Borneo redfin silver shark

[esoxlucius]

I went to my LFS today. I spotted a beautiful fish which I've never heard of before, they were labelled as "Borneo redfin silver sharks".

I researched them when I got home and their proper name is "Cyclocheilichthys Janthochir". Stunning fish, very much like a Bala shark, in fact they are also referred to as redfin Bala sharks!

They max out at about 8", are peaceful, and best kept in groups, which at £20 each, is going to get pretty expensive!

I'm not really in a position to take on more stock at the moment but if I was I'd get a group in a heartbeat, they're beautiful.

Anybody heard of these, or even has them?

 

[Caveden]

If I’m not wrong I’ve seen them quite a few times at LFS around my country for maybe $3? Behave just like rainbow sharks if I’m not wrong

 

[Deadeye]

I went to my LFS today. I spotted a beautiful fish which I've never heard of before, they were labelled as "Borneo redfin silver sharks".

I researched them when I got home and their proper name is "Cyclocheilichthys Janthochir". Stunning fish, very much like a Bala shark, in fact they are also referred to as redfin Bala sharks!

They max out at about 8", are peaceful, and best kept in groups, which at £20 each, is going to get pretty expensive!

I'm not really in a position to take on more stock at the moment but if I was I'd get a group in a heartbeat, they're beautiful.

Anybody heard of these, or even has them?

View attachment 1472777

It’s beautiful!
I can’t remember if I’ve heard of this before, I’m guessing I haven’t.
I hope this does become more popular, as it would be a great alternative to the bala shark for smaller tanks.

 

[jjohnwm]

That is a good-looking fish! And if that 8" max size is accurate, they would be much more suitable for many mediun/large tanks than Balas or Tinfoils. Judging from its build, it looks like a fast swimmer...might make a great dither for large tankmates.

But, come on now, esox...your behaviour regarding this discovery is in stark contrast to accepted MFK norms. You found these cool new fish...but due to having nowhere to put them you simply walked away without buying? Then you compounded this sin by hitting a few buttons on your computer and actually finding out some facts for yourself?

Just who exactly do you think you are? Do I need to spell this out for you???

The standard modus operandi here is to stumble upon something new, and instantly reach for your wallet while wearing a goofy grin. Buy the fish, take them home and then stand in front of your aquaria wondering where to put them. Grab your phone...being very careful not to accidentally do any searches for info...and snap a couple pics of the fish still in the bag.

At that point you have two choices. You could go the "coy" route and post one of those irritating "guess what I just got!" threads; this would have worked in this case because you already knew the name of the fish.

Or...you could have demonstrated true mastery of the classic MFK technique. Start a thread asking "What is this fish? I just bought 6 of them! What do they eat? How big do they get? What conditions do they need? HELP!!!!"

This isn't as tricky as it sounds. It must really be easy...it happens so often that I think there must be a template or a sticky or something detailing the whole procedure...

 

[esoxlucius]

Lol. I'm hoping that some of the old Esox wisdom rubs off on anybody who tunes in to this thread, on the correct way of going about the potential purchase of a fish.

Spot stunning fish, buy fish, take fish home and then research and try and shoehorn said fish into your tank, all within the space of an hour, is all too common, usually ending badly.

Spot stunning fish, breathe slowly and deeply, research on your phone whilst in the shop, or later when you get home, and then decide if it will fit into your system is a much more sensible approach.

Am tryin' to ejucate the young uns innit? Lol.

 

[james99]

I've seen these for sale somewhere recently, can't remember where. Very cool looking and a great option for someone like myself who wants Bala sharks, but doesn't have a tank big enough.

 

[celebrist]

Standard prescription for this condition is...

Time for another tank !

 

[duanes]

These fish come from black waters the soft, acidic, and tannin stained streams of Borneo.
I have not kept them, but kept some of the wild type Bettas of Borneo, and planned the Cyclocheilichthys janthochir would a fascinating addition for a Borneo/biotope aquarium I was starting at the time, with endemic Crytocorne plants.

Their normal pH range is 3 to 6 , but as to whether it is required I was not able to determine, the Bettas of the same area, were very adaptable, I used a lot of leaf litter to keep tannins levels present.
Two of the Borneo mouth breeding Betta species below
B albimarginatta.


and below B edithae

 

[SixThreeOh]

I've seen these for sale somewhere recently, can't remember where. Very cool looking and a great option for someone like myself who wants Bala sharks, but doesn't have a tank big enough.

Dan's Fish has them in stock. That's where first saw them a few months ago. Nice looking fish.

 

[SourAngelfish]

A great looking fish, was ultimately turned against getting a group due to cost/relatively small adult size