How do i acquire a few LDA025s?

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pussinboots

patron saint of sarcasm
I recently lost a clown pleco (because my ex-landlord was very, VERY inconsiderate and thoughtless) and i'm pretty broken up about it--i had her for six years. When i researched plecos this time around, it looked like the goby and/or pitbull pleco (Parotocinclus jumbo, LDA025) was a good fit for me and the new tank i just cycled, which is smaller than my last one and has finer substrate. Part of the reason i want the LDA025 is irrational though... i also have real four-legged pit bulls whom i love dearly, so when i was narrowing it down that kind of made up my mind. <3

My LFS can't order any, and i usually only buy through them because i trust them to choose vendors with ethical, humane, and environmentally sound methods of collecting and/or raising fish. But in this one case, i've kind of got my heart set on trying a fish they don't have. I've never bought fish online so i'm not sure if my hamfisted Googling means there really are none for sale, or i just don't know where to look. I hoped you all would have some advice.
 

toddnbecka

AC Members
Dec 17, 2004
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Cumberland, MD 21502
They're often listed on aquabid.com but shipping may not be a good idea if the weather is too cold. A common bristlenose pleco may be a better option, they don't grow much larger and are generally hardier than LDA-025's. Also available in different color morphs, and they do eat algae their whole life.
 

pussinboots

patron saint of sarcasm
Thanks so much! I appreciate it (especially the advice about shipping in winter--i didn't know it would make a difference. I will wait to look for them again until later).

I hadn't even thought of getting a bristlenose, even though i really like their silly faces, because a friend of mine had one that was nearly five inches, and it ate her plants. This is just a ten gallon set-up on my desk, and the clown killis would be very sad if somebody ate the roots of their "tree fort." I just looked them up on Planet Catfish and it says they won't eat plants, though, so i'll definitely look into them more. Thank you!
 

toddnbecka

AC Members
Dec 17, 2004
2,808
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Cumberland, MD 21502
A 10 gallon tank is really too small for any pleco. A single baby BN would be fine for maybe a year, I've bred and raised them for years and never seen any of them eat plants. Snails are a different story entirely. I've seen ramshorns gnaw the leaves right off anubias like caterpillars on trees.
LDA025 are social fish, similar to Corydoras, and need to be kept in a group of 5 or more. A 10 gallon just wouldn't support enough biofilm or algae for them to graze on. A 20 long is pretty much the minimum size tank for a small species of pleco, bigger tanks are always better.
 

pussinboots

patron saint of sarcasm
I fed my last pleco vegetables and spirulina tablets, and she liked to shear off strips of the bog log, too. I'd thought i could do the same with new ones, as long as there weren't too many "inches" of fish for the tank. Thanks for letting me know! I'll look into other fishes that like more intimate conditions.
 

Narwhal72

AC Members
Aug 13, 2009
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A 10 gallon tank is not too small for Ancistrus plecos. I used to breed my BN in 10 gallons (one pair per tank) for years. With proper feeding and regular water changes they will do fine.

There are many hobbyists that keep and breed Otocinclus and their like in tanks as small as 5 gallons.

It's important to remember that plecos need to be specifically fed (and not dependent on biofilm). There are many good pleco tablets and wafers available out there as well as fresh vegetables like zucchini, squash, cucumber, and beans. There are also gel foods like Repashy that are very good for plecos too.

I think a group of LDA025 would be fine in a 10 gallon with a power filter and a good diet.

Andy
 
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