Can I breed pl*cos in a 29g?

[Caton]

Hey, I have a 29g tank with 6 pl*cos in the tank (nothing else other than some MTS) and I was wondering if this tank would be suitable for breeding, I may be able to upgrade to a 30g tank. The pl*cos are barely 2"

[Birger]

It may help to clarify...what kind of pleco's are they??

[MatsP]

If we answer the generic question, can plecos be bred in a 29g tank, then the answer is yes.

The requirement for specific species varies, depending on size, temperament, as well as water quality criteria, and the list goes on. Also, 29g tank is quite tall, which means that there is less floor space than, say, a 30g tank which is long and low, so offering a fair bit more floor space, despite the similarity in volume.

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Mats

[bronzefry]

I breed Farlowellas in a 29 gallon tank. It was more out of necessity: "no room at the inn." It's very, very dependent on the species. And, once they breed, there truly is "no room at the inn." You need someplace to put the offspring. There are so many fish in this category, it's difficult to know what you are looking for. Can you please give us a hint?
Amanda

[nvcichlids]

The pl*cos are barely 2"

Can they breed in there, yes, but at 2" not for a little while yet.

[apistomaster]

I use 20 longs and 29H for breeding all plecos which do not grow longer than about 3-3/4 inches. These two tank each have a 12 X 30 inch foot prints and have worked well for breeding groups of L260 and L134 numbering between 6 and 9 fish.
I can breed Bushy Noses in a 10 gallon tank.
For Plecos of 4 to 5 inches I use 40 gal breeders for groups of 7 or 8 fish the size of L333's.
I don't keep any larger species of plecos. 40 gal breeders have 18 X 36 inch foot print.

[Caton]

Sorry, I forgot to say what kind they are. They are b/n plecos. I have a 20g that I will put the fry in. Here is a picture of the tank for now, I plan on getting it planted:

They are albino and short-finned however the dad was long-finned and the momma was short.

[MatsP]

Yes, that should work fine. If your lineage is a long fin and a normal fin, then the offspring will be part long fin and part short fin - I think (without drawing up diagrams) you will get 25% long fin from this (but it also depends on what mom's heritage is).

Edit: And you probably have between 6 and 10 months before they breed the first time. If you can split the males off from the females, I'd recommend you do that for a few months, to let the females grow out a bit further. No rush, but in say 2-3 months, when the males start growing a little bit of bristles.

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Mats

[apistomaster]

I have had F1 crosses of An Albino X Normal common Bushy Nose which began producing fry at between 9-10 months old. They were all normal fins and their broods followed the predicted, according to classical Mendelian genetics, 25% Albino Phenotypes, 25% NN normal and 50% normal phenotype heterozygous for the recessive albino trait.
Actually they are fish I bred then gave him some of the young from the cross to my local fish buddy. He trades a lot of of them in for store credit at the LFS. Sometimes it is convenient to have pairs which produce more than one phenotype when your space is limited and he gets a little more for his albinos.
I find my long fin albino bushy nose to be less vigorous than my normal fin albinos. I don't know if this generally true and accounts for their prices remaining relatively high compared with common Bushy noses in general or if it is just the particular strain I have. I do not breed any bushy noses deliberately but it still happens.

The long fin Albino common Ancistrus retail price has been pretty stable for the last 5 years or so at $14.99 each at the LFS.
That seems high to me unless they really are a bit harder to raise to a salable size.
I don't use many rooted plants in my pleco breeding tanks but I do encourage a growth of Tropical Hornwort just under the surface. Since I leave my fry in the breeding tank until they are 3 or 4 times larger than when they first emerge it makes it easier for me to catch the fry. I can always pull the Hornwort out and set it aside to have easy access when i am netting them out.
I mention it because there are some practical considerations to take into account in breeding set ups that are different from those used in more attractively planted display tanks, I like having live plants but I use species that work well for my more production oriented breeding set ups.

[MatsP]

Just noticed the placement of the heater - I'm pretty sure all heaters are supposed to be in the water column rather than in the gravel.

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Mats

[trebor69]

Just noticed the placement of the heater - I'm pretty sure all heaters are supposed to be in the water column rather than in the gravel. Mats

DOH... good eye. Yah I wouldn't try that I don't think. You really want the heater in a spot where it receives some water flow over it. It helps a lot to evenly heat the tank and make the heaters thermostat function properly.

I've never seen anyone try it in the gravel. I would think it would heat up the gravel surrounding it and prematurely shut off before the tank water was heated. That or overheat and break.

[Caton]

The heater is for a 55g, if I have it on low it over heats the tank. If I bury it, it stays coolish (80*f). I have another heater but it is HOB, and I dont want to try and get it too cold or to hot. I guess if they go in a spare 10g for a day to get a heater change out that should be fine. Thanks!

[Suckermouth]

Yeah, you really want to get yourself a properly sized heater. Heaters are one of those things that malfunction more often than people would like, and less than proper usage could be a bad idea. I've had more heaters go bad than any other piece of aquarium equipment.

[apistomaster]

Haters are the most poorly engineered pieces of essential equipment we use,
Even so, if a heater is working properly it doesn't matter if you use a 300 watt heater in a 10 gal tank. It will not over heat the tank. The description given about your heater is a symptom of a failed heater and it is going to cook your fish sooner or later regardless of where you put it. It is time to replace it now.

[trebor69]

The heater is for a 55g, if I have it on low it over heats the tank. If I bury it, it stays coolish (80*f).

yah sounds to me like what I said above. That heater is heating up the gravel around it and shutting off prematurely before it has a chance to heat the water too much.

junk it.....you are playing a dangerous game that your fish are going to lose sooner or later

grab yourself a new heater....put it in the tank unplugged for about 1/2 hour to let it 'acclimate'

I like to go about 5w per gallon...but some can get away with 3w. It just depends on the average room temp and how much above that you need to go.

[apistomaster]

My tanks are kept in an ambient temperature of 78-80*F so I am able to use 100 watt stealth heaters(The black unbreakable) on my 4.5 gal to my 40 gal breeder tanks and set them for 80 to 86*F depending on the fish.
I use 300 watt heaters for my 75 gal and 125 gal tanks.
It is helpful to be able to use the 100 watt heaters on most of my tanks. It simplifies things. Always a priority for me.
Most of my Stealths are of the older design which lack any pilot light which is a major drawback but the newest models I bought now have a pilot light built-in to the control knob. These are much better than the original design.