[...]... removed to another aquarium, together with the mops from the bottom of the breeding tank While the eggs will hatch if left in the mop, they will be more prone to fungus because of the lack of water movement It is far better to carefully remove the eggs from the mop and spread them out on the aquarium bottom Using this method virtually 100 per cent of the eggs will hatch Brochis splendens (emerald catfish)... attached to the walls of the hollow and guarded by the parents from predation by other fishes After about three days the fry emerge Their bright amber yolk sacs make them conspicuous to other fishes, so parental care is continued until the sac disappears and the fry have developed a mottled colour pattern to aid concealment When they are ten days old the fry will venture into the wider world and the parents... resemblance to twigs) These herbivores spend most of their time grazing on algae, and their body form allows them to blend into their natural forest creek biotope, away from the eyes of lurking predators The pungent fin spines of Astrodoras asterifrons (star-gazing dorad) act as a deterrent to predators Catfishes in the Aquarium All catfishes have barbels: whisker-like filaments surrounding the mouth... and impressive fish The Banjos Feeding Banjos Dysichthys (banjo cats) belong to the South American family Aspredinidae They live in the leaf litter found in shallow forest waters, where their resemblance to dead leaves helps to conceal them These small fishes (less than 12 cm/43A in) are often available to the aquarist, and are at home in the furnished aquarium, where they burrow into the substrate... upward They select their own mates, often for life Spawning activity starts with the male cleaning a suitable flat surface This will often be the aquarium glass, usually at the back of the tank where there is less activity Once the site is cleaned to the satisfaction of the male he entices the female to it She lays the adhesive eggs in a mass on the clean breeding site, and the male follows over the eggs... releases sperm to fertilize the eggs The female then places the adhesive eggs onto a flat surface that has been cleaned prior to spawning This may be on the plant leaves, or more often than not, on the side of the aquarium Whatever the anchorage point is, it will be in the upper part of the water column, not on rocks or the substrate At this point it is recommended that either the adult fishes or eggs... keep the rampant growth of this in check If you do not have many plants in the tank or if the fishes are grazing too heavily on them, lettuce leaves make a good alternative The fishes tend to ignore them if they are left to float but, if planted they are classed as fair game and eaten Do ensure that you have a good cover on the aquarium as these fishes will jump, especially if frightened Members of the. .. traces of orange/red in their fins, but as the fishes mature they lose this colouring and turn grey Small specimens tolerate other fishes but they can become aggressive when mature It is one of those fishes that are best grown up along with their tankmates rather than trying to introduce medium- to large-sized fishes into the adult shark's territory An omnivore, it is no trouble to keep or feed Epalzeorhynchos... ideal fish for the larger, well-planted community aquarium Although loners, several specimens can be kept in the same aquarium without fights breaking out, provided they can define their territories Flying foxes are almost too good to be true: they are tolerant of other fishes, graze algae but do not chew at the plants, and are tolerant of most water conditions as long as extremes are avoided Their... depressions in the gravel, and even sticking itself on to the sides of larger fishes much to their annoyance Damage to the victim's protective mucus (some sucking loaches even develop a taste for this "food") may result, creating a potential site for infection Youngsters hang from the sides of the aquarium using their sucker mouths, looking like rows of little thermometers To permit them to breathe while . water's surface. The adult pair can now be removed to another aquarium, together with the mops from the bottom of the breeding tank. While the eggs will hatch if left in the mop, they will be. the top. More often than not Corydoras panda will spawn into one of these, rather than out in the open. It is then an easy job to carefully pull the eggs off the mop and hatch them in the. eventually they become independent. Often there is not room for this to happen in the aquarium; the parents tolerate the youngsters until either the latter grow large enough to represent