Hyalobagrus flavus

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 10 Dec 2005, 14:16

This lunchtime I couldn't resist picking up a big amber female with obviously ripe gonads, plus a fish that was paying this female quite some attention, a more slender fish with a "smoked glass" coloration that I assume to be a male.
They're now in a tank with mops, some plants and tomorrow they'll have some leaf litter. Anyone got any other suggestions?
Pete

Post by **Shane** » 10 Dec 2005, 15:21

Hopefully HH will post as he has collected these fish. I seem to remember him saying they were collected in soft acidic waters. I would go with good size RO water changes every 3-4 days and a gentle sponge filter. Lots of Java moss and/or spawning mops. and a diet heavy on live and frozen foods. Good luck, this is one of my absolute favorite cats.
-Shane

Post by **Silurus** » 10 Dec 2005, 17:06

The leaf litter is probably not necessary. Given their habitat, I would not think that they are substrate spawners.

Making the water brown and a little more acidic than usual probably might help.

Post by **Dinyar** » 10 Dec 2005, 19:54

I haven't bred these fish but I've kept them for about a year. They definitely prefer a well planted tank. Haven't paid much attention to them, but they seem to be doing well despite the neglect. Mine are in pH 7.0-7.2, which is not ideal but easier to maintain than softer water.

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 10 Dec 2005, 20:23

Silurus wrote:Making the water brown and a little more acidic than usual probably might help.

That was actually the main reason I had in mind for using the leaves TBH, I've read the information you gave on their habitat and thought it best to aim for the same water conditions we use for breeding Betta tussyae etc., and I've found that oak leaves are one of the best ways of doing this.
I kept an eye on them throughout the afternoon while I was doing other stuff (also got some very ripe Pangio loaches so I was busy doing big water changes on them 'n' stuff), there was definite interaction between the pair around the mops, almost looked like the male was taking up station and then the female would come over for a look, they'd swim together around the mops and then go their separate ways.
The plants in there are mostly Vietnamese Coriander cuttings (which we've found makes a great aquarium plant besides being good in stir-fries!) and so there is a curtain of roots hanging over the mops, hopefully just like the marginal vegetation they may use in nature.

Hard to believe at times that I actually get paid for this......

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 21 Dec 2005, 22:40

Just to update on the progress with the Hyalobagrus, they are extremely good at hiding amongst the plants and oak leaves so we didn't actually see them for a few days.
Decided to have a prod around, see whether she was still roed up, and found her still with green ova clearly visible through her abdomen.
Nothing had happened, so given that they appear to be social species we thought maybe they need a larger group.
So, we went and picked up ten more today, they've been on order for over a week but I've been in Cambridge for a few days and Paul wasn't able to go and get them.
Hopefully the new fish will fatten up and start to develop mature gonads (they'll be in quarantine for a couple of weeks), we'll feed them up, observe them and see what happens.
Pete