SA Biotope Help!

BoBzz · Post by **BoBzz** » 25 Jul 2003, 03:24

Its me yet again!
With even more questions about my SA Biotope setup!

Alright I have compiled a list of fish I would like to include into my tank but they need to all be from the same biotope in one of the following areas...
Rio Amazonas drainage, in the Rio Ucayali and Rio Amazonas drainages in Peru, the Rio Amazonas drainage in Colombia, the Rio SolimÃ´es-Amazonas in Brazil, east to CametÃ¡, also rivers of AmapÃ¡, Brazil, and the Rio Oyapock drainage in Brazil

And the Fish List...
Cories
Chocolate Cichlid(must be included!)
Hatchets
Maybe*~*~Smaller Pike Cichlids(Maybe)*~*~Maybe
Doradids(A.Hancockii)
Silver Dollar Sp.(Mettynis/Myleus)
Colorful*but small* Tetras
Oddball Fish(maybe a peaceful Knifefish)

Im really sorry im always pestering you with questions!
Maybe if you guys werent so darn helpful!!!!

Post by **Silurus** » 25 Jul 2003, 06:49

Not too sure what your question is. Do you want to know if the fish listed come from the rivers you list, or do you want to know what kind of a biotope the fishes listed come from?

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 25 Jul 2003, 10:44

too many $#@#$$#@ common names....

What's a "chocolate cichlid"? I know a "chocolate gouramy" (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides) but....

There's a few glitches in there:
ALL Pike cichlids are piscivores; even a smaller one will make short work on both Tetra's and Hatchets (I assume hatchets are either Gasteropelecus or Carnegiella?). And in the case you get a true tiny Pike-cichlid like Crenicichla urophtalmus or C regani; still the males reach 5-6" or so; wich makes any fish 2 1/2" and smaller to be in mortal peril except for Cory's.

Hatchets are easily scared; they escape by jumping and flying away from predators (they're the worlds only true flying fish, moving their pectorals like insect wings with sheer musclepower). Often including piscivores with them will lead to dried up fish next to your tank or fish jumping to their deaths against the bulbs and other hot, hard or sharp items in the tankhood.

Methynnis too, eat small fishes (like small colored tetra's) in addition to their fairly enormous veggo-habits; I hope you're not thinking about live plants too....
The true silverdollar (M argenteus, or M schreitmulleri) gets big too; about 6", just as high. They do well when kept at least 12-15 and need a sizable tank (150G and up). M maculatus is by far the best, it gets rarely bigger than 4-5" and is also less prone to skinleasions. But still a big fish. Not anything to combine with Neons, Hemigrammus or Hyphessobrycon species.

Post by **Silurus** » 25 Jul 2003, 10:51

Chocolate cichlid = Hypselecara coryphaenoides.

BoBzz · Post by **BoBzz** » 25 Jul 2003, 14:40

Sorry guys I should have reread my post....

First I'll clear up a few things.
I wasnt planning on keeping all of the fish above with eachother its just a list of different fish I was considering.
My question is which if any of the following fish are found in those rivers and then out of those fish which share a biotope with eachother.

The reason I had the Pikes and the Silver Dollars was incase they were one of the only fish that really shared habitat with the chocolate.
Also by small tetra I should have put mid size, I dont want neon or glowlight size tetras more along the lines of diamond and emporer size(Yes, I realize this wont make much of a difference to the pike).
Hope that helps!

BoBzz · Post by **BoBzz** » 25 Jul 2003, 14:42

Silurus: Actually I believe I have Hypselecara Temporalis... If that makes any difference.

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 25 Jul 2003, 18:07

Diamonds (Moenkhausia pitteri) and Emperors (Nematobrycon spp) are still too small for both Hypselecara or Methynnis; unless you can lay hands on fully grown adults. IMO there are better fishes if -what I think it is- a wide arrange of different shaped fish is to your liking.
Check if there are fishes like Anostomus spp, Abramites spp, Astyanax spp, tetragonopterus spp or Hemiodus spp from your favourite biotope.

Just did some research on Hypselecara; that's quite a character and a fairly big one too.
Hope your tank setup is well in the 150G range, because between Methynnis, Crenicichla and Hypselecara; you need quite a tank!

Post by **Silurus** » 25 Jul 2003, 19:41

Some of the fishes caught along with H. temporalis in the Ucayali drainage in Peru:
Anadoras grypus
Platydoras costatus
Opsodoras humeralis
Oxydoras niger
Doras punctatus
Ancistrus sp.
Epapterus dispilurus
Hypophthalmus edentatus
Leiarius longibarbis
Sorubim lima
Bunocephalus coracoideus
Brochis splendens
Abramites hypselonotus
Prochilodus nigricans
Ctenobrycon spilurus
Prionobrama filigera
Triportheus sp.
Leporinus sp.
Roeboides spp.
Not sure about the habitat type, but it might be a brown water lake or backwater.

BoBzz · Post by **BoBzz** » 25 Jul 2003, 20:03

I still have a ton of research to do, but I think Ill skip the Pikes and the Dollars... For now anyway.
I really dont wanna go larger than 75G(the tank is a 50G right now).
So what about the rest of the list? Any chance of making a biotope tank with them?
The only fish I have so far are the A. Hancockii and the H. Temporalis im hoping to god that they are found together somewhere in one of those rivers!

Any additional thought comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

BoBzz · Post by **BoBzz** » 25 Jul 2003, 21:29

Sorry Heok we must have been typing at the same time...(I started my post then wandered off for a minute

).
The only really comprehensive site I can find(besides this one) is Fishbase and it has been stated that much of their info is off.
Heok where do you get the bulk of your info? Books? Personal Trips? Collectors logs?

Do you know if H. Temporalis shares space with A. Hancockii anywhere?

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 25 Jul 2003, 23:21

wait a bit....
75G in the future, and 50G now? that would be about 300 liters in the future and about 200 (or actually slightly less) now??

Hypselecara gets about 25 cm (almost as big as Oscars), and is a heavybuild fish with attitude!
tanks that size are just big enough for a single adult pair....as breeding tank!

no way any other fish are going to survive in there once the spawning starts!

Post by **Silurus** » 25 Jul 2003, 23:33

Heok where do you get the bulk of your info?

Field notes if the museum has the species in question collected with other fish. If not, I rely on online databases of holdings from other museums, but it takes quite a while to ferret out the info this way.

BoBzz · Post by **BoBzz** » 25 Jul 2003, 23:45

I see your concern, but I have NEVER heard of a Chocolate getting that large in captivity!
The largest I have ever heard of was 9" and that was one being kept in I believe a 200G tank for life.
All others have maxed out around 5-6"...
I havent heard of any reports of them being the least bit agressive in anyway shape or form(even less so than Oscars), I realize that could all change after the first spawn though (if I even get them too...).

Silurus: After looking into it more Im not sure which Hypselecara sp. I have!?!
Ill hopefully post pics on Monday( If I can manage to find my cam) to see if you can help at all with sorting it out.

So I guess ill need to check if A.Hancockii flows with any of these places: Rio Amazonas basin, in the Rio Negro, Rio Trombetas, Rio TapajÃ³s, Rio MauÃ©s, and Rio UatumÃ£; Rio Orinoco basin in tributaries of the upper Rio Negro, and in the Rio Aguaro, Venezuela as well?

Post by **Silurus** » 26 Jul 2003, 01:14

It would seem that Amblydoras hancocki is not found syntopically (in the same habitat) as H. temporalis.

Robert H · Post by **Robert H** » 16 Aug 2003, 13:05

How about this cute little catfish?

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 16 Aug 2003, 16:59

Tatia perugae
nice one!

They're captive bred nowadays, I heard. And a very unusual cat too; internal fertilisation and all.

Robert H · Post by **Robert H** » 16 Aug 2003, 21:29

I am actually going to have some for sale next week. I have never kept them before, but I fell in love with this fish when I saw this picture. They are from the area you are talking about, and from what I have read are very peacefull fish.

TiGrInUs · Post by **TiGrInUs** » 18 Aug 2003, 19:28

A freind of mine has bred them. I think he was going to write an article for planetcatfish about them? Did one ever get wrote?