Breeding Hints and Tips
Breeding Pseudacanthicus leopardus
Written by Friday, 31 October 2008 00:00
| Article Index |
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| Breeding Pseudacanthicus leopardus |
| Page 2: Spawning |
| Page 3: Eggs and Fry Development |
| Page 4: End Notes |
| All Pages |
Introduction
Pseudacanthicus leopardus has long being proclaimed a heart winner of a fish. Aquarists are well taken with the fish’s stunning looks though word has it that it is rather aggressive and extremely territorial from a very young age. We were both intrigued and fascinated by this fish and ended up with two colonies, one in Manchester UK and one in Athens GR.
Our colonies grew up in different environments. We took this to be an advantage in terms of understanding the fish and learning about it, so we kept comparing notes all the way. The spawning account that follows has benefited from this approach.
Both colonies were acquired in 2 stages. In both cases Pseudacanthicus leopardus (L114) were acquired at a very young age and were joined some time later by Pseudacanthicus leopardus currently appearing as L600. The fish were placed in large tanks (1200 and 1300 lit. respectively) to grow up. Some of the tank mates of the Manchester colony were, at the time, considerably bigger and quite aggressive (L25s, Acanthicus Adonis, L160s etc). Others were of similar size albeit not temperament. In Athens, the tank mates differed: a colony of Paretroplus damii, some Paretroplus small spot East Coast, and lots of different fish belonging to the genus Synodontis.
The fish, as far as we could observe, were quite peaceful and did not get involved in territorial or other fights. During the growing up period they were mostly hiding, probably due to their young age. Most young catfish hide; these youngsters make hiding into a fine art – to the point one wonders if they are still alive.
After about a year in the tank, the L114 still preferred to hide during day time while the L600 became way more visible and started interacting with other fish in the open. We have heard comments to the effect that the L600 type will lose the full orange tail band as they grow up but this didn’t happen to any of our fish. The fish kept and still have to-date, the same markings they had when they were purchased.
It’s worth noting that in addition to the differences in the markings of the tail there are some further differences in the appearance of the fish. The individuals classified as L114 have more “refined” looks and either grow more slowly than the L600s or have a smaller TL size. The individuals classified as L600 are on the main a broader, much more robust fish by comparison, and they bear a striking resemblance to Pseudacanthicus spinosus (L160) in all but the colour.
We did debate for a while whether we should keep the colonies mixed or we should separate the fish to L114 and L600 morph colonies. By that time, however, both colonies were well established, each containing individuals of both sexes of each morph. Hence we decided against splitting according to morphs. (1)
The water parameters in Athens and Manchester differ considerably. All fish (wild caught) were acquired at about the same time and had similar sizes at the time of acquisition, which led us to assume that they were roughly the same age. The difference in water parameters was the only obvious one, and we attributed to it the differences in the growth rates of the fish. The colony kept in neutral, soft, tannin-rich water (Manchester) showed a remarkably higher growth rate reaching a TL of 25-32 cm in about 3 years while the ones kept in moderately hard water (Athens) only reached a size of 17-20 cm over the same period of time.
The tank mates of the colonies also differed, once these moved to the locations at which they finally spawned. The colony in Athens shares tank with a prolific colony of Paretroplus damii, a pair of Paratilapia small spot “East Coast”, a pair of Parachromis loisellei and a female adult Pimelodus pictus. The colony in Manchester, on the other hand, is housed with other catfish: a male L25, a pair of L95s, a colony of L128s, a colony of L137s and a young pair of Paratilapia sp. “Andapa”. It is clear that the Manchester colony is disadvantaged, by comparison, in terms of space and privacy, as they do share the tank with other bottom dwellers.
Set Ups
Some information on the set ups may also be of interest. In Athens, the fish are housed in a glass tank 250 x 65 x 60 cm (975 L, 258 US gallons). The tank is serviced by 2 Eheim Professionel 3 and 1 Eheim classic 2213. Other peripherals include:
- two fluorescent tubes, 150 cm / 54 W each with reflector located at the back of the tank
- a 9000 L/h blower which provides aeration via 6 outlets
- one Schego M2K3 (350 L/h) which adds more air via a single outlet
- a classic Eheim automatic feeder and a double chamber Eheim automatic feeder which provide feeding at regular intervals
- three 250 W glass heaters (Jaeger) and two 300 W Schego titanium heaters which are only turned on during water changes or extremely cold days
The substrate consists of calciferous sand mixed 1:1 with quartz gravel of the same colour (light brown). The tank is decorated with large pieces of all kinds of wood, large stones and four ceramic pots for the catfish to retrieve into. The readings are as follows: pH 7.8-7.9, GH: 9-10, KH: 8, temperature 26oC (winter) up to 29oC in summer. (2) We put no additives in the water nor any attempt is made to soften it. The maintenance regime consists of one water change weekly and cleaning the filters when the flow is visibly reduced. During the water change 50-75% of the water is changed; this is upped to 100% during the hot summer months. Water is removed and added at the same time, over a 2-3 hour period, with pipes located at opposite sides of the tank. The new water is usually 1-2oC cooler than the water in the tank. Hands, cleaning magnets and nets very seldom enter the tank (less than once a month). As a consequence fish feel at ease and the catfish are very often seen in the open.
In Manchester, the fish are housed in a glass tank 200 x 80 x 55 cm (880 Lit., 233 US gallons). The tank is low and wide to allow for more space at the bottom for the catfish. It is serviced by 1 Eheim Professionel 3 and 1 Eheim 2260. Other peripherals include:
- 1 fluorescent tube, 150 cm / 54 W with reflector located at the back of the tank (totally ineffective, given the fact that the water is very dark due to the tannins)
- a “shared” 8000 L/h blower which provides aeration via 4 outlets
- two 350 W glass heaters (Jaeger) which maintain a constant 25oC. In the summer months the temperature is raised to 27oC.
The substrate is neutral coloured quartz sand. The tank is decorated with large pieces of bogwood roots with lots of crevices and various sizes ceramic pots for the catfish. The readings are pH 7 – 7.6, GH: 3.5, KH: 3 (with the addition of sodium bicarbonate), temperature 25oC. During weekly maintenance we add a small amount of discus trace minerals to the water to raise the GH to 3,5 dgh. The maintenance regime consists of one water change weekly, changing 80-90% of the water using constant flow (water is removed and added at the same time over a period of 2 hours; during the change the temperature of the tank remains steady). The filters are cleaned every 4 weeks alternatively as they do tend to clog with small pieces of wood and wood dust. There is no netting in this tank except in an emergency (it has happened once in the last 20 months) though the Paratilapia sp. Andapa do get hand fed once or twice weekly and vegetables are provided for the fish three times weekly, which involves immersing hands to secure them on clips. The fish are very settled and they are constantly in the open to the point of “lining up” at the front of the tank when food is being delayed.
Feeding
The feeding regime is similar for both colonies. We feed the fish a variety of foods, all mixed, on a daily basis. Staple food includes a mixture of Dr. Bassleer XXL, Ocean Nutrition Formula 2 – medium sized pellets, OSI shrimp pellets, Hikari Carnivore Pellets and Blue Line Grade 122 Basic. The fish can also eat, should they want to, Ocean Nutrition Formula 1 and Blue Line Bottom Spiru tablets. Ocean Nutrition frozen Bloodworms are also offered once a week supplemented by the occasional treat of frozen prawn or mussel. In addition to the above, the fish in Manchester enjoy fresh vegetables and fruit daily. We have been told that, in the wild, the fishermen catch these fish by putting small coconut trees in the water; the fish collect round their roots to graze, which is an indication that they do enjoy vegetable matter and rasping on wood. In Athens the fish are fed 3 times daily (16:00 main meal, 19:00 2 small quantities, 22:00 2 small quantities; one additional feeding a month prior to spawning). In Manchester the fish are fed once daily, between 18:00 and 19:00.
Due to our personal circumstances we have not been trying to get the fish to spawn. The colony in Athens is soon to relocate to Manchester, while the colony in Manchester is waiting to go to a dedicated tank. Hence, neither tank had spawning caves. Plenty of wood, rocks and clay tunnels were provided for both colonies to rest in but none of these was suitable for spawning. Furthermore, there was no “conditioning” of any kind; the water parameters were kept stable during the weekly water maintenance.
Other factors
Both colonies grew up in various size tanks and have been moved to their current location prior to spawning. The colony in Athens has been moved a year before spawning while the colony in Manchester has been moved about 8 months before. On both occasions the fish had more space available to them after the move.
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