Volitan and frondosa

[seahorsedreams]

I found an awesome purple frondosa locally. Can they be paired with an adult volitan. I've been trying to measure "yawns" but I don't want to take any chances. Our lion is a little on the small size. His body is about the size of a nerf ball but he's 4 years old now.

We might just put him in a tank in the living room where we could see him more often. But there would have to be some moving for that to happen.....

 

[seahorsedreams]

Oh, the frondosa is full grown as well... like 9". But I suck at guesstimating size.

 

[seahorsedreams]

Don't make me find out the hard way!!

 

[FMarini]

Yes-- they can co-exist.
just remember that you'll most likely have to feed "live" food to the Rhinopia, esp considering your P Volitans is most likely eating frozen.
BTW -- do i read this correctly you have a 24gal tank w/ this P Volitans in it? YIKES

 

[myerst2]

Yes they will be fine together. I have kept the, together. Rhinopias do not even get close to 9" though. T

 

[seahorsedreams]

I said I was bad ay guesstimating size....LOL

I guess I need to update my profile. The volitan was in a 24 when he was young. He's in a 75 now.

 

[seahorsedreams]

I decided to keep him alone for now.

What other fish do y'all have experience keeping with them?

Does a P. imperator pick?

 

[LisaD]

Hi Renee,

Are you asking about tankmates for the volitan or for the frondosa? I have never kept a frondosa, but they seem like a bigger version of a leaf fish, in some ways. Keep tankmates on the slow side, not to competitive for food, or aggressive. FWIW, I tried keeping a dwarf lion with my pair of leaf fish, and it outcompeted them for (live) food, so that didn't work out very well.

Lions do well with eels, and fish that won't chew on them or be food. Really fast/aggressive fish can sometimes be poor tankmates with lions.

I'm traveling on business, I'll try to pop back here (and on the ORG ) when I can.

 

[seahorsedreams]

 

[LisaD]

really nice! is he eating for you?

 

[FMarini]

looks like R aphanes to me

 

[seahorsedreams]

Ya, he's eating.

What about him makes you think of a Lacey verses a weedy?

 

[seahorsedreams]

 

[seahorsedreams]

Are those pics too big? Is anyone having to side scroll to see it? I have a widescreen so it's sometimes hard to determine and I'm not use to posting pics over here.

 

[seahorsedreams]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13879978#post13879978 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FMarini
looks like R aphanes to me

Just in case that question got lost in the pics... why do you think he is a Lacey over a frondosa? Doesn't his snout look too short to be a lacey? And I thought the tentacles over the eyes didn't look "bush" enough. Please share what characteristics you are seeing that makes you think otherwise. I would love to hear them.

 

[myerst2]

Many consider aphanes, frondosa, eshermyi are the same fish. IMO I think aphanes and frondosa are the same fish and eshmeryi different. As fas as fish that I sucessfully kept with the Rhinopias, they all got along, (Tangs, Angels, Butterflys) The angel or the butterfly would go for a taste and the Rhino would lunge at the fish and the angel learned not to mess with the Rhino. Also found a great way to feed the Rhino. If your interested let me know. T

 

[myerst2]

By the way I think you have an aphanes if there is a difference. aphanes are generally "rarer" and more expensive. Also I would try and keep the fish with some purle macros or the fish will lose that brilliant color. Beautiful fish. Good luck with him. T

 

[seahorsedreams]

But what makes you think it is a aphanes? What characteristics? I'm not being resistent, it doesn't matter either way. I just wanna know what I have

How many of the regular size silversides should he eat how often? My other guys feed on Mon, Wed, and Fri. I say regular size because I saw these mammoth sized ones at the LFS the other day.

He's going to be easy to keep purple because he is in a tank loaded with corraline the same colour as he is.

 

[myerst2]

Like I said I think aphanes and frondosa are the same fish. I think the more pronounced "lacey weedy" skin appendages on aphanes are from the environment they are trying to mimic. Frondosa's don't have as much of these exagerated lacey look. Here is a a close up of my old guy which many people would call a frondosa. Also a couple of other Rhino shots. T

Here is a sequence of him eating. By the way. I would highly recommend only feeding your Rhino about twice a week to satiated. Most people over feed this fish. This type of fish uses very little energy and in the wild on;y eats when the rare opportunity presents itself.

Though I never saw this Rhino in person. This one is amazing!!!!

 

[FMarini]

Actually most think that Frondosa and eschermyersi are the same fish, that the camouflage pressure for the frills and appendages are lost when the selection pressure is lost. A number of hobbyist have reported their wildly colored Frondosa end up looking dull in a few month.
Anyway what makes it a aphanes instead of a frondosa, besides the oscellation, primarily the bushy appendages. Many of the Frondosa that I've seen possess appendages that appear more have flattened & fleshy looking, whereas R aphanes has more stick like(thin and pointy) appendages. looks more like crinoid arms.
AS you know Frondosa are algae mimics whereas aphanes are crinoid mimics.
I do hope your fish maintains that coloration- its spectacular

But how knows really, I've only seen 2 truely ID'd Aphanes and lots of Frondosa, and your correct, there are very small differences.