L144 pair or trio?

[guysmiley]

I am thinking of buying a pair of longfin L144 but was wondering if it b better to buy a trio. Will the male raise one batch at a time or breed with both females as he's watching wigglers?

[sidguppy]

he'll raise 1 batch at a time.
but a trio is still a good idea if the tank has enough hiding places and enough algae; that way when the male is feeling grunchy and territorial he doesn't have to be nasty to a single fish.

[MatsP]

First the "grumpy old man comment". I can virtually bet my ex-wife's house that you don't have

Ancistrus sp(L144)

, but

Ancistrus sp(4)

. Not that it makes much difference - it's just that the fish commonly sold as L144 isn't actually L144. Note the difference in colouration, and to quote Ingo Seidel (who was the one that pointed out that what currnetly is called L144 isn't), "True L144 is an ugly fish when compared to the newer one". It is likely that all of the original L144 form are extinct.

Secondly, it's quite plausible that the male will care for two broods at the same time - either laid simultaneously or separately. It's been documented several times.

--
Mats

[Richard B]

Either should work ok but a trio would IMHO be better - i have a quartet!

[guysmiley]

Thanks for the info guys, very helpfull. Looks like your ex- wife will keep her house this time Mats. Is there a common name for these pleco that is more universal and clear? I bet if I refer to them as L004 most ppl won't know what I'm talking about.

[Richard B]

Thanks for the info guys, very helpfull. Looks like your ex- wife will keep her house this time Mats. Is there a common name for these pleco that is more universal and clear? I bet if I refer to them as L004 most ppl won't know what I'm talking about.

No, no not quite right - L004 is a completely different species from Ancistrus sp.4

If you ask forlongfin L144 you will get longfin Ancistrus sp.4 which is what you want

[nvcichlids]

blue eyed bristlenose or blue eyed ancistrus cirrosous (spelt that wrong!)

[MatsP]

Thanks for the info guys, very helpfull. Looks like your ex- wife will keep her house this time Mats. Is there a common name for these pleco that is more universal and clear? I bet if I refer to them as L004 most ppl won't know what I'm talking about.

Well, as Richard pointed out

L004

(from memory, L004 is a Dark bodied, white-spotted Hypancistrus) and is NOT the correct name. The "sp(4)" that we call it here isn't meant to be an official name, just a way to indicate that it is "not a scientifically described species".

The page shows it as "Black eyed yellow bristlenose", but "blue eyed yellow bristlenose" isn't a bad name. Or perhaps the accurate but slightly less catchy "the bristlenose commonly called L144 that isn't L144" ;)

--
Mats