Help On Ancistrus

KIWI13 · Post by **KIWI13** » 14 Apr 2005, 10:57

Hey evryone, i am new here and the reason for signing up is that like most people in the hobby I got an ancistrus temminckii as an algae eater, fell in love with it and got another. I have a 32 gallon planted tank. I would like to know if ancistrus breed with other strains of ancistrus? the reason i ask this question is cause the second one I got looks a little bit different. I will post some photos for you in the near future. What I do know is that they both measure 6,5cm long and one is alot wider than the other ( as in robust) it has some barbs on its head and the other is slimmer and has no spikes or barbs whatsoever. Any help would be appreciated

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 14 Apr 2005, 11:14

If you have two relatively closely related Ancistrus species, they will cross-breed. And my bet is that your "Ancistrus Temminckii" isn't a "Temminckii", but a "Common Ancistrus", which is most likely a cross-breed from a few different species. They are quite easy to breed and have been tank-bred for many years now. Most shops, however, will label them as "Temminckii", because that's the picture that looks like this fish in the aquarium book (and of course, unless the fish was wild-caught, the fish in the book is probably the same kind of cross breed that you find in the tank).

here's a photo of my female "Common Ancistrus".

More picures in the Cat-eLog here.

Males have more bristles on the head (most younger females have no bristles at all, but as they grow older they may get a few small bristles).

The "barbs" that you talk about are the "bristles", and indicate that it's a male. There are of course several speceis that are similar. If it's quite robust, then it may be something like a or [url=http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/lo ... /705_f.php]L255[/clog].

I'm not sure if A. Ranunculus will cross-breed with "Common Ancistrus". If they do, I would recommend that you keep the babies yourself, and don't let them procreate any more, because the current tank-bred Common Ancistrus is mixed up enough that we don't need to get any more tank-bred hybrid varieties...

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Mats

KIWI13 · Post by **KIWI13** » 14 Apr 2005, 19:42

Hey Mats thanks heaps for the advice. Here are two pics of the 2 fishes in questions. any feedback would be welcome...

Hold on a sec how do you post pics on this forum ??? what if you don't have a web page ??[/img]

SanDiegoFishes · Post by **SanDiegoFishes** » 15 Apr 2005, 18:08

Hi Kiwi,
You need a photo host, real easy. I use "Photobucket" their website is http://www.photobucket.com There are many photo hosting sites online, they are free

Best, Barb

KIWI13 · Post by **KIWI13** » 17 Apr 2005, 09:58

Hey thanks a million for the help Barb. I did it, I signed on and heres my first attempt with the pic

KIWI13 · Post by **KIWI13** » 17 Apr 2005, 09:59

Heres the second photo..

SanDiegoFishes · Post by **SanDiegoFishes** » 17 Apr 2005, 17:56

You are most welcome, glad I could help! Nice photos, I love the second one, sweet!!
Best, Barb

KIWI13 · Post by **KIWI13** » 17 Apr 2005, 17:57

Heres another photo of what I think is a female. I think the first one is a male cause he is more robust and has alot more bristles on his head... ANY OPINIONS ANYONE ????

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 18 Apr 2005, 10:10

I see some small bristles on the one you think is a male, and I don't disagree. But the bristles are quite small, so it could be a female with some bristles. Mature females sometimes have short bristles.

I'm sorry to say this, but I'd rather say it now, than try to advice on the subject later when it's a problem:
I _DO_ think that you have two species, and I would try to avoid breeding them, preferrably by ensuring one of:
1. They are both same sex.
2. Separation.
So, if the one you suspect is a male starts growing longer bristles, place it in another tank, so that you don't get babies. It's much easier to NOT HAVE the babies, than deal with babies that are unwanted (I'm not saying you don't want them, it's just that we don't REALLY want to have more mixed up species of bristlenoses than we already have). Of course, if you have some greedy feeders that will take 10-15 mm long bristlenose babies for lunch, dinner or breakfast, then by all means don't bother with any separation effort.

It is certainly highly likely that they would breed if they are different sex...

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Mats

KIWI13 · Post by **KIWI13** » 18 Apr 2005, 14:36

Hey Mats I honestly wanna thnak you for your advice. It was hard to remember what the first one looked like when I visited the shop the second time around to buy another. hence when I came home I noticed the differences too. I was no tabout to run back to the LFS either. The one with bristles hae developed them a lil bit more on the snout and so i think its a young male cause its only 6cm long.
I will however seperate them cause I want to breed these fish but I am totally against interbreeding. I have bred discus and oscars on a small scale commercial level and I admit there are far too many mixed up fish out there. I think I will try and find the true mate for each species and seperate the pairs in 2 tanks.
Please advice me on wat species do each belong too.

Thanks again Jason aka "KIWI13"

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 18 Apr 2005, 14:57

The "Male", I'm pretty sure is "Ancistrus Sp(3)", aka "Common Bristlenose". It was easier to see once I lightened it a bit in a photo editor, but I was pretty sure before that.

The second one, female, I haven't got a clue about. I can't find a match in the Ancistrus Genus thumbnails. I did have a look at Fishbase's pictures of a Ancistrus Temminckii, but that's no match either.

If no-one else decides to chime in with an ID in this thread, you may want to post the second of your pictures in the "What's this" forum, and see if anyone reading that forum has some ideas. A picture showing the "front" of the fish would also help a bit. (I know, they aren't exactly sitting there waiting for you to give them directions when it comes to photo-sessions.)

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Mats

KIWI13 · Post by **KIWI13** » 21 Apr 2005, 21:14

Hey Mats take a look at this photo of the supposed male LOL. He seems to have developed a little more on the bristles. He has this imposing one in the center of his head and he s proving impossible to photograph correctly. Let me know what ya think?? Thanks again

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 22 Apr 2005, 10:35

It's hard to be completely accurate on this, but I'd say that it's 95% sure to be a male. Or to put it another way, if I was looking for a male, and saw this one in a tank, I would buy it...

These fish certainly are difficult to get good shots of, they tend to hide a lot... Feeding them sometimes brings them out...

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Mats