It looks like Richard likes Parotocinclus jumbo. They are rather plain in appearance but they do have attributes well suited to your tank. I have a suggestion. Perhaps adding a few more of the Farlowella? If you keep them in small groups of 3 or 4, you will get to see them more often and observe som...

Most Gold Nuggets die long before they reach maturity in captivity. They usually slowly waste away in a typical neophyte's care and this can take many months.
You are right to ask whether that shop is just trying to make a buck out you because they are.

Optimum spawning and egg hatching temperature ranges for Corydoras species are one and the same.
What the optimum temperature range is will depend upon the species in question.

Common BN will thrive at the same temperatures as Peckoltia compta. I've bred and raised 1000's of the former and almost 1000 of the latter. All my fish were kept between 84/86*F(~29*C). Please note: I had to close out my fish room due to failing health and I have no fish for sale. Here is one examp...

I noticed that all these Hemiancistrus "cf. subviridis" have been found in the same rivers which are also home to Pterophyllum altum. This means water with almost no TDS and pH ranges hovering around 4.0. Pterophyllum altum Angelfish are very demanding fish but water color isn't all that i...

I think you may have 2 species. All but one look like L333 to me. Still, given that you live in Australia and the ease of breeding of L333, it seems most likely that all your fish are L333's. I found L333 to be as over productive as common Bushynose Plecos I say that because you get fewer wild impor...

@dpm1I concur with you. The N. cardina examples were an excellent illustration of the difficulties one encounters when trying to organize that which probably doesn't lend itself well to such naming conventions. I know I'm a bit jaded but i've been in this hobby so long I've seen this rodeo before. G...

Hi Nate, I think we have a great deal more to learn about maintaining the various rarely seen species of SA Knifefishes. I think having ample leaf litter is a good idea. It ought to provide much surface area for them to forage off and supplies easy hiding places. Aside from our lack of knowledge abo...

Flubendazole and praziquantel are very safe when used as directed.
I have observed distressed respiration of fish exposed to an extreme overdose of flubendazole.
In this instance they used about 25 times too much.

I can't explain why your Panaque have been dying. My comment has to do with chlorine/chloramine neutralization. I have always used about 3X more SeaChem Prime than is indicated on the label. I am generous with it precisely because without an accurate test, I can't know what the exact levels of chlor...

Viktor,
Here is a link for most described Labeo spp.
http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lab ... ification/

The big African Labeo look just like the SE Asian species but they are different species.

Hi Victor, 12 inches is about the largest black sharks I've seen but I think they get larger. I would have to research a little to learn what their maximum size may be. The only Cyprinids I've ever been very interested in are the minute Boraras spp and similarly small relatives. Those less than 1&qu...

I've seen quite a few of these "Black Sharks" which were 10 to 12 inches long.
They can live a long time in captivity.

Labeo chrysophekadion, no doubt about it.
Hope you have a large tank.

I do not see where further treatment of your fish will do them any more good but they are your's to do with as you will. Using vitamins will do no harm but are not likely needed. You do not need to treat them with flubendazole but no serious hobbyist's fish medicine cabinet is complete without some....

PraziPro dosed at about 0.5cc/tbs is sufficient plus a dash of water are all you need to ensure good absorption into the food. It is not effective against Hexamita. Metronidazole is the "go to" drug for Hexamita. While flubendazole is best known as an effective treatment for some types of ...

I have successfully and simultaneously treated fish with metronidazole, praziquantel(PraziPro) and flubendazole powder(10%) for many years. Mainly wild fish ranging from Apistogramma, H. zebra and other expensive plecos as well as many wild discus. I do it upfront as prophylaxis against possible pre...

prairiefire, I think what you have observed and photo documented is evidence of some form of true biological mutualism. It appears as though your Acestrorhynchus tolerates this behavior because it is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Perhaps it is the same with Otocinclus behavior? Although in their...

When I was raising Sturisoma I found that a group of about 80 newly free swimming fry only required a single earthworm stick twice a day. They did actively seek out the food but they grazed on it rather than eating their fill and moving on. I suspect that Farlowella fry would require very little foo...

Hi naturalart, Am I ever sorry that I claimed that I was 100% sure the Brown Ghost and Sternarchella were identical. I also misspelled Sternarchella although Sterba had spelled it correctly in his 1966 edition of Freshwater fishes of the World I(A real collector's item, I special ordered it through ...

On a hunch, I checked in my copy of Freshwater Fishes of the World by Gunther Sterba, revised edition 1966.
Found them on page 362, Figure 515. Sternacella schotti. I'm 100% sure they are an abandoned synonym for the Brown ghost (Apteronotus leptorhyncus).

Brown ghost (Sternacella schotti) Could you expand a bit more on this one? I can't find any reference to this species - except through Google, which refers back to this thread. FishBase also doesn't list it, so I'm very curious. Same here. Never heard of these. Maybe a case of mistaken identity? We...

I'm sure others have experienced their Otocincinclus try to suck on their arm when working in the tank. Otocinclus work over everything in their tank and especially things like your Whiptails which lie around much of the time.

I think you will have better fry survival rates if you start them in a small well aerated tank with water less than 6 inches deep. A 5 gal tank is more than enough for the first months. Earthworm sticks have worked better than any vegetarian diet. This food contains all the algae in the form of Spir...

The thought of imagining Hoplias malabaricus acting as a "cleaner fish" was amusing to me.
If cleaning is defined as eating everything in sight then Hoplias malabaricus ought to do the trick.

These seem to be somewhat decomposed specimens to me but they still appear to me to be more likely L260 than common Bushynose fry. L260 fry are a little smaller than newly hatch Bushynoses. L260 fry upon fry swimming will be marked with very defined black and white lines with the black lines seem to...

When my Corydoras panda spawned they placed the majority of their eggs in order of their preference, Hair Algae, my Killifish acrylic yarn spawning mops, Hornwort(Ceratophyllum) and finally smooth surfaces, usually glass. The last was way down their preferred list places.

Marc,
Those are the Knifefish that "got away" from me. One of the weirder ones I always wanted.
Great find.

I have always been interested in SA Knifefishes although I have only kept 3 that are fairly common and a fourth if I can count the 24 inch/60cm Electric Eel I had. 1. Black Ghost(Apteronotus albifrons). Many times some reached 12 inches/30 cm. They always became very tame and loved taking small eart...