Birthday gift

[Berger]

So my very nice girlfriend decided that she wanted to get me a fancy pleco this year for my birthday.(She got my a Bristlenose for christmas )

So I thought I'd come to you guys for suggestions. The tank size I'll have avaiable will be a 30g

Here are the ones I'm looking at
Snow Ball Pleco Hypancistrus sp. (L102)
Leopard Catus Pseudacanthicus leopardus (L114)
Gold Nugget Baryancistrus sp. (L018)
Mango Baryancistrus sp. (L047)
Ancistrinae sp. (L128)

Others I'm considering
Female Bristlenose
Pair of Farowellas
or maybe a banjo cat or two

The pleco will most likely get the 30g to its self, the worst it would have to do is share with a couple cories and the bristlenose.

I am of course open to any suggestions, but price is a factor..we have seen these locally for under $40. Any we may have to special order it which is all fine by us.(The other lfs gets fancy plecos but they keep them in horrible conditions, so we'll be ordering for our favorite lfs)

any questions or suggestions let me know

[BK]

hi,

i would shy away from the L114 , i hear they can be very agressive and they grow to about 10 inches wich imo is kind of large for an agressive fish in a 30 gallon. i would stick with the gold nugget, mango, L102, and L128 are nice fish. the banjos are neat to but they like smaller sand/grave/leaf litter so they can dig/bury themselves.

good luck choosing a fish

[Vik]

The L047 Mango will get up to 11", is a 30 gallon large enough for it to turn about in? The L102 gets my vote!!

[Berger]

hi,

i would shy away from the L114 , i hear they can be very agressive and they grow to about 10 inches wich imo is kind of large for an agressive fish in a 30 gallon. i would stick with the gold nugget, mango, L102, and L128 are nice fish. the banjos are neat to but they like smaller sand/grave/leaf litter so they can dig/bury themselves.

good luck choosing a fish

Ya I heard they were rather agressive, but I threw it in as a choice because I like how they look...is it true that the color fades as they get older?

The L047 Mango will get up to 11", is a 30 gallon large enough for it to turn about in? The L102 gets my vote!!

ya the 30g with is about 18"..but I don't think I'd do it..I like to give my fish alittle more room than that

Thanks for the info so far!
Any suggestions from other people??

[T]

Mangos may get big but they grow mega slow.Mine has put on maybe 0.5" since I have had him(about a year), he is in a 30 gal tank with clowns and a vampire(which in compariaon has grown very fast and will be moved soon).

My votes for the mango, they are great fish.

[Easy]

I would prefer an L-177 when it comes to Golden Nuggets, I read somewhere that the other Golden Nuggets would lose their spots as they mature. As for the Mango/Magnum Pleco, well people say that they tend to grow quite slow. I dunno with mine, it seems to grow as fast as my L-014 Goldie, gained an inch probably or more in 6 months time. Pseudas such as the L-114 Leopardus are slow growers and they are a bit territorial. My 3-inch Leopardus would often bully my 5 inch L-177 and 6 inch Mango.

[L.Z]

My choice is L128, L102.

L114 grows fast, and in the growth, on the body thorn can more come obviously, the individuality is not certainly temperate.

L47, L18, if is the juvenile fish, the water change needs to pay attention.

[L.Z]

I am thought the spot has not changed the size, is only cannot follow the speed which the body grows.

[Graeme]

Do you Girls have L163's to keep? Nobody seems to have them here! Nor do i know anyone who keeps them.





Graeme.

[Berger]

I was wondering if anyone would suggest the L128. They had one a the not so go lfs store in town, and it was dead the next time I went there which was a week alter..

I really like the L128 and L102's but I'm partial to the Mango's

Oh the choices!!!

this may just come down to what my girlfriend decided to get me....

but keep the suggestions coming..and remember you can give me other suggestions!!

Thanks everyone
Berger