All spiny eels of the currently 24 species of the genus Macrognathus are recommended aquarium fish. They remain relatively small (10-15 cm, only very rarely larger specimens are reported) by spiny eel standards and are peaceful to fish that are not suitable for food. In addition, most are still pretty colored.

Perhaps the prettiest is Macrognathus zebrinus from Burma. It inhabits the basins of big rivers Irrawaddy, Sittang and Salween. In addition, the species is also found in Nepal and allegedly also in Indonesia, but is imported from Burma or as bred ones. The largest specimen documented so far measured about 17 cm, but this is the exception. Our current imports with their length of 10-12 cm are already sexually differentiated, the females are clearly fuller and somewhat paler colored.

For the care of spiny eels, a substrate consisting at least in part of sand is important, because the animals like to burry themselves in. The feeding can be done with all kinds of frost and live food, as long as it is adapted to the body size of the fish. Acclimatized specimens also often accept granules. The aquarium for spiny eels must be covered absolutely escape-proof, and also the openings of filters must be secured against an intrusion of the fish, otherwise it can come to fatal accidents.

For our customers: the animals have code 425343 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.

Finally
we were able to organize an importation from Guinea once again! It
contains a number of varieties from the Pelvicachromis-humilis-complex
(Liberia Red, Dighiya, Sierra Leone, Falesade, P. signatus), the rare P.
roloffi, beautiful Hemichromis (H. cristatus, H. letourneauxi, H. sp.
Guinea II), some rare species of Polypterus (P. ansorgii, P.
buettikoferi, P. palmas), and dwarf fishes: the lampeye Aplocheilichthys
normani, the charming Pseudepiplatys annulatus, and the dwarf tetras
Lepidarchus adonis and Ladigesia roloffi.

And here, as first appetizers, the dwarf tetras:

Ladigesia roloffi

This
beautiful tetra becomes only 3-4 cm long. Nevertheless it should be
kept in comparatively large aquaria, for it loves to swim a lot. The
males can be easily recognized by the shape of the anal fin. The sense
of that structure is not researched yet. The species is very peaceful. A
dark gravel is the best choice for a tank for Ladigesia, because the
unusual orange coloration of the fins is shown most intensively by
specimens kept over dark bottom.

Lepidarchus adonis

The
Adonis tetra also becomes only 3 cm long. However, it has a completely
different temper, compared with its orange-finned cousin: Adonis tetras
are very quiet fish that love dense plantation and lots of hiding
places. Small tanks are much better suited for keeping them than large
tanks, because in the latter they simply get lost. Males and females
differ significantly by coloration and the finnage. One keeps this
little jewels best in company of their own kind or maybe along with
Pseudepiplatys annulatus or other, really peaceful dwarf species.

For
our customers: Ladigesia roloffi has code 144003, Lepidarchus adonis
code 145302 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the
wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Once
more we were able to organize a wonderful, large importation from the
Congo. Our proofed supplier sent us among others beautiful butterfly
barbs (Barbus hulstaerti, http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archive/barbs-asboras-danios-en/Barbus_hulstaerti_Lompole_en/), large Upside-Down-Cats (Synodontis nigriventris, http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/news/Synodontis_nigriventris_finally_available_again__en/), also the “Zebra-nigriventris” (http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archive/catfish-en/mochokidae-en/Synodontis_sp_aff_nigriventris_ZEBRA_en/), gorgeous Orange Bushfish (Microctenopoma ansorgii, http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archive/labyrinthfish-en/Microctenopoma_ansorgii_en/, http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archive/labyrinthfish-en/Microctenopoma_ansorgii_en/), healthy Hydrocynus goliath (http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archive/tetras-en/predatory-tetras-en/Hydrocynus_goliath_en/), the beautiful and rare Congo-Barb (Clypeobarbus congicus, http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/news/Clypeobarbus_congicus_en/), banded bushfish (Microctenopoma fasciolatum, http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archive/labyrinthfish-en/Microctenopoma_fasciolatum_en/), and so on, and so on…

One
of the most beautiful fish of the World, the six-striped Distichodus
(Distichodus sexfasciatus) is also represented by a good number of
specimens. We have no doubts that this species would be among the most
wanted aquarium fish at all, were there not some characters that make
the animals suitable only for the very long-suffering and extremly
patient hobbyist: they grow (even in smaller tanks) to a length of more
than 30 cm, are extremely quarrelsome and will – for sure! – eat any
plant in the aquarium.

Usually
this species has six stripes on the flanks. In our current shipment are
also several specimens with other numbers of bars, most often seven.
But do not think that these fish would represent other species; most
often seven bars occur only on one side of the body while the other one
has a regular number of stripes.

Seven
is a lucky number: in any case it brought luck for our Congo
importation, for all fish are healthy, stable and feel very well in
their new environment!

For
our customers: D. sexfasciatus has code 128001 (3-5 cm) and 128002 (5-7
cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the
wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

The political situation in Guinea is not stable at all. So it is very difficult to organize an importation from there. But now we were successful once more and we proudly present to you some of the ornamental fish species from Guinea:

Aplocheilichthys normani

A single specimen of that lampeye is a quite drab creature, but a larger school of them in a tank with dimmed light is like magic! The blue eyes drift like small fireflies through the underwater world – wonderful!

Code 302392 on our stocklist

Pseudepiplatys annulatus

The Clown killi is one of the smallest species of killifish at all and a perfect fish for so-called nano tanks.

Code 322002 on our stocklist

Polypterus ansorgii

Opposite attracts. Some hobbyists like small fish, some other one like large fish. A species for the latter group is the very rare Polypterus ansorgii, which we have obtained in specimens of 35-60 cm length.

Code 162407, 162408, and 162409 on our stocklist

Pelvicachromis rubrolabiatus Dinkinya

 
In this pretty cichlid the females are even more attractive than the males. The fish were also a containment of the present import from Guinea. Male become around 10 cm long, females stay smaller.

Code 559533 on our stocklist.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Two of the most often traded algae eaters have been re-named some time ago, namely the Stone Lapper and the Flying Fox. The Stone Lapper has been called Garra taeniata for a long time, but this name is a synonym to the elder name Garra cambodgiensis, which is valid.This species has been confused very often with the Flying Fox (for example in the very popular Aquarium Atlas). The Flying Fox was called Epalzeorhynchus (or Crossocheilus) siamensis. This name also proofed to be a junior synonym of the elder – and thus valid – name Crossocheilus oblongus.

Both species can be easily told apart:

Stone Lapper (Garra cambodgiensis)

– black stripe does not extent to caudal fin (tail fin)
– dorsal fin (the fin on the back): painted with three zones
– no barbels on nose, but only barbels in the corner of the mouth
– no small black dot in front of dorsal fin on the back

Flying Fox (Crossocheilus oblongus)

– black stripe extends in the caudal fin
– no colour at all in dorsal fin
– one pair of barbels on the nose, another pair of barbels in the corner of the mouth
– always a small black dot in front of dorsal fin on the back

Both species are excellent algae eaters and should be best kept in schools. In Garra cambodgiensis males and females can be told apart by the shape of the head, in Crossocheilus oblongus females can be recognized by the plumper body only.

For our customers: Garra cambodgiensis has code 416302 on our stocklist, Crossocheilus oblongus code 15502. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

We received 3 specimens of very nice Lepisosteus oculatus and also 3 specimens of pretty Polypterus ornatipinnis. Both have sizes of 40-50 cm, so they make ideal show fish!

For our customers: the animals have code 164007 (P. ornatipinnis) and 848019 (L. oculatus) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

262621 Hypostomus luteus, BRED, 3-4 cm

636576 Cichla piquiti, BRED, 14-18 cm

636336 Cichla kelberi, BRED, 18-22 cm

636395 Cichla melaniae, BRED, 12-15 cm

148353 Megalops cyprinoides, 12-15 cm

426095 Maccullochella peelii, 15-20 cm

414903 Elopichthys bambusa, 8-10 cm

455893 Spinibarbus denticulatus, 10-12 cm

All species are available in limited numbers only!
Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Dear customers,

our weekly importatios regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!

Your Aquarium Glaser Team

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