Chrysichthys brachynema, a beautiful cat?

Anli · Post by **Anli** » 30 Mar 2004, 08:13

Do anyone has any experience with Chrysichthys brachynema?

I got this 11 inch fish with som others cats in a bucket, when i bought a secondhand tank!

According to FishBase it will end up around 30 inches (77 cm)

!
I will be happy for any information! Feeding habits..anything!

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 30 Mar 2004, 14:57

It's a nocturnal predator, which will eat any fish it can fit in its mouth. Try leaving some pieces of shrimp or prawn near its hiding place just before lights out.

I think Chrysichthys are beautiful, but of course I would say that.

Anli · Post by **Anli** » 31 Mar 2004, 17:12

He seems to like frozen fish.. he ate some pieces last night.. i will try shrimp also!

Anli · Post by **Anli** » 10 Apr 2004, 20:44

Can anyone (perhaps Chrysichthys

) tell how common the cats are... because i have never seen something like this Chrysichthys brachynema in any dealer before...
Do Tangayika cichlid lovers keep them in their tanks or what...
My speciemen is moving around much more now... im abit worried do... heÂ´s tank compagnions are are a C. Trimac and a A. Citrenellum.

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 13 Apr 2004, 16:11

They aren't common here; I have never seen them on a list as such, only so-called 'Aluminium catfish' and I am not sure what species of Chrysichthys these are.

Kept with Tanganyikan cichlids, a large specimen might regard them as a midnight snack.

Lake Tanganyika has hard alkaline water, but if your brachynema has been in neutral water conditions its entire life, there is probably no need to change that.

Generally people keep Synodontis multipunctatus or petricola with Tanganyikan cichlids. They are smaller and non-predatory.

Anli · Post by **Anli** » 14 Apr 2004, 09:08

The Chrysichthys is in a CA-tank with big cichlids... so I dont worry for them, im more worried for the Chrysichthys because his skin looks a bit soft. But they seem to get along ok so far. The water is very hard and has a ph over 8. It should be perfekt I think.
I have been i contact with the previous owner, I he had fed him bolied ham

!!!
But now he is fed rozen bits of fish in the night, I think that must be better.
I have sent this photo to Prof. Sven Kullander (Senior Curator of Ichthyology, Swedish Museum of Natural History ) , maybe they will add it to the Chrysichthys brachynema illustrations at FishBase.com:

Anli · Post by **Anli** » 22 Jul 2004, 11:52

IÂ´m so proud

FishBase has accepted my photos:
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/Summary/Spec ... brachynema
My Kibonde seems too be more "happy" now, move around more, and looks more healthy. Maybe the mix of frozen salmon bits and sinking pellets has done him/her some good.

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 23 Jul 2004, 01:18

'Aluminium catfish' is the common name for Chrysichthys furcatus.

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 30 Jul 2004, 20:09

I see FishBase still has Chrysichthys in the Bagridae. Is Claroteidae now official, and Fishbase just behind the times?

Post by **Silurus** » 30 Jul 2004, 20:11

Fishbase is just slow. They do not have the Claroteidae as a distinct family.