L134 pleco - would you have bought them??

[modealings]

Hi all -

The owner of a local fish store around me specializes in plecos. I stopped by today and he had a couple of wild caught L134 Leopard Frog plecos. They looked awesome but were $100 each. Pricey for domestic fish but they did say these were wild caught.

Would you have bitten???

I dont know much about plecos - are there a certain variety that folks are always looking out for? He does have zebras, golden nuggets, and many more. I dont know if I'll jump on them but its always fun to know which ones are rare when browsing around.

He also had a few different wild caught corys which were very cool.

(Wish I had taken some pics).

[brewmaster15]

If I had the money I would have. I have 10 growing but wouldnt mind more.

They are getting more rare and hard to find.

al

[Adam S]

Depends on what you want. If owning wild fish is important to you, it may be worth the cost. Wilds can definitely be had cheaper online, but local is good (usually). If you don't mind tank-raised fish, they can be had much cheaper.

If you're looking to own a group with the intention of spawning them, I'd recommend a different fish (L333 is a good choice). Both are genera are hardy and easy to keep, but Peckoltia are more finicky to spawn than Hypancistrus.

If I had the money I would have. I have 10 growing but wouldnt mind more.

They are getting more rare and hard to find.

al

How are they coming along?

[modealings]

If I had the money I would have. I have 10 growing but wouldnt mind more.

They are getting more rare and hard to find.

al

A big group like that seems really cool. Have they spawned at all?

[modealings]

Depends on what you want. If owning wild fish is important to you, it may be worth the cost. Wilds can definitely be had cheaper online, but local is good (usually). If you don't mind tank-raised fish, they can be had much cheaper.

If you're looking to own a group with the intention of spawning them, I'd recommend a different fish (L333 is a good choice). Both are genera are hardy and easy to keep, but Peckoltia are more finicky to spawn than Hypancistrus.


How are they coming along?

Thanks Adam. He did have a few L333s I believe. I’ll probably keep checking in as it seems he has different variety every few weeks. Hard to decide on just one.

[brewmaster15]

My group is still growing and really I don't see them much in their tank...I set it up with lots of Hiding spaces.. They are currently sharing the tank with a " herd "of Neon Green Endlers I got from Adam awhile back. I got tired seeing nothing in the water column and the Endlers fit the bill nicely.

al

[Adam S]

a " herd "of Neon Green Endlers

Uh oh. Is that a nice way to say "infestation?"

I'm surprised the L134 don't come out much. They are fairly bold fish, almost as much as Ancistrus.

[brewmaster15]

Oh they come out... at feeding time or when the lights are off...otherwise the just peak out .Im sure if I removed some of the forest of driftwood Id see them more.


On the neon greens.. Not infestation just prolific as you'd expect With nothing to eat them. I like them alot..which is good because I have alot of them!

[Altum Nut]

I have a group of W/C L134 that have been with me for the last 5 years and did have eggs a couple of times but they kicked them out of their cave. I did manage to save some the second time and moved them to a tumbler but never hatched.
Then I have friends that breed them on a regular basis...go figure
If I had to get more I would shoot for F1's where the going price are running around $45 ea. where I am for 2+ inches.
The L333 Porto De Moz as suggested by Adam are a great choice as well.
Now with all this talk about Plecos I'm getting the itch again to try and encourage spawning my group.

...Ralph

[Adam S]

Good luck, Ralph! Their spawning behavior can definitely be erratic. I think it's due to their natural habitat: still water with high oxygen, slightly acidic/neutral pH, and no/very low conductivity. Not the easiest conditions to replicate in an aquarium, though some groups spawn regularly without them.