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THE DWARF AFRICAN FROG Breeding and Egg Development of Hymenochirus boettgeri
by David Cecere I will detail my tank environment and chemistry for those who wish to compare and/or duplicate my conditions. The mating, egg laying and development observations that follow were the first I had witnessed and may not be typical behavior of all H. boettgeri. Two batches of eggs were laid. The first on January 19, 1998 and the second on January 29, 1998.
Dwarf frogs eat bloodworms. You can get these yummy treats in frozen or dried form, but the frogs prefer them frozen; they seem to be more active when on a frozen diet. Some dwarf frogs refuse to eat the dried worms, so in general I suggest buy ing the frozen ones. A little goes a long way; the frogs need to be fed every day, but they only eat a very small amount. These guys live entirely under water, coming up for air every now and then. These make great pets for the beginner. They are as complicated to deal with as goldfish! Granted, you can't feed them fishflakes (they only eat food that sinks to the bottom of the tank!), but you don't have to feed them live icky bugs either!
Care & Feeding A common misconception is that these aquatic amphibians can be cared for as if they are goldfish. Though they can thrive in a tropical fish aquarium special care must be taken to prevent them from starving to death. These frogs are bottom feeders. Their preferred diet consists of bloodworm (live or frozen), small (or chopped) earthworms, tubifex worms, etc. I have observed them eating fish flakes only on rare occasions and never in any quantity. They are not visual hunters. They detect food by scent.
If you have frogs that live entirely underwater, such as African Dwarf frogs, you'd best be worried that they can't get OUT from their tank.
African Dwarf Frog Page Generally speaking, these frogs are NOT suitable tankmates for fish. The only exceptions to this are a few small, gentle species of fish, but the frogs are almost always better off in a tank of their own. Entirely aquatic (although good at escaping from uncovered tanks!), they need still water. Any filtration must not create strong water currents. For the most part, I have kept these frogs in unfiltered, heavily planted tanks.
Information
ADF stands for "African Dwarf Frog" also known as "Dwarf Frogs", "Aquatic Frogs", "Aquababy Frogs", "Dwarf African Clawed Frogs" and "Mini Water Frogs" their scientific name is "Hymenochirus boettgeri". These little frogs rarely grow above 1 and 1/2 inches and are fully aquatic. You should allow at least 1 gallon per frog (a covered tank because these guys can jump out). Filteration is not necessary, because ADFs come to the surface to breathe. ADFs really prefer something they can crawl under to sleep in or get privacy, a cave or smooth rock or something else they can crawl under would be great.
Loaches Members of Cobitidae family, Loaches come in a variety of species, including the Red-finned and Skunk. The most popular of Loaches, the Clown Loach is yellow and has 3 vertical black bars on its body and red fins. Capable of reaching nearly a foot in length, it is also the largest species. The smallest type is the Dwarf Loach and it grows to approximately 1 3/4 inches. Another popular type is the Coolie Loach; pink with dark vertical stripes, this nocturnal species has a large spine in its eye socket which unfolds when it is frightened. The Sucking Loach consumes algae on anything it finds, including other fish. The Tiger Loach is so named because of its more aggressive, territorial behavior, although it can still be safely housed with other species or its own group members. Despite their wide variety of appearances and behavior, all Loaches are sensitive to atmospheric pressure. For this reason, a type of Loach called the Weatherfish has been used to predict weather for hundreds of years.
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The Clown Loach can live in a Aquarium for many years. I have had them live as long as fifteen years. The Clown Loach is also very popular. The Catfish and the Loach are bottom feeders and eat any extra food that may not be eaten right away. Welcome to Loaches ON-LINE, your best source for information on loaches!
Clown Loach Scientific Name: Botia macracanthus Other Scientific Name(s): Cobitis macracanthus, Botia macrocanthus
Clown Loach is a commonly kept fish among aquarists all over the world. It is a tropical fish and will therefore be suitable for tropical aquariums. In the wild, the Clown Loach live in Indonesia and a majority of the Clown Loaches available in pet shops are caught around Sumatra and Borneo. Since Clown Loaches are usually transported a long way before they reach the fish store, they have often experienced a lot of stress which can be very damaging to the health of the fish. When you choose a Clown Loach, it is therefore important to choose an individual that look as healthy as possible.
The following pages will help you choose a healthy Clown Loach, and teach you how set up a good home for the fish in your aquarium and how to care for your new Clown Loach. The biggest problem for Clown Loaches is usually a disease called ick. The Clown Loach is also quite sensitive to poor water conditions. On this webpage your will also find information regarding other loaches of interest for the aquarist.
Thank you for visiting AquaLoach, the online source for aquarium loach-keeping information. This site is intended to provide aquarists with images and data about several types of loaches.
Kuhli Loach Distribution: Thailand, Malaya,Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Indonesia Length: 3 1/2 in, possibly more Diet: flakes, freeze-dried foods,any small live foods Water Temperature: 70-75 F Community Tank Environment
The Yo-Yo Loach is also known as the Pakistani Loach, and was formerly known as Botia Lohachata
Mormyids
Ghost Knife Fish Apteronotus albifrons or A. teptorhynchus African Knife Xenomystus nigri Clown Knife Papyrocranus afer Verescens' Knife Fish Eigenmannia virescens "Baby Whales" Polimyrus casteinaui Member of the genus Brienomyrus in the African family Mormyridae. It is one of several species in this genus from the Ogooué River basin in Gabon. Because the species is undescribed it is temporarily referred to as Brienomyrus sp. This fish has a biphasic electric organ discharge with a duration of 1.5 msec. The fish lives in small forest streams and hides under rocks and under tree roots.
Glass Fishes Chanda species. Spiney Eel. Mastacembelus species. Badis Badis badis
Arruana (Arowana) Australian Pearl Arowana
The Asian Arowana is a large bony tongue fish that has several different varieties, including the Gold, Green, and Red Arowanas. The body looks like that of a Silver Arowana, with the dorsal fin set far back near the caudal penducle. The fish is long and slender and moves with a gracefulness that brings beauty to any home aquarium.
More Asian Arowana
Sci Name:Scleropages Formosus Family:Osteoglossidae Origin:SouthEast Asia Max Size:39" pH:Slightly Acid Temp:72-82 F. Tank Size:125 Gallons Feeding:Carnivorous ************
SILVER AROWANA Family : Osteoglossidae Genus : Osteoglossum Bicirrhosum [Osteo=bone ; glossum=tongue] Size : up to 2 feet in captivity . Attitude : Bad ; eats anything smaller that can be fitted into its mouth.
These species breed in the wild after 3-4 years growth and are mouthbrooders, which means they keep the eggs or fries in their mouth and raises its young like cichlids. Successful breeding in captivity was reported recently.
Arowana Fish Also called the Dragon Fish. See videos
Arowanas are sometimes imported as juveniles from South America. As babies they are only 3-4" in length and sell for about $25. If you are willing to provide for a fish that will grow to about 36" in captivity and eat food like you wouldn't believe, then the Arowana can make an unusual pet that can live more than 20 years. Their relationship to prehistoric fish makes them especially interesting and unusual aquarium pets.
Red Line Snakehead Channa micropeltes Amazon Leaf Fish Monocirrhus polyacanthus Schomburg's Leaf Fish Polycentrus schomburgki Reed Fish Calamoichtys calabaricus Polypterus ornatipinnis Ornate Bichir Hatchet Herring Pristogaster cayana Elephant-nose (Gnathonemus petersii) Distribution range: Africa from the Congo to the Niger Difficulty for aquaria: Requires a lot attention to feeding and general care. Recommended water conditions: Temp: 71-82F; pH 6.5 -7.5 GH:6 -18 dH Peaceable towards members of other species but weaker specimens of the same species are picked on. Territorial in the aquarium. A nocturnal fish that does become active in the daytime as it becomes accustomed to aquarium life. Needs dense planting with a good supply of hideouts. Digs for its food and in doing so churns up the tank bed so that a fine sandy bed is essential. Suitable for the community tank. likes old water with occasional additions of fresh water. No aquarium breeding successes have been recorded to date. Other Elephant-nose species are available from time to time. Perches / Nandidae Schomburgk's Leaf Fish Web fish.mongabay.com SYN: Polycentrus tricolor PD: A stocky, high-backed fish with lateral compression. The body is oval-shaped and the caudal fin is fan-shaped. The anal and dorsal fins have long bases with short, spiny rays. The coloration is variable depending on mood, conditions, and surroundings. Generally the body is dark brown with random dark and light markings. Three lines runs from the eye. The fins are brownish.
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i | Catfish
Catfishes are present in virtually every continent and they occupy water that can be as varied as the species that inhabit them. Hard, soft, acidic, alkaline, brackish, salt, warm, cool. Take a species from a habitat and don't expect it to thrive in something alien to them. To be specific do not expect a Synodontis catfish from an African rift lake to fare well in a set up that has acidic, soft water. Rather than being "scavengers" or even omnivorous, many species have specific diets. Some are piscivorous, preferring meat at their table while others stick to a vegetable fare. It figures that North American catfishes prefer a cooler habitat than counterparts in tropical regions. Certain catfishes do well in groups but many others are solitary and very territorial. Some species are active during the day, while others are crepuscular and even more alive at night. Catfishes come in many dimensions, ranging from sizes less than an inch to species that are several feet long.
CORYDORAS The Catfish is another favorite fish. They are very good scavengers. Breeding the Albino Cory
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Corydoras - list of all described Corydoras and C-numbers with information Aspidoras - all described species of Aspidoras Brochis - all 3 described species of Brochis. Cory Care and Breeding - articles on keeping, finding, and breeding happy corys and more!
Characteristics of the Callichthyidae The fishes of the family Callichthyidae are distinguished and easily recognized by having the body almost completely protected by a bony armor composed of two longitudinal series of dermal plates.
CORYDORAS METAE (The Bandit Cory)
AFRICAN GLASS CATFISH ARMOURED CATFISH CORYDORAS MELANISTIUS Arched/Skunk Corydoras Corydoras arcuatus
This catfish comes from the Amazon Basin and is often found in areas that contain sluggish, alkaline water, such as creeks. They grow to a length of approx. 5cm. Their body is stocky with a double row of bony plates which overlap. The bosy color is cream to yellowish-grey; the belly is white. There is a broad bar from the mouth upward through the ey and arching along the dorsal surface to the caudal where it continues onto the lower edge. The mouth is small, under positioned and with two pairs of barbels. The fins are colorless and transparent but in some species the upper edge of the caudal fin is dark. Please note that there are many catfish in this family however, they more or less breed the same.
Corys (Corydoras) are not only charming and entertaining, but also useful for helping tidy up excess food in the tank. Of course, they need to be given their own special food, rather than relying solely on scraps left by their tankmates. The enjoy tablet food, live foods, and flake foods, and a freeze-dried block of tubifex worms stuck on the bottom of the tank keeps them entertained for a while. They prefer to be kept in groups (unfortunately many hobbyists only have one per tank) and seem to be more active at slightly cooler water temperatures. CORYDORAS CATFISH At one time or another I am sure all of us have kept members of the genus Corydoras in our tanks. These fascinating little catfish are full of character. They have armoured plates that cover their whole body. Other catfish that are closely related to corydoras cats are Brochis, Aspidoras and hoplo catfishes. Corydoras cats come from South America and surrounding islands. Today we know there are close to 150 species of corydoras cats, some of which waiting to be named. It is said, in parts of Amazon each creek that feeds into the giant river has its own species of corydoras cats. Records show that as early as 1880 corydoras cats were imported into Europe for aquariums. In the old days corys were mainly kept for their scavenging abilities as these fish are bottom feeders and constantly search the substrate for things to eat. The common name for cory cats is the 'Rubbish Cleaner Fish'. Though today aquarists are more knowledgeable and know more about the micro-ecosystems that exist within their fish tanks. Now we know it is not acceptable to look at corydoras cats sole function in the fishtank is to eat left over food. When feeding in community tanks you have to make sure some food reaches the bottom or better yet feed specially prepared sinking pellet food together with flakes for example. Corydoras cats are schooling fish so to make them feel comfortable and quickly settle in the tank a number of them should be kept together and cory cats school regardless of species. For example 2 bronze catfish2, albino catfish and 2 peppered catfish will happily school together. Cory cats can easily live 6-7 years and are extremely hardy. Breeding them is not too difficult either. Naturally you need a male and a female fish. OK! So how can you tell the sex of cory cats? First make sure you are looking at an adult fish. It is very difficult if not impossible to tell the sexes apart in juvenile fish. Generally all the corys sold at aquarium stores are young ones, so usually corys have to be kept for a year before they reach adulthood in our tanks. In adult fish females have deeper and wider body whereas the males have narrower and longer bodies. Females usually grow larger as well. With a few species of corys the sexes can be identified by looking at the pelvic fins alone. Where the male has pointed pelvic fin and the female a rounded one. Corydoras cats spawn in groups. Usually 2 males per female is the formula given by many people who bred them. Having said that a single pair is totally capable of completing a successful spawn and the ratio is not that crutial though more males than females gives you a better chance. Largest group I used for breeding consisted of 3 females and 5 males and smallest was 2 males and 2 females. To condition them for breeding meaty foods should be offered such as frozen and live foods. Doing a 25% water change and adding water a few degrees cooler usually enough to stimulate well fed adult cory cats. In winter moths it is just as easy to unplug the heater until the water temperature drops a few degrees. Its usually the female that initiates courtship behaviour. She would dart around the tank up and down and from one side to another settling to the bottom for a few seconds until she starts darting around again. When closely observed what she is actually doing could be interpreted as investigating spawning sites. Females' excited swimming soon rubs of to the males and they start following her in the tank. The male swims slightly over the female and touch her head with his barbels. This swimming around continues for a while without a single egg being produced. T-position proceeds egg production. "Corydoras aeneus in T-position" "Female C.aeneus in carrying eggs in her pelvic basket" In T-position the male positions itself infront of the female and the female nudge the males' side while her barbels very active. Some say during T-position female drinks the sperm released by the male and the sperm reach the eggs through a special duct and fertilise them before being released, though this theory is not proven. Another theory is that females again drink the sperm and when the eggs are release she spits the sperm to fertilise the eggs. What ever is the case after T-position female release a number of eggs into her pelvic basket. Pelvic basket is formed by the female pressing her two pelvic fins together. She then swims off and deposit the eggs on a selected site which may be a plant leave or the glass sides. "C.aeneus eggs deposited on the glass" Depending on the species anything from 30 to 200 eggs are deposited in single spawning by a single female. If you are using more than one female naturally egg production will be higher. Spawning could also last a number of days. Well fed parents usually ignore their eggs but look upon their fry as food, so it is wise to remove the parents soon as the spawning is complete. Depending on the temperature the eggs take anything from 3 to 8 days. It pays to add some sort of funguside into water. Just before hatching the embryos can be seen wriggling within the egg membrane. Once hatched the tiny fry fall to the bottom. They feed on their yolk sacs for a couple of days after which they must be fed. Microworms, powdered fry food (which is mixed in water to make sure it sinks) are all excepted initially. Later move on to larger foods. The fry are sensitive to polluted water so do not over-feed and do regular water changes every couple of days. First three weeks is the critical period where most of the losses will occur. I consider myself lucky if I am able to raise 50 catfish from 300 fry, than again I had a 15 fry hatching of Corydoras rabautiand managed to raise all but one fry into adulthood. The fish reach adulthood when 1 to 2 years old. At any given time there is up to 20 species of corydoras listed on wholesalers list, so why don't you get your local aquarium shop to get some in for you. They'll add character to any community tank and make fascinating breeding projects.
Common name Emerald Catfish ______________________________ Synonym Corydoras coeruleus
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