Mystery Hoplo! ID needed, please! <3

[TwoTankAmin]

If you know old westerns- Hopolong Cassidy.....

 

[Colin_T]

@Naughts I see you approve of the name Hoplo for him!

Any other name suggestions welcome! I'm rubbish at coming up with names!

Catfood

 

[Naughts]

Hoplo has already stuck.
Your blue betta could be named Levi.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

You can always post a picture, I can have my son throw you some names for them. Can't guarantee it'll be anything quality. You can get something as simple as Red or Puff, or something weird. Like Sharpnose.

That's adorable, and I absolutely want his suggestions!

I loathe the 12.5g the betta is in. Slightly curved front glass to look nice without seams (it's a basic starter kit type tank with a light so weak no live plants can survive in there, not even floating ones at the surface), but that also distorts the fish so rubbish for taking pics. I'd have to get him out and into a glass of some sort to take pics, like poor Hoplo in his vase!

I will do it, but likely tomorrow sometime. He had some fast growing stem plants and anubius in there with him for now, but going out tomorrow to get some fish stuff including for the betta - and to get some silk plants and betta friendly sitting stuff, since my fake plants are hard, or...

Wait a minute! Was about to say soft fake plants I had for QT and used in that tank before go on the bottom, but I have approximately a billion suction cups and teeny zipties I can rig to stick them to the side or at the surface!

Brain is slow today from lack of sleep and juggling tasks. Plus I have lots of daft moments! Will still look for suitable betta things he might enjoy, but I can rig the soft fake plants tonight and move the live plant to another QT with a better light. Knew it would be okay for a day or two, but I know from experience that no live plants can live in there for long, and was wanting to move them to the 22g before they suffer too much.

I'll be scanning gumtree for a nice sized individual permanent home for him in a tank I actually like, and a light that can support some live plant growth. Bought some more anubius at the sale too. Sadly lost my large leaved A.coffeefolia that would have been perfect for him. But will find and add things I think he'll like!

@Naughts - do you mean Levi because of the jeans? Like he's blue with white, distressed edges? I kind of like that! It's a nice name, and might stick! He's very active, doesn't have super short plaket style fins, but not huge, heavy fins with a lot of drag either.

My favourite things so far are that he comes to the surface for feeding, even if still a bit shy and unsure at first. Wish I'd asked them what they feed them. Could tag or message them on FB, but I'll try him on Bug Bites soon. Haven't seen a fish dislike them yet!

Also the little pointy, fins at the front and the way he moves them around. It's adorable!

I added a bunch of riccia fluitans floating on the surface, he seems to like that!

It's one of the few plants that survived the plant neglect while I didn't have time to mess with tanks much beyond the basics. It's an odd plant. I did buy it, tried gluing it to some wood, but it just gradually kept coming off as fish messed with it, and floated to the surface. But it can also grow dense and eventually cover the surface, and out compete other floating plants (except for duckweed. Nothing kills suckweed).

 

[CassCats]

I asked my kid what he would name your hoplo. He says "oh I know!! GARFIELD!!!"

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I asked my kid what he would name your hoplo. He says "oh I know!! GARFIELD!!!"

You know what though? I can see the resemblance!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

As their QT period is reaching an end, now considering what's next! Once the QT is free.
High priority is a friend or two (and still looking for a name!) for this fella

I checked whether the nearest store, a large aquatics based chain store, had them. They do! Said they were a little young to be sexed for sure, but they have four left and get them in pretty often - selling for £25 each, or three for £70!

This free fish may cost me a bomb!

Then checked with the really good, privately owned LFS. They also get them in fairly often and should have some arriving next week. Price? £6.99 each, or three for £18.

Phew! Much more reasonable! Thinking of getting three, have a little pack of them in the 240L.
The danger there is the store is a bit of a distance from me, so to make it worth the trip, might also get the planned otocinclus, and pseudomugil... we shall see!

 

[CassCats]

They ship really well, so a wee bit of a car ride isn't gonna affect them much. Hoplos are sturdy fish. Helps that they're air breathers.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

They ship really well, so a wee bit of a car ride isn't gonna affect them much. Hoplos are sturdy fish. Helps that they're air breathers.

I'm excited for him to have a friend! Given how large they get, that I hadn't planned on getting hoplos, and four of them would take up a lot of the tank (and dig up a lot too!) I'm not sure whether to just attempt to choose a female and hope I got it right, or to bite the bullet and get another two or three? You've kept hoplos before, whaddya think?

Part of me really wants a nice sized group of them, 3-4. The other part of me thinks about how my tank plans will have utterly changed, because I accepted a free fish! Wish I'd thought it through more... much as I like him!

 

[Back in the fold]

Interesting looking bugger . Those beady little eyes and the whiskers make him look like he’s laughing .

 

[CassCats]

I'm excited for him to have a friend! Given how large they get, that I hadn't planned on getting hoplos, and four of them would take up a lot of the tank (and dig up a lot too!) I'm not sure whether to just attempt to choose a female and hope I got it right, or to bite the bullet and get another two or three? You've kept hoplos before, whaddya think?

Part of me really wants a nice sized group of them, 3-4. The other part of me thinks about how my tank plans will have utterly changed, because I accepted a free fish! Wish I'd thought it through more... much as I like him!

You can happily do 3-6 imo since his species stays around 4-5 inches. They're big corydoras essentially. They definitely appreciate groups. I wouldn't bat an eye at that number in the tank at all.

I started with 3. I currently have 7 because mine bred lol I have mine in a 135g but that's mostly because they're with the goldfish. The goldfish bioload prevent me from having even more of them lol

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Interesting looking bugger . Those beady little eyes and the whiskers make him look like he’s laughing .

When he's lying on the sand, hanging out in the plants getting some air, or out and about exploring and makes eye contact, I swear there's a spark of intelligence there. They can really eyeball you!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

You can happily do 3-6 imo since his species stays around 4-5 inches. They're big corydoras essentially. They definitely appreciate groups. I wouldn't bat an eye at that number in the tank at all.

I started with 3. I currently have 7 because mine bred lol I have mine in a 135g but that's mostly because they're with the goldfish. The goldfish bioload prevent me from having even more of them lol

Love yours, and your giant goldie tank! Even though I remember when Neo was a teeny tiny baby you'd rescued, and he's now massive and I can't believe how fast time flies!



How about when keeping them with cories and potentially ancistrus too? The tank seems big to me since I'm used to a smaller tanks, but it's still only a 63g... *bites nails* I'm just wanting the best for him, but also a bit nervous about a tank full of them, cories, ancistrus... the upper level plans might have to change!


Or I need another tank... tempting! Have been looking at the second hand market nearby, but I'm overstetching myself I think. Already have six running and juggling them around decorating

 

[CassCats]

Love yours, and your giant goldie tank! Even though I remember when Neo was a teeny tiny baby you'd rescued, and he's now massive and I can't believe how fast time flies!



How about when keeping them with cories and potentially ancistrus too? The tank seems big to me since I'm used to a smaller tanks, but it's still only a 63g... *bites nails* I'm just wanting the best for him, but also a bit nervous about a tank full of them, cories, ancistrus... the upper level plans might have to change!


Or I need another tank... tempting! Have been looking at the second hand market nearby, but I'm overstetching myself I think. Already have six running and juggling them around decorating

6 would still work with cories and a pair of ancistrus imo, they rest a lot on the bottom but they're all over the place too. And they're quite peaceful in most cases. Only time they're *not* peaceful is when a male is guarding eggs, and he only defends the immediate nest site by chasing. They don't do damage in most situations. And odds of nesting are relatively low, though not impossible. It's usually directed at other hoplos who come by to eat eggs lol and they nest in bubble nests like bettas, so it's at the surface of the water they defend.

 

[CassCats]

Some videos:

Can see male hoplo defending his nest here and he had an egg stuck to his fins and the emperor tetras were trying to eat it.

And this one, the hoplos were fighting over a loose leaf the male wanted to use for building his nest and the female was trying to get him to breed so they were bickering about it.