Albino Ancistrus

[bigcatsrus]

Hi guys,

I brought 3 albino ancistrus yesterday. They have settled right in doing their cleaning job. They are only 2cm long.

I'm a little curious as I have 2 that have the albino red eyes and one has black eyes, I haven't seen this before (always thougt they have red eyes if albino) and was wondering to why this little chap or chapess has these. I'm not concerned about it, just curious. I'm not worried about sex either, far to young to tell.

Here is a pic.


Thanks in advance

[MatsP]

Yes, that would be the

Ancistrus cf_cirrhosus

in amelanistic form [1] - it's often sold as L144 (and the related high price), but I'd say that's not the true L144 .

[1] Amelanistic is slightly different from Albino - the skin doesn't have any colour, but in a true albino, the eyes also have no colour.

--
Mats

[bigcatsrus]

Umm interesting, so I have to true and one not so true. Thats cool with me.

I got 3 for £10.50 = £3.50 each, I'd say a fair price. Not had albino's before and it was my mind wondering as to why but thanks Mats.

There in their own tank to grow a bit bigger and then they can be put in their desinagted tanks.

[Richard B]

If you were close by to me or Mats we could've let you have some!, - all my albino ones are red eyed & i'm on the 3rd spawn since i got the adults - i took 150-200 to my LFS on Sunday (ranging 10-30mm).

[bigcatsrus]

Oh darn thats always the way. Someone pipes up saying you can have some of mine . I'm in colchester, essex.

Like I say, not particually bothered if its a true albino or not. It was curiosity.

Can you bred normal and albino's?

[MatsP]

Bigcats: I just looked at your "my cats". You list

Ancistrus cirrhosus

- do you REALLY have the wildcaught form? They aren't likely to occur in the trade.

I wouldn't call the forms you have "true" and "not true". They are different genetic defects that lead to very similar looking colour. They are all the same species, but different genetic defects.

--
Mats

[bigcatsrus]

No I have clicked the wrong one. I'll sort that out.

Ok cool.

[MatsP]

I missed pointing out that a cross between albino and amelanistic will give you normal brown ones (most likely at least).

--
Mats

[bigcatsrus]

Ok just thinking about to breed or not to breed. It's something to think about later down the line.

[bigcatsrus]

Hi,

I came downstairs to check all fish were ok. To my surprise I found one of these guys in the tubing of the undergravel filter (can't get through the grill holes, thankfully). I'm guessing that he/she was looking for food, even though I'm putting sinking pellets and algae wafers in.

So my question would be, would a bit of mesh be ok to put on the hole?? Any help and advice would be much appericated.

Thanks in advance

[MatsP]

It seems sensible to put something over the end of the uplift pipe, for sure. They usually have a type of cap/grate at the end, but I presuem that's been lost/gone missing at some point in the past.

Yes, a bit of plastic mesh would work. Metal mesh won't, as it'd potentially leech metals into the water, and cause problems.

--
Mats

[bigcatsrus]

It was never with the tanks when we got them so I assume that they got lost.

Ok, time to find some plastic mesh for them. The joys of having baby fish, make you work

Thanks Mats