Each Month Tim Haywood writes an article for 'Tropical Fish' Magazine A superb publication covering all aspects of keeping Tropical Fish   Here are just a few of the articles by Tim that have appeared within the pages of the magazine. Please note that they are covered by copyright and may not be reproduced within permission   .
BANJO CATFISH   How often have we visited an aquatic outlet and seen an unusual little fish and thought that we must take one home. Well, Bunocephalus verrucosus scabriceps (pleasant name!) seems to fall into this category more that most. They have that quirky charm about them as they scurry over a piece of bog wood, only to disappear amongst the weed at the back of the dealer’s tank or down into the substrate.   Once home the fish is rarely seen in the community aquarium and the purchaser is then left wondering why they picked the little chap in the first place! However, if kept correctly these little fellows can make perfect aquatic pets and will be a delight to own. The basics first: They are often just listed as Banjo Cats, though the more commonly known Banjo is  Dysichthys coracoideus, very similar, but a different fish. If you find any listed as the ‘Large-headed banjo’ then it is likely you have found the right one.   Like many of the ‘Banjo Cats’ they originate from the Central American Basin and are quite a commonly occurring little fish - if not actually seen. Around 60 different species and sub-species have so far been described and, with better collecting methods, this number is likely to increase. Our little chap, the Large-Headed Banjo fits the type perfectly. The common name obviously derives from the overall shape of the fish, which is, looking like a banjo. Interestingly the scientific name Bunocephalus refers to the little bumps or ‘hills’ seen all over the head, rather than the actual shape of the fish.   Now they may look tough and robust, but in truth they are quite delicate and sensitive to water quality. They will withstand a broad range in the actual parameters, although rises in nitrite will see them firstly sloughing their skin and then their possible demise. Other community tank mates may tolerate poor water quality better, and the first the owner knows of a problem with his Banjo is when he gives the poor little chap a prod and realises that it has died. In truth, I think the best way to keep them, is in a small, well-managed tank all of their own. Not only will the water quality be easier to keep in the best of condition, but also the décor can be arranged in such a way that the Banjos may actually be seen!   A modest 55L (12gall) aquarium with the water level kept low will do fine for a small group of youngsters. A small shoal of Tetras can be added also, so the tank doesn’t look completely empty. Wild Banjos can be expected to reach around 15cm (6 inches) in length; those in captivity will remain much smaller. If the fish keeper is successful in raising the whole group to maturity and beyond, then the fish will need separating and re-homing to larger quarters.   The aquarium must have a substrate of fine sand to allow the chaps to dig down into and this rules out the use of under-gravel filtration. Internal power filtration can be a little too harsh. Far better is the use of a small external power filter with a gentle return or even a small hang-on filter. Many hang-on filters do not like operating with a low water level - so choose one which will be suitable carefully - but the waterfall return looks very effective on a Banjo tank.   Planting should be on the heavy side and a few well placed stones should be added too. The inclusion of Bog wood will assist in keeping the pH on the lower end of the scale, around 6.5 to 7 and the Banjos will enjoy messing around on it too. Heaters should be guarded so as not to burn any fish and the water temperature ideally should be kept within a narrow range of 22-23o C (72-75o F)   Feeding is an easy one for such an unusual fish. They will eat flake and do well on it too. But to get them looking really good and confident, then frozen bloodworms or small meaty bits should be added. The fish are naturally nocturnal and will only eat at night. The owner should feed the fish initially late in the evening. However, as the fish become settled, and by adding treats during the daytime, they can be encouraged to venture out at anytime of the day. This can make for a lovely spectacle. Before any food is added the aquarium will look very sweet and gentle with a little shoal of tetras just milling around, but as soon as some bloodworm is added the tank will really liven up as the Banjo’s scurry around trying to sense out where that bloodworm ended up.   Feeding and keeping is generally quite simple, breeding however is a completely different story. To date, successful spawnings of the large-headed banjo are sketchy to say the least. Sexing is simple if a group are kept together to compare them. Before a feed the females are considerably wider around the middle. Personally, I think anyone wishing to spawn them should try and follow the methods used to breed Corydoras. That is, give the fish a really good conditioning period and ensure that the water quality is perfect. Then lower the water level a little a more. On a full moon, raise the water level slightly again and lower the temperature just a couple of degrees. I know of a very successful aquarist who induced his Banjos to spawn in this manner, but sadly was unable to raise the young, nor able to duplicate the method to induce further spawning. What makes this hobby so great is that there is still so much to learn and overcome, so the difficulty in breeding can be seen as a challenge and further reason for keeping these lovely fish rather than a disadvantage.   I am fully aware that this article is little more than a ‘dipped-toe’ into the world of Bunocephalus. Anyone who takes the plunge and begins to keep them will soon realise just how fascinating they are. Further reading, which should always be encouraged, will open up the fish-keeper to the dedicated and thorough work that Catfish keepers are doing to the further understanding of these little chaps. I can think of no other group of fish that have a more conscientious following of people learning and sharing their knowledge so we may all have a better hobby to enjoy.    .
FARLOWELLA     Some fish are handsome, some fish are cute and there are some fish that look just crazy!   I have to say that I think the Farlowellas drop neatly into the last box. Though saying that if you are lucky enough to maintain a group of adults and get them to breed, the first two boxes are definitely ticked as well.   Now Farlowellas are quite commonly imported, mainly Farlowella acus with F.vittata not far behind and they are often seen in dealers tanks. I would advise anyone to show a little caution though before diving in and making a purchase. Yes, they do look like stretched out plecs and it is a fair assumption to think that they have the same needs. However the Farlowella is a much more demanding fish and only the more experienced fish keeper should attempt to keep them. Also they never do well when kept in a general community aquarium.   Farlowella come under the umbrella of Loricariidae, the family that contains some of the beautiful and much sought after L’numbers. A probable reason why Farlowella are not as popular as they should be is because ‘twig catfish’ as they are more commonly known, do not look on first sight as impressive as say Zebra Plecs or the Ancistrus.   However it is the twig look that I think makes them look so much fun. It is a perfect bit of evolutionary design and when kept with the correct décor, they blend in beautifully and can be a pain to find sometimes!   In the wild they are distributed around South America, Lake Valencia and Torito River basins, I am unsure whether they are being farm bred, though I think it is unlikely due to them appearing only on South American import lists and not on any from the Far East.   They can reach fairly good sizes, adults will be in the region of 15cm and to give the classifiers a headache the colours can be variable. The dark band that runs down the side is consistent with the species though. Sexing is easy if there are a few to compare to and even simpler when they are mature.  The male’s snout is broader when compared to the females and if little bristles are seen, then he is in the mood for breeding.   As stated, I much prefer them being given a tank of there own. Granted, they are not always the most active of chaps, but if the added bogwood and driftwood is raised high in the tank the fish will put on a good show. The aquarium need not be a large one for say a group of six, but it must have a volume of water that is both stable and easy to maintain. A three foot tank should be seen as the minimum. The decoration inside should consist of plenty of bogwood and some live plants. A free-swimming space in the middle is not required. Lighting should just be enough to keep the plants happy. If too bright the Farlowella will spend much of their time hiding underneath the bog wood, rather than out on top. The water must be maintained to a very high level, as any build up of nitrite or excess nitrate will probably result in their demise. An even bigger killer for Farlowellas is excessively large water changes, so any filtration used must be adequate to cope with the organic load of the system. Also a strict routine of very small water changes implemented to keep the nitrate levels down.   Farlowellas do not go bananas around the tank like some other fish do when the water quality is not right. They just remain still and slowly drift off to fishy heaven, so looking at the fish for problems is not always a good indication that the water is sweet.   The water should be kept between 23 to 25o C, pH neutral and not too soft. Bog wood if aged well should help keep the water close to this.   Unlike other Loricariidae they do not do well on animal based foods and should only be offered greenstuffs. Although they are slim, they do eat copious amounts and algae should always be encouraged to grow. The addition of blanched spinach, chopped cucumber and algae wafers should also be offered.   If kept well, there is no reason why they will not attempt to breed. They are seasonal breeders in the wild, but not so in the aquarium. Often they breed without their owner knowing anything about it, though it is interesting to watch if you know what to look for. The male, if in breeding condition will appear a little more active than usual and will busy himself with cleaning and clearing a smooth surface within the tank. If the female responds well to his activity she will lay a little clutch of eggs on the cleaned area. The male is a good dad and will keep guard of his little charges and will do a job of keeping the eggs protected and oxygenated by waving his pectoral fins over them.   After a week the little ones, if viable, will begin to hatch and can be left in the main tank. Additional feeding I have found has never been required as they always seem to find plenty of existing food in the tank.   Growth is sure and steady, though sometimes it is wished that they stay little as there is nothing more enjoyable than seeing a little throng of baby Farlowellas busy in an aquarium as their proud parents hang close by.   So to close, do not walk past the Farlowellas in your search for the more beautiful L’numbers. These chaps have far more charm I feel and a tank given over to them is worth doing even if the project is to get them to breed just the once. Honestly, the rewards are worth the effort every time.   .
Paradise Over the past few months these articles have been looking at some of the hobby’s more extreme fishy examples. Well for this article I thought it would be good to touch base with one of the most familiar. Interestingly though in doing a little back ground research it would appear that very few fish keepers now keep the delightful Paradise fish. For some reason they are now known as being overly aggressive, troublesome to keep and difficult to breed. So let’s take another look at the hobby’s original and some would say, best fish.     Paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis belong to the group that contains the labyrinth fish. These are the amazing fish that have developed the incredible apparatus for breathing air taken directly from above the water surface. It has enabled these fish to survive  in water that suffers from deoxygenation. Not surprising then to find that paradise fish can be found in small ponds and the paddy fields of East Asia.   It is well thought that paradise fish actually beat Goldfish past the post in being the first fish to be  kept as pets in Europe. This was way back in the 1800’s so these chaps have been around an awful long time.   It is not surprising to see why there was an interest to own them way back then. As mentioned they can breath air, so they were wrongly kept in very small bowls, and survived! They are also incredibly robust and will tolerate quite dirty conditions and most importantly, they are simply stunning to look at!   A male that comes into breeding colours and feeling on the top of his world is a sight indeed. The colours that are generally impressive suddenly take on whole new glow and irridescence as he cavorts around the aquarium showing himself off to everyone. It is one of those things that are almost impossible to describe without humanising the animal. But a male in breeding regalia has to be witnessed to see just how proud and self aware a fish can become.   Now yes, the males can be slightly aggressive at breeding times, but this is nearly always directed towards other males and fish smaller or of similar shape. A mature male will be in the region of 11cm and if kept in an aquarium with large robust fish, then there is no reason why everything should not run along smoothly. The best option in my opinion for those wishing to breed paradise fish is to set-up the three tank system. It is very simple yet very effective. A well choosen large male is kept in a large community tank. Females are kept together in a smaller tank just for them and a third tank is set-up just for breeding.   The layout of the tanks can also be quite simple, what they do appreciate though is heavy planting around the back and sides of the aquarium and an open swimming space at the front. Lighting levels should be kept high to encourage plant growth and a little area of shade provided for the fish if they appear nervous. Filtration need not be too aggressive as the fish prefer quite slow moving water. An establised under gravel biological filter works just fine in keeping the water sweet for paradise fish.   The parameters of the water can be broad as the fish will tolerate most kinds. The pH should be neutral though can range from 6-7.5 The hardness again is not critical, though for breeding it should be a little lower to make cell membranes a little softer and will assist the fry somewhat.   For breeding, the temperature should be maintained at a constant 24o C (76oF). Though for general keeping the temperature can go as low as 18o C (64oF). They will appear a little sluggish at such a low temperature, but goes to show how tolerant these fish are.   Breeding of paradise fish is fascinating and straight forward if the fish are sexually mature. The male should be conditioned well and then placed in the breeding tank. The water quality in the breeding tank should be excellent as it is where the fry will be raised. The level of water should be kept low and there should be some matter floating on the surface to assist with the bubble nest building. This can be anything from small pieces of polystyrene to a good growth of Duckweed.   If he is in the mood he will begin to build the nest almost immediately. Over several days he will blow saliva coated bubbles amongst the surface matter which hold their form until a raft of bubbles is formed. When the nest is complete a heavily roed female should be added to the breeding tank. The male will then try to entice the female underneath it. It is wonderful to see him trying to show off all his hard work to her and if she is suitably impressed they will embrace. It all makes for a very touching scene. With each coming together she will release a little puff of eggs which he immediately fertilizes and then gathers into his mouth. These eggs are then ‘spat’ into the mass of foam where they remain until hatching.   As soon as spawning has finished he becomes very protective of the eggs and the female should be removed for her own safety. He will keep watch over the nest for several days, constantly blowing bubbles to keep the nest in good order and blowing back any eggs that may fall.   When the eggs hatch and the fry can be seen it is wise to remove the male. In the confines of a small aquarium it is inevitable that he will be tempted to eat a few as the fathering instict wanes.   The little chaps are very simple to raise on first a diet of infusoria and then young brine shrimp. A major point for success is keeping the water level low and the air above warm. The youngsters can become chilled as they begin to take their first gasps of air at the water surface, so a good tank hood is essential.   Other than that, there is no reason why the little ones should not reach adulthood as they are very robust, just like the adults.   So rather than keep looking for new challenges in the form of keeping rare and difficult fish, take a step back and a fresh look at hobby’s original. Breeding paradise fish is one of the most rewarding aspects of the hobby and everyone should give themselves the opportunity of doing so. You’ll thank me that you did.     .
Red bellied piranha     Some fish just grab the attention of the non-fish keeper. Ask anyone what fish they would like to keep and you can be confident that the answer will be Seahorses, Sharks or Piranha. As fish keepers we know that these are generally unsuitable for the home aquaria. However, if experienced there is no need why they cannot be kept.   I receive at least 3 calls a day asking if I have any piranha in stock and I know that the people wishing to keep them have no knowledge of to really keep them successfully, so let me try and outline a few of the more basic points for maintaining a lovely looking display.      The Red bellied Piranha Pygocentrus nattereri is one that we are most aware of, that bull dog face full of razor sharp teeth. Myths and stories abound of them stripping large mammals down to the bone that are unfortunate enough to enter the water when a hungry shoal is prowling.   The truth is slightly different and those wishing to keep them for the quedos of owning such a ferocious animal will quickly become disappointed. They are actually rather timid when kept in aquaria and can be quite sluggish in their day to day behaviour.  They can however display some wonderful colouration and exhibit some curios behaviour at breeding times.   Red Bellies are from South America, mainly being found in the Amazon Basin, though also commonly located in the Parana and Essequibo.   Looking at the fish one can see the major traits of them belonging to the family of Characins or order of Characiformes. However, recently the family containing piranha has been the subject of taxonomic change and they may be shown as belonging to a family of their own, away from Characin. It can become a little confusing as the family is believed to contain over sixty individual species, which would warrant a family of its own. Though there may be regional variations of a single species which may bring down this number to around 30. Fortunately the Red Bellied is well documented and instantly recognisable, so using older literature should not prove too troublesome.   Now anyone wishing to keep them should really sit down and think hard about the long term. Piranhas are a shoaling fish and adults will happily grow to 24cm in length. The water must be near perfect in both quality and the parameters and the fish themselves can live for many years.   The minimum size tank for such a group will be a 6x2x2; I only managed to get them to breed in an 8x2x3. Often a single individual is kept in smaller quarters, but they look miserable when kept this way. The thinking behind this is that when kept as a group they can sometimes bite each other and even be fully cannibalistic. However if well fed and cared for properly the tendency to bite each other is greatly reduced. On occasion they become over excited at feeding time and will bite before thinking. Most injuries to their tank mates are caused this way. The fish keeper need not be too worried though as the rate that injuries repair is phenomenal. Literally after only a week great chunks missing from a piranha will be replaced with new flesh with only a minimal amount of scarring.     The water must be kept at a constant 26 deg Celsius with a pH not rising above 7. The water must also be soft with no trace of either ammonia or nitrite. Both efficient biological and mechanical filtration employed and the system must be fully mature before any fish are added. Even with excellent filtration a proportion of the water should be replaced weekly. Red Bellies do not like water straight from the tap as it is too raw, so a separate container used to store tap water for a few days before it is added to the main aquarium.     The Décor can be minimal and only rounded stones used as the skin is soft. Live planting looks impressive though may be difficult. As already mentioned, they can prove rather timid in the aquarium and therefore lighting should be kept as low as possible. Also, if they do take fright they will big into the substrate. All this makes for using very tough plants only.   For feeding, well the only major point worth making is that the use of live food is totally unnecessary.  Most literature written about Piranhas comes from the USA due their ease of obtaining such species. The use of feeder fish is a much more common practise in the states and actually not required. Shelled Prawns, small non processed meaty pieces and a little frozen whitebait will keep Piranhas happy for years as long as a routine is put in place of alternating the food being offered.   Food should only be presented every other day and if any work needs to be done on the aquarium then this should only commence after feeding. Hands should really never be placed into the aquarium that contains Piranhas, ideally a well made pair tongs used for any major work. Most food is detected by the lateral line, rather than the fish directly seeing it with its eyes. Wriggling fingers within a dark tank look very similar to tasty fat worms ands may be lost quicker than owner realises.     Getting them to spawn is actually quite easy. Females will appear much plumper than usual after a large water change and both sexes will darken considerably. What is great to watch is a male stripping the top of plants and laying them into a nest built into the gravel. When satisfied, a suitably impressed female will join him in the pit and hundreds of little eggs laid. Any piranha that has spawned cannot be trusted and more now then ever they should be left undisturbed and fingers kept well away.   The eggs only take 3 days to hatch and are pretty small compared to the parents. If fed well on brine shrimp the growth rate is incredible. The owner then has the problem of what to do with all these little snapping little mouths. The answer is simple, plan ahead any spawning and get in touch with an aquatic outlet asking if they will take any youngsters of your hands before you have actually got them to breed. Nothing is more off putting than a fish keeper tuning up with a washing up bowl full of little fish wishing for them to be taken off their hands!   So to close, if you are up for a serious long term challenge, have a go at keeping the red bellied piranha. Just plan ahead and think about the long term responsibility of owning such a glorious fish. Most people have been introduced to these creatures by seeing them at public aquariums and most Piranha have ended up in such places as their owners could no longer take care of them.     .         .
Tropheus Moori   Judging by my email box there seems to be a second wind of interest in fishes from Lake Tanganyika and the most popular of these is the lovely Tropheus Moori.   What appears to be happening, and I have to say that this is a good thing, is that fish keepers are beginning to realise how unsustainable the collection and keeping of marines is becoming. The joy of keeping fish from the rift valley is that the tank set-up can actually look ‘marine’, but without all the extra expense, and the keeper’s conscience can be clear that they are not part of the problem in the exploitation of the reefs.   If you are one of those who has yet to try keeping Tropheus moori because they seem difficult and the subject of them is confusing do not worry. They are easier to keep than you may think. Firstly there is a great deal of mystery surrounding Tropheus moori with strange names bounding around such as Ikola, Nangu and Ndole. These names that follow the scientific name are just colour variants of the same fish that occur from different localities.   In fact there are over 60 recognised variants of the same fish and work is being done to see if these are indeed separate species. As we know, evolution is fluid and give it another million years we can be confident that they all will become individual species.   They are endemic to Lake Tanganyika and inhabit the rocky coastal areas only down to depths of around 2 metres. This is perfect for the fish keeper who wishes to recreate a little slice of the lake shore as the fish will be happy in a fairly shallow depth of water.    In a perfect world they should be kept in a species tank and the group size should be no less than 12. They can be initially expensive to buy, but the little ones soon grow and are cheaper of course. I would be reluctant to buy any smaller than 5cm though as they can be a little delicate if less than this. By keeping them in a single species tank not only will they develop better colouration, but also their fantastic behavioral patterns can be seen. Unlike some larger Rift Valley Cichlids, Tropheus Moori are always on the go, busying themselves with chasing out rivals and showing off to potential mates.   The aquarium should be no less than a four-footer and be filled with a great many rocks  to form as many caves as possible. The substrate should be a deep layer of aquarium sand, so under gravel filtration is not an option. The lighting should be as bright as possible to encourage the algae. In taking a close look at the head of the fish one can see an excellent pair of lips which are used for the constant stripping of algae from the rocks. Filtration should be a large external canister filter with the addition of a couple of power heads to keep the water turned over. As can be seen, the set-up is a similar one to a marine set-up.   What is most important is regular water changes, as soon as the water begins to yellow the fish will appear glum and the pH should not be allowed to fall. If the system is mature then 20% of the water should be changed weekly, the difference in fish from a tank that has weekly water changes to one that has fortnightly water changes is startling, the growth is so much better and the colours are so much brighter. A word of warning though, the water used to top up the aquarium must be of the same temperature and parameters as the water that came out otherwise the fish will drop to the bottom of the tank and in worse case situations even be killed.   The temperature should be 23 – 26o C, the water kept at a pH of 8, and moderately hard.   Another word of warning! Do not be tempted to offer food stuffs that are too high in protein. Their digestive tract has developed to deal with large amounts of green matter and only limited amounts of the animal matter. Do give them Bloodworms or similar as a treat, but foodstuffs as these should never form the staple diet. I often visit a local friend whose Tropheus tank is nearly self supporting, in that he only adds food once a week, such is the excellent growth of algae in the tank and the fish look incredible on it.   Now for breeding, well the first thing that has to be stated is different variants will cross breed and should not be allowed. There is much talk amongst Tropheus moori keepers of F1 and F2 Variants; I am never too concerned about such filial matters. The best set-ups are the ones which contain a single flavour colony that have been cared for correctly and raised to adulthood. In these aquariums breeding is most likely to occur naturally and this is how breeding should be encouraged.   A large Tropheus is only 14cm long and if the fish are mature and smaller than this they are most likely to be the male. A colony should have a healthy ratio mix with more than one male. Being cichlids from Lake Tanganyika then they are mouth brooders. The joy of keeping a healthy adult group is that nearly all the work is done by the fish and the keeper has to do very little.   In breeding condition the colours will appear flusher for a few days and then in the early morning a female will begin to drop eggs into the water and immediately turn to take them into her mouth. An obliging male will then fertilize the eggs where they will stay for up to a month. She may appear to look a little ragged and thin during the gestation, though she will still be able to eat. On occasion a few of the eggs may be eaten by accident but that is how it goes sometimes.   After the month the little fry will be seen to begin popping in and out of her mouth, but not venturing too far away. With any sign of danger they will all shoot back in with surprising speed. After a further week they will begin to be able to care for themselves and growth rates are very good. They should be offered a variety of food, such as newly hatched brine shrimp, but they will also be seen to eat algae from a very tender age.   To close, I know that they still command a high price, but I would encourage any competent fish keeper to give them a go. The prices of keeping marines is probably three times that of keeping tropheus moori and believe me, once you keep tropheus you will be asking yourself why you didn’t do it years ago and why did I spend all that money!       .