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Those who have been wondering where I've been for some time (I think the last time I visited here and posted was back in August, for crying out loud!) will be glad to know I'm still alive. Busy and otherwise occupied elsewhere, but still alive.

Anyway, I have some new arrivals. I finally managed to acquire some new Otocinclus catfishes to make up the numbers and stop my current one being lonely, so now I have four of them. But, I also acquired some other fish.

Those who remember my blanket weed problems in the aquarium with the SAEs will also remember that I acquired a nice pair of American Flag Fish (Jordanella floridae) to deal with it some time back. However, those fishes were adults, and pretty old ones at that, so they didn't last as long as I'd hoped.

Well, my LFS managed to obtain some juveniles at a VERY reasonable price, so I bought eight of them. Six for the aquarium with the SAEs, and two for the Panda Fun Palace.

Pictures will follow in due course!

First of all, the Otocinclus settled in nicely, and are happily helping themselves to a nice crop of algae growing on the back wall of the Panda Fun Palace, along with algae appearing on my Amazon Swordplant leaves. They're doing a fine job of keeping everything except the weird knobbly dark stuff off the leaves.

Second, the Flag Fish are hilarious. I bought six to begin with, all of them destined for the SAE tank. Now, the SAE's are getting on for 5 inches long (there's 3 of them) and most people would think twice about putting in juvenile fishes that are only ¾ inches long with fishes that size. Well, since the SAEs are dedicated herbivores (indeed they look at me with a strange look on their faces if I drop live bloodworm in with them and it takes them time to work out that they're supposed to eat them - fresh peas on the other hand are devoured so quick it's a wonder they taste them!) I've no real need to worry. The Flag Fish aren't in the least bit phased by being in with such large neighbours either!

In fact, the Flag Fish are plucky little characters, and when I pop in the veggie flakes, they not only race the SAE's to the flakes, but usually beat them to the dinner table!

Anyway, I discovered that the dreaded blanket weed had decided to materialise in the Panda Fun Palace, so I bought two more Flag Fish to pop into that aquarium as well. After being in a bare dealer aquarium, I think they welcomed my lush underwater jungle a LOT. In fact, I've had some fun watching them surf the powerhead bubbles, which is a sport I normally only associate with the Pandas ... but the juvenile Flag Fish seem to enjoy it too!

Photos to follow in the next couple of posts ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Photo time!

And first off, here's one of my new Otocinclus nestling among the Amazon Swordplant leaves ...

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Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Next, one of the two juvenile Flag Fish in the Panda Fun Palace ...



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Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Great to see you back again. I have given up on the Ottos I just kept losing them I now have 5 Cherry Red Shrimp and another 5 arriving in two days time and personally I think they are doing a better job than the Ottos ever done and they are certainly a lot easier to keep.

Also my SAEs as they become older they just seem to become lazy and prefer fish food rather than hunt for algae.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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How strange.

I seem to have no problems keeping my Otocinclus alive. One of mine lasted over 9 years.

Likewise, my SAEs don't seem to be in the least bit lazy. Mind you, they've received a wake up call now that the Flag Fish are in there with them


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

nice fish!!!! and im glad to see u back with some new fish. hopefuly u stay around lol.

hey cal,well done great fish,its good to see you back,althought you havent missed much,this site hias died in the bum in a big way lately,nobody is around anymore..dunno where they all went

Hi,
Welcome Back Calilasseia!

Missed ya. I hope it was work that was keeping you busy
and not poor health.
Welcome back!

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Well in my case Hokese, I ended up having lots of my time being eaten into by being made a moderator of another forum (not, incidentally, connected in any way with fishkeeping), and since the forum in question is a bit of a war zone, I've had practically zero time to pop in here of late ... which is more than a little annoying when you've shelled out for a premium membership!

I still recognise a few faces around here - LHG, yourself, Frank, Keith, Shini, Jason_RS and Sirbooks, but there's a brace of names I'd place on the MIA list ... haven't seen Kitten here for about 18 months, or Heidi, and who else did I chat to regularly in the chat room? Oh yes Bayoubuddy, what happened to him and his psychotic chipokae I wonder? I always wanted to see that fish because I'd heard so much about it's antics!

Anyway, the Flag Fish are well and truly settled in, and discovering that there are LOTS of nice things to be found hanging around Java Moss if they stop and look. They've also worked out where the food is likely to be dropped when I pop it in, and if they sense my footsteps around the tank, they make a mad dash for the best vantage points from which to launch out and snatch the food before anyone else gets a look in. Small juvenile size is NO impediment at all to these guys, and at the rate they're chomping through food AND algae, I won't have to wait that long for them to reach a decent size ... /:'

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

yeah lots of them are m.i.a!oh well at least you have been busy,so a moderator a,well thats real good mate!i no what you mean with the flagfish,very avid feeders!mine were the same,dispite there very small size they didnt miss a meal at all.also they were 1 of the best algae slayers ive came across.well it sounds a like your flags are all setled in now.did you ever figure out what happened to your other flag fish?are these fellas the replacement,you been waiting on,for algae duties cleanup

Given that I bought the previous Flag Fish when they were already big and chunky, it's possible that they were already heading for their pension books when I bought them. Not knowing how old they were, or how long these fishes live in captivity directly, it's possible I was caught on the hop buying middle-aged or senior citizen fish. That problem doesn't affect these new ones of course, and I'll have all the fun of watching them grow up and become chunky adults with a decent expectation with respect to life span.

This new batch was almost certainly younger than 4 months old when I got them, given the tiny size they were, but they're certainly not lacking in desire to pile on the body mass!

And, of course, with 8 of them, I have a nice little gene pool to play with once they're mature and ready to start the patter of tiny fins. Mind you, according to some sources I've read, fry segregation is allegedly an issue with them, because if you have a decent number of fry from a spawning, failure on the part of the aquarist to segregate them for size results in the fry doing the job for you, with the biggest fry culling the smallest on your behalf ... anyone here experienced this? Only it'll be nice to know what pitfalls to avoid if I start spawning them next year!

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

lol, senoir citizen fish,jeeze i love the way you word your posts cal,i love the old post between us,you were discribing the melgo catfish as the abrahams tank of the catfish world,anyway that is possible that you got your old flag and they were already over the hill,or heading for there pension books,as you say.but no, the flags are 1 fish that havent spawned yet,i had 4 of them,and they got to a nice size,however i dont think i had them long enuff to want to take on a batch of kids,about the only thing i made sure of was there water was looked after,and they got there vegie/alage waffers,after murdering every bit of green algea in my 55gal,i realized just how fast they can slay this green pest,thus,i just made sure they got there greens,and they were fine.also i would think having 8 in your tank,the algae is losing the battle FAST.

The funny part about this is that as I launched into typing this post, I took a look over my shoulder and guess what? The two Flag Fish I put in the Panda Fun Palace are tugging away at strands of algae they've found growing amongst the Java Moss on my bogwood "boot" ... somehow I think the algae has met its match even in that tank, let alone the other aquarium that has SIX of them plus three SAEs!

And, since the Panda Fun Palace now has four Otocinclus as well ... I think it's game, set and match as far as the algae is concerned. In fact, I have a funny feeling I'll be cultivating some of those "Otocinclus Pet Rocks" I've mentioned in the past for the Flag Fish as well ...




Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

yeah they love there algae,and it sounds like your fellas have the battle won,plus the war tooi remember like a few hours after i put my 4 in,they sort of hung togther,but then it was like yum theres algae in here,and away they went,b4 i new it,as i said,they cleaned out a 55 gal...but once the supply of algae ran dry,they didnt seem to mind other green things as replacement.greedy buggers thet were...

Meanwhile, having had some regrettable losses among the Pandas earlier in the year, my LFS has now acquired some, and I'm able to start building up the numbers again, returning the Panda Fun Palace to its former glory. Already, the new guys are settling in quite nicely, and they've discovered that they have big "mummy" Pandas to show them around their new home. It's sweet to watch.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

yeah even tho i dont have them anymore,i must admit the little pandas are fun to watch,so i looks like you have found a little bit of extra time cal,seen a few of your new posts,witch is a good thing