10 Albino Long Fin Bn Plecs

[jollysue]

I am suppose to pick up 10 albino long fin BN plecs Friday for $60. A fiend emailed me an AB auction notice for them. The breeder/seller is in my home town. He agreed to pull the auction and sell them to me for $10 dollars more than the auction price. Good considering I don't have to pay shipping.

Now before somebody yells Czech Republic at me. These guys are 1-1.5" long. They were bred here. Whether their ancestors came through Czechoslovakia, I don't know. I'll ask if you like when I pick them up.

Anyway, I am a bit happy. I quite liked the plecos I had before, I lost them to the medication I used when I had the Great Columnaris Plague 2 years ago.

I have to decide where all to lodge them. I have some nice wood in the Sorority Tank. Some would like it there, maybe three I have 3 Botia straita now in there, but would like to let them join their mates in the community tank.

Should I keep them all together for now, or split them right away?

I think they could do well with the Brochis Splenden, too.

 

[Breeze7050]

Lucky you! I got my albino BN off AB too. I have 1 longfin and 1 regular. They were both about an inch when I got them. I kept them together for a bit, but the long fin didn't grow as fast so she has stayed in my 10g while my regular fin moved to the big boy tank. Both are still doing great. I think you can keep them all together for a bit longer, but they will eventually start fighting in a small tank. They are great little plecs, always out and about, not very shy at all. They love, LOVE, LOVE cucumber. Mine can't get enough of it! Best of luck on your new plec adventure!

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, Breeze. I understand that that is what I am to feed them now: veggies. They will have a nice piece of African hard wood to munch when they are ready.

 

[jollysue]

I got them! They are soooo cute little guys! They are very busy cleaning the tank which was very in need. I am to feed them Italian zuccini. I took some pics. I will try to get them up in the next day or so.

 

[Breeze7050]

Great, looking forward to seeing them!!

 

[jayjay]

Why would we say Czech Republic? A lot of fish come from there now.

Nice fish, I couldn't have long finned ones though, other fish would love it.

 

[jollysue]

Leave it to you, jayjay, to catch me in one.

I have gotten flack lately about Czech Republic fish being bad for the hobby. Thought I would stop it before it started. There has been quite a fuss about my long fin Cories from some.

Any way I have a really hard time with pics of these guys. Albinos can be hard and these guys are so small.

 

[jayjay]

Very skinny, delicate at that size, careful Sue.

Pfft, normally the Czech fish farms aren't the best, though so what? People should be more conserded about dying of fish etc. Before moaning about line breeding.

 

[SuperColey1]

I was told that the long finned version of plecs has trouble swimming properly. maybe an old wive's tail. I dunno

 

[LisaLQ]

According to some folks with long finned BNs, that isn't an old wives tale, it's true.

Prefer the normal ones personally, never got the attraction in the long fins. No offense

 

[Coryman]

Jollysue,

There was no need for the statement, "I have gotten flack lately about Czech Republic fish being bad for the hobby. Thought I would stop it before it started. There has been quite a fuss about my long fin Cories from some."

After checking all through the topic again I can see who the above statement was aimed at. I don't need the subtleties I'm a big boy and can take it on the chin.

So now it's time to put the record straight.

Firstly, I don't recall actually saying, that the Czech Republic fish were Bad for the hobby I said I did not like their methods or the fish they produce in this way.

Secondly, I know several top fish breeders both here in the UK and in the states that breed the long finned varieties of Corys & Ancistrus, again I did not say what they were doing was wrong, I said I thought they would be better employed breeding endangered species before they disappear altogether. (My opinion)

Thirdly, I have never told anyone not to keep any of these fish. (Each to his/her own)

All I have said is I personally don't like them, or the way they were ORIGINALLY developed.

You like these fish and that's perfectly OK by me, I am not criticizing you for owning or enjoying them. This is the last post on the subject from me.

However if I may I will offer a little advise on the type of wood you have or are proposing using with your Ancistrus. I believe you have some African hard wood, this is not good, As you know there are many Ancistrinae species that consume large amounts of wood in their diet this is normally soft wood that is relatively easily scrapped with their spoon shaped teeth.

These teeth only last so long then drop out and are replaced, much like a sharks teeth, but they can only produce so many in a life time. Hard wood will and does reduce the life of their teeth and therefore their life.

Ian

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, Ian. I will fix that. I have some softer wood; it's just older--and so softer. Well actually the wood I ended up putting in is different than the one I figured on putting in. I am not sure which one it is. I will check, I think it is probably still one of the harder ones. I now have a very soft piece that I am thinking of.

If I have misunderstood anything you said in my thread, It's Raining Cories in California in the Cory forum, I apologize, although many comments in that thread do infer that it is wrong and having a negative effect. In my mind the posts do get added up together. Although, when you say that the longfins are "mutilating a perfectly good species", "messing up another another perfectly good species", "perpetuating the expansion of mutant fish", "unatural mutant fish" [and from your friend paulf "people doing that are ruining perfectly nice and normal corys"] you are certainly using loaded statements with negative connotations for those who keep and breed long fins.

But as a matter of fact I have gotten comments from more people than you. I got comments when I got my dwarf petrocolas and posted my excitement on getting them. The Czech thing comes up. And you were not the only one to comment on my long finned Cories. You are welcome to PM me, if I say something that offends you.

SuperColey: The long finned varients do have more trouble with strong currents, just as long finned Bettas do. But there are many ways to avoid it being a problem for them. My albino long finned pepper cories do just fine, even though the currents are fairly strong. The plecs seem to be doing well with the currents in the Eclipse 12.

jayjay: thanks. I have not gotten any zuccini yet and am a bit concerned about that. I am giving them Bio Marine food now. There is also a good stock of algae on the sides of their tank. I should be able to get some zuccini Thursday or Friday. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

 

[LisaLQ]

The sooner you get them veggies the better. They cant live off algae, contrary to popular belief.

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, Lisa LQ, I am as I said giving them Bio Marine Herbavore fish food. The breeder said that was good, and I am adding a piece of Hikari sinking algae tab, too. I peeled some celery (the only green I had on hand) and put it in, but the snails paid it the most attention. The plecs weren't too interested.