Pics Of My Wild Caught Ancistrus L182

[jollysue]

That was one of their first trips out since coming to their new home. Then they got shot with camera lights. Some of the shots were even taken at night with the lights off. I suppose I would be stressed too. They are also wild caught and young adults, so they have been through a lot.

The male is out daily in the light now and doesn't run and hide when I open the lid. I have been more concerned for the female as she is still staying out of sight. But she comes out a bit to show me she is ok. He is out most of the time.

In the last pics he has his sail up and doesn't really look too clamped to me.

 

[sargent_skank]

i was talking about the colouration of them. i would be more concerned about the male that is out all the time tbh. especially if its wild caught. btw, did you catch it yourself?

 

[Teelie]

Wrong thread.

 

[jollysue]

I'm sorry. I'm a novice with Plecs. I am just starting my collection. I got these, the Jari Zebras, some LF marble BN, and albino LF BN from a local breeder of Plecs and Cichlids. Are you personally familiar with the L182? I understand that they are moderately rare. He had ordered them from AquaBid to breed and when I went over to get the marbles he offered these and the Jari. I don't know what they are suppose to look like.

If you have information for me, pass it on. Why would it be a bad sign that he is out and about. They are both out tonight as I type. They are both lighter colored tonight, showing the stripes.

 

[sargent_skank]

I'm sorry. I'm a novice with Plecs. I am just starting my collection. I got these, the Jari Zebras, some LF marble BN, and albino LF BN from a local breeder of Plecs and Cichlids. Are you personally familiar with the L182? I understand that they are moderately rare. He had ordered them from AquaBid to breed and when I went over to get the marbles he offered these and the Jari. I don't know what they are suppose to look like.

If you have information for me, pass it on. Why would it be a bad sign that he is out and about. They are both out tonight as I type. They are both lighter colored tonight, showing the stripes.

they should ideally be jet black with yellowish spots or rather dots all over the body, including the fins.

its is true that when the lights are off their colour fades a little. if your plecs are faded with the lights on it is generally down to stress, the lighter bands of colour are a good indication. the reason i would be concerned for the male is that plecs are naturally nocturnal fish and dont normally venture out with the lights on unless food is offered. they love courgette.

 

[jollysue]

There is zucchini in the tank, and I add it regularly. But there is so much algae and other food, they have completely ignored it. So he is out grazing frequently, she is more shy. He visited an Hikari Algae Wafer I dropped next to him this afternoon.

The pictures posted were with the lights off. His starlight dots are white. The tank lights are off.

The Jari zebras are very nocturnal, but all the BN come out to feed. I saw the marbles on zucchini and the albinos on zuchini and algae wafers. But the starlighta are in a 100 usg that is planted and had an algae bloom, so they are busy busy.

 

[littleme1969]

All Bns will turn brownish when feeling a little uneasy never mind stressed. And as for colour.. what I know of the 182/183 is the sharp contrast in colour fades as they become adults. They are jet black with white spots and seams (183) as babies but the strength of colour fades as they reach maturity and they tend to end up more like common browns with white dots as adults.
There colour will settle with time i'm sure, they have probably been moved several times in the past few weeks which lets face it would stress anyone to death. I always say if they are eating dont worry! and the fact they are ignoring the veggies means they have plenty of algae to go at, which will help strengthen their imune system and improve overall health. You can also give them Carrot Shelled peas and cucumber they love them all as a change, and it also adds a better balance of vitamins/ minerals too. As for the female.. all my BNs have very different personalitites.. some you hardly see and others are out and about all the time. She may just be a shy fish, or it maybe the stress has effected her more and shes talking longer to get over it.
Best you can do is keep the tank water super clean and well filtered with lots of current, lots of fresh food daily as you are already doing and just keep an eye on them. I find plecs to be very hardy creatures indeed so i'm sure they will do just fine.

 

[dane261]

i had the same problem when i got my wild caught pair of bn (zenacaras) they had no colour faded all the time were eating very shy took about 3 month for them to settle down full colour and see them all the time basically just imagine getting shipped out of your home a long arse flight and stuck in a tank thats no where the size they are used to they are bound to be a little stressed just give them time as they say up north it will be reeeet

as for breeding wild caught specimans i think its alot harder tbh

cheers dane

 

[sargent_skank]

i beg to differ that L182 lose their colour as they mature, i have a fully grown male and he is still jet black

 

[jollysue]

My impression of these two (and while I am somewhat new to plecs as a whole) is they are adjusting very well.

As we all know fish vary. And wild caught fish also vary and are not all from the same tribe. I have no doubt that there will be further changes to designations and classifications of species as time goes by. Trying to lump all L182's into a perfect and identical unvarying description is likely to be futile.

I got these from a breeder that got them on AB from another. I do not know who the original supplier was. I have no "papers" on them. The breeder I got them from obviously was misinformed about the adult size. Who knows what these will eventually turn into?

By the way, thanks for the concern and further info on care, habits and feeding. I am relieved.