Breeding the Red Lizard Whiptail Catfish

[ACC in NC]

Breeding the Red Lizard Whiptail Catfish
Rineloricaria sp. L010A

I acquired 6 of these guys (3 pairs) at the 2008 Raleigh Aquarium Society Auction and liked them so well that I got 6 more off Aquabid. After keeping them for awhile I selected the best looking ones which totaled 8 fish (3 males, 5 females) and sold the rest. The approximate age of the ones I started with were about 3 to 4 months old and they became sexually mature at about 1 year of age.

These Catfish are very hardy, eat just about anything, and are easy to breed. The hardest thing about them is raising the fry. I’ve tried PVC and various other things for them to breed in but they prefer the bamboo tubes by far. After spawning the male guards and fans the eggs which hatch at about 10 days at 78 to 80 degrees and a pH of 7.2.

The newly hatched little ones will make their way up the sides of the tank near the top and will be eaten if not removed. I usually move the male in his tube to a hatching tank or net the little ones out when I see them. What I’ve found to be the best recipe for the fry is a mixture of spirulina powder (from a health food store) and agar which is a natural seaweed gelatin. I mix 3 parts powder to 1 part agar in boiling water and put it in zip-lock bags and then freeze it and I also feed decapsulated baby brine shrimp eggs. The fry tank should also have a mature sponge filter for the fry to graze on. The fry will grow very fast and I actually had some I took to the 2009 RAS Auction and they went very well!

Maximum Size: 4.2 inches (usually 3 to 4 inches)
Temperature Range: 76 to 82 degrees
pH Range: 6.5 to 7.5
Feeding: Omnivore (meats & veggies)
Origin: Brazil

This is really the perfect catfish, colorful, neat to watch, stays small, safe for a planted tank, easy to care for, hardy, and etc…

Pictures >>> http://s924.photobucket.com/albums/ad...ish/?start=all

[ACC in NC]

Videos on YouTube (NOT MINE)

Link >>> YouTube - Rineloricaria red in de kweekbuis

Link >>> YouTube - Rineloricaria sp. L010A

[myrtlebeachbum]

do you have any left those look awesome congrats on the lil guys

[ACC in NC]

Originally Posted by myrtlebeachbum

do you have any left those look awesome congrats on the lil guys

I’m planning on bringing some to the RAS Auction but I don’t ship. I’m holding back a nice bunch for future breeding stock. Thanks for the comments!

[myrtlebeachbum]

wheres that at?? and how much do they usually run for?

[ACC in NC]

Originally Posted by myrtlebeachbum

wheres that at?? and how much do they usually run for?

Link >>> For Sale - Red Lizard Whiptail Catfish

RAS (Raleigh Aquarium Society)
Link >>> http://raleighaquariumsociety.org/main.html

[reeffreak]

I would love to get one of these guys for my 180 planted tank. I will stay tuned for the date of the RAS auction

[myrtlebeachbum]

very nice I wish it was closer thats such a logn ways :-( maybe ill need a reason to come up there or such but they are some great looking fish

[LC]

I might have to try one or two. Do they get along well in community or do they tend to chase?

[ACC in NC]

Originally Posted by LC

I might have to try one or two. Do they get along well in community or do they tend to chase?

They’re excellent in a peaceful community tank. Just make sure they don’t have any tank mates that like nipping fins.