New here plecos/clown loaches are my thing

[Ceez]

Thanks for having me! I was looking around for info on breeding L236s and stumbled across this website. I've been keeping fish for almost 40 years. Currently I have 6 tanks with your normal assortment of tropical fish. My main tank is stocked with 7 clown loahes around 12 years old and ranging from 4.5"-9". I also have a little assortment of plecos in the same tank:

L330
L018
Hypostomus Luteus golden sailfin pleco phase 1.5
L240
L200 hi fin
L075
L091

I'm working on another breeding tank for L236 super whites from the JL and RB lines that will also house a breeding pair of L046s. I've always been interested in breeding but have never taken the full plunge so here we go! Wish me luck!


Excuse my poor picture skills and the water dripped glass but here are a couple flicks

 

[Lillypad101]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[GaryE]

Don't you wish they made long, low tanks so it would be easier to keep more Loracarids and twig catfish? We could have racks like stair steps!

Welcome.

 

[emeraldking]

Hi and welcome aboard...
That's a fine looking pleco...

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Hi- I breed or used to breed the B&W Hypancistrus from the Big Bend of the Xingu- zebras, L236- RB regulars and super whites and L173. I have also bred P. compta, L450, L173b, H. contradens and assorted tank strains of bristles where I started. I have kept but not bred, L333, L66.

I have kept clown since almost the beginning. I have a 150 gal with two good size and 7 assortd from 3 to 5 inches. I lost my largest and oldest last fall. It had to be 23 years old (19+ with me).

One quick observation with many of the plecos, or at least those I h]listed above. The females can produce eggs about every two weeks, However from spawning to when the free swimming offspring leave the cave and dad is ready for the next go round, it is about a month. So the idea sex ratio is 2m/fm. I am one who breeds in groups. I am not better qualified than the plecos to decide who should spawn with whom nor where the most desireable cave might be.

If you need help re the breeding, feel free to ask me. If I don't have the answer, I can usually send you to somebody who does.

 

[LivingstoniBoi]

Welcome to the group! Beautiful plecos.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I breed most of my my plecos in 33 and 40 longs and use 20 longs for some stuff as well. But I also have plecos in a 125 and a 75. I have also used 40 breders as part of the summer tank set-up.

Shallow tanks make it easier to catch the babies or to move the adults. They love to hide and I usually first have to remove everything but the substrate from a tank to catch them.

 

[Ceez]

I breed most of my my plecos in 33 and 40 longs and use 20 longs for some stuff as well. But I also have plecos in a 125 and a 75. I have also used 40 breders as part of the summer tank set-up.

Shallow tanks make it easier to catch the babies or to move the adults. They love to hide and I usually first have to remove everything but the substrate from a tank to catch them.

I'm using a 55 gallon with a divider. One side 2M/1F and the same on the opposite for both 236s and 046s. I was told this is the best method just like you mentioned 2 males 1 female. These are also established breeding pairs that have produced fry already multiple times I just have to do my part and give them the water quality/temp, food and caves that make them comfortable to do their thing. The breeder im getting them from has been very helpful to give me the run down on their exact conditions/water parameters/methods so im encouraged and excited. Also wont be using any substrate, barebottom glass so I can keep the water as pristine as possible.

People like yourself have come out of the woodwork, offered help as well and the amount of solid information I've been able to gather is very much appreciated indeed. Thank you!

Appreciate the warm welcomes!

 

[anewbie]

My clown loaches have killed TWO male lemon bn; but they leave the female alone as well as the L206. I speculate the lemon bn was silly enough to attempt to take a 6 inch clown loach cave from her.... never a good idea.

 

[Ceez]

My clown loaches have killed TWO male lemon bn; but they leave the female alone as well as the L206. I speculate the lemon bn was silly enough to attempt to take a 6 inch clown loach cave from her.... never a good idea.

That's pretty unusual sorry that happened. My clowns get along with everybody and I have some almost pushing 10" in with fish as small as 2". Had them close to 12 years and never seen aggression more than being nosy and in everybody else's business lol. They like to swim/chase 8" silver dollars playfully. Kind of remind me of dolphins, super inquisitive/smart/active.

One thing I love about clowns is you can put them in with the most aggressive species of fish for the most part and they thrive. They're a great active addition to any tank

 

[anewbie]

That's pretty unusual sorry that happened. My clowns get along with everybody and I have some almost pushing 10" in with fish as small as 2". Had them close to 12 years and never seen aggression more than being nosy and in everybody else's business lol. They like to swim/chase 8" silver dollars playfully. Kind of remind me of dolphins, super inquisitive/smart/active.

One thing I love about clowns is you can put them in with the most aggressive species of fish for the most part and they thrive. They're a great active addition to any tank

I don't think it is unusual at least for my clown loaches as it happened twice - several years apart. I thought the first time was a one off and i did indeed see the pleco try to claim a cave used by a large female clown loach; then a few years later i threw in a 2nd male as i was reorganizing aquariums after i moved and he only lasted 2 days. While the first aquarium (a 120) was a bit crowded the 2nd was a 550 gallon (10ftx4ft) so quite large.

 

[The603]

Welcome to the forum, nice looking Pleco.

 

[Ceez]

I don't think it is unusual at least for my clown loaches as it happened twice - several years apart. I thought the first time was a one off and i did indeed see the pleco try to claim a cave used by a large female clown loach; then a few years later i threw in a 2nd male as i was reorganizing aquariums after i moved and he only lasted 2 days. While the first aquarium (a 120) was a bit crowded the 2nd was a 550 gallon (10ftx4ft) so quite large.

You don't often hear about clowns being aggressive or killing other fish.

My watermelon runs the tank, when he moves so do all the other fish. The only other fish in my tank that is more terrifying to all the others is my L018 and hes about 3.5" lol. Idk why but that little guy is mean and all the other fish know it and respect it, no one messes with him.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Clowns and plecos like to inhabit the same spaces. I made the mistake of putting 5 albino LF bn into my clown tank. I had no bristles after about 10 days. The tank was a well planted 75 gal, it held clowns and redline barbs when the plecos went in.

 

[Ceez]

Clowns and plecos like to inhabit the same spaces. I made the mistake of putting 5 albino LF bn into my clown tank. I had no bristles after about 10 days. The tank was a well planted 75 gal, it held clowns and redline barbs when the plecos went in.

Wow, ive never heard of that before. Learn something new everyday. I've had these guys going on 12 years and haven't had any fish deaths aside from the normal reasons.

True story, I lost 7 archer fish, 5 plecos and 6-8 5"+ roselines after I did tank maintenance. I unplugged my wave makers, airstone and fx6, got caught up with my girlfriends birthday. Went out for about 8hrs came home to fish gulping air at the surface..did not lose a single clown (at that time they were with me for about 10 years) I would have been devastated. I lost some nice plecos that day, it was awful.


Speaking of that, I'm always scared of power outages especially since that incident. What are some contingency plans that yall use to mitigate those circumstances?