purplex Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 I picked up this beauty from someone online the other day, I'm pretty sure she's female. I've called her Hoover, I know thats probably not original for a catfish, but she suits it. She is missing one of her fins, but she was like that when the previous owner got her, and she's never had any problems. She's also full of personality - I was watching her last night, and she swam up the side of the tank, and there is a 1.5cm gap in the lid, and she sat there shooting jets of water through the small gap! Just one question though - how much is too much to feed her? She never seems to stop eating?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Nice, I love Hoplo's, just a heads up these can grow to over 12-15cm so might have to get a bigger tank down the track sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Yeah, I've already been warned about that, I've got a 200L that I'm working on (and hubby -he's making the stand and the lighting ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#!CrunchBang Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 I have 2x 11cm girls, great fish. They do need an air gap as they are actually air breathers. They seem to clean up any food not eaten buy the rest of the tank inhabitants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calculator Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Nice hoplo, they are my favorite fish, and I have 3 of them in my tank, not sure about there sex's. Personally they seem to do better in groups, so you might want to get your 'Hover' some play mates some time in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 awww... shes as cute as you said she is Nice hoplo, they are my favorite fish, and I have 3 of them in my tank, not sure about there sex's. Personally they seem to do better in groups, so you might want to get your 'Hover' some play mates some time in the future. easy to sex, males have a thicker and longer front ray to their pectoral fins, it goes orange when they are in the mood, and when larger they curl upwards when horney as well male female Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 all the best catfish are called Hoover 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 I'd never even heard of or seen a Hoplo before finding her, and I did some research, and they said that they are fine alone, but once my 200L is up and running I'll move her over and find her some friends (hopefully!) There is a nice big gap at the top of my tank as she's in with my betta, so they can breathe What I was meaning was there is a gap in the lid of the tank, and she was shooting water right out of the tank... has anyone else this? I asked the previous owner, and she said she'd never seen her do anything of the sort! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 my old breeder used to do this to knock the flakes that stuck to the side of the tank down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Just been watching her hoover my tank, and I realised what she reminds me of - a hedgehog snuffling around for food! LOL (Just had to share that LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 ...and after doing some more research... she is actually a he LOL :oops: Noticed that he's been getting bigger, and his pectoral fin has gone a beautiful shade of orange... I saw some little ones the other day at KiwiPetz... but they wanted $23 each for them!?! Is this normal pricing for them?? I want a few more for my larger tank, but I only paid $10 for Hoover! Or does anyone breed them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 yeah $20 - $25 is about normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Damn... Ok then... that'll just mean more money put aside for them later LOL... I still love his personality though, he does the most random stuff at times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Mine used to feed at the bottom but now come and eat at the surface with the other fish before heading back down to snuffle up the plec pellets. Did you realise they are bubble nesters? A very interesting fish to breed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinox Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 :nfs: looks kool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Mine used to feed at the bottom but now come and eat at the surface with the other fish before heading back down to snuffle up the plec pellets. Did you realise they are bubble nesters? A very interesting fish to breed. I saw that when I was researching on whether he'd play nice with my fighter... I'd love to breed them, I just need to get a breeding tank, look into what to feed the fry, oh, and get a female LOL. That'd be a bit further down the track me thinks... Another question though, do these guys play nice with other catfish? Or is it better not to mix catfish breeds? Hubby saw a featherfin the other day he liked the look of, but I don't want to think of mixing if they don't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 feather fin would tend to swallow all your fish, one by one while they slept Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 feather fin would tend to swallow all your fish, one by one while they slept Ah. So... can I keep a featherfin with something bigger than it then? Or is that just giving it a few days worth of food? Damn it. I feel my MTS starting up again... I don't think my hubby would agree with me :an!gry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Wasn't it hubby who liked the featherfin? Perhaps he needs his own tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 bad zev, you know encouraging MTS in multiple members of the same household is asking for trouble feather fins best kept in groups when younger but become territorial with age, and they can get to 30cm long, so assume a tank of 500 - 600L for 3 of them and best kept with fish larger than their mouths which means BIG things like silver dollars, knife fish, cichlids, big tetras and barbs etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 So... I should tell the hubby he can get a feathfin and a BGK (he saw one the other day and fell in love) if he gets me a MUCH bigger tank?? I'm liking where this is going... :sml1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Back to your original question :gigl: hoplos get on with other bottom dwellers. Mine are in with corys and Ancistrus. There was a lady breeding them in Dunedin many years ago and she said a drop in water level, and water temp, would trigger them spawning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Thanks Caryl! I'll keep that in mind when I finally get there. I think the hubby thought that me keeping fish was going to be one tank, a few fish, end of story... I think he's regretting the fish tank now, and wishing he had gone for the birds instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 I think the hubby thought that me keeping fish was going to be one tank, a few fish, end of story... I think he's regretting the fish tank now, and wishing he had gone for the birds instead! My wife was assured it was only going to be one tank... a few fish... ... Birds would have been noisier and messier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplex Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 I made the suggestion to hubby that he could have his own tank, with whatever fish he wanted in it. He said he would, but my fish would end up in his tank... and become food for his ones. Me thinks I'll stick to keeping the tanks for me, but I'll have a tank with some fish that he likes in one... LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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