Bagrichthys macracanthus and Bagrichthys hypselopterus

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 21 Nov 2003, 00:36

Heok hee as you are very familiar with this one by the look of your signature, how well do you thing a group of Bagrichthys macracanthus and Bagrichthys hypselopterus would coexist together in a 360l tank.

Post by **Silurus** » 21 Nov 2003, 01:25

I've never seen a live Bagrichthys hypselopterus. Have you?
I don't really think that B. hypselopterus are fish suited for tanks, given the sizes they reach to, their diet and habitat requirements.

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 21 Nov 2003, 09:23

I'm about to attempt keeping two female B. macracanthus in a 48x30x18H", will report back.

Jools

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 21 Nov 2003, 17:57

Catfish planet has the size 30cmSL and fish base states max 40 cm TL. And i think i can set up suitable enviroment. I have only been researching for a couple of days on this species, as it just became availible on an importers list. I know its not one for the bigginer but would you say it is suitable under any circumstances.

PS size of tank mentioned could just be a short stay depending on speed of growth maximum suitable set up would be 270 gall 5X3X3.

Post by **Silurus** » 21 Nov 2003, 18:09

I'd be very wary of the identities on importer's lists. From what I have observed, B. hypselopterus does not appear to be a fish that takes well to being caught. The ones I have seen in a market were always not as fresh as all other fish (suggesting that they died almost immediately upon capture).
Bagrichthys macracanthus has long been considered juvenile B. hypselopterus (we know they are not, and I have not yet seen a B. hypselopterus under 20 cm SL anywhere, not even in a museum collection), so it's possible that you might be getting B. macracanthus instead.
All evidence suggests that B. hypselopterus are detritivores, inhabiting large rivers with muddy/silty bottoms. Doesn't sound like an easy setup (if at all possible). Filtration and keeping the substrate from going anoxic would be a nightmare, to say the least. Being a somewhat laterally compressed fish, I suspect it also requires a fair current (which will complicate matters).
There are plenty of cool catfish that die very easily upon capture and will therefore never make it to the aquarium trade. Ceratoglanis is one of them, and I suspect B. hypselopterus is another.