Breeding catfishes articles

Plecostomus, aspidoras, corydoras, otocinclus, farlowella, synodontis and others.
Species are in alphabetical order according to their Latin names

BREEDING STURISOMA by Tom and Pat Bridges
Summary: A description of breeding Sturisoma catfish and a discussion of their proper classification.

THE INVASION OF THE WHIPTAILS by Tom and Pat Bridges
Summary: The addition of Bamboo, RO water and crushed green beans helps coax a pair of whiptails to spawn.

CATFISH: UNDERSTANDING THESE SCAVENGERS by Dave Ball
Summary: A somewhat technical introduction to the physical characteristics of the order Siluriformes.

JUMBO CATFISHES by Kevin Thurston
Summary: Predatory and non-predatory species: Hemisorubim platyrhynchus, Perrunichthys perruno, Pangasius sutchi, Pseudodoras niger, Megalodoras irwini, Auchenoglanis occidentalis, Auchenoglanis biscuttatus. Comments on how to keep them. Temeperaments and diets. All need very large tanks.

BOIL MORE ZUCCHINI! by Kathy England
Summary: Kathy found that her bristlenose Ancistrus plecos had spawned in a community African cichlid tank. She encouraged further spawnings and soon became over-run with 400 youngsters, which became a challenge to house and feed.

GOING FOR GOLD by Charles Drew
Summary: Charles' previous experiences with breeding plecos helped him with this unusual albino bushynose pleco, of the Ancistrus family.

Ancistrus claro by David Marshall
Summary: Tagged LDA 08 and also called gold marbled bristlenose plecostomus, David's three specimens of this rare fish died from shock due to the noise and vibrations of a severe local thunderstorm. He did not have a chance to breed them, but speculates as to how this might be done.

THE MOVE, AND SPAWNING BRISTLENOSE PLECOSTOMUS (Ancistrus dolichopterus) by Twyla Lindstrom-Peters
Summary: After months of inactivity, Twyla's bristlenose plecostomus finally decided to breed, and the eggs hatched on the very day of her moving house, on a cold and snowy winter morning!

BREEDING BRISTLENOSE CATFISH, Ancistrus sp. by Annie Woods
Summary: Bristlenoses are good algae eaters and like a diet of fresh steamed vegetables, supplemented by bloodworms, and fibre from driftwood. They need caves in which to hide and spawn.

SPAWNING Aspidoras goia by Michael Pham
Summary: Michael found it hard at first to hatch and raise this fish's frequent spawnings, but on the fourth try he was successful.

Aspidoras pauciradiatus by Don Kinyon
Summary: "Something a little different for the Corydoras catfish nuts; an Aspidoras." A drop in barometric pressure was the key to spawning.

Brochis splendens by Don Kinyon
Summary: Brochis are related to Corydoras catfish, but are generally a little larger. They breed easily, even in a community tank, and it is interesting to watch the young grow up.

A COUPLE MORE CATFISH by Kevin Korotev
Summary: Kevin gives seven tips for successful catfish breeding, and then outlines his experiences with Brochis splendens and Corydoras concolor.

LITTLE YELLOW CATFISH WITH SPOTS?? by Robert Moneyhan
Summary: Robert painstakingly found that his unusual leopard catfish were called Centromochlus perugiae. He spent two years studying them - even buying an infra-red video camera to record their nocturnal activities. Eventually they bred.

CLARIUS - THE WALKING CATFISH by David Marshall
Summary: Clarius is a widely distributed genus of catfish. They are commercially bred in the Congo and in Asia. David tells of his own experiences with Clarius batrachus.

BREEDING CORYDORAS by Eric Naus
Summary: How to set up a breeding tank for corys, and what to do with the eggs, with tips from Eric's personal experiences.

'I WISH I HAD A PENCIL THIN MUSTACHE' - SPAWNING Corydoras adolfoi by Dave Lorbeske
Summary: A well written, detailed and humorous account of spawning and raising the adolfoi.

A TALE OF FIVE CORYS (Corydoras aeneus) by John and Helen McGuire
Summary: Helen found that the albino corys she had bought were all females. She borrowed a male from a club member, and the fish enjoyed his visit!

Corydoras barbatus. A VERY COOL CAT INDEED by Don Kinyon
Summary: Don finds these fish easy to keep and breed, and recommends them as unusual additions to a community tank, or for a species tank.

THE FIFTH TIME'S THE CHARM. BREEDING Corydoras barbatus
by Tom Wojtech.
Summary: Tom found these fish difficult. He acquired several batches but they kept dying. Eventually he was able to keep them successfully and they spawned. He had some trouble raising the young as well.

BREEDING Corydoras davidsandsi by Allan James
Summary: Allan had trouble breeding davidsandsi at first, but drastic methods resulted in success.

Corydoras duplicareus by Paul McFarlane
Summary: Paul describes his standard procedures for breeding corys, which worked for duplicareus.

Corydoras duplicareus by Don Kinyon
Summary: First described in 1995, this is one of the more colorful and rare corys found in the tributaries of the upper Rio Negro in Brazil. Don's fish spawned constantly, and the young lived peacefully with their parents.

BREEDING Corydoras elegans by Allan James
Summary: The type species of the Elegans group, which includes most of the dwarf Corydoras.

BREEDING Corydoras gosseii by Bud and Kathy White
Summary: Breeding this fairly new (described 1972) cory.

Corydoras melanistius melanistius by Mark Bryson
Summary: This is the first cory that Mark bred, and it sparked the beginning of his passion for catfish. Water changes are the key to triggering spawning.

BREEDING Corydoras melanotaenia by Mark Bryson
Summary: Mark kept daily notes of his experiments in breeding melanotaenia. He indicates which method worked best.

BREEDING Corydoras natteri by Mark Bryson
Summary: Originally Mark had no luck, but after a year he found his natteri had bred by themselves, and after that he found he could induce breeding at will.

Corydoras oiapoquensis by Don Kinyon
Summary: These fish are similar to Corydoras panda. They spawned readily, but the fry proved difficult to raise. Don details two of the more successful methods he used.

ACCIDENTAL SPAWNING OF Corydoras paleatus by Bob Berdoulay
Summary: Bob bought eight peppered corys at a club auction, placed them in a 20 gallon isolation tank, and was surprised to find they bred without any special attention.

INSTANT Corydoras paleatus (JUST ADD WATER) by DeWayne L. Duff
Summary: DeWayne was surprised when his corys bred in a tank that contained other fish. They have since bred regularly, and he explains that the trigger is the making of a partial water change.

BREEDING THE PANDA CAT Corydoras panda by Bob Berdoulay
Summary: A planted tank, a variety of foods, and water changes resulted in success. These corys produce only a few eggs.

MAKE THEM STOP! by Jeff Michels
Summary: Jeff's Corydoras sterbai were triggered to spawn by a storm, then a water change, and then a feeding of live black worms. Jeff provides some general advice on breeding corys and recommends giving it a try.

SPAWNING Corydoras sterbai by Charles Drew
Summary: Charles was advised that these fish spawn in water at 82F - warmer than other corys. A low pressure front came through the area, and this, combined with a water change, triggered them to spawn.

BREEDING Corydoras xinguensis by Mark Bryson
Summary: Mark was the first to breed xinguensis, using wild caught specimens. He provides detailed notes of his procedures.

Epactionotus aky (a new species) by Roberto Petracini and Franciso Martinez
Summary: Roberto discovered a new species of catfish while doing fieldwork near his home in Argentina. He bred them in captivity. Photos of the fish and its habitat.

new SPAWNING L260 Hypancistrus by David Kozak
Summary: David finds more fry survive when raised in breeder nets than when left to the parents to raise.

SPAWNING THE RED LIZARD WHIPTAIL, Hemiloricaria sp. 'Red' (L10a)
by Charles Drew
Summary: Charles succesfully spawned a pair of these bright red whiptail cats. His innovative feeding method for the fry made use of a sponge filter and baby brine shrimp.

Hoplosternum littorale by Colin D. Calway
Summary: Colin was surprised to find this non-native armored catfish breeding naturally in a pond on his fish farm in central Florida.

THE ELUSIVE JAGUAR, Liosomadoras oncinus by Michele Romeo
Summary: A detailed description of a beautiful but rarely seen catfish, and how to keep it. To date there are no known breeding reports.

TEENY WEENY ALGAE EATERS by Lynn McMullen
Summary: The Otocinclus comes from clean, clear, well-oxygenated streams, and requires a clean, mature, densely planted aquarium. It eats algae, and can be bred.

Panaque species 'Bruno' by David Marshall
Summary: Notes on L77, L137 and L138: three plecos not yet scientifically named which are sold under various common names as 'Bruno' plecos.

BREEDING WHIPTAILS by Graham Barnes
Summary: Rineloricaria hasemani and Rineloricaria microleptogaster. Graham finds these peaceful sucker mouth catfish easy to keep and breed.

Sturisoma panamense (THE ROYAL FARLOWELLA) by Steve Smith
Summary: Steve successfully bred and raised his farlowellas, and took a series of very nice original photos.

THE MUSTARD CATFISH by David Marshall
Summary: David acquired a little Synodontis catfish which he eventually identified as Synodontis albolineatus.

new NOT SO ANGELIC(US) by David Marshall
Summary: A chance encounter with a hybrid Synodontous sp. at a local fish store sets David investigating the Eastern European origins of a whole new class of fish.

Synodontis angelicus - THE POLKA-DOT CATFISH by David Marshall
Summary: How to care for this fish from Zaire.

THE IVORY SYNODONTIS by David Marshall
Summary: Synodontis bastiani / Synodontis euberneensis. These West African riverine catfish are often sold for Rift Valley communities but are not really at home in hard water. They need a large aquarium and can be aggressive. They have not been bred in captivity.

Synodontis sp. 'Black Pebble' by David Marshall
Summary: This fish was first seen in the U.K.in the summer of 2004. It is a crossbreed, and David speculates as to its ancestry.

THE CLOWN SQUEAKER by David Marshall
Summary: Synodontis decorus. Clown squeakers are fairly large catfish from the Congo basin. How to keep them.

Synodontis katangae by David Marshall
Summary: A mixed bag of wild-caught Synodontis species arrived at David's LFS, and amongst them he was interested to discover this seldom seen species.

AFRICAN SILURIFORMS OF THE FAMILY Mochokidae by Mitchell McKenzie
Summary: A "must read" for anyone interested in Synodontis catfish and the lesser known members of its family Mochokidae. Nice photographs too.

SPAWNING Synodontis multipunctatus by Harold & David Walker
Summary: S. multipunctatus are known as "cuckoo catfish." They lay their eggs amongst those of a host mouthbrooding cichlid, which picks them up and broods them as if her own.

Synodontis notatus by David Marshall
Summary: The onespot synodontis grows to 11" and is aggressive towards its own species. It has not yet been bred in an aquarium.

Synodontis petricola - SPAWNING REPORT by Jerry Riegel
Summary: These Lake Tanganyika catfish are similar to Synodontis multipunctatus, but smaller. They are egg scatterers rather than "cuckold spawners."

Synodontis robertsi by David Marshall
Summary: Description, photo, and how to keep these delicate riverine Synodontis. They have not yet been bred in captivity.

THE BRUIN SKREEUBER (Synodontis zambezensis) by David Marshall
Summary: The "Brown Squeaker" is bred for food in Southern Africa and elsewhere, but David knows of only one appearance in the U.K., in 1993. He describes its characteristics and various people's experiences keeping it. It was not bred by aquarists.