My L134 Breeding efforts

[MatsP]

Metric conversion above is incorrect: 6 inches = 15cm.

--
Mats

[2wheelsx2]

Metric conversion above is incorrect: 6 inches = 15cm.

Yeah, 30 cm cave is a pretty long cave.

[apistomaster]

It was a flash back to yesterday when I was calculating the dimensions in cm of a 20 long which is 12 inches wide and high; I forgot to divide that by 2.

[davej]

Updated first post with a new video to show growth

[Unungy]

Just beautiful, congratulations on your success.

Saul

[Melander]

Very interesting thread, thanks for sharing and congrats on the spawns!

Melander

[davej]

Thanks everyone for the nice compliments.

[davej]

Parents are still pumping out clutches, 8 so far with another female trapped in a cave.
Here is a quick video of the youngsters feeding

[Neo]

Excellant thread and pics and videos thanks for sharing I did have a few of these once

I shall try do something similar with my next L46 spawn this have given me the incentive to post up great posts and pics etc

Thanks again and well done!

Rob

[davej]

Thought it might be time for a little update
Here is a vid of my 90 with the L134's feeding.
Sorry for the dirty glass.

[apistomaster]

My young F1 breeder Peckoltia compta usually produce 12 to 15 fry at first but the more mature breeders average 25 with some as few a 20 and some broods as large as 35.
These are photos of my wild breeders which have bred for five years straight until this year. This year they did not spawn and broke the group up and dispersed them among my F1 Nhamunda blue Discus and 125 planted Tetra tank since my F1's began producing their first broods earlier this spring.

I kept 2trios of wild breeders set up in a 20 long for five spawning seasons and took a few photos of some of their last year's broods while the fry were still in the breeding tank. At times I would have up to 80 fry in the 20 Long plus the six adults so it could get crowded as you can see.

[nicolaisam]

Thanks for that excellent write up.
Have just purchased 2 lots of 4 juveniles from different breeders.
Have a 4ftx15"x15" tank running at the moment,just making sure its fully cycled.
My tap water is soft,so seems to suit L134's and my tank of L046's.

Do you use a bare tank to make it easier to clean?
What filters are you running?

[davej]

Yes I keep a bare tank to make cleaning easier, as well I think it is easier for the fish to find the food I put in there. None of it falls down amongst the gravel to rot.
I have a Hydro Sponge Filter #5 PRO with the reticulated foam as well as a Eheim 2028.
I just had another clutch laid last-night. I think that makes 13 clutches for the tank so far!
I have one male that is responsible for at least half of the spawnings. 3 Days ago I flushed out the fry and wigglers he had in his cave. I like to keep them in the frysaver so I can have food in front of them all the time.
Yesterday he had a new clutch already!
I keep my temp at 84F and keep a 12 hour photo period, just like they have at the equator, I figure this would be close to what they are used to.

Hope this helps,.

[nicolaisam]

Yes I keep a bare tank to make cleaning easier, as well I think it is easier for the fish to find the food I put in there. None of it falls down amongst the gravel to rot.
I have a Hydro Sponge Filter #5 PRO with the reticulated foam as well as a Eheim 2028.
I just had another clutch laid last-night. I think that makes 13 clutches for the tank so far!
I have one male that is responsible for at least half of the spawnings. 3 Days ago I flushed out the fry and wigglers he had in his cave. I like to keep them in the frysaver so I can have food in front of them all the time.
Yesterday he had a new clutch already!
I keep my temp at 84F and keep a 12 hour photo period, just like they have at the equator, I figure this would be close to what they are used to.

Hope this helps,.

Thanks.
wow yours are breeding well.
The tank conditions are similar for my L046 zerbras.
I have a 3E 2078 on my new tank that is for the Zebras.
I have another tank in the same rack for the L134's,just trying to sort out the filtering,I always run an air sponge filter as well as the Externals,just in case the external stops when i am at work.
I only use LED lights for my Zebras as they dont seem to like bright light,they love strong water flow though.

How long do they take to reach maturity,the ones i have brought are 4-5cm long?

[apistomaster]

From my own experience, I have had F1 Peckoltia compta females spawn with wild males at 24 months.
The new breeding groups of my F1's I set up early this summer are mixed with some fish that are only 24 months and others that are 36 months. I assume it is the larger, older and most dominant males that are doing most of the breeding. I provide fewer caves than there are males so only dominant fish end up retaining possession of a breeding cave. Females prefer to spawn with dominant males.
I think that is true of most all the plecos.

I have been keeping some fry from each year's production so in the long run new breeders are available to replace old breeders.
I think P. compta have a breeding lifespan of about 9 to 11 years.
I think their lifespan overall is between 12 and 15 years. These are my estimates. Only time will tell.
I have heard of reports of L134 breeding at as young as 18 months old but I do not expect that to happen among my fish.

[davej]

As for lighting I run a Marineland double bright 36-48" LED on the 90 gallon tank.

[apistomaster]

Dave,
Do you have any plants in the 90 gal lit by the double bright LED fixture?
I have read it is lacking in the two spectral peaks most important for photosynthesis. A light can appear to illuminate a tank well but still be lacking in the most important parts of the spectrum for photosynthesis.

[davej]

No plants at all, other than a little algae

[nicolaisam]

As for lighting I run a Marineland double bright 36-48" LED on the 90 gallon tank.

Do the L134's like bright lights?

I am not sure on the lights you use.

[apistomaster]

L134 are like most plecos in being light adverse.

[2wheelsx2]

Dave,
Do you have any plants in the 90 gal lit by the double bright LED fixture?
I have read it is lacking in the two spectral peaks most important for photosynthesis. A light can appear to illuminate a tank well but still be lacking in the most important parts of the spectrum for photosynthesis.

I am growing tons of Anubias and Java Ferns with my double brites. Dave has seen my setup. This is on my 125 gallon. I do supplement with CO2 and run 2 sets of 3 foot T5NO's another 4 hours a day, but the Doublebrites are on only 6 hours a day. I think that's a bunch of hooey. Ming is also growing plants with his doublebrites.

[apistomaster]

I had two fresh water Current 36" dual HO T-5 lights over my heavily planted 125 gal Tetra tank but that was not quite enough light for my most demanding plants so I added three connectable series of 21 inch T-2 and it made just the difference I needed to improve plant growth.
I plan to eventually switch to using T-2 or LED over all my tanks, depending on prices, when that time comes.

Here is a site I have been using to better understand the merits of the various lighting options.
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com ... hting.html

[davej]

I switched to LED to cut down on the lighting cost as well as the heat produced from T5's over 3 tanks in my fish room.

[apistomaster]

When I set up my present fish room, I bought the Current Lighting sold their Nova series single NO T-5 fixtures which included a NO T-5 lamp, connecting pig tails, so I could link them in a series. They run much cooler and produce little heat but unfortunately they have discontinued these. This is one of my reasons for researching future options.

For the rest of my breeding and grow out tanks I use the Coralife dual NO T-5 fresh water strip lights. They come in 20", 24",30" 36" and 48" lengths.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/209809/product.web
I am on a budget billing so my power bill is the same every month. I noticed a drop in my average bill the next year after switching over to these NO-T-5 fixtures.
The HO T-5 run at much higher watts and temps and I only have the two 36 inch units over my 125 gal planted tank plus the new three 21 inch T2 lights.

T-5, whether NO or HO are now "old" technology and I think they will be gradually be replaced by T2, SHO CFL and LED lighting systems for depths up to 20" to the substrate. For more than 20" to substrate MH and HQI are still superior.
The T2 are interesting. The produce 73 Lumens per inch.
They are a mere 1/4"/7 mm diameter, built in 180* reflectors, rotate 180* along their axis so you can easily aim them and they are designed to be connected to run in a series for long tanks or facilitate placement of many in a refit or DIY reflector and the longest 21 inch only uses 13 watts.

Back on topic, I use 12 hours of full lighting and grow plants in all my plecos breeding tanks, even if only in pots and free floating types. I feed my L134 breeders live black worms regularly in a ceramic cereal bowl. I add the worms just before I turn off the lights and by morning most or all the black worms have been eaten.

[nicolaisam]

L134 are like most plecos in being light adverse.

I am not planning on having any plants in my tank,so i think the LED lights i have will be fine.

[davej]

Haven't updated for a while, fish have been breeding like crazy. They have been sitting on clutches pretty much non stop since April. There hasn't been a time where at least one male has had eggs or fry on the go.
I have three 40 gallon breeders on the go for grow out.
L134's put on huge growth in the first couple of months and then seem to slow a little bit after that. I had some black sand in the bottom of one of my growouts, I decided to take it out as it seemed to trap some of the food and I wanted to go bare bottomed. After taking out the wood and rocks out and siphoning out the sand here is what I found in there.
Enjoy

[powerfulpumpkins]

Well DaveJ has this L134 breeding down to a fine art ! those of us with L134's but never a fry in sight can only look on longingly ! Well done DaveJ !

[apistomaster]

My wild and F1 L134 breeders have always begun spawning in the early spring and stop by mid September.
In six years of breeding them I have only had them spawn once during the winter and only got a couple fry instead of my usual range of 25 to 35 fry per spawn.
I have always wondered why mine seem to have a spawning season while many other breeders' fish breed the year around?
I am already beginning my pre-spawning season water changing increases and feeding them heavier.

[Matt30]

Mate well done, I have never seen so many L134's together grate video

[2wheelsx2]

My wild and F1 L134 breeders have always begun spawning in the early spring and stop by mid September.
In six years of breeding them I have only had them spawn once during the winter and only got a couple fry instead of my usual range of 25 to 35 fry per spawn.
I have always wondered why mine seem to have a spawning season while many other breeders' fish breed the year around?
I am already beginning my pre-spawning season water changing increases and feeding them heavier.

Part of the formula could be our rainforest type water. GH and KH are basically 0, so we have to buffer it every water change to prevent pH crashes.