Agamyxis pectinifrons as a community Cat

[nvcichlids]

I was looking through the doradidae and noticed that

Agamyxis pectinifrons

would be a canidate for some of my tanks. I would love to keep them, but was wondering what their attitude would be towards breeding plecos, whiptails and

Auchenipterichthys coracoideus

. I have tanks with each of those in them, but wanted to try some doradidae species. I really want the

Acanthodoras spinosissimus

[Silurus]

I wouldn't trust the Agamyxis with pleco fry, but other than that, they should be fine.

[nvcichlids]

So they would be fine with the auch. coracoideus or the whiptails?

[Silurus]

I don't see any problem.

[nvcichlids]

Are Acanthodoras spinosissimus really that rare, or is it just where I am located. I have never seen them available, nor has any of my LFS seen them on order lists in the past 6 years. I would much rather have those over the agamyxis pectinifrons

[Silurus]

I've seen them from time to time over here, so I don't think they are that rare (granted that the selection of SA fishes is a lot poorer here compared to the US).

[nvcichlids]

I'll have to keep a closer eye open then on order forms.
Thanks for the heads up.

[Richard B]

I agree with Silurus on all counts - we see them from time to time over here too - not expensive but platydoras are seen as the more attractive fish & hence much more common

[nvcichlids]

Well you guys are such a big help. That is why I spend soo much time here. You guys are always willing to help and not waste a second, where as on the cich lid site that I am apart of, people ask for information on a new species they have and then tell you your wrong (sorry I hate people like that, I spent the time writing for 10 minutes about what they needed to know and they said I was wrong. I breed that darn fish and he has the nerve to tell me I am wrong. just because he has a different locational variant of it..)

Sorry about that, I just am really thankful for your guys help

[Richard B]

Well you guys are such a big help. That is why I spend soo much time here. You guys are always willing to help and not waste a second, where as on the cich lid site that I am apart of, people ask for information on a new species they have and then tell you your wrong (sorry I hate people like that, I spent the time writing for 10 minutes about what they needed to know and they said I was wrong. I breed that darn fish and he has the nerve to tell me I am wrong. just because he has a different locational variant of it..)

Sorry about that, I just am really thankful for your guys help

I have always found at PC if you ask questions & listen, learn & do a bit of your own research in advance, everyone is "Mr Kipling" - ie Exceedingly helpful. LOL

[nvcichlids]

So my goal for this weekend is to trade in my gymno. balzanii group (1m/5f) and get myself some agamyxisi catfish. If the prices are not right, I may lean towards another species (depending on what is available.)

[nvcichlids]

Well some good news, I was able to pick up two

Agamyxis pectinifrons

this weekend. That is about the end of the good news. My female L127 past away from an internal parasite. I also wasn't able to get the other tank down here that I wanted, so that process is delayed until next weekend, then a week from thursday, I will be trading in my balzanii group for some more

Agamyxis pectinifrons

.

A neat side note, if grunting has any indication on sexes, one of mine grunted when being released into the tank, the other stayed quiet.

[Cory_lover]

Hi! Was just wanting to ask a quick question - and since there are like 3 current threads about A. pectinifrons, I think I may just pop it in here:

So, I returned home today with 1 A. pectinifrons from the LFS and aren't they GORGEOUS !!! It's my first ever pectinifrons and I'm naming it "Spot". I popped it into the 10gal quarantine tank and I've been keeping a close eye on it ever since. Tank furnishings are bogwood, with a simple box corner filter, temperature at 26degC.

Here's the thing - does anyone else have a really "jumpy" pectinifrons? I say "jumpy" because while it's exploring it's tank, he swims really rapidly along the length, and pokes it's mouth out of the water, sometimes so vigorously that half its body breaks the surface - is this normal? I was really worried that there was something wrong with the water parameters, but everything checks out fine - amm/nit/nitrate all zero, pH at 6.8, kH at 3.

While it doesn't "hover" at the surface gasping for air, I'm just paranoid I may wake up in the morning to find an air-dried pectinifrons on my floor!!

[MatsP]

Really zero nitrate? That doesn't seem right unless:
1. you are doing massive water changes every day (and are lucky enough to have tiny amounts of nitrate in your tap water).
2. your tank isn't cycled yet.

It is not unusual for nitrate tests to go off after some time, and show zero levels simply because the test is no longer working right. I'd verify your levels with the LFS (or simply get a second test-kit).

--
Mats

[Cory_lover]

Yeah the testkit I have is API, and the nitrate tests colour sits somewhere inbetween 0 and 5, and isn't that a tolerable range?

[Cory_lover]

Oh, forgot to mention that although technically I just set up the quarantine tank in the morning, I grabbed a mature box filter containing ceramic noodles and filter wool from another tank, and those fish in there are doing great, and comparing the water quality between the quarantine, and that other tank, it's identical....

[MatsP]

Right so "between zero and five" isn't zero, is it? But it's a perfectly tolerable level.

Unfortunately, we do get people from time to time who have a reading of "zero nitrate", and it turns out either that the tank is cycling or the test-kit is old (the reagent that is being used is the same for almost all test-kits, and if it's the same reagent, it will go bad the same way no matter who made it - I'm not quite sure if it's oxygen getting to it, or something else, but me and other members of the forum gets this). Unfortunately, telling the difference between zero nitrate and "old test kit" is very difficult, because both leave the colour of the test "unchanged".

So I think it's fair to ask for a clarification.

Of course, if you just set the tank up with fresh water from the tap, then it is indeed a "new tank", even if you have added living bacteria. So again, nitrate level should match the tap-water, which it would appear is low.

--
Mats

[Cory_lover]

Hmm, maybe I'll give it a few days to settle in and see if its behavior changes. It's my first time setting up a quarantine tank, and I know this'll surprise the hardcore fish-keepers, since quarantining is meant to reduce and prevent possible introduction of diseases, and it's one really important factor in fish-keeping, but through my years of fishkeeping, that's never happened. However, since the tank I'm gonna eventually end up placing the pectinifrons in is a 4ft community tank, and both the pectinifrons and its soon-to-be neighbours are really valuable, I wanna take every precautionary step possible, hence the quarantine tank.

Right, so supposing his behaviour doesn't change, and if water chemistry checks out fine, should I just risk it and put him in the 4ft then

[nvcichlids]

and both the pectinifrons and its soon-to-be neighbours are really valuable, I wanna take every precautionary step possible, hence the quarantine tank.

Right, so supposing his behaviour doesn't change, and if water chemistry checks out fine, should I just risk it and put him in the 4ft then

Just curious what the other valubale neighbors are? and how much was your a. pectinifrons?
Mine are extremely active, but they never gasp for air. as soon as food hits the water, they are at the top trying to beat out the other bruisers for it.

[Cory_lover]

the 4ft community has my cory collection, and once my pair of breeding hoplos have settled down from breeding i'm gonna transfer them in, 2 juvenile Raphael cats and I'll be planning on getting 4 Dianema urostriatum in there too. I'm in Australia and we have strict regulations regarding imports, so we get really catfish-starved down here....hard to come buy the more unique and interesting species, and even if we do, its costly. I bought my Agamyxis pectinifrons for AUD$150. I'd like to get a few more buddies for it, but just imagine the cost of that alone!

[nvcichlids]

wow. I know a guy from Queensland I believe and his name is Keith. He is a very avid pleco breeder in the land of roos. I know he has the LDA18 (if that is the prince tiger's) L134's, some type of starry night bristlenose, along with a few more species. His name is Earth Eater on cich lids .com Very VERY nice guy to speak with He may be worth trying to contact.

My currently goal is to trade my wild breeding group of gymnogeophagus balzanii (and btw, the male is by far a show quality male) 1m/5f for a group of 6-8 young agamyxis, but the store has yet to make space and in the meantime the fry just became auch. coincoides food.

[Cory_lover]

ah cool thanks for that wow a tank with 6 pectinifrons would be a sight to enjoy during feeding time huh! anyway, a little update on mine, it's in the morning now, and he's just sleeping in the cave in the wood so I think everything's gonna be ok. I think he was just stressed about the whole move..now if only I could train my 2 juvenile raphaels in the 4ft community tank to be more gutsy and come out during feeding time, or at least be active when i'm awake! hahaha

[Richard B]

wow a tank with 6 pectinifrons would be a sight to enjoy during feeding time huh!

It would be pretty good but let me say a tank of 50 2"TL ones feeding on sinking micro-pellets is quite an astounding spectacle!!!

[nvcichlids]

wow a tank with 6 pectinifrons would be a sight to enjoy during feeding time huh!

It would be pretty good but let me say a tank of 50 2"TL ones feeding on sinking micro-pellets is quite an astounding spectacle!!!

Ohh that would be, good thing I am working towards atleast 10 I cannot wait for them all to make it home.