Which Golden Nugget Plec To Get & Any Advice?

[gazb5590]

I have a 145L tank and I'm dying to get a Golden Nugget in a few months time once my tank has matured but I'm not sure which L numbered Golden Nugget to get though (L18,L81,L85 or L177). I've been told that I'm better off going for the L81 or if not the L177 has these probably won't outgrow the tank but a lot of people seem to get them mixed up. Also I have 6 yo-yo loaches that I am debating taking out has they seem to eat everything in sight so it might be difficult to get the Golden Nugget acclimated properly if the loaches eat everything before he even gets chance to get out of his cave. I've also heard they can be quite hard to keep alive and don't want to get one just for it to die a few days later. Just wondered if anyone's got any advice on which one to go for also how to keep them alive and get them settled? THANKS

 

[Titchie]

We have a L81 golden nugget called gypsy, she cost me £25 but was a present for the better half as she loves plecs. Weve never had any problems with her really. We have a heard of kuhli loaches,catfish and a couple of ballon mollys and they get to any food on the bottom before she does. She was really shy for the first couple of months and never saw her. I was worried about her starving so bought some pellet food to put in her hidy hole. Ive had spikes in water levels due to changing the filters etc but she's still with us and now comes out every time theres food about and during the morning when theres not. She even takes on our bristle nose when theres food about. She loves the alge wafers you can get and in my unexperianced fish keeping hobby, easy to look after

 

[gazb5590]

We have a L81 golden nugget called gypsy, she cost me £25 but was a present for the better half as she loves plecs. Weve never had any problems with her really. We have a heard of kuhli loaches,catfish and a couple of ballon mollys and they get to any food on the bottom before she does. She was really shy for the first couple of months and never saw her. I was worried about her starving so bought some pellet food to put in her hidy hole. Ive had spikes in water levels due to changing the filters etc but she's still with us and now comes out every time theres food about and during the morning when theres not. She even takes on our bristle nose when theres food about. She loves the alge wafers you can get and in my unexperianced fish keeping hobby, easy to look after

Thanks for the advice. That's the the one I'm after the L81 but I don't know if the fish store I get it from will know which L number it is. I'm dying to get one ASAP but I'm going to be patient and wait for the tank to settle and mature. I've heard a lot of people say they've had Golden Nuggets and they've died not long after adding them to their aquarium so want to do everything possible to make sure all risks are minimal.

 

[matubula]

I was puzzled at how you recalled nearly every L number for this fish, but omitted it's scientific name, Baryancistrus xanthellus.

But anyway, these are probably your best sources of information:

Planetcatfish species profile

PlanetCatfish COTM article

PlanetCatfish article - 'The yellow seamed “Golden Nugget” – a problem pleco?'

Firstly, I think your aquarium is ultimately too small. If you can look after this fish then it will get too large and need a larger aquarium, something like 4x2x2 or 5x2x2 feet is necessary for an adult.

As you have probably heard and read, they are notoriously hard to acclimatise at first. But given you have plenty of time to prepare for it's arrival, hopefully it will go smoothly. I think the best thing you can do is remove it's competition from the bottom of the aquarium. Then try to encourage as much algae and biofilm growth in your aquarium as you can, because this will be what it eats when first introduced. You could add extra surfaces for it to grow on, like slate, pebbles and bog wood.

 

[gazb5590]

I was puzzled at how you recalled nearly every L number for this fish, but omitted it's scientific name, Baryancistrus xanthellus.

But anyway, these are probably your best sources of information:

Planetcatfish species profile

PlanetCatfish COTM article

PlanetCatfish article - 'The yellow seamed “Golden Nugget” – a problem pleco?'

Firstly, I think your aquarium is ultimately too small. If you can look after this fish then it will get too large and need a larger aquarium, something like 4x2x2 or 5x2x2 feet is necessary for an adult.

As you have probably heard and read, they are notoriously hard to acclimatise at first. But given you have plenty of time to prepare for it's arrival, hopefully it will go smoothly. I think the best thing you can do is remove it's competition from the bottom of the aquarium. Then try to encourage as much algae and biofilm growth in your aquarium as you can, because this will be what it eats when first introduced. You could add extra surfaces for it to grow on, like slate, pebbles and bog wood.

Just read the articles. Thanks for the help as they was quiet useful.
That's what I am planning to do. I am hoping to take out the loaches and let the aufwuchs build up on the bogwood and driftwood in the tank and I also have 4 different types of slate caves that are all quite big. I have been wiping the algae off the glass fairly regularly usually where the stream of water coming out of the filter and hits the glass has it builds up quite rapidly there but I've been considering leaving it to build up but not sure by doing that I'd be doing more harm than good!? I am also going to try and get all the right foods in to see which it takes to more and try to get the PH, water hardness and temperature stable and near enough perfect to suit the fish but for obvious reasons this is easier said than done. Like I said I'm going to wait a good few months yet but would like to prepare early so when the time comes to get one everything is as it should be for it to survive and hopefully acclimatise.