banjo catfish

[calichai]

Mr mom:
Good read. I really enjoy the lushness of your setup, very natural. It must of been awesome to catch them hunting. Your cats must be happy. It's good they leave the shrimp alone. I have a flower shrimp in my setup, and it's been fine as well(9months now). I also have a black thumb, I only can keep Anubius and java moss, and they don't thrive. I also went back to the first post. It's coming close to a year and your tank has really bloomed, from the days with the sand pit. 👍

Warren:
That's one fat momma! I hope mine will get that size one day. The pattern is awesome on her. For some reason I only get males in that pattern, females come with mottled tails only. I don't think there is a pattern sex wise, perhaps my dumb luck.

I'm glad everyone's cats are thriving. I'm suprised there aren't any others contributing pics. I never considered these rare and they are very interesting.




Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[calichai]

A few pics:
big momma:


Little piggies:


Dinner time:
http://youtu.be/NrpELu9PfLQ


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Mr. Mom]

Mr mom:
Good read. I really enjoy the lushness of your setup, very natural. It must of been awesome to catch them hunting. Your cats must be happy. It's good they leave the shrimp alone. I have a flower shrimp in my setup, and it's been fine as well(9months now). I also have a black thumb, I only can keep Anubius and java moss, and they don't thrive. I also went back to the first post. It's coming close to a year and your tank has really bloomed, from the days with the sand pit. 

Thanks Cali... but I always thought it resembled more of a sandbox than a sandpit.

Anyhow finally did it, been talking about it ... today called the clear-cutters and told them to mow my tank down. Gotta say, one downfall to sand (as much as I do like it) is the fact whenever you try to change anything the water becomes cloudy. To the point I thought I was grabbing a chunk of plant ... oops it was a Banjo. At first I thought I'd hurt him (I now know there's 2 males 1 female and the 4th I'm thinking is a female as well .. unknown on the 2 eel tails still.) But he appears to be okay now, swam off and buried himself.

Through the past year, I've been trying to make changes for the better for my 2 Banjo's. As things improved, so did my stock to where I've now got the 4 Banjo's and 2 Eel-tail Banjo's. But one of the things I've felt this tank has been lacking is a cave ... whether it's important or not for the Banjo's to possibly spawn one day ... I don't know. I've just felt it's needed one. But no matter what I've tried I've never been satisfied (or just plain hated the look) and have always removed/dismantled it immediately.
Well today after removing all the clippings I some things out, added a clay pot, did a little rearranging and voila I've now got a cave I think I may be pleased with .... we'll know more once the water has finished clearing (That's when I'll take some pics and share).

Now as for Warren's Momma .... As I said before "she's looking great" I just hope my 2 Eel-Tails start growing more and begin looking like the ones in both Warren's tank and Cali's.

 

[WarrendaFish]

Very interested in seeing some pics of the new scape, mr mom. And I appreciate the kind words. My trio eats mostly pellets from kens fish. Occasionally I'll throw some cherry shrimp in for kicks and live black worms.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Mr. Mom]

Well here's some picks from around the tank (before and afters) my oldest son just got a new camera, Canon Power Shot SX510 HS. Sure beats my Canon Power Shot A480. Thankfully he's sharing with me.

Anyhow most of the pics are his camera, some with mine.
A before pic using his camera ... don't know if he had his flash on or not.


Before pic with my camera ... I've never figured out how to turn my flash off.

Couple random shots from before the cutting.



And the "After Shots"
Me using his camera with no flash.


After shot using my camera ... I'll be using his more often now ... that damn flash.


Okay now if I'm understanding the differences in sexes ... this should be one of the males I believe I have. He wouldn't really come out though.



And this should be a female (possibly 1 of 2)


She's quite fat ... I managed to drop the temp in my tank a bit during the last WC. But it's stabilized back at 72-73F. Haven't seen the heater turn on in a couple weeks now. Guess thats the temp of that room (my house - my wife is always cold)

Here's a couple of pics of the cave we created ... hoping the Banjo's will use it. So far the Shrimp love it.



Now one last pic of one of the Eel Tail Banjo's.


Haven't seen anyone out today ... I figure they're all punishing me for changing everything this past weekend.
Biggest thing was trying to get the Java Moss out. Couldn't get to really grow in any of my other tanks ... but this one its like a weed. There's still the odd tiny bit here and there.
I'm hoping everything grows back the way it was, minus the Java Moss. The Wisteria, Bacopa and Ludwigia should as they still have little shoots starting at their bases. Unsure if the Madagascar Lace Leaf will though (fingers crossed) but I have another in a different tank if needed. These were the plants that were overgrown with Java Moss. The Red Wentii, Water Onion and the 2 Swords were fine, thus left alone.

Well let the growing begin ... and hopefully the Banjo's don't punish me too long and start coming out again.

 

[calichai]

Mr. Mom you inspired me to thin out the tank. I removed 5 plecos and a few odd fish(4)) and re-scaped the tank to give them more open space. Mine swim around a lot. I also added a new air pump to add circulation like warren's setup. They seem to enjoy the current.





Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[WarrendaFish]

Nice clean up Cali!! They will hang out in the current 90% of the time.. Get some close up pics!!! Really love the chocolate brown ones you got!! Nice job


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[calichai]

Thanks warren. Your right about the current. I usually find them sitting near or on the bubble wand. Ironically i always though they liked slow current with a lot of leaf litter. It was my idea on where they were probably caught from. Mr moms setup is a good example and the bio type is spot on, minus leaf litter. But I've found that they always hid where the current was strongest and it's a plus that the Goldie's probably like the added o2, since the tank stays around 82( Goldie's are from thailand so I'm sure they are fine with that temp.). Still learning and having fun with these.

http://youtu.be/h5sSXyblbZE


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[WarrendaFish]

Hungry guys huh? I love seeing them in action. Looking good Cali!


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Mr. Mom]

Occasionally I'll throw some cherry shrimp in for kicks and live black worms.

I've been trying to find live black worms in my area to no avail. More for another tank of mine, but this one as well.

Mr. Mom you inspired me to thin out the tank. I removed 5 plecos and a few odd fish(4)) and re-scaped the tank to give them more open space. Mine swim around a lot. I also added a new air pump to add circulation like warren's setup. They seem to enjoy the current.

Ironically i always though they liked slow current with a lot of leaf litter. It was my idea on where they were probably caught from. Mr moms setup is a good example and the bio type is spot on, minus leaf litter.

From watching the video's and pics you two (Cali and Warren) shared, plus the observations I've had with my Banjo's, including the 1/2 a year with my 2 eel-tails. I've beginning to see some minute differences.
1. The eel-tails swim about more and bury themselves less than the Banjo's. Because even when my 2 eel-tails go into the sand, it's always much shallower than the "Normal" Banjo's.
2. The eel-tails also seem to prefer more current ... possibly why their bodies are designed a little different. ie: their tails. I say this as my non eel-tail Banjo's have always spent the majority of the time in the areas of the tank with the least amount of current.
Even when I first began changing my tank for their betterment, I had air stones going in the tank. I've never seen them play like Warren's do. (I thought that was really neat) ... so I eventually removed them, as I'd been advised it would be better for my plants as I don't have a CO2 system.

Cali ... wow thanks for the complement on the way the tank is going. From what I've read and am beginning to learn. That's the type of environment I've thought they've wanted ... and possibly true for non eel-tail Banjo's. Hence difference #2 up above.

As for the leaf litter ... well I've been trying to find some Almond Leaves for awhile now. I believe it was Chicxulub who put the concept of "Black Water" in my brain. Been trying to think of ways to add some tannis to the tank, even had some peat moss in there for a few months ... probably didn't do it right as it didn't work.
So this past weekend we made a couple of tweaks in the tank, namely around the cave. The Banjo's aren't happy right now, the tank is too bright. So I picked up 3 pieces of Mopani Driftwood and switched it with the 2 Malaysian pieces.



Added another Red Wendtii and spaced them out along the one tank side. With the added shade at that end, that's where I find my Banjo's now. Did this on Sunday, took the pictures a little later. Went to check the tank today ... starting to notice the tannis in the water now
Patience isn't a virtue of mine, where the Bacopa, Ludwigia and Wisteria are starting to show new growth ... unsure about the Madagascar Lace Leaf. I want the tank surface blanketed again (minus the Java Moss). So this next weekend possibly I may jump the gun and switch the Lace Leaf (Have another one growing - not as nice as this was - in another tank).

One good thing with the extra light though ... plant wise the Swords new shoots are a vibrant red and fish wise, it's drawing the Banjo's to the vicinity of the cave.

Which brings difference #3
Non eel-tail Banjo's seem to tolerate the light less than the eel-tails do. This is based off the lighting in both your tanks (Warren and Cali) plus do to the fact this past week I've seen my 2 eel-tails everyday, wish I could say the same about the other 4 Banjo's.