Panaque maccus

Zohar · Post by **Zohar** » 21 Sep 2006, 21:21

i bought 5 Panaque maccus last year at 2cm size. Today i have two fishes that are ~6cm and three that are ~3cm. Is it normal? Is there anything that i can do?

The two big one are very rounded but has odontodes. Are Panaque maccus males very rounded?

I wish i could add pictures, but i can not get them in focus.

Zohar

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 22 Sep 2006, 23:50

Hi Zohar,
First let me say I am no expert on P. maccus. I have had many of them(hundreds when I had a shop) but I have seven that I have had for 1-1/2 years. There are both sexes present and all have lived in a discus tank since I first bought them along with some Sturisoma and L066 which are more recent additions. I have fed the fish in this tank very well including algae tabs and protein rich live blackworms, frozen bloodworms and Tetra Color Bits 4-5 times a day so they have been well fed.
They have all grown but they seem to have topped out at about 6cm SL. It seems possible that your smaller P. maccus may have been stunted when you aquired them because I don't think that it is normal for them to be only 3cm. I have read your other posts and I don't have an impression that you are not a very bad fish keeper. Under your care they should have grown more if they could. There is always a possibility that they are some unknown dwarf species but it seems more likely that they became stunted before you got them and it does'nt seem likely that you are going to be able to overcome the original cause at this point.

Zohar · Post by **Zohar** » 23 Sep 2006, 07:13

Thanks apistomaster.

I am not sure i gave them the best treatment in the first months, they were added to isolation tank with BN that dominated the tank and the food.

I am still interested in there body shape. Mine are very rounded, and i think the big ones are both males.

Are Panaque maccus males very rounded?

Thanks again,
Zohar

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 23 Sep 2006, 22:22

The males are covered with bristles. I would rely on that more thaan minor differences in shape of their heads.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 25 Sep 2006, 12:39

It is possible that the males are:
1. More agressive when it comes to getting to food.
2. Growing more quickly as they have a genetical advantage if they can get big quicker.

But it could also be that your fry are of two different batches, and one is somehow smaller for some reason (genetical "dwarfism" or environmental "stunted growth").

Mine were more or less adult when I got them, around 5-6cm SL (nose to end of body before the tail-fin).

Males have "body-hair" all over the tail if they are mature enough. Females don't. But if the three small are female or immature males is impossible to say.

In Bristlenose-fry, I've certainly seen differences in size between males and females, but also between different males depending on both their "upbringing" [I've fish from the same spawn in different tanks - and the ones with less food competition and/or more space will always grow quicker].

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Mats

Zohar · Post by **Zohar** » 25 Sep 2006, 13:40

I managed to take some pictures for the big "male"

What do you think? is it a male? Is it too fat for a male?

Zohar

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 25 Sep 2006, 14:38

Looks like a fat male.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 25 Sep 2006, 14:53

Yup 99% sure it's a male.

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Mats