My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

All posts regarding the care and breeding of these catfishes from South America.
Post Reply
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Thank you Teresa for alerting me to your concern. As I mentioned above, I didn't end up using the Melafix. Although there has been no time for the new plecos' pectoral spines to regrow, I can say that the bloody spine no longer looks bloody, and all of the fish are active with no signs of disease (other than still the torn fins and sunken bellies); I think everything will be okay once they have time to settle in and eat lots of good foods. I have used Melafix on my corys before, without problem, but I don't think I've ever used it on any of my plecos, so I can't speak from experience there.

Regarding the torn fin on your L397, if I was you, I wouldn't worry much about it. My adult clown plecos and my mustard spot plecos get into little scrapes with each other all the time, and occasionally I find one or two fish (usually females among the clowns) with torn fins or scratched bodies. I don't do anything special to treat them, and over time they heal without incident. So unless you see signs of infection or the tears getting worse, I'd advise you to leave them alone and let their own bodies heal themselves.

Cheers, Eric

P.S., Teresa, please take the following advice with a smile and a spirit of care and appreciation.... Regarding your last post, I have one word for you: Punctuation. ;-)

Cheers, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
pleconut
Posts: 1365
Joined: 30 Sep 2015, 22:17
I've donated: $35.00!
My cats species list: 35 (i:23, k:0)
My aquaria list: 7 (i:3)
My BLogs: 3 (i:4, p:154)
My Wishlist: 1
Spotted: 1
Location 1: Bournemouth
Location 2: UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by pleconut »

I get it. I am trying to work on it. :d
Thanks Teresa
User avatar
catfishchaos
Posts: 498
Joined: 25 Mar 2014, 22:29
My cats species list: 35 (i:25, k:4)
My aquaria list: 7 (i:6)
My Wishlist: 1
Spotted: 14
Location 1: Halifax
Location 2: Nova scotia, Canada
Interests: Spearfishing, freediving, flyfishing, flytying, bowfishing, long boarding, archery, photography, reptiles, arachnids, catfish, cacti and succulents, exploration/travel, conservation and always acquiring more

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by catfishchaos »

When I got my One was missing 100% of the pectoral membrane only having the spine left, it has since completely healed and looks completely normal.

Great to see you cross another off your list Eric and even better to see that they are doing rather well (they look happy in the videos I've watched ;) ).

Will you by any chance be going for a spawning attempt down the road?
I can stop keeping catfish whenever I want. I just don't think I'll ever want to do that...
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Thanks. Yes, so far they are looking good (maybe better?) with each passing day. What is surprising me most is that nearly all the poop I'm seeing is very dark brown, so I'm thinking that in spite of all the other foods I'm offering, wood is still the main part of their diet. They seem to only sample the sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, bell pepper, and fake crab meat I'm providing.

I do hope they spawn later, although at this time, I don't know if I have both sexes.

With my other species, I don't do much out of the ordinary to condition them other than just do my routine maintenance: I try to provide good food, my water changes are always big (60-75% each time), and I give them lots of caves and hiding places. Perhaps the only manipulations I attempt are (A) covering their tanks for privacy (but this is more about reducing their stress, not triggering spawning) and (B) occasionally using distilled water for partial water changes.

That said, the one scientific paper about the natural reproductive cycle of guahiborum concluded that they spawn year-round and don't have a specific trigger like a change in temperature or a drop in water hardness. If so, then I just need to keep them healthy and make them feel "at home."

Fingers crossed for luck!

Cheers, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

UPDATE: After 8 weeks of care in my quarantine tank (and this may become their permanent home for the foreseeable future), I thought I'd do a reshoot of pictures to show you how the fish have improved. I still can't sex them and I haven't seen any of them show interest in each other sexually. But occasionally I do find one or two in different caves, although always alone and always for only a few hours. Mostly they stay on or under rocks, and now they are a lot more shy if I move nearby than they were that first night I brought them home.

In the aquarium, they still have a charcoal gray color as an overall color, very nice against the gray stones. But when photographed in air, they have a slight yellow-green color to the body's stress coloration (still no sign of the deep green shown in the first photo of the CLOG page, but I'm hoping!). The orange seams on the dorsal and caudal fins have grown in very nicely, and you can even see small hints of the orange seam on the pectoral and pelvic fin tips - pretty cool.

Here's two photos of the fish number 4 from page 1 of this thread (I also reposted the original photo for easy comparison). This is the fish that had a broken and bleeding pectoral spine when purchased; the spine has healed nicely, as you can see. At the time of purchase, its other pectoral spine was deformed, and that still persists. I don't expect it to change. The fish has grown from 55mm to about 58mm SL in two months, but as is true for all of my guahiborum, this fish doesn't show any widening of the hips that might be a sign of a female. The scientific paper I read about their natural reproduction made no mention of sexual dimorphism, other than overall average size, so I may just have to wait for eggs to know what/who I have.

Cheers, Eric
Attachments
Original photo, day of purchase
Original photo, day of purchase
After 8 weeks
After 8 weeks
After 8 weeks
After 8 weeks
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
pleconut
Posts: 1365
Joined: 30 Sep 2015, 22:17
I've donated: $35.00!
My cats species list: 35 (i:23, k:0)
My aquaria list: 7 (i:3)
My BLogs: 3 (i:4, p:154)
My Wishlist: 1
Spotted: 1
Location 1: Bournemouth
Location 2: UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by pleconut »

They seem to be doing very well, a big improvement, you must be very pleased with the progress of them. :-BD
Thanks Teresa
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Yeah, I am pleased, although also impatient for more development and progress. \:d/ :YMPRAY: (-|

One thing that is evident in the "before" (original) and "after" dorsal view pictures is how much the body has filled out (although again, not enough to clearly indicate male vs. female): If you look at the "before" dorsal view, you can clearly see that the body indents just anterior to the pelvic fins, reflecting the poor nutritional status of the fish. In the "after" dorsal view, the body is nicely convex, filling outward and showing that the fish has put on body mass.

The fins are still a little tattered and torn, but this is not residual from the time of arrival. This is because (1) the fish occasionally fight with each other, and also because (2) when they are startled by me or by my house cat (who likes to sit on top of this aquarium), the fish rush to hide among the rocks, and often they will bang into rocks or the ceramic cave structure in the tank, or the HOB filter intake, and those events might lead to some damage. More than likely, the damage is mainly due to the occasional fighting. But as far as I can tell, it's no big concern at this time.

Cheers, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
pleconut
Posts: 1365
Joined: 30 Sep 2015, 22:17
I've donated: $35.00!
My cats species list: 35 (i:23, k:0)
My aquaria list: 7 (i:3)
My BLogs: 3 (i:4, p:154)
My Wishlist: 1
Spotted: 1
Location 1: Bournemouth
Location 2: UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by pleconut »

As for the cat, as in not catfish, it may just be the temperature of the tank, that makes it a spot he/she wants to rest, jump ect upon, a warmer more comfortable spot may help, that's if it's not the actual fish that it's interested in as they can be! I did notice the filling out, could just be down to good feeding, but a possibility it may be an early sex indication, although you said you can't sex them, it may track their development. You may look back on the progress and realise it was related to the sex. So it might be worth getting a dorsal view shot of each one, if you haven't already done, but i would think you again photographed them all! You may get to see, if this is about the same degree of filling out for them all, then most likely it's down to good feeding, or if there's any significant difference that isn't closely equal to each of them, then might be very early indications of the sex of them.
Thanks Teresa
User avatar
Mol_PMB
Posts: 743
Joined: 17 Feb 2014, 22:49
I've donated: $50.00!
My images: 5
My cats species list: 37 (i:32, k:1)
My aquaria list: 12 (i:9)
My BLogs: 8 (i:34, p:416)
Spotted: 14
Location 2: Manchester UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by Mol_PMB »

I was very tempted by a fish being sold as an L122 today (though I think it was actually an L106). If only I had space for more plecos!
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Although I've read the description of L122, I'm not sure I would be able to tell the difference between it and guahiborum if I saw them both in a fish store. :-\
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
Mol_PMB
Posts: 743
Joined: 17 Feb 2014, 22:49
I've donated: $50.00!
My images: 5
My cats species list: 37 (i:32, k:1)
My aquaria list: 12 (i:9)
My BLogs: 8 (i:34, p:416)
Spotted: 14
Location 2: Manchester UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by Mol_PMB »

bekateen wrote:Although I've read the description of L122, I'm not sure I would be able to tell the difference between it and guahiborum if I saw them both in a fish store. :-\
I agree, and with only one specimen I couldn't be at all sure. But it didn't seem particularly low-profile compared to your L106s.
I was very tempted, it was a 3" fish at less than £20.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Mol_PMB wrote: ...it was a 3" fish at less than £20.
Gosh, no matter how long I stay in this hobby, no matter how often the issue presents itself, I will forever be flabbergasted by the discrepancies in availability and price between continents! We can't find L397 at a reasonable price in the USA, and yet fish like guahiborum are routinely available for the equivalent of £10. Go figure.
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

=(( And then there were four...

Woke up this morning to find two guahiborum dead, for no obvious reasons, one wedged between rocks and the other deep inside a bamboo cave. I suppose it could have been aggression-related, but I've never seen serious fights before and neither showed signs of injury.

It might have been my fault because in an effort to stimulate spawning, I recently (two days ago) did a water change with 50% DI water, dropping the conductivity from about 400 to 200. If I recall correctly, I've done that before without consequence, but maybe I'm thinking of another aquarium with different fish. These fish look like they've been dead for at least one day.

Does anybody know if guahiborum should be able to handle this?

Regards, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Today I'm stripping down now my tank for a deep cleaning. I'm amazed at how big (relatively speaking) these fish are getting. Managed to take an (unflattering) quick video of them because otherwise I probably won't see them for a while. They are unsettled in the video because most of the tank decor and hiding places are removed for cleaning. (FYI, For safety, the heater and internal pumps are unplugged, only an airstone is operating at the moment. My hand is in the tank to usher the fish to the front; without my hand, they all instantly swim to the back and hide behind foam blocks, LOL)

Cheers, Eric

Spotted orange seam plecos (Hemiancistrus guahiborum, L106)

Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
pleconut
Posts: 1365
Joined: 30 Sep 2015, 22:17
I've donated: $35.00!
My cats species list: 35 (i:23, k:0)
My aquaria list: 7 (i:3)
My BLogs: 3 (i:4, p:154)
My Wishlist: 1
Spotted: 1
Location 1: Bournemouth
Location 2: UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by pleconut »

Looking good now Eric.
Thanks Teresa
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Thanks Teresa. By the way, fish #4 (purchased with the bloody pectoral spine) has fattened out somewhat compared to the rest and has a slightly bulbous genital papilla, so I'm pretty confident it's a female. The largest fish is staying slim so I'm pretty sure it's male. I haven't studied the other two fish recently to tell their genders.
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
pleconut
Posts: 1365
Joined: 30 Sep 2015, 22:17
I've donated: $35.00!
My cats species list: 35 (i:23, k:0)
My aquaria list: 7 (i:3)
My BLogs: 3 (i:4, p:154)
My Wishlist: 1
Spotted: 1
Location 1: Bournemouth
Location 2: UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by pleconut »

Might be worth checking the other two, when you next work on the tank.
Thanks Teresa
Jobro
Posts: 861
Joined: 29 Jul 2015, 17:34
My cats species list: 12 (i:7, k:0)
My aquaria list: 3 (i:3)
Spotted: 3
Location 1: Germany
Location 2: Allgäu

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by Jobro »

Looking under the pleco skirts is one of my favourite tasks. But I usually end up as wise as before :D :D

If they are ever out in the open and you can snatch a good picture on them (without stress colouration), I would like to see that.
follow my Plecos on Instagram: welsgefluester
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

It was exactly one year ago yesterday that I picked up the six guahiborum (and then lost two in April). By coincidence, one of my LFS got a new shipment of these in Friday night from Ruinemans, so I picked up three more to build my group up again. These are a little smaller (largest fish 50mm SL) than the last group but at least I know they'll catch up within the next year.
Edited_ImageEasyImageEditor_20161211_322.jpg
The new fish are also a little thin, but their colors are great and their fins intact, so I'm hopeful they'll adjust well to the aquarium.

Once out of quarantine, I'll combine the two groups and move them from the 10gal tanks they are in currently to a 40gal which I'm preparing at work (it's intended for my work corys, but there will be extra capacity).

The 40gal tank will be my first tank with an HMF. It's coming from SwissTropicals; this is a standard 40gal (not 40 breeder or 40 long), so Stephen is cutting a custom sized foam for me.

Photos when the tank is complete.

Cheers, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
pleconut
Posts: 1365
Joined: 30 Sep 2015, 22:17
I've donated: $35.00!
My cats species list: 35 (i:23, k:0)
My aquaria list: 7 (i:3)
My BLogs: 3 (i:4, p:154)
My Wishlist: 1
Spotted: 1
Location 1: Bournemouth
Location 2: UK

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by pleconut »

More new fish. :) Looks good and in slightly better condition. Nice project underway now.Good Luck!
Thanks Teresa
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Thanks Teresa. :-)

Cheers, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Moving my four older guahiborum from a measly 10 gal to a 40 gal (dimensionally only 37 gal) where they will join two younger specimens. Maybe now something will happen.

When I pulled them from the tank I was surprised at how big they had gotten - the big male is now 85mm SL. The largest wild specimens reach 125mm, I can't imagine what they look like at that size. YIKES! :-SS :YMAPPLAUSE: :YMDAYDREAM:

Notice you can still ID the female from the bent pectoral spine. When I first bought her, she arrived with a broken and bleeding left pectoral spine, and a deformed right spine. In these photos, you can still see the bent right pectoral spine.

Cheers, Eric
Attachments
Male in front, female behind
Male in front, female behind
Male ~85mm SL
Male ~85mm SL
Male pectoral odontodes
Male pectoral odontodes
Male opercular odontodes
Male opercular odontodes
Last edited by bekateen on 16 Jan 2017, 22:55, edited 3 times in total.
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Female, ~75mm SL
Attachments
Female showing enlarged belly
Female showing enlarged belly
Female ~75mm SL
Female ~75mm SL
Female small pectoral odontodes
Female small pectoral odontodes
Female opercular odontodes
Female opercular odontodes
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Two other unsexed specimens. I believe they both might be subordinate males, or the top (70mm SL) is female and the bottom (75mm SL) is male. The possible sexing difference is suggested by the relative lengths of the pelvic fins (on my sexed fish, the male has larger pelvic fins).

Thanks @ridout for noticing the difference. :-)
Attachments
Hemiancistrus guahiborum two other specimens 2017-01 superior.jpg
Last edited by bekateen on 17 Jan 2017, 03:28, edited 3 times in total.
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Here's the tank they went into - a 40 gal standard tank (really 37 gal) with HMF on the right side. One fish is visible in the cave at the bottom left side of tank.
Attachments
40 gallon.jpg
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
User avatar
stuby
Posts: 532
Joined: 14 Jul 2009, 03:52
I've donated: $25.00!
My images: 1
My cats species list: 1 (i:1, k:0)
My aquaria list: 1 (i:0)
Spotted: 1
Location 1: USA
Location 2: Big Rapids, MI.

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by stuby »

Very nice setup and fish Eric! I actually got some of the L106's too about the same time you got yours. I need to move mine as well.... they are in a 20 long and they are getting to the point that a little more space is needed.

Chuck
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

stuby wrote:Very nice setup and fish Eric! I actually got some of the L106's too about the same time you got yours. I need to move mine as well.... they are in a 20 long and they are getting to the point that a little more space is needed.
Thanks, Chuck.

I'm curious how fast yours are growing. How big are yours now? What are you feeding yours? I haven't had mine on any special diet. In fact, I'm not really sure what they like! :)) Honestly, I think their main food is wood. They eat other foods, but nothing voraciously and I often have to remove uneaten food (shrimp, clams, sweet potato).

I hope yours breed for you too...

...

... I just hope mine breed first. =)) :)) :- :YMHUG: ^:)^

{To be honest, I'll be shocked if mine ever breed. They seem to like sitting on their fins, watching my hair turn more gray! :))}

Cheers, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
Jobro
Posts: 861
Joined: 29 Jul 2015, 17:34
My cats species list: 12 (i:7, k:0)
My aquaria list: 3 (i:3)
Spotted: 3
Location 1: Germany
Location 2: Allgäu

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by Jobro »

bekateen wrote:Two other unsexed specimens. I believe they both might be subordinate males, or the top (70mm SL) is female and the bottom (75mm SL) is male. The possible sexing difference is suggested by the relative lengths of the pelvic fins (on my sexed fish, the male has larger pelvic fins).

Thanks @ridout for noticing the difference. :-)

I would guess you got another Pair there. Dichromatismus seems to be a thing with many plecos, especially when you remove them from their comfort zone, males tend to lose a lot of colouration while females stay calmer (they are not obsessed about losing their silly caves xD). Top specimen seems to be rounder as well.

If the new tank is all settled in and running well, I would go for very soft water, like doing some WC with pure RO water. Then do nothing for at least one month. No Waterchanges. Nitrate will raise and PH will drop. Only visit them once a day for feeding, leave them alone as far as possible. Hands out of the tank! :D

If you got no spawns after 4-6 weeks, do a big Waterchange with slightly colder, hard tap water. Chances are high you might see spawns before or after the waterchange.

I had spawns on L183, L260 and L168/52 during the "no waterchange"-phases and spawns on L134 after the waterchange.
follow my Plecos on Instagram: welsgefluester
User avatar
stuby
Posts: 532
Joined: 14 Jul 2009, 03:52
I've donated: $25.00!
My images: 1
My cats species list: 1 (i:1, k:0)
My aquaria list: 1 (i:0)
Spotted: 1
Location 1: USA
Location 2: Big Rapids, MI.

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by stuby »

bekateen wrote:
stuby wrote:Very nice setup and fish Eric! I actually got some of the L106's too about the same time you got yours. I need to move mine as well.... they are in a 20 long and they are getting to the point that a little more space is needed.
Thanks, Chuck.

I'm curious how fast yours are growing. How big are yours now? What are you feeding yours? I haven't had mine on any special diet. In fact, I'm not really sure what they like! :)) Honestly, I think their main food is wood. They eat other foods, but nothing voraciously and I often have to remove uneaten food (shrimp, clams, sweet potato).

I hope yours breed for you too...

...

... I just hope mine breed first. =)) :)) :- :YMHUG: ^:)^

{To be honest, I'll be shocked if mine ever breed. They seem to like sitting on their fins, watching my hair turn more gray! :))}

Cheers, Eric
I guess it will be a race to see who gets them to breed first them! lol I did have a trapping for a couple days..... nothing come of it. I haven't been feeding anything special really.... just my normal mix of pellet and stick foods with the occasional treat of blood worms or whatnot. They always seem to eat everything I put in there. Mine aren't to picky when it come to feeding time. I will have to get back to you on their size. I know they have grown but I have no idea how much.

Chuck

I have a feeling that they are like L147's and L377's when it come to breeding.... and just takes time for them to mature and the right conditions. But we will see.....
User avatar
bekateen
Posts: 8955
Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
I've donated: $40.00!
My articles: 4
My images: 130
My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
My Wishlist: 35
Spotted: 177
Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
Contact:

Re: My spotted orange seam plecos: Hemiancistrus guahiborum (L106)

Post by bekateen »

Jobro wrote:I would guess you got another Pair there. Dichromatismus seems to be a thing with many plecos, especially when you remove them from their comfort zone, males tend to lose a lot of colouration while females stay calmer (they are not obsessed about losing their silly caves xD). Top specimen seems to be rounder as well.
Thanks for the ideas Johannes. Yes the upper fish is a little wider and has the shorter pelvic fins than the lower fish, so I might have two pairs. Plus I have two small fish in the tank too, much too small to breed, but they will grow. As for dichromatic color, you may be right for this pair, but the larger male and female are exactly the same color (you can see in their dorsal photos), so I'm not sure how consistent or reliable that difference will be.

As for the water manipulations, this tank is at my work, so it's not going to get a lot of attention or manipulation on a daily basis; perhaps it will get a little more neglect than my other tanks. While I won't intentionally give it a dry season/wet season cycle, that may end up happening if work is crazy busy. :)).
stuby wrote:I guess it will be a race to see who gets them to breed first them! lol I did have a trapping for a couple days..... nothing come of it. I haven't been feeding anything special really.... just my normal mix of pellet and stick foods with the occasional treat of blood worms or whatnot. They always seem to eat everything I put in there. Mine aren't to picky when it come to feeding time. I will have to get back to you on their size. I know they have grown but I have no idea how much.

Chuck

I have a feeling that they are like L147's and L377's when it come to breeding.... and just takes time for them to mature and the right conditions. But we will see.....
Thanks for the extra info Chuck. And I agree, the fish probably just need to mature to a size where they feel ready. Best of luck to you. Between you, me, and everyone else keeping these, I know someone will spawn them. I suspect someone, somewhere has already spawned them. And I know for a fact that someone in Europe has spawned the related fish, . I saw photos on Facebook.

Cheers, Eric
Image
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
Post Reply

Return to “South American Catfishes (Loricariidae - Plecos et al)”