Some years ago I installed a 55 gallon rain barrel just outside my fishroom. Have never used my RO unit since. A 50% water change with rain water (my tap water is very similar to yours) has worked very well for spawning several corys.
-Shane

Took two large cans of mostly powdered Sera tabs and mixed them with small amounts of boiling water until I was happy with the consistency. Then formed the paste into tablets each about 1.5 inches (3.5cm). Placed the tablets on wax paper on a baking sheet. Cooked in the oven at 285 F. for about an ...

Finally took my two big cans of Sera XXL algae tabs powder (from several cans of disintegrated algae tabs) and reconstituted them into giant algae tabs. Not hard too do, but your kitchen will not smell good for a day or two.
-Shane

Very nice interview.
-Shane

This is the first time I have been able to log in after 2 days of trying to do so.
Clicking my normal link results in "site unreachable."
I can come at the site in a different manner, but have to log in each time. Despite clicking "remember me."
Logging in takes several tries as clicking "log in ...

See pictures below. I am tired of ordering Sera Catfish Tabs XXL and receiving a can of powder. What else is out there for big plecos? Looking for a good quality tablet at least 1" for Chewy. I rotate the tablets with fresh vegetables and Repashy and she loves the Sera tabs. However, about every ...

Great fish and one of the easier Chaetostoma sp to spawn.
I have noted that their overall body coloration can change drastically if the hue and or intensity of the aquarium's lighting is changed. Under high intensity lights with lots of blue my fish looked slate gray. Under less intense ...

In the above paper. One sp was moved to each of the two new genera.
Colossimystax And
Stellantia -Shane

"I was a bit surprised to see the 2010 paper considered the brown specimens to be simply a "color morph" of the otherwise gray Ancistrus gymnorhynchus rather than setting them aside as a different species, or at least saying they need more study to confirm they're just a color morph of A ...

https://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/vie ... hp?t=52810

-Shane

Just noticed that range information for Ancistrus gymnorhynchus is off. This sp was described from Puerto Cabello.

In 2010 its range was enlarged to coastal rivers of the Venezuelan states of Falcon, Lara, Yaracuy, and Carabobo.

Of interest, this same paper recognizes that there is an undescribed ...

Was trying to do some research but spp pages down.

"Get ID: species profile. Report error."

-Shane

It is the typical resting position of my male as well. The female seems to prefer her cave while the male likes to rest vertically near the sponge filter.
-Shane

Having looked at the photo a lot on social media... I suspect the odd angle (it's a great photo) makes the rostrum look proportionately larger.
Agree it read more like a mainstream media release.
-Shane

[Among the shocking new fish discoveries was a ‘blob-headed’ fish (Chaetostoma sp. belonging to the bristlemouth armored catfishes), which has an enlarged blob-like head, a feature that the team’s fish scientists had never seen before.]

This seems a bit fishy in terms of academic rigor as the ...

Compare your fish with and let us know if you think it is a match.
-Shane

A lot of the above will be useful if you decide to have fish shipped on your behalf. I have never done it that way so can not advise with regard to commercial levels of fish shipping. However, I do not believe, based on our conversation, that is your intention.

1) Get a small flat styro that will ...

If you want to save the most fry just remove the eggs from the cave and hatch them in a breeder/fry net (there are many types available.
You can even make your own.
https://plecoceramics.com/blogs/news/ho ... -pleco-fry

-Shane

Yes that is the one. Watching it again you are correct it is bamboo and not wood as I had thought. Thanks for finding it!
-Shane

Interesting. Completely different video. I had not seen the one you linked. The video above used a length of bamboo versus a hollowed out log. Maybe they are not too picky about their spawning "cave."

There is a video floating around on Facebook showing a spawning of as well as raising the fry. Spawning "cave" was a large hollowed out piece of food. As you might expect, the spawn was very large.

-Shane

Saw a news story recently about plecos in Mexico. They are using them to make cat and dog food.
-Shane

Friday night crew!
-Shane

Headed to the airport. Looking forward to seeing everyone this afternoon!
Will do my best to add some photos to this thread.
-Shane

What a wonderful tribute to a fantastic hobbyist.
-Shane

Looking forward to receiving it!
-Shane

Clean water, good food, and time to heal. Do not medicate unless you have a very clear diagnosis and know what (and how) to treat that specific ailment.

Many catfishes are very sensitive to medications so the "cure" can often do more harm than good. Many of us have learned that through direct ...

Some pictures of my current basement fishroom below and some thoughts and opinions.

"- have individual glass tanks plumbed to a sump?"

I would strongly advise against this. In a limited space sumps take up too much valuable real estate. Same for canister filters. It will only take one disease ...

Keep in mind, if you use totes of any kind, that they do not need to meet display aquarium filtration standards as you will be doing large water changes every day or two.
-Shane

Halloween is coming.