Pleco Id? With Pics

[Bloo]

The pics in your fist post and most recent post of Posted Today, 01:23 PM - are as Bunjiweb says *totally* different and flicking through your album and hardly seems a mistake as there are no other albums with your panaqua pics

 

[pica_nuttalli]

actually guys, if you look closely at the later pics, you can see the same white markings on the dorsal and tail (they kind of blend into the gravel).

the op did say that he had just gotten the plec from a bare, brightly lit tank the previous day. assuming that the plec had also been poorly fed at the LFS, then what we may have id'ed as a panaque was just a starved-down ancistrus in stress-coloration.

 

[Kairi]

is that the same pleco?! geez, it went from striped to brown. regardless- it's cute. and tiny

 

[AndyTaylor]

I'm amused by this, guys......It's the same fish in both pics! The first pics were taken immediately after getting home from the LFS, the latest pics 2 days ago. He does seem to have changed color to a dark chocolate brown but 'tis the same animal! He spent the first couple of days hiding in a corner but now is actively defending his food from fish twice his size!

I'll go with pica_nuttalli's explanation......the tank in the LFS was completely unsuitable for him, bare and brightly lit and the LFS had no idea how long he was in there so i'm sure he was both underfed and stressed.

So now I have an ancistrus? Cool!

 

[Bloo]

I still find it incredibly hard to believe The plec not only underwent a massive colour change (never in my life have a seen a vividly striped ancistrus - which is what it looks like now) but also a radical body shape change I don't get it at all......

Yes fish grow - but they don't go from high arched back to a flatline in such an incredibly short space of time!
If they do, I find this incredibly facinating and interesting.

 

[§tudz]

I still find it incredibly hard to believe The plec not only underwent a massive colour change (never in my life have a seen a vividly striped ancistrus - which is what it looks like now) but also a radical body shape change I don't get it at all......

Yes fish grow - but they don't go from high arched back to a flatline in such an incredibly short space of time!
If they do, I find this incredibly interesting and interesting.

I'm with you on this one.

The first fish, has red-ish eyes, a large arched back, and its tail has pointed corners, where as the second fish has a rounded tail, that looks a little worn. even the dorsal fins are different.

I am led to believe someone is trying to test us, and maybe bring some heated debate to the forums?

 

[clunkster]

totaly confused as bloo says have never seen a fish change to the extent this fish seems to have
http/i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/Andy...Plec/pleco2.jpg
http/i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/Andy...limatising1.jpg
still the same fish?

 

[AndyTaylor]

..... I think I see the problem here....

This pic..... http/i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/Andy...Plec/pleco2.jpg .... is the mystery L number, taken 2 days ago.

This pic..... http/i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/Andy...limatising1.jpg .... is my Royal pleco L190.

This is how the mystery L number looked when I got him home from the LFS last weekend....

http/s25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/Andy...mystery%20plec/

The photos in this album are of the mystery plec as he looks now....
http/s25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/AndyTaylorEire/Plec/


I'm now completely confused as to what happened because all the posters who ID'd the mystery L number as L 027 were obviously looking at a photo of the right fish.......this photo seems to have disappeared.
To clarify again....the stripey L number with red/brown eyes is my Royal Plec. The spotted brown L with white tips on dorsal and caudal fins is the mystery fish.

In all seriousness though.... This is not a wind-up of any kind.....just confusion!

Let's start again, shall we?

Andy

 

[§tudz]

right that makes things a lot better B)

That is an ancistrius, or common name, bristlenose catfish. There are hundreds of different BN imported, and alot are captive bred, some are mixed breeds, so its hard to ID a BN, apart from saying yeah its a BN.

its maynot have bristles yet as it may be too young, or a female, as in some species of BN, the females have no bristles, but most of them the female get brsitles around the top lip, unlike the males. As his would be around the lip, and up the center of the face.

Situation cleared up, lol... well that was a bit of fun, brought some life back to me

 

[Bloo]

Good to know that's sorted now Andy - didn't think you were the type of guy to try and pull the wool over our eyes !

 

[AndyTaylor]

Glad that's sorted.... ! Thanks for all the help, sorry for all the confusion!

 

[bunjiweb]

Ok glad the confusion has been cleared up.

The plec you last pictured is an L127 or at least thats the most simlar ancistrus I have ever seen. They aren't a bristled ancistrus, so dont expect it to end up looking like a bristlenose.

Expect it to get to about 5" and eat anything vegy, along with alot of bogwood rasping and algae eating.

Ben

 

[§tudz]

Ok glad the confusion has been cleared up.

The plec you last pictured is an L127 or at least thats the most simlar ancistrus I have ever seen. They aren't a bristled ancistrus, so dont expect it to end up looking like a bristlenose.

Expect it to get to about 5" and eat anything vegy, along with alot of bogwood rasping and algae eating.

Ben

ah new fact I thought all Ancistrus had bristles

 

[bunjiweb]

Well technically it is an ancistrini i think but it is the same basic sub species. The difference between these and your normal bristly ancistrus is that the "evertible" cheek plates have extended odontodes (spikes).

Having said all this, I wouldnt guarentee 100% that yours is a L127, that is just my closest guess from the pictures. If you could get any pictures that are lighter showing the pattern and head features any closer, it would be easier to identify.

Ben

 

[AndyTaylor]

That's great, Ben....Thanks for that. I'll see if I can get a few better pics later....Whatever he is, he's still a bit shy but some cucumber usually does the trick....