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L-204 or L-260???

Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 05:07
by tjudy
I have an opportunity to get either if these species to work with, but I only have space for one type. I am aware that the L-260 is being bred pretty regularly. What is up with L-204? Are they being bred? Which is a better choice for a long-time fish breeder, few-times pleco spawner?

Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 05:31
by INXS
The L-204 are quite pretty! I think they are a little bigger then the L-260 at least mine are. Most of the female QAs are pretty small say 2.5-3" where the males are up to 4" and I have one - a monsterous 5"!!
The two flash plecos I have (hopefully a pair) are both about 4.5", so I would guess they grow a but bigger.

I haven't spawned either (yet) but the L-260s are getting pretty plump while the L-204s I haven't had that long.

Each is a pretty fish so it's hard to make a choice - the demand may be slightly higher on the L-260.

Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 06:47
by Yann
Hi!

SO far hasn't been bred...we have yet to find a correct way to spawn these...

regarding breeding I found the small Panaque spp to be far more demanding than Hypancistrus spp...
Hypancistrus are rather easy to breed...

If you have never bred any Loricariidae, you shall maybe try to breed first ...
after a few spawn of these you shall try to breed , it is a good species to start with not so common Loricariidae...

Cheers
Yann

Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 07:31
by Barbie
tjudy spawns quite a few types of apistos and what not that require more than regular water changes, don't you? I'd think you could handle the L260 with no problem. We usually recommend starting with ancistrus because they tend to be a great training ground for raising the fry. Most people starve their fry at first, without realizing that's what's happening. Those fish EAT and grow like mad. If you can deal with that, the Hypancistrus wouldn't be a big step up the ladder.

While L260 are being spawned with regularity, the price is still higher for them than it is for L204 on most of the recent wholesale lists I've seen. The growout time for either is going to be comparable, IMO. I know it's definitely taken me some practice to figure out just what works for my colony of L260. You might also look into L134? A bit more rare, still small, and not spawned nearly as often?

Barbie

L204 may already been bred

Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 12:27
by Anders
Hi,
I heard from the guy at the LFS, which import directly
from South America, that he has been offered pond bred
L204. If that is true, it has been bred in captivity at
least. He had about 50 of these guys in the shop and
they were about 1" long.

Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 15:18
by Kasper
what is the price for L-204

Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 23:12
by kkorotev
I have been working a group of L204 for nearly 9 months now, after growing them up (and out) for 3 years.
I'm STILL NOT SURE I have both sexes as I believe it takes a good dry season (with both sexes present) to bring out the male's bristly-back-end = maturity.

Neverthelesss, I write to give you first hand advice that ANY hypancistrus will be easier to clean up after than ANY Panaque. These buggers are buzz saws with fins. Beautiful? Yes...but high maintenance.

That is my opinion.
I am often wrong.
Kevin Korotev

Posted: 15 Oct 2004, 04:44
by tjudy
Thanks for the replies. I have had some plecos breed for me. Currently I have more ancistrus than I can shake a stick at... I just got rid of two pairs (which leaves me with three pairs).

Price for L204

Posted: 15 Oct 2004, 12:03
by Anders
Price for the L204 is: 30 euros for 4cm and 40 euros
for 12 cm.
I don't know if the small ones are the captivity bred
L204's I mentioned above.