L-Number Cat F

FAQs on Loricariids, South and Central American Suckermouth Cats: L-Numbers

pH acclimatization while moving Plecos 4/6/2009
Hi WWM crew!
<Patrick>
I have a question regarding moving two L134 Plecos from a 10G holding tank with a pH around 6.5 to a 40G breeder with pH of 8.1.
<Mmm, well... first off... I wouldn't do this... this pH is too high for this species. Please read here:
http://plecoking.blogspot.com/2007/04/l134-leopard-frog-pleco-profile.html
and the linked breeding article embedded>
They've been in the 10G for a few weeks as it was the only tank I had that had the same pH as their source water. I am looking for some advice on what would be a safe period of time to bring the pH up to 8.1 while moving these guys. I've heard a lot of differing advice on other forums where people suggest shifting pH over weeks.
<I agree with this>
I find that sort of suggestion somewhat unpractical as the tank they're in settles at pH 6.5 even though my tapwater is around 8.0 (not sure why as it's the only tank that does this)
<Some thing/s in the tank are bolstering... rock, gravel, ornaments...>
so adding water to change the pH probably won't work or the volume of water required will shock the fish.
<Mmmm>
How much time should I take to acclimate these guys?
--
Patrick
<Weeks... if you're intent here... but I would not do this. Instead, read Neale's excellent articles on hardness et al... and mine on pH, Alk.:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm
and the linked files above... And seek the source of your high pH, fix it, and keep this species in a lower range. Bob Fenner>

Searching for a L-236 1-11-2008 Hello! <Hello, Yunachin here.> My name is Haavard Midtdal and I am a dedicated aquarium holder. I am looking for Hypancistrus L-236. <A very beautiful fish indeed.> Hypancistrus L-236 is a South American Catfish that is living in Rio Iriri in Brazil. I know it is very hard to get this Hypancistrus L-236. L-236 varies a lot in appearance and it is very hard to get this real/genuine specimen. Do you know about any suppliers in Brazil? I have contacted many suppliers in Europe, but they do not have the right specimen, just "look a likes. It would be great if you know about this rare Pleco and where to get it. I send you a photo of a real and genuine Hypancistrus L-236 that came to Transfish in Germany in 1997 and was sold to Japan. Thank you very much. <I do not know of any suppliers in Brazil and have seen very few for sale anywhere. I have heard of them being for sale on www.aquabid.com on occasion and also on http://www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/s_Zebra+Plec.php ; Good Luck, I hope you find this rare, gorgeous fish.> Best regards, <Youre welcome, Yunachin> Haavard Midtdal Norway

Loricariid aggression 1/4/08 Hello WWM Crew, This is the first time I've written to the fresh side of your website. I have a 150 freshwater tank that has been established for over three years, and up until this point I have had a few minor occurrences happen to this tank but nothing too serious. The livestock that is in this tank include 7 Severums (five green, 2 gold) 2 rope/reed fish, 2 blue Acaras, 1 port Acara, 1 very large Fire eel (18 inches), three Plecos 1common, 1 L-113, and one king tiger Pleco, and some trap door snails. Up until about three weeks ago everything had been going just fine until I woke up one morning to find my common Pleco swimming upside down, running into things etc. the first thing that occurred to me was he had been fighting with the L-113 (note, both of these fish are well over the 1 foot range) as they sometimes do The L-113 usually winning out (these "fights" are usually nothing more than minor scuffles). After about a day, my common Pleco settled into a spot by a sunken log (upside down).We tried to turn him over but it just seemed to upset him, so we left him alone. That's when a curious thing happened, the larger L-113 Pleco shortly there after wedged himself under a different log, and has remained there since. We have not seen our king tiger Pleco, but that's nothing unusual since their are plenty of places to hide and he is a bit shy. It has been three weeks ago and I am starting to get very concerned. neither one of them has moved from their "spot". They are still breathing because I can see their gills moving. As far as eating I have not seen either one of them move when I feed the rest of the troops, when they are usually very active when food has been added to the tank. My water parameters have been within the norm. temp is good pH is good no nitrites or ammonia are present. I am at somewhat of a loss as to what's going on, or what to do for that matter. Do Pleco's hibernate? Help! Thanks, Steve <Large Loricariid catfish are NOT good at sharing. Territoriality between specimens and between species can be pronounced, and several species have been reported to kill weaker tankmates. Large Panaque catfish for example will kill rasp the skin from other Loricariid catfish they deem to be "squatters" in their caves, reducing the victim to a bloody pulp. Large Panaque will do this too each other too, which is one reason they aren't bred in captivity, so far as I know; do read Ginny Eckstein's piece over at Fish Channel for some idea of the scale of carnage we're taking about. http://www.fishchannel.com/media/freshwater-aquariums/species-info/catfish/royal-and-blue-eyed-plecos.aspx.pdf Similar reports have been noted for Acanthicus and Pterygoplichthys. To quote Planet Catfish, a single male Acanthicus "can easily be the most dominant fish in a 1000 gallon aquarium". Oddly, many species live in schools in the wild, but since most (male) Loricariids guard their eggs and fry it is entirely possible that this aggressive behaviour would be related to reproduction in the wild. In any case, the bottom line is that few of the big species mix well unless so overcrowded that they cannot establish territories. This is how they are kept at your retailer, for example, and in itself causes problems with water quality and doesn't entirely eliminate the problem of skirmishes between specimens. When kept in twos and threes in home-sized aquaria, collections of large Loricariids can be distinctly unpredictable. The bottom line is that your fish may simply be at the age and disposition where they won't get along. While you could add a bunch more caves and hope for the best, my gut feeling is that it is now time to decide which one you want to keep, and rehome the other specimens. Cheers, Neale.>

Pleco L260 w/ Fungus... real "Fix"es 10/21/07 Hello, I have a Queen Arabesque Pleco, my daughter has named Darling, in a 44 gal planted tank. All of the Nitrates, Nitrites, Ph Levels are where they should be. The temp of the tank is 79ish. There are a School of Tetra (15 members), Rasboras (5 members), 2 shrimp, and a Clown Pleco also in residence in the tank. Everyone else seems to be ok. I noticed a couple of small non-symmetrical whitish fuzzy spots on one side (only on her right side) of the Queen (located at the tip of her tail, on the shaft of her tail and on her side). I talked to a couple of fish guys, to get ideas on treatment. I was told that is sounds like Fungus and told me to use MelaFix and PimaFix (they would not hurt the other tank mates). The tank has been in treatment for 6 days (as of 10/20/07). I also got on the web to see what I could find. My conclusion is that she has fungus. These do not seem to be working. Her fuzzy spots seem to be getting larger and now she seems to have a film covering a portion of her side. She is still active and her belly looks like she is eating. What types of cures are there to use. I do not have a quarantine/treatment tank to put her in. So I will have to treat the whole tank. I also have "Ich Attack" by Kordon, which is 100% organic and treats diseased caused by Ich, Fungus, Protozoans and Dinoflagellates. Which I have yet to use out of fear of killing the others. Ich Attack does not speak to its use on Plecos or scaleless fish. MelaFix and PimaFix say they are safe for Plecos. Can you help me please! Sincerely Steve <Steve, most of us here at WWM consider Melafix and Pimafix a waste of time. They may have some value against minor infections or as prophylactics where fish are slightly damaged but not infected with Finrot or fungus. But as a treatment against established Finrot and fungus, they have limited and very variable usefulness. For treating fungus I would be using a standard anti-fungal medication. I happen to like eSHa 2000, a Dutch medication widely sold here in the UK and in my experienced perfectly safe with sensitive fish. I have used in several times in tanks containing things like pufferfish as well as numerous different types of catfish (Corydoras, Synodontis, and Panaque, in this case a Royal Plec, but the same genus as your Clown Plec). If you can get this medication in your country, then definitely try it out. One thing I like about eSHa 2000 is that it treats Finrot, Fungus, and Mouth Fungus simultaneously, removing the need to diagnose these different but easily confused infections. There are other medications that will also work against all three (Interpet Anti-Fungus and Finrot, Seachem ParaGuard etc.). Ask your retailer. If you stick with Melafix and Pimafix, I'm concerned (read: certain) your catfish will simply die. The whole "medications are bad for catfish" discussion seems to be very ambiguous, and largely based on old fashioned medications less commonly used. Many brands of medication will specifically say "safe on sensitive fish" or similar, and these are worth using. I can only speak from experience, which is that used properly, medications don't seem to have harmed any catfish I've looked after. Do remove carbon from the filter, and don't forget to increase aeration. Have a read of the catfish disease FAQs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/catfshdisfaqs.htm . Cheers, Neale>

Re: Pleco L260 w/ Fungus 10/21/07 Neale, Thanks for the info. I am running out this morning to try to obtain some new Meds. She has even got worse since I sent my original email. I will update you either way on the outcome. Lets hope it is a good one. She is a beautiful fish and a member of the family. Thanks again and Cheers, Steve <Steve, catfish are basically tough, so you have a wide window of opportunity to turn things around. Treat swiftly, keep tabs on the water quality, increase aeration, and pray to the Fish Gods. Yes, these big Loricariid catfish can become "one of the family". My Panaque has been with me since I graduated, which is substantially longer than any of my girlfriends! And in their own way, they do become tame and even friendly. So it's worth making an effort with them. Good luck, Neale>

Re: Pleco L260 w/ Fungus 11/4/07 Neale, After 15 plus days of treatment with meds, it looks as if the Queen Arabesque has come through with her fight with fungi. She seems to have a scar on her tail were the worst patch was. However, she is eating and totally active, with no signs of fungi for a few days. I could not find eSHa 2000; however, I was able to pick up some Seachem ParaGuard. It took awhile to work, but everyone in the tank seems to be OK. Knock on wood!!! I cannot thank you enough. So thanks again and stay well, cheers, Steve <Hello Steve. I'm glad things are working out. I've seen Plecos recover from the most amazing injuries. They are tough old birds! So provided you keep the water sweet and the diet offered the fish nice and varied, your fish should do well. Please do keep us posted! Good luck, Neale>

Plecostomus Nutrition - 10/07/2007 Hi, Crew I have a 55 gallon tank with 4 cichlids in it: 2 parrots and 2 Severums and leopard Pleco (L83). My question regarding Pleco feeding. It's hard to feed Pleco with algae tablet since cichlid steel it easy all the time. I try to feed it with raw vegetables: cucumber, lettuce. Is it enough for Pleco? How long should I keep peace of vegetable in the tank? What kind of vegetable or other food can you recommend for Pleco? Thank you for your help, Mark <Greetings Mark. Cucumber and lettuce are NOT enough for your catfish. The correct diet would be something like this: Some vegetables from the following -- carrot, potato, sweet potato, tinned peas, Sushi Nori and curette. Also a small piece of bogwood; these catfish eat the wood and use it as a source of fiber. Catfish algae wafers and small pieces of seafood (such as mussels and prawns) should be fed at NIGHT, when the cichlids can't see them. Severums are herbivorous cichlids, so MUST be given green foods as well. Peas, blanched lettuce, Sushi Nori, and chopped spinach are ideal. Soft aquarium plants such as Elodea are good too, and can be bought very cheaply and simply left in the tank for a few weeks. Blood parrots will certainly eat some plant material. Virtually all cichlids eat algae and soft plants given the chance. Vegetables like carrot and potato can be left in the water until they're gone. They won't pollute the water. Soft vegetables like curette can be removed after a day or two if you like, because they tend to make a mess. But they won't harm water quality either. Hope this helps, Neale>

Guppy fry and Sailfin catfish (L83) 6/12/07 Hi, <Ave!> I have several aquariums with fancy guppies fry. I keep 1 Sailfin catfish (L83) in every tank and they do a great work. <Very good.> However - I have 2 questions: 1. How much salt can be added to the aquarium while the Sailfin is there? what about Epsom salt? (due to guppies with constipation). <I'd personally not use Epsom salts here but instead simply feed the right diet. Guppies shouldn't get constipated because they are so easy to feed on the right foods. Stop using generic fish flake if that's what you're using. Instead, use livebearer flake, Sushi Nori, thin slices of cucumber, tinned peas, etc. The good thing is any leftovers will be scarfed up by the catfish. Only add small amounts of animal protein, ideally "high fibre" things like brine shrimp and daphnia. The problem with Epsom salts is used routinely they can interfere with the normal digestive processes of the fish. Think of Epsom salts as the equivalent of laxatives in humans. Used to treat an acute case of constipation makes sense, but if the person is regularly constipated, then laxatives aren't the solution, a change of diet is.> 2. Can it be that the Sailfin will eat live guppy fry? I'm also certain that I've seen one do it yesterday, while it was looking for the algae wafer. It was moved to another tank. <Potentially I suppose it's possible but hardly likely. Under normal circumstances the guppy fry should be at the top of the tank and swimming too quickly to be eaten by this catfish. Possibly your catfish will eat a sick (or stupid) guppy, but hey, that's Nature taking care of culling the poor quality stock!> Thanks, Shay. <Cheers, Neale
Re: Guppy fry and Sailfin catfish (L83) 6/12/07 Thanks for the answer. <No problems.> About the feeding: I mainly feed the fry with live or frozen baby brine shrimp, Kenfish.com kens premium growth meal (size 00 and later 01), Hikari Tropical Fancy guppy and Hikari Tropical first bites. <All fine foods, but the accent with these foods is on protein rather than vegetables. There's no escaping the fact guppies are partly herbivorous, and they need some algae in their diet. Just the same as with humans: give us a high-protein diet and we may put on weight quickly, but our health isn't otherwise very good.> I use automatic feeders to feed all of the above 5 times a day, and give the baby brine shrimp twice a day after the dry food. <OK, but do try and focus on the veggies.> It might be that the constipation isnt really constipation. Occasionally a fish will have a swollen up belly, becomes grey, doesnt eat (even live brine shrimp), stays at the bottom and dies after several days. Growth rate is good, and water is kept at 25-28c, changed every 2-3 days 50%. What could be the cause to that? <There's always a certain number of baby fish that don't survive. The reasons are various. Diet is one factor. Genes are another. Water chemistry/quality a third and fourth. At the end of the day you can't really expect every single baby fish to make it. You seem to be doing all the right things, so I wouldn't worry too much. Optimise water chemistry and quality. For guppies, a fairly high pH and hardness level is needed.> Thanks again, Shay. <Cheers, Neale>

Spawning Rio de para Pleco 11/19/06 Hi. I've heard that the Rio de para Pleco (L75) has not been spawned in captivity yet. Is this true? Thanks, Kelly <Mmm, am not that "up" on such matters with Loricariids... Would seek out your answer through "Planet Catfish", other FW BB's that have a good number of Siluriiform members. Bob Fenner>

Re: Pregnant Aulonocara died - could it be Mycobacteriosis? and Loricariid sel. hlth. 6/3/06 <Mmm, possibly> <<If this was indeed Mycobacteriosis, what are the chances her baby fry will have it?>> >Frightening to consider... Mycobacteria are pretty much ubiquitous... can become virulently pathogenic under "right/wrong" circumstances. I do suspect this strain, species is still about< I've attached photos of my pregnant female Aulonocara who died recently hoping I could get your opinion. I thought she had an extreme case of black spot when I got her. <Black spot... as in Velvet? Looks more neurological...> About a month after her first brood (which are all healthy and 2 months old) she began looking unhealthy and a little bloated. Mycobacteriosis kept entering my mind and I decided I would isolate her and try to treat her for whatever, when before I could, she was holding a 2nd time. I decided to wait till after her hatch and lost her. The first 2 photos were taken a month or so earlier when she wasn't pregnant. The last 2 were taken recently (one while holding and the other right after). She started swimming nonstop for 48 hours after moving her into an isolation tank, just 3 days before her eggs should have hatched. The eve before her due date I saw 2" or so of something black hanging out her gill. It fell off and appeared to be a black filamentous fungus (in hindsight, maybe it was gill filament). More bits and pieces are shown on the white nylon bag covering the intake. More trailed out shortly after and I spotted a dead baby fry in the tank. She was manic and still making egg tumbling movements with her mouth, swimming in a frenzy and her gills were all swollen. I realized something was wrong and either the eggs had fungused or she had dead fry in her mouth. I placed her in a Methylene Blue dip and she spit dead fry. She seemed better and her gill swelling went down. The next two days she refused to eat and never rested completely. Suddenly she darted like a missile across the tank into the walls twice and flipped upside down. I thought she was dead, but then noticed shallow breathing so I rushed her into another MB dip with aeration. She was able to upright herself and swim. I diluted the dip and kept her there for an hour or so (making sure to keep the temperature constant). I placed her back in her tank, added a few drops of MB and 1/2 dose of Furan 2. She died several hours later. I examined her gills and the filaments were completely gone and she had a gaping hole on each side under her operculum where you could see into her mouth and out her lips. The gill areas were completely flesh colored with no evidence of anything black remaining. Cindy <The swelling, and raw areas could be bacterial in nature. I do wish Chuck Rambo wasn't incommunicado. If this were a breeding facility for Kaiserfishche/Aulonocaras, I'd treat all with a Furan Compound... Likely Nitrofuranace, after isolating all systems thus mal-affected. Bob Fenner> <<Is it safe for me to treat her 9 week old fry?>> >Yes, but I don't know that I actually would. Likely not infected to the >point of actual disease, perhaps some acquired immunity in fact as a matter >of exposure< <<The other female Aulonocara that was in the same tank is mouthbrooding again. She doesn't have any of the black markings like the other female had. She hasn't been looking as healthy lately and does have some fraying of her fins. Should I treat her tank now, or wait until after she spits her fry and I remove them?>> Cindy Bob, off the record.. I got this Aulonocara from Cichlid Exchange in Portland. My LFS orders from them (when they can't get stock from African Northwest in Seattle). I'm furious after this Aulonocara and recently receiving a special order King Tiger Pleco from them last month with a severe case of sunken belly (take a look at the photo attached). >Did you bring this up with them?< My LFS told me they'd recently received a number of Plecos from them in this condition that died. >Not surprisingly... Not good to let Loricariids get this thin/debilitated< The LFS didn't put two and two together until I explained to them that these aren't captive bred, they are wild caught. What kind of distributor operates this way? >Poor ones... though many exotic aquatics are still wild-collected< They must ship them out as soon as they receive them. These Plecos don't have a fighting chance unless they get them eating again and fattened up. >Agreed< I spent 5 weeks trying to save this King Tiger's life because I knew if I returned him to my LFS he wouldn't have a fighting chance. I fed him you name it 5-6 times a day, did daily water changes, and even ran out to the grocery store one night at 10:00 p.m. to get eggs (to paint egg white on rock and cover it with crushed peas, zucchini & yam), all in an attempt to try to save him. I got him eating again with a healthy appetite, then he suddenly took a turn for the worse. He died yesterday, so sorry if I'm sounding a little bit angry right now. >No worries< I appreciate all you do with your website. I love all creatures great and small. I believe when I adopt something it is my responsibility to care for it as if it were my own and to not treat pets as disposables. My cats have lived to ripe old ages, averaging 19 yrs, because I spend the money to feed them the best foods available and to get them the best veterinary care. I try to do the same for my fish. >Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner<

Re: Imported Loricariid death/s 6/5/06 Bob, off the record.. I got this Aulonocara from Cichlid Exchange in Portland. My LFS orders from them (when they can't get stock from African Northwest in Seattle). I'm furious after this Aulonocara and recently receiving a special order King Tiger Pleco from them last month with a severe case of sunken belly (take a look at the photo attached). >Did you bring this up with them?< > >I returned the dead Pleco and talked to the manager of the fish department. He's worked there for years but was only recently promoted to manager when the previous manager graduated with his PHD in Marine Biology and left to pursue a career in environmental ecology. He has a lot to learn now that he's in charge of inventory and ordering and appreciates that I take time to do research and share it with him. He hasn't placed an order with Cichlid Exchange since I got this Pleco with sunken belly and explained to him these are wild caught, not captive bred Plecos and that's the reason he's been having so many recent Pleco losses. I told him what happened with my Aulonocara and my concern that the breeder's facility might have an outbreak of Mycobacteriosis or some other serious bacterial problem. He said after hearing this he doesn't plan on ordering from them again. He has had a number of recent Aulonocara losses and some were large expensive fish. He thought the problem might be with the Aulonocara species in general and had even considered discontinuing stocking them. Do you know any reputable breeders/distributors you would recommend for Cichlids and exotic Plecos? He could use some help now, especially after receiving a shipment of saltwater with cyanide poisoning (? I know nothing about saltwater) that forced him to shut down half his tanks for a week.<< <Am referring this question of supply to our most able Cichlid expert, Chuck Rambo. Bob Fenner>

Starter FW Questions... - 3/1/2006 Good Afternoon, <And to you> I purchased a 20 gal tank for myself for Christmas. Just a couple months later, I have a 5 gal at work (guppies), and started another 10 gal tank at home that I will use as a quarantine/hospital if necessary. Amazing how addictive this hobby can be. <Ah, yes> Being new, I was wondering if you could help me with a couple of questions. <Go ahead> 1. I use a dechlorinator that I add to my bucket for water changes. Then add the water to my tank when doing my water changes. Should I be letting the water sit with the dechlorinator in it, or is it ok to add to the tank right away. So far, I have not had any issues, but I want to make sure I'm doing the best I can. <Better by far to treat your new water as detailed here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/taptrtmnt.htm> 2. My fish recently caught Ick (hence the new quarantine tank). I have 3 clown loaches, a L136 Pleco, and 2 dwarf gouramis. I've been using Jungle Ick Guard II as it was recommended because it's more sensitive to scaleless fish. The directions state, " Second dose may be added in 24 hours." All the reading I've seen says to keep medicating until days after all Ick is not visible (up to 16 days) as their life cycle still goes on. I've been treating daily as directed for 4 days but I'm not sure how long to go with the medication. The white spots are almost gone, but I don't want to hurt the fish. <You are wise here... one really needs to measure the active ingredient/s in such "medicines" (most are non-selective biocides)... I would rely on elevated temperature and time going by to assure a complete cure here. Please read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm> 3. My local fish store told my the L136 would be good for eating algae off the tank walls. But, he doesn't seem to like algae a bit. <Mmm, a common myth/mistake... Please see: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/INDEX.PHP> What's the best type of food I should be feeding him? He doesn't seem to be eating the algae wafers I put it, and they leave quite the mess. Thanks for any help you can provide. Adam <Isn't the Net wonderful? Bob Fenner>

Rare Pleco disease 1/19/06 Hi! My name is Steve Fawcett and was referred to you people by Drs. Foster@ Smith. I have several L-82 Plecos. 2 days ago I lost one. The stomach swells to the point that the fish starts blowing out the rectum. <Mmm...> Today 1 more fish is doing the same thing. They still eat. The pH is 7.0 temp 82. I have only 5 fish in a 100 gal tank. At first I thought they were full of eggs but that is not the case. I would sure appreciate any help. I have over 150 Plecos with 20 species. I am spawning the L-46 zebra. I have spawned them 5 times. I also spawn the long finned albino BN. Any help would be great. Sincerely Steve Fawcett. Pleconutbuck <Could be a parasitic, and/or bacterial related/resultant situation... not uncommon with wild-collected Loricariids... If it were me/mine, I'd not hesitate to treat for both. One administration of Metronidazole/Flagyl, and a regimen of three doses of Furan compound... to the water and food. I would take great care (very likely you already do) to avoid cross-contamination with wet-gear/water twixt the mal-affected system/s, fish/es. For what you have invested, I would have freshly-dead specimens necropsied.... looked at for G.I. fauna, pathogens. Bob Fenner>

Emperor/Flash Pleco L204 I Heard that this is a Emperor L-204 Pleco, I have looked at LiveAquaria.com and I can 't seem to find this fish. Do you know any other place that sells them? <L204 is correct, but the common name is the Flash Pleco. One of the wood eating plecs. Ensure they have an assortment of natural driftwoods in the tank. There is one for sale on Aquabid.com right now. Don> <Editor's note: This was easily found through Google.>

Image "lifted" (others property), deleted

Peppermint Pleco hi let me first say what a very informative site. I've recently purchased a peppermint Pleco L30 which I understand will become an L31 when it matures and have tried to find some information as I do with all my fish as I like to understand there needs as best I can and have spent hours trawling the internet and all I can find is pictures which as I'm sitting looking at my Pleco as I write isn't much use to me. could you please help or tell me where I can find what I'm looking for < Planetcatfish.com will have everything you need.-Chuck> Darrell

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