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Hello all,
I ‘ve started a new tank for Doradid species catfish only.
This is my first experience with Doradids. Until now on I am only keeping Tanganyikan catfishes. These I’m still keeping into an other tank (show tank in the living room). The Doradid tank is upstairs.

Last Friday I bought 4 pcs of wich are sold as Amblydoras hancocki Wildcaught.
To me they are Amblydoras nauticus and are stocked together with a group of Nannostomus.
The tank is decorated with a lot of wood and a few plants.
The Amblydoras are hiding together under/behind the wood.

Is the natural habitat of this specie with a lot of plants ?
What about feeding, should I also feed them when the lights are out ? ( they are 4cm big )

Once settled, Ambydoras (also Platydoras & Agamyxis) will all feed quite vigourously with the lights on & as long as there is no food competitor, they'll always get enough.

Is the natural habitat of this specie with a lot of plants ?

It really depends on the season. In the wet season I have caught many doradids among flooded grass areas. Otherwise if not out feeding they will stick close to whatever structure (mainly sunken logs) they can find.
-Shane

They are 3,5cm - 4cm big and they already eating with the lights on
I've read that they are somtimes catched together with Anadoras grypus and that the indentification between Anadoras grypus and Amblydoras nauticus (and Amblydoras hancocki ??) is very difficult.

Is the identification between these 2(3) at young age difficult ?

Phyllonemus wrote: I've read that they are somtimes catched together with Anadoras grypus and that the indentification between Anadoras grypus and Amblydoras nauticus (and Amblydoras hancocki ??) is very difficult.

Is the identification between these 2(3) at young age difficult ?

IME Anadoras grypus is easy to identify but very scarce - i have only seen one which was mixed in a batch of agamyxis & i was told it was Amblydoras hancocki but was clearly different.

very cool that you are making a transition to SA. What Nannostomus are you keeping with them? I would assume that the Nannostomus could become food for any doras. I have considered a tank of doras as well, as I really miss my white spotted raph's.

BTW do you have any tank shots?

-Nate

nvcichlids wrote:very cool that you are making a transition to SA.

Nate, i didn'nt make a full transition to SA !
This tank is upstairs and the main tank in the living room is still Tanganyika ! I like both biotopes. SA is my second favorite !

I dont have pic's from the nauticus yet. They are 4 days in the tank and they are very shy at the moment ( size 4cm).
I'll hope this will change when they growing up in this tank.

nvcichlids wrote:I would assume that the Nannostomus could become food for any doras.

According to my information they aren't predatory, or am I wrong ?

In a tank with Platydoras I did miss some 25 platies (Xiphophorus maculatus) one day - and the Platydoras were the only candidates. The platies were ~2 to 3 cm

However, these Amblydoras will remain much smaller, and therefore the risk is also much less

Today, after a week in their new tank, they eat for the first time with the light on .

Very cool! My two are often out during the day in my busy 55g. And when I vacuum the gravel I just pick them up by hand and move them and they don't even seem to notice. One of the best doradids I've had so far.

I have 2 pics from my doradids, sold as Amblydoras hancocki.
These pictures are made when they where just 3 days in the tank.





The are almost 2,5 weeks in the tank now and there color pattern has been changed.
They have a "spotted" body pattern like the nauticus.

Here two movies of my wildcaught Amblydoras nauticus .

Fantastic
in the UK I have not seen any Doras for years aprt from stripe and spoted

Nice vid. My pair don't move much until the lights go out. They were more active before I moved them into the doradid tank, oddly enough. Yours look really great. A *toast* to years of enjoyment!

knifegill wrote:Nice vid. My pair don't move much until the lights go out. They were more active before I moved them into the doradid tank, oddly enough. Yours look really great. A *toast* to years of enjoyment!

Thanks, what will be the lifespan of this specie ?
There are 4 in the tank later on maybe 6 .

Does someone know what the lifespan of this specie is ?

Nobody ?

I don't know, but as they are said to be closely related to Platydoras, which do live a long time (I got 3 Platydoras for 22 years now) I'd assume Amblydoras can live a long live too

Certainly over a decade. But perhaps this you already assumed

Ok Thanks Bas !

I've read on a Dutch board that they are very slow growers, and that there lifespan is almost 15 years or so .

I've also read they are doing wel in small groups ( 4 ) and that a larger group isn't necessary. I'have a group of 4 in a new 100cm tank as the only catfish specie in the tank.
There are no c i c h l i d s in this tank !

Doe group size matter weather it's 4 or 6 ?
I'm asking this because I'm planning to expand the group to 6 !
They like there own companion isn't it ?

Phyllonemus wrote:
Doe group size matter weather it's 4 or 6 ?
I'm asking this because I'm planning to expand the group to 6 !
They like there own companion isn't it ?

Nobody ?

I wouldn't have thought that a smaller groups is in any way better... So, yeah, go for a bigger one...

--
Mats

Here's a new video of my Amblydoras nauticus juveniles during feeding.

Well? Any fry yet?

Nope, I think they are too young.

I have specimens with a belly without spots, and specimens with a spotted belly.
According to my info the ones with a spotted belly are males.

All five of mine have spotted bellies.

Hey, they have apparently acclimated to the tank and now two of them look bluish and have white bellies. The arrangement of their bony plates seems to indicate that all five are the same species. I admit my failure to have spawned the striped raphael cats, but for some reason I want to give these a try, too. I'll use a long corner caddy to create an artificial river bank and plant it with emergent and aquatic plants, then feed the fish lots of live foods. After normal maintenance for a month or so, I'll raise the temps a tad, add some distilled water during a water change and lengthen the daylight period to see if that triggers a spawn. If that doesn't work, I'll hang my cat hat and get back to anabantids...

Think a 30g is big enough for this?

Hi Knifegil, I think 30g is big enough.

My 4 Amblydoras nauticus like to hang in plants (Valisneria giganthea)and fold themselves in wood crevice.
My thank is full of wood with crevice and a few plants ( Valisneria giganthea ande Hydrocleis nymphoides).

I can't grow rooting plants. They always just rot away. But I use java moss, elodea, water lettuce and guppy grass and the fish enjoy it.

For now, the group is in my 75g doradid collection. One female nauticus is proving to be very brave and seeks food readily, while the other four remain shy. I will rescape my 30g long tank after the paradise fish have grown up and been moved on. It could be about two months before I try this, but when I do, there will be photos!

Have yours ever appeared to be in spawning condition? Any triggers or dietary additions you've made to get them spunky?