In Praise of Trichogaster leeri and Puntius pentazona - APE - Aquatic Plant Enthusiasts

ukamikazu · 11-07-2009, 05:16 PM

The planted aquarium can greatly benefit from foragers and algae eaters. Otocinclus, the Siamese Algae Eater and Amano Shrimp are excellent examples that every planted aquarium should have. But there are others that have been over looked and I would like to introduce two of those to you today.

First, some background. I have recently retired my beloved 20 gallon tall from its role as test bed, plant propagator and breeder to that of a display tank. I decided to do a cross section of Thailand. Thailand has been a recent fascination for me so I have dubbed it “Kingdom of Siam."
Thailand is ecologically very rich and diverse. The aquatic plant and fish species from there are readily available everywhere, well documented, completely described and fully understood so a great deal has been demystified for us already.
Of these animals I have become quite enamored of the Pearl Gourami and the Five Banded Barb, Trichogaster leeri and Puntius pentazona, respectively. They are a great way to supplement and provide auxiliary support to your current clean up and algae control crew. In fact, I now rank them up there with the previously mentioned trifecta and here is why.

First, I would like to start with the Pearl Gourami. This is a very peaceful omnivore and a gorgeous animal. What makes them such an excellent addition to the planted tank is the fact that they very actively forage and graze from every surface. The glass, the rims and especially the plants. Even more so, they nibble algae as well. This habit of theirs makes them an especially good custodian of finely leaved plants like Rotala wallichii and Cabomba which are notorious for getting stuff caught in them.
Also, they are great at pest control because they go after very small snails, snail eggs, Planaria, which they seem to be much better at spotting and consuming than other fish and Hydras. Not too many fish will go after the stinging little hydras, but Pearl Gouramis will consume them with much gusto.
This is also a most handsome fish with a maximum length of six inches and the beautiful, lacy pattern with its complex colors really make it stand out. The fish does quite well either singly, in trios ( a male and two females) or in a sizable school if you have the room. A pair will do fine in a 15 gallon tank, a trio much better in a 40 gallon.
Being Anabantoids, they possess the famous labyrinth organ allowing them to breathe air, so high CO2 concentrations are less of a concern and they do prefer slower currents. These are not shy creatures but they are quite mild mannered.

A male in action.

A comely female.

An impressive shoal.

Five Banded Barbs are great for exactly the same reasons as the Pearl Gourami; Peaceful, fastidiously foraging, omnivorous and very pretty indeed.
These fish are very active swimmers and quite curious about their surroundings. They aren't too boisterous, but they don't offend other slower moving fish, like the more settled, measured and stately Pearl Gouramis and make an excellent match for the Siamese Algae Eater or the more active Loach species like the Skunk Botia.
They are quite charismatic little fish and their antics remind one of monkeys playing in the jungle. Unlike Tiger Barbs, they remain small and are not nippy in the least bit, almost the polar opposite of them really. What really does it for me, are their complex shadings of cream, glittering bronze and various reds and those striking five black vertical bands which have an emerald green reflection whenever they hit the light just right.
Since these are schooling fish, they need to be in a group of at least six so they can feel safe, behave naturally and diffuse aggression towards each other, which is typical of any social animal. The more the merrier, of course.
Now, these barbs do not have auxiliary breathing organs like Anabantoids, Corydoras or Otocinclus, so watch your drop checker and monitor there behavior closely when you first introduce them to your aquarium and make adjustments as needed; However, being small they can probably handle somewhat richer concentrations of CO2.

A fine example.

A good size school.

Both of these fish make for excellent clean up teams and extra algae control. They are gorgeous, charming, easily available, extremely hardy, very peaceful and during the course of their business they will not man handle your tender plants the way Mollies, Rosey Barbs and Plecostomus do.
Please consider these two Thai fish as your next purchase or for your next set up or set up a biotope around them. You will be glad you did, I certainly am.

For more information, please click the links above and put Google to work for you. Thank you for reading and your consideration.

Enjoy!

AquaZilla · 11-08-2009, 11:09 AM

Those are some really nice looking fish. I have yet to keep either SP. but in due time it will for sure be on my list. Great post my friend!

chillplants · 11-08-2009, 04:16 PM

I think gouramis are beautiful fish. I have only had experience with dwarf gouramis thus far. The dwarfs seem to eat my plants and were wreaking havoc on my scapes. I have wanted to try other gouramis, but have been apprehensive due to my experience with the dwarfs.

ukamikazu · 11-08-2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AquaZilla

Those are some really nice looking fish. I have yet to keep either SP. but in due time it will for sure be on my list. Great post my friend!

Thank you, thank you very much. I'm glad it got you considering the possibilties.

ukamikazu · 11-08-2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chillplants

I think gouramis are beautiful fish. I have only had experience with dwarf gouramis thus far. The dwarfs seem to eat my plants and were wreaking havoc on my scapes. I have wanted to try other gouramis, but have been apprehensive due to my experience with the dwarfs.

I can confidently say you will have a different experience with the Pearl Gouramis. Just give enough room, watch 'em grow and you will have an experience.

ukamikazu · 12-19-2009, 04:41 PM

What are these poor quality You Tube videos and what do they have to do with this long dead thread, you may ask?

I will tell you.

This is my new 75 gallon Thai biotope. It is still under construction. Just today I was gazing into it when I noticed my Five Banded Barbs were doing something to my Cyperus helferi. I looked closely and noticed for one, there are little tufts of stag horn algae and Cladophora growing in very tiny patches on the uppermost portions of the leaves closest to the light, but more than that, the little barbs are ripping the clumps of algae off and eating them without so much as bruising the leaves

!

I thought it would be a good thing to share this with you all. We can always use more allies in this fight. This has just increased the value of this little fish for me.

I apologize for the truly crappy quality of the video but I didn't want to lose the opportunity so I just pulled out my G1 and recorded for all I was worth so I could show you all and not think me mad for just saying, "Puntius pentazona eats algae OMGBBQWTFLOL!"

I like to think I'm better than that when it comes to reporting new and exciting phenomena...

chillplants · 12-20-2009, 09:28 AM

Where did you find the Puntius pentazona?

ukamikazu · 12-20-2009, 10:11 AM

They are a pretty regular staple at my LFS (AquaTek) in north Austin. I have never really looked online for them.

ukamikazu · 12-20-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chillplants

Where did you find the Puntius pentazona?

Okay, after doing a little searching I found this place on line that seems to have them:
Trilby Tropicals* New Fish

I don't know this retailer and I haven't investigated their reputation. Nice stock list, though...

11-07-2009, 05:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
ukamikazu Moderator Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, Texas, USA Posts: 620	In Praise of Trichogaster leeri and Puntius pentazona The planted aquarium can greatly benefit from foragers and algae eaters. Otocinclus, the Siamese Algae Eater and Amano Shrimp are excellent examples that every planted aquarium should have. But there are others that have been over looked and I would like to introduce two of those to you today. First, some background. I have recently retired my beloved 20 gallon tall from its role as test bed, plant propagator and breeder to that of a display tank. I decided to do a cross section of Thailand. Thailand has been a recent fascination for me so I have dubbed it “Kingdom of Siam." Thailand is ecologically very rich and diverse. The aquatic plant and fish species from there are readily available everywhere, well documented, completely described and fully understood so a great deal has been demystified for us already. Of these animals I have become quite enamored of the Pearl Gourami and the Five Banded Barb, Trichogaster leeri and Puntius pentazona, respectively. They are a great way to supplement and provide auxiliary support to your current clean up and algae control crew. In fact, I now rank them up there with the previously mentioned trifecta and here is why. First, I would like to start with the Pearl Gourami. This is a very peaceful omnivore and a gorgeous animal. What makes them such an excellent addition to the planted tank is the fact that they very actively forage and graze from every surface. The glass, the rims and especially the plants. Even more so, they nibble algae as well. This habit of theirs makes them an especially good custodian of finely leaved plants like Rotala wallichii and Cabomba which are notorious for getting stuff caught in them. Also, they are great at pest control because they go after very small snails, snail eggs, Planaria, which they seem to be much better at spotting and consuming than other fish and Hydras. Not too many fish will go after the stinging little hydras, but Pearl Gouramis will consume them with much gusto. This is also a most handsome fish with a maximum length of six inches and the beautiful, lacy pattern with its complex colors really make it stand out. The fish does quite well either singly, in trios ( a male and two females) or in a sizable school if you have the room. A pair will do fine in a 15 gallon tank, a trio much better in a 40 gallon. Being Anabantoids, they possess the famous labyrinth organ allowing them to breathe air, so high CO2 concentrations are less of a concern and they do prefer slower currents. These are not shy creatures but they are quite mild mannered. A male in action. A comely female. An impressive shoal. Five Banded Barbs are great for exactly the same reasons as the Pearl Gourami; Peaceful, fastidiously foraging, omnivorous and very pretty indeed. These fish are very active swimmers and quite curious about their surroundings. They aren't too boisterous, but they don't offend other slower moving fish, like the more settled, measured and stately Pearl Gouramis and make an excellent match for the Siamese Algae Eater or the more active Loach species like the Skunk Botia. They are quite charismatic little fish and their antics remind one of monkeys playing in the jungle. Unlike Tiger Barbs, they remain small and are not nippy in the least bit, almost the polar opposite of them really. What really does it for me, are their complex shadings of cream, glittering bronze and various reds and those striking five black vertical bands which have an emerald green reflection whenever they hit the light just right. Since these are schooling fish, they need to be in a group of at least six so they can feel safe, behave naturally and diffuse aggression towards each other, which is typical of any social animal. The more the merrier, of course. Now, these barbs do not have auxiliary breathing organs like Anabantoids, Corydoras or Otocinclus, so watch your drop checker and monitor there behavior closely when you first introduce them to your aquarium and make adjustments as needed; However, being small they can probably handle somewhat richer concentrations of CO2. A fine example. A good size school. Both of these fish make for excellent clean up teams and extra algae control. They are gorgeous, charming, easily available, extremely hardy, very peaceful and during the course of their business they will not man handle your tender plants the way Mollies, Rosey Barbs and Plecostomus do. Please consider these two Thai fish as your next purchase or for your next set up or set up a biotope around them. You will be glad you did, I certainly am. For more information, please click the links above and put Google to work for you. Thank you for reading and your consideration. Enjoy! Last edited by ukamikazu; 12-20-2009 at 11:02 AM.

11-08-2009, 11:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
AquaZilla Administrator Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,736	Those are some really nice looking fish. I have yet to keep either SP. but in due time it will for sure be on my list. Great post my friend! __________________ The Planted Aquarium Blog

11-08-2009, 04:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
chillplants Aquatic Plant Enthusiast Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 423	I think gouramis are beautiful fish. I have only had experience with dwarf gouramis thus far. The dwarfs seem to eat my plants and were wreaking havoc on my scapes. I have wanted to try other gouramis, but have been apprehensive due to my experience with the dwarfs. __________________ 125 gal 75 gal eel tank

12-19-2009, 04:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
ukamikazu Moderator Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, Texas, USA Posts: 620	A little thread necromancy for an exciting development! What are these poor quality You Tube videos and what do they have to do with this long dead thread, you may ask? I will tell you. This is my new 75 gallon Thai biotope. It is still under construction. Just today I was gazing into it when I noticed my Five Banded Barbs were doing something to my Cyperus helferi. I looked closely and noticed for one, there are little tufts of stag horn algae and Cladophora growing in very tiny patches on the uppermost portions of the leaves closest to the light, but more than that, the little barbs are ripping the clumps of algae off and eating them without so much as bruising the leaves ! I thought it would be a good thing to share this with you all. We can always use more allies in this fight. This has just increased the value of this little fish for me. I apologize for the truly crappy quality of the video but I didn't want to lose the opportunity so I just pulled out my G1 and recorded for all I was worth so I could show you all and not think me mad for just saying, "Puntius pentazona eats algae OMGBBQWTFLOL!" I like to think I'm better than that when it comes to reporting new and exciting phenomena... Last edited by ukamikazu; 12-20-2009 at 11:03 AM.

12-20-2009, 09:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
chillplants Aquatic Plant Enthusiast Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 423	Where did you find the Puntius pentazona? __________________ 125 gal 75 gal eel tank

12-20-2009, 10:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
ukamikazu Moderator Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, Texas, USA Posts: 620	They are a pretty regular staple at my LFS (AquaTek) in north Austin. I have never really looked online for them.

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