Plecos - what direction to take?

Brengun

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Apr 22, 2009
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Plecos - what direction to take?

Due to some success in breeding rare L numbers and the high cost of electricity of late I am in a quandary of what direction to take in regards to my L numbers.

I have some of the rarer sorts starting to breed now and they are my true favourites. Not because they are expensive but because of their attitude and the way they look and live.

I also have the more common varieties breeding and there in lies my question.
Should I keep all the common sorts and support my hobby with the more regular sales of them or sell those off and make life a lot easier for myself and perhaps a smaller power bill?

I love them all but like stray puppies, maybe I just shouldn’t keep so many?

Keepers L046, L260, L128. Don’t even dream of selling those.

Quite like to keep L270, L201, L007 (maybe not all 9 though), L134.

Not sure - L129 Bred only once so far and lost the fry so a challenge there to breed again and see just how cute are L129 fry?

Not sure - Common long fin juveniles growing out, marble long and short fin growing out. I wouldn’t mind a nice pair of the marbles in long fin if they turn out really nice looking but do I want to actually breed from them?

Not sure - L144 long fin pair. For some unknown reason the pair aren’t breeding. I like a good challenge but thinking I may sell either before or after they breed? If they breed I have to find a grow out tank for fry.

Not sure - L333 colony not currently breeding or the L066 always breeding. Do I want to keep both Hypancistrus varieties or make it easier on myself and sell both?

L397 colony. Breed heaps. I do like them but time to move on?

L278 just breeding again now. Do I want to devote another tank to growing up fry though or sell them and the colony?

I do love them all but sometimes it’s a chore looking after so many fish and I am thinking perhaps I should devote more time to looking after my real favourite ones?

What would you do?
 

pauldoit

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Sep 4, 2012
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From my perspective I'd like to see someone of your experience and talents work with the more difficult and rarer breeds that we have in Australia, to try and boost their numbers. For eg your keeper list and L129, L007 and L278. But that may not be enough of a down size?
 

axle

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Sep 4, 2009
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Perth Australia
If it were me Id keep your favs and the ones you know that if you change your mind, cannot be replaced as readily. All of 397, 333, 201, 066, 134, BN etc. can be collected from other keepers easily if you have the funds. Once you start to move some on it will become an easier decision as to the ones you just cant let go.
Im tipping your fish will sell quick.:yes:
BTW Hurry up and breed those 128s! Id love to see these bred in OZ.
 

axle

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Sep 4, 2009
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Perth Australia
Yeah I remember that. I should have said- I'd love to see these fish successfully bred in oz.
are yours mature enough to breed yet Brenda?
 

zeebo

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Jun 11, 2010
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Hi Brenda, suggest you keep your favs, and the hard to get ones in OZ, sell the others and break down those tanks. It is a hobby , but also a responsibility and should be enjoyful. When stress or money comes into play, the joy of keeping so many lessens this and it becomes a ''hassle''. Especially the time consuming aspect for me. Jeez , I have 3 tanks and am dying to get it down to just 2 tanks. So much easier to care for ,less work , electricity and time. Sometimes I just don't have the time I need to care for 3 tanks but I have to until I break one down, so atm, it is not as enjoyable.

A lot of good suggestions , think about it for a month ,then go with what your heart says. Good luck .
 

Amy

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Jun 1, 2010
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Canada
I would keep the ones you really want.

As for the others you are deciding on, why not just keep one of each pair so at least you can have a nice display tank of different plecos?

I would just die to get the different kinds you have there. Where I live in Canada its very hard without paying an arm and a leg for these rare types of plecos.

Of course, don't get rid of those zebras....:D

Even thought mine are still small and I don't see them often I am so so so glad I finally got them but it was a challenge to find someone that even has them around B.C.

I would not want to be in your shoes but that is what I would do and if you could and wanted a nice display tank of different kinds that would be very nice with some neons or cardinals in there too for added movement and color.
 

Brengun

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Apr 22, 2009
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The L397 are quite sentimental as they are the very first plecos (apart from bns) I ever had. There are 4 of them 2 males and 2 females and they get on really well together. Every so often the other male will step up and breed and sometimes both of them do at the same time. Never any fighting marks on them and the females never have any mating scratches on them either. Such good fish to keep. I wish all the others got on that well.

I've decided to sell at least the L144 pair and the other bn juvies I will disperse amonst other tanks as glass cleaners for a while.

Still not sure on the L066 trio or the L333 quad colony. They might have to stay a while longer yet. Both colonies took years in the making. From dozens of potentials, these are the elite special ones I kept. I think if the L333 get breeding I might sell the L066 though as the L066 fry cannot be kept near L333 fry or probably even L270 fry and they are quite dominant amongst L201 fry once they start getting up to 4 to 5cm. It means an entire tank devoted to L066 fry unfortunately.

I got another blue phantom yesterday to add to my colony of 6. Still too young to sex as are the others but eventually the 7 might go into 2 tanks depending on sex ratio. The bigger they get the more mess they leave in one tank. Thinking positively in the future, I would need a fry grow out tank for them one of these years too.

I also bought another zeb. Surprise, it turned out a mature female. Pretty good for a lfs pickup. Not sure which of the two tanks she will eventually go in. Perhaps the younger one as the older colony might be aggressive to a new girl in the tank? Maybe I could start a 3rd zeb tank? Funny little things, they all want to sit in the one two foot end of a 4ft tank. I hardly ever see anyone in caves up the far end.

Can zeb and L201 fry grow out in the same tank or will I need 2 separate grow out tanks? Maybe zeb and L201 and L270 fry could all have the same grow out tank? What do you think? Its a nice problem to have lol. Omg what if the L260 breed too? Oh its all too hard! :wb:
 

Nat's Fish

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Nov 14, 2011
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I can't wait to get a bigger place and expand but can see how frustrating it would be doing so much work. Bristlenose just don't seem as popular anymore. I will start selling mine off soon. Is it just me or do people in QLD and WA seem to be able to access rarer fish?
There always seems to be the same old things selling here on petlink etc.
Like groundhog day haha. I agree with everyone else, definitely concentrate on the rarer things. You have a special talent and knack for this and I think you'll breed so many rare fish
 

bigbird

Pleco Profiles Moderator - RIP FRIEND
Sep 9, 2010
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i would go with your gut feeling and keep the ones you really want. Then you can concentrate on them and get that passion back even stronger. It is a hard call, but I find the rarers ones are more of a challange and that spurs me on. cheers and good luck jk :thumbup:
 

Amy

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Jun 1, 2010
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Canada
I don't know about you all there where you live but here in Canada at least in my home town fish of any kind are impossible to sell unless someone is looking for that certain fish.

Stores here will not even buy let alone take for free fish from you most of the time and if they do what the offer you its not worth even taking the time to breed and raise them unless you want to do it just for yourself.

I am hoping to have a pair of L0146 keeping fingers crossed as they are very young yet. But if they do become a pair and breed right now there are a few people in the surrounding area that would snap them up from me in a heart beat. I would not even think of selling them to the stores as they would offer you nothing and ask a fortune. Plus people just don't spend hundreds of dollars here on one kind of fish.

The zebras have always been a fish I have wanted so when I got them I call them my tank of gold. I baby that tank like crazy as I want them to do well.

I also have a LF BN Albino female and and L0134 I had to twist the guys are just to sell me one of his L0134 from his batch as they are wild caught but I love this pleco but don't intent to breed it as there is no demand here for them. He has not been able to sell the other 5 he has I told him to keep them as they are rare here to get and just enjoy them even if they are not breeding. Then he has the LF BN Albinos that breed like rabbits and he cannot give them away. Stores don't want them, he tries to sell them in his home town but not successful. I just keep these two plecos together because I like the look of them.

I would like to oneday get a couple more rare plecos just to have not to breed when I find the right ones but for now I am happy with what I have.

Sounds like you have decided on what you want to do at this point and when it comes time to get rid of more you will know what you want and what you don't. Sounds like you have a nice collection of them though....:yes:
 

Nat's Fish

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Nov 14, 2011
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Wow I didn't realise it was so hard to offload fish in Canada.
It's easy to sell them in australia but a lot of people in the industry are very cheap.
Shops will take almost anything but seem to offer credit or offensive amounts of money
They are running a business & I can understand that.
When I open my shop I will run things a little different
I wish we were allowed to trade with other countries!
Imagine all of the cool things we could all swap
 

Amy

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Jun 1, 2010
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Canada
Oh that would sure be nice to swap with other countries except for the freight would be a killer for sure. Just for me to get my zebras here from Victoria B.C. which is not even an hour flight cost me $112.00 canadian dollars.

I don't know about other areas of Canada but here in the area I live its impossible to get rid of fish unless you are willing to give them away for free.
 

Nat's Fish

Member
Nov 14, 2011
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That's very expensive freight! Sorry to go off topic but is there many aquariums in your area? How would they make money?