Janelle Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I saw some cute little fish in a tank with the white clouds at the pet shop. They were labeled Borneo Suckers. I've never seen anything like them before but I would love to have some. Does anyone else know anything about these? The internet seems to hold a plethora of contradictory information. I'd like to hear what people have experienced keeping these fish, and do you think they'd be suited to my 75L coldwater tank with my white cloud mountain minnows? Do you think they would they eat my minnow fry? My tank is long and tall and has one underwater power filter. I've been thinking of getting a heater for it but it doesn't drop lower than 17.5 degrees now it's winter (in summer it was a problem keeping the temperature lower than 24...). I'd like to be able to keep my fish happy and healthy and if I can't do that I might just try and forget I ever saw the cute little suckers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalare Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Hi janelle I work at Animates in papnui and have orderd some for my self and hope that they will arrive on friday (if they can be supl). name: Beauforia leveretti (with spots) fam: baltitoridae size: aprox 12 cm there is a other one and has stripes and stays a bit smaller (can't think of the name) they like curant in the water. can hurt them selfs on sharp things in the tank. and like blood worms in there diet (ore somthing like it) I hope that this is of some help to you cheers scalare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I work at Jansens in Botany - The Borneo Sucker aka. The Chinese Hillstream Loach are from a similar biotope to WCMM's, and are coldwater as well (though like WCMM's they can survive in tropical temperatures, but will not flourish in them). They'd be fine in your tank and wouldn't eat your minnow fry - they're strictly detritus feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted April 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Thanks for the info. I'll get rid of the sharp plastic plant in my tank. I gave in and bought one to see how well it would do and he seems to be okay swimming in my tank now after half an hour - very energetic! Should I get more or are they okay on their own? What food would you recommend for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Sorry i cant answer your above questions but when hes on the front glass have a look at his tummy- you will see his heart beating, well what i thinks their heart :lol: (little orangy thing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted April 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I was wondering about that. It looked to me like part of his breathing apparatus, but if it's a heart, it's a pretty cute one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 He should be ok by himself but more wouldn't hurt. As for food: anything you'd give most bottom feeders - courgettes, pleco tabs, etc. And yeah, that's their heart, I've kept a few before, it's pretty cool huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted April 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 I spend so long looking at my fish. He's a very cool addition to a tank full of WCMM. I do have another question to throw into the mix though. I have two tanks... the one with white clouds as described in the first post, and a small aqua one tank (22 L) with the goldfish in it. In your opinion would my lone sucker do better in the larger tank with 15 WCMM and low-medium current, or the small tank with a single small goldfish and fairly strong water flow? The small tank also does not have any gravel, just a few small rocks holding down a couple of plants in the corner. I still intend to increase the water flow in my big tank at some stage but for now I just want to make sure he stays alive and as happy as possible with what I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meesheelly Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 I just wanted to say that i started with a couple and i really loved them now i have 5 and they kinda play toghther and chase each other round which is really cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted April 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 My one seems to have gotten a little less energetic the last couple of days, but he does seem to be finding food on the glass. I never cleaned the algae off the back or corners of my tank since I set it up in February. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to encourage him to eat anything else. He doesn't leave the glass or look interested in any falling flakes or microworms, just keeps browsing the green stuff. I hope he's okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meesheelly Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 mine never seem interested in the food i put in but im sure they get enough from there cleaning efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted April 29, 2007 Report Share Posted April 29, 2007 In your opinion would my lone sucker do better in the larger tank with 15 WCMM and low-medium current, or the small tank with a single small goldfish and fairly strong water flow? The small tank also does not have any gravel, just a few small rocks holding down a couple of plants in the corner. I still intend to increase the water flow in my big tank at some stage but for now I just want to make sure he stays alive and as happy as possible with what I have. He should be fine in either tank really, but I'd opt for the tank with gravel because he'd feel more secure with dark substrate, and the goldfish is probably pretty messy as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted May 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Thanks guys. She has settled down now and happily grazes the sides of my glass and has taken to settling on the filter as a sort of "home base" Probably makes sense since the filter is black, has a nook to hide in at the back, and has never been cleaned of algae since I set it up in Feb. =) She also leaves these cute circular "footprints" all over the place, so I can tell she travels around the tank while I'm not looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskas Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 do you have a pic? Sounz like a great lil fish, would love to get one for the goldie tank at work. Approx what price are these fellas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted May 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 I gave in and got a second one which has stripes instead of spots. I got mine for $16.78 each and I'm hoping I can get another one (or three) next week too. I'll see what I can do about getting pics. Whenever I see them and they're not going mental all over the tank I don't seem to have my phone handy or the lighting just isn't good enough. People at the pet store I went to didn't seem to know much about them. Had to play a bit of a waiting game to get a person who seemed to know anything about fish at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 where did you get them from (i want some ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted May 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 I have sent you a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 cool thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted May 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 My second borneo sucker (the smaller, stripey one) is a lot more shy than the spotty one. She shoots off and hides behind the filter whenever I come too close to the tank. Both of them seem happy enough to just graze green stuff though, and have so far ignored my attempts at pleco tabs (the wcm minnows eat those instead) and zuchini slices (hmm... minnows try to eat that too, lol). I'm thinking maybe I should have more filtration/aeration in my tank before I get more. In regards to accommodating more borneo suckers, will an airstone help at all, or just be a pretty yet useless addition to my tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I know it's been ages since I last posted in this thread but I wanted to update. My borneo suckers are still alive. I have since tried putting in some large rocks for them, one which was a bit slimy with algae. They fight over it, it's quite funny. The small one will sneak onto it and eat, the larger one will realise it's there and start circling her and trying to push her off. She just keeps eating for a while and then gets sick of the harassment and finds another spot for a while before trying again. I have dropped my water changes from twice a week to once a week because of winter approaching. My powerhead seems to be doing okay at oxygenating the water and I've got lots of plants. They do like to suck on the leaves of the broadleaf plant in the tank. It's not a very natural habitat but they are doing okay so far, and I see them at all parts of the tank so it's not like they are hanging around the filter output like I thought they would for the water flow... I am a bit worried that the larger one has paled in colour. I'm not sure if he's injured himself, or if it's a sign that he's not getting enough food or oxygen, or because the tank sees sunlight some days. Does anyone have any idea? He used to be really dark brown but he's turning a bit of a pale yellow at the top of his body. Oh, they also still ignore any attempts at feeding flake or live foods. The larger one even stopped to look at a daphnia on the glass one day, then left the glass to swim *over* it and left it alone. All other attempts with frozen bloodworm, live white worms, microworms, etc, and even zuchini are ignored. Dunno what to do about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskas Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 dunno how much they are like bristlenoses, but my BN's change colour. Not sure what causes it, maybe it is a mood related thing (?) I asked my local pet shop abou these guys and they said they hadn't heard of them and even looked on their fish supplier lists and couldn't find them! I will ask again next time i go in. Janelle - sounz like your 2 are doing well, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 Is your tank maybe getting a bit too cold overnight? (I'm just guessing.. as I'm in chch too and know we've had several really cold ones lately) I'm considering getting a heater myself, and might set it at 17, it would only heat on the coldest nights I think. I've got white clouds and some new Jordanella Floridae. If I get a bigger tank I think I'd live a borneo sucker!! They can handle the cooler temps but I think they may not like the swings in temperature from the nights we heat that area vs. the nights we don't! Really... you should try to post a picture. You'd make several of us REALLY happy :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 I've tried taking pictures but they are too small and all I have is my phone camera which isn't that great, so they're always fuzzy, and they're also always moving, won't really stay still for me, or when they do the light is bad. It's always something! I wouldn't be surprised if maybe it was the coolness. We usually have the fire going in the evening but as they are by a window it's usually quite cold by the morning. I might have to steal my thermometer back from the siamese fighter's tank. They are right next to a tank of daphnia too, so we try to keep the temperature up whenever possible. I've considered a heater but, truth be told... we actually have NO more power plugs available. If I want a heater I will have to put a third multiboard on top of the ones already there... Would rather not have the house burn down. =) If you're anywhere near Hoon Hay you're welcome to come look at my tank. It's nothing special, just the two borneo suckers, a dozen white clouds, and Ed the shubunkin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 In my experience some are a lighter brown than others, maybe this is just something that happens as they get older (just a guess). How cold is the tank getting? They come from pretty cool waters naturally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelle Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 It goes down to about 16C but that's the lowest I've seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.