Any abosexers around?

mikev · Post by **mikev** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:02 pm

If I may ask:

How do you guys sex aborychthys?
Profile boldly says : this is a male, this is a female, but how do you know?

I'm assuming the fellows below are A.elongatus:

TIA!

Graeme Robson · Post by **Graeme Robson** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:14 pm

They are both aborychthys species Mikev, it's just that the top one is a A elongatus and the bottom one is a undescribed aborychthys sp. I think.

Basically, males have little or no markings forward of the dorsal and fine barring after it. This barring goes progressively lighter toward the tail, then transitions into curved, parallel bars of russet red and pinky white on the tail.

Females are much more mottled forward of the dorsal, changing to the barring further back. The colouration is slightly subdued from the males and the tail lacks the parallel stripes but has a big blotch in the centre, with a single wide, curved bar near the tail fin edge.

mikev · Post by **mikev** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:26 pm

Graeme,

Thanks! Sorry for being dumb, but I'd like to understand.

I think you imply that the second picture is a girl (big blotch in the center of the tail). But what makes her? undescribed? -- is it that she? has only one line on the tail?
(Do you think she is the same undocumented species as yours?)

Graeme Robson · Post by **Graeme Robson** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:31 pm

I'm the Dumb one!

Sorry, but yes i would say you have a male and female there. I've just been comparing pictures and these are known to look like two different species. The male and female that is.

mikev · Post by **mikev** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:41 pm

Confirm: Male and Female of the same species, right?

I did notice that in Frank's tank the ones that looked like the top picture were quite rude with each other...

Graeme Robson · Post by **Graeme Robson** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:45 pm

To me, yeah i say they are male and female A elongatus.

mikev · Post by **mikev** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:55 pm

Thanks, Graeme,

One interesting things noticed with them.

I think they are into snails too. In Frank's tank all snails were eaten, and when we put a couple of fresh ones, they got to work on them. Slowly, inefficiently, but with a determination.

Martin Thoene · Post by **Martin Thoene** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:33 pm

Confirmation from long time keeper.....male top, female bottom.

Martin.

TammyLiz · Post by **TammyLiz** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:59 pm

How big are they Mikev? Three inches yet?

I'm so jealous that you got some of these. I saw these on Franks list and couldn't help but wonder if they would do OK in that 2 ft. tank I've set up. Three inches isn't terribly large so I thought maybe if Frank was able to make sure he only sent me one male I could get a trio or a pair, and cut down the number of gastros to three or four. I know size isn't everything, though, and it seems like these guys are pretty spunky. What do all you experienced people think?

Hopefully that question isn't too much of a hijack of this thread.

mikev · Post by **mikev** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:24 pm

Martin, thanks. I'll try to figure out the rest...

======

Hi Tammy,

around 1.5", some larger, some smaller, definite room for growth and fattening. I _think_ I have one large male (shown above) and 1 small one. At the current size, 6 of them are fine in a 10g (with some other fish).

I suspect they will do fine, and they are definitely great fun (a kind of super-active small kuhli), also you probably can have more than 3. (My approach is to try to have sufficient number of each species, but not too many species). They do resemble zippers too, equally crazy about bloodworms. Incidentally, they also eat "Carnovoir Sinking Pellets"...actually I think they eat everything.

Don't be jealous -- he has more....(yeah, I was tempted to take all...)

Good luck!

TammyLiz · Post by **TammyLiz** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:43 pm

Ahh, thanks for leaving some for me!

I'm going to go ahead and reserve some if you think they'll be OK. Now I'm afraid they'll all be gone, if you were seriously thinking of clearing him out.

But do you really think more than three would be OK in the 20 gallon? I was thinking of aggression problems. I agree, fewer species with enough of each kind is what I like to do, too. I've got my heart set on these, gastros, and kyathit danios. I'll be so dissappointed if someone tells me I shouldn't but I like to take experienced owner's word for it.

I'm hoping someone who has been keeping them for a long while will throw an opinion in here soon.

Martin Thoene · Post by **Martin Thoene** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:37 am

I've kept 4 in a 30 with 20 Danio kyathit and 6 Gastromyzon ocellatus. They totally keep themselves to themselves.

At feeding times, they would just mix it in with the crazy Danios and grap flake from the surface. They are voracious feeders.

I have one male left now and he's in a 30 with a couple of Schistura and 2 Sinibotia pulchra. Last night he and a Schistura kohchangensis were having a scap. Nothing too nasty, but they were in a ying and yang position and the Aborichthys kept nipping the Schistura's flanks. This is how the Aborichthys males fight. That's the only time I've ever seen them have direct interaction with another species.

Martin.

TammyLiz · Post by **TammyLiz** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:44 am

Martin Thoene wrote:I've kept 4 in a 30 with 20 Danio kyathit and 6 Gastromyzon ocellatus. They totally keep themselves to themselves.

You're kidding. That is a slightly larger version of exactly what I was thinking of doing. D. kyathit, G. ocellatus, and A. elongatus.

Uhm, hopefully great minds think alike.

Or maybe just think like Franks stock list

No, seriously, he has a lot that is interesting. It is very tough to choose.

Martin Thoene · Post by **Martin Thoene** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:17 am

No kidding.....

Just set up.....

Matured......

Pictures taken in the tank.....

Martin.

TammyLiz · Post by **TammyLiz** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:10 pm

Very very nice, Martin. You've gotta love that java fern windelov, too. I think it's my favorite plant. I have a lot of "babies" and I can't wait until they "grow up".

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