FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Got this guy the other day, cracking little fish...

well, that looks amazing. what an awesome fish.also is its name L142 or does it have a common name, like if i wanted to order it so when i go to the lfs i dont ask the guy to order me an L142?

Beautiful fish mez. I have to say Im a little jealous.

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Most plecos are known by their L number. This is L142, or Baryancistrus sp. L142. They're not really all that rare, but beautiful i think.

OOOhhhh! That's a gorgeous fishy! How big is he? I read he'll be a hefty fella when it's all grown up. WoW, I doubt if I could ever handle a fish that size! What a beaut. Will it be an only child? You take wonderful pics too!

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Buy another one and breed it.. i want babies

how much did he cost?

Fantastic, a beautiful fish indeed. Then again, I'm a plec lover.

Cichlid Kid, if you wanted a plec such as this without a scientific name, you would in fact actually have to ask by their L-number. I've talked to someone at an LFS about L-numbers and they actually list L-numbers on wholesale ordering lists.

I'd wager this pretty little plec would cost between $30-$40 at my LFS. I got an L18 recently, which are much more common, which was priced at $35.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

ok thankyou. pretty pricy but worth it.

Kelly, Baryancistrus dont get too large..

Really. Maybe I looked at the profile of a different Plec. I thought it said they get 12 inches (Big White Spot, White Spot, LDA33/L 142, Snowball Pleco). The titles are confusing to me, but the pic looked similar. It's still a gorgeous fishy though! How big do you expect it to get? Can you tell if it's male or female? (I like to call it he or she, him or her )

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

PlanetCatfish claims this species grows to about 10". In any case, for some reason I hear Baryancistrus species (or at least gold nuggets) grow remarkably slowly in captivity, although on the other hand I've never seen any scientific study about how fast they grow in the wild for comparison.

Personally, I can't distinguish if Mez's specimen is a male or female. At its small size, I'd almost guarantee its not sexually mature. In many plecs, the males will grow ounced hairs on their gill covers and pectoral fins. To a certain degree, plecs can be sexed by venting them, similar to cichlids, but I have no idea what to look for so I can't actually do that.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

they pull VERY HIGH prices over here,IF you are able to get 1!

Too...many...grammatical...errors...cannot...comply...

All individuals successfully raising and breeding baryancistrus species (which, incidentally, get quite large--I know of individuals with 7-8" range LDA33s) assert that heavy vegetable feeding and extremely warm water allows for optimal growth of these fish. This coincides well with their ecological role as shallow water awfwuchs browsers, meaning they get a steady, almost constant supply of food. And with the current and lack of turbidity in the water that these fish inhabit, you can be assured that most of this biofilm consists of algal matter.

To be vented, the fish have to be in a spawning (or comparably well off) condition.

And sexually mature.

Thanks for the info Cup. I kind of figured that about venting, ha. I also had this assumption that all plecs like current. Looks like my gold nugget isn't going into my high-current plec tank.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

they do like current.

Ah, I see I misread your post.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I love the word "aufwuchs".

Nice plec, James.