L014 - Friend or foe?

Fishedin · Post by **Fishedin** » 12 Jul 2004, 12:02

Are goldy plecos territorial with their own kind?

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 12 Jul 2004, 20:03

Hi!

Basically all Loricariids tend to be at their own level to be territorial, even the tiny Parotocinclus...

Several factors enter:
First size of the tank: a too small tank will make each fish to fight for the best place available...

The number of fish kept: the more you have the more you will need place and hidding place, if both are not suffisant fight will occur

Sex ratio: If you have males they are more likely to compete and fight for the best place available...

Also when feeding you will see small fight, each individual protecting the food near him...

so sure Scobinancistrus aureatus isn't the most territorial Loricariids, but his territorial behavior must be taken in account...

Cheers
Yann

davidkozak · Post by **davidkozak** » 12 Jul 2004, 21:14

hey Yann,
Could you make a guess as to when territorial behaviour would start???(approx size) When should I be concerned with large numbers of fry, or juvies in growout??
david

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 13 Jul 2004, 07:12

Hi!

Juvenil shouldn't be much territorial if kept in a big enough tank,
Territoriality should really start up when the fish start to become mature, which should occur at 20-25cm I suppose...

Regarding grow out tank, you shouldn't much worried, as with the number of individual it is very unlikely one will suffer from being harrased by all the others... also if you don't provide place to hide, they won't have to compete for anything...

I have seen this set up at a shop, he has several 10's of Loricariidae in 200l tanks, with just a small peice of wood, all the fish cohabit quite peacefully...

Cheers
Yann

ClayT101 · Post by **ClayT101** » 14 Jul 2004, 01:40

Just curious, but has anyone heard of these breeding in captivity? Also, is there an easy way to sex them?

davidkozak · Post by **davidkozak** » 14 Jul 2004, 01:46

An importer out in my neck of the woods told me he had a breeding pair of them for sale....I didn't have the space, nor the cash he was asking for them...
david

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 14 Jul 2004, 07:06

Hi!

I have seen on several stock list some tank bred specimens...how it was done I have no idea...

Cheers
Yann

Fishedin · Post by **Fishedin** » 14 Jul 2004, 13:40

Thanks,

think I'll keep him (or her) solo!

Nick

smithrc · Post by **smithrc** » 15 Jul 2004, 20:15

hello - ours is not at all teritorial - we've had him about 6 months now and hes about 3" in size.

He lives in the same bogwood cave as our rhino plec - with no problems

Post by **Janne** » 15 Jul 2004, 21:00

I have four of them in a size of 6-8" (16-20 cm) and they are little teritorial to each other but not on the others species I keep them together with...not much but they faight sometimes.

Janne