Biotecus sp.
Contents:
- Biotecus Opucalaris
by "Newman, L" <Lee_Newman/bc.sympatico.ca> (Mon, 07 Dec 1998)
- Biotecus Opucalaris
by "V Kutty" <kutty/earthlink.net> (Mon, 7 Dec 1998)
- Biotoecus
by "Bolton Museum, Art Gallery & Aquarium" <bolnathist/gn.apc.org> (Thu, 17 Aug 2000)
- RE: Dwarf biotope
by "Liptrot, Pete" <pete.liptrot/bolton.gov.uk> (Wed, 4 Apr 2001)
by "Newman, L" <Lee_Newman/bc.sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
Tim Ellis wrote:
>
> Has anybody worked with these fish before? I have a pair coming in this
> week. I read the Mayland Bork article and they seem to think these are
> easy fish to keep and breed. The importers on the other hand seem to
> differ. Had a really tough time finding anyone who would import them.
> Something about them needing high oxygen levels and that they always
> die. Mine are coming from germany, I would like to have wild but oh
> well. Any help or feed-back would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks all,
>
> Tim
Tim,
I have collected B. opercularis in the middle Rio Negro and found them
to be only somewhat delicate. We lost a few in holding, but none in
transport back to Canada. In the aquarium they did well in VERY soft
water (carbonate hardness of less than 5 mg/l) at a pH of about 5.0
(similiar conditions to their natural habitat) with a temp of about 29
C. They did prove somewhat tolerant of higher values for both carbonate
hardness and pH, but seemed better off with the lower values. They
accepted frozen bloodworms, glassworms, frozen Daphnia and live Daphnia
sp. and whiteworms. Not big on prepared foods (flakes and pellets). They
lived in a 15 gallon tank and at no time was there elevated levels of
aggression resulting in physical damage. There were plenty of hiding
spots in the tank in the form of flowerpots and wood pieces and plenty
of live plants. There was a start of courtship activity, but the
aquarium was taken down in favour of other higher priority fish -
decisions governed by a bigger picture!
Hope this helps.
Lee Newman
Curator of Tropical Fishes
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
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by "V Kutty" <kutty/earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998
To: <apisto/majordomo.pobox.com>
>Has anybody worked with these fish before? I have a pair coming in this
>week. I read the Mayland Bork article and they seem to think these are
>easy fish to keep and breed. The importers on the other hand seem to
>differ. Had a really tough time finding anyone who would import them.
>Something about them needing high oxygen levels and that they always
>die. Mine are coming from germany, I would like to have wild but oh
>well. Any help or feed-back would be much appreciated.
>
>Thanks all,
>
>Tim
Tim,
Biotoecus is a blackwater dwarf cichlid - not too happy in our hard alkaline
tap waters.
They have a reputation for being very difficult but I dont think they are
that bad. "Expose them to air and they're dead" was what I was told.
Apparently the specimen that Jeff Cardwell collected last year in Brazil
hadn't heard that comment. I had them briefly a few years ago and I found
them no more difficult to keep than Taeniacara candidi.
Vinny
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by "Bolton Museum, Art Gallery & Aquarium" <bolnathist/gn.apc.org>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000
To: apisto/listbox.com
HI all. Those of you who are also subscribed to the sacsg list may
have noticed my posting about the Biotoecus I purchased over the
weekend. I'm afraid I didn't get round to posting anything on this
list, it's the school holidays here and I'm run off my feet.
Anyway, an update on their progress;
After buying three young wild fish from a local large outlet(very
emaciated, tatty fins) I was concerned about getting some
condition back on them. The largest was about 1.25" in length, the
other two under an inch. They had been in the outlet for a week and
that is a long time for fish like this to go without decent food.
I thought they would have a better chance with me than in the
shop, fish like this do not thrive on once-daily flake food.
Anyway, the next day the three I had were dong fine, so I thought it
would be a good idea to pick up a couple more, so there would be
some to pass on if anyone in the U.K. couldn't get to the outlet in
the next few days.
there were only two fish which really looked worth getting when I
went back, so I purchased these.
Unfortunately, before 24 hours had passed, the largest original
individual had efficiently destroyed the two newcomers.Basically,
when I got up the next morning they were stripped and battered,
one already dead the other very soon followed.
This was in 40 gallons of water with plenty of cover!
The original large fish was swimming round in a head down display
like Taenicara candidi looking for someone else to kill, but giving
the other two original fish no more than a quick chase out of the
centre of it's territory.
So why were the two newcomers wiped out but not these?
I can only guess that this dominant individual accepted the two
smaller original fish as part of the scenery as they all settled in, but
saw the newcomers as intruders.
It's now Thursday and all three fish are doing really well, with no
more aggression than the quick chases I mentioned.
If any U.K. list members fancy some but can't get to the North-
West in the next couple of days I'll try and get what's left (if any)
and house them separately until you get down (that doesn't mean
anytime in the next 6 months though!).
They really are beautiful fish. I thought the pics in Mayland and
Bork had been highly enhanced , but when these fish catch the
light the colours and iridescence are superb.
Pete Liptrot
Bolton Museum Aquarium
Le Mans Crescent, Bolton BL1 1SE
01204 332200
by "Liptrot, Pete" <pete.liptrot/bolton.gov.uk>
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001
To: "'apisto/listbox.com'" <apisto/listbox.com>
>I'm surprised that no one has mentioned two wonderful >books:
>Goulding, Michael. 1980. The Fishes and the forest:
>Goulding, M., M. Leal Carvalho, & E. G. Ferreira. >1988. Rio Negro:
Rich Life in Poor Water.
Both these can be pretty difficult to purchase, but inter-library loans are
ususally successful in obtaining them.
To these I would add "Fish Communities in Tropcal Freshwaters" by R.H.
Lowe-McConnell published by Longman in 1975, and "Ecological studies in
Tropical Fish Communities" by the same author. This latter one is available
from Cambridge University Press.
Pete.
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