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Just picked up and a from the LFS.

Anybody have any first-hand experience/tips to share about these beauties?

L052 is in my 55 Gallon and the L201 is in my 40 gallon.

I have both species right now.

L052 likes a lot of current. I keep them in a 25 gallon tank (a slightly shorter 29) with an Aqueon power filter and an Aqueon 1250 circulation pump on one end to provide a strong flow. The tank is decorated with slate rocks and a few caves that they hide in or under all day. I feed Repashy Morning wood gel, Aqueon algae rounds, and sliced cucumber. Occasional live blackworms or frozen bloodworms are offered (but mainly for the other fish in the tank). I originally had 3 males and 1 female but I lost the female a month ago and haven't found a replacement.

The L201 I bred about 6-7 months ago in my soft water system (straight RO water with a few trace elements added back). I fed them pretty much Aqueon algae rounds, Repashy Spawn N grow, Sliced cucumber, bloodworms, and blackworms. Tank was dimly lit and current was light. This tank has a mattenfilter that forms the back wall and water enters from the front, flows through the mattenfilter, and then drains down to a sump below before being recirculated. The tank was decorated with caves and driftwood.

The adults have been sold for some time but I am growing up about a dozen babies from their spawn that are currently residing in a 10 gallon and are a little more than an inch long (SL).

Andy

SO in your experience the L201 still needed vegetable matter in it's diet? The LFS and the guide made them sound very carnivorous so I have been going overboard on the carnivore pellets!

I have oak leaves and driftwood in that tank, it's pretty "tea colored", most of the current is at the top of the tank, the bottom is calm. Driftwood and dark caves, overhanging plants, makes the bottom fairly dark. I am hoping this is a good situation for it. Do you notice yours on wood at all? I've seen it a bit, quietly hanging outside one of the caves, but I put some decorations back into the tank for more hiding spaces for the various catfish in the tank, so I don't know how much I will be observing it now.

The l52 is in my 55 with two powerheads an airstone and a monster HOB filter so the tank is turning over very frequently. I noticed that the L52 and BOTH the Ancistrus were all kind of hanging in the same spot today (inbetween where all the caves come together). The young guy at the LFS said he was a little concerned about possible mating between the species? :O

I just found it odd that in that big, huge, sparsely populated tank that the three of them were all within inches of one another! Usually the big male albino Ancistrus never comes out of the cave it insists on occupying with my large hybrid Syno.

My l201s eat cucumber

Jodi, have no worry, the L052 and your common ancistrus will not hybridize. as they are from two separate genus. Probably more of a territorial squabble for dominance between the new fish and the male ancistrus.

Yes my L201 would eat cucumber. But I think they prefer other foods. I see them on wood a lot but I don't think they really eat it much if at all. I agree with Charlie that the L052 and the Ancistrus will not hybridize. Too much of a difference between the species.