Chiloglanis

Post by **Dinyar** » 29 Jan 2003, 05:25

Anybody out there that keeps Chiloglanis? Has seen Chiloglanis? A fascinating and overlooked little gem, IMO. Definitely my personal Catfish of the Month, and has been for several months now! They stay small, are very active and interesting in theirr behavior and haave neat markings. Reports of Chilos being difficult to keep alive appear greatly exaggerated. Current, clean water and some FD bloodworms is really all it takes. Lee Finley called them "African plecos". If you like L numbers but are up for a new challenge, check out Chiloglanis! And if you thought that L numbers and Loricariid taxonomy was an interesting challenge, you'll just love Chilos -- lots of species, lots of inter- and intra-specific variation, and it's all virgin territory!

Dinyar

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 30 Jan 2003, 15:19

I've kept them twice, but not succesfully.
they're very fragile when it comes to shipping, watertemperature, feeding-competition, nitrates, oxygen levels etc.
definitely something for a speciestank IMO.
And don't pick them up by hand....they have a surprise for you: razorsharp edges on the front of the pectoral spines. (I handle spiny catfishes often, but never these again, thanx)

not to mention they're never imported or in the LFS over here; I got mine direct from the distributor or bought them in Germany....

Their big brothers however, are much easier to keep and fun to watch; they're like animated vacuumcleaners: Euchilichthys sp.

Post by **Dinyar** » 30 Jan 2003, 20:47

SG_Eurystomus wrote:I've kept them twice, but not succesfully.
they're very fragile when it comes to shipping, watertemperature, feeding-competition, nitrates, oxygen levels etc.
definitely something for a species tank IMO.

This is also what I used to think. I'm now on my third batch (over the course of 6-7 years), and while I was unsuccessful with the first two, the third has been doing well for many months now. I have come to the conclusion that the reports of their fragility are simply a reflection of misconceptions based on lack of adequate info about these fish. The same vicious circle we've discussed in a number of different threads on this forum: lack of supply > lack of awareness and experience > lack of interest by hobbyists > lack of interest by importers and LFS > lack of supply.

I suggest that the following are misconceptions:

1) "Chiloglanis are best kept in a species tank." I used to think so too, and kept the first two groups in species tanks. They died quickly. I've now spoken to three other people who have kept Chilos successfully for extended periods (including me, that makes four). ALL of us keep/kept our Chilos in crowded community tanks. The benefit this seems to confer is that the tanks stay clean because no food is wasted. (Being small fish, Chilos don't eat a lot.)

2) "Chiloglanis eat algae, and once the algae's gone, they starve." In my experience, Chilos don't touch algae (aufwuchs, maybe), they love little bugs and insects, but will accept a wide variety of foods. Mine freak over FD bloodworms.

3) "Chiloglanis are very demanding about water quality." They apparently do require high oxygen and also clean water (low nitrates). But other than that, I've found that they tolerate a wide variety of temps and pH. I'm not even 100% certain that high current/oxygen is a must for all species, since some spp. apparently are found in W. and C. African swamps! Habitats range from high altitude mountain streams to big rivers to Lakes Tang and Malawi to swamps. Sounds like a pretty adaptable genus to me!

4) "Chiloglanis are reclusive." Not mine. Among the most active catfish I've ever kept. They're all over the place, and very amusing in their antics. Their little quarrels are like Punch and Judy shows!

5) "Chiloglanis don't ship well." In all three cases, mine spent > 24 hours en route, and this did not seem to bother them at all. Importers I've spoken with have also not reported high losses if the fish are shipped well.

SG_Eurystomus wrote:Their big brothers however, are much easier to keep and fun to watch; they're like animated vacuumcleaners: Euchilichthys sp.

They DO seem like very interesting fish, but regrettably, I have never seen them live much less kept them (we're working on it though, as Heok Hee's recent post on another thread in this forum indicates). I take it you have. Please tell us more! What species? What size? What tank parameters? What diet and behavior?

Tot ziens,
Dinyar

Mika · Post by **Mika** » 07 Feb 2003, 12:30

Is there some chiloglanis sp. from lake malawi? These are offered from one importer.

Post by **Silurus** » 07 Feb 2003, 13:05

Yes there is: <i>C. neumanni</i>. If you can, grab some of these guys. Very interesting cats.

Post by **Dinyar** » 07 Feb 2003, 13:35

C. neumanni is one of the larger Chiloglanis and seems to be offered for sale more often than most Chiloglanis. I am keeping a Chiloglanis species that is C. neumanni or very close to it. I've submitted photos of it to Jools for inclusion in the Catalog, and hopefully he'll get around to putting them up soon. In the meanwhile, if you would like to see them, PM me and I'll email them to you (be sure to let me know your email address!).

Definitely a most interesting fish. Get them if you can. Provide strong current and clean water, and feed freeze dried bloodworms.

Dinyar