I Hate You All!

[pica_nuttalli]

*edit: Sorry for using a trollish heading. I waited 10 days and two pages without response, but I'd like to get this decision made before Christmas!*

So I got some great news last week: my test kit is not wonky and I *do* in fact have fairly soft water. Yay! (Meaning I was sold pH-7 Prime for no good reason! Boo!)

Anyways, the reason that this is great news is that I think I've decided to create a Rio Tapajos "biotope" tank with my Geophagus sp. and a group of fancy plecs. Which is where you guys come into play!

Can I get some advice about a plec that:

• is found in the Rio Tapajos
• is fairly hardy
• is small enough that a breeding group (~6) could be happily kept in a 36"x18" footprint
• has stripes
• is uncommon but not so rare that I can only afford it at quarter-sized

Right now, I'm considering the L260 (Queen Arabesque) or L134 (Something-Leopard-Something Pleco). I've halfway looked into some other plecs, but these seem the most likely candidates. Does anyone have advice or suggestions that they could give me?

(As far as the decor goes, right now I have a couple fair-sized lumps of mopani and several medium-sized chunks of general driftwood. I've only got java ferns planted at the moment, but that should change once I get another bag of flourite added whereupon I will be adding some crypt's. I also have many rocks of varying size. The tank is currently double-filtered and there's a ton of tannins in the water.)

 

[pica_nuttalli]

bump

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Hi pica_nuttalli

I have both the plecs you're looking at.

The L260 - Queen Arabesques reside in our 4 foot tank in the lounge. We were fortunate enough to obtain a male and female, from different LFS's. Our male is a wild caught specimen while our female was tank bred. They don't seem to need too much. We have slate caves which they spend most of their time in. They'll also hang out on the wood in the tank. Apparently not algae eaters, but I swear I've seen the female munch on a bit occassionally. She also eats veggies which the male doesn't. I occasionally put blanched cucumber, courgette, sweet potato and potato which she loves to nibble on. They also eat bloodworm, grindal worm, LOVE prawns (from the frozen section at the supermarket). Seem to get on with other tank mates (although I see you want to set up a breeding setup). They don't mind the plants (we have same as what you're putting in as well as others). In fact, they seem happier if they have loads of cover.

As for breeding, we haven't had a spawn yet, although our female is very eggy and the male is fully matured. They're playing hard to get at the moment, and I understand from other breeders that you need to simulate the rainy season.

The L134 - Leopard Frogs are in our 4 foot in our bedroom. I have two of these as well, and both look to be male. They both seem to have "small teeth-like odontodes which adorn the leading pectoral fin rays and the back half of the fishes body" (quoted from PlanetCatfish). They seem shyer than the L260's, but I have had the L260's coming up to 20 months while the L134's I've only had 10 months. I've not witnessed my L134's eating the veggies the L260's like, but they do eat the same meaty products. Both species are also fed Hikari sinking wafers. I have halved terracotta pots in their tank, which they hide in. They also sleep under the logs. Same sort of plants which they don't seem to bother with.

When we bought the L260's, the male was quite small, only a couple of inches. The L134's were also pretty small, but both species seemed to grow well, and only took about a week to get them eating. I did have to put the food basically under their noses to get them eating, but they all did eat. I also only fed them at night, moments before switching the lights off and then removing the remaining food (the meat and veggies) in the morning.

The L260's are the smaller of the two, although my male L260 is a big boy.

Can't think of anything else at the moment. Hope I answered some of your questions. I only have experience of owning them, unfortunately not breeding. Both are amazing plecs and which ever you choose (if you pick one of the two) you will not be dissapointed. I did pay more for the L260's, even though I went to two different LFS's. I got the L134's from the same shop, as I couldn't find them elsewhere.

Carmen

 

[Darkstar]

Here's a list of plecs from the Rio Tapajós

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/searc...&order=hits