What is my catfish??

[Stefano Ram]

Hi! I'm a new member of this community and I subscribed because I know that is the best forum that deals with catfishes' world. I'm desperate because in Italy I don't know where I have to post the photos of my catfishes to recognize and identify them.
My situation:
I have a 300litres tank with some catfishes, (given by a friend) , since april i start founding some alevins (i think that's the traduction for baby fishes ) inside a crock nest (like an anphora) and all the time i took the fishes from the tank and i put them in another tank. Right now i have 40-50 catfishes of different dimensions : from 1 to 4 centimetres; my problem is that i have 2-3 species (of adults) and i don't know which are the parents of my alevins, so I'm going to post the photos.
I hope that someone of you can illuminate me about this
Sorry for my bad English

[Stefano Ram]

Another one....

[rob rensen]

Looks like youg L066's

[Stefano Ram]

Sorry but i don't know how to put all the photos together in just one post!

[Stefano Ram]

Any other opinion??????

[dog321fish]

Look like L129 to me.

[Stefano Ram]

I think that's impossible that is an L129 because I don't have any adult of that type... why are you saying that is an L129?you're seeing something that reminds you of those catfishes?
By the way, I tried asking this question about my little catfishes in other sites(at least 3 or 4), and everytime, everyone answer me with different opinions ..so i don't know what i have to do

[Stefano Ram]

..

[Stefano Ram]

Up please

[mjh712]

Do you know what kind of fish the adults are? Are any of these pictures of the adults? If not, do you have pictures of the adults?

[nvcichlids]

they could be hybrids. Pictures of ALL adult plecos in the tank will help. they could be L129 or L66 or something else. My guess is L129, as my old ones looked extremely similar.

[Stefano Ram]

All the plecos of my tank are in the pictures that i attach here:

[Stefano Ram]

The catfish on the first two pictures of this reply is that one that costantly I get out of the nest (in which there are the little catfishes) so it should be the mother or the father...

[Borbi]

Hi,

the first two pictures show Hypancistrus sp. "L 411", the other wormline Hypancistrus are probably something like L66.
So, assuming you don´t have a second L411 and you are certain that it is involved in the breeding, then you are having hybrids in your tank.

Cheers,
Sandor

[Stefano Ram]

Thank you for your answer!
The catfishes that you think that are l411...I've got two of them! But sometimes I see 2 different species in the nest (you can see it on the pictures that I posted)
by the way, how can I have some assurance,? In every site everyone told me something different.
If I wanted to sell them, what I have to say about them? How i have to classify them, in case of someone asks which species they are?

[Borbi]

Hi,

first step would be:
get ALL Hypancistrus you own out of the tank and take pictures of each individual (pictures taken from above).
That would allow for some hints at ID (the wormline Hypancistrus will be difficult in any case and you won´t obtain a 100% answer), and also give an idea about their sex.
Observe their cave! Ascertain yourself which fish is actually tending to the eggs (it´s the male; but the species is important).

There is two possibilities for your fry:
-they are either offspring of the wormline Hypancistrus (which might well be L66 from their bodyshape)
-they are hybrids.

They are NOT pure offspring of the L411 (even if you have two of them). Young L411 look different.
So you either have the L411 breeding with the wormline Hypancistrus or the wormline Hypancistrus are breeding without participation of the L411.

But:
we can only help you. You have to do some of the work: you have to privide pictures useful for ID, and you have to check which fish is actually tending to the eggs.

Hope that helps and
Cheers, Sandor

[Stefano Ram]

Thank you for helping me! I'll try to take pictures of every individual ASAP, so you can offer me your point of view..again thank you SO much! You're very kind!

[Stefano Ram]

Here I am! I checked out the catfishes of my tank and I found six adults. Most of them are very similar so I'm going to post different messages in which there will be a different catfish.



CATFISH #1

[Stefano Ram]

CATFISH #2

[Stefano Ram]

CATFISH #3

[Stefano Ram]

CATFISH #4

[Stefano Ram]

CATFISH #5

[Stefano Ram]

CATFISH #6

[Stefano Ram]

I'm absolutely sure that the catfish #3 is envolved in the birth of the alevins, because i found her/him in the nest with the babies everytime.

If you could help, I'd like to know which species I have in the tank, now that I've posted all their pictures.
I hope that this pictures will be useful for the identification!
I trust in your kindness and knowledge!
Thanks!

[Borbi]

Hi,

I believe you have at least three different forms there.
Number 1 appears to be L260 (not with absolute certainty, though).
Number 2 and 3 are L411, and appear to both be males.
Number 5 and 6 are wormline Hypancistrus, and I wouldn´t call you wrong if you named them L66 (but that goes with the general uncertainty related to wormline Hypancistrus!).

So, if you are certain that No. 3 is involved, I´d say that you are dealing with hybrids, most likely between L411 and L66.
They don´t really look like hybrids between L260 and L411.

Hope that helps,
Cheers, Sandor

[nvcichlids]

I agree with the different species. 1 is definitely 260, and the others Not, now I am not good knowing the difference btween L411 and the wormline.

[Stefano Ram]

Assuming that the couple is formed by L-411 male and L-66 female, have I hybrids that will not reproduce?

I know that is better don't sell hybrids, but I have 50 alevins..and it's impossibile to keep them for me! So, under which name I have to sell them and which should be the price? (For private buyers and for merchants)

[Borbi]

Stefano,

they will NOT be infertile!
Any Hypancistrus hybrid known so far (and where this has been documented) is perfectly fertile.
This is going to be one of the big problems in Hypancistrus in the coming years..

IF you really need to sell them, make sure they are adequately labeled as hybrids!
That is the only advice I can give you besides the fact that I personally would never sell hybrids..

Cheers,
Sandor

[Stefano Ram]

They are not growing in a tub of very large, so I have to keep taking them for strength ..

Unfortunately I can not, however, to orient myself with the price at which they could propose .. Can anyone give me a hand in this?

The specimen 1 and 4 pictures of what sex they are?

I wanted to congratulate you and the site because you were very polite and professional at the same time ...

[Stefano Ram]

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