This beautiful danio comes from Burma. It looks like the big brother of Microrasbora rubenscens. Males become wonderful red. Temperature: 18-28°, the water should preferably be rather hard and alcalic than soft and acidic, the fish is a peaceful schooling fish that attains a maximum length of around 5-7 cm.
For our customers: the fish has code 414402 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The small remaining whiptail catfishes of the genus Rineloricaria enjoy great popularity among aquarists. They have a whimsical appearance, are peaceful, have no high space requirements and can usually be bred quite well. Some species have even really fancy pattern. The most beautiful is certainly R. teffeana. It has no bright colors, but a really attractive pattern. Its maximum length is about 12 cm (without caudal fin).
Although Tefé in Brazil is a famous discus locality (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/discus_wild_royal_green_tefe_en/) Rineloricaria teffeana, which has its type locality there (i.e. that the specimens, which were available to Mr. Steindachner in 1879 and on the basis of which the species was described and named, were collected there), is offered only extremely rarely by exporters. Therefore we are very happy and proud to have some of these beauties now in our stock.
For our customers: the fish have code 257975 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The cute Parotocinclus jumbo, also known as Pitbull Pleco or LDA25, is a very popular aquarium fish. Unfortunately imports take place only very irregularly and can hardly be planned. Therefore we are happy to be able to offer this nice little fish as offspring now.
More information about the species can be found here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/lda25-parotocinclus-jumbo-2/
The pictures show the bred fish we currently have in the stock.
For our customers: the animals have code 26480-LDA 025X-2 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The dwarf glass perch, Parambassis lala, is widely distributed in South Asia; it can be found in India, Burma and Nepal. In the past this dwarf, which never grows larger than 2-3 cm, was mistaken for the juvenile of other species, which is why completely wrong size data (up to 8 cm) and also completely wrong ecological data (supposedly it is a brackish water fish, but this is not true) can be found in the literature. In reality P. lala lives only in pure fresh water and remains small.
However, there are several forms of this species, which may yet turn out to be separate species upon closer inspection. We occasionally receive wild-caught specimens from India (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/parambassis-lala-2/), but we also receive captive-bred specimens from Southeast Asia. In our country dwarf glassfish are rarely bred, because the feeding reflex of the larvae is only triggered by the nauplii of a certain small crustacean species (Diaptomus). Without this food, an attempt at rearing is pretty much futile.
Dwarf glassfish are delightful aquarium inhabitants, always “strutting” around the tank like little tin soldiers. The males court the females spiritedly, but without becoming aggressive. Spawning takes place in fine plants, brood care is not practiced by dwarf glassfish.
Concerning the water (pH, hardness) Dwarf Glassfish are undemanding, the temperature can be between 16 and 30°C (depending on the season, no sudden temperature changes!). Eaten is exclusively frozen and live food, dry food is strictly refused.
For our customers: The dwarf glass perch has code 441282 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
In India live two species of moth catfishes, which are practically impossible to distinguish in living condition. They are nevertheless sometimes even assigned to two different genera: Hara and Erethistes. The difference between the two genera lies in the structure of the vertebral body, that is, of something invisible in the living animal; according to many ichthyologists, this is not enough to distinguish two genera, and then all moth catfishes would have to be assigned the generic name Erethistes, since this is older and has priority. The difference between the species Hara hara ( = Erethistes hara) and Erethistes pusillus is only in the way the front of the pectoral fin spine is spined. In Erethistes pusillus the spines on the front of the pectoral fin spine are two pointed, in Hara hara ( = Erethistes hara) only one pointed. By the way, the animals are called moth catfishes, because their coloration and the broadly extending pectoral fins remind of night butterflies.
So you have to look at the pectoral fin spine in high magnification and back light to be sure which of the two species you have in front of you. But this does not mean that all specimens of the import belong to this species, because Hara hara ( = Erethistes hara) and Eretisthes pusillus occur in the same distribution area and are often caught and exported together. In the trade we have not yet found a practicable method to distinguish the two species with certainty and therefore we call all moth catfishes of the Erethistes/Hara group imported from India (Bengal) to us Hara hara, with the exception of the well recognizable species Hara horai ( = Erethistes horai) and H. jerdoni ( = Erethistes jerdoni).
Basically it doesn’t matter, because all species of this Erethistes/Hara group grow to 4-5 cm and are excellent, peaceful and easy to care aquarium fishes. The animals we currently have in the stock and from which the pictures accompanying this post were taken could be identified as Erethistes pusillus in four cases, in one of the animals, which otherwise could not be distinguished from the others (in total there were 7 specimens in the photo tank), the pectoral fin front edge spination corresponded to Hara hara ( = Erethistes hara).
For our customers: The animals have code 419724 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
With a maximum length of 14 cm, the Tanganyika lampeye fish is the largest lampeye fish at all. It is found exclusively (= endemic) in Lake Tanganyika, where it lives in huge schools along rocky coasts. It is a breathtaking sight when such a shoal, comprising several thousand individuals, comes swimming around a cape like a closed jewel band. However, only the males are colorful. The females are much smaller and inconspicuous in color.
Like all lampeyes, this species spawns in crevices. The spawn takes 3-6 weeks to develop. L. tanganicanus is a very sensitive fish, with high demands on water quality. The water must be very clean and germ-poor, the pH should be absolutely over 7. Against injuries of all kinds this fish is extraordinarily sensitive, why it appears in the trade practically only as offspring and in relatively small sizes. Large specimens are too vulnerable to injury. Fortunately, the species becomes sexually mature early and colors already with a length of 5-6 cm.
For care it is recommended to have a shoal as large as possible in an aquarium as large as possible. Regarding food Lamprichthys tanganicanus is easy, it will gladly accept all common ornamental fish food. The fish is very peaceful but skittish, so for a possible company intended other species must be absolutely peaceful.
For our customers: Lamprichthys tanganicanus has code 328003 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The Funge is a river or, rather, estuary in southeastern Cameroon in the district of Ndian. The Funge is less than 40 km long and is part of a system of coastal marshlands whose best known outlet is the Rio del Rey. This in turn is in contact with the Cross River drainage, which forms the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. From this wild, beautiful and internationally protected landscape comes the population of the killifish Aphyosemion bivittatum, which we present to you here. Of course the fish we can offer are, as almost always with Killifishes, captive bred specimens.
Aphyosemion bivittatum belongs to a well defined Aphyosemion group, for which the name Chromaphyosemion is available and preferred within the killifish community. However, scientists concerned with killifish systematics consider it premature to separate some groups from the larger genus Aphyosemion without an overall revision. That is why Chromaphyosemion is currently listed only as a subgenus.
Chromaphyosemion are wonderful beginner killifishes, as they can definitely be kept in community aquariums with calm small fish. Their life expectancy is as high as of other small fish species, so they are not seasonal fish. Usually such animals become 2-3 years old. Aphyosemion bivittatum is an adhesive spawner that lays its eggs on fine-grained plants, roots, etc. The eggs take about 14 days to develop. Since Aphyosemion bivittatum is considered to be exceptionally voracious, this species will also sometimes eat its own spawn, which is otherwise uncommon in killies.
For our customers: The species has code 305512 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
After many years we have once again imported the cute brackish water goby Mugilogobius chulae. The species grows only about 4 cm long and lives in brackish water regions and in fresh waters where the tidal influence is noticeable. Our animals come from Indonesia, but the species is widely distributed in the western Pacific region (Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand). In the aquarium one should offer a sea salt addition (3-5 g/l) and pay attention to hard water, the pH value should be over 8 if possible.
Then the small goblins, whose males constantly bicker harmlessly, will do very good in the aquarium and also spawn. They are cave breeders, the male guards the spawn. The larvae are tiny and develop only in pure sea water. They feed on Euplotes and other tiny marine plankton, which can be cultivated, but this is very laborious and therefore rarely practiced.
For our customers: the animals have code 436804 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The genus Mugilogobius comprises 33 species. The determination of living specimens is often uncertain, because the anatomical features (especially certain sensory pits), which show quite clearly in formalin preserved animals, are not recognizable in the living fish. Since there is hardly any picture material of surely determined animals, doubts often remain. Since the species reproduce via larval stages living in the sea, the origin is also not a good criterion for identification. However: one species, which we could import from Indonesia for the first time, matches very well with Mugilogobius mertoni.
Mugilogobius mertoni grows about 6 cm long, males grow larger than females. They live very often in brackish water and can even be found in the sea, but there are also records from pure fresh water. Thus, it is a euryhaline species that copes well with widely varying salinity. It is important with such fish in the aquarium that the pH is not too low, usually they show discomfort at pH values below 8. The entire distribution area covers the Indo-Pacific region from South Africa and the Seychelles to Japan, Pakistan, the Indo-Malay Archipelago, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanatu, Australia and the Santa Cruz Islands. Our animals come from Indonesia.
They are very attractive fishes, which should be kept in aquariums rich in hiding places. As with other Mugilogobius the males are constantly up to quarrels, which are harmless in all rule, but one should give possibly stressed, inferior animals nevertheless the possibility to withdraw.
For our customers: the fish have code 436863 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The breeders in Southeast Asia have realized a new color variation of the good old Black Molly, which they call “Red”. This is not a solid red fish, like for example a red swordtail, but the breeding form “Red” of the Molly has red spots in different intensity on the scales. When viewed from above, this is particularly noticeable because most fish have more of these red spots in the top three rows of scales. In addition, there is a red colored chest to varying degrees.
So that no rogue thinks that this red coloration is a product of Photoshop, we have photographed some of the long time known golden Mollies with the new “Red”. In direct comparison the difference is very clear.
The beautiful new “Red” are available in traditional shortfin and lyrafin.
For our customers: normal finned Molly “Red” have code 432152, lyra finned code 432154 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The Nerites, also known as racing snails (family Neritidae), are distributed worldwide in warm and temperate zones. They have an operculum at the foot that allows them to close the shell completely, a cup-shaped shell, and they are often strikingly brightly colored. Many tropical species colonize uppermost shore areas and can live in both seawater and freshwater. Reproduction occurs via egg capsules, which usually hatch into free-swimming larvae (called veligers). These larvae live for some time in the plankton of the sea until they transform into the typical snail. Veligers cannot develop in freshwater, which is why, with the exception of the genus Theodoxus native to Europe, Nerites do not reproduce in freshwater. Theodoxus is a special case; in their egg capsules there are 50-200 eggs, but only one of them develops into the finished snail, while the rest serves as food for the single child.
Vitta virginea is a small (shell width not more than 1.5 cm), very variably colored Nerite. There are hardly two specimens that look exactly the same. The species has a very wide distribution from Florida to Brazil (where our specimens come from) and also on several Caribbean islands. The wide distribution is easily explained by the marine larval stage; adults usually live in fresh or brackish water.
As with many other Nerites, there are two reasons that make them perfect aquarium snails: they are excellent algae eaters and very colorful. They do not eat filamentous and brush algae, but they do eat all algae films on glass, decorative objects and plants. The plants themselves are not attacked.
For our customers: the animals have code 493954 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Because of its bright yellow fins Corydoras melanotaenia surely belongs to the most beautiful armored catfishes at all. It is, so to speak, the long snout to the bronze cory type, which can be found throughout South America. In contrast to its ubiquitous cousin, C. melanotaenia is an endemic of Colombia, i.e. it occurs exclusively there.
The origin of C. melanotaenia, which was already scientifically described in 1912, was unclear for a long time. It is said that the animals on which the first description was based were caught in the Rio Magdalena basin, where later expeditions searched for them in vain. Already in 1922 it was assumed that the type specimens were sent to London via Honda (this place is located at the Rio Magdalena), but in reality they came from the Rio Meta basin. In fact, to date, not a single species of Corydoras has been reported from the Rio Magdalena and it is generally agreed that C. melanotaenia comes from the Rio Meta basin.
This Corydoras grows to about 5 cm and has all the positive characteristics that make Corydoras so popular in the aquarium: a lively and completely peaceful nature and uncomplicated keeping.
For our customers: C. melanotaenia has code 235503 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos; Frank Schäfer
The dwarf gobies of the genus Pandaka are closely related to the bumble bee gobies (Brachygobius), but still much smaller. The species Pandaka pygmea was even considered the smallest vertebrate on earth for a long time, but it has since been outranked. The species Pandaka rouxi also usually grows to only 10-12 mm in length, the largest specimen ever measured had a length of 18 mm (all sizes include caudal fin).
These dwarfs live in brackish water areas. They can tolerate both pure freshwater and pure seawater, but in the long run it does them no good. They are found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea (incl. offshore islands) and probably also in Australia.
We have now for the first time imported some of these tiny fish, which when fully grown are only the size of a newborn molly, as a test. They are cute, but also demanding fish, which we will get in the future, if at all, only on special customer request. In our experience, they need well acclimated brackish water (at least 5g/l sea salt) and fine live food (e.g. Artemia nauplii). Our wholesale aquariums are simply too big for such mini-fish, you need comparatively huge amounts of food, so that everyone gets something, but of course a lot of it dies, which pollutes the water strongly. So these are fish for specialists who have appropriate small aquariums in operation. Nevertheless, we are glad to have seen this natural wonder with our own eyes!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
We have already reported about the Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/lepisosteus-oculatus-2/. Now we have received small gars from Indonesia, which correspond in all characteristics to L. oculatus, but show a very striking silver luster. The smaller ones (6-8 cm) have a quite dark basic coloration, which brightens up clearly with somewhat larger animals (11-14 cm). We don’t know, but we can well imagine that the dark elements in the pattern are covered by silver even more with increasing growth.
Apparently, breeding operations in Indonesia are quite intensively concerned with deviating color forms in gars. Especially desired are platinum colored or reddish animals. Since Lepisosteus oculatus is already very variable by nature (there are six synonyms of the species, which in the past was often equated with L. platostomus, of which another three synonyms exist), the species lends itself to breeding experiments.
For our customers: the animals have code 848231 (6-8 cm) and 848238 (11-14 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Corydoras leucomelas belongs to the frequently imported species of its genus. Typical characteristics of the round-nosed species are a strongly pronounced eye band, the coloration of the dorsal fin in connection with the black dorsal spot located at the beginning of the dorsal fin, a vertical black band at the end of the caudal peduncle and the stripes of the caudal fin. The body markings, on the other hand, are so varied in animals up to about 4 cm in length that each individual can be recognized individually by them; only fully grown fish develop a uniform pattern of black spots. The maximum size of the species is 5 – 5.5 cm.
Main export region of Corydoras leucomelas is Peru, where is also the type locality (i.e. the place where the type specimen used for the scientific description of the species was collected): Yarina Cocha. However, C. leucomelas is quite widespread in the upper Amazon watershed, eg in Colombia (Rio Orteguaza) , Bolivia and Ecuador. The species looks especially pretty when kept in a shoal of 10-15 specimens. The swarm cohesion of C. leucomelas is much more pronounced than in many other armored catfishes and thus often results in the very beautiful picture of such a troop foraging through the aquarium.
For our customers: the animals have code 233503 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The tetras belonging to the genus Pyrrhulina combine the advantages of two basic groups of ornamental fish. The first group are the schooling species that are always visible and swim merely in the open water: tetras and barbs. The second group has a fascinating behaviour and takes care for the brood: the cichlids and the labyrinth fish.
One of the most attractive species of Pyrrhulina is P. spilota. We were able once more to import it from Peru. The males of the up to 7-8 cm long species can be easily distinguished from the females. Males have silvery scales in the first third of the body and a contrasting marked anal fin. Both features are missing in the smaller females.
Usually P. spilota behave like „regular“ tetras and swim in the open water. They prefer the upper third of the water column, but can be found anywhere in the tank. Like most tetras they feed happily on any type of usual fish food – even dried food items – and don´t damage any plants. So far their behaviour is much alike other tetras.
But when the breeding season comes everything changes. Now the males occupy territories, preferably around a plant with broad leaves, but if this is not availble a stone or a root will also do. For this is the substrate the fish spawn on. Most tetras are egg scatterers that take no care for their spawn at all. In contrast to them Pyrrhulina produce a pretty compact spawn that looks much alike the spawn of a cichlid. In Pyrrhulina, the male alone takes care for the eggs, like in labyrinth fish. And it is very serious with that! Possible tankmates have to take good care not come too close to the spawning site! When the offspring hatches and leaves the leaf the male´s job is done and it turns back to the behaviour of a regular tetra…
For our customers: P. spilota have code 286782 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited numbers only!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The Red Turquoise lines were among the first breeding forms of the Discus Cichlid, developed in the 1980s. Aquaristics had reached the point where wild-caught Brown/Blue Discus could be considered “cracked”. So one mastered their successful acclimation and breeding. Since wild-caught discus turn out very inconsistently – between simply brown and completely blue streaked animals (Royal Blue) everything is possible within the same population – in the next step one wanted to selectively breed the fish that were considered particularly attractive. By selective mating of Royal Blue discus with animals, which had as much red as possible in the body ground coloration, the Red-Turquoise discus were created. Until today many people consider this discus breeding form as one of the most beautiful discus at all.
Also red-turquoise discus are bred nowadays in large numbers in the discus breeders of Asia. They have remained the most „wild typed“ compared with the other Asian breedings.
For our customers: the “Super Red Turqoise” in size 5-7 cm as on the photos have code 715102 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The “Pidgeon Blood” discus, which appeared in the early 1990s as a mutation in Asian discus breeding, revolutionized discus breeding. It combined two characteristics that discus breeders had previously only dreamed of: an early coloration, i.e. already 5-7 cm long juveniles look essentially like adult fish in terms of color. And a second advantage of the mutation: even when in unfamiliar surroundings, the animals do not show the discus dress consisting of vertical stripes, nor do they darken.
The original Pidgeon Blood – the name, by the way, refers to a gemstone (ruby) of the same name – no longer exists. It had too many “freckles”, black speckles irregularly distributed over the whole body. By crossbreeding other discus breeding forms, like red-turquoise etc., the freckle pattern was displaced more and more. Today’s Pidgeon-Blood varieties show them almost not at all.
There is no uniform naming of the many dozens of Pidgeon-Blood varieties. Each breeding farm assigns its own names. A “Pidgeon Blood Panda” is usually understood to be a Pidgeon Blood discus in the color red-turquoise (i.e. red body base color and turquoise pattern elements), in which the turquoise pattern elements form a pattern of unconnected spots (= checkerboard pattern) and parts of the dorsal and anal fin are blackish in color.
For our customers: Pidgeon Blood Panda in 5-7 cm length (as shown in the pictures) have code 714952 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The color red is the dream color of many animal breeders. Red canaries, red swordtails, red guppies, red angelfish – wherever this was genetically possible, it was realized. With polychromatic fish species, e.g. with Apistogramma, where in nature always several color variants occur together, the red ones were preferred in breeding. And with the discus? Here, too, red is the trump card. With turquoise discus the red-turquoise ones are seen as the most beautiful, with the brown ones one looked – particularly with Alenquer fish – also on red color elements. So it is only logical that among the Asian Discus also a red fish is the best seller: Marlboro Red.
Marlboro Red is descended from Pidgeon Bloods, and breeders are working hard to push back the smoky black color elements that appear in Pidgeon Bloods. They have succeeded quite well with the current strains. The closest you can see to where the genetic roots of Marlboro Red lie is in the smoky gray tail fin.
For our customers: the fish have code 702502 (5-7 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The Asian discus cultivars enjoy great popularity, because on the one hand they color very early (wild forms all look similarly unspectacular in 5-7 cm length) and on the other hand they are not very shy, so they can be presented well even in unfamiliar surroundings.
Of the solid blue discus, the Blue Diamond, which was created in the 1990s, is the most popular. Breeders also pay a lot of attention to the brilliant red eye in this fish, which contrasts nicely with the blue body color. The modern discus breeds are much less sensitive than wild-caught fish, but even with them one should absolutely observe the three basic pillars of successful discus care: good water hygiene, keeping in schools and a varied diet. Then you will experience much joy with these fish.
For our customers: Blue Diamond 5-7 cm have code 709602 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Within the banjo catfish family (Aspredinidae), there is a group of dwarfish small species (called the tribus Hoplomyzontini) divided into four genera: Ernstichthys, Hoplomyzon, Dupouyichthys and Micromyzon. They grow only 2-3 cm long. In nature they live buried in fine sand (at least during the day). Most species prefer the deepest channels of medium to large streams, which is why they usually escape both scientific and aquarium fish collectors. Therefore, very little is known about them.
We could now import Hoplomyzon sexpapilostoma from Colombia. So far four Hoplomyzon species are known, two from the surroundings of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela (H. atrizona and H. intosus), one species distributed quite widely in the Amazon and Orinoco (H. papillatus) and one known exclusively from the Orinoco (H. sexpapilostoma). Our animals agree very well with the characteristics mentioned in the orignal description of H. sexpapilostoma.
So far we can report only little about the animals. They are very peaceful among themselves and go willingly to live bloodworm as food. We have not had any losses so far. We keep them on bare glass bottom for better control, but in the photo tank they disappeared completely in the sand in a flash with a few strong tail strokes.
For our customers: the animals have code 258903 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Bagrichthys macracanthus is a very interesting catfish from Southeast Asia (East Sumatra). This catfish reaches a maximum length of about 20 cm. In nature it lives in calm river sections. Among themselves, especially the males are quite incompatible, in pairs or in groups of a male with a surplus of females maintained, however, the species gets along quite well with conspecifics. Sexually mature animals (from about 15 cm) can be sexually differentiated very well, because the males have an unusually long, penis-like urogenital papilla; in females the urogenital papilla is small and inconspicuous. But even in younger animals, females can already be easily recognized by their taller body shape. Juveniles up to about 5 cm in length are not yet pure black, but have light colored bands (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/bagrichthys-macracanthus-2/).
Bagrichthys macracanthus – in the trade they are called “Black Lancers” – are peaceful towards fishes of other species, but tankmates should not be much smaller than about a quarter of the length of the Black Lancer, otherwise they could end up as food. Bagrichthys macracanthus is nocturnal and needs cave hiding places during the day to feel comfortable. For feeding the animals leave their hiding places also during the day. Every usual fish food is eaten. The chemical composition of the water is unimportant, the water temperature should be between 24 and 28°C.
For our customers: the animals have code 368482 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
From the Colombian province of Caquetá we occasionally receive a magnificent Geophagus of the surinamensis group, which is obviously a scientifically not yet described species. Three color characteristics are used for the identification of Geophagus of this complex relationship: 1. the shape, position and size of the lateral spot in relation to the eye, 2. the vertical body bands and 3. black markings in the area of the pre-gill cover. The corresponding combination of characteristics of Geophagus sp. “Caqueta” does not correspond to any of the described species.
They are, like most Geophagus of the surinamensis group, beautiful, comparatively peaceful animals, of which we can offer just 5 specimens in a size of 13-16 cm.
For our customers: the fish have code 674486 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The marble hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) is the ideal aquarium fish. It remains small (4 cm), is peaceful and has an interesting coloration. The species is widely distributed in South America (Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana, Peru and Suriname) and common. That is why it is almost always found in the offer of the ornamental fish trade.
In the different distribution areas the marble hatchetfish looks different. In the past several subspecies were described, so fasciata from Brazil (Tabatinga), marowini and surinamensis from Suriname and vesca from Guyana. At present, however, the subspecies are not recognized. Perhaps the most beautiful, because most contrasting variant comes to us from Peru and is called “vesca” in the trade.
Hatchetfishes are somewhat skittish during acclimation and should never be kept with rowdy species. Ideal is a combination with bottom fish like corydoras catfish. When feeding, make sure that the animals only take food from the surface. Dry food is a good nutritional basis, but for breeding you have to put a little more effort and feed small insects like fruit flies. The sexes are not distinguishable externally, but females grow slightly larger and are plumper around the middle at spawning time.
For our customers: the fish have code 214304 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Cyprichromis and Paracyprichromis are very special mouthbrooding cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. They live in sometimes huge schools and feed on small animals that they pick from the free water column. To attract the attention of females, the males can be very colorful. They do not occupy actual territories. The females, on the other hand, are as inconspicuously colored as possible and enjoy the protection of the community from predators in the shoal.
Paracyprichromis nigripinnis grows to about 10 cm in length. The genus Paracyprichromis differs from Cyprichromis purely visually mainly by the tail fin shape, which in male Paracyprichromis is adorned with extended tips. Females are less intensely colored than males and have a transparent caudal fin.
For our customers: the animals have code 520001 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Since the first scientific description of Hyphessobrycon epicharis in 1997, this species is on the dream list of many tetra enthusiasts. Unique feature of this Rosy tetra is the shape of the shoulder spot, which distinguishes it from all other species.
The specimens on which the first description was based came from the upper reaches of the Rio Baria in the Cerro de Neblina area in the extreme south of Venezuela (Territorio Federal Amazonas) on the border with Brazil; no ornamental fish are exported from there. In the meantime it turned out that the species is much more widespread in Venezuela and Brazil (upper Rio Negro, Casiquiare and upper Orinoco), but always away from the usual fishing routes. The first live photo was brought by Hans-Georg Evers in 2000 with a cuvette photo of the Rio Miuá taken at the site. Later Kai Arend was able to photograph a pair in the aquarium of a guide in Venezuela, which he had caught above the mouth of the Rio Ventuari into the Orinoco and brought home.
Now, for the first time ever, we were able to import this tetra jewel. They are magnificent, very elegant fish, even though they hardly show any red color, contrary to many pictures on the internet. This is obviously a matter of local populations. Where exactly our animals come from we do not know, they were exported from Brazil. The females differ clearly from the males by the coloration of the dorsal fin. By the way, they are the more active part during courtship. During the photo session for this post, there were three males and one female in the aquarium. The female dominated the males! During courtship our H. epicharis develop a smoky dark coloration due to expansion of the black pigment cells (melanophores), while otherwise they are cistalline-transparent with a red tinge.
The unfortunately very expensive animals will certainly be welcomed with open arms by tetra specialists. We assume that the breeding will succeed soon and they will become accessible to a wider public.
We have also made a small film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBofRyOLk3g
For our customers: the fish have code 260043 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
One of the most popular, because most colorful cichlids of Lake Malawi is the O-form of Maylandia estherae (synonym: Metriaclima e.). “O” stands for “orange.” As with many other species of Lake Malawi, several color forms occur within the same population of M. estherae in the wild. In the “normal” color form of M. estherae, the males are bright light blue with delicate vertical stripes, and the females are brownish. In the O-form, the fish are bright orange over the entire surface. In nature, it is mainly females that exhibit the O-form, but there are also – although extremely rare – O-males. Finally, there are OB forms (“orange blotch”) and Marmalade Cats (this is the name given to particularly attractive tricolored pied males). These are pied fish with an individual coloration. This means that there are no two individuals with exactly the same coloration.
Unlike in nature, where O-males are, as mentioned, very rare, a breeder who has mastered the Mendelian rules of inheritance can breed O-males relatively easily and thus the Red-Red forms are extremely popular and common in aquaristics, where mainly captive bred specimens are traded. O-males have egg spots in the anal fin, so they can be recognized even at a young age.
Maylandia esterae grows to 12-14 cm in the aquarium and can be quite aggressive, like many mbuna. Therefore they should be kept in large aquariums and in large groups, then you will have a lot of fun with these magnificent animals. In order to keep the wonderful orange-red color, the food in the aquarium must be similar to the natural diet, i.e. a high proportion of algae (spirulina) and small crustaceans (cyclops), if possible no worm food and altogether a diet rich in fiber.
For our customers: the fish have code 568422 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
It has been a long time since we could import the last time the beautiful tetra Gymnocorymbus bondi from Colombia. Very small animals remind strikingly of the Yellow Tetra (Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus), but with increasing growth the shape changes more and more to the one known from Gymnocorymbus. Now we finally got this orangefin tetra once again.
Until 2015, the orangefin tetra was known as Gymnocorymbus socolfi. Then, during a revision of the genus, Benine et al. realized that it had been previously overlooked that the orangefin tetra had already been described as Phenacogaster bondi and that this name is older than G. socolofi, thus has priority.
For our customers: the animals have code 254792 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Breeders can’t get enough of creating new color combinations in Endler guppies. The latest thing is the “Smoky Mary”, an Endler in which the entire back appears covered in smoke, which intesivates to a deep black during courtship.
Even though we don’t know the breeding way: the females of Smoky Mary are normally light colored, so they are not melanistic animals, like Black Guppies.
For our customers: The Endler Guppy Smoky Mary has code 419025 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
From Peru a larger number of Tatia reached us thanks to this import we can now solve an more than 10 year old puzzle. In 2011 we received from this country monochrome Tatia, which could not be assigned to any known species (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/tatia_sp_tahuayo_river_en/). Now it is clear: it is a monochrome color variant of T. intermedia. Mostly T. intermedia has a pattern of light, short, horizontal strokes; many of the current imports also show these, but there are also specimens with only a few strokes – and the monochrome dark ones.
The brightly reflecting lower eye-half of the fish is interesting; because this is obviously a rest-light-amplifier, that helps the fish to find its prey on its nightly hunt on into the water fallen landinsects. If the fish are not flashed at, one does not see this.
Tatia intermedia grows about 15 cm long and is mainly active at night and twilight. In principle, they are peaceful fish, but of course very small fish up to about 4 cm length are considered as food.
For our customers: the fish have code 295704 on our stocklist. Please note that we exvlusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
This species of swordtail is only very rarely offered in the trade. At the first glimpse one may think that they are a variety of the common swortail X. hellerii, but the species X. signum is much more slender. The mark that is responsible for the scientific name (latin signum = sign) is always good visible in females on the caudal fin base, while in males it is covered by the dark border of the sword.
Xiphophorus signum is, like most wild types of swordtail, quite demanding. It needs clear, bacteria poor water and a proper feeding with different types of food, including frozen and live food. Our specimens are German bred ones. We can currently offer XXL animals.
We have also made a small film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFpvzF09W-k
For our customers: the fish have code 476655 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
This Corydoras belongs to the most attractive and at the same time easy to keep species of the large genus Corydoras. One should only consider that C. loxozonus – it originates from the Orinoco and its tributaries – likes it warm; below 24°C the temperature of the water should not sink in the long run.
At present we can offer beautiful wild catches. Among them there are always specimens with different coloration, which in the past led to confusion with other species. Today we know that C. loxozonus can be very variable in coloration. Thus, according to current knowledge, even such completely different looking animals as C82 and C83 belong to this species.
For our customers: Corydoras loxozonus has code 233703 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer
Four species of the peculiar lizard tetras (Iguanodectes) are imported from time to time: I. spilurus, I. adujai, I. geisleri and I. purusii. But altogether there are eight accepted species and because of the similarity of these fishes and their wide distribution it is not always so sure if the classification of the imports is correct. After all there are clear differences between the four species mentioned at the beginning: I. spilurus has no red longitudinal banding; I. adujai has a very long anal fin compared to the other species; I. geisleri and I purusii have a tricolor longitudinal banding – red-gold-black from top to bottom. For pictures of I. geisleri and I. adujai see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/iguanodectes_geisleri_en/ and https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/iguanodectes_arrived__en/.
Now we have received from the Rio Purus in Brazil very nice three-banded lizard tetras, which we address as I. purusii; but it is also not excluded that it is a local form of I. geisleri, which is clearly different in color from the animals we received earlier from Venezuela; this is indicated by the low number of anal fin rays. By the way, these peaceful schooling fishes, which reach 6-7 cm in length, got the strange name “lizard tetra” from their tooth shape, which reminds of the tooth shape in certain iguanas.
Iguanodectes are extremely attractive, somewhat sensitive fish, which attract attention by their unusual body shape and swimming style. These fish are especially sensitive during transport and acclimation. Once well acclimated they do not cause any problems and please the owner for many years. We don’t know anything about a successful breeding; however, we have such fish in one of our show aquariums for a long time and there you can observe from time to time that single males separate themselves from the shoal and defend a broad-leaved plant (Anubias) against other males; females, on the other hand, are then intensively courted. Possibly they are adhesive spawners. Males are slimmer and more colorful than females, otherwise there are no externally recognizable sex differences.
For our customers: the animals have code 264402 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Once again we were able to import zebra crayfish. These crayfish experienced some name changes due to the fact that the freshwater crayfishes of New Guinea were little known prior to their aquaristic discovery. The animal originally entered the trade as Cherax misolicus, but it was thought to be more likely C. papuanus. Its valid name is now Cherax peknyi Lukhaup & Herbert, 2008. Very similar is Cherax alyciae, which was thought to be a color variant (“Blue Kong”) of C. peknyi before its scientific description in 2018. However, coloration is highly variable in crayfishes, even within the same population, so it cannot be used well to distinguish species. The most reliable way to recognize C. alyciae is that the adult males develop a soft, bubble-like bulge in the anterior region on the outer claw finger, but the males of C. peknyi do not.
Currently we have received very colorful animals, some of which show fiery red claws with overall lighter and reddish coloration, while others tend more in the blue direction. Cherax peknyi originates from the Fly River drainage in Papua New Guinea. It reaches a maximum length of 10-12 cm.
The Cherax crayfishes from New Guinea are well keepable and breedable aquarium animals. You only have to be aware of the fact that they are very addicted to hiding and usually leave their hiding place only at night and for feeding. They feed on dead foliage as their main food, and can be fed literally almost anything that ornamental fish will accept as food.
For our customers: the animals have code 483024 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Of the seven scientifically described species of Astronotus, only two are currently recognized by most ichthyologists, namely A. crassipinnis and A. ocellatus; however, a third, A. zebra, is so distinctly different in color from the others that there is little doubt as to its validity. Now a new name has been established: the Oscar from the Orinoco drainage and the Gulf of Paria in northern South America has been scientifically described as A. mikoljii (Perez Lozano et al., 2022). All images in this post show Astronotus mikoljii at different age stages and local populations.
The differentiation of Oscar species is decidedly tricky and can only be accomplished with certainty using molecular biology methods (DNA analysis). However, the juvenile coloration of three of the now four species considered valid is very different. The “common” Oscar, A. ocellatus, is well known from pet shops. A. crassipinnis juveniles are very conspicuous yellow-black colored (“Bumble-Bee-Oskars”) and A. mikoljii is very colorful – we have already presented such Orinoco wild catches more often (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/astronotus_ocellatus_wild_colombia_en/ https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/astronotus_ocellatus_wild_en/ https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/astronotus-ocellatus-colombia/). Unfortunately no juvenile picture of A. zebra has been published yet – at least we don’t know any.
Besides A. mikoljii there are – according to molecular data – at least three more species of Oscars in South America, which are named Astronotus sp. “East”, A. sp. “Negro” and A. sp. “Jurua” in the work of Perez Lozano et al. In the case of these species, however, it must be carefully checked whether they have not been described before and are wrongly listed as synonym. However, the matter is not simple, because Oscars were and are brought within South America also again and again as food fish into areas, in which they were not native originally at all. In addition, this may have led to hybrids, which are also difficult to represent molecularly.
A. mikoljii was named after Ivan Mikolji, an avid artist, nature lover, and explorer of Venezuela and Colombia who is also an ornamental fish exporter. Mikolji’s Oscar, like all Astronotus species, usually grows to 25-30 cm in length and does not differ from the other species in terms of care and breeding.
Literature: Perez Lozano A, Lasso-Alcalá OM, Bittencourt PS, Taphorn DC, Perez N, Farias IP (2022): A new species of Astronotus (Teleostei, Cichlidae) from the Orinoco River and Gulf of Paria basins, northern South America. ZooKeys 1113: 111–152. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1113.81240
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The changed export regulations in Brazil, which have been valid for some time, have now made it possible to import Corydoras narcissus again after a long time.
Corydoras narcissus is a beautiful, relatively large armored catfish. The maximum length is given with 10 cm. The species comes from Brazil, more precisely from the drainage of the Rio Purus. Like all saddlenosed Corydoras, C. narcissus is less gregarious than other Corydoras. Breeding requires large aquariums. When breeding approaches, it should be noted that many saddlenoses can become very aggressive towards each other when in a mating mood; breeders have even reported deaths. In “normal” care, however, such a thing does not happen!
The unusual name was given to the beautiful and otherwise very peaceful fish because the collectors who gave the animals to the first describers suggested to them that they should name the new species in their (the collectors’) honor. However, the first descriptors did not want to put up with this impudent encroachment on the freedom of science and therefore named the armored catfish after the Greek demigod Narciss, who fell in love with his own reflection and whose name has since been synonymous with self-indulgence.
From Peru comes a second, similar species that has only recently (2021) been scientifically described: Corydoras bethanae. In the hobby, it has therefore been referred to as C. narcissus II or CW6, while the actual species has been referred to as C. narcissus I. This is somewhat misleading, as the two species are not particularly closely related and may even be placed in different genera once Corydoras are scientifically revised. Corydoras bethanae is a longnose, does not grow quite as large, is more flesh colored (unlike the whitish C. narcissus), has a transparent dorsal fin spine (black in C. narcissus), and the dorsal band ends at the eye (runs across the snout in C. narcissus).
Therefore, one can easily tell the two species apart even without knowing their origin.
For our customers: Corydoras narcissus has code 237104, C. bethanae 237204 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer
The Texas cichlid was successfully introduced to Germany and bred as early as 1902. In the meantime the species has undergone several name changes. In former times it was called Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum, today it is placed in the genus Herichthys and it is believed that the large spotted form as we can offer it right now belongs to the species Herichthys carpinte and originates from Mexico, while H. cyanoguttatum is smaller spotted and the only species originally native to the USA (Texas). It is the most northern occurring cichlid species at all.
Unfortunately the pearl cichlid has fallen into oblivion nowadays, so we are always very happy when these beautiful animals are offered to us. Currently the fish are 4-5 cm long, but the maximum length is almost 30 cm. Then they belong to the most splendid cichlids at all and are very high-backed, as our archive picture shows.
For our customers: the animals have code 644502 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
In 1822, the most comprehensive book on the fish life of the Ganges River in India to date was published. The author was the Scottish physician Francis Hamilton, who was in the service of the East Indian Company. Hamilton had detailed drawings made of all the fish species he found in the Ganges. His draftsman – Haludar, a young Bengal – was honored for his extraordinary achievements 200 years later and immortalized: the melon barbs have the generic name Haludaria since 2013. Among the many species Hamilton discovered were two small catfish species that Hamilton named Pimelodus chandramara and Pimelodus rama. To this day, these two species remain virtually unknown from a scientific perspective.
These catfishes – their current names are Chandramara chandramara and Rama rama – remain small (around 5-6 cm), prefer to swim in open water and are diurnal. They are very droll and funny aquarium inhabitants that are completely peaceful against tankmates and disregard plants. They are social animals that are best kept in groups of 10-20 specimens. Any common ornamental fish food will be accepted. The water temperature can be between 16 and 26°C. It is favorable to offer different temperatures during the year, cool in winter, warm in summer. As company are suitable e.g. zebra danios (Danio rerio), rosy barbs (Pethia conchonius) and dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia), which all occur in the same habitat. Any drinking water is suitable for the maintenance of the above species.
We have also made a small film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.facebook.com/AquariumGlaser/videos/462226828567211.
For our customers: the animals have code 409002 on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
There are still Corydoras species which are imported so rarely and in such small numbers that they belong to the unfulfilled dreams of armored catfish lovers. One of the most attractive species of this group is certainly the “Tukano Longnose”, as it was first named, then it received the code CW011 and finally the species was scientifically described as Corydoras desana.
Of course these animals are not rare in the real sense of the word in nature, but they live individually and are very shy, so that in a period of time, when you can catch thousands of Corydoras tukano, only one or two specimens of the Longnose go into the net.
For our customers: the animals have code 245635 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Gold forms – also called xanthorists – are quite common in fish, even in nature. Ever since the beginning of man’s records of natural phenomena, there has been talk of golden perch, carp, crucian carp, tench and pike. Of course, such mutations occur much more often in breeding than in the wild, because there such strikingly colored animals soon become victims of predators.
In the case of the Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leerii, sometimes also called Trichopodus l.) a gold form has only been known for a comparatively short time. It is difficult to say whether this will become established on the market or remain a rarity. But compared to the first specimens we received in 2015 (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/trichogaster_leerii_gold_en/ the animals we can offer now are much stronger.
We have also made a small film about these fish, which you can watch here: https://www.facebook.com/AquariumGlaser/videos/2059837734199427.
For our customers: the animals have code 469552 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri) has been in the hobby since 1933. The species lives endemically in Lake Valencia in Venezuela, so it only occurs there (including some inflows and outflows). Usually it is only in the trade as offspring, very rarely a few wild catches come in.
At first sight the diamond tetra may seem a bit inconspicuous, but the glittering and sparkling fish in the right light are really a show and fully deserve the name diamond tetra. Add to that the lushly developed, flowing fins…
The pictures were taken from the fantastic wild catches that we are currently maintaining in our show room.
For our customers: the animals have code 269102 (offspring, medium) on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
We have received very nice offsprings of this attractive red jewel cichlid (Hemichromis). The animals are 4-6 cm long at the moment and thus just at the border to sexual maturity. Fully grown they are with about 10 cm. Then they are much more high-backed and have a splendid red coloration, which is only indicated at the moment.
A special characteristic of this species, which was found around 2001 in western Ghana by traveling aquarists and brought back – since then it is in continuous breeding – is the broad stripes with green-golden bands on the face, while shiny spots on the body – the so-called iridiophores – are largely absent. Of the scientifically described species, Hemichromis sp. ,,Ankasa” most closely resembles H. paynei.
The care and breeding of Hemichromis sp. ,,Ankasa” is easy and successful even for beginners. Red cichlids can become nasty (but they don’t have to, some individuals are also lamb-like). The rule is: the larger the aquarium, the less aggressive the fish behave towards tankmates. However, if the animals have young, they are not to be trifled with. Therefore, the care in a species aquarium is absolutely preferable to the care in a community tank. Water composition is irrelevant for these fish and they will eat any common ornamental fish food. Plants are not damaged, unless they are in the way of the breeding preparations. Spawning is done on solid objects (stones, roots) in an open-breeding manner, both parents take care of spawn and fry together. The water temperature should be around 24°C, for breeding 2-3°C higher.
For our customers: the animals have code 536913 on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
There is probably no other freshwater fish that can show such a poisonous green as body coloration as the about 4-5 cm long ground tetra Ammocryptocharax elegans, which we were able to import in small numbers from the Orinoco darinage (Colombia/Venezuela).
However, the animals have an extreme color change ability and if they sense danger, they are camouflaged brown in a flash. You should keep the animals in planted aquariums, because only if they can sit on plants, they stay permanently green – this has been found out in field studies.
For our customers: the fish have code 203753 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer
We have reported about this magnificent tetra more often, e.g. here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/myleus_schomburgkii_en/ and here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/myleus_schomburgkii_wild_en/
Now we have received young sexed animals of the narrow-banded form (species?), 12-15 cm long. The males have developed – in addition to the modified anal fins, typical for sexually mature Myloplus males – black horizontal banding on the ventral side. To our knowledge, this has not yet been documented for M. schomburgkii. Possibly the phenomenon is related to reproduction, similar to the spawning rash in carp fish.
For our customers: the animals have code 270506 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale. Only available in small quantities!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Unfortunately imports from the Congo are becoming more and more rare, but when they do come, they usually include humphead cichlids (Steatocranus). There are almost always three species mixed. The strongest and most high-backed of them is S. casuarius, which can be recognized by the black scale centers. It has – due to mood – irregular vertical body bands (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/steatocranus_casuarius_wild_de/). Slightly more slender and with pale scale centers is S. gibbiceps, which shows regular vertical body bands (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/steatocranus-gibbiceps/). Finally, the most delicate and slender of this troop, S. tinanti, which shows two horizontal body bands.
Steatocranus tinanti is a peaceful fish despite its threatening looking massive jaw. It can grow up to 15 cm long, but as a wild caught fish it is already sexually mature with 6-7 cm (male) and 3-4 cm (female). In this size the fish shows very pretty yellow fins. S. tinanti is a typical cave-breeder with pair-bond. The male guards and defends the territory, the female takes care of spawn and young. Any common ornamental fish food is readily accepted, but it should not be too fatty and contain plenty of fiber. Water temperature should be in the range of 24-28°C, water composition (hardness, pH) are largely irrelevant as long as extremes are avoided.
For our customers: the animals have code 575404 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Rachows Nothobranch (named in honor of Arthur Rachow, therefore in the common name with “w” at the end) belongs not only to the longest serving, but also to the timelessly most beautiful Killifishes in the aquarium. The orange color form of Beira is the most common in the trade, and has been continuously maintained in the aquarium by enthusiastic enthusiasts since 1958. For more information see also https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/nothobranchius-pienaari-en/
In addition to this “normal” form, we also occasionally have albinos of Nothobranchius rachovii in our program, which also exude a very special charm.
For our customers: The albinos have code 338023 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer
To say it right away: yes, we also know that the species P. ternetzi is currently seen by most ichthyologists as a synonym of P. nattereri. This assessment is based on the fact that the “true” Pygocentrus nattereri is the yellow-breasted species from the drainage of the Rio Paraguay (type locality of P. nattereri described by Kner in 1858 is Cuiabá and Mato Grosso in Brazil), while the red-breasted “common” Amazonian spiranha should be scientifically referred to as Pygocentrus altus (described in 1870 by Gill from the upper Amazon) (Géry, Mahnert & Dlouhy, 1987). However, the scientific community has so far followed the aforementioned authors only in that P. ternetzi is seen as a synonym of P. nattereri, but the name P. nattereri is applied indiscriminately to the red- and yellow-breasted piranhas, which is certainly incorrect. Therefore, the name P. ternetzi is still used in aquaristic circles to have a name available for the yellow-breasted piranha of the Rio Paraguay inlet. P. ternetzi was described by Steindachner in 1908 from the Rio Paraguay near Descalvados, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
This yellow-breasted species is unfortunately rarely available. So we are glad to be able to import it once again from Paraguay at present. Typical for all Pygocentrus species is the more bulbous head shape compared to Serrasalmus, at least in larger animals. It is important for aquaristic practice whether a piranha belongs to Pygocentrus or Serrasalmus, because Serrasalmus species are fin eaters and are basically best kept singly, while Pygocentrus are schooling fishes that hunt larger prey. Since exporters often keep both genera together because juveniles cannot be easily distinguished, piranhas often arrive with severely mutilated fins – the work of Serrasalmus. It then takes some time for the fins to grow back.
For our customers: Pygocentrus ternetzi has code 293104 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The large-growing, magnificent Panaque bathyphilus is very variable in coloration. We have at present quite splendid 16-20 cm long animals in stock. With this they are about half grown, as maximum length for P. bathyphilus about 60 cm are given. It goes without saying that these large fish should only be kept in large aquariums.
Like all Panaque, P. bathyphilus from Peru (surroundings of Tingo Maria) is predominantly wood eater. This is another reason why large tanks with strong filtration are necessary, because the amount of feces produced by this nutrient-poor diet is enormous. Among themselves Panaque are not quite without, they can become quite rough. However, L90 is considered one of the more tolerant species in this regard.
For our customers: the fish have code 26480-L 090A-6 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
You think these neon tetras are nothing special? They are! They are wild collected ones from Peru! Although for sure 99.99% of all neon tetras traded worldwide are bred ones the species is still very common in the wild. And so every now and then they are sent to Europe as ambassadors of their kind.
It is quite interesting that the wild collected ones display a nice schooling behaviour which is almost lost in their domesticated cousins. So these small fishes are perfect study objects for comparable studies on the behaviour of wild fish and specimens which are bred in captivity over hundreds of generations. And always keep in mind that the neon tetra once was such a sensation that it was transported to the US from Germany in the legendary Hindenburg zeppelin and that the only surviving specimen in the Shedd aquarium in Chicago was lionized by tens of thousands of excited visitors.
For our customers: the animals have code 275512 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The checkerboard cichlid (Dicrossus filamentosus) is the most typical dwarf cichlid in the habitat of the cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi). It is found in Brazil (Rio Negro drainage) as well as in Colombia and Venezuela (Orinoco drainage). Males have a lyre-shaped caudal fin and grow to almost 8 cm long; the caudal fin of females is rounded. Females always remain smaller than males. In the wild, they probably spawn for the first time at about 3 cm in length.
Females of the checkerboard cichlid that have already spawned can be recognized by their blood red pelvic fins. In virgin animals the pelvic fins are colorless. This dwarf cichlid lives in harem associations, one male caring for several females. The species is an open-breeder, so spawns on the surface of solid objects, preferably plant leaves.
In feeding, Dicrossus filamentosus (formerly known as Crenicara filamentosa) is unproblematic, but reproduction is only successful in water that is very close to natural conditions: practically no hardness and pH around 5. In community tanks, however, the fry are usually eaten by Cardinal and Co. despite the good brood care by the female.
For our customers: the animals have code 668007 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
In the past, this particularly pretty goodeid (Xenotoca doadrioi) was known as “Xentotoca eiseni San Marcos”. Unfortunately, the species, which was only “officially” described as a distinct species in 2016, is highly endangered. More than 50% of the originally known populations have already disappeared, with the rest showing a steady downward trend. The causes are always the same: Water pollution by agriculture and high competitive pressure from alien fish (Pseudoxiphophorus bimaculatus and Tilapia), which also cope with the changed environmental conditions much better than X. doadrioi. Catching them for aquarium maintenance has no effect on wild populations. All specimens represented in the hobby are also offspring.
We have now once again Xenotoca doadrioi in stock, so that every aquarist who wants to do some species conservation at home can do so. This is an exceptionally colorful strain, even the females have some red in their caudal peduncles! Care and breeding are not difficult. One pays attention with these animals to as little as possible loaded water with good current, middle hardness degrees and a stable pH value, best around 7,5-8. Generous (60-70% of the tank contents) water changes do the animals very well. They will eat any common ornamental fish food, but green food should make up a good portion. This can be given either in the form of special vegetable flake food or in the form of scalded lettuce leaves, dandelion leaves, chickweed or similar. The fish are viviparous. At birth, the young still have the strange “nutrient cords” (trophotaenia) on their abdomens, which supply nutrients to the embryo in the womb, much like the umbilical cord in mammals. Xenotoca are very lively fish that thrive best in large aquariums. Temperature should vary throughout the year. It is important to have some kind of “winter break” at water temperatures of 17-20°C. The temperature should not rise above 25°C permanently. Keeping them outdoors during the warm months, when there is no fear of the temperature dropping below 17°C, is very good for the health of these fish.
We have posted a small film showing our animals: https://www.facebook.com/AquariumGlaser/videos/583392523143542.
For our customers: the animals have code 476513 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
With a maximum length of 1 meter Oxydoras niger belongs to the largest species of thorny catfishes. Nevertheless it is a very peaceful species and therefore quite attractive for owners of very large aquariums, show aquariums and zoos. Fully grown these fishes are uniformly black (this is exactly what the species name “niger” = black means), half grown the fins are black and the body is silver-gray. Very young animals are reddish brown and have numerous spots.
Mostly we import these animals from Peru in small sizes of 4-10 cm; we always had slight doubts whether these brown spotted animals really become the black submarines. Therefore we simply put one aside in the last season. This fish is now 30 cm long and confirms indeed: it is Oxydoras niger, without ifs and buts.
For our customers: the animals have code 284200 (4-6 cm), 284201 (6-8 cm) and 284207 (30 cm, only one animal!) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale. Only available in small quantities!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Since a few weeks pictures of bright red Nannostomus are circulating, which seem to be unnaturally colorful. However, these are actually wild forms from Peru, which are very close to or even identical with the Nannostomus rubrocaudatus (the “Purple”), which is also found there. Like the latter, the novelties have a prominent black spot in the lower caudal fin lobe, a feature lacking in other Nannostomus of the form circle around N. marginatus and N. mortenthaleri.
Two forms are involved: one is called “Super Red Cenepa”. Their exact locality is still unknown. These animals have a deep black bar across the back and along the ventral edge, the fins are transparent or whitish. As far as we know, they have only been exported to Hongkong so far. The second form, of which we can show pictures here, because already small numbers reached Europe, comes from the Rio Amaya in Peru. We owe this information to Oliver Lucanus, who visited the catchers on site. Many thanks for this!
In the first imports we could see, all (80) fish were extremely red, only in some of them the head and the front fifth of the body was yellowish-whitish. We do not yet know if this is a sex difference or a variance in the coloration of the males. Elsewhere, females were included in shipments that were not outwardly different from Nannostomus rubrocaudatus females. We cannot decide if these are true females of Nannostomus sp. “Super Red” or if the exporters simply met the request for females from their customers in Europe, Asia and America by supplying females of N. rubrocaudatus. In the opinion of O. Lucanus, the females of the „Super Red“ are merely paler red in color, but otherwise resemble the males. As said, we do not know. But they are beautiful fish, that has to be said!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Again we succeeded in importing the unfortunately very rarely offered, very attractive Hyphessobrycon micropterus from the Rio Sao Francisco in Brazil.
For more information please see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/hyphessobrycon-micropterus-2/
The pictures in this post show animals from our current stock (June 2022).
For our customers: the animals have code 261853 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer
So far we could import this probably most beautiful of all Leporinus only once: Leporinus sp. “Strawberry”. That was in the season 2010/2011, in which we managed two imports in small numbers. For these fishes please see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/leporinus_sp_strawberry__en/ An interesting side note: five of the fishes imported at that time we got back in top condition only a few weeks ago and were able to resell them. So they are very long-lived fish!
Now there is a chance that more people will be able to enjoy these beautiful fish in the future, because we have been offered offspring for the first time. Of course we bought them and we didn’t regret it in any way! Already with their 4-6 cm length (the photographed specimens are about 4 cm long) they are extremely colorful goblins. We are quite sure that this species will become a perennial favorite if the breeding continues to be successful and the prices drop a bit as a result.
For our customers: the fish have code 265892 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Only rather rarely – every few years – and if, then always in the summer months June-July-August, we receive Hyphessobrycon socolofi from Brazil, in which the back shines conspicuously green; besides, the second cherry-red spot on the tail root is colored particularly intensively red with these animals. We have been observing this phenomenon for many years. We have not found an explanation yet.
In any case they are beautiful animals, an enrichment for every aquarium with peaceful fish!
For our customers: the animals have code 261994 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
In the last years we reported more often about Corydoras imports, which are similar to Corydoras armatus (= sp. aff. armatus or cf. armatus), but not identical. Now we received again the “real” C. armatus from Peru. The enormously high dorsal fin is really an eye-catcher. In addition it is always carried tautly upright, which reminds involuntarily of a group of dwarfs with a pointed cap.
The care of C. armatus, which grows to about 5-6 cm long, is the same as for other armored catfishes, but there are two special features. Firstly, C. armatus is one of the most social Corydoras and should therefore be kept in groups of 5 or more. Single animals do not feel well! And second, this species is somewhat sensitive to high water temperatures. The range between 22 and 26°C is correct, but for most of the year the lower value should be used as a guideline.
For our customers: the animals have code 222105 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
This beautiful and – by Pao standards – peaceful freshwater pufferfish originates from the Mekong River basin in Laos (type locality: the Xe Bangfai River near Ban Geng Sahwang); it is considered endemic (= only occurring there) in the Xe Bangfai. In contrast to Pao turgidus, which occurs in the same river, P. abei has a large eye spot (ocellus) below the dorsal fin. In P. turgidus, all spots on the body are the same size. Unfortunately P. abei can only be identified without any doubt if it shows a mood dependent coloration. This coloration occurs during courtship and when the fish is very excited. If the fish is not in this mood, it cannot be distinguished from the “common” Pao cochinchinensis, which also occurs in the Xe Bangfai. That is why there are always doubts about which of the two species one is looking at.
However, this is not only of academic interest, but also has quite practical significance. While Pao cochinchinensis is a rather aggressive species, which can often only be kept singly in the long run, a permanent group keeping of P. abei is quite possible.
The external unique point of P. abei is therefore only one of several possible mood-related colorations, which consists of yellow or orange dots on a dark background. Otherwise, we can only rely on our supplier to send us puffer fishes under this name. Fortunately one of the two specimens of our current import in the photo tank did us the favor to show itself in typical abei coloration for some time!
Pao abei grows to about 10 cm in length. They are substrate spawners, the clutch is guarded by the male until the larvae hatch. The breeding of P. abei has been successful more often. Regarding water chemistry the animals are undemanding, any tap water is suitable, pH should be between 6 and 8, water temperature around 24°C.
For our customers: P. abei has code 461245 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Predatory catfishes exude a special fascination to many a catfish lover. Unfortunately, many species simply become too large for permanent care in a normal sized home aquarium. However, there are also species that grow to only 20-30 cm in length and for which it is therefore not necessary to flood the entire basement to meet their space requirements. Platysilurus mucosus belongs to these species.
Two characteristics make Platysilurus mucosus special: the very long maxillary barbels and the huge caudal fin. The latter, however, is more pronounced in juveniles than in adults. When catching one must be very careful, because the pectoral fins are needle-sharp and probably also slightly poisonous. It is best to catch the animals in a comparatively very large net with as fine a mesh as possible and then scoop them out with a cup or (for larger specimens) bucket. This way you save yourself and the animals a lot of stress.
They will eat any meaty food that fits in their mouths, even smaller fish and shrimp! Among themselves the animals are peaceful. In community tanks you have to take care that the P. mucosus get enough food, because they are – compared to other predatory catfishes – very shy. The home of P. mucosus is the Amazon and Orinoco, where the species is widespread. Our animals come from Peru. There is a second species, P. malarmo, which is only found in Venezuela and Colombia and which becomes remarkely larger (around 50 cm).
For our customers: the animals have code 280583 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Similar to the fact that there are several red-backed angelfish populations, there are also several red or yellow-spotted wild forms. The ancestors of Pterophyllum sp. “Guyana Red Dragon” came from the Essequibo River in Guyana. Number and intensity of dots vary individually in each fish, but all specimens we currently received (they are now 5-7 cm long and just sexually ripe) are very nicely and intensely spotted. They are German offspring.
The coloration of the red spots of the Pterophyllum sp. “Guyana Red Dragon” changes with the incidence of light. Sometimes they look more orange, sometimes black-red, sometimes cherry-red. Exactly the same phenomenon is known from the red dotted Green Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus). And just like discus, red-spotted and un-spotted specimens occur together in nature. These are not special local variations, nor are they sex differences or even species differences. However, as the magnificent Pterophyllum sp. “Guyana Red Dragon”, which we are currently able to offer, show abundantly clear: this characteristic is hereditary and can be increased in its expression from generation to generation in the hands of experienced breeders.
For our customers: the animals have code 699793 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
There is a lot of interest in special wild forms of the angelfish. Among the best known is the “Manacapuru Redback”, a very striking form. Because of the strong need for revision of the genus Pterophyllum, it is better not to call it “Pterophyllum scalare” scientifically, because what exactly this “real” scalare is has yet to be researched.
The city of Manacapuru, after which this redback is named, is the fourth largest city in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is located directly on the Amazon River, but about 80 km above the confluence of the Amazon and Rio Negro. Until there, the Amazon is called Rio Solimoes. However, red-backed angelfish are not only found there and unfortunately different red-backed local forms have been crossed with each other in the past, either intentionally or unintentionally. The Manacapuru redback is characterized by the fact that the caudal fin is almost completely featureless or at most delicately striped (more or less strongly striped in many other redback local forms). The “Amapa redback”, very similar to the “Manacapuru redback”, is less intensely colored and, when fully grown, is of “eimekei” appearance. As juveniles, these two forms are almost indistinguishable.
Care of the Manacapuru Redback is no more difficult than that of the “common” angelfish breeding forms. They become most beautiful in high tanks (around 60 cm). Young animals often do not show much red in the back yet, this depends on the strain and feeding. One pays attention with purchase above all to the thread-like belly fins. If they are nice and straight and about as long as the anal fin, then they will be nice animals. Crooked, shortened ventral fins indicate bad growing conditions. This is not hereditary, but it also never really grows out. Feeding a lot of small crustaceans (Daphnia, Cyclops, Artemia, Mysis etc., whether live or frozen) will intensify the red colors in the back. Our pictures show young adult animals and juveniles.
For our customers: the animals have code 699673 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The julies (Julidochromis) belong to the most popular cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. They are very beautiful, colorful and comparatively peaceful animals. Of course, for reproduction territories are formed and defended against other fish. All Julidochromis are recommendable aquarium fish, there is a suitable species for every aquarium. The largest is J. marlieri, of which we can offer just magnificent, almost adult animals of 7-10 cm length. The maximum length of the species given in literature is just under 15 cm (including tail fin).
Julidochromis marlieri are mostly monogamous, but there are also polyandrous females, which live in polyandry. In this case, the males defend the spawning territory (usually a rock crevice or the like) and the female swims the territories and occasionally spawns with one or the other male.
Here you find a video of our fish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqLZw1h7foA
For our customers: The fish have code 538304 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The Three-spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is the most interesting and beautiful native aquarium fish. Its behavior has been intensively studied scientifically and the courtship, nesting and mating behavior of the species are still an integral part of school lessons today. The stickleback is a model organism for instinct research.
Systematically-scientifically, the three-spined stickleback remains poorly understood. Over the centuries, 47 species of threespine stickleback have been described, but only a few of them are valid, the vast majority are seen as synonyms. In terms of behavior, a distinction is made between a stationary freshwater form and a migratory form that spends large portions of the year in the sea and returns to freshwater only to breed; in addition, there are apparently purely marine populations. Anatomically, there have been repeated attempts to use the number of lateral body plates as an identifier for species. For example, Gasterosteus gymnurus was for a long time considered a valid species lacking these plates on the caudal peduncle. However, recent DNA-based studies could not find any differences between G. gymnurus and G. aculeatus.
Three-spined sticklebacks live in practically all of Europe, large parts of northern Asia and North America. Our animals come from German fish farms. Unfortunately, nowadays most students and adults know these animals only from movies and books. Now is a good time to buy these fish for your home aquarium and watch this fantastic animal live.
For our customers: Three-spined sticklebacks have code 884005 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
For the first time we can offer this interesting and attractive tetra novelty: Hyphessobrycon sp. aff. bifasciatus “Ghost”. The origin of this fish is not known to us. Our breeder received the parents from Vienna. When the young fish obtained with them developed strong red fins, which they lost again when growing up, the close relationship to the Yellow Tetra (Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus) could no longer be overlooked. The “Ghost” has indeed, as one can see with certain incidence of light, still the black pigments, which form the species-characteristic double shoulder stripe of H. bifasciatus. The “Ghost” looks very attractive as an adult fish due to its ghostly transparency in combination with the deep black eyes.
The Yellow Tetra (Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus) was kept and bred in aquariums as early as 1925. It is very similar to the Flame Tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus). In fact, the Flame Tetra was misidentified as H. bifasciatus when it was first imported in 1920. It was not until the “true” H. bifasciatus was imported a few years later that the error was noticed and it was realized that the Flame Tetra was an undescribed species at that time. Both species grow to 4-5 cm in length and come from Brazil, state of Rio de Janeiro. However, the red is a blackwater form and therefore acutely threatened with extinction, while the yellow is very adaptable and still manages well even in nature destroyed by man. Wild catches for aquaristics have, as always in such cases, no influence on the natural populations.
Interesting about H. bifasciatus is that many of the juveniles have bright red fins. This disappears with the growing up. One only wonders: what is this good for? Because what we humans like very much, is noticed by predators: red fins! While taking pictures we noticed that it is mainly young females that have the red fins; during the random catch for the photo session all red-finned animals were indeed presumed females (because of the clearly smaller anal fin), while all animals with a large anal fin were presumed males; they did not show any red in the fins. All fish were about 2 cm long at this time. From then on, the females also lost more and more of their red until there was none at all.
In former times the Yellow Tetra was a popular aquarium fish, because it does not need additional heating in living rooms. 16-22°C is its comfort range, only for breeding it wants it a bit warmer. Nowadays the species is not colorful enough for many. But who knows, maybe the Yellow Tetra experiences a renaissance because of the enormously rising energy prices? Right now is one of the rare opportunities to acquire this fish, because we have wild catches in stock.
We have also posted a short video about the “Ghost”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl0fC7VsUAU
For our customers: Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus WILD have code 259653, H. sp. aff. bifasciatus “Ghost” code 259713 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Finally we were able to import once more one of the most charming dwarf tetras at all: Tyttocharax cochui. These very lively and absolutely peaceful blue flashes become only 1.5-2 cm long. The story how T. cochui was discovered is quite interesting.They were imported for the first time in April 1949 to Germany – as feeder fish! The mean importation was of the leaf fish, Monocirrhus polyacanthus. This species is a well known predator. It was not intended to let the leaf fish hunger during the long journey (at that time by ship over the ocean) and so a number of „young fish“ was accompanied in the transport can to feed Monocirrhus.
However, some survived the trip and proofed to be a dwarf species new to science. They were described as „Microbrycon cochui“ scientifically only a short time later. Obviously Monocirrhus polyacanthus became sea-sick. Great luck for the feeder fish!
For our customers: Tyttocharax cochui has code 298952 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The nothobranchs (Nothobranchius) represents with N. furzeri one of the shortest-lived vertebrates of the world. Only the marine goby Eviota sigillata tops it, with it (in nature) never an animal became older than 59 days. In the case of N. furzeri, the time between hatching from the egg and death from old age is also only 12 weeks (84 days). No wonder that researchers, who study processes during aging, are obsessed to work with this animal.
But we aquarists love Nothobranchius for their magnificent appearance. Of course, we also enjoy their behavior, which is an adaptation to waters that periodically dry up completely. The fish survive the dry phase in the form of eggs in the bottom. Because they hardly live longer than one year (Latin: annus), the short-lived killis are called “annual” species. This has been taken from botany, where annual herbs that die off after flowering and seed formation are referred to as annual species.
Nothobranchius patrizii belongs to the already long known species of the genus, which currently comprises 90 species and occurs in southern and eastern Africa in savannas. In 1927 the species was described, in 1981 it was imported for the first time. The occurrence includes Kenya and Somalia. The species is not the most colorful of the genus, but it is considered very robust and therefore very suitable for beginners in the care and breeding of annual killies.
For our customers: the animals have code 337502 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The Blue Daisy (Oryzias woworae) is known by almost every aquarist child and we have this beautiful and easy to care fish regularly in our offer. Our current stock, offspring from Indonesia, consists of particularly large animals, which color themselves splendidly almost black in the courtship display. Apparently one has successfully crossed the attractive “Black” strain, which unfortunately mostly had no dorsal fin.
The females (recognizable by the smooth-edged anal fin) look quite normal and even frightened males or those that are not currently courtship active show only the classic blue sheen, orange belly and red caudal fin stripes.
For our customers: the fish have code 340134 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The cute Flame Red Dwarf Badis (Dario hysginon) we have quite regularly in our stock. It originates from Burma (drainage of the Irrawaddy, Myitkyina District, Kachin State). More pictures of the species can be found here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/dario_hyginon_2__en/
Partly together with the Flame Red another dwarf badis occurs in nature, which is already mentioned in the first scientific description: the “Black Tiger”. Concerning the measurable values the Flame Red does not differ substantially from the Black Tiger and therefore both were led for a long time “officially” also only as color variants of the species Dario hysginon. However, aquarium observations suggested that they are separate species, because they do not interbreed in the aquarium.
Now the discoverers of the “Black Tiger”, who originally classified it only as a variant of D. hysginon due to the paucity of material and the fact that it occurs together with Dario hysginon, have described it as a distinct species after all. It is now officially named Dario tigris Britz, Kullander & Rüber, 2022. The main differences from D. hysginon are in coloration and genetic differences, there are also minor anatomical differences between the two (fewer dorsal fin spines and vertebrae on average in D. tigris). In addition, the authors noted that Dario tigris only sometimes coexists with D. hysginon. Type locality of Dario tigris is an unnamed stream in Kachin State south of Mogaung.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to distinguish the two species in startle coloration from each other with certainty, which is why a certain mix arrives with us from time to time. Colored animals on the other hand are hardly to be confused. By the way, the females of the Black Tiger have, just like the males, a dot pattern in the neck, which makes it quite easy to distinguish them from striped females of the Flame Red.
For our customers: Dario hysginon has code 413783, D. tigris 413796 on our stock list. Please note that we cannot sort Flame Red and Black Tiger 100% and only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Literature:
Britz, R., Kullander, S. O. & L. Rüber (2022): Dario tigris and Dario melanogrammus, two new species of miniature chameleon fishes from northern Myanmar (Teleostei: Badidae). Zootaxa 5138 (1): 001–016
Some botias, among them B. kubotai, are available only seasonal and for a quite short time per year. The very beautiful species B. kubotai originates from the Salween-tributary Ataran in the border region between Burma and Thailand. It becomes around 8-10 cm long, maximum length reported so far is 13 cm. This species is one of the most social species in the genus and should be kept under all circumstances in groups.
For our customers: the animals have code 401304 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
For the first time ever we can offer Glyptoperichthys parnaibae, so far known exclusively from the Rio Parnaiba in Brazil. The Rio Parnaiba is located in the northeast of Brazil and has a high proportion of endemic, i.e. only there occurring fish species, because there is no connection to other river systems.
The juveniles of Glyptoperichthys parnaibae are, like all sailfin plecs, quite delightful fish. They grow to 40-50 cm in length and are then probably the most beautiful of all Glyptoperichthys species. We have received them in sizes between 4 and 6 cm. Of course you need large aquariums to keep large fish, but otherwise Glyptoperichthys parnaibae are very easy to care for. Investigation of the stomach content showed that this species eats not only aufwuchs, but also insect larvae. In its distribution area the species is very common and serves as cheap food for poorer population groups.
For our customers: the animals have code 254631 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Spiny eels enjoy an increasing popularity. More and more aquarists are discovering that it is not always the colorful, constantly visible fish that are fun to watch, but also the more hidden fish personalities that are often only seen when feeding. Among these fish personalities are definitely the spiny eels.
There are spiny eels in different sizes: from the only about 10 cm long Macrognathus pancalus from India to the “giant spiny eel” Mastacembelus armatus with up to 90 cm. Unfortunately, a rule of thumb for size that was very helpful for a long time no longer works. Until scientific revisions of the genus in the last 5 years one could always say well: Asian spiny eels with a clearly separated caudal fin remain small, with those with a circumferential dorsal tail and anal fin one must watch out, they can become half a meter long and as thick as an arm. In the meantime, small species of the latter group are known as well as large ones of the former (the recently described Macrognathus kris from Borneo, which can reach a length of 40 cm).
Macrognathus maculatus has a circumferential fin and originates from Indonesia and Malaysia; reports from other parts of Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam) probably refer to similar other species. Size-wise, the species is in the middle range. Our animals are fully sexually differentiated (males are much slimmer than females) and 15-20 cm long. In the literature one finds size data up to 28 cm. The variable colored species is in any case very nicely patterned and very peaceful. Only very small fish should not be kept together with them: sooner or later they will end up in the stomach of the spiny eels.
For our customers: the animals have code 425253 on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The dwarf cichlid Apistogramma agassizii has a distribution area that extends through practically the entire Amazon. With many of its genus comrades it is completely different, they often occur only locally and form then also location variants. Agassiz’ dwarf cichlid has so far successfully resisted all attempts to divide it. It is true that some particularly striking colorings are known – for example the “Tefe” with its zigzag pattern or the red-backed “Santarem”. But it is shown again and again that even with these extremes only relatively few males correspond to the ideal picture and with a larger number of wild-caught there are always also normally colored males. And the females all look the same anyway….
The matter does not get easier if you consider that almost every Apistogramma species in nature shows polychromatism (= multicolorism) of the males. So there are males with e.g. a higher proportion of red, those with a higher proportion of blue, etc. Under aquarium conditions one can select for the desired color within a few generations and then get uniform looking strains. But in nature it is not like that.
We have very pretty wild-caught Apistogramma agassizii from Peru, i.e. the upper reaches of the Amazon, in the stock right now. As is usual with wild-caught fish, they are about 30% smaller than their cousins that grew up in the aquarium when they reach sexual maturity. In the wild, there just isn’t as abundant food. But the coloration of the „wild ones“ is really very, very pretty, both the animals with more red and the animals with more blue in the tail fin.
For our customers: the fish have code 614073 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The snarling zebra catfish – this is how Platydoras armatulus could be popularly called. However, it is actually called the striped raphael catfish. All spiny catfish can make distinct growling or croaking sounds when taken out of the water. They vibrate their whole body. Presumably this serves as a defense against enemies. But even without this behavior Platydoras are well protected against predators. Their whole body and especially the fins are covered with spines and thorns, which are even poisonous and can cause painful stings and lacerations. It is said that there have even been cases of poisoning in humans, so one should never catch these animals with bare hands. It seems that the catfishes are aware of their inedibility: usually they are lying around in a shady cave and hardly get disturbed. We have never observed the occasional warning in the literature that these catfishes could be dangerous to their aquarium mates by secreting poison, although we have had thousands of these animals with us over the decades. But at least: we have hereby pointed out to you that such a thing could exist.
Until 2008 the striped raphael catfish was called Platydoras costatus and still today this name can be found on most stock lists. Stock management systems just can’t be changed that easily. The “real” P. costatus is only found in coastal rivers of Surinam and French Guyana, is monochromatic brown-black and has only along the lateral row of spines a thin light line. Platydoras armatulus, on the other hand, is originally from the lower Orinoco, Amazon, and Parana-Paraguay systems. Nowadays, however, almost only captive-breds from Southeast Asia are on the market. It is distinctive and contrasting black and white striped.
The care of P. armatulus is very simple. The water temperature can be between 20 and 30°C, any drinking water is suitable for care. The species is extremely long-lived, you can look forward to several decades with them. The maximum length is said to be up to 30 cm, usually they grow around 20 cm. They are sociable animals, which should be kept in small groups (5-7 specimens). They will eat any common ornamental fish food and also small fish if they fit in their mouth. Co-inhabitants should therefore be adapted to the size of the catfish. The sexes are externally hardly distinguishable, the females are a little plumper, that’s it. These free spawners do not practice brood care.
For our customers: the animals have code 280522 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The “New Pandas” from Colombia belong to the most attractive and at the same time easy to keep and breed corydoras of the last years. There are two forms/species, CW 49 and CW 51, which differ clearly in the shape of the black saddle spot. For CW 49 please see here: https://www.facebook.com/page/119893808211837/search/?q=cw49, for origin etc. please see here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/corydoras_sp_cw_49_und_cw_51_de/.
Currently we have beautiful CW 51 in different sizes in the stock. The extension of the saddle patch towards the belly edge is individually quite different. In some specimens the saddle patch actually extends to the belly edge, in others only just to the middle of the body.
For our customers: the animals have code 240183 (lg) and 240184 (lg-xlg) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The small remaining, nicely marked Hypancistrus debilittera from the Rio Bita (a tributary to the Rio Meta, Colombia, Orinoco drainage) enjoys a great popularity since years. Already with 7 cm length the males become sexually active, the maximum length is given with about 12 cm. We import this species regularly.
Recently we received a “Hypancistrus sp.” from Colombia, unfortunately without concrete locality information. The animals are 6-8 cm long. In this import were specimens which can easily be assigned to H. debilittera, but also completely spotted animals – and all conceivable transitions! All photos in this post were made from specimens from this import.
Therefore we decided to list these fishes as L129-variant. No question: if all animals would have been spotted, we would have seen a new L-number behind them. But this is not possible, because if we receive an order of only a few specimens and the customer happens to receive only “normal” L129, we become untrustworthy. Nevertheless it is an exciting phenomenon. Will the Hypancistrus of the Orinoco basin hybridize with each other as happily as their cousins in the Rio Xingu, for example, have been shown to do?
There is still a lot to explore about these catfishes, which only became known to science thanks to aquaristics. For this, however, one needs again and again also wild catches, in order to be able to judge the natural variation. So it shows again: serious aquaristics is a joyful science, without which the thorough research of biodiversity (species diversity) in small fishes is not possible. Biodiversity research, in turn, is the indispensable prerequisite for species conservation. And so the trade – also and especially with wild catches – is pure species protection. Species are never endangered by this.
For our customers: the fish have code 26480-L 129A-2 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The strange narrow hatchetfish of the genus Triportheus belong to the flying fishes of freshwater. This is already indicated by the mighty pectoral keel with the muscles attached to it and the very long pectoral fins. The fish are predominantly silvery colored and grow to about 15 cm in length, which is why they are only suitable for owners of large aquariums. Here, however, they enliven very much the upper area and are therefore excellent company fish e.g. for catfishes, cichlids or silver dollars.
The identification of the 16 species is tricky and there have been many mix-ups in the past. We have received a species from Brazil that is most likely Triportheus rotundatus according to the current revision of the group by Malabarba 2004. This species is quite widespread in South America and colonizes practically the entire Amazon basin. With a maximum of 17.8 cm standard length (plus the tail fin) it belongs to the larger species of the genus.
The care is not difficult. Apart from the space requirement, it is best to keep the animals in larger groups, otherwise they become quarrelsome, like many other tetras. They will eat any common ornamental fish food, but only very reluctantly from the bottom. Water temperature can be between 22 and 28°C, chemical water composition is indifferent, any drinking water is suitable for keeping. The sexes hardly differ, females grow larger.
For our customers: the fish have code 298703 on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The Coffee Bean Tetra is an exceptional species within the so-called Rosy Tetras: no other species has even a hint of such a large shoulder spot. The distribution area of the species is in the lower Amazon basin, the border area between Brazil and French Guyana. There you can find the Coffee Bean Tetra in the tributaries of the rivers Araguari and Oyapock – if you can find it! Because what sounds so easy on paper is not really easy to realize in the huge water worlds of the Amazon.
After Hyphessobrycon takasei had disappeared from the export lists for many years, we have now once again succeeded in importing a larger number of animals. According to our supplier it is still the same catcher who brought the animals before the export stop.
When the fish arrived at our place, we were skeptical at first, if they really were coffee bean tetras, because a big part of them hardly showed a shoulder spot. Within a few days, however, this changed and the H. takasei looked like you would expect them to. But it is interesting how drastically the tetras can change their coloration when disturbed!
Anyway, we are happy to finally offer again this beauty, which reaches about 4 cm in length and is an ornament in any well maintained community aquarium with peaceful fish and abundant plant growth. Our animals are still youngsters and thus do not yet show the whole beauty of the species.
For our customers: the fish have code 262092 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Whoever coined the name “Princess of Burundi” for this beautiful small cichlid: it is a brilliant name! The fish commonly known as Neolamprologus brichardi is by no means found only in Burundi, but is distributed in numerous color variants in Lake Tanganyika, which led to several scientific descriptions: Lamprologus savoryi pulcher, L. olivaceus, L. elongatus savoryi, Neolamprologus daffodil, Lamprologus crassus and just L. brichardi. If one follows the opinion of Ad Konings, these are all members of the same species, which should then be correctly named Neolamprologus pulcher according to the rules of naming.
Fortunately, the little noblewoman does not care, because she does not read. And so the beautiful, including the long extended caudal fin only about 9 cm long fish delights now already the third or fourth aquarist generation with its wonderful appearance and the highly interesting breeding behavior. Both parents (which by the way hardly differ externally) defend together the spawning place (usually a stone crevice) and the young. In contrast to most other cichlids, the young, when they become independent, only partially migrate, the rest stay at home and take care of the younger siblings with mom and dad. Thus, over time, a fantastic picture emerges, a teeming of several ages that you really should have seen at least once in your life.
For our customers: the fish have code 542502 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Now it is season again for one of the most beautiful of all loricariid catfishes: Acanthicus adonis. The species name “adonis”, which is reminiscent of the ancient god of beauty and vegetation, Adonis, is aptly chosen. For like the god described as a beautiful youth, the Adonis catfish is such a beauty only when young. The animals certainly reach over 50 cm in length, one even hears of specimens twice that size. But then the catfishes are only monochrome black.
Acanthicus adonis was described from the Rio Tocantins in Brazil. Mostly the animals come from Peru into the trade. They should differ from the Brazilian cousins by the smaller eye. Occasionally, the distribution of dots is also cited as the difference between the two populations, but this makes little sense since the distribution of dots – the number, arrangement and size of the white dots – varies extremely from individual to individual and is as unique in each specimen as a fingerprint is in a human.
Maintaining Adonis catfish is easy, but you need to be aware of the size these animals reach. They are also quite aggressive fish, both against conspecifics and against non-species fish.
For our customers: the catfishes have code 201203 (5-7 cm) and 201204 (7-10 cm) on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Among the aquarium fishes that have been kept already in the 1890ies belong the two species of bullhead catfish Ameiurus melas and A. nebulosus. Both species are very similar to each other and even specialists have problems to tell them apart. Initially bullhead catfish were brought to Europe as foodfish in the 1880ies from the USA, together with rainbow trout, pumkinseed, and brook trout. But the bullheads don´t grow as large here as they do in the original home country. They tend to reproduce early and develop mass populations of dwarfish animals that stop or at least reduce) growing after the first spawning. So the bullheads are considered to be unwanted invaders in European waters and as pests. One should never release unwanted aquarium kept bullheads, but one should never release any type of fish at all, may it be native or not.
But anyway: we are interested in keeping the fish in tanks or garden ponds, not in releasing them. Of course one may ask after a first examination of the fish, why a hobbyist should keep such a dull colored, predatory, large (over 20 cm) and basically night active species? But the bullheads have a fan community on their own. For example Nobel Prize winner Karl von Frisch studied the abilty of fish to hear on bullheads. Bullheads become tame and can be trained for sounds (for example a whistle). Once they are trained they leave their hiding place at any time of the day when they hear the whistle to search for food. Anyone who likes to keep an animal with character that is completely undemanding in respect of food (virtually any type of fish food is taken readily) or water chemistry (in fact a tank for bullheads needs no technical features at all) makes a good choice with bullheads.
Barring another miracle, the trade in bullheads will be banned throughout the EU from May 2022. The species is considered invasive (which is quite true) and it is expected from a trade ban that the number of feral catfish will decrease noticeably (which is almost impossible). So if you are interested in catfish, you should stock up on the specimens you need as soon as possible, as long as it is still legally possible.
For our customers: the fsh have code 820103 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The first reports about the brood care behavior of this dwarf cichlid in the early 2000s were a sensation. Mouthbrooding Apistogramma – one had never heard of it before. Later it turned out that things are complicated. Some of the females of A. barlowi, as this species is now called, show quite normal Apistogramma brood care behavior. They spawn in burrows, the male guards the territory with his harem, and the female cares for spawn and young. However, some of the females take the young into their mouths after hatching and keep them there until they are independent. These females are thus so-called larvophilic mouthbrooders. And in isolated cases it even happened that also the male takes parts of the brood into the mouth and takes part in the brood care!
So with Apistogramma barlowi, which originates from the Pebas district in Peru, one can make really exciting observations. It is by no means understood yet if brood care behavior is inherited or if it is a plastic behavior linked to certain environmental factors (yet to be explored).
For our customers: the fish have code 624983 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The taxonomic status of this small cichlid, which has had quite a respectable aquaristic career as Amatitlania sp. Honduras Redpoint, is controversial. It is currently assumed that it belongs to the species scientifically described as A. siquia. Now this species is itself controversial and is seen by some scientists as a synonym to the old familiar A. nigrofasciata, accepted by others as a distinct species.
Of course we can’t decide that, but the two forms look different and therefore one should be careful not to mix them accidentally. In contrast to A. nigrofasciata A. siquia shows a beautiful blue-green shining patina at least in the female sex.
Aquaristically, A. nigrofasciata and A. siquia are similar in size, water values, diet and brood care.
For our customers: the animals have code 674452 (4-5 cm) and 674453 (5-6 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
In the north of India there are two Badis species, which are indistinguishable by color: B. blosyrus and B. assamensis. The only discernible difference that exists is the size of the mouth cleft. It is much larger in B. blosyrus and reaches below the center of the eye margin, whereas in B. assamensis the mouth opening reaches only just to the anterior margin of the eye.
It is problematic that practically always the two species are exported mixed, because they both live in the same region. Whether they are two species at all or “only” two ecotypes is uncertain. We are just completely unable to sort the animals here. To do so, each individual animal would have to be subjected to a thorough examination with a strong magnifying glass. The amount of work required for this is simply not affordable.
Since Badis assamensis is the largest of all Badis species known so far – it reaches a total length of 8-9 cm! – we therefore usually refer to the imports with jumbo fish as B. assamensis. Badis blosyrus remains much smaller, the largest specimen we measured has a total length (i.e. including caudal fin) of 6 cm.
Although we offer Badis assamensis and B. blosyrus on the stocklist, you always have to expect to get a mix of both species for the reasons mentioned above. Both species belong to the most beautiful Badis. If you intend to breed, you must acquire a larger number of animals, feed them vigorously until the females become recognizable by their outwardly curved ventral line (there are no other sex differences), and then put the breeding pairs together under close scrutiny with a magnifying glass. B. assamensis and B. blosyrus are typical cave breeders, with the male guarding the spawn until the young hatch.
For our customers: B. assamensis has code 368304 and B. blosyrus 368123 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Unfortunately only very rarely we can offer this cute dwarf livebearer from Costa Rica. The males grow to a length of about 1.5 cm, the females to a maximum of twice this size. The species name “quadrimaculatus” refers to the typically four spots these fish have on their flanks. However, many variations also occur in nature. Some specimens have only one spot, others five, but in most the pattern looks like that of the females photographed for this post.
In nature, the dwarfs have to go through all sorts of things and are exposed to extremely different water conditions there. In the scientific original description, Bussing describes several biotopes, including a partly shaded, partly sunlit forest stream with clear, 20°C cool water, and turbid, fully sun-exposed residual water puddles where the water was 34°C. He also mentions that this species is shy in the aquarium, but sheds the shyness when kept with other, less shy fish in a densely planted aquarium.
We now have a few German offspring of this rarity in stock.
For our customers: the animals have code 278253 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Within the genus Fundulopanchax, which was established already in 1924, but then was seen as a synonym to Aphyosemion for a very long time, there are very large species, like F. sjostedti, which can reach 12 cm (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/fundulopanchax_sjostedti_usa_blue_en/), but also many small species, which do not grow longer than 6 cm. Among the latter is Fundulopanchax scheeli. This small beauty was described in 1970 from aquarium specimens of unknown origin. Only much later it was found out that F. scheeli has only a small distribution area at the lower Cross River in southeastern Nigeria.
This killi is relatively popular because of its good breedability and beauty. It can be recommended, similar to the “Cape Lopez” even with restrictions for community aquariums. However, the company in such a case must be selected very carefully. In a colorful “teeming tank” or with aggressive fishes F. scheeli must not be housed under any circumstances. They need calm, densely planted aquariums with soft, dark substrate (peat fibers) to feel safe. In such an aquarium you will have a lot of fun with the animals.
For our customers: the animals have code 313702 on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Are you in a phase of the hobby, in which nothing at all wants to work out concerning breeding? Then it is time for the emergency rescuer in all situations, the convict cichlid Amatitlania nigrofasciata. Although it is no longer available everywhere and at any time, especially in its natural form, it hardly ever disappoints with regard to breeding intentions. Any male and just as any female (recognizable by the copper-red spots on the belly) almost always form a pair. A tip: the greater the size difference, the less chance of serious quarrels. So choose a large male and a much smaller female.
After a few days in the fresh aquarium with slightly increased temperatures (26-28°C compared to 22-24°C for normal care) it is usually already so far: the pair cleans a flat stone or a root, one spawns and the keeper enjoys the sight of a caring pair with many, many young.
For our customers: the natural form of A. nigrofasciata has code 655902 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Widespread species often show coloration differences in the different parts of the distribution area. So also the beautiful Corydoras sodalis, which is reported from Peru, Brazil and Colombia. From Colombia we could now import C. sodalis, which differ quite clearly in color and figure from e.g. animals imported from Brazil (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/corydoras-sodalis-2/).
For our customers: the fish have code 246705 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
One of the most beautiful and largest botias besides the well known and popular Chromobotia macracanthus is the Redtail botia Yasuhikotakia (formerly: Botia) modesta from Southeast Asia. These are gorgeous fish, usually with a very unusual dove blue base coloration that contrasts very nicely with the red fins. But there are also green, yellow-finned variants or lead-gray ones with transparent fins. A very nice mackerel variant we present here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/yasuhikotakia-modesta-2/
The species is distributed in the drainages of the big rivers Mekong, Chao Phraya and Mae Klong, the distribution area includes the countries Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
With a record size of 25 cm, Y. modesta is not a small fish, but sexual maturity occurs much earlier, at 8-10 cm in length. These are also the usual maximum sizes of the animals in nature. However, these loaches can become quite old in the aquarium, much older than in the wild and certainly older than 10 years and then really large animals are possible in large aquariums.
You should always keep all botias in social groups of as many specimens as possible, otherwise it can happen that they let out their social vein on other tank inhabitants and get on their nerves. They will eat any common ornamental fish food and have no special demands on the water chemistry. The water temperature can be between 22 and 28°C, but during the acclimation it is better to choose the upper temperature range, because all botias are somewhat sensitive to the spot disease (Ichthyophtirius), but tolerate medication against it only poorly. Ichthyophtirius does not like high water temperatures.
For our customers: the animals have code 404004 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The humpheaded Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa) from Lake Tanganyika has enjoyed great popularity for decades, although (or: because!) the species belongs to the bull class among the cichlids. Old males, which look downright bizarre with their forehead hump, can grow 30 cm long. Females generally remain smaller. In addition, C. frontosa is a crepuscular predator that prefers to feed on small fish and shrimp. Nevertheless: hardly any fan of the cichlids of East Africa, who has a larger tank at his disposal, can refrain from having his own experiences with these imposing animals.
Thereby C. frontosa has always belonged to the more expensive fishes. Wild catches have to be dived with compressed air tanks, because they live at a depth of 30-40 meters. And they have to be decompressed slowly over days, which is cost-intensive, because you have to drive to the catch site every day, dive down to the net cages with compressed air bottles, at least in the beginning, see if the animals are doing well and move the net cage a few meters towards the water surface again. Breeding of the mouthbrooder in the female sex succeeds relatively easily, but the fish are not very productive and the young fish grow very slowly.
There are several geographic color varieties of the species distributed throughout Lake Tanganyika. One has six body stripes plus a stripe through the eye, for a total of seven stripes; most have five body stripes plus the eye stripe, for a total of six stripes. If you are looking for a specific variant, you have to be careful here, because the designations in the trade sometimes refer only to the body stripes, but sometimes – so with us – to the total number of stripes. So we have – besides frontosas named especially after the locality – six-striped and seven-striped frontosas on the stock list, other dealers designate the same animals according to the number of body stripes as five- and six-striped frontosas.
The six-stripers, which we currently offer as captive bred specimens from Taiwan, stand out due to the beautiful blue coloration of the fins. The dark body stripes contrast very nicely with the light background, which is also bluish in color. Of course, there is no sign of a head bump on the 4-6 cm large animals yet. A sex determination is still impossible with young animals of this size.
For our customers: the animals have code 517002 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
What the Corydoras are in South America, the Schistura loaches are in Asia. In hundreds of species they populate practically every stream and smaller river of the tropical and subtropical regions of the continent. In many cases, identification is difficult or impossible. Not so with Schistura savona from India. Its “half band” pattern with white belly makes it almost unmistakable despite all intraspecific variation.
In contrast to many other Schistura species, S. savona is a peaceful fellow and also remains very small with about 4 cm maximum length. Thus it fits into every community aquarium with stream character. The species is very sociable, therefore it should be kept in groups of 10 or more. The males are clearly smaller than the females.
The substrate should consist of fine sand at least in places. Some roots and flat, rounded stones should also not be missing. Any fish food of suitable size is eaten, plants are not bothered, at most accidentally dug up. Schistura savona is a fish of the subtropics, so it does not need additional heating in room aquariums: temperatures between 16 and 26°C occur in the natural habitat of the fish. However, the fish should not be exposed to sudden temperature changes, changes up or down should be gradual. No special demands are made on the water composition, any tap water suitable as drinking water is also suitable for the care of S. savona.
For our customers: the animals have code 438701 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The tetra Hyphessobrycon cyanotaenia was originally imported as “Lapis-Tetra” from Brazil; that was more than 20 years ago (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/?s=cyanotaenia). Since the breeding was successful this beautiful and easy to keep fish is now a common sight in the trade. The origin was mysterious for a long time, because the scientific description was based on offspring, but today it is known that H. cyanotaenia is native to the upper parts of the Rio Juruena (basin of the Rio Tapajós) and the Rio Guaporé (basin of the Rio Madeira) in the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil.
The species characteristic of Hyphessobrycon cyanotaenia is the massive black longitudinal band extending from the posterior margin of the eye to the posterior margin of the caudal fin. This band is accompanied above by a bright blue band across the back.
As wild catch H. cyanotaenia is only rarely on the market, because it belongs to the fixed assortment of many breeders. We have now once again received wild-caught specimens, which differ quite clearly from the offspring we are familiar with due to their very bright yellow colored back. In the few golden animals, which are also included in the import, the back shines particularly intensively.
For our customers: the wild caught specimens have code 259843 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The two species of the genus Rhinelepis – R. aspera and R. strigosa – belong with over 60 cm attainable final size to the largest armored catfishes at all and are therefore predestined as show objects in zoos, public aquariums and of course also for owners of gigantic private aquariums. Color-wise they have nothing to offer, they are monochromatic blackish, but they are imposing and whimsical creatures.
There are only a few Rhinelepis specimens in museum collections worldwide and therefore the fine systematics of these fishes is very poorly studied. Scientific doctrine holds that there are two species that occur in quite different river systems of South America: Rhinelepis aspera from the Rio Sao Francisco and R. strigosa from the Rio Parana and Rio Uruguay systems. We have now been able to import animals from Paraguay, which should therefore be Rhinelepis strigosa.
The difference between R. aspera and R. strigosa is that R. strigosa has many odontodes on the bony plates of the body and R. aspera does not. In the six specimens imported by us (four 16-18 cm, two 25-30 cm long) some correspond in this respect more strigosa, others more aspera, which is why we call all of them R. cf. strigosa as a precaution. Possibly this “species difference” is rather a sex difference after all, who knows. But we cannot clarify such questions here.
For our customers: the fish have code 287575 (16-18 cm) and 287578 (25-30 cm). Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Because of the still bad flight connections imports from India come in only sporadically. Now once again an import worked out. It contained among others the common panchax, Aplocheilus panchax. A. panchax is the most common fish in large parts of India and can be found literally everywhere, from the smallest puddle to the shores of large rivers and lakes, even the salty water of estuaries can be tolerated by the panchax. The water temperatures especially in the small waters vary enormously, in the sun they easily rise to well over 30°C, at night they can cool down to 12-14°C.
So it is not surprising that Aplocheilus panchax was one of the first tropical ornamental fishes ever. It came to us for the first time in 1899 and was quickly bred. The great color variability of this 6-7 cm long fish caused heated, sometimes polemic discussions about whether they were species, subspecies or color morphs. Today we know: they are color morphs, reddish, orange and white fin seams occur within a single population, also the number of orange-red spots on the scales varies.
After World War 2, the Panchax gradually disappeared from aquariums. People had electric heaters (instead of spirit burners under the aquarium), filters and aeration, and especially lighting. Previously, aquariums were placed at an angle to the window, so that the sunlight coming from the side illuminated the aquarium. In such light panchaxes are quite colorful, because many scales shine blue. This is quite different in fluorescent light from above, where the Panchax appear quite gray, especially if they are not yet acclimated. We’ve also attached a shot to this post where the lighting conditions are like they used to be, so you can see what we mean.
Care from the Panchax is simple. They are surface-dwelling fish that will happily accept any bite-sized fish food. The water values and the temperature play practically no role (see above). Mostly A. panchax are peaceful, but there are sometimes quarrelsome males, so by-fish should not be too delicate. Well suited are e.g. rosy barbs and zebra danios, which come from the same biotopes. Plants leave the Panchax unnoticed. Males differ from females by the shape of the anal fin (see photos).
For our customers: the animals have code 303703 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
One of the still very expensive tetra novelties in the aquarium is the very, very pretty Hyphessobrycon procyon from the Rio Aripuanã in the middle basin of the Rio Madeira. It looks confusingly similar to the kitty tetra, H. heliacus, at first glance. H. procyon and H. heliacus form a species complex together with the also very similar H. peugeoti and H. lowae. For differentiation see the article of Hans-Georg Evers in the journal Amazonas No 99/2021: 22-27, there is also a detailed breeding report on H. procyon.
Here therefore only the most important key data: H. procyon reaches a length of 4-5 cm. They are easy to keep tetras, which have no special demands on water and food. For optimal color and fin development soft, slightly acidic water (pH 6 – 6.5) is favorable, as well as secondary plant matter (peat, dead leaves, alder cones). Aquatic plants are not damaged, H. procyon are very peaceful among themselves and against other species of fish. The males like to display among themselves, which is wonderful to look at and ends without injuries. The best way to keep these tetras is in groups of 10 or more, the sex ratio is not important, but there should be at least two males.
A little video on this fish can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0oZ-tslpC0
For our customers: the fish have code 261582 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
This Corydoras belongs with 9-11 cm of total-length to the biggest and most splendid species of the genus at all. Both sexes develop, when they are sexually active, long dorsal fins. The males can be recognized by the additional long ventral fins.
At the moment we have wonderful, fully grown, well settled animals in stock. More photos of sexually active animals can be found here: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/corydoras_robustus_en/.
Corydoras robustus originates from the Purus River basin in central Amazon drainage, Brazil
For our customers: the fish have code 244106 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer
There seems to be a consensus among armored catfish enthusiasts that L92, which is very widespread in the Orinoco drainage of Colombia and Venezuela and later received another L-number, namely L194, is identical to Lasiancistrus tentaculatus, which was described in 2005. However, L. tentaculatus is described as more or less monochromatic brown, while L92 is quite differently colored: on the front half of the body, approximately up to the base of the dorsal fin, there are many bright spots, but not on the rear half of the body. That is why the name „headspotted delta catfish” fits very well. Typical for Lasiancistrus is the coloration of the caudal fin: the lower half is much more pigmented than the upper half. In the case of L92, the lower half of the caudal fin is rusty red.
Lasiancistrus species are typical algae eaters, but also need soft wood to supplement their diet. They are perfect for discus aquariums as „glass cleaners”, as they cope well with the usually somewhat higher temperatures in discus aquariums. At around 10-12 cm L92 is fully grown, making it one of the smallest Lasiancistrus species.
We can now offer this cave spawner, which likes to use stone crevices for spawning, as a German offspring.
For our customers: the animals have code 26480-L 092-3 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
From Peru we could import very nice Hypoptopoma. Most of the import consisted of H. gulare (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/hypoptopoma-gulare/), but there were some specimens with very conspicuous, broad bands in the dorsal fin and contrasting caudal fins. Unfortunately the identification attempt based on the current revision of the genus (Aquino & Schaefer, 2010) did not give a satisfying result and new species have not been described since then. However, the species is already depicted, mostly under the name H. sp. III, with the remark that the origin of this fish is unknown or that the locality is “Brazil”. Since we now know that this species comes from the Rio Ucayali in Peru, we have designated it with the corresponding information.
According to Aquino & Schaefer the species Hypoptopoma bianale, H. steindachneri, H. gulare, H. thoracatum, H. psilogaster and possibly also H. brevirostratum occur in the Rio Ucayali. Our fish does not fit to any of the mentioned species, so that it is probably to be assumed that it is a scientifically still undescribed species. According to the few data in the aquaristic literature Hypoptopoma sp. Ucayali (= H. sp. III) becomes 10-12 cm long (total length, thus including tail fin). Our import fish are currently 5-7 cm long, so they are just half grown.
For our customers: the fish have code 262315 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale. Only available in very small quantities!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Hyphessobrycon notidanos from the upper drainage of the Rio Tapajós in Brazil, which was scientifically described only in 2006, is apparently a quite multicolored animal. So there is the “Red Devil” with much red in the body and blue iris and the “Yellow Devil” with red iris. Both color forms are said to occur together in nature, but they are exported separately. They are really pretty animals, not at all devilish!
In collections from nature there were no specimens over 3 cm length (measured without caudal fin). Characteristic for the species is the pointed, extended dorsal fin of the males, which reaches almost to the adipose fin.
The care of the unfortunately still quite expensive fish is easy and corresponds to that of e.g. king tetras (Inpaichthys kerri). For feeding, the animals greedily accept any common fish food of suitable size. Hyphessobrycon notidanos is completely peaceful and does not damage plants. The water temperature in the wild is around 26°C, a value that certainly deviates occasionally by a few degrees up or down due to weather and seasonal conditions.
For our customers: the “Red Devil” has code 261263 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Large puffer fish are always a cause for joy among our staff. The animals are not only beautiful, but they communicate with the keeper and the hall visitors. Their eyes are always in lively motion and it is difficult to avoid the impression that the fish in the aquarium looks at the person outside the aquarium with the same curiosity as the other way around.
Chelonodontops bengalensis was only described scientifically in 2018, at the same time as a very similar species from Burma, C. alvheimi. Since the two author teams apparently did not know about each other, there were doubts whether both puffers were not the same species. This doubt has now been dispelled. Both species are similar, but can be distinguished by the type of skin spination.
Chelonodontops bengalensis was originally found in the sea off Bangladesh, later also off the coast of India. The up to about 40 cm long animals are therefore marine fishes, but like many other marine puffer fishes they like to swim in river mouths. We keep our two 20-25 cm long newcomers in slightly salted fresh water. They feel quite comfortable, but we assume that this will only work for a relatively short time (a few weeks). For permanent care, you need a brackish or saltwater aquarium. It is important that the pH never drops below 7, and when feeding, care must be taken to keep the nitrite level under control.
So, these are very special fish and their care is reserved for specially interested, very experienced aquarists. All others will enjoy the beautiful coloration and the clever eyes, if you are lucky enough to meet a Chelonodontops bengalensis.
For our customers: the animals have code 409753 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Hatchetfishes are normally wild caught. They are very common, easy to transport and therefore a welcome addition to the sustainable ornamental fish fishery in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Brazil. This is also true for the “Common” Hatchetfish, Gasteropelecus sternicla. For general information on the species, please also see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/fischarchiv/ein-grosser-klassiker-gasteropelecus-sternicla/.
For some years now, offspring of this species have been coming from Indonesia, which is a very popular way to bridge supply bottlenecks from the wild. Such supply bottlenecks occur seasonally once in a while during high water etc.. It was actually only a question of time until albinos appeared among the offspring with their thousands of offspring. Et voilà: We can now offer albinos of Gasteropelecus sternicla as offspring for the first time.
For comparison on some photos you can see normal colored G. sternicla. These are wild caught specimens from Colombia, the albinos are offered pure.
For our customers: the albino hatchetfishes have code 254422 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
