ancistrus dolichopterus - need info?!!??!?!

stina · Post by **stina** » 12 Dec 2004, 15:24

HI PPL!
I am trying to get REAL ancistrus dolichopterus!
Main reason why i have sad "real" is cuz in my LFS ancistrus sp.(3) is allways labeld as a.dolichopterus!

Can someone tell me are they hard to find, and are they expensive?!?
Also, did someone breed them!?
Thanx for all info!!
regards
Vedran

kkorotev · Post by **kkorotev** » 12 Dec 2004, 15:45

Vedran,
It is my understanding the the L183 is now being called the true A. dolichopterus. I believe it is a blackwater species and I have killed many in cool tap water. You may actually see them more often than you think as they are only stunning when they are young. My largest male looks like any ol' black bristlenose with a few specs and the ghost of a white seam on his dorsal.

Yes, they have been spawned and I expect BARBIE (my source for the few I have) to see this thread and add some more info.

Kevin

stina · Post by **stina** » 12 Dec 2004, 16:03

Kevin,
thanx again for info, but i will correct you in one thing - i DIDN'T have chance to see them, cuz you know situation in my LFS...

i only ask cuz i will try to search them in other countrys whe i will have oportunity? !!

Live long and prosper you L# Kevin... and NO i am not a trekie

regards
Vedran

Wood · Post by **Wood** » 12 Dec 2004, 21:52

In my opinion I found them (ancistrus ) the easiest pleco to breed.

Good luck with them,if you get them.

stina · Post by **stina** » 12 Dec 2004, 22:31

Wood, i was asking for ancistrus dolichopterus, did you mean them or any ancistrus?!
For ancistrus sp.(3) i know that they breed like flies!

regards

Post by **Barbie** » 13 Dec 2004, 08:07

I've been breeding L183 off and on for about a year now. They've definitely proven to be harder to spawn than any of the other species of Ancistrus I'm keeping. I tend to keep mine a bit warmer(82-84 degrees), and had very little hatch success rate until I started keeping the water TDS below 100ppm and pH in the acidic range. They would spawn, and the male would manage to raise 5 or 6 fry, but the rest wouldn't get properly fertilized, it seems.

I searched for good breeding stock for a couple years, with numerous failed attempts at receiving the right fish. After talking to Shane about it, I am not sure that different populations of these fish have enough visual differences to prevent cross spawning, so I've kept only the batches I purchased together in spawning groups together.

This is a huge picture of one of my adult trios. You can see they still have good thick white seams on their finnage. You'll also notice the females have obvious bristles.

I would definitely not say they are a common fish, but they are usually relatively inexpensive when I see them on availability lists. It's just very hard to know if you're going to receive the right fish when you order them.

The fry are MUCH more attractively marked in these fish than the adults. The white seam is up to 3 times as wide, and the dots are about the same size on the smaller fry as they will be on the adult fish, which makes them very striking. They are one of my favorite fish, if only for the challenge I had spawning them. I read quite a bit about how easy they are to spawn, but I definitely had to work at it. Then again, my water is anything but soft out of the tap ;)

Barbie

stina · Post by **stina** » 13 Dec 2004, 09:01

They look really atractive!
Thanx Barbie...good info!

Well, i will try to get some from my friend in Munchen!
Kind regards
Vedran

julian · Post by **julian** » 28 Dec 2004, 21:49

im most probrably wrong BARBIE but ur largest fish appears very mutch like a spotted medusa?

Post by **Barbie** » 29 Dec 2004, 02:27

It's not, I promise ;) It's just the angle of the photo. They are all the same species. This picture might give you a bit better perspective.

Barbie