L200 High Fin (Baryancistrus demantoides) - has this breed before???

[MarinFlorin]

Goooood evening guys!!!
I was trying to find on internet some information regarding the breeding of the l200 high fin but couldn't find anything. Is there any of you who mannaged to get eggs from this beautifull fish. The idea is that I found some mature l128 and I was thinking to sell my group of 5 plecos in the idea that I couldn't find any instructions regarding the breedjng of this fish. My fish are 8,5 cm the smallest and the biggest is 11,5 cm TL. I believe that some of the fish are still small to be breed but would like to know if is worth it to keep my fish and try to breed them or to go for the L128.
Here's some pics with my fish.

[MarcW]

I haven't seen any reports of this fish breeding. I would agree that the smaller fish in your group are too young/small to breed, maybe in another year or so. The largest in your group may just be mature enough, but then you need to ensure you have a male and female of this size!

I'm biased as I have a group of L128 which have bred for me, but if you have the room, why not keep both groups?!

[MarinFlorin]

The idea is that I would like to sell the l200 in order to putchase 5 mature wild l128.
The biggest tank I have is 270 ltrs. So I don't have enough space for both groups.
Thanks for the reply. In case I mannage to putchase the l128 will ask for some advice regardingg breeding and some other stuff.
Cheers!!

[MarcW]

Just beware it may take you a long time to get a mixed group of L128, unless you know the group you have your eye on is mixed? It took me years to find a female in the UK, every time a shop I visited had a group of mature fish, I would ask for them to be pulled out and put in a bowl/bucket and I would pick the most female looking one(s). These ended up being less dominant males which when in my tank and well fed for a few months became obvious males! Eventually I got lucky and now have one mature female, I was only sure of this when she laid eggs, although now she regularly looks gravid and I can see differences in the papilla compared to the males, but it took time for this to become obvious.

Unless they are well fed and mature (in breeding condition) it can be very hard to tell the genders apart, so it may be best to buy several younger fish and grow them out for a few years, or get some good quality pictures of the group you mentioned and put them up here for advice.

[MarinFlorin]

This is the group I'm intending to buy!

[MarinFlorin]

Extra pictures!! From the group picture and the head and belly pictures what would you say they are?

[MarinFlorin]

Any guessing on the sex of the fish?? Any tips on how to chose them?? The guy told me 2 males and 3 females but I would go for 2 females and 3 males, the 2 with big head from the right looks like males and the first from left looks like a male too but not sure.
Cheers!!

[MarcW]

Going from the group picture, I would say that the second from the left at the top, may be a female, the others all look like males to me. Although they look like they need a few months to settle in and be well fed before more obvious signs appear.

I can't see any odontodes on the pectoral fins and the short ones near the back of the head/gills aren't well developed, this could mean they have been damaged and fallen off when being caught in a net, rather than being a sign the fish is female.

All of the males I have started out looking similar to the fish you have pictured above, and then when conditioned became very obvious males. At the moment, I would say your best bet on a female would be the second left at the top of the group shot, is that fish number 5?