Malta Aquarist Society

Thanks Jason, i have just one tank with oddballs, which since Nigel has done the oddballs speach at our club i've had some interest on them and i gave them a try which is nice to have some unusual fish too and they have a lot of character, it's difficult to take a decent photo of the clown knifefish because most of the time it's under that piece of wood as you can see in the photo. I really enjoy the knifefish especially at feeding times.

Well friends, these are my first oddballs, a senegal bichir (Polypterus senegalus) 20cm and a rainbow snakehead ( Channa bleheri)12cm. All I can say is that they eat like pigs especially meaty foods, they're peaceful to each other, very courius and like to obsreve whats going around them. they seem to be very hardy and both have similar behavior and requirements, like both use their pectorals to move on land, breath air like labyrinth fish, similar looks and remained as God created them since the  Paleozoic Era!

 Nice specimens Bert, hope you have big tanks for these!

Well done Bert very nice specimens and very nice photos keep it up.You seems to have a very good start on oddballs. Good luck.

My clown knifefish. Sorry not clear photos it's from my mobile just need a new camera.

 Good to see that these oddballs are getting more and more popular amongst us fishkeepers. I am not a great fan and I am not sure if the specimens I have can be classified as being " oddballs ". These are : Blind Cave Tetras ( Astyanax Fasciatus Mexicanus ), Electric catfish ( Malapterurus Electricus ), and the African Butterfly fish ( Pantodon Buchholzi ).

martin

Nice specimens Martin i like your electricus altough when i was about buying one of them it gave me an electric shock when i handled the fish from the net and i decided to leave it there because of my son which is eight years old and is a bit dangerous.I think it's an interesting fish. Anyway when it grows you might use it to power supply your fishroom he he he he.

What a nice electric catfish has it grown, martin. Remember when we saw the first time at the lfs, how small it was! now its already about 10cm, hope to get it bigger so you'll bring it to the show!! it will be quite a good attraction! 

besides why didn't you uploaded the pictures a bit bigger, lets say with a medium resolution, they were taken quite well my friend.

 Thanks friends. I did not do the pictures bigger so not to take space Bert. Yes Ivan, when fully grown, about 60cm the catfish can give up to a max of 350v ...... so I can heat my fish room with it...... that is a good investment ehhhhhh ?????  ha ha ha ha ......

martin

Yes it is a very interesting species, As you now i was ready to buy one but i stepped back because i have a small child, We were joking above about to heat the fishroom but Martin make sure that you do all the safety precautions especially when it grows because 350 volts are not a joke.

 Are the blind cave tetras considered as " oddballs " by any chance ??

martin

Oddballs are fish that has different shape from the normal so in my opinion they are oddballs because of their eyes.

 I like the blind cave tertas as they are very agile and always on the move. They eat like crazy and continue to eat until their bellies starts to expends in a way you think it is going to explode !!!!!

martin