Royal Panaque

[Wills]

Hi there I have found an awesome Royal Panaque for sale and he is at 3 inches at the moment. I am quite interested in him as I have always loved them but they are usually £50+ for small ones in my area but this one has popped up. I am unsure of the L number at the moment but I have asked. I know these are large growing plecs but I seem to remember hearing they are very slow growing fish?

So at the moment its home would be a Fluval Roma 240 with a mix of SA/CA cichlids a few headstanders and 1 L135 and 1 L235. The tank will be run on a Fluval FX5 and possibly a Fluval 4 external. However at some point in the next 18 months probably in 18 months I will be getting a 6 foot tank so I am thinking that by this time he will be at a large size and thus prompt the move quicker?

Normally I oppose upgrading as you go and like to buy fish that will be well suited to the tank at present just incase the upgrade never happens.

Despite my eagerness I am relativity hesitant to go for this fish so if you think its not a good idea let me know it just looks pretty lol

If anyone can shed some light on this for me that would be great thanks
Wills!

 

[Wills]

just found this article from mr monks http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/141958-royal-plec/ and 15 cm at 11 years old is pretty slow growing in my books, still a lot of research left to do yet though....

 

[River Dog]

They are possibly my favourite pleco, I have a Royal, a Green Phantom, a gold nugget and a Mega Clown Pleco. Even though the others are more colourful, the royal is such a cool fish. Here is a photo of mine at 8 inches, I have had him since he was an inch long, and have had him around two years.

He will eat most things, but loves nothing more than scoffing his cucumber.

 

[Wills]

Wow thats nice! What size tank is he in? Ive found a good one near me at around 3 inches should be going to pick it up tomorrow night or this afternoon

 

[River Dog]

Thanks, he is in a 6x2x2 150 gallon. He was less than 3 inches when I bought him in June last year.

 

[matubula]

Thanks, he is in a 6x2x2 150 gallon. He was less than 3 inches when I bought him in June last year.

Thats an impressive growth rate. Can you give us any more information about your tank, regime or feeding? I would definitely like to know how to emulate this.

 

[River Dog]

Thanks, he is in a 6x2x2 150 gallon. He was less than 3 inches when I bought him in June last year.

Thats an impressive growth rate. Can you give us any more information about your tank, regime or feeding? I would definitely like to know how to emulate this.

Not sure what to tell you really. When I first got him, he was in a 4ft tank and I didn't see him eat for about a week, then one day I caught him eating Tetra Prima which I feed to all my young Cichlids twice daily. He also ate frozen prawns, blood worm and mussels, that were fed a couple of times a week. I then set up a five ft tank and he was transferred to there along with a pair of Synspilus, a big flagtail and some silver dollars. I fed lettuce, cucumber and peas as well as the food mentioned above. He eats just about anything that goes in the tank and is not shy at all. I then got a 6x2x2 and he now resides there along with a Queen gold nugget, the synspilus, a pair of carpinte 'Escondido' a wild Oscar and a few convicts. The tank works and he is happy with his favourite piece of bogwood where he sits for hours on end. I have never had to target feed him, as he will make sure he gets his fill, even with boisterous cichlids. The tank stats are Temp 28 Ph 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate 20ppm. Lights are 2 x 54w T5. Filtration is 2 x Fluval FX5's. Water change is 75 gallon weekly.
As I say, I am not sure if this info will help you, as I just do what I do. If there is anything else you need to know, just shout and I'll try and help you.

 

[matubula]

Thanks for the info. We have very similar setups, I think the biggest difference is that I keep most of my royals together. My first royals have perhaps grown 2-3" in 4 years. How much meaty foods do you think your royal gets?

 

[River Dog]

Thanks for the info. We have very similar setups, I think the biggest difference is that I keep most of my royals together. My first royals have perhaps grown 2-3" in 4 years. How much meaty foods do you think your royal gets?

I am no expert when it comes to pleco's, but keeping them in groups is not a good idea. They get very territorial especially with other Royals. Also are they all getting their fair share ? Mine is an absolute pig, so it could be that I feed too much. But in saying that he always gets scraps that the cichlids miss. As for the amount ? I can not really answer this with any accuracy. As I say, I could put in half a dozen prawns and the other fish will eat all of them, but on other days, the Royal might get a couple of prawns to himself. On another day he will gorge himself on cucumber or though I don't believe they get much nutrition off of cucumber. Sorry I can't be more precise for you.

 

[matubula]

I know now that I was too hasty when I first got them, and agree that they dont too well together, but for the time being its the situation im in. I know that they all feed and I try to let them all get their fare share but its impossible to know for sure. I feed using veg 'kebabs' with a variety of veg on each, I usually put 4 in at different places in the tank, twice a week. And I feed algae wafers and alike in between. To me it sounds like your royal gets a lots meaty food, I have always been advised to feed very little of it.

 

[Darkstar]

but keeping them in groups is not a good idea

Not the case, as long as you're careful in which plecs you put in your tank, they are absolutely fine.

Panaques though, should not be given a protein rich diet - prawns etc maybe ok as a rare treat but they should not be given to panaques regularly or it can result in a premature death.