Astatheros Rostratus

[dogofwar]

Thanks Alex - I'll have to ask Mark!

Matt

I just got 4 of these guys @ 1" or so from Anubias Design (Mark Denaro). Are they as slow growing as A. altifrons?

Thanks,
Matt

Hi Matt,
Congrats on getting beautiful fish. Which one you have, riverine or lacustrine?
I didn't have chance to keep A. altifrons, but definitely seen much faster growing CA cichlids then A.Rostratus. I started this thread almost 2 years ago when I got these guys at 1". Today they range approximately between 5 and 6.5 " TL.
Alex

[Alex Odesit]

I want to share how I beat the bloat in one of my A.Rostratus. Largest dominate male from group of 5 suddenly stop eating had irritating anal area with enlarged genitals. From time to time fish were trying to spit from it mouse, stretch sideways and hiding most of the time in the dark corner of the fish tank. I can observe clear excrement as well. The condition mostly remind me the dreaded bloat.
It's all happen despite me often skipping feeding days during the week and being very selective with what I feed to my fish and how much. But I guess when fish is adult and growing slow down considerably we should cut more on food even comparing to feeding juvenile of the same fish who more active and have more size to attain.
Anyways what I did and it works.
Every second day 50% of water change and mucho Epsom salt. I use cold water, the temp in the tank were dropping from 74 to 68(66) F (I don't remember when but I've heard from people who had success against bloat to use cooler then tank water, not sure if it make any difference, but I did it).
It took about 5 days for Rostratus male to start slowly eating again, first spitting out right back, but then finally start gulping in. Now he is almost ok, almost because he is not as active as he was before, but he does flirt with females, so must definitely feeling better
Hope this helps to others
Alex
p.s. I did the same some time ago with Thor Helleri, but it never works and I lost several fish. As a matter of fact nothing I did help T. Helleri.

[Alex Odesit]

Finally being well over 2.5 years old my larger male from the group of 5 fish start paying interesting to 2 females.
As I suspected and seeing many times before females have much darker colored, almost black lower part of the head and darker body all together.
Male considerably larger and have noticeably different shaped, bulkier head.
Some pictures and low quality video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oZYE8qh_us
Alex

[seanwelsh1]

Very Nice Alex , one of the species i would like to keep one day !

[Alex Odesit]

Very Nice Alex , one of the species i would like to keep one day !

Hi Sean and thanks!
I grew these 5 from less then an inch size (first page of this thread couple years ago). When I got them I knew they should be pretty fish, but man I wasn't imagine how pretty, when direct sun hit them they shine like made from gold and diamonds all over it.
Does these available in UK?

[Piotr Koba]

They are gorgeous fish those rostratus! Good luck & fingers crossed (especially as Ukraine isn't so far away from me! ).

[Alex Odesit]

They are gorgeous fish those rostratus! Good luck & fingers crossed (especially as Ukraine isn't so far away from me! ).

Dobze Piotr:) Thanks for the compliment. Yeah, I use to go to the small town Kovel (western Ukraine and probably territory what was originally belongs to Poland years ago and before the war), that is only couple miles away from todays Poland border.
Alex

[Piotr Koba]

That's even better news indeed

[Marko Lenac]

my video is much worst http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmiNrumrNVM

[Alex Odesit]

my video is much worst http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmiNrumrNVM

Cool video! Another show of the pre breading behavior .
Where did they lay eggs? Rocks? Glass? Or sand?

[seanwelsh1]

Very Nice Alex , one of the species i would like to keep one day !

Hi Sean and thanks!
I grew these 5 from less then an inch size (first page of this thread couple years ago). When I got them I knew they should be pretty fish, but man I wasn't imagine how pretty, when direct sun hit them they shine like made from gold and diamonds all over it.
Does these available in UK?

Hi Alex ,

We have a few guys keeping them in the UK one is breeding them

http://www.eacichlid.co.uk/showthread.php?8952-Astatheros-rostratus

[Marko Lenac]

my video is much worst http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmiNrumrNVM

Cool video! Another show of the pre breading behavior .
Where did they lay eggs? Rocks? Glass? Or sand?

they lay on the rock (45 degrees), bottom glass, also bottom glass at the base of the rock. they spawn every 3 weeks. wonderful fish!

[Alex Odesit]

My pair to be is digging a huge pit deep in the sand, 24" x 18 " at least. I had chance to breed many different CA and SA large cichlids, but none of them did prepared such broad breeding spot.

[Lee Nuttall]

Those are really lovely fish Alex, a credit to you!

Very Nice Alex , one of the species i would like to keep one day !

Sean, your friend 'Thilbert' keeping some large specimens?? Best get round to he's shed and swipe them.

[Alex Odesit]

Those are really lovely fish Alex, a credit to you!

Very Nice Alex , one of the species i would like to keep one day !

Sean, your friend 'Thilbert' keeping some large specimens?? Best get round to he's shed and swipe them.

Thanks Lee. These fish deserving any bit of attention. They make me smile

[seanwelsh1]

Sean, your friend 'Thilbert' keeping some large specimens?? Best get round to he's shed and swipe them.

Hopefully already sorted

[Alex Odesit]

Finally eggs arrive, after almost month of courting with 3 different females, digging pounds of sand and finding likable area in the tank, dominate male and one of the lucky girl laid eggs in community tank. Surprisingly very small amount of them for 12 cm female. Male and female take turns to care for eggs.
What interesting is another, smaller male with similar sized female trying to do the same (lay eggs), but larger male keep interacting, even smaller guy fight back. I have feeling they will divide the tank.
P.S. The white dots you may see on the rocks around Rostratus nest and wood, is the Zebra nerite snail eggs and what left from them. Nerite snails really help to keep my tank off green algae.
Alex

[Marko Lenac]

happy for you! now they started they will lay like convicts!

[Piotr Koba]

Wow the last pic shows how pretty they are Beautiful, Good Luck.

[smitty]

Agreat pick up they are one of the reasons you never have enough tanks and is never satisfied.