L280 Micracanthicus vandragti

[Thomas1209]

Hi guys,

Has anyone kept L280? Couldn't find much on the internet but it sure is an interesting specie due to its size. I can get some at 65euro's each. But how likely is it that they will spawn, can I treat them just like other plecos etc?

Kind regards,
Thomas

[bekateen]

Hi Thomas,
A shipment of

L280

/

Micracanthicus vandragti

(now reclassified as

Hypancistrus vandragti

) came in last spring and several people I know (myself included) got some then. They are easy to keep (that said, I got 12 and killed 10 within a couple of weeks because of bad choices on my part).

If kept well, they are also easy breeders, but produce very small clutches of eggs (less than 20 eggs/spawn).

Treat them like other Hypancistrus (warm water and a mixed diet with plenty of varied meats plus a little veggie option), and yours should thrive.

I hope to get more to join my remaining two, so I can have another go at them.

Good luck, Eric

[Thomas1209]

Thanks for your response Eric! Well that sounds promising haha! Killing 10/12 lol. What is the usual price of them? Would it be an idea to keep a trio of them, or would I need more? How big are the fry at start? Bigger or smaller than ancistrus? I find the risk quite big with these small fish to be honest.
Would an 2x1x1ft do for these fish or are they territorial?
Temperature of 28C would be fine then?

[bekateen]

I killed the 10 because of 4 critical events:

1. I kept their tank at work instead of at home, which meant on the weekend I wasn't monitoring the conditions in the tank.
2. I kept mine in a 10 gallon tank due to their small size. The tank would have been adequate I believe if I hadn't overfed them on a weekend (my last point).
3. I chose to keep the fish in my tank at the same temp they were found in the wild when described - nearly 90F. In hindsight, they would be fine at 82-85F
4. I fed them Friday at end of work, then went home. They didn't eat the food over the weekend and the water fouled rapidly at that high temperature, causing a bacterial bloom and killing the fish. When I returned to work Monday morning, I found four alive and I was only able to save two of those.

The price for these fish varies widely. In Europe I've heard wild adults sell from about 30/40 euros to 80/90 euros. That probably varies from shipment to shipment and what the wholesaler charged.

As I mentioned above, I kept mine in a 10 gallon tank. I think that would work with a small group, but of course a larger tank is more stable in its water quality.

If I can get more, I will buy at least 6 to go with my remaining two.

As for the fry, I think they are small.
Cheers, Eric

[Thomas1209]

Thanks for your response again. Well it is an interesting species so I'd love to keep them. Do you have any pics of yours? Do they cave up or are they more outgoing?

For hypancistrus a trio is usually fine, but these seem to be so small I'm not sure if its any good. Do you know anyone who has bred these?

Cheers, Thomas

[bekateen]

A number of people in the USA and Europe have bred them... Just not me.

Here's my fish: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=46371

Cheers, Eric