Hypancistrus Sp. L260
Written by on 2nd September 2011 and viewed 318 times
Profile - Freshwater Fish - Loricariidae
| Latin | Hypancistrus Sp. L260 |
| Common | Queen Arabesque Plec |
| Group | Freshwater Fish |
| Type | Loricariidae |
| Family | Loricariidae |
| Origin | South America; the Queen Arabesque Plec are only found in Brazil |
| Adult Size | Up to 3.75 inches |
| Lifespan | 8+ years |
| Social | Peaceful |
| Tank level | Minimum tank size of 20 gallons where the Queen Arabesque Plec will occupy the lower levels |
| Lighting | Moderate |
| dGH | 2-15 |
| pH | 6.0-7.5 |
| Temperature | 23-28 °C (73.4-82.4 °F) |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Sexing | Mature males will develop thicker rays on their pectoral fins and display markings on the belly area, the females will have clear, white bellies. |
| Breeding | This fish is a cave spawner so suitable caves should be added to the breeding tank. The water flow should be fairly high but tyry to aim it away from the chosen spawning site. Water quality must be pristine or they will not spawn and the parent fish will need conditioning with a rich protein diet for a couple of weeks prior to breeding. When the eggs are laid the male will assume the parental duties, gusrding the nest and the eggs should hatch after approx. 5 days. Do not attempt to feed the fry when they first hatch as they will consume their yolks sac which is quite large compared to other species of a similar size. When free swimming, the fry can be fed on newly hatched brine shrimp or other suitable small foods. |
| Feeding | As juveniles they will accept vegtable matter which can be offered in the form of algae wafers or spirulina flake but as they start to mature they will require meaty foods as adult specimens are classed as carnivorous. Chopped prawns, mussels, cockles or earthworms are ideal. |
| Care | Well oxygenated water with a decent flow must be supplied. Add rocks or wood to provide hiding places and use a suitable filtration system as they are high waste producers. The filtration should be backed up with regular water changes. |
| Notes | Always take care if handling these fish as they do possess spine swhich can be raised if the fish feel threatened, never attempt to net this plec or they will become tangled. |
