Borneo Sucker Fish

[Baccus]

I finally got some decent pictures of some of my Boreno suckers (otherwise known by a whole host of other names), hope you like them and maybe can help me pinpoint thier exact names.

Next one

And lastly Tigger

opps forgot one

 

[Didge007]

Can I just steal your middle two? Thanks lol

 

[Baccus]

Tigger is here for keeps, as are the others, the pet shop rarely gets them in and they now HATE me every time I ask them to catch another 1 .

 

[the_lock_man]

First one looks like Gastromyzin Ctenocephalus, as it's got the blue flashes on the dorsal and caudal fins. The one you forgot could easily be that too, the spots look very similar, but I can't really see if there's the blue on the fins.

The other two are certainly a different species, not sure which.

 

[Baccus]

I am pretty sure that I have both G. ctenocephalus and G. scitulus the others I can not decide between G. stellatus and G. zebrinus Tigger is most similar to the last one. I have 8 or 9 in the tank and mostly I only get to see their bellies . I have another pattern type as well but no pics as once again they are usually facing belly out, or moving around the tank at lightening speed.

 

[the_lock_man]

I'm no loach expert, I only recognised the G. Ctenocephalus as I have a pair of them.

 

[wirralbull]

do these fish like the company of there own species? i have one in a 130 ltr with some goldfish. running a biolife filter and a fluval 303 and a pond pump. temp betweeen 19 and 22 c.should i get another or a couple for company?

 

[Baccus]

They are quite a social species, and would probably be much happier with some more of their own kind. My different ones tend to spend time either hanging out together or doing thier own thing in various parts of the tank.

 

[Baccus]

Just an update on the habits of Borneo suckers, even though all the litriture states that Borneo Suckers (Hong Kong Plec, Butterfly plec etc etc) do not require plants in their tanks I have found some plants mine are very fond of. My ones like large leafed such as

Felix

And

Red October

They also like getting in behind a plant wall I made out of an undergravel filter and attached mosses to the front of, this also has a bubble wall going behind the planted wall and the Borneo's are often tucked away behind this.

Also I have found that they don't seem to actively hunt down shrimp, in fact I have often observed cherry shrimp and Borneo's side by side the shrimp sometimes might look weary but the Borneo Sucker just ignored them. And they don't even eat my cory eggs which is surprising as usually any eggs are fair game in the fish world. In winter my tanks (I try at least) to keep around the 22 degrees mark but with summer comming on and no chillers on my tanks the water temp is getting up to 30 degrees already and still the Borneo Suckers are taking it all in their stride and thriving.

All in all they are great little fish that are not demanding and seem to get along well with their other tank inhabitants of mixed cory's and cherry shrimp.

 

[minnnt]

Tigger is luuuurvely!!!

 

[Baccus]

Tigger is luuuurvely!!!

I was really happy to spot Tigger in with all the more noramally marked ones, and even happier that the petshop eventually managed to catch him . I still keep checking out the shops tank for Borneos and the chance of finding another Tigger or one- two of a different one again.

 

[Better is Betta]

Tigger is luuuurvely!!!

I was really happy to spot Tigger in with all the more noramally marked ones, and even happier that the petshop eventually managed to catch him . I still keep checking out the shops tank for Borneos and the chance of finding another Tigger or one- two of a different one again.

Great pics Baccus.....any signs of them breeding? I can't keep my water cool in the summer months, most of my tanks sit around the 27-30c mark. I guess its out of the question for me to have any, unless I invest in an expensive item like a chiller.

 

[Baccus]

Tigger is luuuurvely!!!

I was really happy to spot Tigger in with all the more noramally marked ones, and even happier that the petshop eventually managed to catch him . I still keep checking out the shops tank for Borneos and the chance of finding another Tigger or one- two of a different one again.

Great pics Baccus.....any signs of them breeding? I can't keep my water cool in the summer months, most of my tanks sit around the 27-30c mark. I guess its out of the question for me to have any, unless I invest in an expensive item like a chiller.

Sometimes I see two of the same type doing some gentle nudging and circling of each other, but otherwise I don't think they will breed, winter will be the decider than all of them should be well and truely adult, and no telling what will happen with the cooler tank.

 

[nurglespuss]

Lovely!

our local pets at home has always got loads in stock...

been very tempted! - how would they get on with bristlenoses, pit bull and bull dog plecs?

cheers!

 

[Baccus]

I have had young BN's with the Borneo's and there wasn't any issues but an adult male BN might be a different story. But Borneo's (well mine don't) don't hide away in hollows all day so that might be a saving grace for them. I would be more worried about the BN's and Pleco's getting all the tastiest morsels for themsleves. Borneo suckers are not really an algea eater, they eat the micro organisms that live in the algea, that's one of the reasons mine are so happy when I drop some frozen cyclops or bloodworms into the tank, they also go for tropical flakes, shinking shrimp pellets and some catfish wafers.

Sadly I have never seen a Bulldog plec or pitbull plec for sale in Australia thus I have not kept them with Borneo suckers and I know that common plecs get way too big for most tanks so I have always steered clear of them. Basically Borneo suckers tend to keep to themselves, do their own little thing and not go out of their way to bother/ harrass anyone else in the tank. In fact when my cory's are in a feeding frenzy the little Borneos often seemed shocked by the rude argie bargie of the cory's.

If you have the room and suitable tank for Borneos then I would throughly reccomend them, I think you can tell I am pretty smitten by them.