Jim Royal

[LisaLQ]

Ok - here's the long awaited (well, ok, perhaps not - only got him this weekend lol) pics of Jim our new (big - 8" roughly) royal. He's now getting on fine with the common (there was some initial fighting - on the common's behalf that is, Jim's been a pure gent - he gets on famously with the other plecs), well, when I say fine - I mean they have stopped fighting, but I dont think we'll be seeing them down the pub together any time soon (or sharing courgette)...

Hope you like

Ps. Thank you Kathy for taking pics for me!

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Oooh, congrats. He is one stunning Royal. Extremely handsome. I love his pectoral fins and his eyes.

Great pics, bet you're very pleased with him.

 

[FroggFrogg]

Ooooh he is pretty! I saw some baby royals at my not so local FS. They were about an inch long and £29.99. Did you get yours from a shop?

 

[nmonks]

Beautiful catfish! May he grace your home for many, many years!

Cheers, Neale

 

[LisaLQ]

Yep. He was a hand in though, I doubt you'd find many wild caughts for sale at his size (not impossible, just unlikely to find them in fish shops - they're usually snapped up as soon as they're shipped in).

Royals grow incredibly slowly (an inch a year roughly), and £30 for one an inch long is a bit steep - should be around £20 max.

Thanks for the nice comments, he's a babe - I'm totally smitten by royals now

 

[nmonks]

Hah! That's why they're the Royal Plecs -- they are the standard against which all other plecs are compared! Just wait till yours gets tamed (maybe he is already?). Mine lives in a tank next to my workspace, and while I'm writing all day, she swims out looking for food. If she's really hungry, she sits at the front and waits for me to drop some salad in! These are smart, lovely, catfish.

Cheers, Neale

Thanks for the nice comments, he's a babe - I'm totally smitten by royals now

 

[LisaLQ]

Oh he's out all the time - he only goes on the bogwood to eat it (and poo under it lol) - I thought royals were supposed to be shy lol!

 

[FroggFrogg]

Yea i thought it was a bit much! The guy i spoke to didn't really know anything about plecs. When i asked how much the royals were he said:
'Oh some of them are really expensive those queen ones are £24.99' He was talking about the arabesque (Sp?) a few tanks along. I probably could have haggled with him now i think about it!

 

[LisaLQ]

I wouldn't bother for an inch long one, for that price you could get the 4" dull eye on Trimar (that I want so badly but cant afford as I have to set up my new tank). They're not that hardy if they're in inch long, although some are - but if he doesn't know much, he might not know you need them to be kept in store for a minimum of two weeks to make sure they're eating and processing their food ok (same as some of the other more sensitive plecs).

Save your £30 and get a decent sized one from someone who's had them in for a while - it'd be a waste to throw it away on the chance of it dying

 

[FroggFrogg]

It was a branch of Swallows, i don't know if anyone knows of them? But i'm sure that the more experienced staff know about plecos needs etc. I was with one of my non fishy friends who couldn't understand why i didn't want to buy such a young fish! His words were 'buy it young and you get it to have it for longer'. I tried to explain the advantages of buying an older pleco but he just didn't get it!

 

[nmonks]

Well, strictly speaking he has a point, an inch-long fish less than a year long will obviously outlive one five or ten years older. But given these fish have lifespans measured in decades, it makes a lot more sense to buy one that's already settled down. Once royal plecs are feeding and used to aquarium life, they are basically very hardy, and no more difficult to keep than a common plec or bristlenose. But babies can be delicate, especially immediately after import.

That said, I bought mine as a baby, for £25 in the early 1990s. She fattened up nicely, and settled into a 20 gallon (!) tank where she spent the next five years of her life (which may be why she's rather small for her age). Provided the belly is rounded and not hollow, and eyes are bulging out and not sucked inwards, then I would suggest that an experienced fishkeeper (or someone less experienced but prepared to make a bit of extra effort) could certainly justify the gamble.

Cheers, Neale

It was a branch of Swallows, i don't know if anyone knows of them? But i'm sure that the more experienced staff know about plecos needs etc. I was with one of my non fishy friends who couldn't understand why i didn't want to buy such a young fish! His words were 'buy it young and you get it to have it for longer'. I tried to explain the advantages of buying an older pleco but he just didn't get it!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

glad your pleased with him lisa, he is a bit gorgeous isn't he!!

nice and plump too, he's obviously been someone's baby...... why he's got handed in i just don't know

 

[Joemuz]

You called him JIM ROYAL?
My Arse!
He is beautifull! What a fish. I might get on of these in a few month when i get a bigger tank.
Joemuz

 

[lilfishie]

You called him JIM ROYAL?
My Arse!

knew someone would say it
Beautiful royal Lisa

 

[Joemuz]

You called him JIM ROYAL?
My Arse!

knew someone would say it
Beautiful royal Lisa

It had to be said
But he is one amazing plec.