L200 Info please

[squid]

Hi,

I just got myself a 5 inch l200 green phantom pleco, it was suggested to me by the lfs , I have it as tankmate for my arowana, the tani is 8x2.5x.2.5 , its currently barebuttom, with 10 pieces clown loaches, I've added a big driftwood, but as of now its still floating, how do i sex the l200?
can i have 2 pieces in my 8 foot tank? I would like to have 1 male and female if possible?
diet will be spirulina sinking pellets and soft and moist pellets, the tank does get sunligh so there's algae on the sides and buttom of the tank.
Would appreciate tips with this pleco.

thanks.

[2wheelsx2]

Should be no ptabroblem with putting 2 in your 8 foot tank. Although it might make them more comfortable to have more wood (sunken) and rocks to hide, and be in a bigger group of say 6 -8.

I cannot help you with the sexing information, although at 5 inches, it might still be too young to be sexable. For diet, what you have is ok, but the do enjoy fresh vegetables a lot more, like yams, zucchini, cucumber, melons and the the like. Mine are all fat and healthy based on this diet. I aslo feed mine earthworm stick and live blackworm and frozen bloodworms a few times a week as a treatment (I feed twice a day).

[MatsP]

I'm personally not a fan of bare bottom tanks - particularly not with plecos and other bottom dwelling fish.

And yes, they are sexable, but 5" fish are HARD to sex on their own - you can probably pick out likely male/female "candidates" in a group of fish at that size, but you'd better get more than one of what you think are the males/females, just in case you get it a bit wrong.

If they are in good condition, it's quite easy to tell male from female around 7" total length.

--
Mats

[squid]

thanks Are they easy to care for? Today i checked the tank, he/she's out of the hiding place and cleaning the algae on the glass, but i noticed in algae cleaning , Gibbiceps seems to clean the glass faster? I prefer bare buttom tank as this way, i can see uneaten food/poop and siphon them during my water change for easier maintenance, though a tank with sand/gravel really looks better.

there were only 3 pieces in the lfs, i chose the bigest one.

[2wheelsx2]

They're very good eaters, in my experience, and decent algae eaters of rocks and wood, but they don't clean the glass, so if that's what you are after, they're not it. They love hard vegetables with skin on it like yams and zucchini. Last night they ate lightly microwaved carrots (whole with skin on it).

[squid]

just brought home my 2nd l200

does this look like a male or female







this is their tank. I'm going to add 1 more driftwood.





Hope they don't fight
Thanks.

[MatsP]

As long as there is enough hiding spaces, they will just defend their own territory, as far as I can tell.

I'm absolutely not certain, but the head looks wide and the pectoral fins are quite thick - male. But don't take my word for it, but more importantly, it'll get more clear when they get older.

--
Mats

[squid]

thanks mats I'll be adding some more PVC pipes as caves for them.
Wish i was able to get some topview of my first l200 as well

btw i have lots of algae on my tanks glass, should i start dropping algae wafers for them also?
During daytime i feed them with soft and moist sinking pellets, this are actually for my clown loaches, but i'll make sure they also get some.

[2wheelsx2]

They'll eat some algae, and would also eat the wafers, but they really like fresh vegetables, especially the skin. At least mine do.

[squid]

They'll eat some algae, and would also eat the wafers, but they really like fresh vegetables, especially the skin. At least mine do.

thanks I'm planning to get 2-3 more, would 5 be a good number?
I'll be adding lots of hiding places for them.

[MatsP]

thanks I'm planning to get 2-3 more, would 5 be a good number?
I'll be adding lots of hiding places for them.

Yes, 5 is a fine number. I would recommend putting a layer of medium-fine sand in the tank as well.

--
Mats

[Farid]

hi there,
a photo straight from the top would be cool.
i also recommend mats tips a bit of sand and no pyramid pipes but flat a bit longer then the ones you have...all of these pipes (for 5 L200 about 8 pipes) cover all pipes with the wood. better is more then not enough wood as they also feed from there (bacteria film)

dont forget to feed enough vegetable, they also eat whole shrimps...

farid

[2wheelsx2]

dont forget to feed enough vegetable, they also eat whole shrimps...

farid

Mine don't seem to want to touch the shrimps at all. Maybe it's because they're not used to them. My L128, on the other hand, seem to nibble at it.

[Farid]

hey
mine sit on them the whole night long...in the morning as it is with shrimps there is not much left.

regards
farid

[2wheelsx2]

Hmmm...I was going to suggest that my L264 were getting to the shrimps first, but that's not the case, as I always have quite a bit of shrimp left in the morning to clear away. Guess I'll have to try it more often and see what happens.

[squid]

Thnaks will try to get 1 more this weekend,
I tried to drop some microwaved carrots, but they don't seem interested?
I'm hesitant to add gravel, since the tank is quite deepa nd i'll have trouble vacuuming the gravel .

but will be adding more wood and pvc pipes
i'll try to take a picture of top view of my tank

[2wheelsx2]

Add some smooth stones too. They seem to like those to swim over and around. Some piled stones and wood will make them more at home, then if you don't want gravel, you don't have to worry about the loss of bio colony since the wood and stones will harbour them, and will allow the L200 to "graze" on them.

[squid]

Add some smooth stones too. They seem to like those to swim over and around. Some piled stones and wood will make them more at home, then if you don't want gravel, you don't have to worry about the loss of bio colony since the wood and stones will harbour them, and will allow the L200 to "graze" on them.

thanks I will also add some slates
will post update again

[hiplecoman]

they are definitely not fussy eaters. Ive thrown tetra tabin, spectrum fish food, dainichi veggie deluxe, spectrum algae wafers, fresh zucchini & cucumbers

[squid]

I currently have 3 l200's in my tank, i would like to add 2 more, but they are really good cleaners.

They have already finished off all the algaes on the glass, currently i'm feeding them spirulina pellets and soft and moist sinking pellets, i would like to add 2 more, but i'm worried they might not have enough algae to eat?

here's the cleaned tank.



notice the floating driftwood? there's 1 l200 who like to hide there.

btw for l200's of the same batch, is it applicable that the smaller ones are usually females and bigger ones male?