L200

[sandfire]

I have two L200's in a well planted aquarium with lots of bog wood caves. The larger is mostly bright canary yellow fading to lemon/olive yellow at the tail with a dorsal fin like a shark, the other is smaller and olive green fading to grey green with a regular fin, could this be a way to sex them or is it more to do with the locations they were caught. They are not particulary territorial and sometimes share a cave.

If they can be bred how would I go about it?

 

[xingumike]

You are describing two different species of fish.

the first is L200 - Baryancistrus demantoides, the second is L200 - Hemiancistrus subviridis.

Breeding either would be a challenge, getting them to cross breed one be very difficult i would think even if you have a male and female.

Look at planetcatfish for more info on the 2 species

 

[sandfire]

You are describing two different species of fish.

Really?! I queried it at my local Maidenhead Aquatics when I bought them and they said they were same for sure, "probably from different areas of the river North and South for instance".

I thought at the time they were dramatically different, but from the planet catfish site the shop was incorrect. The darker one is defiantly Hemiancistrus subviridis, the lighter one is very similar to Baryancistrus demantoides. It is much brighter all over with a daffodil tone and not so much green (I did wonder why they called him a green phantom).

I don't really want them to breed if they will produce hybrids, I will have no choice but to get another two and set up another tank!

 

[xingumike]

yes really!

there is speculation that Hemiancistrus sp L128 (blue phantom) and Hemiancistrus subviridis are the same fish from different points of the Orinoco but until someone gets hold of the DNA and looks into they are given seperate L numbers.

I really don't think you have to worry about seperating them for fear of producing hybrids. If you were serious about breeding them i'd buy a colony of one rather than another 1 of each.

I think Berlin zoo spawned L128's in a 600 litre tank.

 

[sandfire]

yes really!

there is speculation that Hemiancistrus sp L128 (blue phantom) and Hemiancistrus subviridis are the same fish from different points of the Orinoco but until someone gets hold of the DNA and looks into they are given seperate L numbers.

I really don't think you have to worry about seperating them for fear of producing hybrids. If you were serious about breeding them i'd buy a colony of one rather than another 1 of each.

I think Berlin zoo spawned L128's in a 600 litre tank.

Just Googled L128's they are beautiful! Gotta get me some of those!

I would love to spawn a more unusal plec than the standard Bristlenose, I have a bristlnose factory at the moment and was hoping to try my hand at something more difficult.

Are there any particular L numbered plecs which spawn in captivity (not including Zebra which are out of my budget)?

Or would keeping my two current L200's with a few more and some L128's be a method of getting something to pair up?

Tank is 48x15x18 and packed full with caves, plants and bogwood on a sand substraight.

 

[smithrc]

if your looking at Zebras in the future... a good starting place would be other hypancistrus species - like L260's Queen Arabesques or L066's King Tigers...

I've dropped you a PM

 

[pica_nuttalli]

but just to respond to the original question... people still haven't managed to breed L200s, correct? or has someone finally had success with that?

 

[xingumike]

I haven't heard of any reports other than the alleged Berlin zoo one.

I don't think that the above tank would be big enough to spawn them in either.