# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Catfishes >  Acestridium dichromum aka "Green Farlowella"

## celticfish

http://www.rva.jp/pleco/green_farlowella.html

From what I gathered they live in leaf litter biotope.
Just like Apistos!
Rio Negro water parameter in leaf litter.
I suspect that they are quite temperature tolerant too.

According to akoh he's only seen them twice in his last 12 years "pleco-ing"!
They don't seem to do much other than hanging on the tank glass, verticle.
Very unlike the pictures in RVA, horizontal.

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## Ah_ZhaN

Here's some info with regards to Acestridium dichromum from PlanetCatfish 
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog...species_id=765

However, from NKS's shipment, they labelled them as Acestridium discus!
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog...species_id=713
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...y.php?id=50557

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## yorky

Bought 3 on Friday.
1 died yesterday... hope the other 2 lives on.

Any progress from bros here?

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## celticfish

I'm at 50&#37; from 6 pcs.
I came home a saw one on the gravel.
Thought, yipee they are acclimatizing.
Went to the tank for a closer look and...
One was doing the "back stroke" and the other "free style" on the gravel...  :Crying: 
And they were the larger ones too! Dang it!

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## DanGoh59

Woah! Seems like quite a sensitive fish similar to the zebra and tiger otos. But it's unique green colouring mades me eager to still try for it if they are available. Similar to my quest for every availability if zebra and tiger otos even though they keep dying on me. Poison lah!  :Grin:

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## celticfish

After 50&#37; loss from 6 pcs I have nothing to lose.
Idea from lyh, THANKS BUDDY!
I used a very small breeding trap so they cannot stick to the sides comfortably in a verticle orientation.
This forces them to a horizontal position to face the food at the bottom.
Then I crushed bits of spirulina tabs in and took this picture.
BUT, because their nose is long food they cannot get eat food near the edge.  :Exasperated: 
So do watch for food stuck to the edges.
Checked this morning and the belly looks a little better.


Sorry the picture's DOF is not good but it was done in a hurry.

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## yorky

Calamity!
One of the 2 survivors got caught in the net badly while I was fishing them out to be housed in a small tank for feeding.
Took a while to be released as its prickly nose was trapped.
Looks like it won't survive the night..  :Crying:

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## Quixotic

> Woah! Seems like quite a sensitive fish similar to the zebra and tiger otos.


Zebra otos being more sensitive are, in my humble opinion, no more than a myth. If you were to read some older posts, some aquarists are even having trouble keeping the normal otos alive for long. So which is actually more sensitive, normal or zebra otos?  :Wink: 

Irwin/yorky, perhaps time to start a thread on these in the Freshwater Fauna section?  :Smile:

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## lyh

> Calamity!
> One of the 2 survivors got caught in the net badly while I was fishing them out to be housed in a small tank for feeding.
> Took a while to be released as its prickly nose was trapped.
> Looks like it won't survive the night..


Bro try to use a plastic container to catch them if you really need to transfer them. Last week when I went down to get these fellows, my friend told me that the hobbyist before me used a net to catch these fishes and it too got stuck. After it managed to disentangle from the net, it looked very restless.




> Zebra otos being more sensitive are, in my humble opinion, no more than a myth. If you were to read some older posts, some aquarists are even having trouble keeping the normal otos alive for long. So which is actually more sensitive, normal or zebra otos? 
> 
> Irwin/yorky, perhaps time to start a thread on these in the Freshwater Fauna section?



I think once a hobbyist got hold of the trick on how to stabilise the particular fish, this particular fish will no longer be that difficult to upkeep.

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## yorky

celticfish, I am down to one.
Would you like to have it?

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## celticfish

@ Quixotic,
I suppose the Oto's should get some common information on them going...  :Grin: 


@ lyh,
I do agree with you on this point.
Though the "journey" (read cost) to get there is...  :Opps: 


@ yorky,
Yes, please...  :Roll Eyes: 
btw though most say it's a "no no", I usually use my hand to catch most of the small catfish I have.
I find that you subject them to less stress (time wise).
Also, as your finger tips are more sensitive, less chance of crushing them with the net.

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## lyh

Hi bro celticfish, how are your green farlowellas? Do they have full stomachs or is it partially sunken? I've only got one that is not sunken, the others have their tummy partially sunken.

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## celticfish

lyh,

Sadly, same same... the belly is not full looking yet.
But it looks better, not as sunken, than before I placed them in the trap.
As mentioned earlier, I crush spirulina and algae tab bit for them.
Leftovers removed daily but I wonder if they are omivorous or herbivours...  :Confused: 
That's the problem with exotic fish like this one - zero information.
I'll continue monitoring and update this thread.
I'd only leave them in the main tank if they don't stay on the glass.
Otherwise I'm sure they will end up like the other three... doing the backstroke or freestyle on the gravel floor!  :Laughing:

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## Quixotic

What pH are you keeping them at? I found information mentioning that pH should be low, around 4.5 to 5.5 (haven't validate the authencity yet).

Also, if the habitat is leaf litter biotope, would it help if you throw in a few ketapang leaves and see if they do better with these?

I'll post more if I find more information along the way.

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## lyh

> What pH are you keeping them at? I found information mentioning that pH should be low, around 4.5 to 5.5 (haven't validate the authencity yet).
> 
> Also, if the habitat is leaf litter biotope, would it help if you throw in a few ketapang leaves and see if they do better with these?
> 
> I'll post more if I find more information along the way.


Bro would you mind posting the link of where you found the information? Thank you.  :Smile:

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## celticfish

@quixotic,
Any help with these fellas is greatly appreciated!

@ lyh,
I found some information to indicate that they live in a leaf litter environment like apitos.
The "problem" is that they also speculate that some species do that to aviod predators in the day.
And when night comes, they migrate deeper to sand bottom environment. 
How to replicate that in an aquarium?!?  :Knockout: 
I don't think these guys are that complicated.
At this point getting them to eat is the first priority.

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## lyh

Hi bro, from what I observed, I guess your findings are somewhat correct. I've noticed that these fellows tend to stay by the side of the tank when they are scared, like during the day when they can see movements in the house, at night when lights are on and also when they see me observing them. I believe that they do look for food from the ground at night, otherwise their tummy would be very sunken by now since it is already slightly more than a week after I have gotten them. However, if they are suppose to be staying in a leaf litter environment, shouldn't we reduce the waterflow in the tank?  :Confused:

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## SCOPE

i brought 6pcs....within a week...all died on sunken stomah..
I was wrong as to put them into algae growing tank...maybe like what celticfish says...they find food in sand....

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## celticfish

lyh,
That is exactely the problem!
The two environments are so contrary it would be difficult to replicate both.
As you surmised, the tummies look okay then they should be eating.
I don't think mine were as they look sunken.
And after 50&#37; loss better try something more drastic.
btw I have lost the link, PM me your email and I can forward the file to you.

@ Quixotic,
I have already placed cut ketapang leaves in the tank.
So far they just leave them alone.
At least the lone Oto appreciates it... its munching away at it!  :Laughing:

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## Quixotic

Okay, hmm... if that is the case, then I am not convinced by the leaf litter being a means of avoiding predators... yet. Where is the information from?

The etymology of the scientific name is interesting. _Acestridium_ is derived from latinised Greek 'agkistron' meaning hook, and _dichromum_ is made up of two Greek words, 'di' meaning two and 'chromum' meaning colour. So the name is probably referring to the ability of the fish to camouflage by changing colour to green/brown (vice versa).

This paper on L200 also briefly mentioned _A. dichromum,_ comparing the green colour with L200.




> _A. dichromum_ is capable of changing its base color to better match its surroundings with the green color present when the fish rest on plants, presumably for camouflage (Retzer et al. 1999).


For those interested, the scientific paper can be found here.
Werneke, David C.; Sabaj, Mark H.; Lujan, Nathan K.; Armbruster, Jonathan W. (2005). "Baryancistrus demantoides and Hemiancistrus subviridis, two new uniquely colored species of catfishes from Venezuela (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)" (PDF). Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (4): 533-542. Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia.

The changing of colour is already a camouflage for avoiding predators. So I need some convincing that the leaf litter is for the purpose, other than that leaf litter is just part of the biotope, no more no less.

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## Quixotic

Anyone has the book, Baensch Catfish Atlas, Volume 1 by Hans-Georg Evers and Ingo Seidel? There is mention of this fish in there, on page 296 (according to Google Books, but no free preview of the book).

This is the only information I can obtain after some "engineering" work on Google Books.



> Newly-captured specimens of _Acestridium dichromum_ are quince-green and just as small and delicate as the other congeners. The Cano El Toro is a typical clear-water river with a low conductivity and undetectable hardness. The pH of such waters is around 5 and the water temperature is usually quite high at approximately 30°C. According to RETZER, Nico & PROVENZANO (1999). it ...


Hmm.. low pH and high temperature.

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## celticfish

Well, I'm down to two now... 
I suppose I can move them into my L046 tank.
Seems to have the parameters just right for them.
Let's see what happens.
Thanks Quixotic!  :Smile:

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## Quixotic

Anyone here can read Japanese? This translation is crappy, but here is what I can make out (barely) from this site, http://ybkj.exblog.jp/5445879/ (Google translated page)

Parameters are close to what is mentioned in the Baensch Catfish Atlas, so are some other information, so this site looks reliable.

pH is 4.5 to 5.5 
Water temperature: 25.0 to 29.0 C

It is mentioned the fish can be collected from most of Venezuela, Orinoco tributary of the Rio Meta near the entrance to the Rio Casiquiare, Rio Negro tributaries, Rio Amazonas and Rio Atabapo and Rio Sipapo.

They also mentioned that they are fed and eat brine shrimp(?) but no other food. Are they eating anything in your tanks?


Aside from the Japanese site, differences between _A. dichromum_ and others are mentioned in these two available online papers below if anyone is interested.

RODRIGUEZ, M&#243;nica S. and REIS, Roberto E. A new species of Acestridium Haseman, 1911 (Loricariidae: Hypoptopomatinae) from the Eastern Amazon basin, Brazil. Neotrop. ichthyol. 2007, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 429-434. (Description of _A. triplax_, the Sexual dimorphism part may be of interest, perhaps applicable to _A. dichromum_ as well?)

Michael E. Retzer (2005). Description of a new species of Acestridium (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Colombia. Zootaxa 972: 1 - 6 (2005) (Description of _A. colombiensis_)

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## akoh

From what I know, they'll do well in colder water around 25 to 27 dergee C. 

Mine was doing ok until one fella kenna stuck in the IOS inlet !.

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## lyh

> From what I know, they'll do well in colder water around 25 to 27 dergee C. 
> 
> Mine was doing ok until one fella kenna stuck in the IOS inlet !.


Bro what do you feed them with?

I found one more dead yesterday night. This always happen when I stay over at my gf place for a night  :Crying:

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## celticfish

Quixotic,
Man, you can search for Japanese too!  :Well done: 

hmm... I did try the BBS.
They didn't really take to it.
But I will try again.

So far I feed mine with crushed spirulina and algae wafer tabs.
I might release them into the main tank again to see what happens.
Hopefully they start foraging.  :Opps:

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## celticfish

Well, I'm down the the last one.
I tried some crush carnivore tab.
Hope it survives...  :Sad:

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## Ah_ZhaN

celticfish, you are left with a sole survivor?

How about trying some tubifex worms? It works wonder generally for any picky/choosy fish.

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## RHX

Have you guys tried cucumbers? I once have a L236 with sunken stomach which refuses to eat anything. Till one day I decided to try cucumber, & it started eating. When it starts eating & gets back to health, it will slowly accept dry foods. Maybe it'll work on your fish. For what i know these catfishes can't resist those cumcumbers.

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## celticfish

@ Ah ZhaN,
These guys are a little small so I didn't dare feed tubifex.

@ RHX,
Cucumbers? Hmm... might try that.

So far he looks okay.
But its tummy seems to get filled and go sunken... not a very bright future...  :Exasperated:

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## Ah_ZhaN

Hi celticfish,

Don't worry, even one of the smallest fish I've kept,  Indostomus paradoxus, is capable of swallowing tubifex worms. 

I'm not too sure about cucumber, most of my vegetarian aquatic faunas don't really fall for cucumber at all. You can try zuchinni instead, which has softer flesh and easier for fish to consume. 

All the best,
zhan

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