Can you help me?

new2Lnumbers · Post by **new2Lnumbers** » 17 Oct 2005, 21:48

Hi, I am looking for an L# to be my center piece in my 55 gallon 48"x13"x20".
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I will use the Plecos needs in consideration when adding any other fish.

Post by **Barbie** » 18 Oct 2005, 02:13

There are literally hundreds of fish that would fit in your set up, potentially. You'll need to tell us your tap water parameters and some areas of interest if you hope to have help that's beneficial. Narrow the guessing field down a bit please!

Barbie

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 18 Oct 2005, 10:07

Whilst Barbie makes a good point, I'll make some suggestions with regards to what would be suitable to the size of your tank. If we follow the 4L x 2L x 2L, we find that the smallest side of your tank [the width] gives a maximum length of 6.5".

Of the commonly available species, this would give you:
Most Peckoltia species, such as .
Most, if not all, Hypancistrus species. for example. Forget about getting tho', as those are VERY expensive [$150 for babies and $200+ for adults], and not at all easy to get hold of...

Small Panaque species, such as or . Note that there are several BIG Panaque species that are completely unsuitable for your tank.

If you follow the links to the Cat-eLog, you'll find a link to the "Genus thumbnails" for all species of that genus, at the banner line at the top of the Cat-eLog page. Where it says "Loricariidae::Panaque Maccus", you click on the Panaque, and you get a list of all Panaque species.

In the genus thumbnails you can look for fish that are pleasing to your eyes, and then make a short-list of ones that you like, and I'm sure someone will be able to supply some further details and suggestions on those particular fish.

In a tank that size, you could quite easily keep 3-5 fish, either of the same specie, or for example two groups of different species.

And please supply your tap-water parameters, as that will help avoiding you buying a fish that won't adopt to your local water.

--
Mats

laurab5 · Post by **laurab5** » 18 Oct 2005, 13:02

I would recommend L128, L200. My favorite fish. someday they will be my main breeding project in a 5 foot tank. Or, you could get a L114. My LFS has had one for 2 years, and it still is only 4 inches.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 18 Oct 2005, 13:31

or would probably grow beyond the size suitable for that tank. Although the Cat-eLog states about 180mm SL for these fish, they will, according to Shane's this thread it's well beyond that, at least for the "lo-fin" L128/L200 variety. An 11" fish would require a tank that is about 20" on the short sides and 50" on the long side, so a 55g standard tank is definitely too small by about 7 inches.

Just because a fish grows slowly (especially at the LFS where it's probably not in IDEAL conditions) doesn't mean that it's a good idea to buy one in the hope that you can get a tank big enough for it eventually. Things change in life, and it's much easier to find fish that fits in a tank that you have, then buy a bigger tank and find fish for that bigger tank...
--
Mats

new2Lnumbers · Post by **new2Lnumbers** » 19 Oct 2005, 00:10

My tap water is around 100 (GH) but I could lower it with RO water if necessary.Nitrate 0 Nitrite 0. There are many different size rocks and lots driftwood in the tank.
I am looking for suggestions for a Pleco that would make a great show piece Something unusual or very colorful or maybe your favorite. For the 48" x 13" x 20" aquarium that I plan on using. As I said before the Pleco will be the center piece that I will work around as far as other fish.
Thank you.

laurab5 · Post by **laurab5** » 19 Oct 2005, 00:20

You can go for a gold nugget. But those also get a bit big. L114 grow extremely slow i have heard. My LFS has a 4 inch one they have had for 2 years. A vampire pleco gets about 7 inches. Or L204, which get 6 inches

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 19 Oct 2005, 09:58

new2Lnumbers wrote:My tap water is around 100 (GH) but I could lower it with RO water if necessary.Nitrate 0 Nitrite 0. There are many different size rocks and lots driftwood in the tank.
I am looking for suggestions for a pl*co that would make a great show piece Something unusual or very colorful or maybe your favorite. For the 48" x 13" x 20" aquarium that I plan on using. As I said before the pl*co will be the center piece that I will work around as far as other fish.
Thank you.

I'm almost 100% sure that your water isn't 100GH, it would probably look like a bucket of water with a cup of cement (or more like plaster-of-paris, perhaps) mixed in... 100 ppm perhaps, which makes 5.6GH?

What's the pH of your water?

I have made many suggestions on genera that would be suitable for the size tank that you're having. I can't really enumerate EVERY single fish that would be suitable, as there are several dozen if not hundreds. Which ones YOU like is up to you. But if you must know which ones I'd recommend, here's a list of my favourite small Loricariidae in alphabetical order.

If I had a million pounds (or maybe just a few thousand) spare, I would get . But for a normal salaried person, they are just TOO expensive [and should be used for breeding projects anyways].

This is by far not a complete list of what would be suitable for your tank. If you had a 150 or 200g tank, I would make a completley different list, with fish that are suitable for that tank-size. A 55g standard size tank is really only suitable for small pleco's [most standard size tanks are longer than "they need to be" to support the maximum size fish you could have in it. A perfect pleco tank would be somehting like 4' x 2.5' x 2'.]

Laurab5: All gold nuggets grow to more than 8" in length, and thus too big for your tank. (albeit slowly).

--
Mats

Telnes · Post by **Telnes** » 21 Oct 2005, 19:02

I my home town there is a place that has 38 young Zebra pleco`s fore sale

http://www.bergenakvarieutleie.no/malawiciklider.htm

It`s nice to be us. I have used this shop before and they are greate.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 24 Oct 2005, 10:28

Telnes wrote:I my home town there is a place that has 38 young Zebra pl*co`s fore sale

http://www.bergenakvarieutleie.no/malawiciklider.htm

It`s nice to be us. I have used this shop before and they are greate.

I'm sure they are very nice, and if you can afford some, get some! Importing them to the UK would be a bit expensive, and there's no price on the web-site, so I haven't got a clue if they are priced OK or not, and no size indication. They are obviously captive bred (F1 -> first generation from wild caught parents), and it's nice to see that there are at least some shops that get to sell the odd brood of captive bred fish.

--
Mats