First Hypancistrus :) L340

[Ptyochromis]

My F0 L340 arrived today, he/she is about 2" long and very healthy looking. I am keeping him in a 29 heavily planted with lots of driftwood; he shares the tank with a pair of kribs, lots of endlers, a few ghost shrimp and nerite snails.

The parameters are 0ammo,0nitrite, 79F, PH of 7.8-8.0; I can get gh/kh and nitrates if you need(didn't feel like do the 'long' tests lol). I generally keep nitrates on the high side 40ppm-60ppm, although I can easily ease up on the ferts.

This is my first 'pleco' I have ever kept. I have kept otos in the past but they never lasted more than 3 months, I have also kept bronze corys in the past but never had much luck. I have breed cichlids including kribensis, J.marlieri, and L.ornatipinnis but cats have always eluded me.

I gave him some shrimp pellets tonight, but he shows no interest; which does not surprise me as this is his first night in the tank. There should also be some bloodworms leftover in the tank from the main feeding as I overfeed on purpose.

Any husbandry tips/feeding tips would be great, I would really hate to loose this guy; he is just so neat :3.

Also, here is the tank:

[Suckermouth]

I never see my L340 eat. I don't worry about it but I don't keep them with cichlids that can possibly outcompete them for food... Keep tabs on him to make sure he's not getting outcompeted by the other fish.

[jp11biod]

I have 5 wild 340's in their own 20L with lots of hiding spaces

I never see them and they have not reproduced yet. They are just very secretive type fish

If I need to see them, I just flush them out of their hiding places.

JS

[Ptyochromis]

I have a feeling he won't get out competed. My kribs never feed at night, I reckon that's the best time to feed him.
Also, what do yours like to eat?

[Narwhal72]

My pair have spawned for me once (soon after I got them) but I too have never seen them eat.

I feed algae wafers, shrimp pellets, frozen bloodworms, and live blackworms in the evening. But judging by the number of living blackworms in the substrate and the uneaten bloodworms I vacuum out of the tank I am guessing the algae wafers and shrimp pellets are all they like to eat.

I may start feeding them some Repashy meat pie gel food in the next month or so to see how they like that.

Andy

[Yann]

I have 5 wild 340's in their own 20L with lots of hiding spaces

I never see them and they have not reproduced yet. They are just very secretive type fish

If I need to see them, I just flush them out of their hiding places.

JS

Hi 20liters tank?? that is really too small for 5 specimens
The smaller the tank the more instable water parameters are...

54liters or 100 liters tank would really be better

Cheers
Yann

[Narwhal72]

In America, "20L" stands for 20 gallon Long (30" x 12" x 12") or 75 liters. It's one of the standard sizes of aquariums sold in the U.S.

Andy

[Yann]

Thanks for the clarification Andy!!
Then it is a good enough!!
Cheers
Yann

[Ptyochromis]

How much space do they take up? I'm considering getting another few sometime in the near future.

[Narwhal72]

I am not sure how you really qualify how much space they take up. Mine hide in their caves or under an overhang all day long. So really it's just one cave per fish. It's not like they really need room to swim like other fish.

However the larger the volume the more stable the water quality will be and that is always better for the fish. I keep my pair in a 14 gallon tank but I change half to 2/3 of the water weekly to keep it stable and clean. Female stays under some rocks on one side of the tank and the male stays in his cave all day. I don't think I would do more than two in anything under 15 gallons.


Andy

[vanillarum]

Congrats on acquiring your 340, they are beautiful fish. I have 4 adult 340s in my 46 gal BF community tank, and they spawn relatively frequently. The fry, IMO, are better looking than the adults ! I just pulled 4 fry out of one of my HOB filters, and they are currently residing in a fry saver. I almost never see my adults, unless I go looking for them with a flashlight. I have also never seen them eat, but since they have been in the tank for over 4 years, I would assume they are getting enough to eat. They are relatively reclusive fish, like most hypancistrus. I also have 3 adult L104s and an adult female red ancistrus in the tank, and they all get along fine. Good luck with yours.

[Ptyochromis]

Ya, mine is very reclusive also. He has taken to a hollow log; I think he is rather happy there or as happy as a fish can be. Do you think these guys will eat fish eggs? My kribs have spawned do you think there is any chance the L340 will gobble them up?

Also, If I do get more, what type of caves would you say they prefer or is the standard hollow log best?

Sorry, I know I said I would post pics but I don't think it's going to happen .

[pleco_breeder]

No experience with L340 eating eggs/fry because mine have always been in a species tank. However, I used to keep Bolivian rams in with my zebra plecos, and know they feasted on newly hatched fry on several occasions. Those that made it past the first week after hatch did just fine. The safest bet is to keep them separated.

Larry

[vanillarum]

My 340s take to all different types of caves, including wood, slate and ceramic. I usually put in a few different types and let the fish choose what they prefer.

[Suckermouth]

Almost all fish eat fish eggs, so really it should be your default assumption.

I use clay caves for my Hypancistrus. All Hypancistrus prefer a tight fit for their hiding place.

[Ptyochromis]

How do you guys prepare zucchini and other prepared foods for your L340? Also, is there any evidence to support these guys eating live glass shrimp? I am missing about half of mine lol.

[vanillarum]

For fresh zucchini, I cut a slice and stick it on the end of a fork. It sinks to the bottom, and I leave it there overnight. I have ghost shrimp in my community tank with my 340s, and the 340s do not seem to bother them (or else they can't catch them !).

[Ptyochromis]

Ya, I will have to get some zucchini. I got some algae wafers from Hikari which he does not touch and its questionable whether or not he eats those.

[Ptyochromis]

Is this species capable of living peacefully with other species of pleco such as L129? Is there any chance of cross breeding?

[Suckermouth]

If the conditions are right, L129 and L340 will cross. Do not keep any Hypancistrus together.

I have never tried feeding any of my Hypancistrus vegetables. I will note that I have never seen them eat the earthworm sticks and spirulina sticks I've fed them, and I've been keeping them for years.

[Ptyochromis]

I always thought breeding these guys was always rather involved. Why would you not keep any species of Hypancistrus together? Is this because of aggression or risk of hybridization? I never keep different species of the same genus together anyway.

I caught my L340 eating the other night, he had ripped a massive hole in the bottom/side of a driftwood log and he may have been munching on a massivore pellet. My female krib is no longer guarding the cave so either they ate them or the l340 did.

He seems to be taking to my water alright (I use tap for all my tanks; 6.5-7dKG 8-9dGH pH-8.2), this tank he is in is filled with tannins which lowers the PH to 7.8-8.0. I just wish he would come out more or at least not dive for cover at the first sign of movement.

Also, any chance they will cross with Panaque maccus and would they go well together?

[Suckermouth]

Hypancistrus species are some of the easiest loricariids to breed besides Ancistrus. They breed and hybridize readily in captivity.

There is no recorded instance AFAIK of a cross-genus hybridization between Hypancistrus and Panaque. In fact, I have never heard of any cross-genus hybrid loricariids. Panaque also are quite difficult to breed in captivity. You'll be fine. Neither are exceptionally aggressive either, so as long as you provide enough hiding places they won't fight.

The shy behavior you mention for L340 is pretty typical of not just Hypancistrus, but most plecs. They tend to be quite shy.