species attains a total length of 15-18 cm. Besides the bright red eye the most striking feature of the species is the pretty brown-red lower lappet of the caudal fin.
Lasiancistrus, in general, are good algae-eaters and fit in any community tank of appropriate size. The water temperature should be a bit higher than usual, 25-29°C are ideal. In the natural habitat, the water is only slightly acidic or even alcalic; so there is no need for a low pH, to the contrary, one should avoid a pH lower than 6.5.
Like almost all species of ancistrine catfish this species is a cave-brooder. A clutch of eggs found in the wild contained about 200 eggs and was deposited in a cave in a tree lying under water. The male guards the eggs.
For our customers: the fish have code 264952 (5-7 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited numbers only!
Lexicon: Lasiancistrus: Latin, means “shaggy ancistrus”, referring to the skin-spines (odontodes). heteracanthus: ancient Greek, means “with aberrant spines”.
From the sailfin molly, Poecilia velifera, which originates in the hot coastal regions of Mexico, there are mostly cultivated forms in the trade: Golden, chocolate, leopard, dalmatian, black, etc.. The “green” wild form is much rarer, although they are very colorful animals. All sailfin mollies on the market are bred ones.
The huge dorsal fin of the males is not bred to the sailfin molly, it is a species characteristic. It is not useful for anything – except showing off. Sailfin females are obviously totally into showing off (quite different from human females; who would have ever heard that a woman falls for a guy just because he looks good, drives a swanky car and has a fat watch on his wrist) and so the huge dorsal fin developed already in nature by the breeding choice of the females.
For our customers: the animals have code 432604 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
From time to time we receive a very flat-bodied Ancistrus from the Orinoco drainage in Colombia and Venezuela under the name of A. ranunculus/L 34. However, this species does not exist there, A. ranunculus is only known from the Amazon tributaries Xingu and Tocantins/Araguaia; the Orinoco species is Ancistrus macrophthalmus, which has received the LDA number 74.
The easiest way to distinguish between the two is by the caudal fin, which in A. macrophthalmus is always distinctly pointed above and below and has white tips. In A. ranunculus the caudal fin appears truncated, sometimes even slightly rounded above and below. In males there is another easily recognizable difference: A. ranunculus never has “antennae” on the middle of the snout towards the forehead, A. macrophthalmus does.
Regarding coloration, most A. macrophthalmus are pure black (with a bluish tinge under suitable light), but they may also have small white spots. Both color forms can be found mixed in the same import. When A. macrophthalmus is nerved, light transverse stripes appear over the back. The large eye and the dusky coloration already show that A. macrophthalmus is a crepuscular animal, which only comes out of its hiding place during the day after a longer period of acclimation. Otherwise the usual care conditions for Ancistrus apply, with the restriction that A. macrophthalmus likes it warm and is comparatively oxygen-demanding.
For our customers: the animals have code 26480-LDA 074-2 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
This week we received a good number of the interesting frogmouth catfishes of the species Chaca bankanensis from Sumatra. In contrast to the rather reddish animals we could import earlier (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/chaca_bankanensis_en/), this time they are rather brown-black colored, probably an origin-related color characteristic.
Very interesting is that some animals have striking white colored eyes. At first we thought of a mechanical injury or a parasite, but both do not seem to apply, because in all corresponding animals both eyes are equally affected. In the macrophotography we can also see well that only the upper half of the iris is white, the pupil and the lower half of the iris, however, are sharply demarcated. Presumably this is a characteristic that sexually active males show, this seems to us at least the most plausible explanation of the phenomenon. Externally recognizable sexual characteristics are not yet known with certainty in Chaca, but in the top view of a presumed pair one recognizes quite well the possible sex differences (head width, ventral fins).
For our customers: the animals have code 408253 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The genus Curimatopsis comprised five described species until 2009 – now (2021) there are more than twice as many, namely 11! Curimatopsis can be divided into two major groups. First the C. macrolepis group with 6 species and second the C. evelynae group with 5 species. The best distinguishing feature of the two groups is the mouth position. In the species of the C. macrolepis group the lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw, i.e. it protrudes slightly, in the C. evelynae group both halves of the jaw are of equal length.
We could now import some Curimatopsis from Venezuela, which are C. macrolepis. This attractive little fish has hardly found its way into the aquarium so far.
Curimatopsis macrolepis grows to a maximum length of 6 cm, but at 4 cm it is fully sexually differentiated and colored. The males can be recognized by their clearly higher tail and the quite differently shaped tail spot. This is round or lengthways-oval with females, with the male on the other hand at the end moved out to a stripe, that runs through the entire tail fin. Depending on the social rank within the group, a red tail spot shines with different intensity. Again, only the males have this color characteristic. That means, every animal with a red tail spot is a male, but not every individual without this spot is a female. Socially weak males also do not show the spot or only indistinctly!
Curimatopsis macrolepis is a very peaceful fish, which is ideal for a community aquarium. It is most beautiful in a water colored slightly yellow by peat or leaves, then sometimes a neon green stripe shines along the body flank.
The mouth of Curimatopsis is toothless, a peculiarity among the tetras; accordingly, they are to be fed with soft foods, in nature they eat mainly detritus, that is, the “mulm” consisting of rotting plants and microorganisms. Live plants are not on the menu. Artemia nauplii, adult Artemia, cyclops and flake food are the optimal diet for the fish in the aquarium.
For our customers: the species has the code number 251333. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
The charming licorice gouramis are ideal inhabitants of nano tanks. They can not compare with other fish and so they settle even in nature extreme habitats. The water there is very poor in nutrients, very soft and acidic. These dwarfs among the anabantoids become astoundingly old and can easily reach an age of 5 or more years. So they compensate the low number of eggs they produce per spawning – usually less than 20. These tiny fish should be kept in one-species tanks. They can be fed exclusively with live brine shrimp nauplii (Artemia).
Parosphromenus gunawani comes from the island of Sumatra from the province of Jambi. It is a Parosphromenus species of the bintan type and was scientifically described only in 2012; previously it was known to specialized labyrinthfish enthusiasts as Parosphromenus sp. Danau Rasau. The fish attain a length of about 3 cm. In all licorice gouramis the sexes can be distinguished even in fright coloration. Both males and females look like Betta-females in that mood, but the caudal fin of the females is completely hyaline whereas in the caudal fin of the males always a iridescent shine can be observed that reflects the courtship-coloration.
For our customers: the fish have code 441133 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Parosphromenus: means “stands beside Osphromenus”; Osphromenus is another genus of anabantid. bintan: after the island of Bintan, the type locality; gunawani: the species is named in honour of Gunawan ‘Thomas’ Kasim, who, together with Horst Linke and others, collected the type specimens of this taxon.
Already in 1894 the three-banded flag tetra (Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus) was described scientifically; the animals on which the description was based came from the Brazilian state of Pará, more detailed information or illustrations are not available. From 1910 and in the 1920s, when the tetras advanced to the most popular aquarium fishes, also three-banded tetras came to Europe; these animals had a red, a white and a black longitudinal band over the entire body length – hence three-banded tetras. According to some sources, they came from the lower Rio Tocantins (whose lower reaches are in Pará), according to other sources from the southern tributaries of the middle Amazon (i.e. Rio Madeira, Rio Tapajós, Rio Xingu). A whole group of species has been named after the three-banded tetra – the Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus group. They have a black longitudinal band as a common characteristic. From the Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus group many new species have been described in the last years and some more are already known but not formally described yet; this makes identification not easy.
We have now received very nice animals of this group with the locality Apeú, whereby it is not specified whether this means the district of the large city Castanhal in Pará or the small river Apeú, which flows through the district of the same name, but this forgives nothing. Freshly arrived the animals showed only two stripes, one light and one black, which is why we first determined the species as Hyphessobrycon agulha, but after a few days of acclimation red colored scales were also visible above the light longitudinal band. We are now of the opinion that this is indeed the “true” H. heterorhabdus, while the central Amazonian form mentioned in the old literature probably belonged to the species Hyphessobrycon sateremawe described only last year (2020). H. sateremawe differs from H. heterorhabdus by a much wider black longitudinal band.
For our customers: the animals have code 261103 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Elephant fishes or mormyrids are very interesting and also entertaining fish. They communicate among themselves with electrical signals and have – similar to birds – a relatively well developed cerebellum. Their bizzare body shape makes them additionally interesting. However, they have little to offer in terms of color, mostly coming along in shades of brown and black, broken up by dull white or light gray.
The most colorfully attractive mormyrid, additionally equipped with a “proboscis”, is Campylomormyrus tamandua, at least as a juvenile. The species is widespread in western Africa (drainages of the rivers Volta, Niger, Shari (including Lake Chad) and Congo) and can become stately 40 cm long, but even in the wild it is very rare to see animals larger than 15-20 cm. Very old animals darken and lose almost all markings.
Since a few years we can offer this fish as offspring from Indonesia. Campylomormyrus tamandua are not very compatible with each other, in a group there is constant chasing and fighting. In principle not much happens, because mormyrids do not have teeth, but in the long run the bickering can lead to losses. If you only have a medium sized aquarium, you can therefore only keep a single animal. Against other fish (no mormyrids) C. tamandua is peaceful.
The key to successful group keeping is as large a group as possible (at least 10, better 20 or more specimens), as large an aquarium as possible, plenty of hiding places, and abundant feeding. Bloodworm (frozen or live) are particularly suitable as food. Spawning takes place in crevices, the animals do not practice brood care. The sexes are indistinguishable in juveniles, sexually mature females are fuller and the anal fin shape of males and females is different. But it should be emphasized again: keeping them in pairs is not possible.
For our customers: the animals have code 110111 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Only very rarely marbled swamp eels from South America are available. After a quite long time we now have a number of juveniles from Peru in stock. The species attains a maximum length of about 1.5 m. These very large individuals are always males, because swamp eels change their sex. Most of them are born as females and become males at an age of about 4 years. This type of sex change, which is quite common in marine fish, but very unusual for freshwater fish, is called protogynous hermaphroditism. All species of swamp eel can breath atmospheric air and so survive in very oxygen-poor water.
For our customers: the fish have code 295202 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
This beautiful Corydoras belongs to a scientifically undescribed species. It originates from the upper Rio Negro in Brazil. Because of the bright orange neck spot it is usually misidentified as Corydoras burgessi, which also comes from this region, especially as C. burgessi has a very variable pattern and there are also spotted colour variants of this species. Overall, CW 98 reminds us more of C. brevirostris from the Orinoco drainage.
For our customers: the animals have code 225043 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
It is and remains the oldest ornamental fish in the world: the goldfish (Carassius auratus) and its many cultivated forms. It has been propagated and kept by humans for about 1,000 years.
Many consider goldfish to be garden pond fish, especially the varieties with “nomal”, wild fish-like body types. This is quite true, and they do grow into huge (over 20 cm, sometimes up to 30 cm long), magnificent specimens in the pond. But there is a reason why the goldfish has been in culture for so long: the wild form is also one of the most adaptable fish in nature. The temperature range can be between 0 (!) and over 30°C, the fish can also tolerate temporary oxygen deficiency due to special physiological adaptation mechanisms and if in nature the water is only small and the food supply is low, it only grows to 5-8 cm in length and also reproduces at this size. That is why all goldfish forms can be excellently kept in the aquarium. However, our western understanding of animal husbandry is not so much to push the genetic limits of what is possible; we prefer to keep animals as “optimally” as possible, i.e. under the conditions that are subjectively most comfortable for the animals.
The Shubunkin belongs to the large-growing goldfishes and therefore should be kept in large aquariums (from 150 cm). It is a five-colored breeding form, in which blue, red, orange, white and black colors can be found in highly variable proportions. Five-colored goldfish are also called calico goldfish in Japan (calico is actually a special cotton fabric, which was colorfully printed in Japan). Usually shubunkin are sorted by the primary colors of blue and red, but this need not be the case. Pure goldfish breeding forms, where one animal looks like the other, do not exist, because the genes for fin length and body colors are located on several alleles. Many prefer the shubunkin as a comet (i.e. with elongated fins), but in the same brood normal-finned siblings can also occur. Because of the complex inheritance relationships, each Shubunkin is unique.
The Shubunkin is a relatively young breeding form, which was “only” created in 1892 by the Japanese breeder Yoshigoro Akiyama I by crossing calico dragon eyes (“Telskop-Eyes„), common goldfish and wakin with a single tail fin. Shubunkin were first introduced to the public in 1902. The name “Shubunkin” was coined by Shinosuke Matsubara, whom the bright colors reminded of a kimono.
For our customers: we have shubunkin in several sizes on sale all year round. They have depending on size, code 811000-811007 on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
The African Mono is widely distributed along the tropical Atlantic coast of Africa. As a completely euryhaline fish, it can freely change between fresh, brackish and seawater; it prefers to stay in brackish water. In its native range M. sebae is a common fish and is caught there for food. In the past, aquaristic needs were met by wild-caught fish from Lagos Bay, Nigeria, but for decades this species has only been available as offspring from Southeast Asia.
M. sebae was one of the first marine fishes to be successfully reared in the aquarium. First breeding reports date back to 1968, planned breeding succeeded since the 1970s. The animals are free spawners without brood care, the spawn swims around during development, external sex differences are not known.
With a maximum length of 25 cm (but mostly around 15 cm, the animals are spawning at about 10 cm at the age of about 1 year) Monodactylussebae is not a small fish, furthermore they are fast swimmers and should be kept in a troop (from 8 specimens upwards). So they require a correspondingly large aquarium. A value of 3-4 g/l has proven to be the ideal salt content. Monos are carnivores, which can be well fed with all common frozen and live foods. Dry food is accepted, but should not be used as a sole food. Monos like it warm, the water temperature should be between 25 and 28°C.
For our customers: the animals have code 150002 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
The attractive Apistogramma sp. Oregon comes from the wider surroundings of Iquitos in Peru. Don’t ask us why this one is called “Oregon” – we don’t know that either. It belongs to the closer relationship of A. nijsseni, but differs clearly from this species by the bulky body structure, the large tail spot and a group of black spots on the lower half of the caudal peduncle.
This beautiful fish is quite hardy and adaptable, but it has been shown that for long-term care and breeding, very soft water with a pH of 5-6 is most favorable. In hard water with higher pH, the fish first become paler and then start to care. It is still unclear whether the soft acidic water is actually a physiological necessity or whether the animals – like so many fish from comparable habitats – just cannot tolerate the higher bacterial load in harder and more alkaline water.
According to the information available so far, A. sp. Oregon is known from only one forest pool. This does not necessarily mean that it does not exist elsewhere, but it has not been found so far. Therefore imports of the animals occur only in large time intervals, breeders should strive for them.
For our customers: the fish have code 625112 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Literature
Römer, U. & D. P. Soares (2019): Beiträge zur Biologie von Apistogramma-Arten: Apistogramma sp. „Oregon“, ein selten gepflegter Zwergbuntbarsch aus dem peruanischen Amazonas-Tiefland in Loreto. DCG-Informationen 50 (8): 174-183
Just as L-numbers are assigned for undetermined loricariids, C- and CW-numbers are assigned for undetermined Corydoras. One of the first species to receive such a number was Corydoras parallelus, which was assigned the number C2 in 1993. In the same year Burgess described it as C. parallelus.
The species originates from the upper Rio Negro and never came frequently to Europe, mostly as by-catch to Corydoras schwartzi and C. incolicana. The exporters called him C. “Perreira II”. Why the species is so rarely caught is unknown. It can be bred quite well, but never in large numbers, so that usually the offspring go directly from aquarist to aquarist and never appear in the general trade.
We have now received magnificent XXL-Corydoras from Brazil that almost exactly match the colours of Corydoras parallelus, but actually come from the Rio Jamanxim, a tributary of the Tapajós. These animals are still scientifically undescribed and were given the code number CW127 by Ian Fuller. It is the round snouted sibling species of the Corydoras bifasciatus from the same area, a long snouted species that is currently not available in significant numbers in the hobby.
This is for sure: CW127 are really gorgeous fish!
For our customers: the animals have code 240254 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
There are two species of catfish in South America that look like siblings: Leiarus marmoratus (called “Achara” by the natives) and Leiarius (formerly: Perrunichthys) perruno. Both species attain a length of about 60 cm, have the very same leopard pattern and the long, ringed whiskers. But there does exist an easily recognizable difference: Leiarius marmoratus has 10-11 rays in the dorsal fin, L. perruno only 8. The fish usually have the dorsal fin erected. So it is pretty easy to count the finrays on a sharp photo.
Due to the attractive pattern and the peaceful nature of the fish (any tankmate that does not fit as food will be ignored), acharas are much sought for by enthusiasts that love big fish. However, they are only rarely available on the ornamental fish market. Currently we have a number of very charming youngsters from Peru in stock, which are 5-7 cm long.
For our customers: the fish have code 265202 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited numbers only!
With the import of Hemimyzon nanensis we were once again able to fill a white spot on the map of fishes that have become known in the aquarium with content. At least for us it is a first import. Hemimyzon belongs to the family of hillstream loaches (Balitoridae) and is closely related to the genus Jinshaia. Both genera differ quite well from the other Balitoridae in that in Hemimyzon and Jinshaia the pelvic fins are not merge together to form a sucking disc, but are still separate from each other. In Hemimyzon the caudal fin is straight cut off or slightly emarginated, in Jinshaia it is deeply forked.
The particularly interesting thing about H. nanensis is that all other species of the genus originate from China or Taiwan. H. nanensis, on the other hand, is found in the upper reaches of the Chao Phraya basin in northern Thailand. Like all hillstream loaches, H. nanensis loves strong currents and prefers to feed from solid substrate. The animals are very variable in colour and are peaceful among each other. You should not keep them too warm, 16-22°C are ideal. Very important is clear, oxygen-rich, bacteria-poor water, whose composition is otherwise rather secondary. A good lighting is favourable to promote algae growth. Many microorganisms live in the algae film and are used by H. nanensis as food.
Hemimyzon nanensis grows 6-8 cm long. Since these are fish for specialists, we have imported only a few specimens. They have code 421363 on our stocklist.
In our last post on this impressive and beautiful tetra species from Colombia, we wrote “This tetra usually grows to around 5 cm long, with 8 cm given as the maximum size.” (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/pseudochalceus-kyburzi-4/). Since last week we know, this maximum size can actually be reached! Wow, that’s the first thing we thought of these huge animals.
Moreover, one of these XXL males has also developed spring fever and got into courtship mood. These gorgeous colors were not visible before. To be on the safe side, we took pictures directly in the holding tank; unfortunately, it came as feared, in the relatively small and inevitably bright photo tank the animal faded immediately, which is why we show here, in order to be able to present the colors in full intensity, also one of the aesthetically less appealing pictures, as we shoot them for documentation purposes in principle of interesting new arrivals in the fishhouse.
For our customers: the fish have code 283804 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
For the first time we could (recognized) import this dolphin catfish from Peru. The small species (the biggest scientifically known animal had a standard-length – therefore without tail fin – of barely 8,5 cm) occurs in the area of the upper Amazon, where the river is still called Solimoes.
Tympanopleura cryptica was described scientifically only in 2015; before that the species was probably always confused with other species, hence the species name cryptica, which means “hidden, concealed”. The males of T. cryptica get a strongly extended back-fin during the reproductive-time – like all dolphin-catfish – that serves during the mating to press the female against the side of the male. The inner fertilization takes place on that occasion with a mating-organ, that is formed from the first five rays of the anal fin. One can recognize the males by it also outside the reproductive-period while the long back-fin-spine is shed. One can compare this quite well with the antlers of the stags, that is formed also again annually. The photographed animal is a male, clearly recognizable at the mating organ.
Interesting are the very large nose pores, which at first made us think that the animals had bumped somewhere. But since this phenomenon occurs in many specimens and always on both sides, and can also be seen in the preserved type specimens, we think it is normal.
In our facility these catfish are strictly nocturnal and move during the day only when food is given, as it is known from other driftwooid catfishes (e.g. Duringlanis (former Tatia) perugiae). Concerning the feeding it is to be said that one should be careful with Tympanopleura, what concerns the tankmates. Tympanopleura are predatory fish that can eat surprisingly large fish. However, the catfish also accept all usual frozen food.
For our customers: the animals have code 203033 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
In 1957, when the first Green Tetras or Neon Costello (Hemigrammus hyanuary) were imported, the tetras were absolute fashion fish. Otherwise the comparison with the neon or cardinal tetra can hardly be explained, because H. hyanuary – which by the way is named after Lake Hyanuary in Brazil – is really nicely colored, but it has little in common with a neon fish. Much more striking is the animal’s contrasting tail root pattern.
The Neon Costello is widely distributed in the upper Amazon region. Mostly bred ones are offered, we have currently pretty Peru imports in stock. In aquariums with sandy bottom and subdued light, as it can be well achieved by floating plants, the animals are most beautiful. They should be kept in a group (10-20 specimens) at temperatures between 23 and 25°C (for breeding 2-3°C higher).
For our customers: the animals have code 256492 af our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Unfortunately this interesting catfish from Venezuela is offered only very rarely. It lives in the tributaries of the middle Orinoco. With a maximum length of 10 cm (only very rarely some specimens reach this size, the normal size is 6-7 cm) the species remains relatively small. Pseudolithoxus species are all quite flat, but P. kelsorum especially. Besides the flat shape and appealing pattern, L189 has another characteristic that makes it particularly suitable for the aquarium: it is also very active during the day and by far not as addicted to hiding as many other L-catfish.
We have not yet heard of successful breeding of this species, but this is surely only due to the rare imports. The sex differences are well pronounced at 5-6 cm length, the males can be recognized by the strong bristling (see photos).
The flat body structure indicates that this species is adapted to stronger water currents. They are typical Aufwuchs feeders, which should be offered temperatures in the range of 26-30°C, whereby one must pay attention to good oxygen saturation.
The armored catfishes of the closer relationship around Corydoras elegans belong to the most interesting species of this huge genus. They do not live as strongly bottom-bound as most other armored catfishes and are very nicely colored. Males and females differ relatively clearly in coloration. However, it is not easy to provide a color description of these extremely variable colored animals because coloration changes with sexual activity. Animals ready to spawn are the most colorful and contrasting in coloration, the males also more intense than the females. Outside the spawning period the color intensity decreases.
Petruichthys brevis is a species of loach that originates from Burma. Here it occurs only in Inle Lake. The species attains a length of only 4-5 cm and thus belongs to the small species of fish. In contrast to most other species of loach, this one is a free swimming, schooling species. The swimming behaviour is similar to that of the penguin tetra (Thayeria boehlkei), eg the fish prefer to swim in a head-up position. The caudal peduncle is slightly snapped off, an adaption to the special swimming style.
Petruichthys brevis can be bred quite easily in aquaria. The fish spawn among fine underwater plants. Males are smaller, have longer pectoral fins and usually a longitudinal stripe on the side, while females grow larger and have a spotted pattern.
Lake Inle has comparatively hard water, so most types of tap water are perfectly suited for keeping this fish. The water temperature can be between 16 and 26°C what makes a heater unnecessary in living rooms.
For our customers: the fish have code 478003 on our stocklist. Please note the we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Do you know the game “Silent Mail”? You play it with at least 10 participants, the more, the better. One of the players thinks up a term and whispers it – inaudible to the others – into the ear of the player next to him. This whispers what he has understood to the next one, and so on. It is often very exhilarating what comes out at the end.
It sometimes goes similarly with ornamental fish names. Aulonocara “Rubescens” is a fantasy name, which is based on transmission errors. However, the fish is not a breeding form in the true sense, but only a selection breeding from wild animals, in this case from Aulonocara sp. “stuartgranti Maleri” from the population that lives near the island of Chidunga Rocks near Chipoka. Through continuous breeding with the most colorful animals, some of the fishes were very colorful. However, these are not really red, but rather orange. Nevertheless they became known as “Red Ruby”, which has nothing to do with the gemstone, but so – Rubin – was the first importer’s surname. At some point they were called “Rubescens”, which is Latin and means “blushing”. But this is not a scientific name.
We currently have very pretty offspring of the original “Rubescens” from Thailand in stock.
For our customers: the animals have code 502932 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Squeakers or upside-down catfishes are a fish family occurring exclusively in Africa. The best known genus is Synodontis, which comprises over 130 species. Closely related to this genus is the genus Microsynodontis. The genus name means “small Synodontis” and is program, because these fish already become sexually mature with 3-4 cm of length, are thus true dwarf fish. The biggest known species becomes maximum 10 cm long, most reach 5-6 cm of final-length.
Unfortunately, it is very tricky to determine the species correctly; until 2004 the fish presented here were called M. batesii, then the species was divided into 8 species, but so far no scientist has found the time to correctly determine the animals imported by us from Nigeria. It is possible that this is a species that has not yet been scientifically recorded, among the already described species M. emarginata is the most similar one; it is obvious that all the species previously grouped under M. batesii look extraordinarily similar.
We receive these fish with a length of 2-3 cm and have never seen specimens larger than about 5 cm. They are very sociable animals that like to live in dense association with their conspecifics. Microsynodontis are very peaceful against other fish. They are well suited for the containment of a possible mass increase of small water snails, because these form a component of the food of the small catfish. Otherwise, all usual feeds are eaten gladly. The chemical water composition is of no importance for the care of these animals, but extremes should be avoided. The water temperature can lie in the range of 22-28°C.
For our customers: the animals have code 149302 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.
At the moment we can once again offer very beautiful – i.e. strongly colored – offsprings of a dwarf spiny eel, which is not yet precisely identified. It is offered under the name Macrognathus aculeatus, but for various reasons it will probably not be this species. It shows the most similarity to Macrognathus siamensis, because like this species our redtail has strong pronounced, broad white bordered eye spots in the dorsal fin.
In any case they are very pretty, sociable animals, which under normal circumstances are not to be expected to grow much bigger than about 15 cm. All spiny eels are inquisitive and adaptive fish, which can give you a lot of pleasure. However, community fish should not be too small, otherwise they will be eaten. Water temperatures can be between 22 and 30°C, with the middle range being the most favorable. Every frozen and live food that fits into the mouth is eaten, also water fleas catch these fish skillfully from the water column, whereby they take a position like a seahorse. But also granulated food is accepted. Water hardness and pH-value do not play a role for the care, every drinking water is suitable.
There are two things to keep in mind when caring for spiny eels: absolutely escape-proof aquariums and sufficient hiding places in the form of caves. Since spiny eels also like to dig themselves in, the substrate should consist of sand at least in places.
For our customers: the animals have code 425208 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
The diversity of the crayfishes of New Guinea is hard to keep track of. Most difficult is the decision, whether a freshly imported form is a color variant of a long known species or a new species; because the color variance within the species is enormous.
The Orange Tip is a very good crayfish to keep and breed in the aquarium. The only thing to know is that crayfish often have quite idiosyncratic ideas about how an aquarium should be set up and like to redecorate it. And they usually consider plants as food. But such trivialities one looks after these beauties with pleasure, isn’t it?
For our customers: the animals have code 481442 on our stockiest. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
This dwarf mouth-breeder comes from the middle and upper Congo, from where ornamental-fish-imports almost never reach us. Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi is therefore only available as bred ones. The males are beautiful, the females are rather plain colored. The maximum length is about 7 cm, but also this size is reached rather rarely; the photographed, sexually mature animals are 3-4 cm long.
For our customers: the animals have code 566501 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
We obtained very nice Procatopus aberrans from Nigeria. These lampeyes are very peaceful schooling fish that live near the water surface or at least in the upper third of the water column. In contrast to most other species of lampeye that have an iridescent blue zone in the iris, in P. aberrans the iridescent zone in the eye is copper red. This is seen best when the light comes from top. It is recommended to keep lampeyes in general in a tank in which at least a few hours per day natural sunlight can shine in. Under these conditions the brillant turquoise flanks and the bright copper red eyes shine in a way the delights the heart of every real aquarist! Males become considerably larger than the females, the latter have moreover a differently shaped, much shorter anal fin.
For our customers: the animals have code 343102 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
For the first time we could (recognized) import this dolphin catfish from Peru. The small species (the biggest scientifically known animal had a standard-length – therefore without tail fin – of barely 8,5 cm) occurs in the area of the upper Amazon, where the river is still called Solimoes.
Tympanopleura cryptica was described scientifically only in 2015; before that the species was probably always confused with other species, hence the species name cryptica, which means “hidden, concealed”. The males of T. cryptica get a strongly extended back-fin during the reproductive-time – like all dolphin-catfish – that serves during the mating to press the female against the side of the male. The inner fertilization takes place on that occasion with a mating-organ, that is formed from the first five rays of the anal fin. One can recognize the males by it also outside the reproductive-period while the long back-fin-spine is shed. One can compare this quite well with the antlers of the stags, that is formed also again annually. The photographed animal is a male, clearly recognizable at the mating organ.
Interesting are the very large nose pores, which at first made us think that the animals had bumped somewhere. But since this phenomenon occurs in many specimens and always on both sides, and can also be seen in the preserved type specimens, we think it is normal.
In our facility these catfish are strictly nocturnal and move during the day only when food is given, as it is known from other driftwooid catfishes (e.g. Duringlanis (former Tatia) perugiae). Concerning the feeding it is to be said that one should be careful with Tympanopleura, what concerns the tankmates. Tympanopleura are predatory fish that can eat surprisingly large fish. However, the catfish also accept all usual frozen food.
For our customers: the animals have code 203033 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Loricaria simillima has a very wide distribution in South America. It is found in the Orinoco-, Amazon- and La Plata basins. A result of this large area many different color forms are known, which differ clearly regarding coloration and pattern. The species occurs in different water types. Black water forms are more demanding in maintenance and breeding than fishes originating from white water. For keeping them middlehard water with a pH of 6 – 8 and temperatures between 24 – 27°C is sufficient.
As omnivorous fishes they are rather undemanding in their nutrition, tablet food, flakes and frosted food are accepted. The aquarium should have a sandy soil, some dark corners made by stones and bogwood increase the comfort for the fish. With a total length of 25 cm they should be kept in not to small tanks, they are mouthbrooders, the male guards the eggs and larvae.
For our customers: the fish have code 266653 on our stocklist.Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexikon: Loricaria: from the Latin word „lorica“which is the chest protector of the Roman legionnaire, eg „one that wears a chest protector“. simillima: Latin, means “very similiar”, which refers to the similarity of the species to L. cataphracta.
At least three species of mollies are the parent species of the numerous breeding forms that exist of these fish today: Poecilia sphenops, P. latipinna, and P. velifera. Possibly P. mexicana was also involved, but this is unclear, as this species was long considered a synonym of P. sphenops.
Some color and fin characteristics could only be established in the strains through species crosses, but others occur naturally in wild mollies. These include the gene for black coloration, which is found in many natural populations of all four species mentioned. In its maximum expression it leads to the so-called Black Molly.
Very popular at present are the black speckled mollies, which are called “Dalmatians” after the dog race. In the wild, only one black speckled specimen occurs among thousands of normally colored animals, but the color morph, being inherited on only one allele and in both sexes, can be well established in selection breeding (when a morph is inherited from several alleles, possibly even on different chromosomes, breeding becomes complicated).
The largest of the Dalmatian mollies is the sailfin molly – and the most beautiful!
For our customers: the animals have code 433053 (lg) and 433054 (7-8 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Lake Inle in Burma is a mountain lake located on the Shan Plateau about 900 meters above sea level; it is about 65 km long and 10-22 km wide. The water is relatively hard (12-17° GH) and in February the water temperatures drop to 14-18°C. Lake Inke is world-famous for its human inhabitants, whose entire life is completely focused on the lake. They live in villages built on stilts and practice agriculture on floating meadows. For aquarists the lake is especially interesting because of the many endemic small fish species, which are only found there.
One of them is Sawbwa resplendens, which is also called “Naked Microrasbora” because it has no scales – which is very rare among carp fish. In former times S. resplendens, which is nowadays also available as “Asian rummynose”, was a sought-after rarity, today it can be regularly purchased from Indonesia as offspring.
The maximum length of the species is 4-5 cm, mostly it stays 1-2 cm smaller. Males and females look completely different, only the male has a red head and the red spots in the caudal fin. The body of the males has a blue-green shine, the females are beige. And even very young animals can be distinguished quite well, because the females have a strong black spot directly above the anus, as we know from Microrasbora species.
Indoor aquariums for Sawbwa resplendens (there is only one species of the genus) do not need and should not be heated, water temperatures above 24°C are unhealthy for the fish. The peaceful animals prefer to live in a school (10-20 specimens) with their own kind. They can be kept along with all other peaceful fish with similar demands, even most tender plants leave Sawbwa in peace.
The spawn-behavior is quite unusual, the animals spawn in surface-proximity at the underside of broad-leaved plants. The rearing of the young is difficult, because although they are comparatively large, they can eat only finest food (infusoria, rotatoria). If no adequate food is available, only a small percentage of the fish survive the first 10 days until freshly hatched Artemia nauplii can be taken. If nutrient-rich rotifers (rotatoria) are available, this period can be shortened to up to four days.
For our customers: the animals have code 454002 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Some of the earth-eaters of the genus Satanoperca have frightening names (Satanoperca = devil-perch, Jurupari = devil, Daemon = demon, Lilith = the bride of the devil), but there are only few cichlids that are as peaceful and harmless as they are. The most important thing they need in an aquarium is a part of the bottom with sand. Then they have fun and dig around in it all day long. Like children in a sandbox, but enough with the humanization. For an explanation of the devilish names see here: https://www.aqualog.de/blog/satanoperca-daemon-die-dreipunkt-teufelsangel/ (in German only, sorry).
Satanoperca jurupari grows up to 20 cm long. The animals are widespread in South America. They live in groups over sandy areas and are therefore territorial for a short time only during the breeding season. As ovophile, biparental mouth-breeders (i.e. both parents take the eggs into the mouth immediately after spawning) they defend the spawning place only for a few hours. Because of the wide distribution and because the animals look a little different everywhere, they are best named in the hobby with place of origin. The type locality of S. jurupari is the mouth of the Rio Negro into the Amazon (below Manaus).
We have currently very beautiful Juruparis of the population from the Rio Tapajós as offsprings in stock.
For our customers: the animals have code 678523 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
For the first time we can offer these cute dwarf spined loach from Vietnam. They become (without caudal fin) at most 3,5 cm long. Lepidocephalichthys kranos was not recognized as an independent species until 2010. The species differences in Lepidocephalichthys are very subtle (otherwise they would have been scientifically identified earlier), but it is quite likely that our animals are L. kranos. The unique character of the species, the relatively large scales on the head (therefore kranos = helmet) are unfortunately not recognizable on the living animal.
In contrast to our native spined loach (Cobitis taenia), which is a typical inhabitant of gravelly soil, L. kranos tend to live in swampy terrain. The care of these dwarfs is very easy, one should offer them soft sandy ground, otherwise one can care for the sociable little animals excellently in each community aquarium with peaceful small fish.
For our customers: the fish have code 424102 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply wholesale only.
Since some time we can offer a very interesting knife-fish species of the genus Rhamphichthys, which we receive as offspring from Indonesia. Rhamphichthys are attractive fish, but they require strong nerves from their keeper, because they rest lying on their side and look like dead at first sight. But they are very happy, only sleeping. Apparently they can rely so much on their camouflage coloration that they can really lie around everywhere. Since they are twilight and nocturnal animals that rest during the day, this can be quite disturbing for the worried keeper!
In contrast to many other weakly electric fish species – to which Rhamphichthys belongs – which are usually quite quarrelsome with each other, Rhamphichthys like to cuddle and are looking for the physical closeness of conspecifics.
There are 8 currently recognized Rhamphichthys species, which look extraordinarily similar. Since we do not know the original origin of the bred animals, we keep the name Rhamphichthys rostratus for the time being. This species has a wide distribution in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, the Guyana countries, Colombia and Uruguay. It grows to a maximum length of 100 cm, although such dimensions are probably very rare. Realistically, one must presumably proceed from approximately 50 cm in the aquarium, however, they need a very big aquarium in any case on a long-term basis. At present our animals are 15-20 cm long.
As the wide distribution already suggests, hardness and pH-value do not play a significant role for this species, the water temperature can be in the range of 22-28°C. Soft sandy ground, in which the animals can dig in, is highly recommended. In our facility they eat living Tubifex and frosted mosquito larvae. With their small, tubular mouth they are hardly dangerous for other fish.
For our customers: the animals have code 287403 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
For many aquaristis the Bucktooth tetra, Exodon paradoxus, is simply the most beautiful tetra from South America. The splendid fish glitter and glimmer like diamonds and they never stay still. They hunt and hit their conspecifics permanently and an uneducated watcher may become quite concerned that the fish will eventually hurt each other. But this doesn´t happen. In the wild, Exodon paradoxus feed almost exclusively on scales of other fish. Their highly specialized teeth enable that. Like a flash they attack their prey and the victim doesn´t understand what actually happened. The game of the Bucktooth tetras has two purposes. First: the game fools the potential victims and makes them „believe“ that the Bucktooth tetras are not interested in them. And second: for sure this permanent swimming is a perfect training for the small predators.
The species has a very wide distribution in South America. It can be found in Guyana and the whole Amazon and Orinoco basins. E. paradoxus attains a maximum length of about 7.5 cm. Keeping this fish is not complicated, but the tank should be large and the fish should be kept in a school as large as possible. Any type of usual fish food will be accepted readily. However, in respect of eventually planned tankmates one must be very careful. Best choice are catfish, for they have no scales at all and so they don´t fit the prey scheme of the Bucktooth tetras.
For our customers: the fish have code 253502 on our stocklist. Pleae note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
This wonderful dwarf cichlid belongs to the rarest and most wanted species of Apistogramma in the trade. Nevertheless the animals are not very difficult to keep at all. If the fish is kept under the correct conditions it belongs to the hardier species of the genus. There do exist elder reports on the fish that say the opposite, but we learned in the meantime that the limited number of specimens available at this time led to this erroneous point of view. We currently have medium sized wild collected and fully grown offspring of the “Red Belly” selection in stock. The pictures in this post show the “Red Belly”, pictures of wild collected ones can be found here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/apistogramma-elizabethae-2/
The successful keeping of these beautiful fish requires the basic rules of Apistogramma keeping: clean, bacteria-poor water (this can be settled the most easy way in soft water with an pH between 5.5 and 6.5), diversified food and at least on some places in the tank fine sand on the bottom. Especially the sand is important and the meaning of it often underestimated. In fact the sand is more important than the water chemistry (hardness, pH). In the wild, these fish feed mainly on particles they find in the sand. To find them the fish takes a mouth full of sand, chews the sand and releases the sand through the gill openings. Food particles attach on special anatomical structures on the gill arches and can be swallowed subsequently. In case an Apistogramma can find no sand it comes in a situation comparably to humans that get no opportunity to clean their teeth. This may work for a while, but in most cases sooner or later one becomes sick of it.
For our customers: the wild collected fish have code 618723, the bred ones 618704 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Suggestion of a common name: Elizabeth´s Dwarf Cichlid
Lexicon: Apistogramma: ancient Greek, means “with unreliable line”. It is not known whether the lateral line organ or the pattern is meant. elizabethae: dedication name for Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz (1822-1902), the second wife of Louis Agassiz, who travelled with her husband on the famous Thayer expedition (1865-66) and wrote on the topic later. The name refers to the close relationship of A. elizabethae and A. agassizii.
The cardinal tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi, is one of the most traded ornamental fish worldwide. It is a big exception in the ornamental fish trade, because it was mainly traded as a wild catch; it is different with almost all other important ornamental fishes, which are mainly or exclusively traded as bred ones. It is said that in the 1980s up to 10 million specimens were exported annually from Brazil. Scientific studies prove that this is without negative consequences for the natural stocks.
Unfortunately, ornamental fish exports from Brazil became increasingly difficult for political reasons. That is why nowadays more and more bred cardinal tetras are appearing on the world market, certainly at the expense of the natural environment – the unemployed ornamental fish catchers have to try to feed themselves and their families by slash-and-burn and gold mining, with devastating consequences for nature.
When an animal species is domesticated, it does not take long before mutations – i.e. changes in the genes – occur among the offspring. In contrast to nature, where 99.99% of all born animals die before they reach adulthood, up to 90% survive in human care. Although mutations also occur in nature, the probability that they will survive and pass on their genes is almost zero. For ornamental fish breeders, on the other hand, a mutation is virtually a survival advantage if it looks interesting. One such mutation is the Golden Red Neon.
Technically speaking it is a partial albino. The Golden Red Neon lacks the guanine, that is the silvery shining color, which almost all fish have. This makes the eye red and you can see the eggs in the belly of the females, because the normally silver reflecting belly skin is now transparent. The Golden Red Neon therefore look very strangely beautiful.
Due to the low genetic diversity – usually such breeding forms go back to only one specimen, which is crossed with a normally colored one; by inbreeding one finally gets hereditary strains – the Golden Red Neon are considerably less adaptable than normally colored conspecifics. One should treat it therefore very carefully.
For our customers: the animals have code 216614 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
The dotted Chaetostoma joropo is already for many years a popular sucker-catfish. Before its scientific description in the year 2016 it was given several names, e.g. sp. Spotted, cf. milesi, Villavicencio I, L187a etc. It originates from creeks in the catchment area of the Rio Meta in Colombia and therefore does not need to be kept as warm as many other L-numbers, 23-27°C are just right. With its large sucking mouth it is a striking appearance and an excellent glass-cleaner. The maximum length is around 20 cm.
We have just received very cute juveniles of this species. Many of them had such a strong metallic-green shimmer when they arrived two weeks ago that there was nothing to see of the species-typical spots. This phenomenon is also known from Corydoras catfish. In the aquarium this green shimmer disappears after a while.
For our customers: the animals have code 214831 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
The so-called filament barbs of the genus Dawkinsia were assigned earlier all together to the types Barbus or Puntius. They received the popular name because the back-fin of the males with its long fin-rays. The differentiation of the species is extraordinarily tricky, although several scientists tried in the last decades at them. Only a few weeks ago, a new study on filament barbs appeared, in which three new species are described and in a DNA-based phylogeny, also published only a few weeks ago, it was found that the red-striped topedo barbs (Sahaydria denisonii and S. chalakkudiensis) cannot be distinguished from Dawkinisia on a molecular level.
In the hobby, many filament barbs are only called Dawkinsia filamentosa or D. mahecola; the latter is particularly wrong because mahecola is a Puntius species that has nothing in common with the filament barbs except for the tail-root spot. P. mahecola has no markings at all in the caudal fin (filament barbs have a beautiful red-black marking in the caudal fin tips) and the males of P. mahecola do not get any extended dorsal fin rays either. P. mahecola is so colorless that it was or is practically never kept in an aquarium. Nevertheless, the name P. mahecola can hardly be eliminated from the trade at the moment, since an ornamental fish trade is not a museum business and the fish names in the merchandise management systems must be traceable for years. Particularly with species whose nomenclature is still subject to constant changes, new scientific findings are therefore very slow to establish themselves in the trade.
Dawkinsia assimilis
Dawkinsia assimilis was already described in 1849, but was seen as a synonym for D. filamentosa until the turn of the millennium. In a recent paper (Kateway et al., 2020), a neotype was defined in order to make the distinction possible (an original type apparently never existed), because it turned out that in the Indian state of Karnataka, where D. assimilis occurs, a second double species still exists. This double has been called “mascara barb” in the hobby so far – because of the dark eye mask. It was now described as Dawkinsia apsara.
Dawkinsia apsara
We have now received wonderful wild catches of filament barbels from Karnataka, which are a mixture of D. assimilis and D. apsara. While adult males of both species can be easily separated, it is a completely different matter with the females. For this reason we cannot sort the animals. Apart from the fact that this would mean enormous stress for the fish, the result would be more than questionable.
In any case, these are magnificent fish, which with their maximum length of 12 cm (without caudal fin) are an enrichment for every larger aquarium with river character.
Dawkinsia filamentosa, bred
Of course these animals are not cheap; but we also have a alternative in stock: European offspring of the actual filament barb (Dawkinsia filamentosa) – if it is this species. Young animals of all filament barbs in the narrower sense cannot be distinguished from each other without knowledge of their origin.
For our customers: the wild Dawkinsia (6-8 cm) have code 369504, the offspring (3-4 cm) 369912 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Literature
Katwate, U., J. D. Marcus Knight, V. K. Anoop, R. Raghavan & N. Dahanukar (2020): Three new species of filament barbs of the genus Dawkinsia (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the Western Ghats of India. Vertebrate Zoology v. 70 (no. 2): 207-233.
The identity of Colisa labiosa, a gourami from Burma, is unclear; there is some evidence that the species so named in the hobby is actually not identical with C. labiosa in the sense of the first describer (Day, 1877), but it is much more likely that it is a scientifically not yet named species. But be that as it is: the “Aquarium Labiosa” is the ideal gourami for every well-kept and densely planted community aquarium: it is extremely colorful, calm, peaceful and not very susceptible to diseases.
From the “Aquarium-labiosa”, there is a stripless bred sport, with altogether the blue color portions are missing and which comes along therefore in a splendid yellow-orange. The sometimes used variety name “peach” is well chosen, because as with this fruit, the coloration is not evenly distributed over the whole body, but as with the wild form, different parts of the body have different intensity.
The males can be recognized by the pointedly extended dorsal fin (rounded at the end in the female). With approximately 6 cm of maximum-size, the „Aquarium-labiosa” of both color-forms (therefore wild type and orange) are fully grown. They are typical bubble nest builders with father-family, like all other gouramis of the genus also. In respect of feeding the animals are not very demanding, but you should consider that Colisa have a narrow throat and therefore cannot take up very large food chunks. They prefer to slurp finely grated dry food from the water surface.
Sexually mature males of the “Aquarium labiosa” have, just like the “real” Colisa labiosa, thickened lips – the species name “labiosa” means “lipped” and alludes to this anatomical peculiarity.
For our customers: the fish have code 411443 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
The pikeheads (Luciocephalus) are highly specialized labyrinth fish. They live as predators in blackwaters of Southeast Asia. Only two species are known, the “common” pikehead, which occurs on the Malay Peninsula and in Indonesia, and the Peppermint Pikehead, which is known so far only from the Province Jambi on Sumatra.
Currently we are able to offer the latter once more. The beautiful fish become about 10-12 cm long. Due to their feeding habits (they feed exclusively on live food, preferably shrimps, for feeder fish often transmit dangerous diseases) and the high demands regarding water qualtiy, pikeheads should be kept by experienced keepers only.
For our customers: the fish have code 424914 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
For many years the up to 60 cm long moray eel species Gymnothorax tile has been sold as “freshwater moray”. It is true that G. tile can live in pure fresh water for a while (a few months) without showing any discomfort. But practice shows that this moray eel species is much more persistent in brackish or sea water (15-30 grams of salt per liter), as known from other fish species of the tidal zone, such as Scats, Monos etc. When keeping the fish in fresh water, the pH-value should not drop below 8, otherwise the moray eels will stop eating.
They are predatory fish that feed exclusively on carnivorous food: small fish, crabs and shrimps form their natural food. In the aquarium Frutti di Mare are an ideal substitute, frozen smelts and shrimps should be used as addition. It may take several weeks before these morays accept food. This is normal and not a cause for concern. The best thing is to put some live food fish in the aquarium; once they have disappeared, the spell is broken, the moray eel is accustomed and from now on it becomes a greedy eater. You have to watch your fingers a little bit; the moray eels see badly and orientate themselves by their sense of smell. If the keeper’s fingers still smell of food, it can happen that the moray eel bites him. This is not poisonous, but it bleeds violently and is in danger of infection.
Gymnothorax tile is very tolerant against conspecifics, as well as other large fish. The water temperature can be between 22 and 30°C. As with all brackish and saltwater fish the oxygen demand is high. The species is distributed along large parts of the coasts of the Indian Ocean.
For our customers: the animals have code 419675 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Corydoras fowleri from Peru becomes 6-8 cm long and certainly belongs to the most beautiful Corydoras at all. Nevertheless, the species is only rarely bred, because the eggs are relatively small and the fish – despite their size – relatively unproductive. Therefore we are especially pleased to be able to offer wonderful German bred ones now.
Red Jewel Cichlids are gorgeous fishes. Their splendid coloration can be hardly topped. And they have a fascinating behaviour. They form a biparental family, both male and female take carefor the offspring together. No real hobbyist can hestitate to be banned by that look. The only negative aspect of these fishes is: they can be really nasty against tankmates, especilally when they have young (and they almost always have young). The degree of aggressivness depends both on the indiviual and on the respective strain.
Hemichromis sp. Red Gabon belongs – technically speaking – to the species Hemichromis stellifer. However there are many differences regarding the coloration between this Gabon population (our specimens are German bred ones) and the population from the Congo, from where H. stellifer has been described scientifically. So prudent people prefer to name the fish „sp. Gabon“. This Red Jewel is extremely colorful and belongs to the more peaceful members of its kind. In our tanks – they are, of course, rather densely populated – hardly ever even a small fin damage can be spotted.
For our customers: the fish have code 537502 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
With the swordtails (Xiphophorus), the males carry a sword-like extension at the low end of the tail fin in many species. This is a luxury structure, that serves the intraspecific communication. Sword-bearing males appear especially sexy on the females and especially intimidating on male conspecifics. The also with primates (the ape-like animals) well known game “who has the longest” always wins Xiphophorus montezumae with the Xiphos.
We have now once again received a small number of offspring of this magnificent swordtail, which has a comparatively limited distribution area in nature (rivers in the state of San Lous Potosi, on the Atlantic side of Mexico). Since the Montezuma swordtail prefers relatively low temperatures (18-22°) for permanent keeping – it does no harm if the temperatures climb above 24°C in summer – it grows rather slowly. The species is also by far not as productive as for example Green Swordtails (X. hellerii), the litters usually include much less than 20 young. This explains why this beauty will always remain a rarity in the hobby.
For the care it is important that one has to pay attention to constantly good water quality. Generous weekly partial water changes are therefore absolutely necessary. The water should preferably be hard and the pH should be in the slightly alkaline range (8 – 8.5). A good flake food can be the nutritional basis, in addition one feeds frost and live food of all kinds. Regular feeding of Artemia nauplii (also to adult fish, 2-3 times a week) has proved very successful.
For our customers: the fish have code 420143 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
The genus Brachyrhamdia includes only five described species, another one, that is still scientifically undescribed, was imported over 10 years ago as accidental catch, since then, one heard nothing more of it. Brachyrhamdia are relatively small-growing catfish. Brachyrhamdia meesi comes from Brazil and grows to about 8 cm in length. Like all species of the genus, it swims as young-fish with different species of Corydoras in the same swarm. Although the coloration of B. meesi is not particularly similar to that of – for example – Corydoras schwartzi, B. meesi almost doesn’t stand out at all in the Corydoras school. The sense of this imitation is not yet explored. It could be a protection (however, Brachyrhamdia have powerful thorns in the pectorals and the back-fin, with which they can give very painful stings), the Corydoras could serve also to the camouflage, however, that makes it possible for the predatory Brachyrhamdia to come nearer to small prey.
In the aquarium, one should keep Brachyrhamdia meesi in a swarm with conspecifics and should add also a swarm of Corydoras in order to be able to observe and analyze the living together of the two species. One should choose a Corydoras with blindfold, approximately the already mentioned C. schwartzi or also C. leucomelas, C. agassizii and similar types. B. meesi are completely peaceful towards fish that are not suitable as food (i.e. all species that are about half the size or larger than the Brachyrhamdia). In the aquarium, the catfish are omnivores, that take any dry, frost and live-food. Plant-food doesn’t play any role, plants are completely ignored by the fish also otherwise.
The aquarium for B. meesi should have a fine sandy bottom, should be decorated with numerous roots and not be too brightly lit. It is best to cultivate a solitary plant – for example an Amazon sword plant (Echinodorus) – in a culture pot and illuminate only this plant specifically, while in the rest of the aquarium a little diffuse light can be used. The water values are of minor importance (pH between 5.5 and 8, dGH between 5 and 20° dH), the water temperature should be between 22 and 28°C.
Male Brachyrhamdia meesi develop enlarged dorsal and caudal fins with the onset of sexual maturity. With the females, the size of the fins remains constant. They debvelop eggs easily and are then very thick, however, a successful breeding was not yet reported in the aquaristic literature. Probably the reason for this is a too low interest of the aquarists in these beautiful catfish – what a pity! It can be assumed that B. meesi does not care for the brood and can be stimulated to spawn similar to the Corydoras species of the central Amazon basin. There are observations from the 1980s, according to which the species B. imitator from Colombia, which is related to B. meesi, was also stimulated to spawn by the spawning of Corydoras brevirostris, with whom they were kept together.
For our customers: the animals have code 211603 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
It was believed for quite a long time that the genus Auchipterichthys would contain only one or two, very far spread species. In 2005 Ferraris, Vari, and Raredon revised the genus and could show that in reality four different species are involved. The species that was thought so far to be the most common in the hobby turned out to be restricted in distribution to the upper Rio Madeira basin: A. thoracatus. The most often imported species from the Amazon river basin is A. coracoideus and the most widespread species of the genus A. longimanus.
As early as 1840 a species of Auchenipterichthys was described by Cuvier and Valenciennes under the name of Auchenipterus punctatus. The species was forgotten for a long time, only 1996 it was „rediscovered“ and placed in the genus Auchenipterichthys. This is the only species in Auchenipterichthys with clearly visible round spots and so pretty easy identifyable. So far it has been reported only from the upper Orinoco and the Rio Negro in Venezuela, and from the central portion of the Amazon river in Brazil. The maximum size the species can attain is about 15-20 cm.
Now we were able to import Auchenipterichthys punctatus that were collected in Venezuela. It is quite astonishing that the females, despite they are only 6-7 cm long, already show a belly swollen from eggs.
For our customers: the fish have code 209653 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Now it is season for the cute chessboard dwarf cory, Corydoras habrosus. The fish grows to a maximum of four centimeters. It is completely peaceful and leaves the plants in peace, so it is very suitable for community aquariums. The usual care-recommendations for Coryoras are valid, which means they should be kept in groups and at least some places of the bottom should be covered with fine sand. Since C. habrosus originates from the Orinoco drainage (Colombia and Venezuela) and it is very warm there, the water temperature should be somewhat higher than usual, 26-30°C are correct. Any usual fish food is eaten, if it only fits into the little mouth.
For our customers: the animals have code 231003 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
The Goldeneye cichlid (Nannacara anomala) is a classic among aquarium fish. Already 80 years ago this species taught the aquarists what emancipation means, because here the female is the absolutely dominant fish. And the female often is only half as big as the maximum 8 cm long male.
Dwarf cichlids from the closer relationship of N. anomala can be found everywhere along the coast of the Guyana countries, where they inhabit the many smaller rivers, which usually flow into the sea without detour. Everywhere these Nannacara look somewhat different. It is not researched whether they are local variants, subspecies or even independent species. From a research trip, aquarists brought back collected Nannacaras from Crique Canceler (French Guyana, northwest of Roche Brigandin, west of Anse Canceler)and bred them, we can now offer these beautiful animals for the first time.
For our customers: the fish have code 684452 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
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