Author Archives: Paul_

Freshly arrived from Colombia: the Megaclown L 340. We can offer one of the most beautiful and at the same time most variable Hypancistrus “species” in very good quality. The animals already reached maturity, so that the outstanding contrast should remain. In their requirements for maintenance they do not differ from their Brazilian cousins, warm, well filtered and oxygen-rich water, as well as a varied feeding secure their well-being.(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

Liposarcus pardalis has enormous area of origin that enclosure nearly the entire Amazon basin. It is found in different waters types, herefrom results a large adaptability for the maintenance in aquaria.
According to the size (> 40cm) enormous food quantities are consumed. In Southeast Asia they are bred in large numbers and so wild caughts are only rarely traded. All the more beautifully it is to get some splendourful drawn adolescent wild caught.

(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

Spectracanthicus zuanoni L 354 originates from Rio Xingu and the Rio Iriri in Brazil. It has been described scientifically only in 2014 (see http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/archiv.php?news_id=1195). The fish belongs to the same species as L 20, with however clearly larger white marks, so that the design reminds of a black net on a bright background. The reddish, large eyes form a beautiful contrast.

A characteristic for the former Oligancistrus species is the large dorsal fin, therefore the name Sailfinloricariids suggested by Seidel appears as very applicable for this group. Since Spectracanthicus species are found in shallow water zones with fast flowing water, they place high requirements against the water quality. As many other Loricariids from this region they should be kept at higher temperatures.

It should be paid attention on their nutrition. A too rich food with a high protein content can lead in the long term to liver damages.

For our customers: the fish have code 26480-L 254-3 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in very limited numbers only!

Photos: F. Schäfer, Text: K. Diehl

The 5 species of the genus Crossoloricaria are all looking very similar to the flounder Loricariid genus Pseudohemiodon. These fish have as well a flattened body form, small eyes lying distally on the triangularly formed head. The difference between these two genii is the missing of the ventral bony plates of Crossoloricaria. Only at the medial line of the ventral side there is a small row of tiny bony plates. C. cephalispis does not grow larger then 20 cm. They absolutely need a sandy substrate, in which they can bury themselves as deep as possible. This means that they often are difficult to spot at all. When they are new in the aquarium they only come out of the sand during the night, but after a period of acclimatisation they appear at feeding time. This species also originates from the north of Colombia.(Text: I. den Daas, Photo: F. Schäfer)

Loricaria simillima has a very wide distribution in South America. It is found in the Orinoco-, Amazon- and La Plata basins. A result of this large area many different color forms are known, which differ clearly regarding coloration and pattern. The species occurs in different water types. Black water forms are more demanding in maintenance and breeding than fishes originating from white water. For keeping them middlehard water with a pH of 6 – 8 and temperatures between 24 – 27°C is sufficient. As omnivorous fishes they are rather undemanding in their nutrition, tablet food, flakes and frosted food are accepted. The aquarium should have a sandy soil, some dark corners made by stones and bogwood increase the comfort for the fish. With a total length of 25 cm they should be kept in not to small tanks, they are mouthbrooders, the male guards the eggs and larvae.(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

For our customers: the fish have code 266653 on our stocklist.Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Lexikon: Loricaria: from the Latin word „lorica“which is the chest protector of the Roman legionnaire, eg „one that wears a chest protector“. simillima: Latin, means “very similiar”, which refers to the similarity of the species to L. cataphracta.

Suggestion of a common name: Royal Whiptail Cat

September 2003: This week we received from Brasil a really unique fish: L-81 HIGHFIN. Our supplier advised us to send this fish and it really was worth waiting….was it not?(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

This in the DATZ 12/05 introduced very beautiful Hypancistrus variant is at present in a small number available. The animals remind in their habitus of L 333 and with these are also occasionally confounded. In the figure they are more delicate, somewhat more stretched and reach only one overall length of maximally 12 cm, while L can reach 333 16 cm overall length. The most remarkable difference however is to see in the gold-yellow basic colour on that a dark-brown line pattern appears. In their requirements for maintenance they hardly differ from other Hypancistrus species. They like a meaty diet, are however not averse from occasional cucumber or zucchini feeding. With good water hygiene, temperatures over 27°C and a high oxygen content they are well maintained. Against the water parameters they do not place special requirements. They were bred by the author at pH 7.9, DGH 12, KH 6 and a conductivity of 350mS. The young fish grow slowly and seem to be somewhat more sensitive than L 333.

(Photo & Text K. Diehl)

This Chaetostoma species is imported in regular intervals from the upper Orinoco through Puerto Ayacucho. This catfish is very difficult to differentiate from L 147 and L 188. L 188 has often described in the literature as C. nudirostre. C. pearsi lives in fast streaming mountain brooks and therefore needs in the aquarium oxygen rich water. This species does not grow above 10 cm total length and is a typical aufwuchs eater, which means in nature it grazes algae but eats mainly the crustaceans, which live in the vegetation. In the aquarium it eats flake and tablet food as well. C. pearsi is a friendly fish but can become territorial against individuals of the same species. If one wants to keep more animals in the fish tank, hiding places are obligatory. (Text: I. den Daas, Photo: F. Schäfer)

As one of the early imported representatives of the so-called L-number catfishes L 66 has already an unbroken popularity. At present we can offer beside wild caughts also very beautiful german breds. Such bright grounded L 66 are at least as attractive as the most „newer“ Hypancistrus species. With a final size of approx. 15 cm they belong to the larger representatives of their genus, a smaller group of them can be maintained very well in tanks starting from 70cm length. As all Hypancistrus they are carnivores, a vegetarian complementary food is estimated. They do not clean tanks and their surrounding, for this task the long-known Ancistrus „dolichopterus“ are substantially better suitable.

(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

From the Rio Jamanxim in Brazil we could import a small number of L 360 with nice yellow-orange fins. They are unproblematic in the maintenance need however a high portion of vegetables in their food. Similar as Panaques this over 30 cm large growing species specieseats large quantities ofr bogwood. A high performance filtering unit and frequent water changes are required for their well-being. Since they are quite rarely imported and maintained, no continuative information is known to us.

September 2006: Latterly we received this very rich contrasted male of an unknown Hypancistrus species. Certainly here exists a similarity to L 333 and also Hypancistrus spec. Xingu. It gets more and more difficult to attach single fishes to existing L numbers or to a known Hypancistrus species, because there are not enough hard criteria for a categorisation and at the moment regularly “new” Hypancistrus are coming in from Brazil.(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

December 2005: After years when no Panaque cochliodon (Panaque suttoni, P. suttonorum) were imported, now again few individuals reach us. Whether environmental problems or the civil war in parts of Colombia are responsible for their non appearence, can not be judged from a distance. We are glad to see this in former times not rare species again. Their bright blue eyes on black body are singular and make up the special attraction of this species. To secure their tank existence breeding attempts would be interesting. However, even in former years, when they were not so rare no guaranteed breeding reports are known. Wood eater of this size (> 40cm) need large aquariums with very high performance filtering units, since substantial excrement quantities are produced. The vegetable part of the food should be high, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables are gladly eaten.

(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)

This rarely imported catfish species originates from the federal states Bahia and Espirito Santo at the coast of brazil. With only 3cm of total length it belongs to the smallest Loricariids. There habitats are small and fast running streams. They mostly stay in areas thickly covered with vegetation. Otothyris travassosi is not a fish for a beginner. It makes great demands on the water quality/hygiene. Also the temperature of the water should not be too high (19-25°C). According to several different authors it is found in White- as well as Clearwater. In details of the place where it was found ph-values just under 7 and conductivities between 100 – 150 µs/cm can be meas-ured. Make sure of a good care with vegetable foodstuffs, also fine living food is ac-cepted. Nothing is known about successful breeding.

(Photo: Erwin Schraml, Text: Klaus Diehl)

The denomination of this beautiful Hypancistrus is still disputed. It run long time under the number L 287, so it is named on our stock list. Recently it is called L 399 and/or L 400, the origin is the Rio Xingu, where it gets caught in the neighbourhood of Belo Monte. This species belongs into the relationship of L 66, L 236 and L 345. The animals reach an overall length of approx. 12 cm. Contrary to many L catfish species the strong contrast of these animals remains also at the age, so that they are very attractive. As for other Hypancistrus species a vegetable diet is not sufficient, this should only be an addition to meaty food. At higher temperatures (27 – 30°C) and good hygienic conditions the keeping of this species is not difficult. First reports on successful breeding are already present.

(Photo & Text K. Diehl)