L333's ???

[tomr]

After 3 years and 3 owners, i have 2 L333's in the same cave. Everyone cross your fingers for me. thanks.

[apistomaster]

I have a good supply of one year old F1 L333 that are one year old and 2-1/2 to over 2-3/4 inches in TL .
Sever customers have reported back to me that the fish they bought a year ago have begun spawning in case you are interested.
They reach early maturity rather quickly unlike relatives like L260 and H. zebra which usually need to be 3 or more years old before they begin spawning.
My strain develops the brown and cream markings upon reaching maturity. I recommend these to anyone wishing to raise something more challenging than common Bushy Noses and I think L333 are a very easy species to breed compared to most Hypancistrus.
They are the largest pleco I raise but even my 8 year old wild breeders are only about 4-1/2 inches. males run about 1/4 inch longer than females.
It seems easier to breed them colony style consisting of six or more fish. Contact me if you want some of these nice sized specimens.
Here are some photos. L333's are a pretty species.

[tomr]

nice pics. thanks for the advice. Nothing happened in the cave. oh well maybe next time.

[apistomaster]

L333 are almost as easily bred as common Bushy Nose Plecos once they are mature.
Mine are bred and raised in tap water.
Great choice for those wishing to take a step up from BN.

[jp11biod]

Larry -- cost for your 333's?

PM me if preferred

JS

[apistomaster]

I sell only larger subadult plecos. The L333 are between 2-1/2 and 2-3/4 inches long and about one year old.
I sell them in minimum lots of six/$150 +$10; my cost for the high quality insulated shipping box + freight.
My small box costs me $10 and holds up to 7 fish.
My largest box costs me $15 and holds up to 14 fish.
I always add one extra at no charge for every six ordered.
I buy boxes in case lots and they still cost me that much. Add the box charge.
I am not one of the big companies who get quantity discounts for shipping materials or freight rates. I'm just a hobbyist and do no importing.
The freight varies but is about the same for either box depending on the distance.
It cost $65 to send a large box about 300 miles from me last fall. At the same time I sent exactly the same shipment to another customer on Long Island, NY and his shipment cost $99.50. He received his fish in only 20 hours. I use a heat pack at no charge when one is needed.
PC member, "suckermouth" Milton Tan, bought a group from me and bred them within one year after buying them (unless I crossed my memory wires).
I sell them at large enough sizes to give buyers a good head start.

[Suckermouth]

You got it right Larry, my L333 that I bought from you before had at least three broods last year. They haven't started up again this year yet, but all the juvenile L333's 40 gallon might be getting in the way. I'm thinking I may split the surviving juveniles out so the breeder fish aren't so distracted. Larry's right, the L333 breed surprisingly easily. I don't know if I got lucky because Larry isn't mentioning anyone else, but I just left them alone and provided lots of caves and they went at it! I was surprised when I found the brood, I wasn't expecting them so early; I thought the fish would have to mature for at least another year.

[apistomaster]

Milton,
You are the only one of my L333 customers who has reported back to me that their L333 bred.

About your "over crowded" tank; I keep seven adults about eight years old in a 40 breeder.
My adults spawn year around despite the fact that there are times when their are nearly 200 L333 present counting all sizes.
I barely sell enough to keep the population close to 150 fish and new fry regularly appear. Some just two weeks ago.
It has to be seen at feeding time to be believed at how many fish reside in this tank at any given time.
The majority of them are 1-1/2 to 2-3/4 inches.
I know the brooding males can not possibly keep out all the juveniles but yet they still manage to provide more than adequate brood care.
It appears this species has a long breeding lifespan so I suspect that within a year your fish will begin producing more and larger size broods.
I keep and breed them in tap water with a pH of 7.4 and 140 ppm TDS. I also keep mine at 84*F. I change 75% of the water weekly.
It does sound to me like you are not feeding your plecos often enough. I feed mine at least once or twice a day. At the warm temperatures, I think these mainly carnivorous plecos require fairly frequent feeding.

[jp11biod]

sounds like a fair price for well cared for fish

my bonus comes in at the end of the month

I will be back in touch

JS