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Thread: Pleco breeding project

  1. #1
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Pleco breeding project

    Since I now have a few fry off the Loricaria, I consider myself an expert pleco breeder. Not really, but there’s a german saying which translates to “luck is with the dumb”, so I decided to make it a bit of a side earner. Hopefully.

    I already have a breeding group of 9 L333 and one of 6 L263. They’re currently in with the discus, but will soon get their own tanks.

    I don’t have space in the house, so I will do this project at work. Stole a room today, which already has Dexion shelving in. I will reinforce the shelves a little bit and install the breeding tanks there and some on their cabinets.. They will be between 125 and 240 liters, 10 or 11 tanks as it stands now.

    I have a group of 10 L046 coming with the discus shipment to add to my 2 recently acquired ones, as well as 9 L305, 10 L066 and 10 L134. So far. I’m trying to get my hands on some more L239, of which I have 3 right now.

    I’m quite tempted to try the L128 in one of the bigger tanks, I currently have 4 of them, but no clue on the sex.

    My friend who is shipping the fish is checking what else he can get. I’ve learned today that apparently the demand for L236 is quite high here, so might pick up a breeding group of those, as well as some more L270, of which I have 2 right now.
    Basically any pretty, smallish Hypancistrus, Panaquolus etc.

    This will be fun.. stay tuned
    Regards,
    Tobi

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  2. #2
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Regards,
    Tobi

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  3. #3
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Well here comes another fish you will get me hooked on! Ha ha
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  4. #4
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Sounds like you have nice breeding project going there Tobi Looking forward to seeing how all this works out.
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


  5. #5
    Gold Member FischAutoTechGarten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Awesome, That sounds like allot of fun.
    Never mind my original question.... I looked at stripe orientation... I understand the difference between L046 and L236 now.. LOL
    Last edited by FischAutoTechGarten; 04-18-2019 at 04:53 PM.
    Peter
    Cuerpo en Green Valley, Arizona, USA y Corazón en Alamos, Sonora, Mexico

    learning never stops

  6. #6
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Nice project Tobi . It seems like you are all set and done and fully equipped for some serious breeding in your office . Those are some really nice looking fish and I know that they are popular and very pricey too , so your new project may come as rewarding in the end .
    I wonder if they are more delicate in their needs for breeding and raising than just a regular Ancistrus fish , or they just look like they are ?

    And I always wondered why they di not come with some super fancy names like discus does , but are numbered instead , like machines ?

    Regardless of my dillemas I'll be following this project for sure .

  7. #7
    Gold Member FischAutoTechGarten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Quote Originally Posted by Filip View Post
    Nice project Tobi .
    And I always wondered why they di not come with some super fancy names like discus does , but are numbered instead , like machines ?
    I wondered the same and searched a while back and found a satisfactory answer. The same issue is present with armored catfish (e.g. corydoras) and apistogramas.
    Read this article for a brief description of the purpose of L-names.

    https://www.aquariumdomain.com/adSoc...list-part-1-l/
    Peter
    Cuerpo en Green Valley, Arizona, USA y Corazón en Alamos, Sonora, Mexico

    learning never stops

  8. #8
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Quote Originally Posted by Pices View Post
    Well here comes another fish you will get me hooked on! Ha ha
    Patty
    I sure hope so, Patty. They are beautiful

    Quote Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat View Post
    Sounds like you have nice breeding project going there Tobi Looking forward to seeing how all this works out.
    Pat
    Thanks Pat, me, too. Going to get the tanks etc this week

    Quote Originally Posted by ODwyerPW View Post
    Awesome, That sounds like allot of fun.
    Never mind my original question.... I looked at stripe orientation... I understand the difference between L046 and L236 now.. LOL
    Yeah, the hype around these 2 species is unreal. But I got a good deal on the zebras and the market is there. Not holding my breath on the 236, they are asking crazy prices even for the “basics”.

    Quote Originally Posted by Filip View Post
    Nice project Tobi . It seems like you are all set and done and fully equipped for some serious breeding in your office . Those are some really nice looking fish and I know that they are popular and very pricey too , so your new project may come as rewarding in the end .
    I wonder if they are more delicate in their needs for breeding and raising than just a regular Ancistrus fish , or they just look like they are ?

    And I always wondered why they di not come with some super fancy names like discus does , but are numbered instead , like machines ?

    Regardless of my dillemas I'll be following this project for sure .
    Filip, So far I have been lucky with my plecos in terms of ease of keeping and mortality. As long as the water is on point they should be alright. Breeding and rearing I don’t know tbh, will have to wait and find out. I’ve got tumblers and rearing boxes on order, but the first batches, if there ever are any, will probably stay with the parents, just to see how it pans out.

    As for the names, the numbers make identification easier I guess, but some of them do have fancy names, king tiger, leopard frog and whatnot. But the main difference to discus names is that the discus strains are man made and anyone can name anything as they wish. Some of the names really make me chuckle...

    Quote Originally Posted by ODwyerPW View Post
    I wondered the same and searched a while back and found a satisfactory answer. The same issue is present with armored catfish (e.g. corydoras) and apistogramas.
    Read this article for a brief description of the purpose of L-names.

    https://www.aquariumdomain.com/adSoc...list-part-1-l/
    Cool link, thanks Peter
    Regards,
    Tobi

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    Wild Heckels
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  9. #9
    Gold Member FischAutoTechGarten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Quote Originally Posted by Swedgin View Post
    But the main difference to discus names is that the discus strains are man made and anyone can name anything as they wish. Some of the names really make me chuckle...
    My favorite ambiguous name was Cary Strong's "Dreamcicle". I think they were just an F1 cross of something orangy/yellowy and something albino/white? I always imagined it was supposed to have coloration like a cream cicle, but I never saw any photos of them as adults, so I don't know what they looked like really. My personal favorite, and you can search on the entire term here in Simply and it will come up, is "German Red Candy Apple Scribble". However, I will admit that you get a sense for what you will be getting just by the name, rather unambiguous actually.

    Quote Originally Posted by Swedgin View Post
    Yeah, the hype around these 2 species is unreal. But I got a good deal on the zebras and the market is there. Not holding my breath on the 236, they are asking crazy prices even for the “basics”.
    Was speaking to the owner of Arizona Nature Aquatics (a very nice upscale independent fresh water fish only LFS in Tucson AZ). He enjoys purchasing some stock from a few accomplished hobbyist. He mentioned Pleco breeders are tough... They will hold immense inventories to keep the prices up.

    I remember getting two L046, the true blue eyed Zebra Pleco, about 15 years ago for about $75 a piece. I'm told that is a bargain by today's standards, despite the relative success in captive breeding now.

    Back to your breeding. Have you found any Gold Spotted (L001) like alternatives that don't grow quite so large (< 4" SL) and aren't so aggressive towards each other?
    Last edited by FischAutoTechGarten; 04-20-2019 at 03:25 PM.
    Peter
    Cuerpo en Green Valley, Arizona, USA y Corazón en Alamos, Sonora, Mexico

    learning never stops

  10. #10
    Homesteader Adam S's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Your collection is off to a great start, Tobi! Looking forward to seeing what else you snag and setup.

    Quote Originally Posted by ODwyerPW View Post
    Have you found any Gold Spotted (L001) like alternatives that don't grow quite so large (< 4" SL) and aren't so aggressive towards each other?
    Check out Ancistrus sp. 'Rio Paraguay' and 'L393.' Paraguay gets a bit larger, but both species are under 5".

    https://www.planetcatfish.com/common...species_id=600
    https://www.planetcatfish.com/common...pecies_id=1452

  11. #11
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Quote Originally Posted by ODwyerPW View Post
    My favorite ambiguous name was Cary Strong's "Dreamcicle". I think they were just an F1 cross of something orangy/yellowy and something albino/white? I always imagined it was supposed to have coloration like a cream cicle, but I never saw any photos of them as adults, so I don't know what they looked like really. My personal favorite, and you can search on the entire term here in Simply and it will come up, is "German Red Candy Apple Scribble". However, I will admit that you get a sense for what you will be getting just by the name, rather unambiguous actually.



    Was speaking to the owner of Arizona Nature Aquatics (a very nice upscale independent fresh water fish only LFS in Tucson AZ). He enjoys purchasing some stock from a few accomplished hobbyist. He mentioned Pleco breeders are tough... They will hold immense inventories to keep the prices up.

    I remember getting two L046, the true blue eyed Zebra Pleco, about 15 years ago for about $75 a piece. I'm told that is a bargain by today's standards, despite the relative success in captive breeding now.

    Back to your breeding. Have you found any Gold Spotted (L001) like alternatives that don't grow quite so large (< 4" SL) and aren't so aggressive towards each other?
    Yes the prices are nuts, but that’s part of the appeal for me to breed them. You simply can’t get them here unless you get really lucky. A lot of people want them, but if ever one ends up in a shop here , they go for 300-400$. But I agree, even in the US and Europe they are incredibly overpriced given their availability these days. I got a good deal on a group of ten wild caught, so worst case if the breeding doesn’t pan out I can still sell them without losing any money on them. Same goes for the other species, which is in part why I picked them. But I have to admit, they are really cool in person, never cared for them much when I saw pictures only.

    As far as I know L001 and others from the same genus dig their breeding holes, not sure about the gold spotted, never heard of them tbh.

    Quote Originally Posted by Adam S View Post
    Your collection is off to a great start, Tobi! Looking forward to seeing what else you snag and setup.



    Check out Ancistrus sp. 'Rio Paraguay' and 'L393.' Paraguay gets a bit larger, but both species are under 5".

    https://www.planetcatfish.com/common...species_id=600
    https://www.planetcatfish.com/common...pecies_id=1452
    Thanks Adam. I might have to pick your brain every once in a while or look at some of your threads for guidance. There is only room for one or 2 more species. Thanks for the links. Haven’t seen these on the exporter’s list. I might go for something more obvious in terms of public appeal, probably H. contradens, L201 or something in that ilk.
    Regards,
    Tobi

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  12. #12
    Gold Member FischAutoTechGarten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Quote Originally Posted by Adam S View Post
    Wow, Thanks Adam. 3.9" SL is a good size. Might take a while to get to that size in a 20L
    Peter
    Cuerpo en Green Valley, Arizona, USA y Corazón en Alamos, Sonora, Mexico

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  13. #13
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Most likely will go for L106. No breeding record as of yet, worth a shot. They’re stunning in my opinion

    AB056A34-50E9-4EC1-9482-0FC308E6822E.jpeg
    Regards,
    Tobi

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  14. #14
    Homesteader Adam S's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Happy to yap about catfish anytime. L106 are very pretty when young but get duller with age (like most plecos, even L46).

    There's a good picture of an older L106 here about 2/3 down: http://www.l-welse.com/reviewpost/sh...hp/product/118

  15. #15
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pleco breeding project

    Quote Originally Posted by Adam S View Post
    Happy to yap about catfish anytime. L106 are very pretty when young but get duller with age (like most plecos, even L46).

    There's a good picture of an older L106 here about 2/3 down: http://www.l-welse.com/reviewpost/sh...hp/product/118
    Still beautiful. The orange seam is what sells me on these
    Regards,
    Tobi

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