PlanetCatfish.com

Hi
My L082 are setling in, but what do they like to eat ?

For starters, these fish rock! After that, they eat just about anything and everthing. From veggies sticks, pellets and wafers to meat pellets and blood worms and crushed snails. If someone knows special music or lighting to get them in the mood, let us know

I agree with Alga, they are most likely omnivorous, so a mixed diet is the right thing to give them. For food tips, look at my article (to the right of this post where it says "Articles(1)" [or something like that].

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Mats

They can not be compair to anything

My first experience so far : they like to dig even 1 x 1 x 2 cm stones are moved without any problems. They have completly different personalities - 4 fish 4 totally different egoes. The like to "walk " on their fines, specially backwards.

Thanks for the replies

Sorry for the spelling and grammar - I have dyslexia

Hiya all.
First post here.
I've an L082, about 6cm long. I read with interest the info on feeding it and I've a question on its habits.

Mine is almost completely nocturnal, hardly ever coming out during the day, when he stays beneath a pile of stones.
Is this normal for him, and if so, how can I make sure he's getting his food. I do feed just after the lights go off, but, given that it's dark, It's difficult to see if he eats. How can i be sure?

thanks, this is my first pleco.

You may be able to observe the fish in the dark by having a small room-light on that allows you to see something in the tank. Make sure you don't make a big shadow.

Also, having more places of cover (more caves etc) will make the fish more outgoing.

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Mats

I have had good success viewing the activities of many species of nocturnal catfish without disturbing them at night by placing a 15 watt clear red incandescent light bulb in a small fixture on the cover glass. All other room lights are turned off.

I have 4 L082 and 5 caves in my tank, it workes well. I will ad one more becaures it makes them more outgoing. I think they can smell better then they can see, becaures they swim right by food - stops - and then swimes after the smell of food again.

I was surprised to see how little dietary information is available for Ancistrini sp even though at least one species has been captive bred. I have never kept any of these but I think they are primarily carnivorous. Frozen Blood worms, live black worms, a shrimp mix containing some Spirulina seem like a good place to begin.

I like to use more caves than I have plecos except when breeding, then I use fewer caves than I have plecos. Competition for the prime cave often seems associated with spawning, in my personal experience.

Please note that Ancistrini are not a genus - it's a subfamily. The fish that are listed in Cat-eLog [and various other documents, such as Aqualog and DATZ) are not necessarily from the same genus at all - they are just lumped together because they have some of the characteristics that are part of the Ancistrus, Baryancistrus, Hemiancistrus, Hypancistrus, Panaque, Peckoltia, Scobinancistrus[1] (that isn't a COMPLETE list of Ancistrini species, but it shows the spectrum).

[1] J. Armbruster claims that Scobinancistrus can not be distinguished from Panaque by any morphological measure other than slightly differnet tooth-shape. (Or something along those lines).

Do anyone know where I can find more information about the L082's natural living places.

It comes from Lower Rio Xingu. Unfortunately, that doesn't tell us much about how it feeds. Other than water parameters (around 30'C, soft, pH 6.5 or so), it is hard to say much about it.

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Mats

I have had mine for a two-three months now. It eats a lot, and likes everything that is offered, but I have no idea what it (she) is supposed to eat. Hope to get some more of this very nice specie some day. They are currently not available in Norway.

Hiya Guys

So a mysterious fish then!

What we have so far is that it is either omni or carnivorous. I must admit, mine is so lazy I can't imagine it chasing anything to eat it!
I'm not sure about it being carnivorous therefore.

I place bloodworm and daphnia, alternating with corguette and algae wafers. I hope it gets them before the shrimp!
I've also noticed that my Amazon Swords are getting chewed, is this the L082?

Haarvard, you said your's eats a lot. How do you know this and what does it eat? Does your's come out in the day, as mine sleeps until lights out

thanks all

Carnivorous in this case doesn't mean that it chases and catches Neon tetras for dinner. It means that it eats more meaty things, such as blood worms, already dead fish, etc.

If it's happy to eat vegetable stuff, then keep feeding that.

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Mats

I found this link : http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... cle_id=646
This may give some idea about how they live.

/Svend

Haavard Stoere wrote:I have had mine for a two-three months now. It eats a lot, and likes everything that is offered, but I have no idea what it (she) is supposed to eat. Hope to get some more of this very nice specie some day. They are currently not available in Norway.

How can you tell that it is a she?

You can get them in Denmark, but they a very ekspensive (900 Dkr a peace, size 3-4 cm)

/Svend

I know she eats a lot because I watch her eat every time I feed. I bought mine from a fishkeeper in Oslo who have had it for some time, and she was therefore used to tanklife. Not shy at all in other words

I assume she is a female because of her lack of shyness, little interest in caves, and her general lack of odontes. A friend of mine has a 20cm L82 I assume is a male because of opposite behaviour and more odontes. My fish is around 16cm tl. I have actually offered him to borrow my female for a year to give it a try.

I may of course be totally wrong about the sex of the fish

Here she (or he) is. The pictures were taken as the fish arrived after a long journey across Norway by car. The base color is much darker when it is relaxed

Wwwhoooouuuu - that is some good photoes. But yours allwayes are

I will try to take some photoes of mine too. One of mine allwayes stayes inside in the cave. The 3 otheres "fights" over the caves. Mabe I got 3 females and 1 male.


/Svend

Maybe someone can tell if this is a female or male.

/Svend

How big are your fish? I would maybee guess that the fish on the picture is a female.

They are all about 13-14 cm. Full grown I think.

/Svend