My pleco tank, inspired by a biotope

[emanuel]

I had been away from this hobby for more than ten years. To start over, I wanted to do something different than usual, instead of filling the tank with artificial caves, I wanted to try and create something more natural.
I wanted to put both Hemiancistrus subviridis and Rio Xingu pleco, luckily their biotopes are completely similar. Here are two examples, same type of rock.

https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... e_id=11290

https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... e_id=16465
It was important to choose the right rock, I'm not a geologist, but being a mountaineer, I've been lucky enough to see so much rock in my life. Looking at photos and videos of Rio Xingu it was not difficult to understand what kind of rock was present there. Luckily in the mountains around where I live they are made of rock of that type and so it was not a problem to go and collect some for my aquarium.

I managed to create a large number of dens by placing rocks of all sizes and shapes, but to give even more choices, lately I have also added artificial caves, well hidden with wood, as explained in this thread. viewtopic.php?t=51384
However, I have very rarely seen my plecs enter it, they certainly prefer natural rock caves.

I started the aquarium on July 21, 2022 so it is about six months old now.
The plants are not present in the biotope, but I need them to manage pollutants more easily.

66 gallons /250 litres
I change 10% of water a week to plain tap water
PH 6.5
NO2 0
NO3 25
KH 3

I have a lot of current, about 32 times the volume of water per hour (8,200 liters per hour).

I feed my fish mainly with peas, courgettes, carrots, potatoes and other vegetables, then also worms, shrimp pieces, tabs and food granules.

The main attraction is Hemiancistrus subviridis, it is 100% active during the day, while at night it goes to sleep in its cave. I am very lucky, watching it graze among the rocks is really what I dreamed of when I designed this aquarium. I can't wait to find other specimens to make a group of them.

His home

[emanuel]

I have a group of 7 Hypancistrus L236 of various varieties (Super White, Super Yellow and Basic), then L260, two small Hypancistrus zebra and 2 L168. Obviously for the moment I have no intention of dedicating myself to breeding, otherwise I would not keep different varieties of Hypancistrus together.
The only truly diurnal plec is H. subviridis, but I must say that the others also show themselves quite often with the lights on, even if not like H. subviridis and in any case their peak activity is at night
The only ones never to be seen are L260, which in fact I'm trying to remove to make room for other plecos

[emanuel]

Besides the plecos, I currently only have Corydoras sterbai and 4 Apistogramma hongsloi (1 male and 3 females)

[Captainandy]

Very nice - Beautiful

[emanuel]

David and Goliath

[emanuel]

[emanuel]

Last arrived, two days ago

[sturiosoma]

Last arrived, two days ago

Very cool

Jeanne

[bekateen]

Leporacanthicus heterodon is really high up on my list of "big plecos" ... err, big in my concept... for future tank expansion.

God luck with them.

Cheers, Eric

[emanuel]

Very cool

Jeanne

Thank you

Leporacanthicus heterodon is really high up on my list of "big plecos" ... err, big in my concept... for future tank expansion.

God luck with them.

Cheers, Eric

it's a really nice fish, if I had a bigger aquarium I would buy a group, but unfortunately I don't have room in this tank and I have to settle for a single specimen. I already have a group of Hemiancistrus and one of Hypancistrus L236, there is just no room for another group.

If you decide to get him for your future aquarium I recommend using some sand, mine spends a lot of his time sifting the sand through his gills, I couldn't imagine him in a tank without sand, he wouldn't be comfortable.

[sturiosoma]

Very cool

Jeanne

Thank you

Leporacanthicus heterodon is really high up on my list of "big plecos" ... err, big in my concept... for future tank expansion.

God luck with them.

Cheers, Eric

it's a really nice fish, if I had a bigger aquarium I would buy a group, but unfortunately I don't have room in this tank and I have to settle for a single specimen. I already have a group of Hemiancistrus and one of Hypancistrus L236, there is just no room for another group.

If you decide to get him for your future aquarium I recommend using some sand, mine spends a lot of his time sifting the sand through his gills, I couldn't imagine him in a tank without sand, he wouldn't be comfortable.

There's always room for one more tank, I used to breed the L240 and I think the Leporancanthicus genera has some pretty cool species.

Jeanne