View Full Version : Datniodes Pulcher or Microlepsis
Vince
08-03-2005, 12:44 PM
Face it. It is not just the art of bar counting on these fish. I have a total of 10 different datniodes excluding the NGT, I have all. I have a 9" Pulcher, and 9" Microlepsis. Notice that I refer to these fish as their classification instead of their "common" names because, you will never believe it, I have a puclher that has a striping of a microplepsis. I say this because I noticed a differentiation between the two. Some say spine counting, but I find that difficult to do without taking the fish out of the water fo so many seconds you have to count the spines. When harold at Rare Aqua pointed out some variations of the pulcher, and the body shape, I started to observe what he meant. Sure enough I think I've obtained enough specimens to differentiate. I noticed that the angle of the head shape of the pulcher appears to be incline of about 90 degrees, and the microlepsis shows more to about 80 degrees. The body shape of the pulcher definitely shows a taller shape than the microlepsis...Even though I bought some "widebars" but further observation were actually microlepsis. However, the "bars" appear more consistent of the pulcher bars. I will put some pictures up later when get a chance to get to the home computer. Right now I am on a laptop and a wireless piggyback to someone else's unsecured connection. TEEHEE....
Sorry for the amateur photography....
DRaGoNoVA
08-04-2005, 11:40 AM
Sorry for the amateur photography....
ur dats look like they have cloudy eyes...
Vince
08-04-2005, 11:43 AM
LOL...they sure do....I don't know how they come out like that in the photo. Probably like "red eye" for humans, and cludy eyes for dats...NOT sure, but believe me, my water is changed each week for these guys....50 to 75% once a week...
zhuangsw
08-04-2005, 3:04 PM
Guys,
here is a thread that will definately help you all to differeniate between Indo Tigers and Siamese Tigers.
http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151443
(plse dont see this as i am spaming to intro another forum for u guys to join, instead this is useful information which i feel should be shared.)
vince, by the way, your 1st pic is an IT, the rest are ST. coz of their body shape. IT body shape are longer, rectangular, where else ST has a shorter shaper shape, like a triangle.
another way is to identify them by the strip marking just before the tail. But many times some STs do have IT tail strip markings.
At the end of the day, when u get exposed to more quantity of this fishes, you will be able to differenciate by a look.
cheers.
zhuangsw
08-04-2005, 3:13 PM
btw, i got some Siamese tigers (are their scientific name, Datnioides Microlepis?) myself inside my another gallery)
http://www.arofanatics.com/members/zhuangsw/
go to page 2 of that link, and click on the siamese tiger update thumbnail folder.
they are all STs, and there is one patchy st that is also a st, but some people over here in sg, call them rejected defects from the farms where else some keep them coz they are different and unique. I have one of those patchy st though (picture name st3 in that folder)..
enjoys, and do give comments. thanks.
jenBLKAROWANA
08-04-2005, 3:15 PM
Since we are talking about tigers, I have a question...My tiger is rarely in full color...I have had him/her for several years now. It used to be fine. now its a black color. Any ideas as to why it would be acting like this?
Jen
BTW...Beautiful Tigs
zhuangsw
08-04-2005, 3:42 PM
Since we are talking about tigers, I have a question...My tiger is rarely in full color...I have had him/her for several years now. It used to be fine. now its a black color. Any ideas as to why it would be acting like this?
Jen
BTW...Beautiful Tigs
it was fine for how long?
some tigeres no matter what u do will never be stable, its in their genes. I had one like that, no matter what i do, all the rest of the tigers in the tank were already very stable, but that guy was hidind and strip colors always faded. I fed up and sold him off cheap. :grinno:
thats why my advice when chosing tigers from the lfs, is buy those that are really stable in the tank. showing golden and black strips and swiming actively, these are the guys that will be always stable no matter what, my 1st st is one of them, i had him since last year and have never seen him change dark or black or unstable colors before.
but sometimes, stable st will turn unstable due to some factors, esp stress. in the form of it is getting bullied badly by other tankmates, or the water is quality is bad. And also, they prefer to live in softer, lower ph water. about 6.something..
hope i help. =)
jenBLKAROWANA
08-04-2005, 4:08 PM
Well, when I got him, he was about 4" long, now he is about 16". He eats like a pig, and his tank mate is an Oscar, a little smaller than him now...They seem to be "in love" with each other...lol...The Tiger sits by the Oscar ALL the time, I also have a couple of poly palmus in there with him...They are in a 90 gal tank...They were in a 125 with a blk aro, he was being a big bully to the both of them...Thats when we decided to get the 90...So he just may stay like that? That kind of sucks! But I will check the water...
Jen
zhuangsw
08-04-2005, 4:19 PM
Well, when I got him, he was about 4" long, now he is about 16". He eats like a pig, and his tank mate is an Oscar, a little smaller than him now...They seem to be "in love" with each other...lol...The Tiger sits by the Oscar ALL the time, I also have a couple of poly palmus in there with him...They are in a 90 gal tank...They were in a 125 with a blk aro, he was being a big bully to the both of them...Thats when we decided to get the 90...So he just may stay like that? That kind of sucks! But I will check the water...
Jen
is he like really black now?
yap, could be stressed out by the aro the other time. it it should go off soon.
btw, the way u describe his relationship witht he oscar is so sweet, hope they mate or something. haha
during the period when he was 4" to 16", was he stable? and how long did it take to grow from 4" to 16"?
jenBLKAROWANA
08-04-2005, 4:34 PM
is he like really black now?
yap, could be stressed out by the aro the other time. it it should go off soon.
btw, the way u describe his relationship witht he oscar is so sweet, hope they mate or something. haha
during the period when he was 4" to 16", was he stable? and how long did it take to grow from 4" to 16"?
LOL...my boyfriend said the same thing..."I wonder if they will mate?" I was like NO, they are 2 different species of fish! But anyway...
He was stable for like 2 years, he was fine...He took about, gosh, I can't recall how long I have actually had him for...But I know its been at least 3 years now, to get that big...He did just have a healthy growth spurt, he just passed up the Oscar...in girth and in length! He it becoming a true monster! Like I said, he eats like a pig...frozen krill, pelleted food (a hikari brand for carnivores) and once a month we put some feeders in there for them...
OH MY GOD !!! You've had a datnoid that was since 4" and now it is 16 inches!!! Remarkable I say because most of them (or the ones I had) died for unknown reason. The Dat I just bought was all black, then sometimes it would lighten up, then darken again. I think it's just morphing with colors. I don't understand it either, but if you've had that fish for more than three years, I don't think you are doing anything wrong....LOOKING are your collection, you have a nice variety....very nice....
As I look closely at the Dats eyes, I do notice a little bit of cloudiness but very faint. I am told that usually the high pH of the water causes this. I added aquarium salt, so let's see how it goes...if the eyes does not get better or clearer, I might have to get some medication....
zhuangsw
08-05-2005, 2:44 AM
LOL...my boyfriend said the same thing..."I wonder if they will mate?" I was like NO, they are 2 different species of fish! But anyway...
He was stable for like 2 years, he was fine...He took about, gosh, I can't recall how long I have actually had him for...But I know its been at least 3 years now, to get that big...He did just have a healthy growth spurt, he just passed up the Oscar...in girth and in length! He it becoming a true monster! Like I said, he eats like a pig...frozen krill, pelleted food (a hikari brand for carnivores) and once a month we put some feeders in there for them...
wow a girl who keeps monster fish! your boyfriend is so lucky! i live in singapore, and its so damm rare for a girl to show any interest in fish, let alone keeping them.
but its cool of you to have that tiger for so long. try adding some ketapang leaves or blackwater extract, see if it helps calm them down?
OH MY GOD !!! You've had a datnoid that was since 4" and now it is 16 inches!!! Remarkable I say because most of them (or the ones I had) died for unknown reason. The Dat I just bought was all black, then sometimes it would lighten up, then darken again. I think it's just morphing with colors. I don't understand it either, but if you've had that fish for more than three years, I don't think you are doing anything wrong....LOOKING are your collection, you have a nice variety....very nice....
As I look closely at the Dats eyes, I do notice a little bit of cloudiness but very faint. I am told that usually the high pH of the water causes this. I added aquarium salt, so let's see how it goes...if the eyes does not get better or clearer, I might have to get some medication....
bro, some of my dats have abit of cloudy eyes once in a while, when you see that, immediately change your tank water, add abit of salt and if the water over at your place has high ph, add some ketapang leaves, or ketapang leaves extract or black water extract if you dont have excess to ketapang leaves over there..
they will get better on their own if you provide good water quality for them. dont worry. :cheers:
jenBLKAROWANA
08-05-2005, 9:39 AM
wow a girl who keeps monster fish! your boyfriend is so lucky! i live in singapore, and its so damm rare for a girl to show any interest in fish, let alone keeping them.
but its cool of you to have that tiger for so long. try adding some ketapang leaves or blackwater extract, see if it helps calm them down?
bro, some of my dats have abit of cloudy eyes once in a while, when you see that, immediately change your tank water, add abit of salt and if the water over at your place has high ph, add some ketapang leaves, or ketapang leaves extract or black water extract if you dont have excess to ketapang leaves over there..
they will get better on their own if you provide good water quality for them. dont worry. :cheers:
Yep...I love to keep fish...We started with a little 55 gal...and then our oscars started to grow too big for that tank, so we went and got a 92 gal corner tank for them...We kept our 55 running...we then went and got a 125 gal...we just kept adding on! Now I want a 210 gal for our blk aro, he is fine in the 125, but bigger is always better! The only porblem we are running into is we need a bigger house! I also have a 30 gal, and a 12 gal, and a little 3 gal with baby water frogs...I have 2 lizard tanks...lol...I want to get another lizard for a spare tank I have sitting around. I have the fever! I can't stop!!! LOL
zhuangsw
08-05-2005, 3:51 PM
Yep...I love to keep fish...We started with a little 55 gal...and then our oscars started to grow too big for that tank, so we went and got a 92 gal corner tank for them...We kept our 55 running...we then went and got a 125 gal...we just kept adding on! Now I want a 210 gal for our blk aro, he is fine in the 125, but bigger is always better! The only porblem we are running into is we need a bigger house! I also have a 30 gal, and a 12 gal, and a little 3 gal with baby water frogs...I have 2 lizard tanks...lol...I want to get another lizard for a spare tank I have sitting around. I have the fever! I can't stop!!! LOL
haha, thats cool. u share the same passion as ur guy..
now, do you have any sister or friends who love fish to intro to me? wahahah
coolermaster
08-16-2005, 10:46 AM
haha, thats cool. u share the same passion as ur guy..
now, do you have any sister or friends who love fish to intro to me? wahahah
:D
marshy
08-16-2005, 11:46 AM
wow a girl who keeps monster fish! your boyfriend is so lucky! i live in singapore, and its so damm rare for a girl to show any interest in fish, let alone keeping them.
but its cool of you to have that tiger for so long. try adding some ketapang leaves or blackwater extract, see if it helps calm them down?
bro, some of my dats have abit of cloudy eyes once in a while, when you see that, immediately change your tank water, add abit of salt and if the water over at your place has high ph, add some ketapang leaves, or ketapang leaves extract or black water extract if you dont have excess to ketapang leaves over there..
they will get better on their own if you provide good water quality for them. dont worry. :cheers:
Brudder
My wife shares the same passion as me for Dats.
They're more precious to her than I feel towards them!
I even need to consult her in any attempt of sales of my Dats ok.
Lastly, she talks to all my Dats... I dun...
shoefreak03
08-16-2005, 2:50 PM
girls who loves monster fishes :naughty:
btw, nice dats, can't wait till my get that big...
Just to add into the confusion, I've had a D. pulcher that has a tail stripe that's identical to that of a D. microlepis. With that said, I think the tail stripe identification method does not work 100% of the time.
shoefreak03
08-16-2005, 6:02 PM
so what type is this????
<~~~
so what type is this????
<~~~
And a very nice colorful one .... Very yellow.
shoefreak03
08-16-2005, 8:08 PM
thank you
everytime i read post like this, i always go home and look at my dats closely to see.
honestly, i dont think there is one single factor to determine which type it is. just love them all the same.