The fact it is symmetrical hints to me it's very unlikely to be parasitic cysts. I agree genetic abnormality. Unlike snubnosed individuals it's difficult to say too much. Whereas the head is usually formed of flatish plates but whose to say an abnormality could result in them developing a shape ...

What Repashy have you tried? I just use soilent green then bulk out with extra algaes. Nothing fast feeding in the tank so all they had to compete with was the Baryancistrus and now smaller Ancistrus spp., Lasiancistrus and some Dekeyseria. I usually split up the food and scatter it across the tank ...

I will second freshwater sponge. Probably from the genus Ephydatia.

I have some as well, and the only problem I have is it's in a planted tank and it kills plants it covers, it spreads by spores if you move anything from an infected tank to another, and I have yet to discover a way to kill it ...

Thanks :)

I just feed my pair the same as I would Baryancistrus as while their diets likely differ there isn't much we can subdivide with now. So Repashy soilent green about 2-3 scoops to 2 scoops chlorela powder, I ran out of spirulina but I would use a wider range of algaes if I could. I do use ...

Ohhh these images do work.

https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/433527689_8054488997912683_4787501463440787935_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=833d8c&_nc_ohc=Ec5XQ-fdrxUQ7kNvgH5Yi0A&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-1.xx&_nc_gid=AicehGHL-Zn39KdUpXhyv2S&oh=00 ...

I keep Baryancistrus xanthellus and Baryancistrus chrysolomus.
Difficult to work out size and very rusty on how to use forums but these are photos/videos of some of mine.
They are hard work I wont lie, more expensive. The big one is diet, they are algivores but maybe on the extreme end. They don't ...

I managed to find a second one for mine. Although regarding colour, it does depend on lighting I find, my original one has reasonable bright lighting so has a stronger greenish tinge. They all seem to have a green colour to them, just slightly. Both of mine can show a tiny bit of pin prick spotting ...

I agree looks like a fish lice. I see these occasionally on SA fishes and I always called them fast fish lice as they seemed to move over the fish particularly if being caught. So now I'm not sure if they are another isopod particularly those that burrow into the fish. Generally if it looks like a ...

Hi.
L333 requires a high-protein diet. While young L333 may eat some vegetables, their diet should shift to meaty foods as they grow. They need bloodworms, chopped mussels, chopped cockles, or prawns. They don’t eat algae and won’t touch algae wafers.

Just weighing in on Hypancistrus diets as ...

Are there many gut analysis papers for this genus? I wonder what they are digging into in the wild. I figured larger insect larvae, but it could be snails or as wild as crustaceans. Do you think they are finding food in the substrate or in the "nooks and crannies" of a hardscape?

My only ...

If you're concerned about the water hardness many Ampullariidae, apple snails are found in softer waters, they seem to be much more omnivorous so maybe are one of the many who get their calcium more from their diet.
Maybe there is an ontogenetic change in their diets, it's never been studied in ...

I've got one, I got mine as an only individual in a batch of Parancistrus nudiventris. Not seen any others available or even others other then a commentor on my Youtube keep them. A UK store seems to have them but many of their photos are of Parancistrus nudiventris.

All I can say about colour is ...

It is no doubt interesting from a behavioral aspect. These fishes are clear carnivores, morphologically and from the few ecological studies. Carnivorous species I've noticed generally have very mobile jaws but there are exceptions where jaws are reduced. There is a slight exception with some of the ...

Hypostominae, contains mostly territorial Loricariids. That includes Panaqolus and they do not share their caves either for females it's their space (could also be related to reproduction) but for males it's certainly for reproduction. If another fish is there many wont tolerate it. Sharing a cave ...

These distinctively marked Dekeyseria are D. picta. Makes it easier I think then identifying D. picta from what was D. brachyura.

As a database Fishbase is good but also for information it is a (very large) pinch of salt. Databases can be tricky to create with what you include and exclude. Fishbase I've found also includes information that lacks citations or the citation might not entirely back it up.
The other aspect with ...

Definitely no shortage, I remember sorting through Bagrus, not sure I finished either. The size of some of those fishes.

racoll wrote: 11 Jul 2024, 18:43 There's no shortage of bagrids here in London. You're welcome any time!

PXL_20240711_172947375.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg

PXL_20240711_173030634.PORTRAIT~2.jpg

Loricariids do get strange growths. Lymphocytis is the most well known but has never been proven to infect Siluriformes or other related lineages like Cypriniformes, therefore the research is lacking and I've tried to work out if it's due to a physiological reason or they are asymptomatic. So for ...

Sometimes we never actually notice growth and it is happening. There are other factors like diet and availability of food I'd explore. The availability is more of an issue for busy tanks and yours doesn't look too busy.
I agree Hypostomus but other then the H. cochliodon group I'm not a fan of ...

I'm surprised this paper hasn't got more publicity. It's fascinating and kind of changes what we knew about the group.

Odontode size is generally seasonal in many Hypostominae and I assume most Loricariids, at least those who have large ones. But the common bristlenoses stopping might be a correlation, might just be coincidence.
There are many factors that stop breeding, density does frequently get seen, I suspect ...

I think I understand what you are saying? Treating populations as isolated entities?
I personally think that is a good idea, when it comes to individual populations individual populations can be as distinct genetically and morphologically as different species. In fish biology we don't really use ...

I would say it most likely would work. Although my only hesitation would be the size of the common bristlenose, the blue eyed variant doesn't get quite as big as the normal browns or the albinos but it might just be most people haven't had theirs long enough yet. The common bristlenose, Ancistrus sp ...

He's certainly not old. What are you feeding him? Anything faster feeding in the tank? The fact he is skinny is probably why he isn't spawning. When was the last time you wormed him and since have any new fish been introduced? I don't think worms is normally why a fish is skinny but worth asking.

I seem to remember there have been others but none have been caught alive. It's likely these fishes were only introduced during the summer, one really doesn't look in the greatest health either.

So sorry, Ancistrus can be a very challenging genus to keep.
Once that skinny it really depends how long they have been like that. It's about getting anything in them but after that the healthy diet. I do suspect there might be a use in having them in with other related fishes who willingly feed if ...

I agree on the Hypancistrus sp. I don't think L471 can be identified from L201, the locality I don't think entirely matters unless this can be studied? I also don't know the geography that well. L471 definitely gets larger in size then original estimates, they aren't the dwarf they were sold as. I ...

This is more of a Hypostominae issue. The advice I'd give is firstly keep similarly sized species and individuals together. While as juveniles it might seem okay but as they mature for many territoriality increases but even more so their size, bulk and what damage they can do does increase.
I have ...

I just noticed GBIF and Inaturalist were lacking a lot so I think it varies and honestly it seems in general you have to go direct. Several times I've tried locating specimens particularly and just ended up going to the museum catalog if they have one.
Then for geographic data I do think there is ...

I worked in one of the oldest MA stores and it hadn't renovated for since it opened so 30 years, those tanks many were standing till the eventual refit but some had to have various work on I was told just to stand. Some there was also a leak between tanks in a system.
Another store I worked at ...